"You're training Minori… unless you had plans on being at the Chunin exams today…" A voice spoke from behind Minori, she had been sitting at the table finishing her diner. Glancing over she sighed before giving a small smile.
"No Otou-san… It's just there written exams today, the ones that follow are the ones I'm interested in… besides, I'm sure I'll know who passes and fails." My smiled became tight. "But, I wanted to speak with you on something. I know you and the council decided I would still take on as the clan leader sometime as long as I brushed up on my skills, but…" He watched me, taking in my words considerately.
"But?" He questioned, taking a seat across from me at the table. "Is there something wrong?"
I shook my head slowly. "No nothings really wrong… It's just you know… I don't think I should be the one taking over the clan." I said slowly watching his reaction. In ways this made me feel like a child again, as I watched his gaze harden.
"Minori, you're an only child, who else would take over the clan? Whether you wish to or not, you're the best option, skills and all. The only thing that puts you off as being the perfect option is the same reason you're asking to get out of it. Your laziness, I know you and I'm sure you see being the clan leader as to much work." I sighed as he began his lecture, I had heard it all before, seven years ago I believe is the first time, when I mentioned not wanting to become clan leader. Oh well, it was worth a shot. "Are you listening to me?"
"Yes Otou-san," I replied propping my elbows on the table and resting my chin in my palms. He sighed going silent, his eyes never leaving me.
"Finish your breakfast, then meet me in the scroll room, I know from watching your training the clans partnered techniques, and your summoning skills are still adequate, and you're fighting must be coming back for you to have become a jonin again. Now what about our other clan techniques?" Nodding, he gave a hearty smiled and left the room, I watched him leave before turning my gaze to the plate of eggs and ham, before lifting a hand and looking at my palm, tracing the lines of scars with my eyes.
Shortly a more scars would litter my palms, of course when summoning a creature it requires the blood of the summoner for the contract to work. Normally a prick on the finger is good. But this was different; our clan is in charge of the summoning contracts, and after a deal the seconded head of clan made we are able to cancel a summon that someone else brought… the only problem was it required more blood along with of course the chakra, depending on the strength of the summoned creature. Some such as the 'snake king', require a complete sacrifice. Another catch is it has to be Shijo blood, or the summon couldn't be canceled.
Fathers wanting to test this, to see if I still have enough in me to cancel a summon. Shaking my head as I lowered my hand I headed for the scroll room.
"You're not focusing, that one should have been easy to cancel out." Father scolded before canceling it himself. "You have the blood amount correct but your chakras off, unless your planning on a sacrificing yourself it matters!" He nearly shouted, I just stared at him, of course I knew all of this, but I hardly ever bother with canceling them.
"Sorry Otou-san," I replied, he shook his head before biting his finger, summoning a rather large lion. I wondered slightly if he was mad at me, after all this would lead to me having to make a cut in my hand instead of a prick. Oh well.
"Summon release: Gate of offering!" I shouted as I took a kunai slicing through my hand with a quick enough speed to cause the blood to fly, as I focused my chakra to create a seal that I slammed my hand on. An ink black wrought iron gate appeared, blood dripping from it into a puddle in the door of the gate where I was standing. I winced as blood poured from my hand dripping into the puddle once a certain amount was in I covered the wound ending the blood flow. The lion's eyes met mine, before it bowed its head in acceptance to the old agreement and passed through the gate.
"That's more like it, I'm proud you can still do the gate it's the hardest besides sacrifice and half blood, but I'm disappointed your unable to do blood offering the easier one… a simple few drops an a seal is all it required." I remained silent as he lectured me, when it came to training he always found something to lecture about. I swear, he's worse than grandfather, and that's saying something. "But, it is easy to put too much chakra into it, so it shouldn't be anything to worry about."
"Hai," I replied.
"Hmm. Before I allow you to leave, I want you to tell me what each of the four Summon release techniques do." He raised a brow waiting as he spoke, I mentally sighed… he was treating me as a child it seemed. "Well, Minori?" He asked, I raised my chin as I spoke.
