Hanabi-sama's Problem
Author's Note: And MORE original characters in the forms of Hanabi's teammates. This isn't all of them. I'm SORRY. *sweatdrops* Anyway, the only other "important" ones will be two retired shinobi Neji meets in a few more chapters.
More training and now we get to see what happens when Hanabi finally admits to someone her sensei is a jerk. We also get to see just how powerful Kuma's interesting fighting style actually is. ;)
Rated M for sexy scenes between characters (mainly male), swearing, and some blood and guts.
I don't own the characters but I am taking liberties with them and their universe to keep my sanity.
Neji and his team fell into a routine. Either two or three times a week they would train in the morning then go on an afternoon mission. The days they did not have a mission they did a typical full day of training.
For Akino this meant speed drills, helping Tora with aim, sparring with Tora, strength training (all three did this but with different exercises), and meditation. For Tora it meant aim, sparring with Akino, building up her stamina, and a bit of meditation. For Kuma it was extra exercises in the morning before everyone got there, practicing her taijustu, sparring with Neji, chakra control (she was finally practicing standing upside down on the tree branch), spinning on her hands (one hand occasionally), and mediation.
Neji had added the mediation a week after their first mission explaining it would help them in expanding their chakra reserves and learn to calm down. At the end of every training session he had added a bit of stretches (yoga really) for flexibility. They always ran twenty laps in the morning before moving onto individual training.
Today marked two months since Neji had become a jonin-in-charge. Every day of the last month he had watched Kuma return home to be assured her father did not attack her. Since Kuma had started to get missions, he had watched her store away the extra money, bringing it out for the days her mother and sister went shopping. They went so far as to hide the excess food under Sako's bed. Neji had watched Kuma's mother explain once they had enough money saved they would leave the home and find a nice two bed-room apartment.
Even so Kuma never said a word to him about any of it. Kuma had saved about 15,000 ryo so far. Neji had no idea how much an apartment cost to rent a month. He hoped not much so Kuma, her sister, and her mother could leave their drunkard father. The man was never home at night but Neji had seen him working construction with other men. The man was drunk even on the job and seemed to be in charge.
The days they went on missions were the days Kuma got extra food from her teammates. Two weeks ago Akino had started bringing extra food, saying his mom packed extra but he always gave it to Kuma. Tora had even asked what Kuma's favorite maki roll was a few days ago and had brought her some the day after. Kuma likely suspected her teammates did this because they had assumptions about her situation but she did not retort in any way.
Neji shook his head free from thoughts as he got out of bed. He showered quickly, dried his hair, shaved the bit of stubble on his face then dressed. Hanabi-sama was up when he went into the main dining hall and he blinked at her. It was 4:15 in the morning. She had never been up this early.
Neji said a quiet good-morning and she returned it. There were bags under her eyes and her skin was paler than normal. Her long hair was tied back in a simple tail instead of the semi-elaborate design she normally employed with its white bow for the back and two pink ones. She was picking at her food as well.
"Do you have an early mission, Hanabi-sama?" Neji questioned.
Hanabi-sama sighed and shook her head. Neji thanked the serving woman for his meal and began eating.
"You could not sleep then?" Neji asked.
Hanabi-sama looked up at him with narrowed eyes but he did not take the question back or apologize for asking. Neji met her gaze and she sighed. Neji waited as she looked around the room, even going so far as to activate Byakugan to make sure no one was near. Satisfied, she nodded and gave him a lingering stare.
"Is it possible to switch jonin-in-charge?" Hanabi-sama enquired.
Neji kept his scowl back but knew Hanabi-sama could tell he was upset. It was in the way her eyebrows raised slightly and she licked her lips.
"I do not know, why?" Neji returned.
Hanabi-sama sighed and shook her head. She gazed at her food for a moment before meeting Neji's eyes again.
"My teammates and I aren't learning anything with Jokin. Shigo and Yori keep trying to practice with their clan techniques like me but Jokin says we must learn to rely on non-kekkei genkai techniques as well. He won't let us use our kekkei genkai when we're doing search and rescue missions. How are we supposed to be a search and rescue team without using the reasons we were teamed up in the first place?"
Neji took a deep breath and let it out slowly so he did not get up and start pacing angrily. It made sense for Jokin (Neji had noticed Hanabi-sama had not called the man sensei) to attempt to teach the three not to use their special techniques but there was little point to it. The Inuzuka sense of smell was a natural thing that could not be turned off. Even without shoving extra chakra to their noses the Inuzuka had the sense of smell of blood-hounds.
