Let this chapter unfold…
It was the day after the end of the second exam, the first day of training. Taya, Rinji, and Kado would be training harder than ever this month. They were to become stronger for the third exam, which would test the each of them on their individual skills. "This is going to be a long month…" Taya sighed when she woke up that morning. She prepared herself, bringing all of her weapons and scrolls, and signaled to Kakashi that she was about to leave. He responded with a nod as she left. They had decided to gather Taya's teammates at their house after the first day for lunch and to discuss about their training. Feeling less lazy that usual; she dashed through the forest instead of poofing there. As she darted from tree branch to tree branch away from her home, she saw someone walk toward it. It was Rinji, who was on time with his meeting with her father. Taya smiled as she rushed passed Rinji, who glared at her from the corner of his eye. She stopped and hid in the shadows to see how her father would greet Rinji when he got there. Turned out that he didn't do anything, Kakashi just made Rinji follow him to the backyard, where there was a lot of space to practice from martial arts to shuriken throwing and everything in between. Taya closed her eyes and chuckled to herself for a second. "Rinji, he's going to train you hard. Do your best," After she was sure they started, she began to head for the hidden training area in the forest again.
Deep inside the forest…
Sakura was already there when Taya reached the spot. Her arms were folded across her chest and her foot was tapping. "You're a late today Taya. Is your father's influence getting to you now?" She shook her head. "What are you going to do next? Wear a mask?"
"Sorry, I was just observing something… interesting and I lost the time. Although… if you wish, I'll wear a mask when my wardrobe changes after I pass the Chuunin exam," Taya smirked. Many of the kunoichi (female ninja) had given Taya her very own copy of their wardrobe. She always thought it was because she was the daughter of Kakashi. She took them and saved them until she was able to put them all together to make her Chuunin outfit. She took off the spinning shuriken from her back and gave it a gentle hurled it with no effort at all so it stuck in a tree by a dent. She wouldn't need to use it during the lesson she was about to learn.
"I was just joking! But let's move on. I'm going to teach you a simple healing technique. Since high level healing jutsus take up more chakra than you have, you only have the ability to learn this one for now. Kakashi-Sensei told me that you have the power of the Sharingan, so all I want you to do is to use them. First, since your throwing skills are practically perfect, I want you to throw two kunai knives at each of my arms so that they leave somewhat of a deep cut. Go on!" Sakura instructed.
"Geez, she likes to talk…" Taya thought as she twirled two kunai knives on each hand with her fingers. With no effort at all, she released all four of them. They were right on target. Each of them tore through Sakura's flesh as they zoomed by. Even she winced a little.
As blood dripped down both of her arms, Sakura exclaimed "Taya! Use your Sharingan now!" Taya closed her purple eyes and when she opened them, they were red. She watched her teacher closely as she perform a sequence of hand seals. "Uma, Tori, Saru, Ryu, Usagi, Tori, Nezumi, Inu, Hebi. Heh, her hand movements are slow when I use the Sharingan…" She saw that Sakura's eyes were closed as she ran her green-glowing pointer and middle fingers down the deep wounds. Steam rose from them and they healed instantly.
"That was a low-level healing jutsu. You have to be aware that it can only take care of minor things. If you get stabbed seriously, this jutsu won't be able to save you," Sakura said while staring at her arms, making sure that the jutsu really worked.
At home…
"So, you're the Taijutsu major in the group huh?" Kakashi asked, reading his Come Come Paradise.
"Yea…" Rinji didn't know how to act.
"Put on your claws and give me your best shot," Kakashi ordered. Rinji did as he was told and began his attack. Kakashi was still laid back, acting as if they were playing a game. Rinji knew that his skills were nowhere near Kakashi's, so for a while he just stood there, thinking of meaningful strategies.
In the meadow…
Kado was working hard under the bright afternoon sun. Ino had taught him a few things, so he was already panting.
"Geez Kado-kun. Don't tell me that you became weaker since you finished the Academy," Ino teased with her hands in her hips.
"Damn, she talks a lot…" Kado thought as he straightened up to train again.
"Alright! That's the spirit!" Ino cheered.
"Usually I hate repeating myself, but damn, Ino-Sensei talks too much!" Kado panted lazily did several hand seals as she watched carefully. He had practiced the new jutsu non-stop since 11 AM.
Deep inside the forest…
After teaching Taya a single healing jutsu, Sakura pulled out her lunch and began to eat. While her teacher had lunch, Taya pulled out a scroll full of strategies her father had written from his many years of knowledge. She started to study.
"Taya, are you seriously going to change your wardrobe after the Chuunin exam?" Sakura asked as she placed her chopsticks down carefully over her box lunch.
