Pov: Kurenai
"Katsuko- you need to focus up alright? I know you feel down but without this practice you could get injured out there" I tell Katsuko who appears glum and slower than normal.
...
This is why I needed to do some personal training with her again- every time I try to cheer her up or make her think she is worth something she falls even lower the next day... why is this happening? Neji couldn't have been that much of an influence to her right?
"Katsuko... is there anything you want or need from me? You only need to reach out alright? I can help you" I kneel down and touch her shoulder in order to comfort her.
She stops absentmindedly doing her work out routine and looks at me.
"I think... I want to transfer to the genin corps" Katsuko admits with tears in her eyes.
...
"You don't look like you agree with yourself Katsuko, why do you want this?" I ask her kindly.
"Just- please sensei... I need to leave this team" Katsuko begs me and grips her shirt edges.
This isn't good for me or her- even her two teammates would be affected by this, I need to figure this out.
"Is it because of the Hyuga boy? Look, you need to get over that-" I start but am interrupted.
"Its fine- never mind" Katsuko shouts and walks away from me.
...
I need help, I don't know what to do in this situation- who could help me persuade her?
*Rustle*
"Hey Sensei- Kat, Kenzo left me alone so is there any room to train here?" Kanata asks.
"Kenzo left you alone? Where did he go? Is he alright?" I ask hurriedly, I don't need another thing on my pte, especially a wild and mysterious Kenzo moment.
"He is fine? We made a bet and in a week he is going to be training with me after our training... he said he was going to prepare?" Kanata asks.
Prepare? So it seems Kenzo actually took something off my pte rather than the opposite... Kanata wants to train- this is great! Now I just need to deal with Katsuko... and whatever is dragging her down.
...
"You should just be doing stamina training, whatever Kenzo is preparing I am sure it will be tough, the training he does to himself is always over the top" I tell Kanata what to do while Kenzo is gone.
"Training he does? I thought he hung out with his brother in the afternoons... does he train earlier in the morning? How does he get sleep?" Kanata asks.
Shit- I let that slip, The Hokage let me know about Kenzo's 'training box' or whatever Kekkai genkai he has... I was surprised but it makes a lot of things make sense and I am sure only me and him know of Kenzo's methods.
I shrug my shoulders and smile before making a shooing motion with my hand and silently gesturing to Katsuko.
His eyes widen and he fidgets a bit before coughing and gaining her attention.
"Katsuko... are you okay? Need anything from me?" Kanata asks.
...
Lets see what happens then, I get off my knees and walk to the side to see what Kanata can do for her.
"Katsuko? You look very pale..." Kanata comments and closes in.
"I don't want your help" Katsuko replies.
"But you need help?" Kanata quips quickly.
"Yes- no! Please leave me alone" Katsuko grumbles out.
"Too te- you admitted it, now I am going to help no matter what you say!" Kanata teases and Katsuko sighs in exasperation.
...
"I... want to quit" Katsuko admits with great shame and tightens her knuckles.
"Why? Because you think yourself worthless? Who is telling you these things? Every time I see you it makes me feel saddened Kat- you know what! Neji Hyuga right? The guy who called you worthless, I am going to beat him, that's right- and if I do will you stay?" Kanata holds out a hand for Katsuko to shake.
"You couldn't... you cant even beat Kenzo and he always did worse than Neji in school" Katsuko replies.
"Ha- good! You believe it so firmly? Than my point will be proven even more so when I beat that guy" Kanata holds his chin and nods sagely.
"Kanata stop- I don't want to stay" Katsuku replies with seriousness.
"You do. I see how much you love working in this team, you need to get out of your own head alright?" Kanata denies her and walks away.
"Its a bet!" Kanata starts sprinting.
"I- I didn't agree!" Katsuko squeals out after him.
...
I watch her mouth quiver upwards... it seems that made her happy and motivated, I will have to avoid this subject in case she gets down again... lets talk to her again after this training is done.
---
---
Pov: Kenzo
...
Here we are, just need to find that challenge scroll again- I am currently looking for some instant scrolls, at least a D-rank minimum so I can start teaching Kanata something.
Technically I can teach anyone how to do what I do- I am also capable of giving away my Lightning mana to spark someone else's... the way it works is that I fundamentally changes someone's blood to make nature think it is a 'storm' and so the nature chakra gathers to it and the heart pumps out special blood vitalized with some extra special chakra.
So someone who injects my blood may just spark there own and get lightning stuff too... but that's for the future, right now I want to teach my teammate something good.
Then using Kanata and Katsuko I can beat the four 'Chunin exams' I have left to challenge and win them... hopefully.