It was the same with the Aburame insects. The bugs were a natural occurrence which happened when the child was born. They got their hive and began training with them. Hanabi-sama's Byakugan was the same. Even if she did not activate it, she (or any other Hyuuga) would never need glasses and always have slightly sharper vision than any other shinobi.
"Shigo, Yori, and I train on the weekends with methods Hinata-neesan advised me about when she knew I was paired similarly to her. That can only go so far though," Hanabi-sama said.
Neji frowned. He sat back in his seat and tapped his chopsticks lightly on the plate in front of him, thinking. There were few jonin left to take over instruction for a new sensor team. Kurenai would not be willing to come out of retirement until her daughter was a genin.
"We can speak to the Hokage later, together but perhaps you and your teammates should also talk to your respective clan leaders. Tsunade-sama will be more inclined to listen if Hiashi-sama, Shibi-sama, and Tsume-sama are there as well," Neji told her.
Hanabi-sama smiled, softly but it was there. Neji let out a little breath of relief and went back to his meal. He paused after a moment and they met eyes.
"So you, Shigo, and Yori are going to be training? Neji questioned.
Hanabi-sama nodded.
"Until oh-nine hundred hours," Hanabi-sama said.
Neji considered. Jokin did not even meet with his students early even knowing Hanabi-sama would be up before seven in the morning to do her own training. It was likely Shigo and Yori were both up in the early hours of the morning as well. Jokin not taking advantage of this was stupid. Neji wondered if it would be crossing the line to invite Hanabi-sama to train with his team but decided to Hell with it.
"What time are you meeting them?" Neji asked.
"Oh-five hundred at training field twenty-one," Hanabi-sama replied.
Neji nodded and finished the last of his meal. He took up the bento box that had been brought out with his breakfast and smiled at her.
"Bring them to field twenty-seven once they are both there. You can train with me and my team until you have to meet with Jokin," Neji said.
Hanabi-sama grinned in a way he had not seen the past two months. Neji had not realized how much he missed her smile until now. She gave him an excited nod and Neji left the room. He would have to tell Kuma this but Neji had a feeling the girl would not mind especially since he planned to pit her against Hanabi-sama.
Neji smirked when Tora gaped. Hanabi-sama, Shigo, and Yori had run into the field moments before. Kuma greeted the three with a smile and wave but kept up her kicks. Tora had been about to start her aiming exercises but paused holding a senbon needle and biting her lip. Hanabi-sama strode up to the posts as Neji had been meditating against the middle one again and gave Tora a smile.
"Team eight is joining us today," Neji said.
"Oh, okay," Tora said.
Yori was the obvious Inuzuka. The girl was as tall as Hanabi-sama but had wild brown hair down to her middle back tied in two high pigtails at the side of her head. She had the clan markings on her cheeks and dark brown eyes with slits for pupils. Her canines were longer than normal and she had claws. Her pup was black with a white underside and large amber eyes.
Yori wore fitted black shorts that went to her knees with black sandals. A white tee-shirt, also fitted, covered her chest and had the Inuzuka clan symbol in red on it. A black leather vest with many pockets covered the tee shirt.
Shigo, the only male, had messy brown hair and wore round sunglasses over his eyes. He wore black pants that went under his blue sandals, and a long beige coat with a high collar and that finished at his mid-thighs. He currently had his hands in his pockets. He, like Yori, wore his hitai-ate on his forehead. Hanabi-sama wore hers wrapped around her right arm.
Neji sensed chakra and spotted Akino coming towards them. He stopped a few feet further away than normal and regarded the three extra people in the field with them.
"Team eight is joining us for training this morning," Neji said.
Akino nodded. Neji got to his feet and all six stood in front of him. Neji took a little breath and left his arms loose at his sides, thumbs hooked into his belt loops.
"I assume you all know of each other?" Neji questioned.
"Yeah, Kuma was dead last," Yori said with a smirk.
Her pup barked. Kuma glared at the other girl then crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. Neji smirked but said nothing.
"Hanabi-sama, Shigo, and Yori will be training with us until quarter to nine hundred hours," Neji told his students.
"Then you will go into your personalized drills until lunch. After lunch we will go to the mission room," Neji said.
His three nodded. Hanabi-sama and her teammates simply listened. Hanabi-sama likely thought he would spar with her but he was about to surprise the girl.
