hello people! as promised here's the next chapter. i just want to say thanks to those who reviewed. and i'll try and get the next chapter out by sunday but monday at the latest. okedoke on with the story...
DESCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE NARUTO CHARECTERS (SOBS) IF I DID I'D MAKE SURE THAT SAKURA DIED INTHE CHUNNIN EXAMS!
Chapter 2: the start of something new ;) by T.C.I.M.P.
Previously:
". I'm only going to offer this once and I will say this once. I will not go easy on you. This will not be a walk in the park. You will need to put a hundred and ten percent in your learning. So what do you say?"
~*~
Maari stared calculatedly at Itachi for a full minute before giving him a single yet sharp nod. She tilted he head to the side when she heard Sasuke come back with the bag of kunai knives with him. Neither broke eye contact.
"hn." Was all Itachi said before dropping to the ground silently in front of Sasuke. Maari took the moment to observe the two brothers. At first glance they both looked the same. With Sasuke looking how you would think Itachi looked when he was younger. However, if you looked closer you would notice that Sasuke was more fairer and more angular face than Itachi. More of his mother in him than his father.
Maari then noticed that Itachi was speaking. "Sasuke, allow me to introduce you to your new sparring partner." Maari took this as her cue to drop and land next to Itachi. She too was silent. Itachi's eyebrow rose but continued. "This is Maari…Uchiha. She is six years old and I hope you both get along. You will both meet here everyday at 6:00AM sharp. No excuses. Sasuke, as I already told Maari here, this will not be easy and if you don't give this you're all and more, I will not waste my time on you both. This is a chance for both of you to get ahead of your peers and become the best shinobi and kunoichi that you can be. Is that understood?"
Sasuke quickly nodded before peering at Maari sideways from under his lashes. When he finished his analysis he turned to Itachi to speak but he was cut off by Itachi who had expected this. "Sasuke, remember what I told before about trust and understanding?" when Sasuke nodded, he continues. "Well this is one of those cases. Accept it and move on. Understand?" the last word was a rhetorical question yet Sasuke nodded. Maari was curious about the conversation of the brothers but decided to ask later.
"Now since its half-twelve, there is no point to start teaching you anything new. Instead I would like to see what stage you are at- if any stage at all. I know Sasuke has started using kunai knives but I don't know anything about you Maari. Tell me have you had any training?"
He received a sharp nod. When none other information was forthcoming, Itachi sighed. "And that was…?"
Maari shrugged, "I don't know what kind of training I did. All I know is that I have started training. The only thing I know for sure is that I've already used those knives before." She said pointing to the kunai. Itachi looked to the ground with a thoughtful look.
"Could you describe some things you did?"
"Well I had to do many walking exercises and jumping too. Then there was the tree walking and water walking (which was really cool). Among other things."
Itachi's face was carefully blank. "What other things?"
Maari clenched her jaw tight and did not answer.
"Hn"
Itachi took the kunai bag from Sasuke, opened it and withdrew 10. He gave five to each of them, asked them to show him how they grasped the kunai. Once satisfied he told them to go to separate trees and stand ten meters away. "What I want you to do is throw them at the tree. If you can already do that then I want you to try and make sure they land in a straight line. If you need help ask me." He told them to begin. Sasuke started straight away while Maari began by stretching her muscles. Sasuke saw this and decided to copy her, once they were done he continued to throw one at a time. Four hi the tree while the fifth missed by half an inch. Proud with his result he looked to Maari's tree to compare but realised she hasn't started yet. Looking at her he saw her holding three kunai in her right hand and two in her left. Her face was screwed in concentration with her eyes closed. Without a warning she opened her eyes and rapidly threw all five of her kunai at the same time. Not only did they all hit the tree, they were all in a straight horizontal line.
Sasuke wasn't the only one gob smacked. Itachi got over it quickly and frowned. He began to wonder what sort of lifestyle the girl lived in.
"Wow that was so cool! When did you learn to do that? Is it hard? Could you teach me? Could you throw more than five kunai's? Can you use—"
"Sasuke enough. Not only are you scaring her, your irritating me too. Go back to practising. I want you to get 5 out of 5 by the time we have to go home. Maari, go get those kunai and come here." Both children heard the command and did what they were told to do. Sasuke was determined to do better than he did before.
As Maari was walking to Itachi, he observed her once more. Knowing her age he realised that Maari was too small. Sure, there were kids that grew up like that but in Maari's case it was too small and too skinny. This led him to believe that Maari was underfed and that her bruises were not of a training kind. Her mental age was above then what was estimated for her age group. She was serious, had a defensive attitude which shoed that she had to grow up before her time with no one to trust, suspicious of everyone to be against her. She was not a naïve child. She trusts no one, she has no one and she's defenceless against attacks.
Well not exactly defenceless remarked Itachi glancing at the kunai's in her hands. Makes me wonder—his wondering was cut short however since Maari was now standing in front of him. "That was very well done Maari-chan. Here, take this extra kunai. I want you to do exactly what you did before, I would like to see if that was a fluke or you really can do it. Also if you could do it faster than before. Try doing it by reflex than by concentrating on doing It." Instead of shouting and defending her skills, Maari got on with her instructions- further proving Itachi's theory.
Walking to the 10 meter mark, Maari took a deep breath, arranged the kunai accordingly between her fingers, inhaled deeply again then spun a full circle and released the knives. With the added spin, the knives were imbedded deeper and faster in the tree than before, yet again in a straight line. She stared at the result for a moment before nodding grimly and turned to Itachi.
Itachi thought for a moment, then asked "have you practised against moving objects?" he received a nod.
"How big?"
"Last we practised; he used to throw rotten apples into the air at different speed and directions."
"How many did he throw at a time?"
"Between 12 and 15"
"How many did you get?"
"Between 13 and 15"
"Did you ever miss any?"
No answer. But her silence was answer enough.
"Hn."
He walked to the tree and started to pull them out. He was pulling out the fourth one when he was struck with a thought.
"If this certain someone is already training you, why did you accept my offer?"
Maari glared at the ground.
"That is because he no longer trains me."
"Why?"
"He's dead." She gritted out.
"How long ago?"
"Six months ago. And before you ask, no I did not continue to train." Itachi opened his mouth to speak but she cut through him. "No I will not tell why. My reasons are my own."
"Hn."
"Big brother! Big brother! I did it. I got all five in the tree three times in a row!" Sasuke ran to where his brother was and began jumping in the air with all the excitement of his accomplishment.
"That is great little brother. Why don't you practise a little while longer while I finish here? Then I'll give you some tips on how to throw them in a line." Then he poked him on the forehead.
"Hey! Don't do that!" was Sasuke's reply as he walked away rubbing his forehead.
Itachi turned to Maari with all the kunai's in hand. As he walked back he said, "You said you worked on your chakra control." At the confused face he received, he sighed.
"What do you know about chakra control?"
End of chapter 2
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