"You have the discipline to be on time, that's a good starting sign." The kunoichi standing at the front of the classroom said. "Better than the others, I see."

Ry blinked a few times. His aunt had explained he needed to be at the Academy early, to attend the voluntary class being put on by one of the iryo specialists. She stood up at the front, wavy black hair pulled back by her hitai-ate. Behind her on the chalkboard were a number of empty charts.

Rather than say anything, Ry bowed slightly, walking over to a seat. He was still trying to wake up, his body not happy with him about the lost hour and a half of sleep. Combined with Akena-sensei beating the hell out of him the previous night with her practice geom, he wasn't feeling one hundred percent. He wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve the harsher treatment, but he knew better than to ask.

The kunoichi stood watching the door, arms crossed. Her dark eyes had a glint of irritation in them.

Man, let's hope she's not the 'give someone an injury and then demonstrate practical healing for the class' type of teacher.

"Apologies Hirana-sensei, my little brother didn't want to cooperate this morning." Eiko walked through the door.

The kunoichi clicked her tongue. "Sit. We're waiting on our habitually lates."

Habitually lates? Am I joining a class that's already been underway?

Also, Eiko is only thirty seconds late, at most. Debatably early, if the classroom's clock is slow.

Eiko nodded, walking in. Ry saw her eyes narrow slightly when she glanced at him, but she otherwise ignored him. Ry knew better than to try engaging her in conversation. The sandy blonde didn't like talking to anyone, but she grew downright irritable whenever Ry tried to talk to her. He could only blame being partnered with her for yuwaku. It was an understandable reaction, given what they'd been required to do with each other.

A kunoichi Ry vaguely recognized was next in the door. Her blueish green hair had caught his attention before, as did the unique way she wore it. Most kunoichi left their hair down in classes. The exception was taijutsu, where almost all of them switched to buns or ponytails. This kunoichi wore hers in a braid that she often draped over her shoulder.

"Matada, good." The teacher said. "You made it today."

"Hai, Hirana-sensei." The girl bowed her head.

"Sit next to Shiranui-san." Hirana said. "Given your extended absence during our previous lessons, and his newness, you'll be roughly on the same level."

The girl's pale skin reddened slightly, but she nodded.

"Shiranui Ry." Ry offered as the girl sat down.

"Matada Zerin." The girl replied. "Nice to meet you."

Ry debated further conversation, but something in Zerin's tone held him back. She turned her body, her posture suggesting full focus on the instructor.

The class filled in with nearly a dozen people. Ry recognized only one more, Hadashi Tensei. He was the only other male in the class, and he came in fully prepared. Unlike every other late arrival, Hirana didn't castigate him for being late. Judging by the way he sat at the very front, immediately pulling out note taking materials, Ry assumed he was something of a teacher's pet.

What surprised Ry more than the gender ratio was the fact that nearly half the class wore official Konohagakure nin attire. Most of them were genin, with a singular chunin marked by the small emblem stitched into the sleeve of her shirt.

"Welcome to class, new faces and returning." Hirana said after a minute of no one walking in. "I apologize for my lengthy absence, but good news for all of you. I've been assigned to a year's rotation at the Konoha nin treatment facilities. So, barring emergency missions, this class will proceed every Monday and Wednesday morning for the foreseeable future."

"With the gap most of you have experienced, we'll start with a quick check on chakra control, followed by a review of the basics." Hirana said. "Before that though, new faces, stand and introduce yourselves."

Ry stood up along with two of the genin. He stood silently, letting the two kunoichi have a silent conversation. As an Academy student, he fell below them in terms of rank, and thus would be introducing himself last.

"Chakra control time." Hirana said.

The iryo specialist walked around, putting a number of leaves on each table. Ry picked one up, examining it.

Unlike the healthy leaves he'd used in his initial practice with the leaf concentration exercise, the leaf he held delicately was brittle. Even his light touch was straining the material.

Glancing over, Ry saw Zerin holding the leaf up with just one finger. She held the finger out horizontally, the leaf hanging from the pad of her finger.

Huh. That much control, from just one fingertip.

My leaf is going to crumble, or burst into flames.

Ry's prediction proved correct almost immediately. His leaf did both.

"For the new students who just incinerated their first leaf, I recommend starting by sticking it to your forehead, like the leaf concentration exercises you learned at the academy." Hirana said. "This requires chakra control with a much lighter, much more delicate touch than what you're used to, even if you've mastered tree walking and water walking."

