ACADEMY DAYS XIV - SPREAD YOUR WINGS

Kigatsu residence

3 months later

To say that Gozu is a large man is an understatement. To say that he's absolutely massive is a bit more accurate. He's always had issues holding everyday objects, even something as basic as a door knob or a cup. Everything just gets lost in his big hands.

Today, what gets lost in his big hands are his two newborn. A boy and a girl. Twins!

When just a couple of years ago, he'd have given up on the thought of having his own life, let alone his own family, he now has all of that and then some.

He's also a man who had most of his emotions beaten out of him. He learned early on to not show what he's feeling and to remain as stoic as the ground. Guren's more than familiar with his character and knows very well that he's not one to express him, but she knows that deep down he's a loving man. That's why it's somewhat weird to see him struggling right now; everything that he feels wanting to burst out but he doesn't remember how to do it anymore.

A part of him feels guilty that he doesn't express himself like a normal person should. After all, they're his kids. They need to know that their dad loves them and for that, he has to show it. And yet… he can't.

Seeing his turmoil, Guren walks over to him and caresses his cheek. "It'll be fine." She takes their daughter from his arms to hold her, freeing Gozu's arms a bit so he can breathe a little easier. "We'll be fine."

"I didn't know they'd be this small." He stares down at their son.

"Honestly I'm surprised, too." Guren laughs. "With you as their dad, I thought they'd be way bigger." She sits down on the sofa, back next to Yukimaru who practically glues himself to his adopted mom, admiring the tiny person.

"Hello, little one." Yukimaru coos at the girl. "Welcome home."

Opposite them, their extended family watches on with great joy in their eyes. Yoi, having the experience, helped a lot during the whole process and prepared them as best she could for the magical moment and is currently in the process of fixing up some food for the whole extended family..

Yokumaru is admittedly not really at home with kids. His adopted cousin took an immediate shine to them so that's good. Maybe he'll get used to it; after all they're his cousins, his father's blood. They might have the Crystal Style so he'd have to step up to teach them.

Present are also Teuchi and Ayame, with Teuchi being in the kitchen alongside Yoi, while Ayame walks over to the behemoth of a man known as Gozu to fawn over the baby boy.

"So, what're their names?" Ayame looks between the two of them.

Guren motions to their daughter. "Her name's Byakuren, and his name's Gyuji."

"Such wonderful names." Ayame pokes the boy's nose. "Hello, Gyuji." She giggles as he grabs onto her finger with all the strength a newborn can muster.

Yokumaru looks around at the full house of people and grins wide. "Now our family's even bigger."

"That's right." Guren smiles. "This also means I can continue your training proper."

"Huh?" Yokumaru cocks his head. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"That's right!" Ayame reaffirms. "Right now's an important time, you need to give yourself time to recover."

Gozu nods. "Lady Hokage said the same. You can't put even more stress on your body."

Guren scoffs. "When did you all become such worrywarts? I know what my body can and can't handle; I can do with some training, anyway."

"But…" Yukimaru looks at her, confused. "Shouldn't we listen to the Hokage? She knows a lot, doesn't she?"

Guren pats him on the head. "And we will. To an extent."

"Please rest." Yokumaru digs his fingers into his leg, voice trembling. "Please don't overwork yourself. I can keep training on my own."

"Hey, hey, it's fine." Guren slightly panics, seeing the distress in Yokumaru's eyes and hearing it in his voice.

Yoi places a comforting hand on her son's shoulder. "No one's going anywhere, Yokumaru." She hands him a packed lunch and kisses him on the forehead. "You'll be late for the Academy. And we'll all be waiting for you to come back."

"Yeah." He smiles and takes his lunch, going to school.

Before he leaves, he quickly stops by Guren to get a better look at little Byakuren. She giggles on seeing her cousin which eases his mind a bit.

Hidden Leaf Academy

"Rise." Jiriki, as usual, alerts the class of their sensei's arrival.

Tenten makes her way to her desk at the front of class, by the board.

"Bow." The class gives their respects to their sensei

"Alright, class." Tenten claps her hands with glee. "It's time for a bit of a change in the school year. How many of you know of the Medical Training Programme?"