"I know my team and I know Hanabi-sama-sama," Neji went on. "I have an idea of how you, Shigo, and you, Yori fight. So, for the first little bit we will spar. Kuma, you will face Hanabi-sama, Akino, you against Shigo and Tora, you against Yori and her partner. I will be watching with Byakugan so feel free to take up different areas of the field."
All six gaped at him in wonder. Yori recovered first and shook her head. Her pup barked from the ground beside her.
"You're making the second best in our class fight against dead-last? That won't last long," Yori said.
Kuma scowled but said nothing. Neji smirked.
"I think you and Hanabi-sama will be in for a surprise there," Neji said. "Now, get to it."
They broke off into their pairs and Neji stood in the middle of the three fights. He activated his Byakugan and told them to fight. Kuma launched into a flying spinning kick which almost whapped Hanabi-sama in the head. Hanabi-sama had barely gotten her Byakugan activated.
Neji almost laughed when Hanabi-sama tried to take out a tenketsu on Kuma's raised leg but Hanabi-sama could only gape as Kuma followed through with her kick, landed on the foot and lashed out with her free leg. Hanabi-sama was forced to step back as Kuma kept spinning on the balls of her feet, moving forward with speed Hanabi-sama was not used to seeing in a genin.
Kuma landed on Hanabi-sama's shoulder and again Hanabi-sama tried to disable her but Hanabi-sama was too slow. Kuma launched up, spun in the air and almost kicked Hanabi-sama on the top of the head. Neji noted Shigo and Yori were watching in awe, as were Tora and Akino. Tora and Akino had never formally watched Kuma fight before and Neji winked at them.
Kuma's kick had left a sizable dent in the earth. She had not stuck there long and was now spinning on her hands, launching kicks off both feet while backing Hanabi-sama down the field. Hanabi-sama was able to finally get into a rhythm and began blocking the kicks coming at her but was not quick enough to hit a tenketsu. That and Hanabi-sama winced with every block.
Kuma launched herself into the air from her hands, completely unexpected to Hanabi-sama, and her right leg whacked into Hanabi-sama's rising head. Hanabi-sama fell to the ground, flat on her face, and Kuma smirked as she landed on the Hyuuga heiress' back, knees slamming into the high and low. Neji had to purse his lips to keep from laughing when Kuma grabbed Hanabi-sama's long hair and held a kunai blade to Hanabi-sama's exposed throat.
For several moments, no one spoke. Hanabi-sama's jaw had dropped and her Byakugan had de-activated because of her shock. Tora and Akino stood with wide eyes and mouths, sagged shoulders and utterly stunned. Shigo had lowered his glasses as if disbelieving Hanabi-sama had been beaten so quickly. Yori had fallen over. Kuma finally looked over to them and smiled.
"Was that okay, Neji-sensei?" Kuma asked.
Neji coughed to hide a laugh but nodded.
"That was fine. Go again," Neji replied.
Kuma let go of Hanabi-sama's hair, put away her kunai then front flipped off Hanabi-sama. She came up on her feet in her ready position as Hanabi-sama slowly got to hers. Hanabi-sama wiped dirt from her face with a frown then activated her Byakugan as she sunk into a fighting stance.
"I won't underestimate you this time," Hanabi-sama said.
"Good, maybe it can be more than a warm-up," Kuma returned with a sunny grin.
Neji shook his head at the two before turning his attention to his two other students and Hanabi-sama's two teammates. Yori was attacking Tora now but Tora fought back. Shigo simply raised an arm and bugs began to swarm. Akino frowned but charged ahead, ducking under the bugs and going for a low ankle sweep. Shigo jumped over it but Akino flung a senbon needle towards Shigo, actually hitting the bug-user in the forearm. Neji smiled.
The sparring went on for two full hours. Tora and Yori ended up winning and losing one to each other. Akino lost his first fight but tied in his second fight. Kuma obviously won her first fight but her and Hanabi-sama's second had gone on the full two hours. Neji called for a break at seven hundred hours and all six approached him, exhausted and panting.
"We'll take a short break, ten minutes to cool down and drink," Neji said.
All six went to their canteens and sat. Hanabi-sama and Tora settled gracefully. Kuma folded her legs from her standing position and landed in a lotus position. Akino flopped. Shigo sat slowly while Yori followed Akino's flopping motions. Neji refrained from rolling his eyes as he sat in front of them.
"Shigo, you have to move more while you fight," Neji said. "I know you are part of the Aburame clan but you are an open target if you just stand there. Also, do not be afraid to use your insects to drain chakra. I would also suggest speaking with Shino about the particulars of being on a team with a Hyuuga and an Inuzuka, same to you Yori, speak to Kiba. They will tell you how to change your clan attributes that little bit to work with the Byakugan."