Ry felt a bit embarrassed. Looking around the classroom, it was obvious he'd gone for an advanced exercise on his first attempt. Most people in the room were sticking the leaves to their palms, or even a couple fingers. Only the chunin, along with Zerin, utilized a single finger. Though the chunin had a leaf for each of the five fingers on her right hand.

"Now, while we're practicing, who can tell me why we need such precise control with a featherlight touch?" Hirana asked, standing at the front of the classroom.

"Because blood vessels and other bodily tissues are delicate, easily torn things while the body's nervous system is easily provoked by accidental touches." Tensei said, his eyes closed as the leaf on his forehead was slowly crumbling to ash. "Using a heavy touch might solve big problems, but it will create others at the same time. Only by using finesse can we heal an injury without causing complications."

"Correct as ever, Tensei-kun." Hirana said. "You all are here because you wish to be iryo specialists, or at least able to triage your teammates in the middle of a mission. You will have a hard time of that if you throw your chakra around in their body like a bull in a ceramics shop. Nor will those you're healing appreciate it if your efforts to heal them aggravate the nerves in their injuries, causing further pain and reducing the effectiveness of your healing."

"Lord Tsunenobu is the foremost iryo specialist in the Elemental Nations, and he taught us the very exercise you're using now." Hirana said. "New students, don't think this is worthless. Wait until we're practicing on dying carp, and you'll begin to understand just how easily healing can go wrong. Treat this exercise with proper respect, and you might actually be able to utilize Mystical Palm effectively."

"Now, let's talk about the stimulation and deadening of nerve endings." Hirana said. "New students, this will be one of the first things we work on mastering. Successful implementation of both will indicate you possess the sufficient chakra control to actually begin learning Mystical Palm."

After the class ended, Ry waited around.

"You're Shiranui-san's nephew?" Hirana asked, leaning against the desk at the front of the room.

"Hai, Hirana-sensei." Ry nodded. "She told me to wait around and speak with you after class."

"Yes, your aunt explained you have unusually fine chakra control for someone with so little formal training." Hirana said. "Try the control exercise again."

Ry did as instructed. The leaf stayed on his head, not crumbling into ash. His attempt using his palm was just as effective. It was only when he narrowed his efforts down to three fingers that the leaf began crumbling.

It hadn't been that hard for him to figure out. Aoba-sensei's exercises had taught him the necessity of precision and accuracy, but tree walking and water walking were large scale exercises in comparison. Ry didn't have water walking mastered to the point of being able to do other things, but he had learned to attenuate his chakra and its properties in response to the changing water underneath his feet. The fragile leaf didn't require nearly as much fluctuation in the properties, but demanded a much finer control in the amount of chakra used. Attenuations during water walking were made with supporting his entire body weight in mind. The leaf required magnitudes less chakra, and thus Ry had needed to scale back the chakra he was using. What he'd previously considered 'slight' adjustments were massive when compared to the total chakra needed to properly adhere the leaf.

His control was far from perfect, but now that he had the right idea, Ry was confident he'd figure it out relatively quickly. He'd already given himself a mental note to add the exercise to his nightly rotation of chakra control exercises.

"I was right to sit you next to Zerin." Hirana said. "Hatake-senpai and Seong-san regularly inflict minor injuries during your training, yes?"

Ry nodded dubiously. He didn't like the obvious implications of that question.

"You've enough control for rough usage of Mystical Palm." Hirana said. "We'll begin working on changing the properties of your chakra so you can heal yourself after your training. As you improve, I will ask your instructors to handicap themselves less in the injuries they give you. As an iryo specialist, the person you need to be most effective at healing is yourself. And as much as I'm sure it will pain you, there is no more effective method of training than practice."

"Hai sensei." Ry said dully.

Great. Aoba-sensei's going to love this lady.


"Ne, skewer-kun, wanna go get ramen?" Narisa asked.

Ry looked over at her. "You're trying to skip your after school lessons again, aren't you?"

Narisa stuck her tongue out. "It's Mizuri-sensei's day. She's always so boring, and she never answers my questions."

"Some sensei are like that." Ry shrugged. "This is why we're doing your homework together, remember? So you can hopefully get out of those classes next year."

"Ha." Narisa said, shaking her head. "I doubt it, skewer-kun. They give us extra tests in there, and if I ever pass one, it'll be a gift from the kami."

"Well, Seong-sensei asked me to volunteer for some stuff after classes as well, so we should still finish at the same time." Ry said. "Maybe we can go get ramen as a reward for making it through class?"

"Meh." Narisa shrugged. "Or maybe you can just meet me at Ichiraku's when you're done."

