Chapter 7: Training

It wasn't long before Kakashi bolted out of his sleeping position to a sitting one. He ended up scaring Sakura and Naruto so bad they were clutching their chests.

"Onii-chan?" Kira whispered softly placing the back of her head to Kakashi's flush cheek. "You should be resting."

"I know, but something doesn't feel right…" he muttered staring at the ground, sweat droplets forming, Kira let out an annoyed sigh. If he wouldn't rest he wouldn't get better. If he didn't get better than something bad would happen. Reaching over placing a damp rag to his face she dapped the sweat away.

Kakashi gave her a thankful look before going back to his thoughts.

"Whats wrong Kakashi?" Naruto called, he knew his sensei should be resting but couldn't understand what was bothering him so much.

"Hmm, of course. The shinobi hunters who manage corpse disposals are supposed to destroy the bodies of those they kill at once, right on the spot."

"So what?" Sakura stared at Kakashi like he was crazy.

"Wait they're supposed to destroy the body where it dies? Oh no." Kira bit her bottom lip nervously this wasn't good at all. 'That shinobi hunter took Zabuza's body, that means Zabuza might not actually be dead. This isn't good. This isn't good at all.'

"Exactly oh no indeed."

"I'm confused, why oh no?" Naruto asked cocking his head to the left.

"Don't you get it? How did the kid in the mask dispose of Zabuza's corpse?" Kakashi questioned staring at every one of his group.

"How should I know? He took the body with him." Sakura shrugged.

"Yes he did. Even though all he needed to take home as proof he'd made the kill was the head. And there is a mystery surrounding the weapons that the hunter used to dispatch his prey."

Sasuke's eyes widen in shock. "No way…"

"Yes way."

Sakura and Naruto were still confused. "What the hell nonsense are you all mumbling on about?" Tazuna called fearfully.

"That it's likely Zabuza is still alive." Tazuna, Naruto, Sakura shared the same level of panic. Sasuke and Kira watch nervously listening for whatever valuable information Kakashi had to say next.

"WHAT THE HECK?! What are you talking about?!"

"But Kakashi you checked to be sure Zabuza was dead didn't you!"

"I made sure of it, but a death like trance could have created a very convincing illusion of the real thing. Those acupuncture needle weapons that shinobi hunter used can be deadly if they hit a vital spot. If not, the mortality rate is surprisingly low and remember, they were originally designed as medical treatment tools. Shinobi hunters and all members of any village's corpse disposal squad must possess an intimate and thorough knowledge of human physiology. It would be simple for one of them to place a person into a near death state. First of all, the masked boy went to the troubled of lugging off Zabuza's heavy carcass. Secondly, the acupuncture needles he used as weapons, while potentially deadly, can also be used to inflict non mortal injury. These two points suggest that the kids objective was to give the illusion of killing Zabuza while he rescued him." A heavy silence filled the room of the possibility that Zabuza was actually still alive.

"Things may be just the way they seemed, but we have to consider the other possibility."

"Aren't you just complicating things by over thinking them? Shinobi hunters are supposed to hunt outlaw shinobi right?" Tazuna called trying desperately to calm his nerves. He like the rest of the group didn't want Zabuza to be alive. After everything we've been through he was positive that they deserved a little break to get their breath back. Yet talking like this was proving to be ineffective, only building their nerves back up.

Though the only one who seemed remotely excited with Naruto. Sure he looked scared but he was shaking with energy to prove himself worthy of being in Zabuza's little book.

"Uuuuusually, but ignoring something that smells this fishy is a great first step. To be caught completely unprepared. And preparation is a shinobi's most important skill."

"We have no proof that Zabuza is alive though…so what should we do?" Kira asked resting her chin. Idea's racing through her skull at the possible attacks that were to come.

"Whether Zabuza is dead or alive there may still be more and even deadlier ninja in the service of your enemy, Gato."