Here it is- I stop in front of one of the Uchiha district buildings and touch one of the scrolls.
------
Defeat Shisui of the flicker!
Reward: three A-rank Instant scrolls.
------
Nope not that one- I read up on him and no way can I do that.
I slide my hand down to another scroll.
------
Defeat '*****' Uchiha!
Reward: K-rank instant scroll!
------
Nope, there is another one around here I swear... I hope it didn't vanish for no good reason.
I slide my hand to another scroll.
------
Defeat Madara Uchiha!
Reward: Madara challenge scroll- Blessing scroll!
------
Where did the one I want go? All these are way above my paygrade...
I slide to the next scroll.
------
Defeat Indra!
Reward: Blessing scroll!
------
...
Did it get repced? What is this? Come on... this stupid building has so many of these things all over it.
------
Kill Naruto Uzimaki- your brother.
Reward: S-rank Scroll.
------
...
------
Solve the Uchiha Massacre.
Reward: Knowledge.
------
Haaa-
------
Defeat a one Tomoe sharingan Uchiha.
Reward: Instant D-rank scroll.
------
There we are! Finally found it, I grab the scroll off the building and stuff it in my pockets before walking away from the Uchiha district... now I need to find out how to enter this thing undetected, I am sure that Danzo or Lord Hokage is watching me... or listening- I cant sense them but I am certain about it.
As I walk back to the training grounds I listen intently to see if I can find any watchers... of course I fail to find anyone.
I see Kanata doing a horse stance as he sweats and shakes...
"Hey Kanata, any idea on what you want to learn?" I ask him and enter a horse stance next to him.
"Where did you go? Never mind- you know Neji Hyuga? I want to beat him, what do I need to learn for that?" Kanata asks.
Neji? That's the kid at the top of our css in the Academy... Hyuga are known for gentle fist and the Byakugan- so something annoying to hit and defend.
Huh... what skill would be useful for Kanata here?
...
I don't think any special move could ever allow him to beat Neji- he is just too weak without it to do anything with any special skill.
And he only has mortal limits- meaning that unless something miraculous happens he cannot evolve that skill any further.
"Hey- Kenzo?" Kanata takes me out of thoughts.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"The question?" He replies.
...
"Your going to need a lot of training to beat him, I recommend starting more endurance training in the night to start off... then next week I will start teaching you something" I tell him and he nods.
Endurance is foremost- he has to continue standing even after a chakra point is sealed with the gentle fist... then he needs to be faster... Speed and Endurance would boost his build- if he was a taijutsu user that is.
Ninjutsu might give him the edge he needs to win, Endurance and Offensive power might be what's needed.
How about 'handsigns?' Just practice them until they are fast enough?
No, too vague and not that helpful.
'Wind release?'
Maybe... but that would waste a scroll on me- I would be unable to use it at all and we cannot prioritize my teammate over myself... especially with the recent traitor treatment I am getting.
...
Damnit, no ninjutsu skill would ever be useful to me- how can I help him grow with a taijutsu skill that he clearly cks in, Katsuko and me are the front lines of this team taijutsu wise- what skill would suit the ranged DPS?
Something to run away or keep a distance? Then he only needs to learn powerful jutsu from sensei after that... Dodge? To learn how to dodge an attack? Hmmm... evade, side step, jump, redirect...
Lets think about this after I get the scroll, I first need to get it in order for this to all work out- perhaps I will have to bet on the shower not being spied on and the water covering any sound I make.
Maybe they will smell that my scent disappears for a moment and get even more suspicious, could I hide with good soap? Unlikely.
I will likely have to leave something to cover my scent, maybe buy some strong smelling flowers that can cover me for a minute while I am gone.
That will have to do for now... I cannot succeed any other way with my current circumstances and skillset.
---
-Nine o'clock-
Pov: Kenzo
*Fwoosh*
I stand within an Uchiha training ground suddenly ejected from reality.
I take a look around and spot the Uchiha with one tomoe spinning in his eye, the library told me that they can copy movements and such... so luckily I have multiple skills that cannot be replicated so easily, even Itachi Uchiha the murderer of the entire cn was confused on how I used [Eternal Walk].
This ninja is a young adult so I do have to worry about all the other Uchiha stuff they would have learned until now... might not be so experienced with actual combat due to being a genin still.
I stare down the Uchiha genin and remove my jacket- as soon as it hits the floor we both move into action, he jumps backwards while sweating and I breathe three times and rush him.
*Swish* *Woosh*
He reads my movements excellently and dodges each attack with my bone cws.
