Learning the Wind
Chapter 1: Straining
Guy shook his head. "No, Hokage-sama. His mental state is not improving."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, not looking at his jonin. He took a contemplative puff on his pipe. "Do you have any recommendations?" He asked, ignoring the pain in his hip.
It was Guy's turn to take a breath but his was inward and it was a little more pensive. "Just one, Hokage-sama."
Kakashi grinned at the three genin in front of him. "Good news!"
They're so cute at this age. He thought, the smile on his face genuine. Like little knife-toting plush toys.
Naruto blew out noisily and refused to look at the Copy-Cat. "You'll be on time from now on?" He asked, still angry about the hour-long wait they'd had to endure on their first day of training.
"Even better! Our team has been chosen to participate in a new training technique."
Sakura looked at their sensei skeptically, Sasuke simply slouched and tried to ignore him until he started actually teaching them something.
Naruto bounced on the balls of his feet. "We're learning a new technique? Awesome!" He punched the air before Kakashi could reign him in.
"No, a new training technique. A new way of training." Naruto looked somewhat crestfallen.
"What's the training?" Sasuke said, traces of eagerness in his voice that he tried to keep out of his posture as well.
"Distributive experience." He raised three fingers on each hand. "When you have a team that's a year ahead in training and strength…" He wiggled the fingers on his right hand. "…and you have a team that's fresh from the academy…" The left this time. "…you take the strongest shin obi from both teams and switch them out."
Sakura's eyes went wide with horror. "Wait…"
Kakashi spoke over her though, continuing on. "The theory is that the strongest, least experience member from the left hand team will have the best chance of integrating quickly and becoming a productive member of the experienced team. The strongest ninja from the right handed team will be able to accelerate the remaining left handed team with their own advanced knowledge and compensate for the loss of their strongest member."
Naruto thought about this for a moment and then shook his head. "I don't get it."
Kakashi slumped. It took me a long time to come up with that analogy. He looked at his genin. Sasuke had a smirk on his face, he'd probably figured out who was going to be switched. Sakura looked on the verge of tears and Naruto just looked confused. This is going to be tougher than I thought.
Despite his advanced experience and his, albeit arguable, strength this was the first time he'd ever taken on a team. They'd passed his test, not with flying colors but they had passed it never-the-less. A break from missions was nice, he could actually retire now if he chose to but he wondered how long it would take for him to remember surviving by the skin of his teeth fondly in this hormonal hurricane.
Hormonal hurricane. He thought to himself, looking up slightly. That would be a great Ichi Ichi title.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled. "You're not even paying attention."
He shook his head and looked down at her. "Sorry, was thinking of a good book title."
"Which of us is switching teams?" Sasuke said, smiling as if he already knew the answer.
He would regret not having the Uchiha under personal supervision. The Sharingan was difficult to master with tutelege, let alone on your own . He'd been thrust into it's power and had been shunned by the Uchiha when he'd tried to seek instruction.
For the most part it took care of itself. You could read and track enemies with unerring precision and it also pre-developed a sort of muscle memory that had allowed him to copy so many jutsu that he was sure he'd forgotten at least a third of them just because he rarely used them. Still, a stint under Guy was not the worst that could happen to the introverted Sasuke.
Guy thrived off of enthusiasm, the more enthusiastic you were the more you got from him. Unless you're me. Sasuke wanted nothing but training all the time. In order to get the most of out Guy's methodology he'd have to break down his own walls.
Sakura was turning red by this point and he scratched the back of his head. "Sasuke will be joining team Guy."
She bit her lower lip and turned away from the group.
Who's idea was it to put her in a group with Sasuke anyways. He tried to recall the meeting for the team assignments and realized it had been him. I'm going to have to start paying attention. These kupie dolls are not interchangeable.
While he had stressed team work in his testing of potential genin it was not because he'd experienced the benefit of a highly cohesive unit. His own team, the first and last, had been completely at odds with each other, mostly because of him. He'd had to learn the hard way that working together meant a better shot at survival and success for all. His father's last and best lesson for him.