"Kakashi, you said 'preparation is a shinobi's most important skill' but right now you can't even move. What are you going to do?" Sakura asked being a Brainiac as well as common curiosity. Though Kakashi only laughed to himself confusing almost everyone in the room. Again almost everyone.

Kira glared at your older brother suspiciously. He was up to something, she just knew it.

"I'm going to increase your training schedule!"

"What? Training?!" Sakura shrieked.

"Kakashi you are in no condition to move about! How are you supposed to train us and heal at the same time?!" Kira growled glaring hatefully at her older brother.

"What will a little extra training now matter with what were up against?! Our opponent is a ninja so powerful that even with your sharingan mirror eye power he almost defeated you!" Sakura continued for Kira. She was more worried about her safety and wellbeing with the upcoming attackers while Kira was worried about Kakashi's health.

"And when I was beleaguered, Sakura think about who it was that rescued me. You four are all maturing, progressing rapidly, and your powers growing exponentially. Especially yours, Naruto! You've grown the most!"

Naruto was both surprised and happy to hear that. Sakura looked jealous of Naruto because he got the most praise out of the four students.

"Kira don't worry about me, your Onii-chan will be up and walking in no time."

"Swear?"

"I swear."

"You lie I get to steal all your books and burn them." He laughed reaching out to hold her hand. Kakashi knew his younger sister was a worry wort. He thought it was really cute. Though sometimes she had a right to be, he did get hurt every now and then but it's part of being a ninja.

"So with that being said, the skills I teach you now will be an interim thing only, to tide us over until I recover enough to take over."

But Sakura wasn't finished. Not by a long shot 'He's trying to get us killed I just know it!' "But, even if Zabuza is alive, how can we just train without knowing when he may return and strike again?"

"Excellent question. But once a person has been placed into a near death trance it is quite some time before their body returns to it's previous state of health and readiness."

"So we'll train while we're waiting! Could be fun!" Naruto was determined to be the best. Next time he faced Zabuza he wouldn't know what hit him!

"It won't be fun for you." Sasuke and Sakura glance at the kid confused 'Where did he come from?' It was a little boy no older than five or six, he wore black overals and a hat that looked a tiny bit too big on him.

"Who the heck are you?" Naruto called before laughing at his friend for jumping in surprise. "Haha you got scared by a kid."

"No I didn't. I jumped because of your face." Kira defended herself snickering with Naruto. Sakura rolled her eyes at those two. 'They are good for each other…and speaking of good for each other.' Smiling to herself Sakura took it upon her to scoot closer to Sasuke.

Sasuke wasn't paying a bit of attention.

"Inari! Where have you been?" Tazuna called practically jumping out of his seat spreading his arms open wide with excitement.

"Welcome home grandpa!" Inari ran over to his grandfather and enveloped him in a hug. Inari, greet our guests properly! They're the esteemed ninja who brought our grandfather safely home!" Tsunami scolded. Though you could hear Tazuna say it's alright a few times.

Inari didn't look happy to speak with the ninja's. He gave them a deadpanned look that literally screamed 'I don't like you.'

"But Mama, they're all gonna die." Our eyes widen in surprise. How could someone so little think that way?

"Listen, you little twerp!"

"No one can beat Gato and his men." That made sense. Sakura was busy trying to pull Naruto back from kicking the little kids ass.

"You brat!"

"Pull yourself together Naruto, he's just a little boy!"

Kira gave the child a small smile of understanding. He like many people of his town were under Gato's control. Anyone who stood up against Gato was killed. Of course that would be drilled into his brain.

"Right, hey, pay attention little guy. I'm a superhero who'll someday become the most extreme ninja. My name will be Hokage, the fire shadow! Gato? Gateau? This guys named Chocolate! You can't seriously expect me to be afraid of that!"

"Hmmf, 'hero' you're dumb. There's no such thing!"

"WHAT?!"

"I SAID QUIT IT!"

"If you don't want to die, go home now…" Inari said quietly walking to a set of doors.

