Wait, wait, wait, you're serious? There's no fucking way you're serious."
"Anyone unqualified to handle ten exchanges is unsuitable to be my teacher."
"Yosh! Wonderful! I accept your challenge, Neji-kun!"
Anko bit down on her lip.
For fuck's sake! You're really going to indulge this spoiled brat?!
She wanted to snap at Guy, but she couldn't. Might Guy was the last person in the world she wanted to get on the bad side of. Many claimed the man had no bad side, and honestly, Anko didn't want to be the one to fuck around and find out.
On some intuitive level, she understood the man wasn't that bad a choice of a sensei. First, there was no world in which she'd try to flirt with him. He wasn't bad but no. Fucking no. Absolutely fucking no. Even at her worst, or most horny, it would be sub-zero degrees in the underworld before she thought about Might Guy sexually.
Beyond that, the man had the patience of a saint, the kindness of a monk, and the determination of a god-forsaken demon. If there was anyone, anyone at all, who wouldn't give up on her, anyone who wouldn't consider helping her control her emotions a waste of time — it would be Might Guy.
She knew she was going to be shitty to handle. It was part of her recovery process. Her words would likely sting. Or hurt. And she'd likely be very, very, bitchy — enough that most people would probably flip her off or generally start hating her for it.
Guy was probably the only person who would shrug off even the most fucked up statements that may or may not fly out of her mouth with a laugh.
Sticks and fucking stones did not break his bones.
That aside, considering she didn't have access to her snake-summoning ninjutsu anymore, it meant she needed to directly pivot her area of expertise. With her currently abysmal chakra control and terrible chakra quantity, attempting to specialize in ninjutsu or genjutsu was a pipe dream. It left only one avenue for her to be effective in the field — Taijutsu.
And she honestly couldn't think of a better person to learn taijutsu from.
However, the itty-bitty stick-up-the-ass Hyūga brat was actually challenging Guy with some bullshit about worthiness?
She glared even harder at him.
Hope he knocks out all of your fucking baby teeth…
The Uchiha beside her quietly moved away from the center of Training Ground 10, taking a spot beneath a tree to observe.
She huffed as she followed him, and stood to the side.
"If he's stupid enough to think he can fight a Jōnin — it's probably best if he gets a fucking reality check now."
The Uchiha did not answer. He did not speak. Although he did tilt his head slightly to signify that he'd heard her, and that he wasn't ignoring her. Even then, the silence wanted to make her continue talking, because she'd go fucking crazy if she ended up in a team with two stoic-quiet types who communicated less than a sentence per day.
The Hyūga brat stood at the traditional sparring distance away from Guy, and the two of them stood in silence.
Then, he looked up, clear surprise on his features.
"You can open your Eight Great Points."
Huh? The fuck?
Guy blinked. "Eight Great — you mean the Eight Gates?"
"Gates?"
"Very sharp Neji-kun! The Eight Gates."
The boy fell silent. Anko's brows furrowed. What the fuck does the Eight Gates have to do with this?
"You are the only one."
The Hyūga cupped his right fist into his left palm and gave a strangely polite bow.
"In the entirety of Konoha, you are the only one worthy of receiving the appellation of sensei from me. I will not be discontent with you as my sensei."
Of all the arrogant bullshit! Anko was struggling not to curse at him. She opened her lips, only to nearly choke on her saliva as the scene in front of her changed.
One second, Hyūga Neji was standing fifteen feet away, the next, he was directly in front of Guy.
What the fuck —
She hadn't seen him move.
"Hahahaha! Brilliant Neji-kun!"
There was a blur of green spandex and white clothes. An exchange that occurred, a blur of limbs, actions, and reactions, movements and motions that blended so seamlessly into each other that her eyes could not track any of it.
She couldn't tell where a palm strike ended and where a punch began. She couldn't tell where a block started and where it transitioned into a kick. Then, the duo's motion sped up, until she couldn't make out anything.
She blinked several times, before instinctively making the corresponding motion to dispel Genjutsu and whispering "KAI!"
There was no Genjutsu.
There was no deception.
All she could see was a green and white blur.
What… what the fuck? What the fucking fuckity fuck?
I can't — I can't follow their movements?
Had something altered her sense of perception? No, no that couldn't be it. The Cursed Seal on her neck had never — it hadn't possessed any benefits. There was no way its removal made her mind slower — there was no fucking way.
The only time when it was impossible to follow the movements of an individual was when there was a gap in their relative skills. A massive, stretching gap.
