Training (1)

Kai remembered that training was something he actually enjoyed then he called himself a genin of Iwagakure. Kai also remembered that his training partners weren't as brutal as Haruka-san. She constantly demanded him of things, he never had done before. For example, throwing shuriken at a target behind a rock. By the way, without using his Sharingan. Haruka-san had explained to him that he couldn't rely on his Kekkei Genkai if he wanted to battle. Especially because the Sharingan drained tons of chakra… chakra Kai simply didn't have. He should also focus on more than one sense then fighting.

Haruka-san actually had put a blindfold over his eyes and said that he should try avoiding the rubber balls she was throwing at him. Needless to say, he couldn't avoid one single rubber ball and instead managed even to stumble to the ground spraining his ankle in the process. Haruka-san had stopped the training telling him there was no point in training if he was injured.

Now they were sitting, a wet cloth was put over his injured ankle in order to cool it and also reduce the pain. Kai had spread his leg from him. Thankfully, Haruka-san allowed him to lean his upper body against a tree. He was slightly dozing having intervened his arms in front of his chest. Meanwhile the kunoichi had left in order to get some food. However, a kage bunshin was with him watching over him just in case. Kai assumed that was because he almost got killed one day ago while trying to help the waitress who had turned out to be having Uchiha blood. Thinking about the poor woman, he opened his eyes and stared straight at the fire. His arms came resting by his side. Needless to say, he blamed himself for her death. He hated himself for being so useless. He hated that he was a pushover.

Kai gritted his teeth and clenched his hands to tight, trembling fists. He just wished that at least someone could give him support. But no one did. Haruka-san didn't seem to care. Yuma-san was busy with his own problems. Kiyoshi-san just wanted to have a normal life. And the rest of Konoha didn't even know that a murder series was happening and the victims had Uchiha blood. He felt so useless. And a part of him even knew that he couldn't be a great shinobi. He lacked strong chakra… and he hadn't even killed someone. Or at least he hadn't killed someone directly. The only kills he did were out of self-defense. Not only that but he also-

"Whatever you are thinking, you need to stop." Haruka-san's kage bunshin exclaimed.

"Sorry." he apologized in a quiet voice.

The kage bunshin kept silent after that. Kai's head slumped down again. It was practically a miracle that he had managed to learn some doton based jutsus and walk on trees. But the expectations of succeeding his stepfather to become an ANBU in his home village… His parents were actually disappointed that he retired from the life as a ninja.

"Haruka-san?" he called to her.

"What?" she retorted coldly. "There is no point of talking to me as I'm only a kage bunshin."

"I just have a question."

"I told you before… There is no point of-"

"Are you an ANBU?" he asked ignoring her.

"I'm not obliged to tell you. However… My original has returned." she stated and then dissolved.

The real Haruka-san soon appeared afterwards and sat down in the place where her kage bunshin had been. She looked at him with indifferent eyes and Kai found himself not being able to continue the conversation he had begun. It felt wrong to pursue her for answers which wouldn't change anything between them. The kunoichi saw him as a nuisance she was forced to work with. He saw her as a cold-hearted person who didn't care much about others. Their mission was doomed to fail from the very start.

"For your question. Yes, I'm an ANBU." Haruka-san answered the question he had asked to her kage bunshin.

"I'm just curious… What was your reason to join the ANBU of Konoha?" he wanted to know.

"I had none." she answered while throwing at him a bag full of food pills.

He took one pill and stuffed it into his mouth. He hadn't had one of these for a long time… Why Haruka thought it was a good idea to eat them for a meal, was beyond him. They didn't even taste good enough and were small enough to be even considered as a meal. Still, it was better than nothing.

"I was forced to join the ANBU from a very young age." Haruka-san continued pushing one food bill into her mouth.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"I've said enough. Let's continue." she decided and stood up. "Your ankle should be fine by now. This cloth is special. It contains a seal which heals small wounds. You should feel that your ankle isn't sprained anymore."

Kai nodded his head slowly before standing up as well. He tested his injured leg but didn't feel any pain. He balanced himself on this leg, an expression of wonder forming on his face. His ankle didn't hurt anymore just like Haruka said. This cloth with the seal was truly amazing. Whoever invented it… The one could save a lot of lives using such a seal.

"It's an invention of a shinobi spy by the name of Yakushi Kabuto." Haruka-san exclaimed. "Anyway…"

Anyway… That sounded like both Yuma-san and Kiyoshi-san. Or more specifically how they spoke this word and within the context. How odd…

"Are you listening, Kai?" the kunoichi asked.

"Sorry. I was distracted. What did you say again?"

"I asked you if you can walk on water. That's one of the fundamentals of being a shinobi. Some fights are on the water. It also is a better way of transportation. But according to your reaction… you can't and probably never heard about this before. Alright… Let me explain this to you before you ask any more useless questions. You walk on water like you walk on trees. You create chakra to your feet using it to pin you on the object of your desire. Are you following me?"