"Where are you off to Inari?" Tazuna knew this might happen but was hoping he would be okay.

"I'm going to watch the ocean from my room." Inari called before slamming the door shut. "Please forgive him." Tazuna said sadly shaking his head before looking at the ground.

It didn't take long before Naruto went after the little brat. "Naru come on leave the kid alone." Kira begged clutching onto his hand.

"No way, I'm gonna give him such a hit for saying that about hero's!" Naruto grumbled marching up the stairs.

"Naru come on, can you blame the kid? It's been drilled into his head that anyone who steps up to Gato will end up dead, heroes don't last here."

"But we're real heroes! We'll be able to stop that guy and save everyone!" Naruto exclaimed. "Shouldn't he be excited for that?"

"I mean most kids would but he's not most kids."

"Well Ill change his mind then!" Walking down the hallway there was a faint sound that was hard to miss. It sounded like someone was crying.

"Oh no…"

'Daddy!' was muffled by the door. Poor Inari. His father must have been killed by Gato. Naruto and Kira face one another and knew it was time to leave. They couldn't intrude on him sobbing like that. He was hurt.

"Let's go get some fresh air." Naruto suggested gripping Kira's hand a bit tighter.

"Okay,"

Walking down the stairs Kira and Naruto found Kakashi standing on crutches. "You're supposed to be resting!" Kira snapped glaring at Kakashi.

"I know but I figured now would be a great time for team seven to go for a walk," he called cheerfully walking out of the house with somewhat ease.

"Oh I'm gonna kill him." She grumbled marching after her idiot brother. "You better not be pushing yourself or I swear your books are going to the bottom of the lake."

"I'm fine I swear. But I've decided. The new training regimen begins today!"

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly jumping up and down. Kira rolled her eyes looking at the area around them. They were in the middle of the woods a few yards away from Tazuna's home.

"First lets discuss the basics of your ninja powers, the body energies known as chakras." Kakashi began looking over the team.

"Uh, right, so um, chakra…what are those again?" Naruto questioned feeling a little stupid for not knowing.

"And you call yourself a ninja? Did you sleep through every class you ever took?!" Sakura's high pitched voice shrieked making both Sasuke and Kira cringe at the high pitch.

"Why don't you say I got some really high quality nape time? Kira usually took notes and told me what happened while I was out."

"This is so not good."

"Alright Sakura!"

"Pay attention Naruto! It's a pain but I'll try to keep it simple! Try to find some storage space for this information somewhere in that shiny, smooth brain of yours. Chakras are, to put it simply, the energies that a shinobi requires in order to preform ninjutsu. Basically these energies are one: those of the body drawn from each and every one of the approximately 13 trillion cells that are believed to make up the human body, two: those of the mental and spiritual energy acquired over the course of much training and experience. Together those two forms of energy are what make up the chakras. In effect, all the arts and techniques of the shinobi are born of a combination of those two energies, brought forth from the body and the spirit in what is called 'manipulating the chakra's' and focused in the mystic process known as 'weaving the signs'. Fire style for example."

"Holy crap my head hurts now." Kira held her head having to hear that long boring explanation of Chakra.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't do well with long explanations, but if you could just show me, my body can learn it!"

Sakura let out a 'Urk' sound. Here she just explained everything there needed to be known about Chakra's and those two were treating that information like it was nothing.

"Naruto's right, we already employ the ninja arts and techniques." Sasuke called gaining Kakashi's attention.

"Wrong, three of you have yet to master the full mastery of your chakra."

"Three? But there's four of us!" Sakura pouted.

"What?!"

"I learned how to control my chakra two years ago." Kira shrugged staring at Kakashi to continue. "When did you learn that? Why didn't you invite me?" Naruto pouted. "You were pulling some pranks on someone Naru."

Naruto thought back for a moment before shrugging "I probably was."