It was one thing if she couldn't follow the attacks of Guy, but the brat? The Hyūga brat? The Genin?
You're telling me a Genin — a fresh-out-the-academy genin — has Jōnin-level Taijutsu skills?
She snapped her gaze towards the Uchiha beside her, opening her lips to comment, only to stop as she saw those creepy red eyes of his spinning like crazy, and found him thoroughly entranced.
Am I — am I the only fucking one who can't see shit?!
An increasingly hard lump formed in her throat that made her unable to swallow. She remembered the words the ANBU stiff had told her.
Despite your former rank, you will be the least skilled member of your new team.
She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
"Fuck."
XXXXXAt first, deep within, he'd thought this was going to be a somewhat farcical performance. Even he, with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan would not wish to engage in a bout with Might Guy. No, even if he were to have another five, seven, or eight years of experience, he would do his hardest to avoid fighting Might Guy head-on in a taijutsu match.
Itachi's eyes spun as rapidly.
No footsteps. His feet slid flawlessly across the ground as though he were gliding or skating.
A Ninjutsu technique? A technique that allowed him to eliminate friction between his feet and the ground, and allow for near-instantaneous and sudden movement.
That isn't a technique known to belong to the Hyūga Clan.
Self-made?
Highly likely.
The theory behind it utilizes the same principle in the Water-Walking Exercise. Precise and fine-tuned application of chakra expelled at the feet to counteract the buoyancy of a liquid. Only, in this case, it's counteracting friction —
Simple in theory. Difficult in practice. It would require extremely precise control of one's chakra, a perfect understanding of one's spatial positioning to avoid overshooting or undershooting targets, and the ability to nullify the sudden disorientation from moving too quickly and coming to abrupt stops — all things that the Byakugan perfectly covers.
The entire thing occurred to Itachi's eyes at regular speed.
His Sharingan would typically present the motions and movements of people in slow motion. Yet, his new teammate and sensei were moving at regular speed.
First Exchange.
Neji's right palm soared straight for Guy's heart as his left aimed for the solar plexus.
Guy diverted the first palm with a downward kick on the boy's wrist, and the force sent Neji off-balance.
Second Exchange.
Just as it seemed he would fall, the Hyūga's feet smacked back and rooted to the ground with chakra and he slid, as if skating on ice, directly behind the man with another two palms aimed for his spine.
The older Jōnin spun on the balls of his feet and landed two punches in response, aimed perfectly at the Hyūga's wrists again, intentionally avoiding his palms.
Third Exchange.
The Hyūga abandoned his initial palm strikes, spun in place like a dancer, and aimed two jabs toward the outstretched arm that had been sent to counter the palm strikes.
Guy's response to the feint was a foot, snapping out like a serpent towards the smaller boy's jaw, forcing to choose between attacking or defending.
Fourth Exchange.
Three palm strikes connected on Guy's right arm, just as Guy's foot smashed into the Hyūga's jaw.
The duo separated. One appeared disoriented, and the other amazed, as his right arm seemed to hang limply.
"Wonderful! Wonderful, Neji-kun! It seems I have to take this a little more seriously!"
With the sound of something snapping, the wristband on Guy's right arm fell off.
BOOM!
A cloud of dust exploded from the impact of the object falling off his right hand. Itachi's eyes grew unfathomably wide as he saw the object — the weights — create a small crater on the ground.
Given the distance to the ground and the relative impact force… that should be at the barest minimum… four to five thousand kilograms…
Itachi's gaze quickly snapped to the other wristbands. There was still another one on Guy's left arm, and there were ankle bands on his left and right leg. He saw the Hyūga's eyes widen comically in disbelief, as he, too, had quickly come to the same realization.
Around ten thousand kilograms… eleven tons?
An average thoroughbred horse weighed about 500 kilograms. It would mean Might Guy had been fighting, thus far, with the equivalent weight of five horses on each limb.
Did he not see them prior?
No. His expression shows he isn't surprised about the presence of the weights —
He was aware of them, but he vastly underestimated their heaviness.
Itachi found a strange smile.
Because it defies common sense.
"Brace yourself Neji-kun! DYNAMIC! ENTRY!"
Fifth Exchange.
Guy vanished.
A massive boom echoed out, and there was a green blur as a foot slammed into the stomach of a smaller boy in white. The Hyūga folded in half like a chair, and Itachi vividly saw the saliva and spittle fly out of his mouth as his eyes bulged out.