"The first, blood offering, is for the weaker summoning's; the ones who don't cause serious harm, but can cause some damage. The cast simply uses their chakra to make a seal, before putting a few drops of blood said seal. The next is Gate of offering. This technique is for the ones who can cause harm, and are normally summoned for small battles, the caster cuts there hand open and focus their chakra on a seal that brings forth the blood, holding the so the animal can pass through." I glanced at my father, noticing him nodding his head so I went on. "Half blood is for the powerful ones who are more experienced, and called upon less. This techniques requires for three pints of blood to be given, and could be fatal if the caster doesn't have a teammate with them. And lastly sacrifice, it's for the ones such as Manda, the tough guys who no ninja could easily defeat on their own. The summon requires a sacrifice, usually out of pride at being dismissed, this requires the caster to give up their own life, the chakra amount doesn't matter as long as you make the seal and end your own life." I finished feeling as if I gave a lecture.
"Good, you could have been more descriptive but good." He said before leaving the room, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. I rolled my eyes, though smiled at his retreating back. Once he was gone I began to walk around the room, allowing my hand to trail over the scroll lining the walls, and shelves. Each one a contract, it was my clans duty to protect these contracts, with that though it also allowed are clan to cancel them when summoned against us, but due to the ancient agreement between the clan and the summons it also came at a price.
I finally stopped at one scroll on the wall, the wolf scroll… My name was signed into this contract. My pack that was formed over years… It didn't take much for me to bring them to my aid, but the partnered technique drained me. I needed to work on my control and durability again… For the sake of summoning them, and the head, and for the sake of my clan's techniques, most importantly the sake of my ninja life which consists of more than summoning techniques that require control… It's my friends and family, my village I have to protect.
I waited around my home all day, due to the Chunin exams their wasn't much to do unless you had a mission to attend to, and I didn't see much point in watching at the moment as the teams made it through the first and seconded exam. They were only battling to see who would continue to the final, due to too many teams making it through the forest.
Currently I was having tea with a few of my clan members, talking about politics which held little interest to me politics of the ninja world, Konoha, and my clan in general were rather annoying. I was barely listening and only giving a small agreement when it was called for. "Are you excited for your marriage next spring Lady Minori?" I gave a nod and a small noise of agreement before dropping my cup and looking up realizing what they had said. "Wait, what marriage?" They looked at me surprised, and as if I was crazy.
"Surely your father has mentioned it to you; they set up an arrangement for you to marry Yuu." The girl grinned as if though this was a major honor in a way, I didn't see what was so splendid. "Smile Lady Minori, he's one of the best warriors in the clan, and well respected." I didn't speak any, but I did feel tears prick my eyes. "She's crying, in happiness I assume." I started to open my mouth in protest to her words while also forcing the tears to stop with a rater angry sniffle.
"Lady Minori," The door opened causing me to close my mouth and turn my attention to the servants, well lower clan member that my parents referred to as servants. Swallowing I nodded at them. "You have a visitor…"
"Who is it?" I asked after a moment.
"A child, Haruno Sakura," I nodded and excused myself from the discussion following the other to the entrance of my home.
"Thank," The servant nodded before excusing himself, I smiled at Sakura. "Hello Sakura, what brings you here?" I asked allowing her into the house. She looked a bit disappointed but also a bit happy.
"Kakashi-Sensei sent me to tell you that you don't have to train me." She seemed a bit disappointed and I took a guess that she didn't make it into the finals, suddenly Sakura bowed "But will you please still train me." She was pleading, I took a step back before shaking my head.
"Stand up, besides I am not training you." I spoke crossing my arms, while staring at her curious though I wouldn't let on that I was, I'd rather see how willing she was before agreeing to anything.
"Please Minori-San, I don't want to be the one to slow down the team, I'm sure you know the feeling" She pleaded once more, I only raised a brow at her and gritted my teeth trying to find something not so harsh to say to her.
"Tell you what, if you can… Hmm… Pick up that statue I'll train you." I nodded towards a statue in the center of the compound, it took three men to move the statue there, she wouldn't be able to move it but I just wanted to see effort. I watched as Sakura glanced at it an unsure look on her face.
"Okay…" She walked towards, I followed along behind her stopping about a foot away from her, she studied it for a moment before grabbing the side of it and lifting up it didn't budge.
"I was just testing how heavy it was, o judge how much chakra to use." She spoke, I gave her a questioning look a moment later she lifted it from the ground. I was surprised and the other clan members who had stopped to watch the scene also let a few shocked noises come out.
"Alright, I'll train you. Not today though, we'll start tomorrow at seven, don't be late." She nodded placing the statue down and bowing her head slightly.