A few of the kids raise their hand but Kashiwama goes one step beyond by standing up as he does.

Tenten sighs. "Yes, Kashiwama?" No amount of warnings have slowed the boy's enthusiasm.

"It's a new curriculum put in place by the Fifth Hokage to train medical ninjutsu at the Academy to increase survivability on more dangerous missions." He answers as if reciting off a book.

"Exactly." Tenten nods. "And now that you're of the right age and gotten better at the basics, it's time for you to enter the programme, too."

Shoto raises his hand and is acknowledged. "Is it mandatory?"

"No, it's not. We'd like everyone to give it a shot, since you never know who might be compatible with it but if you don't see yourself as a medic or have no desire to be one, you can choose not to participate."

One girl raises her hand. "So… whoever trains for a medic will have extra classes?"

The whole class winces at the thought.

"No, no." Tenten reassures them. "We'll split some classes in two. The medics will go train with medical ninja and the rest of us will have other activities to keep us occupied. I won't lie to you; training to be a medic, even if only learning the basics, takes a lot of work. It's not going to be easy and you will have to train and study on your own." She looks over at the class, their faces showing a range of emotions; from uncertainty to confusion to eagerness. "You don't have to decide your future right away. You can take something of a test run and see if it's for you. So, who wants to give it a shot?"

About a third of the class raise their hands. Some are still hesitating and ones that showed interest before seem to have changed their minds. Of the one with their hands raised are Kashiwama, Yokumaru, and Kotori.

Tenten notes down all the ones who show an interest.

Shoto leans over to Jiriki and Genzai on the next table. "Not feeling up for it?"

Jiriki crosses his arms. "I specialize in reconnaissance and taijutsu; I've other skills to offer. Medical ninjutsu would distract me from my actual role on a team."

"Nah, not really." Genzai shrugs. "You?"

"I guess I'm like Jiriki. I'm frontline and medics aren't."

Kotori nudges Yokumaru with an elbow. "Surprised you wanna try."

He nods. "Medics saved my mom, after all. If I can maybe return the favour by saving someone else…"

Kotori grins. "Admirable as always."

Kashiwama pumps his fists. "Great-grandfather was said to be able to heal any injury, no matter how great. If I'm going to succeed him as a leader of the Senju clan, I can't aim for anything less."

"And he's as energetic as always." Kotori laughs.

Tenten writes down the final name and straightens herself. "Alright! The first course will be tomorrow. For now, let's go do some target practice!"

Uzumaki compound training ground

Thanks to the past revelation on how her abilities actually work, Kotori can feel herself on the path of getting stronger. Now she more or less knows the how and the what of it so it's only a matter of getting used to it.

Right now, she has a guest over to help with one of her jutsu. Ino Yamanaka is here to help her share her mind with her sparrows. Kiba Inuzuka isn't here to help so much as to hang out with his girlfriend, although Akamaru is enjoying the wide space to run around in.

The two girls are sitting on the grass with Kotori sitting between Ino's legs, back turned against her. Ino has her hand on the young girl's head, using her [Mind Body Transmission] to share each other's senses.

Right now, they're in a state of absolute quiet, their mind existing on a plane that exists only for them; away from any distractions. It's only Ino, Kotori, and Kotori's sparrows.

"Wow." Kotori admires the jutsu. "So this is what it's like."

"Yep. In here, we can focus on what's really important. If what Sasuke says is true, then you should already have an innate connection to your sparrows just like this. We just need to unlock it."

"So… will I be able to use this, too?"

"Weeell, not quite. From what I'm sensing it's like a weaker version that only works on your sparrows. Not even your other birds. Wonder why..." Ino then leans forward to look at Kotori with a big grin. "If you wanna learn this particular jutsu, you'll have to marry into the Yamanaka clan. How about it? I can get you on a date with some cute boys."

Kotori gives a hesitant laugh. "I think I'll pass."

Ino pouts and rests her chin on top of Kotori's head. "Shame. We would've made a good family."

"So, how's it work?" Kotori scratches her head.

"I've already sent a fragment of my mind to each of your sparrows. Because we're in here, you should be able to sense it and follow it like a thread from here."