"You're going to skip, aren't you?" Ry asked flatly.

Narisa's blue eyes glowed brightly and she shook her head. "Nope. I'll be there the whole time, skewer-kun. Just gotta go to the bathroom first, sort out which me is gonna go."

"Ah." Ry said, lightbulb flicking on.

As he'd expected, Narisa had mastered Kage Bunshin the first day she'd tried it. She'd also shown a nigh infinite capability to use it for long periods of time. To the point that she'd started sending out clones in Henge into the civilian areas of Konohagakure to work. Those days long expeditions were a result of her frustrations and an off-handed comment Ry had made about them not treating Narisa the same if she was disguised.

Narisa had been all in on the idea of pranking the sensei of the Academy; her ardor had only grown when she'd realized that the proctors for the genin exam would include both Iroha-sensei and the Hokage. The last time Ry had asked, Narisa was working on something extra special to really mess with them. Ry suspected it involved the books he'd acquired for her, and decided on the better part of valor.

Narisa would tell him, in great detail, if he asked. Ry did not want great detail. Not on the 'research' being performed by the pretty teen. He had his morals, and he was going to stick to them.

With her commitment to the prank, she'd been fairly restrained with her usage of Kage Bunshin. Ry had explained the concept of sensor nin monitoring the village – a thing he'd learned about after asking his aunt why they didn't have more nin patrolling the village itself – and explained how quickly they'd cotton on to her signature being in too many places at once.

Narisa had clicked her tongue at that, muttering about snitches, but she'd nodded. Ry assumed she'd strung together the logic on how they'd managed to track her down on her many days of cutting class. Given the length of time it typically took for ANBU or the teachers to retrieve her, Ry was fairly certain Narisa had some property to her chakra that made her difficult to pin down exactly. He wasn't sure if that was due to the Kyubi inside of her, or something special about Narisa herself.

What Ry hadn't been able to figure out, until the current moment, was Narisa's glee whenever she mentioned getting practice with the jutsu.

"That's fair." Ry said. "Just don't give away the secret."

"Not gonna happen, skewer-kun." Narisa smirked. "The number one future kunoichi doesn't make mistakes."

"You really going to put yourself out there like that?" Ry asked with a brow raised.

Narisa's eye twitched slightly. "Don't you dare bring up last Tuesday."

"Okay, I won't bring up last Tuesday." Ry said, smiling slightly.

Narisa huffed at him when he stayed silent. "Skewer-kun, you're not funny."

"I never said I was." Ry shrugged. "I'll meet you at Ichiraku's."

With that, Narisa held out a fist. Ry bumped it, then departed for the classroom Seong-sensei specified.

It was a familiar room. Seong-sensei wasn't using her normal classroom, but the backup sparring room. While it was rare, there were times when the Academy provided lessons or demonstrations for already graduated nin. Quite a few of those were taijutsu demonstrations.

Ry was fairly certain that Kazune was the one putting them on, and he suspected each time she did so, she was demonstrating for teams about to go on missions to countries they had no experience with.

He found Seong-sensei already present, along with two girls.

No, I'd revise that. They're at least a couple years older than me, physically.

He didn't recognize them right away. The platinum blonde he suspected was a Yamanaka, just due to the unique hair color. The other girl's brown hair and green eyes were less than helpful.

Wait a minute. These are the two that those idiots were calling top tier idols.

Ry routinely ignored his fellow shinobi hopefuls whenever they discussed female classmates. The new group of students he'd been put in was entirely male, working with Tadari-sensei. Their sensei had a…liberal view when it came to discussing the fairer sex, and Konoha kunoichi in particular. The rest of his group was enamored with the man.

It wasn't that Ry didn't understand. He'd been paying attention during yuwaku. He knew that constant chakra usage, combined with regular physical exertion, had a distinct, proven effect on the libido of kunoichi and shinobi both. He'd felt it personally, and part of yuwaku was learning how to take advantage of that fact when dealing with neutral or hostile nin. Given that his current classmates were already teenage males, Ry understood that the amplification was pushing them towards behavior they might otherwise not engage in. With their sensei's open encouragement, however, the rest of them had declared it open season.

Ry had done his best to be patient, and tolerant.

He'd found the limit of his tolerance the second day, when one of his math problems asked about what measurements would need to be observed to properly discern the volume of a woman's breast.

He was still trying not to get angry at how the conversation with Mizuri-sensei had gone, regarding his current instructor's behavior and antics.

At least I get catharsis in taijutsu class.

