Apologies for the slow updates, consistency will be assured further on. (21/02/2020)

A minimum of 3 chapters per week will be posted during the next month of March to make up for missing time.

• CHAPTER NINE •

Sweat pooled within his pores, thick droplets forming to dribble down the boy's forehead, tainting his thickening brows. A large, salty droplet allowed itself to perch by his eyes, and he shook his head furiously, attempting to unstick his hair from his forehead. His breath exceeded hastily, and he withdrew a painful sigh, his hands perched upon the base of his knees. Vexed with the idea, he growled at his poor estimate of his ability, and whined at his result, collapsing onto the greenery, as he once did during his first arrival. Only, the person available to help him had made his condition worse.

"This was a bad idea. A very bad idea." He allowed his eyes to flutter closed, tears sparking at the corners. Guy stood from a far end of the field, a hand outstretched and waving to approaching figures. Yaruka sat up at the gesture, leaning on the bruised ends of his elbows, to at least peak upon the minor distractions. A signature smile stretched across the older man's lips, and two child sized beings wandered into Yaruka's own view.

"Cheer up, Yaruka! I have called my students over to help with your training!" The child groaned at the response.

"Great, now I'm going to be judged by a Hyuga." He grumbled under his breath, surfacing his knees against his chest. He allowed his black hair to fall in front of his eyes, his ponytail loose and fallen over his thin figure. His gaze was met with a brown haired male, who only scoffed at him with a judging scowl.

"You're wasting our time with this?" The voices owner stood tall against the slumped child, his pale eyes cutting deep into Yaruka's insecurities. The black haired child huffed, and jerked his gaze from the others. The female beside the male only crossed her arms, though shot a protruding glance to the insulter.

"I'm new to this whole ninja thing, but I'm not that big of a waste of time, Mr. Neji." Yaruka stood from where he perched himself, his bruised legs wobbling from under his weight. Both figures cocked their head with somewhat curiosity, their brows raised. The hyuga only turned his glare, closing his eyes with a flushed scoff.

"Mr... Neji?" A flustered voice muttered.

"I'm from a city where ninja training isn't exactly encouraged. I don't know what Guy is planning, calling you out here like this, but I hope you at least respect my dedication to learning an entirely new skill." Yaruka's hands met with his hips, espite the achiness to even raising his own limbs. The girl only nodded to his plight, and bent her hips to learn forward, a smile at her lips.

"So, if you didn't grow up learning to fight, why start now?" Yaruka had decided he liked her voice the moment she spoke.

"There's something I need to accomplish."

"You didn't say anything about a goal beforehand." Guy reminded them of his presence as he approached, brows lowered and creased, though his head had been cocked to the side. Yaruka only shrugged, a twinge of pain stinging at his muscles, and he tended to it with a hiss.

"It's not something I need to tell." He only muttered stubbornly, his glare at the batted grass below him. The teacher didn't speak, an obvious thought running through his mind. The silence hadn't been interrupted until the girl cleared her throat, all but the Hyuga meeting her gaze.

"Aren't you going to introduce us, Guy Sensei?" Guy only jumped at her suggestion.

"Ah, why of course!" He raised a hand, and sauntered to meet beside the boy, his arm hanging over the childs thin shoulders." This is Yaruka Musuru, he will be training under our wing for the time being." He explained the situation briefly with a grin, of course hiding the necessary due to terms of confidentiality, and only spoke of the boy visiting in search of becoming a ninja.

"Ah, I'm Tenten, and this is Neji." The girl waved, though was quick to pull him away from the men. "Don't let Guy Sensei trick you into getting his haircut, yeah?" She lowered her voice to a whisper, a teasing glint swimming in her pale brown eyes. Yaruka knew she had been joking, yet a concern had risen, and he only whispered in return.

"You think he'll try and do that?" His raised a hand to intertwine with his own black hair, becoming aware of his wide brows, which very easily matched the features of Lee and Guy himself.

"What are you two whispering about?" Guy's voice echoed, and the two spun to his attention with a giggle.

•••

"Your form is sloppy." The hyuga hissed, his own position sharp and defined, arms raised and legs separated.

"I only started a few hours ago!" Yaruka growled in return, stumbling back from the force of the other male. He wiped a bloodied spot from across his cheek, where the Hyuga had punched him, and only whined at the touch. Tenten hummed from behind, her foot nudging slightly at Yaruka's own.

"Try and put your right foot a little more forward." She encouraged, steadying the struggling males form, just a bit.

"Like this?"