Like a rat trapped in a corner the terrified Uchiha weaves signs and retaliates against the monster chasing him.
*Crackle* *Fwoooo!*
Fire emits from his mouth and I leap side ways to mitigate the damage... my arm burns and I rush forwards while wrapping a ninja wire across my arm.
*Swish!* *Shoot!*
I slide the wire through my hand and speed it up with lightning Mana in order to pierce the Uchiha genins shoulder- I then wrap the wire around his arm and shoulder causing him to be pulled into my bone cws.
*Ssh!*
I slice into his chest and he gasps out in pain... even with those eyes he is still a genin, I suppose that's why I only get a D-rank instant scroll from this.
...
He gasps in pain on the floor and I death stare him until he surrenders.
I am jolted back into the shower and turn it off before drying and dressing, now all I have to do is find something to teach Kanata.
My best one so far is 'Catch', and hopefully that could be catching projectiles or incoming punches or kicks... I am hoping at least.
Either way I cannot get him any skills I wouldn't use so he will have to deal with it.
"Bye Naruto, I will be back in a bit" I wave to him as he eats a ramen cup and head out for the Hokage's office.
I whistle to myself as I arrive at the Hokage's door and knock on it.
*Knock*
"Enter, Kenzo" He says and I walk in.
"I have another bit of potential skill... something small and simple- do I have your permission?" I ask.
"You may... what will you be learning?" He asks while he writes stuff down.
"Something to teach Kanata, a side project for the future he can work on- he wants something to beat Neji but that wont work out anytime soon" I tell him and sit on one of the couches in the office.
I grab out the scroll and focus on it.
"I am thinking of learning how to 'Catch' exceptionally well... melee and ranged attacks.
"I see... would it not be better to learn something more beneficial to both yours and Kanata's skill set? Catching things may be all well and good, but both of you ck traversal skills that he can learn but you cannot" The Hokage advises.
Oh- right he doesn't know about my lightning abilities... that would make much more sense, I was just going to train my shapeshifting to cw up surfaces and such but having a skill to help that move along would be great.
"Any suggestions?" I ask.
"You can walk over dangerous things unharmed can you not? I assume you can train yourself to 'Charge' through something... or perhaps 'Jumping/Leaping' would do the trick?" He asks back.
"And if I don't want a traversal skill?" I bite the bullet and give him a hint towards my other abilities... he is so much smarter than me and knows what would be best for me.
...
"Learn to deflect blows before catching them- it will save you more times than you can count" He offers a tad bit of advice and smiles.
I look to my scroll and focus.
'Deflect'
It glows and I sit upright in a meditative position.
The orange box greets me and I stand up to look at the changing environment- a baseball field with Naruto at the centre... I stand opposite him with no baseball bat in my hands.
No words to read as the situation is obvious- I raise my hands as Naruto throws a ball towards me and I smack it away.
Naruto suddenly switches with Lee instead and he throws the next ball at me- I smack it away as well.
Good so far...
Then Tenten- then Neji- Then a few others including, Katsuko, Kanata, Kurenai, Itachi and ending with Lee's teacher.
I failed to deflect the st fifty throws... and the sensei of Lee flickers out and is repced by Naruto again.
*Thwack!*
I smack the ball away and even quicker than st time they switch with- *Smack!* my forehead burns as instead of switching to Lee... it switched to Neji.
Its random? Oh damnit...
*Smack*
*Thwack!*
*Pow!*
I fail miserably for a few hours... before eventually reaching one hundred deflections in a row... I am gd that recent run only had Lee's sensei show up once- I don't think it was skill that allowed me to beat this E-rank skill.
*Scratch* *Scrawl*
'E-rank portion complete'
I sit down and wipe my brow before flicking my sweat away... I watch the scenery change into a boxing ring.
I stand up and take a few breaths before stepping into the ring.
Naruto spawns in with boxing tape on his fists- he swings at me and I push him back, *SNAP!* one of the rings legs snaps and I tumble back off the ring and look up to see it completely fine... I get up and walk back into it.
Naruto swings and I deflect his hand with my well practiced palm.
*Sp!*
He throws a few more as I deflect them one by one... it isn't until he switches suddenly with Itachi that I get hit in the gut and roll off the stage as it snaps and rebuilds itself when I look up again.
This feels so weird... like a time loop, the ring snaps and rolls me away every time I make a mistake... and when I look up its as if I just entered the ring again.
I get up and back in the ring to see Naruto smiling at me.
This is going to be a long one isn't it? Haaa- I shake my shoulders and prepare for Naruto's barrage of attacks.
Thanks for reading :)
