Disclaimer I do not own Naruto, Boruto, or any associated properties that may appear in this story. This is also an M rated story or 16 age rating in the UK. Due to excessive langue and violence.

Sorry for the very late upload chapter 19 is almost done as well and should be up tomorrow so hope you enjoy.

Chapter 18 - Work Hard, Train

Anko stands in a new and large opening that her team will be using for training grounds for the foreseeable future. She looks down from the large rock she is standing on at her pupils "Ok so, we will begin training the things I mentioned last night" she states but before she can continue Kasai interrupts her getting a glare for his efforts.

"Why not work on our Nindō?" he asks in a puzzled manner, shrugging his shoulders he continues, "you said it was really important so we should probably work on it right." This just elicits a stern glare and then a hearty laugh from Anko who almost falls from her perch in amusement.

"The reason is your Nindō can only be gained from experience, It's a philosophy that you believe in and can only be gained from the trials and challenges you face in life," she declares calming herself. "But A for effort kid," she remarks with a smile.

"How will Kasai train his taijutsu, chakra, and improve his move set while I work on my speed and controlling my eyes sensei?" Hana says with her hand raised.

"Well I have asked a couple friends to help you with training this next two weeks, they happily agreed as they could always use a workout and some extra training never hurts," Anko says confidently. "I won't be sparring with you as I am just a clone, but I will still be able to observe your training and help you."

"Who are these friends that you got to train with us, and how come you can't do it?" Kasai asks.

Anko closes her eyes as her skin goes pale and purple markings encircle her eyes. She opens them to reveal her eyes that of a snake "You will see shortly and the real me is guarding lord Kazaki Hido back at the town a job you and our friends will be taking on next week."

With this, a gush of wind blows past Anko and almost collides with Hana who narrowly dodges to the side. Almost appearing instantaneously Hanabi kicks Hana in the chest sending her hurtling away. "I will be your opponent, I should be a good test to improve your speed and power," Hanabi says with a smirk.

Kasai looks around to see who his opponent will be, as he searches he glances at the water upon where he sees the reflection of a large blue orb above him. Quickly he rolls to the side but is still blown back as the orb crashes into the ground where he stood.

Standing in the crater is Konohamaru with a large grin strung across his face. "This should be fun right, Kasai," he says in a happy tone.

Kasai looks at Anko "I thought this was going to be easier training."

She looks back at him and with a straight uncaring face she says "It is, they won't go as hard even if they could." This fact, although true, doesn't comfort Kasai as a string of fireballs are sent toward him.

Hana quickly activates her eyes and starts a high octane battle with Hanabi while Kasai and Konohamaru begin a slugging match of nin and taijutsu. The Anko clone watches on and begins to correct mistakes and problems with her pupils while advising them, helping them not only improve their skill but also their battlefield knowledge.

Just over a week of intense training passes, as a powerful clash of jutsu is prepared as Kasai and Konohamaru get ready to test scorch style against the Rasengan one more time. Kasai leaps forward with a flying punch, his fist glowing white-hot, Konohamaru charges forward to meet him, the Rasengan formed in the palm of his hand. The dark evening is illuminated by the glows of the jutsu. The real Anko, as well as a tired Hana and Hanabi, look on from a semi-destroyed resting place, the white, orange, and blue lights highlighting their faces.

The two jutsu connect and a bright flash almost instantly goes off before receding to reveal the battle of jutsu and wills still unfolding. Kasai pushes forward pushing and bending the Rasengan around his fist but not breaking it while Konohamaru pushes back forcing Kasai to a standstill. The twos clash holds but Konohamaru smiles as he gets to invested in the moment at hand as he begins to apply wind chakra to the Rasengan. The moment this happens Anko in sage mode appears next to the two and grabs their arms easily throwing them to either side of the clearing and into trees causing them to fall to the ground in pain.

Anko stands in the center with a furious expression "You two are lucky that I stopped that when I did," after saying this she looks at the four tired shinobi who pushed themselves to extremes without her putting much pressure to do so and improved for it in such a short time. "I am proud of all of you, get some rest after I leave midday tomorrow you're lord Kazaki's personal guards and be careful around him." The four shinobi smile and nod but are all way too exhausted to properly filter what she said. After this event, they all return back to their hotel rooms for the night.