"Better! Now, try and kick me." She stood backwards, hands raised against her chest, where she signalled the kick to land. Yaruka nodded, inhaling a sharp breath for a brief moment, before allowing his leg to swing toward the girl. It became difficult to lift it, though he made the effort, despite it being shot down once she caught him by the ankle. He lost his balance at the contact, his planted foot slipping from its spot in the grass, which allowed him to tumble helplessly to the dirt. His head thumped against the surface, and he only groaned in response, harboured tears falling down his cheeks.

"Keep your leg tucked in before you extend it." She instructed, releasing his ankle, and crouching beside his heaving body.

"It's harder than you said it was!" He cried, his chest rising and falling with every heaving breath.

"These are only the warm ups!" Tenten giggled, outstretching a hand toward the boy, who accepted it lazily. She tugged at his figure, hoisting him to his feet with a verified strength, that Yaruka couldn't help but feel jealous of. The girl pointed back toward the Hyuga, who watched with a smug grin.

"Try and hit Neji over there."

"Are you trying to send me to my death?" Yaruka hissed under his breath, leaning against the girl to stabilise his balance.

"It's okay, Yaruka, how about we stop for lunch?" Guy rose from where he observed, two plastic bags hanging from his clenched fists. Yaruka sprung at the words, eagerly stumbling toward the older man, earning a soft laughter from the girl.

"Lunch? Where are we going to eat?" His dry mouth watered just by the mention, and his head swam with lunch ideas. Perhaps, he could convince them to get ramen. Guy only laughed his mighty laugh, and tossed a small box from within the bag to the chest of the boy. Yaruka frowned.

"Here! I had Neji and Tenten bring over some food." He hummed, pulling out another set of small boxes, and handed them to his students. Yaruka sighed, knowing well this was so he wouldn't get distracted from his training, which he so obviously dreaded.

"Oh, and we're gonna get back to training straight after?" He murmured, taking his place upon a nearby fallen log, which had been battered from his practice kicks.

"You got it!" Guy sat beside him, as well as Neji on the opposite side, whereas tenten perched herself upon the floor, balancing the bento on her knees.

"Ah, well, pardon me, but may we please sit quietly a little longer, after? I'm not used to this, I feel like I'm about to break." Yaruka sighed, cracking the lid open, and becoming easily distracted by the warm smell. He allowed Guy to think for a moment, before he responded with a nod.

"I suppose we can sit for a little longer. But, for now, let's eat!" He grinned, as the others followed his actions of opening the lunchboxes.

"Thank you for the meal." The boy clapped his hands together, and began to eat, shoving in a few large bites before Tenten interrupted his silent peace.

"So, how about you tell us something, Yaruka?" She asked, her eyes raised to the boy from below, as she ate with somewhat of a casual grace.

"Huh? Tell you what?" He cocked a brow.

"Something about yourself, like where your mysterious village is."

"Ah, well, I don't think I can tell that much. But it's quite sophisticated, and very far away. It's also quite big, so we always travel through a means of transport, even when going to someone else's house." The students eyed him warily.

"What? What do you mean I don't think I can tell you that much?" The girl scoffed, shuffling forward, as if edging him to mention more, than just a pitiful amount of information.

"He's under the hokage's review, Tenten." Guy explained, his mouth very full.

"Yes, so I can't exactly say a lot about myself. Please accept my apology."

"Tch, where's this sudden polite attitude coming from?" Neji scoffed from beside him, and Yaruka decided he had enough with the Hyuga's current pompous personality.

"Your ass." At the boys words, Neji lunged at him, hands reaching for the neck. Perhaps the countless insults Yaruka shot him hours before hadn't been the right kind of build up. Guy pulled the boys away from the other in a swift move.

"Enough! We will sit down, and eat. Yaruka, I expected more." His disappointment could almost be expressed physically, and Yaruka lowered his gaze, a snicker echoing from Tenten.

"Sorry, sir."

"Move over, you two just can't seem to sit next to each other."

"You don't seem to know who you're playing with." Tenten leaned toward sulking boy, as she knelt upon her knees.

"I'm perfectly aware. He's a Hyuga, I might as well just dig myself a grave now."

"Then why?"

"It's fun!"

"What?"

"Pardon me, I just didn't have much time to behave as a child, and I kind of miss it."

"See! The power of youth!" Guy interrupted, forgetting the disappointment with a wide grin.

"Yes, Guy, I believe you may be right."

"Don't encourage him." Tenten sighed.

"Well, let's get back to training, yeah?" Yaruka stood from where he sat, having enough of the meal, and perhaps becoming somewhat motivated to try again, even if they did eat for such a short time, despite his request.