The Senju sanctum's revelations became data points for Kaito's << INT: 18 >> – biological constraints and ethical boundaries to be integrated, not obsessions. Jiraiya enforced the shift: "Enough internal sculpting. Time to use the damn cup. Focus: reflexes, core Fuinjutsu, taijutsu foundation, scraps of ninjutsu you won't blow yourself up with."
The Refined Grind:
Namikaze Edge: Taijutsu drills became hyper-focused on exploiting Namikaze Perception. Jiraiya attacked blindingly fast, forcing Kaito to react purely to pre-strike cues: air displacement, micro-muscle tension, killing intent flickers. Blindfolded dodges amidst falling rocks, predicting multi-angle assaults – shrinking perception-reaction lag to near-zero. << AGI: 13 >> strained upwards. Bruises were lessons.Fuinjutsu Arsenal: Practicality reigned, leveraging intellect and affinity.Storage Efficiency: Packing rocks, water, kunai into tighter spatial imprints on Saisei-wood tags. Minimal drain, rapid access. << Chakra: 55/55 >> demanded frugality.Barrier Basics: Inscribing weak force domes, chakra-dampening fields (brief signature masks), alarm glyphs. Setup-dependent, crucial for defense/warnings.Tactical Refinement: Crude explosives gained delayed/proximity triggers. Layering Disruption Glyphs onto blast tags for chakra-scrambling disorientation. << Tactical Fuinjutsu (Rank F) >> solidified.Ninjutsu Drip-Feed: Frustratingly limited by chakra.Water Release: Thin Mist Jet (D-Rank): Not a wave, a focused spray. Douse fires, clear smoke, disrupt footing. (Cost: 10-15 Chakra). Situational.Earth Release: Knee-High Wall (D-Rank): Quick, low barrier for cover, tripping, Void Step platforms. (Cost: 10-15 Chakra). Sparingly used.Chakra Enhancement (Passive): Constant low-flow to muscles for speed/strength bursts in taijutsu. << CC: 10 >> minimized drain. Essential.Senjutsu: Theory Only: Jiraiya's lectures continued during rest:Nature Chakra Properties: Volatility, life-force alignment, resistance to control.The Balancing Act: Dynamic equilibrium of physical (stamina), spiritual (chakra), natural energy. A thread's imbalance = petrification.Sage Mechanics: Physiological/perceptual shift, mental/physical strain, contract variations (Toad, Snake, Slug).The Barrel: Foundations of Fusion conditions the system to resonate with nature energy, enabling future blending. "Years, not months, brat. Requires control and reserves you don't have. Learn the currents from shore."
The Crushing Realization: Time & Hunger
The intense focus couldn't silence the gnawing anxiety forever. One evening, as Kaito meticulously cleaned his meager gear, the implications of the passage of time struck him like a physical blow.
Two months. Roughly sixty days of brutal mountain training. His Gamer Interface confirmed the in-game duration. Sixty days...
Panic, cold and sharp, lanced through him. Sixty days... in here... but outside? The capsule's nutrient IV would keep his body alive, barely. It wouldn't stop the rent. It wouldn't stop the utilities. It wouldn't feed Aiko.
His little sister. Twelve years old. Alone. Relying on the meager credits he'd left, which would have run out weeks ago. The image of her, hungry, scared, waiting for a brother lost in a game, slammed into him with paralyzing force. He'd been fighting for his virtual life, honing skills for a future conflict, while his real sister might be starving in the dark.
The carefully constructed compartmentalization shattered. He dropped the kunai he was cleaning, the clatter loud in the sudden silence.
Jiraiya, stirring a pot of stew, glanced up, his sharp eyes immediately reading the raw despair on Kaito's face. "What now, brat? Pathway pain got you whimpering?"
Kaito couldn't speak for a moment. He just stared at his hands, calloused from training, yet utterly useless to help the person who mattered most. When he finally looked up, his eyes were wide, desperate. "Jiraiya-sama..." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "...my sister. Aiko. She's... alone. Back home. I... I have nothing left to send her. No money. For food. Shelter." He choked on the words, the fear for Aiko stripping him bare. "She's twelve. Please... I beg you. Is there any way? Any task? Anything I can do here, now, to earn even a little Ryo? Something I can send to her?" He didn't kneel this time, but the desperation in his posture, his voice, was a palpable force. "Anything. I'll do it."
Jiraiya studied him. He saw the genuine terror, the raw desperation for someone else, not himself. It wasn't about greed or power; it was about survival for kin. A vulnerability deeper than any cracked vessel. He understood family obligations, even if Kaito's "home" was a vague concept to the nomadic Sannin.