Kotori blinks. "That… sounds complicated."

"It does take a lot of patience and practice." Ino brushes Kotori's hair. "But I know you'll get the hang of it."

For the next few hours of training, Kotori strains her mind. Ino's instructions do begin to make sense after a while after spending more time in this space of connected minds but it's still far out of her expertise. Ino forcefully sends Kotori's mind through the sparrows to help her get a feel of it but it's still far too early for her to do it without help.

Even when Ino releases the [Mind Body Transmission] to take a break, Kotori continues trying to connect to her sparrows.

Ino uses the break to walk over to her boyfriend who's using his time to nap under a tree. She lies down and rests her head on his chest.

Kiba cracks an eye open. "Hey. Done with the training?"

"Almost. You didn't have to wait here the whole time, though."

"I like watching you work." Kiba grins. "Although it'd be nice to actually have some time to ourselves, you know."

"I know, big guy, but we still have all day tomorrow." She pats his chest and leans closer to his ear. "And all night." She giggles and stands up, making her way back to Kotori.

"You tease…" Kiba grumbles.

"Alright, Kotori, how about you keep practicing on your own for now. You know the basics and you know the theory, you just have to get it to work for you."

"Okay!" Kotori hops to her feet and gives Ino a big hug. "Thanks for helping."

Ino's initial stunned reaction eases into a warm smile. "How could I refuse?" She returns the hug, petting the girl on the head. "You keep at it, alright? I'll come by to help when you have more time."

"I'll keep training really hard! I'm already getting the hang of the ostrich's strength thanks to Sakura!" Kotori grins. "But I still have a lot more to figure out."

"Just keep at it, alright? But before I go…" Ino motions to the other side of the training area where members of the Uzumaki clan are hopping around like toads, accompanied by actual human-sized toads. "What's that?"

"Training, I think?"

Shorin-ryu dojo

The rhythmic cries of the students fill the dojo as they do every day. Practicing the familiar kata that's been drilled into them by Itosuke and Asami, and the rest of the Teshin instructors. The punches accompanied by solid stomping on the wooden floor as they shift their body, the kicks that swoosh through the air with great force, all of it creates both a loud and oddly calming atmosphere in how much their cries follow a set tempo.

Shoto's already prepared early into the morning, so he's out to continue his training. Rock Lee told him of his own training schedule and personal challenges, which… sounds overly extravagant to Shoto. He's still following those instructions, just to a more reasonable extent. After all, who could possibly go 1,000 laps around the village on their hands? It's crazy. Well, crazy for everyone but two very specific people.

One of them is even approaching Shoto, apparently running in the opposite direction. Might Guy is running, if you can even call it that, on his hands while perfectly balancing his wheelchair in the air using his legs.

"Good morning." Shoto greets the man.

"Ah! Young Shoto!" Guy twists his head to look up at the boy. "I see you're embracing the routine! That's good, very good, indeed! Keep training and you'll be well on your path to greatness!"

"Thank you." Shoto nervously looks around at all the stares they're getting. "Um, Guy-shisho, why do you keep training like this if you're not on active duty?"

"Why, you ask." Guy flips back and lands right in his wheelchair as if he was always sitting there. "Well here's a better question my young friend- Why would I stop?"

Shoto scratches his head. "Because you've no reason to?"

"Hmm." Guy rubs his chin. "The way I see it, I now have more reason than ever. You see, this form of training I do, it's never been about staying in shape for missions. It's been to help me grow as a person, to remind myself that pushing past my boundaries is how I become a better person than I was this morning. I may be in a wheelchair but I am not bound to it. Do you understand?" He flashes a bright grin.

"I… think so?" Shoto furrows a brow. "I just see Lee-shisho push himself so much even though he's so busy. He even takes time to visit our dojo and spar. Is it the same for him?"

"Lee and I do share a way of life and a vision of the future, however, I cannot speak for his motivations; only my own. Why, is… something troubling you, young Shoto?"

The boy looks down. "I've just been thinking lately if I'm doing enough. I feel like I'm running in place. I don't think I'm pushing my boundaries like said."

