Posting time since its been such a boring week. Gah Moose, that sounds like that song. Where'd you go… I miss you so. Or something like that. Hehe, okay!

Me: For the love of God, someone disclaim!

Kisame: Heh, I'll do it!

Me: What the heck? Akatsuki?! Why?! How!? Gah!

Kisame: Sheesh. TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto.


Emiko sighed and focused her chakra to her feet. She gingerly placed one foot onto the tree trunk, then the other. It was hard for her to control her chakra and it was taking all of her focus. The wood made a cracking sound and she found herself on the ground with the wind knocked out of her. She could hear her sensei give a snort then laugh. She got up and glared at him.

"Think of your chakra like a river, you can't force it forward, you need guide it evenly. Guide your chakra to the bottom of your feet. Relaxing may actually help, ne?"

The orange-haired kunoichi did as he said and focused on relaxing. Evenly spread the chakra. The bottom of the feet, breathe, breathe. An even layer of chakra at the bottom of the feet, keep applying another layer of chakra.

She had been able to stand, even run, on water, but that was when she was in battle. When Emiko fought, her mind was blank and she was relaxed and chakra control was certainly easier for her. At this moment, though, there was nothing to occupy her thoughts, and she was over-thinking every detail.

She felt the warmth at the bottom of her feet and began to walk up the tree again. Emiko didn't dare think about her success as she moved closer to the tree branch. She was starting to lose the warmth at the bottom of her feet and she panicked despite all her concentration.

"You need to apply more chakra."

Emiko flinched and lost all her concentration. She found herself falling again and twisted in midair to land on her feet. She looked at Isamu with a scowl. He merely grinned in return and gave a shrug.

"Did I mess up your concentration? Whoops!" he laughed. Emiko clenched her fists and ignored him. Stupid prick! She then walked deliberately over to the tree. She concentrated and sent the chakra to her feet again. Emiko walked up the side of the tree, not bothering to look at anything other than her destination. She sat herself down on the tree trunk and raised her eyebrows in challenge to her sensei.

"It's about time," Isamu sighed. Emiko scowled and reminded herself not to attack him.

"If you hadn't distracted me, I would have been up here earlier."

"Because if you are being attacked by someone they will let you have all the time you need to defend yourself,"

Emiko's scowl deepened, and she gave a brief 'hn' in response. He had a point, but she knew that as well as he did. He seemed smart a little while ago, but now, now he's just an idiot.

"So how about we get down, and you can practice chakra control?" he jumped down onto the ground and challenged her with one raised eyebrow. Emiko was above this, but decided to take the long way down, and prove her strength further. She took a deep breath and proceeded to walk down the side of the tree. Her chakra flow stopped suddenly and she jumped down the rest of the way.

"Good job, there," Isamu stated dryly, "Anyways, go to that tree and walk up it. Keep trying until you reach the top, and remember: no running! Ikuze!"

She scowled again and looked at the tree he was pointing to. It was easily the largest tree in the forest. She gave a small noise of consent and walked up to the tree. Making the standard seal and she began to walk up the trunk. Her chakra quickly increased and her foot made a dent, she quickly ran back to the ground and started all over again.

Isamu surveyed her efforts with unhidden satisfaction. She doing better at chakra control already, and this isn't basic training. It's hard to walk up a tree without momentum. He walked closer to the tree as Emiko fell down to the ground again. He laughed good-naturedly and was rewarded with an aggravated glare.

"Meet you at the top!" he called back to her as he quickly walked up the tree beside the one she was trying to ascend. She clenched her teeth and started walking up again.

"Oh where did you come from?"

Emiko blew some hair from her face and rolled her eyes. Isamu and his sarcasm, oh how happy I would be if I didn't have to deal with it. And now I'm being sarcastic. Wonderful.

"Training," she dead panned. It hadn't taken her very long to get up to the top, though she did get close to falling half-way there. It had only been a couple of hours and she had done nothing but chakra control, it was frustrating and boring, but unfortunately necessary.

"Well considering that only took an hour, we can continue chakra control training," he disappeared and she could hear branches snapping. The scowl on her face seemed to be permanently pressed in her mouth. She sighed and jumped down to the branches below. Emiko continued jumping down, occasionally snapping branches and landed on the ground.

Isamu was in the middle of the training area and picked up a branch. Emiko raised her eyebrows at him. She was waiting for him to explain the next exercise. He ignored her though and quickly cut the branch into a wood cylinder.

"The idea is for you to improve chakra control, everyday you are going to do this for an hour or until I tell you to stop. This isn't as hard as walking on water or trees because it is easier to send chakra to your palm then to your feet. All you have to do," he placed the wood on the ground, "is stand upside down on this."

Emiko nodded and surveyed the block with distaste: it was tiny compared to her and her weight would probably break it.

"The wood wouldn't work, I'm going to break it if I try to put my weight on that," she sighed. Isamu raised his eyebrow and wondered if she thought she was smarter than him. Probably. He shrugged his thoughts off.

"You're right," Isamu gave a small grin and walked over to a boulder at the edge of the clearing. Emiko raised her eyebrow and watched him closely. He's concentrating. What is that? A blue aura settled around Isamu's fist and he threw his arm at the rock. What was previously a large boulder half his size was now broken into chunks of rock the size of his fist. He picked up a chunk that was the same size as the block of wood.

"Better, ne?" he grinned and placed the block in the middle of a circle of makibishis. She inclined her head and placed her hands on the block. The makibishis are an added incentive not to fall. I can't make a mistake.

"How did you do that?"

"That's what you get with perfect chakra control," he paused and gave her a thoughtful look.

"Just lift yourself up and when you steady your center, lift one hand and focus on getting your chakra to be fully balanced throughout your body. If you push too much in a certain area, your ass will become very well acquainted with a makibishi," he laughed. Emiko could practically imagine him there with his good-natured grin.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied dryly. She slowly lifted her body up and sent chakra towards her arms to support herself. She now was standing upside down on the stone. Emiko breathed deeply and relaxed. If I close my eyes I'll fall because I'll lose my sense of balance. I just have to let my chakra run smoothly throughout my body. She imagined her chakra flowing like a river, running smoothly.

The orange-haired girl slowly lifted one hand and stretched it out to the side. Emiko pushed a little more chakra into the hand that was supporting her weight. She felt herself tilt and she panicked. She pushed off the stone and jumped back onto a tree branch.

"Good job! I didn't expect you to do so well the first time," Isamu was genuinely pleased. He wasn't like many of the other ANBU in that regard, he wasn't cold or jaded, but more laid-back and sarcastic and he wasn't afraid to show his emotions.

"It's about noon, so how about we get some lunch, ne? Dumplings for a job well done," he grinned. Emiko nodded and jumped down.

"I know a good place."

"Lead the way."