Regardless, his current classmates – and sensei – had spent much of their spare time analyzing and comparing the traits of the female population of the Academy. As much as Ry had tried to block their conversations out, he'd not been completely successful.

Those unfortunate, overheard conversations, combined with deductive reasoning gave him the identity of the two young women in front of him.

Yamanaka Tsugumi was Yamanaka Ikuhito's sister. The siblings did not get along; Ry had witnessed Ikuhito rubbing his superior achievements in his older sister's face several times.

That being said, she was drooled over by the male population at the Academy often, if Ry's classmates were anything to go by. Not to the disturbing degree that all of them were Saneko fanboys, which was something, if an incredibly low bar.

Tsugumi had a cool detachment to her. She held herself with confidence, and her attire emphasized her many attractive features. She was only a few inches shorter than Ry, putting her amongst the tallest women he'd met since the start of his new life. Her platinum hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that fell to her shoulders, leaving nothing to hide her face. She had sharper features than most of the women Ry had met. They were elegant, and her ice blue, pupil free eyes only emphasized the haughty regality. She wore visible makeup, setting her apart from most of female students, glitter sparkling on her cheeks and forehead.

Her body reminded Ry of the cheerleaders that had so easily led his thoughts astray in his previous life. Long, lean, she was fit and athletic. Someone looking closely would see definition in every muscle, but it was subtle and sleek. She wore clothes to emphasize her body, a grey crop top that showed off her visible abs along with a navel tattoo of the 'fierce' character in purple ink. Black leggings were worn underneath a pair of purple and green shorts, the leggings clinging to her very long, shapely legs.

Teibori Bitai only came up to Ry's chin, but that still made her taller than half of the girls at the Academy. Her features were softer, with a heart shaped face and dimples to a smile that had a knowing mischievousness to it. She wore her light brown hair in a ponytail similar to Tsugumi's, though Bitai's hair was significantly longer, the tip of the ponytail nearly brushing her waist. Her skin was darker, though it veered towards caramel rather than the kind of deep tan than Eiko had.

Bitai's attire was nearly identical to Tsugumi's, though her crop top was neon yellow and the shorts over her black leggings were an equally glaring pink. Bitai had a tattoo in a similar location, with the character for 'bold' in dark red ink.

Ry's current group of classmates had heavily commented on Bitai's 'standout' feature: a chest much larger than any of their classmates. While Ry wasn't obsessed, his hormones ensured he'd at least noticed and she was definitely generously endowed. In the two times they'd had Academy wide taijutsu sessions, Ry had seen her use that fascination to her advantage, flashing a good deal of cleavage to her male opponents then ruthlessly exploiting their distraction.

"Good, all three of you are here." Seong-sensei said. "Situate yourselves on the mat."

Ry knelt on the mat, ignoring the glances both women were shooting him. They weren't speaking aloud, but he knew what they were thinking. Seong-sensei only taught two classes, and she'd been very clear with Ry that his volunteering would consist of equal components of both.

Bitai and Tsugumi almost certainly knew that as well.

After shutting the door, Seong-sensei walked to the mat, kneeling down to face all three of them. "Right. First things first, thank you Shiranui-kun, for volunteering your time for these lessons after regular classes. I- yes, Yamanaka-chan?"

"Why is he here?" Tsugumi spat. "I thought you said we were going to have a competent partner to train with."

Seong-sensei lifted one of her blue eyebrows. "Yamanaka-chan, are you doubting my selection?"

"Sensei, he hangs out with the dead last of their class." Tsugumi said, a slight whine in her voice. "I thought you were going to get an actual shinobi, like Kuro-sensei or someone like that. Or even Junji-kun."

"I see." Seong-sensei said. "Yamanaka-chan, which would you prefer: yuwaku or taijutsu?"

"Sensei?" Tsugumi blinked.

"Which demonstration would you like to be part of, in order for Shiranui-kun to show his competence?" Seong-sensei asked. "Teibori-chan will participate in the other."

Ry kept his face studiously blank when Tsugumi stared at him for a moment. "Yuwaku."

"Teibori-chan, are you ready to spar?" Seong-sensei rose to her feet in a sinuous motion.

"Hai, sensei." Bitai rose as well.

"Then take the mark." Seong-sensei gestured. "Yamanaka-chan, let's observe from one side. Shiranui-kun, use everything you have at your disposal."

Ry blinked. He made eye contact with Seong-sensei. She smirked at him, nodding.