"Ah, the uncertainty of youth!" Guy pats him on the shoulder. "My boy, we each travel down this treacherous path called life at our own pace. When you get stuck in quicksand, you have to keep pulling yourself out until you eventually succeed. Even if you don't manage to, in the process you'll see something that can help you, like a stray vine or a branch that you can use; things you would've missed if you just let the quicksand run its course."

"I've actually heard quicksand isn't even really that dangerous." Shoto recalls reading something of the sort back in the Hidden Stone. "It just gets a bad rep."

"Well the point still stands." Guy waves him off. "If you're still uncertain why you feel stuck then find out why and with that knowledge, work on pushing past."

"Thank you, sir. I will." Shoto bows.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I must go meet my eternal rival!" Guy rushes off in his wheelchair with surprising speed.

Shoto looks in the direction he takes for a few moments more, watching the dust settle behind him. Find out the reason, huh? Might be easier said than done, but Might Guy IS right that a problem first needs to be identified before it can get fixed.

What exactly is the issue here. He studies well, he trains plenty with his teachers and his friends. Is he missing something? Maybe it's because he hasn't landed a solid punch to Jiriki's nose.

Whatever the reason, Shoto decides to leave it for now and continue his running.

Hidden Leaf Academy

The following day, the class is split in two just like Tenten-sensei told them about. As Kotori looks around, there's a lot of faces she's unfamiliar with. There's some kids she recognizes from the other classes but also some older and even some younger students. Seems to be a mishmash of different classes, all coming together for the same curriculum.

Laid out on each of their desks are very noticeable scrolls with the exact same jutsu formula written on them. A circle decorates the middle, with scribbling swirling around it as if being sucked in and other writing written in straight lines like text. Kotori and Yokumaru, as do a few of the rest, recognize this as a scroll of sealing, used mainly for transporting goods.

A woman dressed in the Medic uniform stands before the group wanting to train medical ninjutsu, a woman that some might recognize either visually or by descriptions they've heard.

A woman that's ushering in change in the medical world as the head of the Hokage's programme. Sakura Haruno.

Kotori can't help but give an enthusiastic wave, eager to learn. Sakura smiles in her direction but remains professional. She's here as an educator, after all.

"Hello, everyone." Sakura greets them with a warm smile. "My name's Sakura Haruno and hopefully I'll be your teacher in medical ninjutsu for the foreseeable future!" She uses her introductory speech to walk around the class, getting closer to the students as she goes between the benches. "I'm sure you've been told that this is not going to be easy. Medical practice is a very important part of our shinobi world but it can be difficult to master. I don't want that to discourage you, though. Your sensei have told me you're all bright and capable so I have complete faith in you."

One boy raises his hand. "Um, sensei, what if it turns out we're not good at medical ninjutsu?" He asks apprehensively.

Sakura rustles the boy's hair as she passes by him. "There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some people are really good at taijutsu or genjutsu but that doesn't make them any lesser. It's perfectly fine if medical ninjutsu doesn't turn out to be your thing or if you just don't want to. You all need to focus on what makes you your own people and your own shinobi." She stands in front of the class and looks them over with a smile. "I'm here to help you figure out if this is for you or not."

Throughout all of this, Kashiwama has been rocking his chair left and right in anticipation. When he finally reaches the end of his somewhat limited patience, he shoots up to his feet. "So when do we start? What do we do?"

Sakura laughs. "Patience." She walks behind her desk and opens a scroll of her own, identical to the ones on the students' desks. Going through a set of seals, she slams her hand on her scroll and a puff of smoke emerges from each and every one placed on the desks.

When the smoke dies down, the kids see… two glasses of… milk and chocolate? Both of them have straws that both go into an empty glass.

The kids look at the three glasses then up to Sakura, then back to the glasses and then to Sakura again. The confusion on their faces is slightly amusing.

When Kashiwama turns the straw to his mouth, ready to drink, Sakura immediately jumps in. "Don't drink. These glasses will be to help with your chakra control."

Kashiwama reluctantly puts the straw back.

Yokumaru scratches his forehead. "Are we supposed to heal the milk?"