He skidded across the dirt and ground like a stone skipping across a lake, before righting himself in mid-air, his feet catching the earth and attaching chakra to it to stop himself from continuing to skid backward.
He stood, tall, for a single, valiant second, before he cupped his right fist into his left palm.
"I, Hyūga Neji, pay my respects to Master Guy."
Then, he collapsed.
"Ah! Neji-kun!"
Itachi turned off his Sharingan.
Five Exchanges.
Hyūga Neji had said he would not accept a teacher who could not last ten exchanges with him in taijutsu.
But against Might Guy, he'd lost in five.
XXXXX Within a forest deep in the Land of Fire, a young, blonde-haired woman stopped at a nearby river, and glanced into her reflection deep within it. For a moment, the transformation that kept her appearing as a woman in her twenties faded.
She took note of the pronounced dark circles under her eyes, and how her eyelids were swollen and heavy as a result of fluid retention. The redness of her sclera came from the expansion of blood vessels. The increase in wrinkles was a result of impaired collagen production, her features were notably dull and pale, her skin was lacking in moisture, and her hands which she kept in front of her face had subtle tremors.
She didn't need to be a medical-nin to analyze the clear signs of sleep deprivation.
At the same time, a growl roared from her stomach, and she clenched her teeth as she was temporarily wracked by abdominal pain.
Hunger? I'm… hungry?
Almost as the thought came, she fell silent.
Tsunade-sama, you went without eating again! You can't just drink alcohol and call it a day!
Tsunade-sama, you've been pushing yourself too hard! If you keep going without rest, it won't be good for your health!
Tsunade-sama, I'll keep watch. Get some sleep.
Tsunade-sama! Look! I was able to hunt this rabbit. I'll cook it up for us! We can save on meals today!
The whispered voices echoed one after the other, before vanishing.
Shizune…
Her stomach growled a second time, and she winced again.
Hunger had never truly been a concern before now. Even when they had absolutely no money, even when they lacked the funds to sit down and purchase a meal, her apprentice always tried to make sure she was at least fed.
The girl would head into the forest, strike a senbon at a rabbit's head, skin it, prepare it, and then cook a meal for them both.
It's just hunting a rabbit. I can —
The image of her bloodied hands flashed through her mind.
I — I —
She clenched her teeth hard.
I can't.
She couldn't hunt or skin an animal. Blood would trigger those memories. Deeply inhaling, and then exhaling, she considered her options.
Berries or fruit. I can sustain myself on those for now…
As for protein… Fish. I don't need to skin it or debone it. I can roast it over an open flame —
Her gaze shot to the river.
If I follow the river… I might find fish but at the same time…
She pressed her lips tight against each other. She'd been avoiding cities and deeply populated settlements because she was certain Sunagakure would send out many of its elite to find her. Besides them, it was likely that Konoha-nin would be looking for her. They might see it fit to drag her back to the village by force.
She was no different from a wanted fugitive.
Tsunade was aware she lacked experience with such a thing. She didn't know the 'do's' and 'don'ts' of being a person on the run. The only one she'd had so far was to 'avoid cities, towns, and villages.'
Transformation…
The transformation technique she'd devised that kept her looking young wasn't something that could be easily altered, but even if she did do so, and changed her appearance, it would not help her.
A woman traveling across the Land of Fire alone?
Any shinobi with a brain cell would discern that something was amiss. The amount of danger involved in solitary travel made it perilous for the average man, much less a woman who was a more attractive target for bandits, slavers, and brigands.
The inherent risks in travel were one of the reasons shinobi stayed in business. It was why a large percentage of shinobi missions were protection, escort, and bodyguard missions.
A man traveling alone wouldn't draw half as much scrutiny. At worst, people would think he was an overconfident, cocky fool who would end up being waylaid and robbed of his valuables, before encountering death. No one would question it beyond that.
If she were to mask her identity, she'd have to do so as a man.
No.
She wouldn't.
The transformation of her features returned, hiding the signs of sleep deprivation and exhaustion as followed the river's path deeper into the forest. Her stomach would sound out intermittently, as would the pang of hunger.
It didn't take long for her to find the river's end, as it cascaded down into a flowing waterfall. Hopping down, she walked across the river's flowing edge and found enough fish swimming at the bottom.
This would be the perfect place to take a shower, but without Shizune keeping an eye out… If I knew how to create a barrier, this wouldn't be an issue.
Tsunade sighed.