Alright. Well…this isn't displaying it to everyone, and I did clear this with Kazune. She told me to expect it. Seong-sensei wants these girls to take things seriously, and if she's anything like Kazune, then she's going to teach them via the beat them into competence method. I just wasn't expecting it so soon.

Getting to his feet, Ry took the mark opposite Bitai. He bowed slightly; Bitai did the same and Ry noted the way she lingered at the precise angle to give him an uninterrupted view at her chest.

"Begin." Seong-sensei said.

Bitai offered him a heart melting smile, then lashed out with a kick towards his head. Ry pushed it high, used adhesion to maintain his grip, then heaved. Bitai's awkward positioning gave him complete control of leverage, which he used to fling her to the mat. She hit with a thud and Ry landed on her back with a knee a moment later. Ignoring her pained cough, he put a palm to her neck.

"Winner, Shiranui Ry." Seong-sensei said.

Ry got up, stepping around Bitai. She rolled over onto her back, coughing noisily. Ry held out a hand. The woman looked at him warily, but took the hand. He helped her to her feet.

"Let's try that again." Seong-sensei said. "Teibori-chan, I would recommend not trying to kick your opponent in the face. It might work on most of the boys, but Shiranui-kun has received a good deal of training, from women every bit as beautiful as you. A flash of cleavage and a nice smile aren't going to distract him."

Bitai's face went red. "Hai, Seong-sensei."

They took their marks again. "Begin."

Ry's opponent was much more cautious. She stood there, hands raised defensively.

Alright, guess I'll go to her then.

Advancing, Ry tested the waters with a low kick. Bitai sidestepped rather than block. Ry followed with several jabs. Bitai blocked the first two, but was too slow on the third. Ry shifted the jab into a sweeping motion, stepping in close to deliver a hammer palm to her gut. Bitai's attempted retaliation collapsed and Ry knocked her to the ground with a leg sweep. He held his fingers to her neck a moment later.

Winner, Shiranui Ry." Seong-sensei said.

Once again, Ry held Bitai to her feet. She was still coughing as she limped back to her mark.

"That's enough, Teibori-chan." Seong-sensei said. "Unless you think you could best him, Yamanaka-chan?"

Ry glanced over at the platinum blonde, seeing a sour expression on her face. "No, Seong-sensei."

"Then let's move on to the yuwaku demonstration." Seong-sensei said. "Shiranui-kun, why don't you relax Yamanaka-chan?"

Ry sighed. "Yamanaka-chan, if you'd sit?"

The woman glared at him for a minute, but knelt where Ry indicated.

Ry was well aware she was being forced to do this. Seong-sensei had made it clear to him that both girls would not be enthusiastic about the classes. As far as Ry could tell, she was preparing him to not be offended by their blatant irritation. They were going to be prickly and cranky, about taijutsu and yuwaku both.

Ry was more than fine with that. He'd do what Seong-sensei asked of him, but he wasn't expecting more. He certainly wasn't expecting any sort of appreciation for his efforts. They were two young women, and it was very clear they had negative opinions of the situation. As much as he was stomaching his discomfort in having extended, explicitly intimate contact with his female classmates – or the practice dummies that looked like them, since the grouping change – they were tolerating him because they were going to fail otherwise.

Purely transactional was perfect for Ry.

He already knew what he was going to do for the yuwaku demonstration. Ry knelt down behind Tsugumi, staying up on his knees rather than resting on his heels. He brought his hands to her shoulders, lightly infusing his fingertips with chakra.

The platinum blonde was rigidly tense when he started the shoulder rub, but Ry was patient. He had a good deal of practice; this was one of the few activities Eiko had always been eager to practice in their yuwaku classes, and in his previous life, there'd been a pair of girlfriends who'd been happy for him to practice his skills on. He knew to work slowly, gradually increasing the strength his fingers applied.

At the same time, he began applying wisps of chakra. It was far from a full application of Mystical Palm, but Ry wasn't going to miss the opportunity to practice muscle relaxation when handed a golden opportunity. Hirana had spoken of it being necessary when an iryo specialist had to reset bones and realign torn muscles. Ry's current practice was much less severe, just gently prodding the muscles in Tsugumi's shoulders to loosen.

When she let out a soft sigh and her head began to loll forward, Ry shifted his hands inwards. His thumbs began probing along her spine, using similar wisps and easing the tension in her neck.

"I think that's enough." Seong-sensei said.

Mmm." Tsugumi whined softly when Ry pulled his hands away.

Her neck went bright red a moment later and her head snapped up. Ry sat clear as she whipped around, ponytail cutting through the air as her ice blue eyes found his. He maintained a neutral look, knowing better than to try smiling.

