Timeskip 2 months

The evening sunlight slanted through the trees surrounding the Namikazi compound, staining the grounds a rich orange-gold color. Despite all the good things that had happened to her recently Naruko found it hard to let go of the old habits that had helped her survive the last ten years, and as such she rarely slept in her room, often preferring to sleep in one of the small hidey-holes spread around the grounds. However this evening she had a couple of sheets spread out on the roof of the house, next to the dorm window that lead to the room next to the one she was supposed to sleep in. There she sat staring into the setting sun, thinking about the last week.

Her training was not what she expected it to be. First and foremost was the fact that Paul straight up said that he wasn't a good teacher and that she should be expecting a hard next few years. Hard… more like living in hell! Paul had come and woken her at dawn the day after her arrival for a morning run around Konoha. After that he brought her back to the compound for a breakfast that was waiting for them on the table by some strange means that she couldn't figure out. By the time they finished breakfast it was seven. After that he took her into the dojo where he had set up some weight equipment and until nine he showed her several lifts and then had her do them, correcting her form and constantly increasing the weight when he decided that the lift was too easy for her. That was the first two days. After that he started alternating the workouts from "heavy weights" to "speed weights" every other day, the heavy weights days she loaded the bar with whatever weight Paul instructed her to and did the lifts. On the speed weight days Paul set up six or so stations which he had her alternate through every thirty seconds or so with him fallowing her changing each station as she switched to the next one so she didn't do the same lift twice in the twenty minutes the workout lasted. The first time Naruko did the speed weights she collapsed half way through. Paul didn't make her finish the workout, but he did make her finish the rest of the day's training régime.

After the workout Paul would take her out side and work on her agility or speed depending on the day. For the agility exercises he would set up markers in the grass and have her run around in (in her mind) nonsense patterns alternating between berating her about being too slow and encouraging her to work faster. After thirty minutes of that he let her rest for an hour before taking her to a small dirt field where he began instructing her on how to wield a sword. Every day he introduced her to a new weapon of style and then proceeded to teach her the ways of the sword. Making sure she understood and pointing out how all the styles barrowed forms from the other styles. It wasn't until the third day that she saw a katana, or at least a wooden for of one. All the weapons she worked with were wooden.

That thought brought a small smile to her face as she remembered when she found out why the blades are wooden.

Flashback

"Wait here, I'll be back in a second." With that Paul disappeared into a small shed that opened onto the small dirt field Naruko now stood on.

Naruko began looking around the area noticing with interest the stands that framed two sides of the field.

"Catch." That was all the warning she got before a shaped piece of wood was thrown at her.

"Oww, that hurt."

"A good swordsman is ready for anything, anytime. Now pick up your weapon and we'll begin."

She complied and positioned herself into a copy of his stance.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

He lunged forward and struck her hand with a sharp crack. Instantly Naruko dropped her wooden sword and cradled her hand to her chest, falling to her knees in the process. Suddenly she found herself in the dirt, on her back nursing a hurt head.

"Rule one; always hold on to your weapon. Rule two; never fall to your knees. Nothing good ever happened to anyone on their knees. Now get up."

Naruko obediently got up and entered the stance again.

"Don't use that stance. It's designed for a very complicated style that takes years to learn. Stand relaxed with the sword in your dominate hand." Seeing her confused look he sighed, "In the hand you write with."

She complied and for the next minute Paul went about teaching her the correct stance for the style they worked on that day, and then she would be taught the basics of the sword type that he gave her to learn.

At the end of the practice her arms ached and felt live leaden weights, but she never complained for he was teaching her and she so desired to learn.

Flashback end

Sword practice would last until one in the afternoon at which time they would stop for lunch. After lunch he taught her basic math, science, and the history of the Elemental Nations until four at which time Naruko would be instructed in how to better her chakra control and in several basic techniques which she had progressed in satisfactorily the last week. From six to seven Naruko learned about the sealing arts, for which she absorbed at a rate that astounded Paul. At seven dinner was served after which she was allowed to do whatever she wanted until nine. During this time she discovered Paul ran through practices himself against shadow clones in the style that she would work in the next day (she figured that he was brushing up on the technique for it was just to coincidental that he would teach her about that style the next day).

As she sat there musing about her week Paul swept up from behind and sat down beside her to watch the setting sun in silence for awhile.

"How do you feel?" He asked startling her.

Naruko studied him for a moment before answering. "Tired and at the same time hyper. I can't really explain it to well for I've never felt this way before."

He smiled at her and turned back to the setting sun. "You're tired from training but you never want to quit because you feel like what you're learning is too important to stop for anything, even eating or sleeping."

"Yah, something like that." She said, hugging her knees to her chest, watching the sun touch the horizon as it shone the dying day's final gasps of light.

"There's something I want you to learn above everything else I will teach you. It's how to live. Live in the moment but never forget the future by always preparing for it, and never forget the past as too many are cut down because they refuse to learn from their mistakes. Live for something. Have a dream and strive for it. When you reach it and grasp it in your hand find something else to work for because when you aren't taking a step forward, you are falling back. Live by a set of morals that are as clear to others as they are to you, for then you know you are fallowing them. Never let you're morals change for then you are nothing worthwhile and like a smote of dust in the wind. Heading in one direction now but heading in another in mere seconds. When you aren't constant in what you believe no one can trust you and more importantly you can't trust yourself."

He was silent for more than a minute before Naruko realized he had stopped talking. She sat there pondering what he had said realizing the truth behind what he was saying even if she didn't fully understand everything said.

"Paul – sensei, what do you mean 'set of morals?' Wouldn't fallow the laws of the land suffice?"

"Eventually you will travel to a land where the laws spit in the face of everything you believe, and were taught to believe was right yet to them they see you as shiftless vagabond who believes in nothing. Do you continue to fallow what you were taught or do you assimilate yourself to them? Where I was born suicide is considered a cowards way out , some would go so far as to say it is a sin of unfathomable proportions and that only a few other sins are even more vile to commit, yet here suicide is seen as an honorable way to go if you are faced with uncountable obstacles."

Silence once again reigned over them as the sun continued to set. It was well after dark when Paul was standing up to leave.

"What are your morals, sensei?"

He turned and looked at her questioning face, recognizing the will to learn and the yearning to be accepted.

"Half of them you would probably take offense to as the go against things taught here. The other half are as fallows.

Loyalty; never turn your back on a team mate. Help them when they are in need. Never betray them, no matter how small the situation may seem; if they don't believe they can trust you, you will never be allowed to be with them in spirit.

Duty; follow your orders or die trying. Giving up is not an option.

Respect; follow the rules of combat and don't openly criticize the laws of the land; follow them before the public even if you don't agree with them.

Honor; do what you say you will do. Never give your word then go back on it. It will make you untrustworthy. Remember, a cat never goes where his tail doesn't follow.

Personal courage; engage the enemy, take calculated risks. If they are too strong for you, find back up and try again. Be willing to stand for what you believe in no matter what others think or say of you. If you stand strong you will earn their respect even if they hate you.

Integrity; do what you know is right even when you know no one is looking for that is when it matters most.

That is what I live by."

He then left Naruko sitting on the roof staring at the spot the sun set, leaving her mind in turmoil; making it so she decides her own way rather than copying his.