He'd eschewed teams ever since, unwilling to develop ties that would weigh his conscience down more than it already was. He had lived and risked his life on his own terms and while he'd been a captain in the anbu, leadership there was delegatory. Every anbu was expected to perform under stress and for the most part, without backup.
His one major weakness is what he was going to be trying to teach these genin. He patted Sakura on the shoulder. He wanted to comfort her but also not embarrass her. "Don't worry Sakura-chan. I still think you're a very strong ninja. Sasuke is just a little ahead." And a big behind. He tittered inwardly and could see Minato's face chastising him. "Don't poke the genin, Hatake." He gave a small mental salute.
Naruto's own face was a little unreadable. He also looked disappointed but he also glanced at Sasuke. Did they develop a friendship this fast?
"Better train hard, Sasuke-baka." Naruto said, turning away from the Uchiha. "Or I'm going to kick your ass."
"Whatever, dead-last." Sasuke said, smirking and separating himself from the two.
Sakura watched him walk away as though he were actively pulling her heart with him.
"They'll be meeting you at training area seven." Kakashi said, smiling at the Uchiha. "I think you'll enjoy your new team. Your sensei, Guy sees everything as a training opportunity." Even eating.
Naruto scowled at Kakashi. "Is he on time?"
Kakashi thought about it for a moment. "I don't know."
"Yeah, cause if you're late for everything how do you know if anyone else was on time?" Naruto said scathingly.
He feigned a hurt look. "There are so many people in need, Naruto. I'm just trying to make our village a better place."
Sakura watched as Sasuke faded from view and then turned to the two. "It doesn't take an hour to help an old lady with her groceries, Kakashi-sensei."
"Anything worth doing is worth doing well." He grinned, reciting one of Minato's favorite proverbs.
Naruto turned to Kakashi. "So who are we getting on our team?"
He saw the Hyuga genius strolling up behind Naruto so he only pointed. He saw that after her outburst, Sakura had reverted to being an emotional wreck again, barely holding in tears. I think I already miss the near-death experiences.
Naruto stepped close to her and pointed at the approaching Neji. "Hey, Sakura-chan…think he's as big an asshole?" He grinned at her conspiratorily.
The effect was immediate and while he was glad that she was no longer on the verge of tears, knocking Naruto on his rear was not a lot better.
"Watch your mouth when you're talking about Sasuke!" She said, shaking her fist at him.
Neji had walked past the two, ignoring them completely and presented himself to Kakashi with a small bow. "Kakashi-sama." He intoned formally. "I'm looking forward to working with you." That'll be a nice change. Though after being in Guy's team for a year I'm sure that's exactly a compliment.
He grinned and patted the Hyuga on the head. "That's great." He said a bit awkwardly. The Hyuga endured the touch stoicly but Kakashi could almost see the paradigm in his mind shifting. Don't want to start this off on the wrong foot, after all. He gestured towards Sakura and Naruto. The latter was blushing furiously, trying to distance herself from Naruto and the blond was still rubbing his jaw while sitting in the dirt.
"This is Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura." He gestured at the two and Sakura made a small bow. Naruto gave a half-hearted wave and then stood.
"Can we start training now?" He asked, interrupting Kakashi.
The jonin thought about it for a moment. "Not yet, you've just met and I know we did it with Sasuke already but Neji-chan hasn't learned of your dreams and goals. Introduce yourselves again, we'll go in alphabetical order. Neji can go first." He grinned inwardly as they tried to figure out which alphabet he was going by.
Neji twitched slightly at the 'chan' but was otherwise impassive. "I am Hyuga Neji. My goal is to serve the main family of the Hyuga clan." He intoned dutifully.
"What's that?" Naruto asked, staring at the Hyuga.
"I stated several things, Uzumaki-san. To which are you referring?" Though his words were neutral his voice carried an edge.
"The branch family, I don't get it. I thought you were a Hyuga just like Hinata."
His posture was perfect as he answered. This is going to be tough. "I'm not at liberty to discuss clan politics with outsiders. Suffice to say I am nothing like Hinata." He made this declaration sound as though he was glad of it.