"Enough of a demonstration, Yamanaka-chan?" Seong-sensei asked.

The platinum blonde turned her attention to their sensei. Ry couldn't blame her for glaring; the instructor had a definite note of amusement in her voice.

"Um, Seong-sensei, could I get a demonstration as well?" Bitai asked. "That…that actually looked really nice."

Ry chose to studiously ignore the silent conversation going on between Bitai and Tsugumi in the aftermath of that question. Looking at Seong-sensei, he saw through her neutral façade, thanks to all the time training with her older sister. There was well concealed mirth in her eyes, even as she appeared to consider the question.

"That's fine, Teibori-chan." Seong-sensei said.

A minute later, Bitai was much less restrained in her noises of appreciation. She went so far as to direct Ry's hands to the tense spots, of which she had many. The note of relief in her voice after each one put an involuntary grin on Ry's face.

The rest of the lesson consisted of Seong-sensei leading them through Leaf Style katas. Seong-sensei hadn't told Ry what each lesson would consist of and Ry wasn't going to ask in front of the others. He was still leery of just how far Seong-sensei might go in trying to push the two women.

After the lesson, he found Narisa waiting in the stairwell they'd agreed upon.

"Have fun, skewer-kun?" Narisa asked.

"I guess?" Ry shrugged.

"Who were you working with?" Narisa straightened up from her slouch against the wall.

"Yamanaka Tsugumi and Teibori Bitai." Ry replied.

"The glitterbombs?" Narisa scoffed. "That's – oop, gotta go. Boss will get mad if I steal conversation when she could be wheedling more ramen out of you while you talk."

The clone disappeared with a soft pop.

Ry shook his head. His interactions with his own clones had shown him how they might follow his directions, but that their beliefs about his best interests didn't always align with his own beliefs. Which was both baffling, and frustrating. Narisa's clones, with their extended duration, were even worse. Ry knew they'd never rebel, or anything like that, but he could easily foresee a point in the future where her clones behaved as independent entities, doing whatever they saw as 'best' for their 'boss.'

Which reminds me. I need to ask Hirana for another textbook. My Shadow Clone is definitely going to finish the current one while I'm at lessons tonight.


"Ah, Tsugumi-chan, here to buy some things for the winter season?" Reika-san asked.

"Mmm." Tsugumi hummed.

"Hi, Reika-san!" Bitai waved as she stepped through the doorway after Tsugumi.

"Hello, Bitai-chan." Reika said.

Tsugumi ignored the conversation, drifting towards the blouses that were hanging on the discount rack. Reika specialized in putting custom graphics on clothes. Much of her business came from Clan members like Tsugumi, who regularly needed apparel that had her Clan's sigil on it. Tsugumi preferred to look cute whenever possible, and she hated repeating outfits too regularly, so she made sure to stop by Reika's at least once a week to examine her wares.

The discount rack often had pieces commissioned by others, but returned for one reason or another. Tsugumi liked sorting through them, looking for inspiration for outfits of her own. She might not be able to wear the clothes she preferred at the Academy, but outside of it she wasn't nearly so constrained. With Reika-san's expertise, she could even get most of her favorites to the point where they could be worn as Clan attire.

Not for formal Clan events, but those were rare.

Even more so now.

Tsugumi pushed the thought away. She was aware that some of her fellow kunoichi made fun of her love for shopping. Tsugumi didn't care; she did her best to never care what others thought of her, exceptions only allowed after careful consideration. Almost the entirety of her female classmate cohort fell into the camp 'care less'. Bitai was the main exception, as her friend.

Saneko-chan as well, but only because the wrong word from the Uchiha heiress could prove problematic for Tsugumi. Fortunately, Saneko-chan held herself aloof from their classmates' gossiping. She held everyone at arm's length. Tsugumi was fairly certain that Fuyuka-chan and Junji-kun could only be counted as acquaintances. The Uchiha heiress held herself alone and apart. Which only made the boys want her more.

Tsugumi wasn't concerned with the opinions of Bitai or Saneko at the moment. She was searching through the rack, looking for something to focus on. To analyze, think about, compare and toy with.

Shopping was fun, for the most part. It also served as an admirably effective way of putting her problems aside, giving Tsugumi the space needed to reflect on them properly.

At the moment, Tsugumi was attempting the second, to help her cool the bubbling fury that had been building for the past two weeks.

"Tsugumi-chan is quiet today." Reika said in a low voice. "Is that boy giving her trouble again?"