"Not quite." Sakura giggles at the thought. "Medical ninjutsu is about delicate chakra control. Your task will be to focus your chakra on the tip of your hands and guide the milk and chocolate through the straw and mix them into the empty glass. You've already learned how to walk on trees, right? This is... the more advanced version of that." It's a bit of an oversimplification but it works for now.

This exercise is… weird. Sakura spends the class going over the process by explaining the theory and also showing them what it looks like when done by a pro. She goes over each individual desk and helps them depending on their level of comprehension and their progress in the task.

Surprisingly for some, Kashiwama is actually a natural at it. He's not the first to finish it, that honour goes to some of the older kids, but he's among the first after which he turns to Kotori, expecting some praise but she's far too focused on the task. She seems to be struggling with it but the fierce determination in her eyes keeps him from offering any help; this is her battle and she's going to win, and he accepts her passion. Yokumaru is actually also doing well in keeping the liquids swirling against his palms as he guides them through the straw. There's a few times where his concentration breaks but manages to get back into not long after.

When Kotori finally manages to guide her milk and chocolate through the straws, she leans back and groans. "I can't feel my fingers."

"You were amazing, Kotori!" Kashiwama gives a thumbs up. "You, too, Yokumaru. I didn't know you were this good."

"Neither did I, honestly." Yokumaru gives an anxious laugh. "It was actually pretty fun." He grins.

Sakura looks over the room and sees the final group of kids getting the last drop into the third glass.

"Alright." She claps her hands. "The next part of the training will be…" She pauses for dramatic effect and stands behind her own glass of chocolate milk. She cups the glass with both hands, swirling the mixed liquid within. Two miniature whirlpools form, each drawing to it a differently coloured drink. The milk and chocolate separate and Sakura guides them through the straws again, back to their original containers. "To undo what you just did!"

A series of groans fill the room.

"What?"

"H-how's that even possible?"

"Oh, man, I barely got this far…"

This second part is MUCH harder than the first. It requires a ton of concentration and delicate chakra control to pull the two liquids apart and even more to keep them separate while sending them back through the straws. Even worse, if they mess up and get the wrong drink through the wrong straw, they have to use the first method to return it.

The vast majority don't manage to get it on Day 1, not even Kashiwama who was so assured of his abilities. On Day 2, they do actually manage to get it done. Some of them even practiced at home, determined to get it right. Kotori, however, continues to struggle and is actually the last to get it.

These test classes continue for a whole Academy week and there's some variety to them. Another test involves mending torn leaves from a succulent plant, flora known for its particularly thick leaves. They're nothing like what grows around the Hidden Leaf but Kotori and Yokumaru recognize them as resembling what they saw in the Land of Water and even the Land of Whirlpools when they visited briefly.

As the days go by, even before the end of the week, some of the kids visibly slow down in their progress even with Sakura's guidance. However, none of them seem to call it quits even though some of them visibly want to. No one really dares to say anything until…

Kotori sighs and puts up her hands. "Sakura-sensei… I'm sorry, I… don't think I'm cut out for it."

Sakura, glad to finally have someone speaking their mind, walks over to Kotori. She brushes the girl's hair and gives her a comforting smile. "That's perfectly alright. I told you all in the beginning; there's no shame in not being able to do it. This doesn't make you any less shinobi. If medical ninjutsu isn't your strong point then find out what is and work on it. One of my dearest friends can't use any ninjutsu or genjutsu but he's still one of the most capable shinobi I've ever known thanks to his taijutsu. So go find what will make you an amazing shinobi."

Kotori nods and hugs her sensei. "Thanks."

"I know you have what it takes, Kotori." Sakura pats her on the back. "You can go back to Tenten-sensei's class."

Kotori hops from her seat and gives Yokumaru and Kashiwama a high five. "Good luck, you two."

Before she can even leave, some of the other students stand up with her, finally getting the courage to admit defeat. Actually, Sakura is surprised how few leave the class. The programme was only start some two years ago so it still hasn't produced field-capable medics just yet and there was a bit of uncertainty around it at first, since the students were unsure about it and saw it as a lot of effort.

This bunch is so far the largest group to gather so there's still hope that the numbers will steadily increase. Even if they're not full medics, as long as they can deliver first aid, that's a step in the right direction.