Kakashi suppressed a grin. When dealing with Hyuga clan politics or really any political situation Neji's words and tone could be construed in different ways. Social rule allowed for a certain leeway in complete defference that beget a game of sorts.
Saying what you meant was unheard of. Saying what someone wanted to hear in the way you wanted them to hear it was the socially correct way in those circles. Neji appeared as though he'd mastered this particular art, probably at great expense to himself. Sakura understood the principles and while she smiled weakly at Neji she obviously didn't possess his mastery of scathing pleasantries. Naruto was, however unable or unwilling to care.
He heard sarcasm and condescension and that was enough for him. "Damn right you aren't, she's nice at least."
Neji stared at him coldly and Naruto stared back, his own eyes quite a bit more heated. Neji looked away first and Naruto smirked, thinking he'd won.
Sakura whispered a harsh, "Naruto!"
He looked about to say more but relented. Kakashi smiled and pointed at Sakura. "You next." She looked at him oddly, still trying to figure out his personal alphabet.
"I'm Haruno Sakura. I want to become a strong shin obi and…" She said, biting her lip. "…that's it."
Naruto turned towards her sharply. "But I thought you said…" That was as far as he got before she shook her fist at him again.
Neji said nothing, only turned to Naruto. The Uzumaki grinned impudently. "I'm Naruto and I'm going to be Hokage."
If the Hyuga was impressed with this revelation he didn't show it. Kakashi coughed, turning their attention towards him. "I'm Hatake Kakashi and I don't feel like talking about it." He grinned, his eye crinkling shut.
"Now that we got that over with, I'd like to test Neji's skills while you two spar, taijutsu only."
Naruto grumbled something and he and Sakura moved away from the two of them. I should probably set the tone with this. He thought while smiling at Neji. The Hyuga spoke first. "What did you want me to demonstrate, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi thought about this for a moment. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and then opened an Ichi Ichi book. "Just try to kill me, we'll start there."
"And if I succeed?" Neji asked, assuming a picture perfect gentle-fist stance.
Kakashi didn't look up from his book. "You'd be the first in about a thousand missions, a shinobi world war and over six hundred enemy nin fought." He yawned. "You'll have to figure it out…I don't feel like planning for that."
Naruto had stopped to turn as Kakashi said this, his mouth working with no sound emitted. For his inattentiveness he earned a strike to the chest that made Kakashi wince inwardly.
Neji didn't charge as much as any Hyuga did. He practically flowed through the distance between them, swiftly closing the distance. He carefully parried the genius' attacks, using the fingertips of his free hand to knock the chakra enhanced blows away. He'd been hit with a Hyuga strike once when he was a chunin, he was not about to repeat the experience. He could feel the subtle hum of chakra in the light contact he had with Neji and knew that the boy was taking him at his word. He'd poured enough chakra into his hands to damage, not just close tenketsu.
He sparred without moving, countering the boy and pushing him back slightly. If he had been fighting Hiashi or another jonin from the Hyuga clan he'd never have allowed them to get this close. Allowing a Hyuga into your inner circle was asking to be punished for stupidity. He found Guy's assessment of the genin to be, as usual, completely accurate. He had reached chunin level in his skill with Jyuken.
His eyebrow shot up as the trigrams appeared on the ground under his feet. High chunin. He thought to himself. He snapped his book shut and stuffed it under his arm as the Hyuga began moving. Hand to hand the trigrams couldn't be countered. If you found yourself within one, as Kakashi had, generally you had just enough time to lament your inferior long-range skills. The first strike passed over his head as the earth beneath him sucked him down.
He closed his eye and felt for the stirring Hyuga. The jutsu itself wasn't complicated. Anyone could bury themselves in the ground with a little chakra. Attacking from that position took a bit of practice though. He generally relied on vibrations and chakra signatures to attack. It was accurate enough against most shin obi and Neji proved to be no different. His hands exploded from the ground, gripping the Hyuga's ankles and dragging him down into the chakra softened earth as he had Sasuke.
He'd done this to Sasuke to give him time to cool his anger. That's how the Uchiha fought, similar to Naruto. It was something he was going to break the Uzumaki of if it was his last act on Earth. Anger was, at it's core, an abdication of rational and intelligent decision making.