I should have properly learned barrier fūinjutsu...
Several years ago, Jiraiya asked her why she didn't become a fūinjutsu specialist. He'd argued that as she had Uzumaki blood in her veins from her grandmother, she would possess an innate talent in the art that greatly surpassed his.
She had given him the excuse that she wished to be known as "Tsunade" not "Mito the Second."
The truth was, she'd never been on good terms with her grandmother.
Uzumaki Mito often detested the way her husband, Hashirama, spoiled and pampered her. She was the only one who would chastise him for buying her excessive sweets or indulging in her acts of gambling.
That wasn't enough to cause a divide between them, however. The true cause was that Uzumaki Mito had initially opposed her becoming a kunoichi.
As a woman who'd grown up in the Warring Clans Era, to her grandmother, the concept of "kunoichi" had been synonymous with 'honeytrap.' The only role a kunoichi could play, the only role they were often allowed to play, was to seduce and assassinate the enemies of their clan. They did not engage in direct physical combat or fight on the front lines.
She'd even once stated that even being a geisha had more dignity, as at the very least, they would not willingly spread their legs for the same men who butchered their fathers, brothers, and sons.
The 'modern' notions of kunoichi had only come into existence after her grandfather established Konoha. The formation of a three-man team and the distinctions of rank had also done wonders to equalize the disparity and dispel the belief that kunoichi were only good for one thing.
By the time her grandmother realized it was a different era, by the time she realized the role of kunoichi had changed and it was a viable path, it had been too late to repair the rift between them.
Instead, she found a different person to take the role of granddaughter. A person who she could pass down all of her wisdom and techniques, a person who would replace the bond she should have had with her own flesh and blood —
Kushina.
Tsunade let out a bitter laugh.
Uzumaki Kushina.
In the end, it came back to Kushina.
As Tsunade recalled how her apprentice had been swayed by those images of the woman's perfect life, marrying her childhood sweetheart, having a wonderful wedding, and living a life that she could only dream of, a massive lump in her throat grew.
Kushina.
Kushina.
If it wasn't for Kushina —
If it wasn't for her —
The tightness in her throat burned further as she caught a glimpse of her rippling reflection on the water.
She stared deep, and she stared long.
She stared until she found a face she could not recognize.
XXXXX"Oh, I love it! Tora will also find it cute? Don't you Tora! Don't you? Who's a cutie-pie? Who's a cutie-pie? You, yes you! Yes, you are!"
Namikaze Minato made it clear not to pay attention to the pitiful expression on the features of Tora. The cat had it the sentience or intelligence of a summoning animal, would likely have been cursing him violently and spewing obscenities within his office.
Wrapped in the meaty arms of Madam Shijimi and pressed against her fattened cheeks, whatever attempts it made to flee ended in repeated, consecutive failure. Eventually, surrendering to its fate, it hung limply from her arms, allowing the bow tie with a tiny bell to remain on its neck.
"I have to say, you managed to find Tora-chan more quickly this time! The quality of your Genin seems to be improving, Minato-kun."
Within the walls of the Hokage's office, the chubby-faced woman adorned with heavy make-up gave a large smile to the younger, blond-haired man sitting on his desk.
The comment, by all means, would appear to seem as direct praise, but Minato knew better.
"All the better to allow yourself and Lord Daichi to sleep calmly at night."
Without much ceremony, as though such a thing was done a hundred times before, a chair was brought into the room by a dog-masked ANBU, allowing Madam Shijimi to take a seat. Another ANBU provided a table that served a cup of tea, and, without much delay, both ANBU made corresponding hand signs.
Invisible to the naked eye and detectable only to the most expert of sensor nin, a small pulse of chakra extended out of the Hokage's Office, as did a zone of silence emerged, completely blocking out the remnant chatter and background noises of the village.
Madam Shijimi placed Tora down at her feet, and the usually unruly cat appeared completely docile as it began nuzzling against her leg. Grabbing the cup of tea, the woman let out a snort.
"My husband is too busy enjoying his newest consort. He barely does any sleeping."
Minato didn't speak on the matter. He didn't add a single word.
"How is Hiruzen?"
Minato paused. "Enjoying his retirement."
"And leaving all the troublesome matters and burdens of leadership onto your young handsome shoulders…" Madam Shijimi smiled. "I hope you don't go gray in the hair, Minato-kun. It truly wouldn't suit you."
Minato offered a polite smile.
The woman took a sip from the tea set before her, before putting it down.
