Chapter Eight: Training

Mikoto breathed hard as she looked up at her uncle. He had knocked her down again.

She was trying to learn the Gentle Fist. It was hard. He had forbidden her from using the Street Fighting version during training and wouldn't let her copy it either. Something about shortcuts.

She stood up as she caught her breath and took her stance shakily. She didn't like the backwards leaning stance, she didn't feel mobile enough.

"Here," Hiashi said as he approached her. He adjusted her leg with his foot and fiddled with her hands. Then he walked back and faced her again, "Again!"

She raced forward, aiming for his tenketsu. But he was too fast. Without her Sharingan it was difficult for her to track his movements. He hit her in the chest and she flew back again.

"Kuso!" She cursed. Suddenly she leapt up and raced forward again, her Byakugan had disappeared to be replaced with a Sharingan. She feigned a punch that Hiashi went to block and then she kicked. He ducked and she smiled. She jumped up and flipped upside down over him and punched downwards.

She grinned, she had hit.

Hiashi scowled and rotated, throwing her back.

"Ha!" She shouted with a self satisfied smirk, "I hit you!"

Hiashi glared at her, "using your Sharingan."

"So what?" Mikoto said, making a face.

"We're training your Byakugan right now, not your Sharingan."

"But you're too fast! I can't see track your movements without it!" She looked up at him, "Shouldn't I use the tools at my disposal?"

Hiashi shook his head, "It's good to have a lot of different tools and techniques, but you need to make sure that each technique is equally sharp. Right now your Sharingan is much better than your Byakugan. You need to strengthen it."

"Well if you hadn't killed my mother maybe she could've trained me." She muttered.

Hiashi flinched as though hit, "Excuse me?"

Mikoto sighed and let out a breath, deactivating her Sharingan. She activated her Byakugan again and took her stance, "I'm sorry, I'm ready to go again Uncle."

Hiashi nodded, "Good, then come!"


Kakashi watched the hundreds of Narutos try to cut their individual leaf. They were all shouting in unison, making it very difficult to read his book.

"Hello Hiashi-sama," he said, not looking up, "Can I help you?"

"Kakashi-san," Hiashi said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your training. You seem very… engaged." He looked purposefully at the book in Kakashi's hands as he said this.

Kakashi sighed and put his book down, he looked up at Hiashi, "and how might I help the head of the Hyuga Clan today?" He asked.

"I have a few questions for you." Hiashi said, "About the Sharingan."

Kakashi's eye widened slightly in surprise and then narrowed in understanding, "is this about Mikoto-chan and her training?"

"Mimi?" One of the Naruto clones had heard them speaking and approached, "What's wrong with Mimi? I hope you're not consider that dumb mark again!"

Hiashi glared at Naruto. Disrespectful brat. He thought to himself. Aloud he said, "There's nothing wrong with her. I just have a few questions concerning her… actually…" He paused.

He looked again at the clone, "What kind of training did you do with her over the past year?"

"Um…" Naruto's voice trailed off and he looked upwards, "Mostly taijutsu stuff. Sparing and physical training and things like that. Pervy sage taught her the shadow clone jutsu so she could use the Sharingan and Byakugan at the same time. Um…" He hesitated again, "I guess she learned some other jutsu. Mostly wind stuff."

He paused, his eyes widening, "Hey Kakashi-sensei," he whined, "How come Mimi-chan can do wind jutsu without this complicated training. She's so much younger than me!"

Kakashi sighed and covered his face with his hand. He would pay Hiashi back for this one later. "I've told you before Naruto," He said in an exasperated voice, "Age doesn't always correlate with skill."

"Corree… wha?" Naruto asked looking confused.

"Naruto she probably just copied it at some point, now go back to training."

"Yosh!" Naruto shouted, "I will get this in no time!" And the clone leapt back into the fray.

"I do not know how you deal with him." Hiashi said, looking at the blond-haired menace.

Kakashi sighed, "He's actually a very quick learner and improves at a remarkable pace. Despite everything."

Hiashi snorted, "I'll take your word for it."

Kakashi turned back to Hiashi and looked at him seriously, "What did you want to ask about the Sharingan?"

Hiashi nodded, returning to subject, "We'll be training with her Byakugan and then she'll get frustrated. Suddenly her Sharingan seems to take over and she starts to attack more viciously. It's almost subconscious and it keeps happening."

Kakashi nodded his understand, "that makes sense."

Hiashi looked at him surprise, "And do tell… why is that?"

"I've of course studied the Sharingan in depth," Kakashi started, "I had to, especially since I am not an Uchiha. From what I have learned, the Sharingan is a very emotional jutsu."