"All the outfits that I've gotten as gifts in the past fit me now, so I'll put them together into two wardrobes or something," Taya rolled up the scroll, put it back into her pocket, and stared up at the sky.
"Two?" Sakura pondered.
"I received a long sleeveless overcoat from Anko-san, a pair of high healed sandals from Tsunade-sama, and casual clothing from Kurenai-sensei. If I don't wear the vest, it should work out fine. I'll change into my flat sandals and the vest for battle, I suppose," Taya said thoughtfully. She wasn't able to sleep the night before, so she stayed up and thought about pointless things like this. "I don't even know if I'm going to pass…"
"Are you tired of the outfit I made you?" Sakura glanced over to her.
"Of course not," She was lying. Even though Taya liked it, she thought it was hard to move in.
"I see…" Sakura began to pack up. "I'm meeting up with Sasuke-Sensei now, so today's training ends here."
"Finally…" Taya was so excited that she stuffed her scroll back into her pocket, yanked her shuriken out of the tree, and poofed home before Sakura could say another word.
At home…
Taya was already late coming back home. When she stepped in the door, Kakashi, Kado, and Rinji were already there, waiting for her.
"Silly Taya-chan. A hostess shouldn't be late to serve her guests!" Kado teased her with an ear-to-ear smile.
"Sorry, I had to wait for Sakura-Sensei to finish eating her lunch before I left," Taya sat down next her father, across from Rinji. There were plenty of things to eat in front of here. It was a feast compared to what she had usually.
"Well, since we're all here now, let's eat!" Kakashi grinned.
"Itadakimasu!" everyone said with glee. Although they were famished, they ate slowly to listen to each other tell about their day (instead of listening to their own munching). In front of them was a feast, or at least in Taya's eyes. Yes, Kakashi does bring in more than enough money to put enough food on the table, but for some reason Taya was hungrier than normal. At first Kado and Rinji stared at Kakashi without his mask and Taya couldn't help but giggle. Everything went back to normal once the two of them realized too how hungry they were.
"So, what do you think of your teachers?" Kakashi said, eating.
"They talk way too much," Kado and Taya complained in unison.
"Sucks to be you two," Rinji said before he began to stuff himself.
"It's going to suck to be you too," Kakashi pointed at Rinji with the ends of his chopsticks.
"Owned!" Kado laughed so hard that the rice in his mouth almost flew across the table.
"So, what's going on with your team, now that you're training Rinji everyday?" Taya asked her father.
"I had Ebisu-Sensei replace me for a month, or until the training is complete," Kakashi mumbled as he nibbled at his meal.
"Poor kids…" Kado joked, but before he could say anymore, Rinji elbowed his side, shutting him up.
"What did you learn today Kado?" Taya asked.
"Nothing other than jutsus. I'm afraid that Ino-Sensei has too much to teach now. I can't master everything she shows me," Kado had put down his bowl of rice and clutched his side where Rinji had struck him.
Kakashi smirked. "Well, at least he learned how to use what I taught him today in everyday life. Taya doesn't even need to ask him what he leaned today; she already went through it, somewhat. There are things I don't need to teach her since it won't suit her at all. Then again, she'll never stop learning." He decided not to think about that anymore.
"What about you Taya? What did Sakura-Sensei teach to you?" Rinji asked.
"She must have something on her mind. She only taught me how to heal 'somewhat deep cuts' and that was it. I thought she wasted a lot of time today," Taya was not happy about this. She only went to Sakura to learn, and if she didn't teach, there was no point for Taya to go to her.
"Don't say that. You said it yourself, she had something on her mind," Kakashi used his free hand to put it on her shoulder.
"She shouldn't be running after Sasuke-Sensei anymore. It's been eleven years already. It's pointless. It's been pointless," Taya stared at her bowl. Kakashi stared at her for a while, and hook his hand off her. Rinji and Kado didn't say anything either.
The rest of lunch was quiet, with just some conversations. After they sate their fills, Rinji and Kado thanked the father and daughter and left. The two of them cleaned up and did their own training for the rest of the day, helping each other every now and then. Hours flew by, and before they knew it, the sun set. Kakashi went out to the bar to meet up with Ebisu for his daily team report and Taya finally found some time to sit on the roof again.
"It's been a while since I've found time to sit up here like this…If only I could enjoy this more often…" The wind blew and Taya's hair flew wildly. She hadn't heard the silence of the night since before the Chuunin exam. It was if she was experiencing a whole new feeling all over again. She sighed, closed her eyes, and drifted off.
This chapter… it ends here…