"Y-yes…" he confirmed.

"However… Walking on water is more difficult than walking on a tree. The surface of water isn't consistent. It shapes and gives away under the smallest pressure. Not to mention that water can form waves shaping the surface even more." Haruka explained. "For the rest of the day, you're training on walking on a rather quiet river. It's the best way to start. Unless… You don't even know how to walk on a tree."

"I know it."

"At least something. You aren't completely a failure." she muttered. "Anyway… Let's get started."

Haruka-san walked towards the river flowing through the training grounds. Kai followed her silently gazing at the river suspiciously. Was he really going to manage walking on a river? Physically it wasn't possible… Well, without chakra at least. With chakra it was an entirely different story. Still, he doubted himself. Could he truly learn how to walk on water? It seemed so difficult, so… impossible.

Iwagakure didn't have rivers meaning that walking on one was never truly taught unless the mission went outside of the country. Lucky as he was, it never happened. And his sensei was a truly lazy person who thought that teaching brats was a hindrance to her carrier. Meaning that his team was behind most of the other teams from the village.

"Kai. Will you just stand here or are you going to try walking on water?" she asked impatiently.

He mumbled an apology and began focusing chakra to his feet with forming the hand seal for ram. One last time he eyed the river before he began slowly walking onto it. He felt how the chakra pushed against the surface keeping him on the surface. Kai walked slowly towards Haruka who stood in the middle of the river. Then he was just in front of her, the surface gave away and he was engulfed in water. Cold water… It was so fast that he had gasped causing to swallow water down his throat. The temperature shock was also so great that his muscles didn't want to obey him. Great… If he stayed too long underwater he would drown. Not a nice death.

Right after those thoughts left his mind, he saw something blue reaching towards him. It was a giant skeletal hand. The hand wrapped itself around his body carefully and lifted him out of the water. Once he was out of the wetness, he saw that Haruka-san was surrounded by a hell blue cage of rips. On one side a skeletal arm had formed which led to the hand. He looked into her eyes noticing that they had an unusual pattern. It was somewhat similar to the Sharingan but more complex.

Her pupil had grown in size and now had four black spikes. Extending from it were four same colored circles. These circles reached to the border of the iris. Kai found the pattern of this unique Sharingan interesting.

"You shouldn't stare into this special Sharingan." she said. "But… for your first time walking on water… This was rather good."

Kai blinked at her. Did she just… Did she just praise him? No… He must have misheard it. Haruka-san didn't praise him. She wasn't the type of person of praise. But if she praised him… It meant that she was truly impressed with him.

"However, others managed to do much better for their first time." she added.

Or not. So, she wasn't praising him but rather… criticizing. He couldn't decide if she had praised him or not. Or was it both?

Suddenly the skeletal arm drew back like… it was preparing itself to throw something. And the something was him. A cold feeling swept over him and he prepared himself.

"Prepare yourself to be thrown to the shore." Haruka-san exclaimed before throwing him.

At least he was prepared. Kai was thankful that Haruka-san didn't throw him with much force. That's probably why he could catch himself and managed to roll onto his feet. The psychologist heard someone whistle and turned his head upwards. There, in between the branches, sat Yuma-san. Since when was he here?

"I didn't know you managed to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan." Yuma-san stated grinning.

Kai found his grin somewhat sad as it didn't reach his eyes. He was probably remembering (if Yuma-san had the same Sharingan) how he had obtained it. According to how he grinned, it wasn't a pleasant memory.

"So, this is what this special Sharingan is called." Haruka-san stated intervening her arms in front of her chest.

"You didn't know?" the Konoha shinobi asked tilting his head to one side.

"I know now." she replied unfriendly.

"Just… don't use it that much. You'll go blind if you use it too much." Yuma-san advised her.

"It can be prevented, right?"

"Yes… However, you need to have a sibling. Something I doubt you have."

"I had one." she replied.

"I should have said it more accurately." Yuma-san muttered. "You need to have a sibling who is a biological one. In other words, you two must at least share one parent. There were cases in the clan's history where a cousin was also enough. But those cases are particularly rare."

"I see…" she replied before focusing her gaze back to Kai. "You continue this training, Kai. I have to leave. Then I return I expect you to be able to walk on water."

Suddenly an ANBU appeared beside her causing her to look at him. He muttered something to her before disappearing again in a cloud of smoke. Haruka-san formed the seal for ram using only one hand. Then she followed the ANBU disappearing as well in a cloud of smoke.

Kai raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. She had tasked him to do something while Yuma-san was watching over him. The psychologist focused again some chakra into his feet walking towards the water. He took a deep breath. He didn't know how long it would take to master this… But he was certain that he couldn't.


Author's note:

And here is the artwork for Haruka's Mangekyou Sharingan. Again, add to the normal pinterest side /pin/641833384415091332/.