"No, Reika-san." Bitai whispered. "Her brother's just being rude, and school's been pretty hard lately."

Tsugumi's breath hissed out between her clenched teeth. She appreciated her friend's deflection on her behalf, but even the oblique mention of Ikuhito brought her rage nearer to the surface.

"Guess the Clan Elders got tired of having the heiress be such a failure, ne, nee-chan?" Ikuhito's words burned as Tsugumi fought to keep her composure. "At least you can focus on what you've always wanted, ne? Following in father's footsteps and being a lead interrogator at T&I."

"Stop whining. You've barely attended two extra lessons and already you want to quit? You keep handing your opponents everything they need to bring you down, daughter." Tsugumi's father said, his expression stern. "Even if the Clan Elders do decide in your favor, they can and will reverse it if you fail to become even a genin. They might go farther, much further than I think you've considered. So you will do as you're instructed, Tsugumi. If the Clan Elders get even one report about you trying to defy this, I will not be able to stop them. I won't even be able to slow them down; you've given them too much leverage with how irresponsible you've been."

Tsugumi pushed away the memories, clenching her fists. She could feel her head throbbing.

"Reika-san, could you see if you have anything in my size that's similar to this skirt in the back?" Bitai asked.

"Certainly." Reika said.

A few moments later, Tsugumi felt her friend's arms wrap around her. She shuddered as Bitai squeezed.

"I'm here, Tsu." Bitai said. "We should probably leave though. You know Reika-san's going to want to know everything, the old gossip."

Tsugumi nodded woodenly. She knew her friend was right, but she didn't trust the words that might come out of her mouth.

"Reika-san, I just remembered that I have to help my mother cook dinner!" Bitai called out as they opened the door. "We'll come back tomorrow, I really do like that skirt!"

"Sheesh." Bitai said a few minutes later, as they approached the Yamanaka Compound. "Sorry I suggested going shopping."

"It's fine, Tai." Tsugumi forced out. "Just…not feeling up to much today."

"Yeah." Bitai nodded, brushing her hair out of her face. "You want me to come in?"

"No." Tsugumi shook her head. "I'm just going to grab food and go to my room. I appreciate the offer though."

"Alright, guess I actually will go help my mom cook dinner." Bitai said, grinning lopsidedly.

She gave Tsugumi another hug. "Get some rest, okay? Tomorrow's another day. Maybe we'll get to watch Junji-kun kick Ikuhito's ass in taijutsu."

"Maybe." Tusgumi attempted a grin. "Night Tai."

"Night Tsu." Bitai waved as she departed.

Tsugumi turned to stare at her Clan Compound. The Yamanaka Compound wasn't the most ostentatious. It had low walls with multiple gates surrounding it, but unlike some of the other Konoha Clans, they typically kept their gates open.

Tsugumi knew that was in part due to the confidence the Clan had in detecting hostile intentions well before they were enacted. It was a sense that every member of the Clan developed after enough time utilizing their Clan jutsu. Nothing close to true telepathic or empathic abilities like some yokai possessed, but every Yamanaka was sensitive to strong spikes of malice directed at them.

The other part of the gates remaining open was the impression it gave. Civilians regularly traveled through the outer portions of the Compound. All of the branch families had set up practices specifically to cater to civilians. The practices brought in a good deal of revenue, but they also fostered goodwill amongst the civilian population. Being approachable, friendly, and helpful was the default Yamanaka policy towards civilians.

Yamanaka Clan histories spoke of a number of civilian revolts and revolutions, some directed towards their Clan, some towards other Clans of nin. Even directed purges on occasion, once at the behest of several Daimyo who feared the power of mind walkers. The hatred and fear had come close to wiping them out a few times, before the surviving Yamanaka had consciously altered how they handled civilian relations.

Tsugumi knew it was part of the reason the Yamanaka Clan had so readily agreed to the Senju's proposal that created Konohagakure in the first place, a proposal considered mad at the time.

It was a policy she understood and supported. Tsugumi's outlook on life didn't lend itself to such a nurturing career, but she understood the necessity. She went out of her way to treat civilians nicely, to make sure she paid well and generously. She'd grown up watching her Clan counsel and support numerous civilians, she'd received second hand recognition numerous times, simply for being a Yamanaka. Tsugumi had first hand experience with the power of a positive reputation amongst the civilians.

As such, the foot traffic in and out of the gate in front of her was steady. Most of the civilians were visiting the various practices of the branch families, though a fair number also headed towards the flower shop the main branch maintained. It was a beautiful shop, with a large greenhouse attached that the main branch kept well groomed, along with an agreement with Aburame Clan to ensure the only insects inside were the desired ones.