Now that the group consist of only students who know what they're in for and they're ready to learn, Sakura can begin the classes proper.

Kigatsu residence

Guren taps her fingers on the table, in slight annoyance. She doesn't usually mind guests, she's had to entertain some during her stay here in an attempt to get better acquainted with the Hidden Leaf. She was 'recruited' into their ranks, after all, so she had to play the part.

However, the current group in front of her is an odd bunch and she's not sure what to make of them. Given the people who're assembled, she can fathom a guess why they're here and it might just be a good thing since she has something to say to them.

Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Tenten, and Rock Lee are currently gathered in her home and patiently sat around the table.

"I don't approve." Guren abruptly begins a conversation.

Naruto looks around, confused. "I haven't even said anything!"

"Yokumaru's medical training." Guren clarifies. "I heard about it from Yoi last night and I don't approve of it."

Sakura raises a brow. "From what he showed today, he has an aptitude for it and his unique chakra might make him better suited than anyone else in class."

"That's right!" Tenten chimes in. "He's a smart lad and he's doing increasingly well in his studies and practice. And he said he's interested in it. What's there not to approve of?"

Guren sighs. "It would eat too much of his time. The Crystal Style is a complex kekkei tota that requires a lot of training and he's going to need all the time he can if he's going to be going on missions in two years. Medical ninjutsu is equally intense. If he has to practice both, he's going to end up mediocre in both and I don't want him to be mediocre."

Lee jumps from his seat. "But surely with enough determination he can achieve his goals! If he's even partly as determined as young Shoto, then surely he can overcome this obstacle."

"It's not just a simple obstacle." Guren explains. "It's an overwhelming amount of work. You've all fought against my Crystal Style and you know how dangerous it is." She motions to Naruto. "I even nearly killed your fiancée! If Yokumaru doesn't learn to properly control it, he could end up putting himself or his team in danger. I know how valuable a weapon the Crystal Style would be to the Hidden Leaf, so I doubt your Hokage would want that, too."

"Come on, Guren, you know that's not the case!" Naruto defends his village. "The people here don't see you or your jutsu as a weapon."

"Naruto vouched for you." Sakura looks Guren directly in the eyes. "As long as he keeps vouching for you, Lady Tsunade will keep seeing you as a person worthy of trusting."

Guren shrugs. "Well that doesn't change that learning both the Crystal Style and medical ninjutsu will be too much for him."

"Umm…" Yokumaru stands by the door, holding one of the twins.

He and Yukimaru were sent upstairs to look after the kids while the grown-ups talk but curiosity got the better of him, especially when he's the topic of conversation.

"I still want to try!" Yokumaru declares. "Even if it's hard, I'll train twice as much to get it right." He looks down to the ground in his nervousness, afraid of being denied the opportunity.

Tenten leans forward in her chair. "As his teacher, it's my job to monitor his progress and make sure he's growing to his best potential. If it becomes too much for him, I promise I'll talk with him and with his family about it."

Guren looks over to her anxious cousin. "Just don't cry to me when it becomes too much." She sighs.

"I won't!" He looks up with a wide smile. "I promise!"

"Now get lost." Guren shoos him away. "You weren't even supposed to be here in the first place."

"Uhh… sorry?" He gives a nervous laugh and runs back upstairs.

"That passion is what will drive the next generation to even greater heights than us!" Lee cries tears of joy. "I'm thankful we could clear all this for young Yokumaru!" Lee gives a firm nod and stands up from his chair to head outside.

Before he can get far, Tenten yanks him by the flak jacket and sits his butt back in his chair. "Hold on. We haven't actually gotten to the main talking point."

"That's right." It had even slipped Sakura's mind for a moment. "Why did you get us all together, Naruto?"

"And why in my house?" Guren asks.

"Well, I figured since you got Byakuren and Gyuji to take care of now, it'd be better to come to you than to drag you somewhere, y'know?" Naruto explains. "I wanted to ask you guys about the kids." He looks at Guren and Lee. "You two are mentoring Yokumaru and Shoto," then at Tenten and Sakura, "And you're teaching their class at the Academy now. I wanna get back to training them since everything's calmed down and I need your opinions."