Shigo and Yori nodded. Hanabi-sama smiled beyond her canteen.
"Yori, you use too much chakra during your clan techniques, wearing both you and your partner out," Neji began.
"Maru, her name is Maru," Yori broke in.
"Ah, my apologies, Maru. I should have asked earlier," Neji said.
Yori grinned, showing her elongated canines but shrugged. Maru yipped.
"It's okay. The fact you say partner instead of pet is cool," Yori said.
Neji smiled.
"I know Kiba personally," Neji told her.
She beamed. He would never tell her how personally but Neji did not think that would ever come up.
"Regardless, you have to work on your chakra control. Also, do not rely so much on solider pills. You and your clan are blessed with unnatural stamina and you should use it naturally instead of artificially enhancing it, especially during sparring."
Yori nodded. Hanabi-sama sat a bit straighter when Neji looked to her. The other five took in a breath, waiting.
"Hanabi-sama," Neji said.
She stiffened further but kept the neutral expression on her face. Neji kept back his smile.
"You need to learn never to underestimate your opponents," Neji said.
Kuma started giggling but Hanabi-sama smiled. She nodded. Neji was about to stun her and the other four.
"So you know, Kuma is using leg weights, thirty pounds now so she was not even moving at her full speed," Neji said.
Kuma beamed as Tora gasped. Akino gaped. Yori fell backwards. Shigo lowered his glasses again and Hanabi-sama stared, eyes wide and lips parted.
"Akino, good footwork as normal and excellent strategizing. You were paying attention to your surroundings a lot more today which is wonderful to see. You still held back a few hits that could have won you that first match," Neji said.
Shigo turned his gaze to Akino who flushed. Neji turned his attention to Tora who sat up straighter.
"Tora, good job and great use of jutsu but you did hesitate when Yori gave you the finishing blow in the second match. Don't over-think, just act," Neji told her.
Tora blushed and nodded. Kuma bit her lip when he looked to her.
"Kuma, excellent footwork,"
This got a chuckle from all of them. Kuma beamed.
"Wonderful flow from one move to the next. The ability to put a Hyuuga on the ropes like that is rare,"
Hanabi-sama pouted. Kuma keep grinning. Neji wanted to hug her but refrained. Hanabi-sama would get jealous.
"Good recoveries as well, but I did notice you started to get dizzy during one of your hand-spins. Two of your kicks missed Hanabi-sama afterwards and she was almost able to take you down with one strike. It is good to know your limits and try to surpass them but be careful about when and where you do it. In training, it's fine and expected. If Hanabi-sama was an actual enemy that could have cost a mission and potentially your life," Neji said.
Kuma nodded with the smile still in place. Neji looked to them all with a small grin.
"That last bit goes for all of you, not just Kuma. If you are ever in a battle against a much stronger opponent and have no back-up, yes, you can try to fight your hardest and attempt to surpass your limitations. But be wise about when you try to surpass your limits and how. If you do not work it well into the current battle or cannot surpass yourself then you might die but again, surpassing my limits during battle is how I survived fighting many, many shinobi over the years."
Neji tried not to think of his fight with Kidomaru where he stupidly continued on fighting after being critically injured multiple times. He had almost died on that mission to save a deserter who he mistrusted to this day. It did not matter Sasuke had "repented" and left Orochimaru's side. The bastard had left Konoha and almost got five of the Konoha Eleven (twelve with the prick) killed doing it.
And yes, Sasuke had helped reform Orochimaru and most of the snake-asshole's Sound Nin. The Sound Village was still hostile though even after all these years. Neji hated seeing Kabuto walking around the village as if he was damned well welcome. The snake-bastard living near the Hyuuga compound did not make Neji feel any better either.
It didn't matter a Hyuuga constantly watched the snake with Byakugan (literally around the clock, every day, no exceptions, and not under the order of the Hokage) Neji still hated and mistrusted the man. Hell, Orochimaru was the reason the Third Hokage had died. It was why Orochimaru did not leave his home often. The glares and snarls sent his way was not worth it.
"Neji-sensei?"
It was Tora who brought him out of his thoughts. Neji shook his head and offered the six a grin.
"Limits are best broken in training like this," Neji said.
The six nodded in agreement. Neji let out a little breath and got to his feet. All six stood, Kuma jumping up using her hands which made Hanabi-sama stare at the girl in wonder. Neji wanted to laugh at Hanabi-sama's stunned face and knew the girl would be asking him questions about Kuma tonight.