"Now listen." Kakashi called his team's attention back to him. "As Sakura said, manipulation of the Chakra refers to summoning physical and mental energies and combining them within your own body. Depending on which technique you wish to employ, the amount of energy you'd need to absorb would vary, as would the makeup of elements you'd need to combine. Right now you three are not using any of your chakras effectively."

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura glance at one another before looking back at Kakashi.

"No matter how great the amount of Chakra you summon and manipulate, if you can't maintain your balance, whatever the technique; not only will the effectiveness of your maneuver be cut in half, but you could blunder so badly the spell may not be released at all."

Everyone was thinking back to the final exam when they had to make an exact clone of themselves. Naruto's test and how he made a clone but it wasn't working correctly.

"And because you end up squandering your energies, you not only lack the stamina for a protected fight but you also develop significant vulnerabilities."

"So uh, what do we do?"

"You learn to control your body through the harshest training. Go out on a limb, and learn from experience."

"How do we do that, sensei?" Sakura asked cocking her head to the right like a confused puppy.

"How? We climb trees."

"Climb trees?" The three asked confused.

"This won't be any ordinary tree climbing. You're not allowed to use your hands." Kakashi explained.

"That sounds like fun!" Naruto beamed jumping up and down excitedly. "How?" "What?"

"Watch and learn. Kira if you will?" Kakashi asked moving aside for his younger sister. Kira nodded her head some of her gray bangs fell in her face. Sasuke desperately wanted to push them aside out of her beautiful crimson eyes.

'Stop it Sasuke! She could be your cousin for kami's sake!' Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto all watched with anticipation as Kira brought her hands to her chest forming a hand signal to activate her chakra in her feet and proceeded to walk up the side of the tree till she was standing upside down on one of the tree branches.

"She's climbing." Naruto giggled excitedly.

"Her legs and feet are parallel to the ground!"

Sasuke was speechless, his jaw dropped a bit. He could see up her shirt. Holy crap he could see up her shirt. A large red blush formed across his face.

"That's it, in a nutshell. Focus all of the energy of your chakra toward the soles of your feet and use that power to cling to the trunk. When you have full mastery over your own chakras, this is the kind of thing you can accomplish." Kakashi smiled nodding his head to his sister to come down.

"But Kakashi, how will learning how to climb trees this way make us any stronger?"

"I'm just getting to that Sakura. If you would listen and learn. The point of it all, the goal is greater mastery over the chakras. To use no more than necessary, but to minimize its effectiveness in where and how it's applied. The subtle control, is the most critical aspect of every jutsu and technique you'll ever apply. It's also the most difficult skill for even a master ninja to command."

Sakura blushed furiously with embarrassment. "The type of tree climbing we are doing here requires the most fine and delicate application of chakra energy imaginable. Especially because the bottom of the foot is an area where it is most difficult to manipulate ones energies. In other words; if you can master the control needed for this skill, no jutsu should ever be beyond you. In theory anyway."

Kira hopped on the ground with ease. "That was awesome!" Kira and Naruto high fived smiling brightly at one another. "It's a little difficult at first, it took me a couple hours to master this with Kashi's help." Kakashi smirked. she either calls him Kakashi, Onii, or Kashi. That little twerp didn't even realize she was being cute.

"Anyway, the secondary objective is to build enough stamina necessary to complete your task once the chakra has been focused. If you think this looks hard, it's even more difficult to maintain your chakra when using ninjutsu."

These kids had to realize that.

"In battle circumstances are constantly changing, and a true shinobi has to be able to manipulate and maintain his chakras on the fly, if he ever hopes to prevail. The time you need to just stand around trying to summon and control powers is a luxury you won't have. So while you're climbing those trees you'll also be mastering skills that will probably save your lives."

"So what will Kira be doing since she already knows this?" Sakura grumbled hatefully, crossing her arms over her chest glaring at the silver haired girl. 'Of course she gets out of training. She's getting special treatment for being related to our sensei.'