Neji's fighting style was cooly efficient and as Guy had said, he was likely unparalleled in the crop of genin for chakra control. Sparring didn't demonstrate his analytical talents, which were supposed to be as developed as Jyuken but a few missions would give him a sense of that.
He hadn't dragged Neji in the dirt to allow him time to cool off so much as to dent his dignity a bit. He emerged from the earth next to the Hyuga and to a chorus of Naruto's laughter. He was holding his stomach with one hand and pointing with the other.
Neji still appeared as dignified and in control of himself as if he'd been standing on the ground instead of buried up to his neck in it.
He still had a major problem to overcome though. Lee and Neji were both short range fighters, used to melee combat and Tenten, through her own talents, was able to mitigate their lack of ranged attacks with her weapons.
Right now he had three short range nin. The first mission that pit them against a long or medium range shin obi was a dice roll at best. He could fill any gaps in talent but it wasn't his intention to prop up a flawed group. He had to make some changes early on and stick to them.
Neji had gone a year along his current path so he was out of the question. Naruto's Uzumaki heritage made him ideal for short range combat. Immense stamina and enough chakra that he could be mistaken for a Kage until he opened his mouth or actually tried to do something with it. It's going to have to be Sakura. He was loathe to push her into that position as she had already demonstrated physical strength equal to his own when she was angry. If she ever got control of it she would be a juggernaut at close range but perhaps with the correct weapon choice he could capitalize on her strength and still comphensate for their group's shortcomings.
He called a halt to Naruto and Sakura's spar though Sakura was already simply standing there with a chagrined look on her face for Naruto's behavior. "I think that's enough for the day. We'll meet here, tomorrow at eight. Dig your new teammate out of the ground."
"Are you going to be ontime this time?" Naruto huffed at him, his humor evaporating.
The jonin clutched his chest as if he'd been wounded. "On my honor as a jonin, if I am able to be on time, I will be." He made a few hand seals and disappeared in a flurry of leaves.
How do I get them to train each other? He thought dejectedly, his nose buried in a book he wasn't reading. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Ichi Ichi, he did and probably more than he should, it was also the perfect way to have his thoughts to himself. When you walked through the streets or sat on a tree branch staring at nothing people tended to ask questions. When you had some soft porn with you, people not only ignored you, they actively sought to avoid you in most cases.
Naruto was a walking disaster. No chakra control, no self control and his taijutsu was only slightly better than his genjutsu in that he could actually manage to throw a punch without breaking his thumb.
Sakura was exactly at the talent level she should be in all her ninja skills. It was as though someone had cut out the "perfect academy graduate" and filled it full of teenage hormones. Her chakra control was almost as good as Neji's but it almost had to be as she didn't have the reserves that Naruto did to make mistakes with. Not that I do either.
Neji was the saving grace of the team but also the largest obstacle. Naruto he could train, Sakura's talents would emerge with enough experimentation but Neji's problem was philosophical. He, like Kakashi himself had once thought, didn't believe in teams. A person was either better than you or not. Having two other people that you could beat yourself didn't add to the overall strength of the team, it just gave you someone to babysit. It gave you a weakness you didn't have when you were alone.
So how do I prove that teams, in cohesion, are far superior than individuals, no matter how talented?
Piting the Hyuga against Sakura and Naruto wouldn't solve his problem as they weren't working as a team yet either. It would only reinforce Neji's point.
He gave up on the thought for a moment and turned back to the dynamic. Sakura was going to be their ranged attack. He had to find a weapon that fit her. What are her best attributes?
He thought about this for a moment. She was analytical but also very precise. Still no closer to an answer he stepped into a weapon's shop, closing his book and closing the door behind him.
The owner, who was also related to Tenten though Kakashi couldn't say how, greeted him happily.
"I wanted your opinion on something." He said, waving back to the woman.
"That's not usual for you, Hataki-sama." The woman, who was old even when his father had made chunin, said respectfully with a little bow.