"All right: Kuma with Yori and Maru, Hanabi-sama with Akino, and Tora with Shigo," Neji said.
They took off in their pairs and began sparring. As expected, Akino had a tough time keeping up with Hanabi-sama. He kept having to duck or back up to get out of her chakra laced hands. Hanabi-sama was aiming for tenketsu with every hit but the ones which did smack into Akino missed as Akino was able to dodge just enough to avoid having his chakra disabled.
Hanabi-sama looked stunned (to Neji anyway, anyone who didn't know her would not notice) but Akino kept a neutral expression on his face as he moved. Finally he got an opening and he used it, slamming a fist into Hanabi-sama's mid-section. She flew back a few feet, fell on her ass, but flung her body back, and made it to her feet in a Kuma-esque kind of move.
Akino's fist landed where she had fallen and left a hole in the ground, complete with the cracks coming from it and a cloud of dust. Hanabi-sama's eyes widened and her lips parted a centimeter. She went in for an attack but again Akino proved to be difficult to hit.
Neji watched as Kuma easily repelled many of Yori and Maru's attacks. She did struggle with it as there were two of them and Fang over Fang was not something someone simply shifted away from. Yori and Maru moved a lot more than Hanabi-sama and Kuma was seeing how different close combat was to mid and long range combat.
Tora was doing well to avoid Shigo's bugs. She had not landed a hit yet but neither had Shigo. Neji watched all three battles, looking for weaknesses in all six. So intent he was on tracking the three battles he did not notice another person coming towards him until said person was ten yards away.
Instantly Neji's eyes went to the sky and he saw it was after nine, almost ten. The man coming towards him now was a jonin, judging by the standard issue jonin outfit: green flank vest with deep blue pants, and a plain deep blue shirt. Bandages wrapped around his ankles but Jokin had not adorned his standard attire with anything that would set him apart from any other jonin.
Jokin wore his hitai-ate in its proper place on his forehead and even this was standard issue. The man's hair was dark brown with a few red highlights and he had a goatee. His eyes were brown and Neji thought the man had a rather average face.
"Hyuuga Neji," Jokin called out from five yards.
All six genin stopped. Hanabi-sama, Shigo, and Yori gaped. Yori gulped while Maru cowered behind Yori. The pup's tail was between her legs. Shigo stood stock still but Neji saw his bugs were agitated. Hanabi-sama glared with her Byakugan activated and crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl.
Neji half turned to look at Jokin over his left shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the man. Jokin stopped one yard away. Kuma, Akino, and Tora all stood in relaxed positions but Neji could see their shoulders were tensed. Kuma was jittery and Tora bit her lip. Akino's eyes were narrowed as well and his frown was deeper.
"You may be one of the youngest jonin in years but that does not give you the right to train two genin teams," Jokin told him.
Neji raised an eyebrow and did not bother to de-activate his Byakugan. He nodded but gestured for all six to come towards him. Jokin waited while Neji's team lined up to Neji's right while Hanabi-sama, Shigo, and Yori (holding Maru now) lined up to Neji's left.
"It had come to my attention you are not allowing your students to be the search and rescue team they were meant to be. You tell them not to use their natural attributes, skills they cannot repress, but instead train them in things they will not need. You are setting them up for failure which is why Hanabi-sama spoke with me this morning. She is concerned about your method of training and once Hiashi-sama hears about this then he will be troubled about it as well," Neji said smoothly.
Jokin's teeth gritted together but Neji did not move. The man would be foolish if he decided to go against the Hyuuga clan. Jokin did look to Hanabi-sama who defiantly kept her chin raised and the scowl in place.
"You do remember Hanabi-sama is the Hyuuga heiress and must be trained to the best of the Hyuuga clan's capabilities, correct? You do know you have an Inuzuka in your genin team who cannot shut off her nose and is supposed to use it in all her battles? You do realize your Aburame cannot simply ignore his hive as if it does not exist? Or am I giving you too much credit?" Neji questioned.
This had not been a wise line of questioning and Neji should not have taunted the man. He would not regret it later. Jokin snarled and lashed out with a punch. Neji turned fluidly and easily disabled two tenketsu points in Jokin's oncoming arm. Jokin gaped as Neji shifted to kick the man in the chin without chakra. Jokin stumbled backwards a few feet but did not come in again.
"The Hokage will hear about this," Jokin said with a growl.
