Who are you?

Part 31

317 just hit the double digits. He could no longer remember his birthday, but he knew that every spring, they just added a year to their age. He was sure that his birthday was in autumn. He remembered the red leaves.

But he knew not to question his superiors. To everyone around, he was a perfect soldier. In his years in the camp, he never received any punishments or failed any orders. He followed his commands perfectly.

He had gained a lot of strength over the years. With his paternal bloodline active, he was a formidable opponent. He was promoted to second in command in his new tent.

He was now working on a team in charge of attacking their enemies. Eiji had taken a liking to him. He was the one who promoted the soldiers, and each time he did so, he made sure to praise him.

Perhaps what solidified this liking was the fact that a few months ago, they were attacked by a small clan after they took some of their children. 317, who was near the main tent at the time, ended up fighting next to Eiji and his guards.

One of the enemies used a long range jutsu to try to hit Eiji, and 317, who saw the attack coming last second, jumped in the way and took the hit. He didn't do it as an act of kindness or from a sense of duty. He did it to gain favor.

In their camp, only a selected few were trained to use chakra. They were the highest-ranking warriors. Others would only receive physical training and the basics of chakra if they showed the aptitude for it. He knew that his blood limit did not need conscious control, but he wanted to become stronger.

He wanted to take revenge, and his bloodline wasn't enough. He needed to learn more and become the best, and to do so, he needed Eiji's favor. He also managed to maneuver enough to only get hit in the shoulder.

His plan worked, as he was requested to visit Eiji's tent. Although his arm was in a sling, he did his best to present himself in his best image. Eiji observed him for a few minutes before giving him the promotion.

He was going to train with chakra specialists for a few months, and if he passed the training and proved himself, he would join his guard squad, which brought him to now.

He stood in front of the main tent, waiting for his instructor. He was one of the men in Eiji's personal squad. He was a serious man with no tolerance for errors. He expected perfection.

So 317 did his best to please the man. He took every instruction to heart and performed them to perfection. The man exited Eiji's tent and motioned for him to follow. They headed to one of the training grounds.

He had been learning to control his chakra. He had already finished exercises for leaf sticking, tree walking, and water walking. He was now working on chakra control with elemental chakra.

It turned out that his element was wind, so that was what they were working on. He was using wind to cut through leaves. After the man showed him how to perform the exercise and explained the details, he ordered him to continue until he cut through a hundred leaves, and then he could come to find him.

317 nodded in understanding. He then got to work.

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It took him until sundown to finish the exercise. His body ached from using charka for so long, but he couldn't help feeling proud of his achievement. He didn't want to waste time. It was nearing dinner time, and he wanted to be back in time to eat.

He headed to the main tent to find his mentor. He never introduced himself, so he didn't know his name. But when the guards near the tent saw him, they directed him to the entrance behind the tent.