Genma said very little as he led her out of the hospital to a secluded park nearby. Atsuko suspected it involved more training, but she kept her mouth shut and followed the hobbling shinobi.

The park was all but empty, despite the pleasant weather. A cool breeze whistled through the trees, its whisper almost mesmerizing. Free of distractions it was a perfect place to focus and train. After doing so many missions with her team, she was excited to begin actually training again, and her fondness for the senbon-jonin made her eager. Maybe it was because he'd promised to teach her some new skills. Or because she had someone training her one-on-one like her father used to do. It seemed natural that way; transitioning to a team dynamic had been difficult for her. She'd learned to enjoy it since it forced her to think about how to merge her skills with theirs. But truly she enjoyed working with one teacher. Especially a grumpy one that responded so well to her teasing.

"Hey." Genma flicked her forehead with his fingers. "Pay attention. This is important."

"Yes, sensei," responded Atsuko, irritated, but she was rewarded with a grimace from Genma.

"Now begins another step in your development as a shinobi. Your best skill at the moment is your chakra shield. With time and hard work, you can combine it with your element, water, and develop an even stronger defense. I've broken it down into three parts. Mastery of one will open up the next. This will be difficult and it will take time to see results. If you get too impatient or give up, I won't help you. Understood?"

Atsuko ignored the twinges of apprehension in her belly as she nodded. "Yes sir."

"Very well. Your first task is to learn to summon your element." Reaching into his pouch Genma produced a white rag. "When you can soak this rag merely by holding it in your hands, I will give you your next task."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Receiving the cloth into her outstretched hands, Atsuko took a deep calming breath and sat down. She tried imagining the rag becoming wet...

Nothing.

She tried calling water into her hands.

There was no change.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to remember how she'd learned all of the other jutsus from her father and from the Academy. In the past, concentration was her best tool. This was on a completely different level, though, and she could see why it was taught to graduated students.

She felt time pass but maintained her concentration to the exclusion of all else. The wind in the trees, the rustle of grass, the birds singing, even the clicking of Genma's senbon across his teeth faded into her self-imposed silence. Her fingers grew stiff from gripping the cloth. Parts of her body began to protest its inactivity. Occasionally she'd open her eyes to see Genma leaning against a tree, watching her. She began to wonder if this wasn't merely a task but a test to see if she was worthy of his tutelage.

Every time she caught his eye, her determination would kick in. She'd come too far to fail-the only way she could repay Konoha for providing her a home was to become the best shinobi she could, and fulfill her potential so she could defend it. Genma knew what she was capable of. He'd seen, and experienced, her skills in the field. If he thought she was worth teaching, then she would prove herself worthy. This was just one more obstacle she had to overcome.

Time passed. The cool shade she'd been sitting in diminished and eventually the heat on her back told her how long she'd sat there. Still, she forced herself to concentrate, bending all her will to make that rag even slightly damp. She heard Genma shift and opened her eyes to see him stand and balance on his crutches.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Back to the hospital."

"You're not going to stay and help me?" She immediately regretted asking the question.

Genma just sighed and moved his senbon to the other side of his mouth. "You know very well you have to do this on your own. Besides, you're a smart kid. You've already learned one jutsu. Surely you can learn a second."

"My father taught it to me because I had to survive," she mumbled loudly to herself.

"This is no different," Genma countered immediately. "In order to protect your village, you must survive. A dead ninja can't help anyone."

Holding her gaze for a moment, he gave a small nod then turned and walked away. Atsuko looked back at the white rag in her hands. It would take time-the chakra shield had taken months to learn-but she had plenty of time to practice.

And she knew full well the consequence of failure.

=/=

Evening fell, forcing Atsuko to go home as the loss of light and the grumbling in her stomach prompted her to stop. The rag remained dry, which irritated her, but she reminded herself that everything she'd learned in the past had been mastered only with patience, time, and perseverance. This was no different.

With the meager money she'd earned from completing missions, she bought some food and wearily trudged home. As she cooked mechanically, her mind kept wandering to the rag she'd kept in her free hand so she could practice. Making the rag wet. How did that even happen? She'd done it on the paper, but it was made to call out her inner element. A rag didn't care. This wasn't its purpose.

Based on her knowledge from the Academy and personal experience, she suspected that each element responded differently. If she ever wanted to bring in a second element like a Jonin, that element would probably feel different. Each person was different, so Genma probably couldn't tell her how to summon water because if he even could, it would be different for him. She had to find her own way.

Graduating from the Academy at 15 still left her feeling behind. Many of her classmates had already found their affinity or had their family jutsus passed down. She had her chakra shield and the chakra absorption, so she wasn't completely useless, but to keep up with Gisuke and Yukina who had had over a year to learn their specialties, was different. She was a complete beginner. If she didn't keep up, she would get left behind and they would have to find a new third member.

A familiar feeling came over her, standing over the stove with a dry rag in her hand. The feeling of purpose, drive. The same feeling she felt when she was with Naruto.

She would learn to control water. She would learn to do amazing things with it and she would catch up to Gisuke and Yukina. She would hold her own in battle and they would rely on her during missions.

She just had to moisten the rag.