"Kira will be learning the Mystical palm technique." The three glance around one another. "Most groups have a healer. There should always be at least one healer in every group. What Kira will be learning is something every healer uses. Now no more talk. It's time for action. The only way to learn is by doing. Use the Kunai blades to scare the bark at the highest point you can climb to. It will serves as a reminder for later. Your goal is to make a mark on a higher spot each time you climb. I don't expect any of you to reach the treetop on your first try. A running start will probably give enough momentum for a good first effort. All right?"

"No sweat! I could do this one before breakfast! If Kira can do this so can I! I'm the fastest developing ninja on this team!" Naruto exclaimed pointing at Kakashi while Sasuke and Sakura groaned in annoyance.

"Less talk and more action. Choose your trees and up you go!"

Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto all got into position mentally preparing themselves for this training. Activating their chakra in their feet before running off to their desired tree of choice.

"Ready of not here I come!" Naruto bellowed placing one foot onto the tree making it a few inches before falling straight on his head.

"Owwww."

Sasuke's foot made a dent into the tree almost breaking it down. Before he fell Sasuke was able to make a slice into the wood showing how far he got before doing a backflip and landing gracefully on the ground.

'Maintaining focus is a lot harder than I expected. She made it look easy…' Sasuke glanced over to see Kira sitting on the ground Kunai in hand reading a book on what he assumed was for the medical ninjutsu's.

Glancing back at his tree he went back to the task at hand. 'Too much force and the surface's own energy repels you. Too little and you'll never adhere in the first place so you end up like Naruto.' Naruto was rolling around on the ground holding his head.

'There is the difference between Naruto and Sasuke in a nutshell.' Kakashi thought staring at his two students.

"This is easier than I thought!" Sakura called sitting three fourths of the way up on a tree branch her kunai imbedded into the wood.

"Sakura!"

"Well now we know which of you three has the best control over her chakras. Our young lady." Kakashi announced.

Sasuke started at the ground gathering his energy while Naruto praised Sakura. "INCCREDIBLE! You go, Sakura! That's my girl!" though Naruto mumbled that it ticked him off.

Sakura looked down deflated from Naruto's boost of praise. 'I wanted to impress Sasuke but the only one who cared was Naruto. Just like always.'

Sasuke looked over when he heard Kira yelp. She had sliced her hand with the kunai, blood dribbled down her fingers. She looked over her book again before focusing her energy on trying to heal the wound but no green light appeared, no blue light appeared, nothing. Blood just formed and fell freely down her fingers.

"Aw man," Kakashi sighed shaking his head.

"I need help!" She moaned annoyed. "That book should explain everything, try concentrating a little more." Kakashi called from his spot.

"Well understanding the use of one's chakras and manipulating them successfully is quite an achievement so far, Sakura is probably the closest to overtaking our leader, Lord Hokage despite all of Naruto's boasts and aspirations. And I the finest hope of clan Uchiha doesn't' seem too impressive either."

"Kakashi, how could you! Sasukes going to hate me!" Sakura cried.

Looking back down at the fresh wound Kira noticed that the wound was closed. There was still a bit of blood staining her hands but the wound was closed as if there was nothing there. Squinting her brows she lifted her kunai again slicing into the skin. The skin spread apart like butter blood pooled freely onto the green grass. The stinging sensation filled her head saying this hurts but Kira ignored that. Almost like magic the wound started to close on itself. Healing quickly as though it never happened in the first place. But you could see the fresh blood that was just spilt.

"Weird…"

Later:

Hours ticked by and the four students were panting and worn out. Sakura all red and covered in sweat leaned against her tree watching the body keep going when she herself was worn out. There was no way she could do anymore today.

'I'm exhausted! The body have so much stamina, but Naruto hasn't improved one bit! Now he'll probably have a tantrum and quit.'

"Kakashi why am I the one learning this when you don't even know anything about medical ninjutsu?" Kira whined walking over to her brother in blood soaked clothes.