A heavy sigh escaped Jiraiya. He poked the fire. "Hmph. Family ties. Tricky business." He scratched his chin, thinking. "High-risk bounties? No. Not your level. Courier runs? Too exposed. Village channels are watched." He seemed to ponder, his gaze drifting towards the higher, steeper slopes shrouded in mist. "Herbs... maybe."
He pointed upwards. "Up there. Thin air, harsh terrain. Grows Sky-Cling Moss. Rare alchemical ingredient. Stabilizes volatile chakra mixtures. Apothecaries in neutral towns pay decent Ryo for it. Hard to find. Harder to harvest without it crumbling to useless dust." He looked pointedly at Kaito. "Requires delicate chakra control to pluck it intact. Like threading a needle made of spider silk. << CC: 10 >> might be enough. If you're careful. Very careful. One slip, and it's worthless powder."
Jiraiya rummaged in his pouch and tossed Kaito a small, rough sketch on a scrap of paper. It showed a fuzzy, grey-green moss growing in jagged cracks on vertical rock faces. "Looks like that. Harvest only the vibrant green tips. Use minimal chakra, precisely focused, to sever it at the base without damaging the root structure. Bring me what you find." He paused, his expression serious. "I know a discreet... broker. Operates outside village networks. Takes a cut, but he's reliable and asks no questions. He can get Ryo to wherever your sister is. Safer than you trying to sneak into a town yourself."
Kaito clutched the sketch like a lifeline. It wasn't a fortune, but it was a chance. A task requiring his hard-won control, something he could do, here, to help Aiko. "Sky-Cling Moss. Delicate chakra plucking. Understood, Jiraiya-sama." The weight on his heart lessened fractionally. There was a path.
"Don't fall off the mountain, brat," Jiraiya grunted, turning back to the stew. "Dead men earn no Ryo, and dead sisters get no help. Get some rest. You tackle those cliffs at first light."
The Bleak Real World (Kaito's Perspective Only):
Kaito found a sheltered crevice. He needed to see Aiko, even briefly. He focused inward. << Logout Sequence Initiated.>>
The transition was jarring. Stale air, aching muscles. The time display: 5 Days, 7 Hours elapsed.
"Aiko?" His voice was hoarse.
A small figure uncurled. "Kaito! You're okay!" She rushed over, hugging him tightly. Thin. Too thin.
"I'm here, sprout. I'm so sorry." He hugged her back, guilt crushing him. The landlord's threat, the empty pantry, the << Balance: 27 Credits >> – it was worse than he feared.
He paid the rent using his hidden emergency fund (100 Credits), plunging into debt (<< Balance: -123 Credits >>). He took Aiko to the market, buying the cheapest staples (<< Expenditure: 45 Credits >>, << Balance: -168 Credits >>). The city streets screamed VR ads ("Olympus Corp!", "Ares Guild!"). He saw low-tier guild members (Iron Fang jackets) tossing trash, a display of minor affluence that stung. He had no guild, no connections.
Back home, cooking stew, the smell brought a flicker of normalcy. "Will you... have to go back?" Aiko asked, fear in her eyes.
"Yes, sprout," Kaito said, meeting her gaze. "But not for long stretches. I'll manage it better." He leaned forward, injecting fierce hope into his voice. "I found a way. A task. Hard, but I can do it. It will earn money. Real money, soon. Enough for better food, a better place... maybe even school. Just hang on a little longer. Trust me." He saw the fragile hope rekindle. It was everything.
Later, as Aiko slept, Kaito stared at the neon glow. The debt was suffocating. But he had a path in the game. Sky-Cling Moss. Convert Ryo to Credits. For Aiko.
He activated the pod. << Login Sequence Initiated.>> The bleak apartment faded.
The Mountain - The Harvester's Path:
Kaito reappeared in the crevice. Dawn was breaking. Jiraiya was packing a small satchel.
"Ready, brat?" Jiraiya asked, not looking up. "Moss won't pick itself. Remember: delicate touch, like handling a sleeping wasp. We head up. I'll show you the best starting ridges. After that, you're on your own. I'll be nearby... observing. Don't expect a rescue if you get clumsy." He hefted the satchel. "Earn your sister's supper."
Kaito adjusted his gear, the sketch secure beside Saisei. He looked up at the treacherous slopes. The path wasn't just about survival and power anymore. It was about scaling cliffs for rare moss, about converting chakra control into his sister's next meal. The Gardener needed to become a Harvester. For Aiko. He nodded sharply. "Ready."