He disappeared. Neji scowled. He turned to the six genin who looked up at him with various worried expressions. Tora would bite her lip right off if she wasn't careful.
"Hanabi-sama, Shigo, and Yori: go find your respective clan heads and get them to go to the Hokage tower in about half an hour. Do explain the situation in full: Jokin not training you properly, me taking you in this morning, Jokin getting annoyed and yes, me retaliating to his annoyance."
The three took off. Neji did not wait to watch them go. He did spot a bug take the lead though and almost laughed.
"You three will work on your individual training drills: Kuma on chakra control, Tora on aim, and Akino on speed and work on it for an hour. If I am not back by then, take half an hour to discuss what you learned fighting against your opponents today. If I am still not back by then work on your strength exercises for half an hour to an hour. Take lunch at our normal time and if I am still not back after lunch then meditate for half an hour. If I'm still not back: Akino and Tora will spar. Kuma, you will work on your spinning. I should be back well before lunch though. Understood?"
The three nodded. Neji returned the gesture and made the hand signs to transport himself. Neji went to the Hyuuga Compound first and knew Hanabi-sama would not be back yet. It did not take Neji long to find Hiashi-sama in his office and he knocked while de-activating Byakugan. Hiashi-sama let him in. This would be a complicated afternoon.
Neji let out a breath as he stood in front of Tsunade-sama. He had explained everything to Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama had confirmed it once she arrived. They (with Hinata-sama) had gone straight to the Hokage where Jokin was talking about what Neji had done in an exaggerated manner. Five minutes after Neji had arrived with Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama, Tsume-sama, Kiba, Hana, and Yori had arrived.
"This prick has been telling Yori not to use her nose or clan-jutsu in training," Tsume-sama said.
Her eyes were narrowed, elongated fangs visible over her snarl, and one hand was clenched in a fist as she gestured wildly to Jokin with her other hand. Kiba, Hana, Akamaru, the Three Haimaru Brothers, and Kuromaru were growling. Yori hid behind Kiba with Maru trembling in her arms.
"He's trying to teach her some kind of taijustu he thinks is special but won't work with the Inuzuka clan ways," Tsume-sama went on.
"He is doing the same with my daughter," Hiashi-sama broke in.
Hiashi-sama's Byakugan had inadvertently activated and he had a scowl on his face. Jokin had gone pale, sweat decorated his brow, and he was trembling. His eyes were wide and he kept licking his lips. Neji said nothing but did keep a hand on Hanabi-sama's shoulder. The girl kept her expression fairly blank but a little smirk came through regardless.
"And my nephew,"
Everyone turned at the new voice to see Shibi-sama stride in with Shino and Shigo on his heels. The buzz of kikaichu was strong in the room as the three Aburame entered and stood beside Hiashi-sama's other flank. Tsunade-sama raised an eyebrow as both Sakura and Shizune watched carefully.
"So Hanabi-sama suggested they go train with Neji's team today," Tsume-sama went on. "And Yori told me it's been the best training session she's had since she became a genin and it's only lasted four damned hours!"
Tsunade-sama's eyebrow began twitching but she kept her hands clenched in front of her face. Sakura and Shizune exchanged a look but said nothing. Sakura did start nibbling on her lip though and Tsunade-sama had started to get the vein in her forehead that throbbed when she was pissed. Neji bit the inside of his lip to keep from chuckling.
"Hanabi told me she has been sneaking out early or staying well after training is done so she and her teammates can try to get proper training in," Hiashi-sama said. "She asked her sister Hinata for tips on how to train with an Aburame and an Inuzuka efficiently."
Tsunade-sama's lips went into a thin line and her hands began tightening. Her vein began to throb. Neji said nothing but looked to Jokin who could tell Tsunade-sama was getting pissed. Neji saw Shibi stepped forward.
"Shigo said he wants to be trained by Neji though I doubt we could give him two teams as good as he is," Shibi-sama said.
Tsunade-sama's fist made her desk tremble and some papers fall off. She did not get to her feet. Yet.
"Neji," Tsunade-sama said.
"Yes, ma'am?" Neji questioned.
Tsunade kept both her hands flat on her desk, eyebrow twitching and vein throbbing. One wrong word would send her into a proper rage. Neji would toss Hanabi-sama and Hinata-sama behind him if it came to that.
"Did Hanabi tell you Jokin wasn't training her properly?" Tsunade-sama asked.
Neji inclined his head in the affirmative position. Tsunade-sama frowned.