Hiashi looked at him surprised, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well you might not truly be understand. The Hyuga are all about control while in contrast the Uchiha are about power. This is in part because of the difference in their Kekkei Genkai. The Sharingan appears when an Uchiha is in emotional distress and continues to grow stronger with increased emotional distress. In addition, it is completely linked to these emotions. When an Uchiha feels a strong emotion the Sharingan will automatically activate, whether or not they intend for it happen. It takes a lot of conscious effort to suppress it."

Hiashi nodded understanding. Based on what Kakashi had just described, the Sharingan is the complete opposite of the Byakugan. The Byakugan requires the user to be in complete control of their chakra and emotions.

"In addition," Kakashi said, interrupting Hiashi's musings, "The Uchiha are an emotional clan, though they would always deny it. They are both quick to anger and quick to love. They love so deeply and they hate with equal fervor. It can cause them to do things that are… regretful."

"Such as your other student," Hiashi finished.

Kakashi said nothing.

So it's her Uchiha emotions that make it difficult for her to use the Byakugan. Hiashi thought to himself. Wait a minute… "But Mikoto was able to forgive me for killing her mother."

Kakashi nodded and smiled at Hiashi, "That must be the Hyuga in her."

So there's hope yet.

Hiashi nodded, "Thank you Kakashi-san, this was very helpful."

"You're welcome Hiashi-sama. I'm happy to help. Good luck with your student."

"And you with yours." Hiashi said taking his leave.

Just then one of the Naruto clones grew four tails. Yamato immediately sealed it.

Kakashi covered his face with his hand.

I'm going to need it.


"Meditation?" Mikoto asked, looking at the scroll her uncle was handing her.

"Yes. Meditation," He replied.

"Why do I need to meditate?" She asked.

"It appears that you become too emotional when fighting which is weakening your ability to use the Byakugan. You must learn to control your emotions." He said seriously.

"But the Sharingan is strong!" Mikoto said, "It's stronger than the Byakugan!"

"The Byakugan can be an extremely powerful Jutsu in the right hands!" Hiashi said angrily, "Look at Neiji! He's one of the strongest Jounin in the village at this moment and it's in part due to his Byakugan."

Hishi sighed. He wanted to make a point but he didn't want to detract from Neiji's hard work. His Byakugan is one reason he's strong, his dedication is another.

"Just try meditation for a while," Hiashi finally sighed, "You might like it."

Mikoto sighed and reluctantly took the scroll.

She generally wasn't one to complain about training. She always did what her teachers asked without question; but this was different. She was becoming a Hyuga. And even if she didn't mean to, she was resisting.

"I know you're reluctant to be seen as a Hyuga," Hiashi said, looking down at his niece.

She looked up at him in surprise. She didn't know he knew that.

"But don't think about this as strengthening a Hyuga Kekkei Genkai. This is your power. Yours. Mikoto's."

That must've been hard for him to say. The Byakugan was seen as something that belonged to Hyuga clan. By telling her it was her power, he was detaching from that. If he could do that then she…

"Ok Uncle," She said, "I'll do my best."

"No," Hiashi said firmly, "Do better than that."

Mikoto nodded and turned to leave with a small smile on her face.

She didn't tell him, but her father used to say the exact same thing.


Later that night on the outskirts of the village Hanabi went flying and landed on her butt.

"Aww man!" She exclaimed, "This is hard!"

Mikoto chuckled, "That was for laughing at me at dinner cousin," She teased.

"How do you get any power in your strikes when your striking from such as close distance?" Hanabi asked.

Mikoto thought about it, "Yeah… I guess it's harder to use powerful strikes when using the Street-Fighting version. Since your using the closest weapon to the target, you don't really get any wind up."

Mikoto walked over the target and held her fist about and inch away as Hanabi watched, "You have to tense your muscles and release at the last minute to generate power." She demonstrated causing the target the shudder.

She turned to Hanabi and gave her a sheepish grin, "I guess it's a little difficult."

Suddenly Hiashi appeared from the trees and both girls paled.

"Um… Father… Mikoto and I were just…" Hanabi started, but she stopped.

Hiashi wasn't looking at either of them as he approached the target. He held his arm about and inch away and tried to strike, creating a dent in the target. He looked too Mikoto, "Like that?"

"Um," Mikoto mumbled, scratching the back of her head in a very Naruto-like fashion, "Actually you pulled back at the last second. That's kinda the trick. You really need to focus on staying close to the target but still generate power."

"I see," said Hiashi, "That is difficult."

Mikoto nodded, "So uncle, you see, Hanabi and I were just…"

"Show me again," Hiashi interrupted.

Mikoto's eyes widened. She turned to look at Hanabi with a confused face.

Hanabi just shook her head and shrugged.

Mikoto turned back to the target and approached.

"Like this."