"Just Kakashi, Ono-sama. I've been coming here since I was five." He pulled at the edge of his mask, dropping it around his neck and returned the bow, albeit a bit deeper. This was one of three places in the world where he felt comfortable enough to show his face. Ono had been a friend of his father's and while he'd had trouble with his father's ideology before he himself had adopted it, Ono had been nothing but a friend even when she knew the nature of the problem.
Ono beamed at him. "If you say, Kakashi-sama. What can I help you with?" She said, walking towards the front door and locking it. The small sign that declared her shop open she flipped over to closed and gestured for Kakashi to follow her.
She led them both to a back room and fussed until Kakashi took a seat while she fixed them both a pot of tea.
"I have a kunoichi that I'm trying to fit for a weapon. She's…" But he got no farther.
Ono clapped a hand over her mouth, staring at him in shock. She removed the hand and spoke, "You passed a team?" She said and covered her mouth again.
He grinned at her and nodded, "They're actually…" Her hand shot out and took the cup of tea from his own. He wasn't sure that he would have caught her movement with the sharingan and she didn't spill a drop.
"This isn't a tea occasion!" She chided him and hobbled back to the tiny kitchen. When she returned she was carrying a small tray that he tried to help her with. She politely kicked him in the shin and he sat back down. After she had served the sake to him, taking water for herself, she gestured for him to continue.
"They're pretty good, Ono-sama. I think they have the potential to be the best."
She smiled at him, her face creasing in a thousand places. Her wizened features were something he never got tired of. "Tell me about this kunoichi." She said, sipping her water as though she were actually drinking sake with him.
He told her everything he'd observed about Sakura, leaving nothing out of his considerable observational skills. From her infatuation with Sasuke to her non-shinobi parents. It took the better part of an hour but he was still working on his first glass of sake by the time he'd finished.
Ono finished her third cup of water and her features drew down as she concentrated. "She seems…uptight." She started.
He knew she didn't mean it to be rude. It was something she did, she had done it for him as well. Her honest appraisal of him hadn't sounded good to begin with but she had a way of making you feel good about yourself for simply being yourself.
"A bit high-strung…putting her eggs in the wrong baskets. She wants strength but for the wrong reasons…right now. A good heart, and a hard worker." She tapped her lip in contemplation.
Something crossed her face and was gone again as quickly.
"What?" He asked, leaning forward in interest.
"Nothing." She said, putting down her empty glass.
"Oka-san." He'd called her mother a few times, it wasn't something that he meant to manipulate her with but he could tell she was onto something and it had slipped.
She stared at him for a long moment. "You have to promise to send her to me if she asks why."
"I promise, Ono-san." He said, eagerly.
"If she learns it, and she will if you're right about her, it will conflict with her nature."
He quirked his eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"
"Almost every weapon ever made has two uses." She said, standing and cleaning up the table. "Swords and kunai can parry a sansetsuken can bash and block…even a kusarigama can be used to capture. The people that wield them learn both. It's naturally dualistic and people can..." She stopped and carried the tray into the small kitchen again before returning.
They can learn to wield a sword with the mental intent simply to halt. His mind finished for her.
"Things like a shuriken have no other purpose than to injure or kill." She continued, sitting across from him again with a small groan. "But a shuriken, as well as exploding tags and the like are disposable weapons. They are things that you toss and forget, toss a handful for greater effect. They aren't art forms. The bow is one of the few exceptions to both rules. It is an art form, it requires patience and strength to learn, knowledge and fortitude to wield but you'll never save your opponent with a bow. It is meant for one thing alone and that is death." She said the word bitterly. Despite her occupation she was a pacifist at heart and hated the necessity of violence in the world.
"When you loose an arrow it is never with the intent to bring your enemy around to your way of thinking, Kakashi-san." She said, looking at him gravely. "It is to end them."
The first chapter is away. If any of you are familiar with my Kagemane Complete story you will notice that this chapter is somewhat shorter than I generally post. I hope to make up for this in frequency.
Check fantasywritings dot com for story updates and new chapters first. It's generally at least a week ahead of anything on fanfiction (as far as my stories are concerned).
Dave