"Did you suggest her and her teammates to train with you until she had to meet Jokin?"
Neji nodded again. Tsunade-sama let out a breath.
"You did sparring sessions with your students and Jokin's?"
He gave her another nod. She let out long breath and rubbed her forehead.
"Jokin attacked you and you defended?"
Neji took a breath and let it out slowly. Tsunade-sama was about to get angry. Neji tensed and prepared for the storm as best he could.
"He attempted to punch me so I disabled two tenketsu in his arm then kicked him in the face. Hanabi-sama asked me this morning if she could switch jonin-in-charge. That is what made me take her into my training session this morning," Neji said.
Tsunade-sama let out a shout and Neji ducked, bringing Hanabi-sama and Hinata-sama with him. The chair Tsunade-sama sat on went flying through the door behind everyone and went right through the wall across the hallway. Everyone else had ducked or brought a genin who could not duck with them. Kiba had pushed Yori down and Maru had urinated on the floor. Shino pushed Shigo down. Jokin was twitching, pale, and covered in sweat.
Tsunade-sama panted, eyes flaming in anger, vein twitching, and one fist (complete with another vein) raised in front of her face also shaking in anger. Neji got to his feet slowly and allowed his cousins to stand.
"Neji: good job. You became a jonin so young for damned good reason. Hanabi, Shigo, and Yori: you will be training with Neji until we get you a new jonin-in-charge. Hiashi, Shibi, and Tsume: I apologize for Jokin's behavior."
Neji inclined his head. Tsume-sama snorted but nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. Hiashi-sama bowed low in thanks. Shibi nodded. Hanabi-sama, Shigo, and Yori looked pleased. Jokin was about to faint.
"Jokin,"
He jumped. He was trembling so hard Neji could hear his bones rattling.
"You're being put on suspension for two months: no missions, no training, nothing. Hand in your hitai-ate. Once the suspension is over you won't be training any genin for two years. All of you: dismissed."
Jokin fell over. Neji thought the punishment was a bit extreme then again Hanabi-sama, Shigo, and Yori were supposed to be the next generation specialty search and rescue team. Hiashi-sama took the lead and they all gathered on one of the balconies from the Hokage's office.
Hiashi-sama rubbed his forehead in annoyance. Tsume-sama kept grumbling under her breath. Shibi looked emotionless but his insects kept buzzing. Neji realized they had three generations of the specialty search and rescue team gathered and felt slightly out of place. Hana looked like she shared his sentiment.
"Well, that's two months they can't get back," Tsume-sama said.
"It's okay," Yori said. "You should see how far Takenaka Kuma came in two months! She kicked Hanabi's ass!"
At this Hanabi-sama began glaring. Shigo nodded. Hiashi-sama raised an eyebrow. Hinata-sama pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Kiba chuckled and Tsume-sama grinned.
"Okay, I've got to see that. Which training field?" Tsume-sama asked.
Neji gulped and got out the number. Hiashi-sama placed a hand on Hanabi-sama's shoulder. Tsume-sama placed a hand on Yori and Shibi to Shigo. Neji let out a breath and teleported with everyone else.
Tora missed her target by a full yard. Akino fell on his face doing a dead-drag. Kuma fell out of the tree but caught herself. Neji strode forward with the clan-heads, seconds, and his new temporary team behind while his students came up to him.
"Kuma, it seems my uncle, cousin, the Inuzukas, and Aburames would like to see you and Hanabi-sama spar," Neji said.
Kuma blinked but a grin split her face. Tora was ready to fall over with how stunned she was but Akino smirked. Hanabi-sama huffed. Kuma nodded and ran past the posts to give her and Hanabi-sama room.
"C'mon Hanabi-chan!"
Kuma was waving her over with the same sunny grin on her face.
"Chan?"
Hanabi-sama asked this in a low growl. Yori and Shigo gulped and backed away. Tora groaned and rubbed her forehead. Akino muttered his favorite word.
Neji tried not to laugh as Hanabi-sama glared and stomped towards Kuma. He saw Kiba, Tsume-sama, and Hana laughing without regret. Hinata-sama giggled. Hiashi-sama had a small smile on his face. The Aburames looked deadpan but Neji knew they were amused.
Kuma fell into her fighting stance once Hanabi-sama bowed. Neji called out for them to begin as Hanabi-sama activated her Byakugan. Kuma launched into an attack, flipping onto her hands and going into her spinning handstand kicks. Hanabi-sama tried to fend them off but was forced to move backwards.