The following day Kasai awakens to a loud knocking on his door, his eyes open as he rolls out of bed tired and yawning. "Ye, calm down, I'm coming," he manages to say in between yawns. Walking over he grabs a jacket he wears when not on missions and puts it on just before he gets to the door. Kasai opens the door with a yawn and sees Hana standing there, her eye twitching.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS," she yells at the top of her lungs, the loud noise snapping Kasai out of his stupor.

"Errrr, 9 am?" he asks carefully.

"Add four hours and you're golden," Hana viciously snaps.

"Oh shit, its 1 pm… OH, SHIT, IT'S 1 pm," Kasai says with a stunned look.

"We are about to be late, I already said goodbye to Anko-sensei for you but get ready we have to run," Hana says in a frustrated tone.

Kasai quickly runs around his hotel room and puts on some toast while he gets ready. Less than three minutes later he comes charging out of the room a piece of toast in his mouth. Through garbled words, he shouts "LET'S GOOO."

The two shinobi run off at high speeds through the town and apologizing to shop keepers and other townsfolk Kasai knocked over by running into them. After another five minutes of this mess, the two arrive at the tower where Lord Kazaki holds in government until the capital in the south is recovered.

The two look up at the tower and walk forward to the doorway, just as they reach the doors they hear a voice "You're late." they turn to see a man in his early thirties with short black hair and a large scar just right of his right eye wearing ornate samurai armor appraising them both.

Hana sees him and quickly bows forward and Kasai looks between the man and his teammate slowly realizing that this must be the lord they are meant to 'protect', after this realization Kasai also bows deeply and apologies profusely to the man.

This causes the man to laugh incredibly hard and walk forward shaking his head and going through the doorway into his tower. After he enters he walks around a corner before yelling back in a bemused tone "You can stop bowing now."

With that, the two stand up and rush after Lord Kazaki to find him being shadowed by Konohamaru and Hanabi, Konohamaru mockingly tuts at the two genin "late for your first guard duty, that has to be a new record not gonna lie," this gets a small snicker from the lord and Hanabi.

The five then climb the tower to a throne room at the top where petitioners, emissaries, and officials occupy their collective time all day. In one of the few brakes from these boring Kasai says to Lord Kazaki "I didn't know you were a samurai, I thought only people from the Land of Iron were trained that way?"

"For the most part, they are the only ones who learn," Lord Kazaki responds. "In my youth, I traveled much of the world. I believed and still do that if I am to rule this land properly I must experience as much as I can and be informed on everything."

"So you went to the Land of Iron and became a samurai?" Hana asks inquisitively.

"Correct, I was a pupil of the great General Mifune the previous leader of the samurai and Land of Iron." Lord Kazaki informs the shinobi with a reminiscing smile across his face. "We can talk more about this tomorrow, I hear another delegate approaching."

The week goes on like this with the shinobi learning of the colorful life of Lord Kazaki who went from a bastard son to traveler and adventurer to a samurai hero of the 4th great war and finally lord.

Miles away however the week has had a far less jovial tone than the tales of a heroic samurai lord. Mari Senju still lies in bed comatose, The doctors and Shizune have tried to provide enough chakra on two occasions to Lady Katsuyu but both times have fallen just short. The final evening of a hard week of trials comes with once more seven people standing around a hospital bed giving chakra to a mystical slug.

"Be careful three of you are almost drained of chakra already," the slug Lady Katsuyu says.

"We have to push on, I know we can do this," Shizune says, with sweat running down her brow.

"Shizune is right, she has seen mild improvements each time, we can stabilize her here, I believe in us," Shimura says, wincing slightly.

A green light fills the hospital room as Mari's chest inflates with air and Lady Katsuyu grows to further improve her healing. As the light fades, the doctors and Shizune are lying on the floor exhausted. An orange beam of light enters the room from the setting sun shining a warm glow upon all it touches and illuminates the half of Mari's face without burns as her eyes open.