"I want, thank you!" She shouted and took off towards the gates leaving the compound, I smiled slightly as I watched her go, though my stomach was crawling she reminded me to much of Lady Tsunade with the strength, it was unnerving.
The morning after I was waiting in the training field for Sakura, I was twenty minutes early but nothing wrong with that, I was currently sitting on top of training post watching a group of birds fly around in the sky, lovely as always as they danced above falling to the ground before once more flying up once more in patterns humans could only wish to copy.
"Minori-San! You're already here." Sakura seemed surprised at this, Kakashi must be late a lot, giving a sigh I slide off the post and let the training begin, while hoping beyond all she was a fast learner.
I started her off hitting the post to get a general idea of what she could do, honestly her hand to hand was shabby, she needed a good deal of work when it came to it. I finally brought from the post and had her show me her stances making corrections as I saw fit before having her go back to her starting stance, I walked in front of her and got a defense stance and told her to come at me whenever she was ready.
She took a breath before starting her attack; I easily swatted her punches and kicks to the side, and dodged the ones I wasn't fast enough to block. "You can do better than that." I said jumping back as she swung towards me. "Oh come on." I caught her next hit in my hand and flipped her over my shoulder. "You're a terrible fighter." I spoke bluntly, staring down at her. "Try again, unless you want the obnoxious blonde to outdo you." I watched her eyes narrow.
"Ino Pig is not going to outdo me!" She screeched jumping up starting to throw punches blindly, I noticed the faint glow in her fist, chakra. Jumping back I moved just as she hit the ground causing a crater to form, I was rather glad I moved. I heard her yell something about Ino Pig again and frowned, I wasn't even talking about Ino, I was talking about Naruto, was Ino as obnoxious as him?
Sakura didn't seem to be planning on letting, sighing I sucked in all the guts I had, though my dignity would soon be running, and my pride possibly injured. Jumping back I stood stock still as she came towards, once close enough she swung her punch, I put chakra into my hand moving to catch her fist, which was successful though I didn't put enough chakra into my hand, so catching I held it for a seconded before I was sent flying back, my feet dragging through the ground as I fell in a seemingly slow way. A grunt of pain had escaped me another one once I hit the ground. I heard Sakura shout something but I didn't reply, instead I just laid their trying to make sure I was still intact, besides that my back and legs were in too much pain to even consider moving for a few moments. Funny enough and I hated to admit it even to myself, I begin to think Guy was right, that I wasn't in the best of shape anymore…
Slowly I sat up pushing myself from the ground into a stand position, I was still hunched over one hand resting on my knees while the other came up in a thumbs up directed at Sakura. I lifted my head slightly to give her a small smile, only to find she looked completely terrified. I rolled my eyes she hadn't killed me good grief. As I stood up straight I heard a slow clapping noise coming from behind me, frowning I turned around, I was expecting to see some smart butt teenager, but instead it was one person I never wanted to see.
"Let's see you try to do that again," Yu spoke from where he sat perched on top of a training post, a humorous grin upon his face. "Are you sure you're the one that should be training her?" He asked, his voice didn't hold mockery but I took it as mockery all the same.
"Yu, perhaps it would be best if you didn't get involved in things your awfully large nose shouldn't be in." I replied, crossing my arms, daring him to say something in return. He did of course. He jumped down off his post and strutted over to us.
"Allow me to show you how to fight someone with Tsunade type strength." He brushed his vest off turning to face Sakura and motioning for her to start. I stepped back crossing my legs and sitting upon the ground, this would be a humorous battle, for me at least. He begin to battle, he was doing good for awhile then he stopped a look of fear crossing his face as he stared at something, Sakura came forward then hitting him in the jaw sending him into the tree next to them. I snorted as he slowly stood up, raising a brow as he held a hand against the tree to steady himself.
"Bravo, you showed me what not to do when fighting someone, Sakura I hope you were taking notes, if not then write this down… Never freeze in the middle of a battle at something in your head, or far off that looks scary." I clapped my hands acting like a tutor I had when I was younger. "Your dismissed, good work we'll meet up again later." Sakura nodded bowing to me before running off.
I turned my attention once more to Yu, glaring daggers at him; he walked towards me frowning slightly, likely un happy at my words. He didn't speak to me though instead he walked past me knocking his shoulder into mine, I rolled my eyes at the immaturity, before looking to where he was staring at when he got distracted, I saw nothing. Shaking my head I turned around but Yu was gone as well.