Kuma kept up her spinning until she was almost dizzy then flung her body into the air, spinning into a kick that would land on Hanabi-sama's head. Hanabi-sama barely dodged and Kuma left another dent in the field. She followed through with the momentum, using the heel on the ground to shove her body up into a kick that caught Hanabi-sama in the chin and sent her flying back five yards. Kuma did not let the distance faze her.
The foot that had hit Hanabi-sama landed on the ground and propelled her body forward into another aerial spin. Hanabi-sama got to her feet as Kuma spun in mid-air and launched a foot forward. Hanabi-sama ducked but her long hair got hit. Kuma landed on her foot, twisted and lashed out with the other one. Neji saw Kuma's hand going to her back as she spun. Hanabi-sama did not.
Kuma's second kick didn't land but as she shifted to kick with the opposite leg the second time, a senbon needle flew through the air and hit Hanabi-sama in the right shoulder, one inch to the right of a tenketsu point. Neji grinned.
"Holy shit she's fast," Tsume-sama said.
Her jaw was dropped and her eyes wide, much like everyone else who had not seen Kuma move. Hiashi-sama (forever deadpan) showed his surprise by a slight widening of his eyes. Hinata-sama had covered her mouth.
"That almost hit a tenketsu point. Did you teach her those?" Hiashi-sama questioned.
Everyone glanced at him then back to the match. Kuma hit Hanabi-sama in the head with the third kick because the pain of the senbon needle had distracted Hanabi-sama.
"No, at least not intentionally, she may have picked it up when I spar and hit theirs without chakra," Neji said.
"That's how I'm picking them up," Tora mentioned.
Neji chuckled when Hiashi-sama raised his eyebrows at her. Hanabi-sama had moved out of range of Kuma's kicks for a moment but it did not last long. Kuma easily flipped her body back into range and landed on Hanabi-sama's injured shoulder. She propelled her body up though not as high as she normally went then spun in a mid-air arc.
Kuma's right foot pegged Hanabi-sama in the back of the head. As she fell her left foot whapped Hanabi-sama again, this time in the lower back and sent Hanabi-sama skidding across the field. Hanabi-sama rolled and got to her feet as Kuma landed then back-flipped towards Hanabi-sama.
"You know what's scary though? Neji-sensei says Kuma's using leg-weights," Yori said.
Everyone deadpanned again. They all winced when Kuma dodged Hanabi-sama's Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms and kicked Hanabi-sama in the lower back. The follow up kick was a knee in Hanabi-sama's stomach as she was flung forward from the lower back kick. Hanabi-sama doubled over, coughing up blood and went to her hands and knees. Kuma's right leg came up again and swung down but stopped an inch from the back of Hanabi-sama's exposed neck.
"Two to zero," Kuma mentioned.
She flipped over Hanabi-sama's body, sinking into forward flips easily, only stopping once she was ten yards away. Then she began jogging over with a grin.
"She has beaten Hanabi twice?" Hiashi-sama asked.
Everyone gaped at him. Neji gulped but nodded. Hiashi-sama frowned. Neji saw Tora biting her lip and the girl turned.
"If it helps any their second fight lasted two hours and they were tied when Jokin interrupted," Tora said.
Hiashi-sama hummed and nodded. He turned and began walking away. Hinata-sama bowed then rushed to follow her father. Shibi and Shino said nothing as they teleported away. Tsume-sama gave Kuma a fist bump before walking off with a grinning family. Yori, Shigo, Akino, Kuma, and Tora looked up at him.
"So, Neji-sensei is our sensei until we get a new jonin-in-charge," Yori said.
Akino scowled. Tora pouted. Kuma huffed. Neji raised an eyebrow but knew why his students were upset. His attention would be divided in six now instead of three which meant less time with all of them. Neji let out a breath and looked up when Hanabi-sama came over with a scowl.
"Kuma, again," Hanabi-sama said.
Kuma blinked then grinned.
"Okay, Hanabi-chan," Kuma said happily.
"And stop calling me chan," Hanabi-sama said with a snarl.
"I will when you beat me," Kuma said as she skipped ahead.
Hanabi-sama growled. Neji sighed. This was going to be a long and difficult experience.
Again, reviews welcome. Next chapter coming soon and for anyone wonder: YES, I do have most of this written. No, I'm not done yet. No, I don't know when it'll be finished but I will be writing until Kuma, Tora, and Akino become chunin, maybe a chapter or two after that. So yeah, it'll be a long one. Sorry? *sweatdrops*