"I see." Tenten leans back in her chair. "Anything specific you want to know about them, or just a general overview?"

"Just how you think they're progressing. Any field they're lacking in or that kinda thing."

Tenten rubs her chin. "Well, from my point of view as an Academy teacher, they're progressing more than well. Even though they entered the Academy late, they've caught up fast. In terms of studying and practice, they have their basics well handled. My only real concern is that I can't really offer much help to Kotori because of her unique jutsu." She gives an embarrassed smile. "Yokumaru's ninjutsu is also unique but at its core, it's still ninjutsu I can help with."

"For their medical training, Yokumaru actually showed good promise. Kotori… kind of struggled. I can't say right now whether or not medical ninjutsu's for her but he seems to be taking to it." Sakura explains.

Naruto turns to Guren. "I know you said you're against it, but tell me what you think. Do you think Yokumaru get both Crystal Style and medical ninjutsu down? From what you've seen in his training."

Guren sighs as she takes a moment to think. "It'll be tough. He'll probably reach his breaking point a few times but whether he manages to get past it, I don't know." She shrugs. "Trust me, I'd like to give you a definite yes but this is a big task."

Naruto nods. "Then I'll help him get there, no matter what. And how's Shoto doing?"

"He is a most diligent student! You've trained him well and he's responding very well to my training, as well." Lee gives a thumbs up. "By graduation he will be stronger than I was and I know he will continue to grow even further."

Sakura laughs. "I think that might be an exaggeration, Lee. You're not really someone that's easy to catch up to."

"I have the utmost faith in Shoto."

"I guess you'd know." Tenten nudges him with an elbow. "Mister taijutsu specialist, already in charge of his own platoon ready to master the Inner Gates."

"That's actually what I wanted to ask you, Lee." Naruto looks him straight in his beady eyes with a serious expression. "Do you think Shoto can master the Eight Inner Gate?"

Lee's expression flips completely, now just as serious. "I do." He answers without hesitation.

"Woah, hold on!" Sakura slams the table as she stands up. "The Gates are way too dangerous for him right now."

"That's right." Tenten chimes in her outrage. "There's too much risk involved."

Naruto holds up his hands in defence. "Hey, relax, I'm not saying he should open the Gates right now. Just to get him started training so he can. Like, in the future."

Lee furrows his bushy brows at Sakura and Tenten. "Of course I wouldn't have him open them now. Do you think of me as that irresponsible?"

Guren looks between all of them. "I'm assuming this is something dangerous?"

"It is classified as a forbidden jutsu." Lee begins with enthusiasm to share his knowledge. "However, I am currently in charge of training taijutsu users, to allow them to more easily open the Gates while lessening the harm."

"It releases the limiters on one's chakra, boosting their strength beyond what they can normally do." Tenten adds.

"I see." Guren nods. "That does sound like a useful tool."

"But also very dangerous."

"That is where training comes in!" Lee reassures them. "If Shoto keeps his current regime then I know he can succeed."

"Then I'll be counting on you for that, Lee." Naruto says. "Get him ready, best you can. In the meantime, I was hoping to get all your help with a training schedule for them."

"Of course." Sakura smiles. "But I should hurry; I have to go over the other students' homes to talk about their medical training."

"Yeah, it shouldn't take long."

The five of them spend the better part of an hour going over the three students' training. Time is allocated for their Academy studies, for their own personal skillsets, and additional time for Yokumaru to train in medical ninjutsu.

That does leave the young Kigatsu with more training than the other two but Naruto has an idea for that, too. After all, they themselves have an untapped potential that would serve them well in a fight.

It's time for Naruto-sensei to get back in action.

Name Meanings

Byakuren Kigatsu (きがつ 白蓮, Kigatsu Byakuren) = 'white lotus' or 'purity'. In reference to Guren's name which means 'crimson lotus', and the symbolism around her in which a pure white lotus had been stained by blood.

Gyuji Kigatsu (きがつ 牛耳, Kigatsu Gyūji) = 'ox ears'. In reference to Gozu's name which means 'ox-head'.