SHINOBI: The RPG

60 Return to Leaf(2/2)

notebook, by the way. I got it as a present from the Hokage and it had everything already written in it. Don't know where it came from or why it's the way it is, but here we go."

I opened the first page, coming to the Vault Boy, strutting around with full health and a Vault-Tech hitai-ate and a huge, cheesy smile on his face. "That's a more thorough break-down of my physical state. If my limbs get crippled, this picture changes to reflect that."

"What's that hitai-ate he's got on?" Sakura asked, pointing to it. "I don't recognize the village."

"There hasn't been any village that I've seen with that symbol," I replied with a shrug. "So, I don't really think it's relevant."

They all caught the implication that I did know what that symbol is, but it really isn't relevant and I don't feel like explaining Fallout to them just yet. Perhaps later. "Next page over here shows my stats, all at perfect tens on the left here, and on the right, here's my skills."

"This feels kind weird," Shikamaru said with a frown. "This whole book is backwards."

Right, because they go from right to left instead of left to right. "That's because it is. It came to me that way, and while I can change it, I prefer it this way."

He shrugged. "Alright then. So, those are your skills."

"Yeah. I'm still only a little bit through level 30, as you can see from the EXP bar here," I said, pointing at the bar at the top of that page. Then I turned the page. "Here's everything I've got on me right now. It keeps track of my armor, items I have in my storage seals, everything."

"Wow," Naruto said, tilting his head to get a better look at it. "Wait, what's that dot you've got next to your armor?"

"Oh, that's to signify that I'm wearing it," I said. "Here, want to see a trick?"

I poked my armored jacket in the inventor screen, de-equipping it and causing it to disappear. Everyone jumped.

"Woah, hold on!" Naruto yelped, before closing in and starting to poke me where my jacket was supposed to be. "Where'd it go?"

"It's in one of my storage scrolls," I replied, shrugged and putting it on again, making them all jump again. "Want me to do it again? I'd probably be great at parties if I enjoyed going to them."

"Wait, what's that it says on the right, there?" Shikamaru said, pointing to the 'Endurance' bonus that it gave.

"So things that I wear can give a bonus to one of my stats," I explained. "This one gives a bonus to Endurance."

"Wait, does that include Charisma?" Ino asked with narrowed eyes.

"I wore a dress kimono to a dinner with Nichiren parents once," I explained with a nod. "Raised it to about seven..and it freaked everyone out so bad that I was ordered to never boost my charisma again."

"Wait, what?" Naruto shook his head. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I fed them a line about it being a 'super henge' and they thought I was forcibly rewiring my brain to be better in an artificial way," I explained with a flat look. "Given my..lack of caution, they were afraid I would ignore any long-term harm it would cause because I was getting a short-term benefit. Makes sense, given that I don't believe they would've accepted 'I wore a kimono that made me a knockout for a night'. That makes sense?"

"I..okay, sure," Naruto shook his head. "Yeah, it makes sense but..I almost don't believe it."

"I don't blame you," I replied with a shake of my head. "It doesn't make any sense. Like this notebook, for instance. I never once changed or wrote anything in this book, yet it's been able to do all of this since I got it. Way before I started writing seals to victory."

"And you got this notebook from the Hokage?" Shikamaru said, glaring at it as if he could force it to give up it's secrets.

"That's right," I affirmed. "I don't think he knows what he gave me, either."