"Do you know why I issued the mission to find Tora?"
"The Wind Daimyō's decree."
Madam Shimiji rapped her nails against the porcelain.
"Kazuhiko Tokugawa's mandate is not only affecting the Land of Wind. By barring trade with the Land of Fire, he has cut off a significant portion of income for many merchants, among which, are the husbands of my friends and members of my own family."
Although the woman smiled, the smile was not warm.
"The Land of Water is seeped in conflict and trade routes are often plundered by pirates. The Land of Lightning has steep hills and mountains that lengthen and add difficulty to the journeys of caravans which often leads to significant loss of goods. The shinobi of the Land of Earth have a deep hatred against your shinobi, which reflects itself in ways such as exaggerated taxation fees, and unreasonable prices, alongside the blackmail, coercion, and exploitation of traders and merchants."
The woman's long nails made increasingly loud sounds against the ceramic.
"Even though we trade with varying others, such as the Land of Hot Springs, Land of Waterfalls, Land of Iron, in contrast to the Land of Wind, a country in a desert that relies heavily on importation, I'm certain you understand how this embargo is not something I nor others wish to see continue for long."
"I understand."
"Do you?" Madam Shijimi said. "From what I gather, it is Hiruzen's former student who committed the offense. She has not been an active part of your village for years and is all but a rogue in name. Capture her, hand her over and this matter is resolved."
Minato shook his head. "She is the sole remaining descendant of the First Hokage."
"And she has utterly failed to live up to his legacy."
Minato's expression thinned. "With respect, it is not your place to say."
Madam Shijimi frowned. The woman fell silent for several long, terse seconds.
"I have good information that Kazuhiko has never cared for his nephew. His nephew was a fool known to indulge in every vice — gambling, whoring, alcohol — I would not be surprised if he had done or said something brazen that got him killed. Yet, Kazuhiko reacted so strongly to his murder. Do you understand why?"
Minato thought for a moment. A hundred different thoughts came and went before he settled on an answer. "He cannot allow for there to be a precedent."
"Yes," Madam Shijimi nodded. "A man in a high position of power is surrounded by enemies. If his political adversaries see that he was unmoved by the murder of his own flesh and blood, they would use it as an opportunity to sow discontent amongst his retainers and retinue. They would say 'If such and such were to happen to you, the lord you have sworn loyalty to would not seek vengeance for you. Hence, why be loyal to one who does not care to avenge even his own family?'"
Madam Shijimi made a clicking sound with her tongue. It was part distaste and part exasperation.
"So he must perform. He must be staunch, so others will think 'If he goes to such lengths for even a prodigal son like his nephew, what more for his trusted confidants?' In so doing, he preemptively prevents discontent amongst his followers, and his gains in reputation offsets what he loses."
Minato grasped the unsaid meaning between her words. "He won't compromise."
"There is no hope of such a thing," Madam Shijimi acquiesced. "He will not accept anything other than the head of his nephew's killer. To do so would only backfire tremendously — it would expose the nature of his ploy. His allies would be repulsed and his adversaries would descend upon him like a plague."
Minato's brows furrowed. "The longer this goes on, the more backed into a corner Suna will feel. Hundreds will likely starve. Innocents will suffer."
"If you know this, then ask yourself: do you truly believe the man who sought peace, who sought to end the endless wars of your kind, would wish for his successor to sacrifice so many lives for one person? Even if that person is his own family?"
Minato sat in silence. Madam Shijimi did not speak any further. She picked up Tora from the ground. The two ANBU hidden in the room made corresponding hand signs, and the silence vanished entirely.
"I have to get going now! Tora-chan and I have plans to get our nails done! Don't you want to get shiny nails, Tora-chan? I know you do!"
The woman departed, exactly as she left. Three members of ANBU followed along with her from the shadows and left the Hokage's office steeped in silence. Before he was given the moment to think, he felt a pull.
Someone had just sent a pulse of chakra into one of his kunai.
This was —
The kunai he gave to Kushina.
The scene instantly changed. From sitting in the Hokage's office, he was standing in his living room parlor. His taut nerves relaxed as his eyes confirmed there was no visible danger. A black-haired young woman was sitting on her knees in his parlor across from his wife.
It took Minato only a second. The woman's features were familiar, albeit, distant. His mind ran through the list of kunoichi active in the village, then he ran through the list of those who would fit the age and features of the woman, crossing them one after the other before he found a match.
She was Dan Kato's niece.
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