After almost a month of traveling, I finally reached a place teeming with vegetation. During this time, my control over ether had grown exponentially, and I was able to create two daggers in addition to my kagune, which improved my fighting style. I also challenged people in the training room every day, but the opponents were unfamiliar. I also learned to coat my entire body with ether for strength and change my color; walking around with purple skin was just not so nice.
Having reached the forest and climbed one of the tall trees, I decided to find a mountain to stay in for a few years to train and finally learn the timeline I was in. It would also be nice to create my own inner world where I could live and develop without affecting this world's timeline until a certain point.
Seeing the mountain, I headed toward it, picking mushrooms and berries along the way, and hunting rabbits, as it was approaching evening. Having reached the foot of the mountain where a small river flowed, I decided to stay there. After unloading my heavy bag, I first decided to rinse off after the long journey. After undressing and plunging into the river, I began to ponder how I could build a house here. I had no construction skills whatsoever, but installing plumbing and sewerage wouldn't be a problem, but where would I find the tools and resources for construction?
[The user has nothing to worry about; ether is a force capable of creating literally anything from nothing, the main thing is to know the molecular structure of the desired element.]
"Hmm, so if I know the molecular composition of a Devil Fruit, dragon's blood, or phoenix tears, then creating it will be no problem for me, right?"
[That's right. If your opponent in the training room wields a Devil Fruit, you can study their body structure during the fight and recreate the fruit they wield. Not an artificial one, but an original one, like in the pirate world. Your enemies could also include dragons, dragon slayers, phoenixes, and gods and titans; it all depends on your own understanding and control.]
This news made me happy, because for what I'm planning, such a skill will definitely be necessary.
Having reached the shore, I dried myself off, washed my clothes, and hung them on the rope I'd created. Naked, I walked over to the nearest tree, placed my hand on it, and began to study its structure. After half an hour, I finally figured it out and attempted to create a wooden block. Several strands escaped my hands and began to form a rectangular shape. I tried to direct ether particles to the same places as in the tree, but all I got was rotten wood that immediately crumbled to dust.
Well, not everything always works out the first time. After removing my now-dry clothes and putting them back on, I started cooking. I sliced some mushrooms I'd found along the way and laid them on a flat stone, which I placed over the fire to serve as a frying pan. I also came across some spices like pepper and coriander. After chopping the cilantro and pepper, I poured it all over the dressed rabbit and stirred. When the mushrooms were lightly browned, I made a few skewers with ether and skewered the rabbit. I waited for everything to brown. It's a shame I couldn't find any tobacco along the way; as a heavy smoker, it was hard for me to concentrate without a cigarette in my mouth.
"Smells nice." Suddenly, I heard a voice to my right. Turning toward the voice, I saw no one, which made me wary and ready for battle.
"I'm down here," I heard again, and looking down, I saw a normal-sized orange toad.
"My name is Gamamaru. Would you be so kind as to offer me some food? The smell alone is making my mouth water."
I stared at the toad in shock, for I recognized Gamamaru, one of the great sages of Mount Myoboku. The very same one whose words condemned the shinobi world to a thousand years of hostility.
"Of course," I replied.
"Help yourself, there's enough for both of us."
Gamaru came closer and stood next to me. I was still wondering why he was there and whether he'd seen the prophecy about me and told me about it. But after waiting a few minutes in silence, I realized the shish kebab was ready. Taking the meat off the fire, I handed the skewer to Gamamaru and deftly picked it up with my small paw, as if it weighed nothing to him.
Taking my portion, I bit into the meat and pulled it off the skewer, savoring the taste. Although it lacked salt, it was still quite tasty. Gamamaru, watching me eat with relish, couldn't resist popping the meat into his mouth. We ate in silence until all six skewers lay in a pile next to each other.
"You are unique, young man, you possess immense power," Gamamaru finally said.
"Call me Vi, yes, but I won't use it to kill, only to intimidate. I've never killed anyone and I hope it stays that way," I replied.
"Vi, then, is not an uncommon name for these parts. I sense no deception in you, and I hope it will remain so. Thank you for the treat, and I hope to meet and speak with you again someday, but for now, I must go," Gamamaru replied.
"Please wait. Can you tell me when they will arrive? How much time do I have to prepare?" I asked Gamamaru hastily. He looked at me with a long, searching gaze and finally answered with a sigh.
"Ten years. They will be here in ten years." Then he turned and hopped off toward the forest, soon disappearing behind the trees.
"Ten years, then, plenty of time to prepare," I muttered silently and returned to my practice of creating a wooden block. It took me four hours before an ordinary-looking block of wood appeared in my hands, but its strength astonished me; it was stronger than iron. Overjoyed, I decided to create a house. Yes, yes, not building it piece by piece, but creating it all at once. Concentrating, I placed my hands on the ground and imagined what my future home, where I would spend the next 10 years, would look like. The earth trembled slightly, and etheric threads appeared everywhere, taking shape as my future home. An hour and a half later, I stood and smiled as I gazed at the two-story house with a porch and a terrace on the second floor, Japanese-style. Why Japanese? Well, so as not to stand out. I also borrowed an idea from the Chinese and made a floor that would be heated by the stove, as well as a small stove and a bathroom. The bed was a double bed with a mattress and a warm blanket made of rabbit wool. Creating the fabric for the sheets and curtains was easy, as the structure was the same as the rope I had created earlier.
Looking at my house, I opened the door with a smile and walked in. Taking off my shoes, I walked further and found myself looking into a living room with a sofa, an empty bar counter, and a small coffee table. The living room was small, about 10 square meters, with the kitchen and dining area behind it. Having gone up to the second floor, I peered into the bathroom, making sure everything was as planned, and then headed to the bedroom, where, in addition to the bed, there was a nightstand and a closet. There were no windows or mirrors anywhere, as I hadn't yet learned how to create them. Having reached my bed, I lay down and finally fell asleep.
A message to readers.
Guys, this is my first attempt at writing. Please like, comment, and leave reviews. I don't know if you'll like it or whether I should even continue this project. I actually started writing because I'd been wanting to write a book for over 10 years, but recently I've been reading a lot of Naruto fics, many good ones, but I still had a lot of regrets after reading them, because every Naruto fan has a favorite character who's dead in canon, and that's the reason we read fics. But there are moments in them that leave me with regrets, too. I hope you enjoy this work. Criticism is welcome. Thank you all.