"I figured you'd like it, you said you wanted to work in a hospital. Everyone in a hospital knows how to use basic medical ninjutsu." Kakashi shrugged. "But isn't it dangerous to preform medical ninjutsu when you aren't properly trained?"

Kakashi looked her. "Kira give me your hands." She stared at her brother confused but did as asked. He was looking them over, not a single scratch.

'I wonder…' "Hand me your kunai." She did as asked. Kira watched confused as her brother held the kunai in his right hand, inspecting the blade, it looked sharp, there was dried bloods stained in the metal on the one side.

"And you did practice on yourself?" she nodded staring at him questioningly. Kakashi nodded, in lighting speed the kunai speed through the flesh of his wrist. Fresh blood gushed out of the deep wound. Kakashi's eye cringed in pain. He stared at his sisters wide red eyes filled with fear and surprise.

"Kakashi!"

"Heal that." He muttered, the rest of the group stared wide eyed in surprise. "But I cant, I-I…"

"I trust you, come and try." She shakily lifted her hands to the wounded area, concentrating as hard as she could but still nothing felt like it was happening. Blood continued to fall freely the longer she tried. "I can't…" she whispered horrified with herself.

"Relax your body, calm your mind and focus." Kakashi spoke not at all worried. Forcing her body to relax was harder to do, Kakashi was counting on her to heal him. Gulping down her nerves she did as asked. Concentrating on the wound, the warm blood coating her fingers 'please heal.' She begged herself to do this. She willed herself to heal her brother.

Blue.

Blue overtook her vision, all she could see, all she could feel was blue. The calmness of the color, the cool water like feeling ran through her veins, through her fingers, through her core. It was just blue.

The feeling slowly went away, the cool feeling returned to the warm humid area. Blinking a few times her sight returned. Slowly removing her hands from his wrist the injury was gone. There didn't even look like there was a mark!

"Holy crap!" Kakashi gave his little sister a smile "Told ya," she smiled brightly. Was that how healing was supposed to be? "She learned to master that in a day, I'm going to master this!" Naruto shouted concentrating on his energy, activating his chakra, and running up the tree making it a bit father than he did the last time but still fell on his butt this time.

"Dang it!"

'I knew it! He's so predictable." Sakura thought rolling her eyes annoyed.

"Hey, hey! Sakura! Could you help me get the hang of this?" Naruto whispered squatting down so that and Sakura were eye level.

"Huh? Why aren't you asking Kira? Aren't you two best friends?" Sakura spoke softly this time, she was genially curious when Naruto would ask her and not Kira, the only one here besides their sensei who has successfully mastered this.

"I know but I don't want to always bother her when I don't get something, you're really smart and it looked so easy for you. Could you give me a few pointers?"

Sakura smiled nodding her head.

"Sure Naruto."

'Naruto's developing, growing up. I wonder how strong he'll become. If he only knew his latent abilities dwarf even those of Sasuke and perhaps mine, as well! That would be a marvel and a pleasure.' Kakashi thought to himself.

"Kira." Sasuke called out to his crush. Kira looked up confused staring at the raven haired boy looking away from her.

"Yeah Sasuke?" she called walking over. He was acting strange. 'He better not be planning something, I'm still mad at him for what he did in the tent.' She thought angrily. Staring at Sasuke she saw he was staring away from her. 'What is he up to?'

"How long did it take you to learn this?"

"Oh um…about ten to sixteen hours, it'll take a while but once you master controlling chakra in your feet you can do almost anything like Kakashi said." He nodded in understanding.

"That was impressive back there." He said after a while, standing now. "Thanks, I didn't think I could do it." He looked over her face. She was nervous, she kept glancing back at her brother or anywhere else. He smirked. "Do I make you nervous?"

Kira let out a small growl, not intimidating, more like a cat's before they hiss. "Go to hell Sasuke."

'She doesn't act like the normal Uchiha's, Kakashi doesn't either. Maybe we aren't related. I just wish I knew more. We can't be related. We just can't. I refuse to believe we're related!'