Tsugumi had steered clear of the flower shop for a long time.

"Tsugumi onee-chan!" A high pitched voice cut through the crowd as Tsugumi made her way through the Compound.

Glancing over, Tsugumi saw Ayano and Yukiko. Both girls waved to her from where they sat on a railing. Tsugumi smiled and waved back; the girls were adorable, their eyes ice blue and without pupils, marking them as Yamanaka. All of eight and nine, respectively, the two loved inviting Tsugumi and Bitai to tea parties on the weekends. Given that their mothers were two of the Yamanaka's three Tea Ceremony mistresses, Tsugumi almost always indulged them.

She was grateful they didn't rush over. While she could muster the effort to smile and wave, dealing with their cheerfulness for an extended period of time was beyond her at the moment.

The gate to the Third Branch Clan's living quarters was closed. Tsugumi walked up to the nearer of the koi statues positioned on either side. The stone fish were in identical poses, tails flicked as if they were swimming out of the wall. She placed her hand on top of the koi's head, pushing a small amount of chakra through the tenketsu on her palm. The gate doors swung open silently.

Seeing these makes me glad I never shared that ambition with anyone in the Clan. No doubt the Clan Elders would laugh me out of the meetings if I claimed I wanted to replicate the achievements of the founder's daughters.

The melancholy helped Tsugumi maintain her composure as she passed through the gate. The koi ponds on either side of the main walkway always soothed her. The main branch might be associated with flowers, but the rest of the Yamanaka Clan still affiliated more with the creature some of their greatest ancestors had signed a contract with centuries ago.

"I'm home." Tsugumi called out as she entered the building proper.

The Third Branch wasn't large. The Main, First, and Second Branches had only revived it less than two decades ago, as a compromise with Tsugumi's mother. It consisted of Tsugumi, her mother, her stepfather, her little brother, and her mother's parents. There were some hopes that her little brother would be able to marry out, converting the Third Branch into something more permanent, but he was only seven. Tsugumi knew there were negotiations ongoing, as there always were with political marriages, but her brother would have his freedom for a while yet. Their mother insisted, and even the Clan Elders knew better than to try forcing Yamanaka Hanara's hand when it came to her children.

Tsugumi's situation was the fallout of their last attempt.

"Hello, Tsu-hime." Tsugumi's stepfather said, looking up from his project.

Yamanaka Roku wasn't a shinobi. He had barely any chakra to speak of, even when compared to other men.

Tsugumi held her tongue, as she always did. The man made her mother stupidly happy, and he doted on the entire family. He'd also given her Tatsuya, and Tsugumi could never truly dislike anyone who had a part in creating her adorable little brother.

If only he weren't the laughingstock of the other Branches.

"Tou-san." Tsugumi said. "Still working on that bookshelf?"

"The hard part is done, now I get to have fun." Roku held up the paint brush. "I don't have the deftest hand, but your little brother should be happy either way. He does love his bears, and they're relatively easy to paint."

Tsugumi nodded. "I'm sure he'll love it."

"You want to help?" Roku asked. "Maybe use your eye for color? If I'm the only one painting these bears, they'll all end up being brown bears. You could make your brother smile, give him a few in more exotic colors."

"Ah, I don't think so, tou-san." Tsugumi said, shaking her head. "I think I'm just going to go grab a rice ball, then go to my room. I've got homework I need to get done."

"Duty does call." Roku nodded. "I made some grilled fish if you're interested. It'll need to be reheated, but there's enough for you to have some and still have plenty for your mother when she gets off work."

"Thanks." Tsugumi said.

Not long after the sun had set, Tsugumi found herself with nothing to do. Her homework was done, she'd already prepared for bed.

The thoughts, memories, came back. Tsugumi sat on her sleeping mat, clutching at the stuffed koi pillow she'd had since she was five. Angry as she was, frustrated as she was, some part of her refused to clench the pillow too hard. She didn't want to damage it.

She'd half expected the knock at her door, but it still took her a minute to register her mother's voice.

"You look like you could use someone to talk to." Tsugumi's mother said, a look of concern on her face.

Tsugumi didn't say anything. She knew her mother would take that as an invitation to come in. She shuffled to the side, making space for her mother to sit down.

"We missed you at dinner." Tsugumi's mother said. "You wouldn't have needed to say anything, even."

"I know." Tsugumi muttered into her pillow.

"Your stepfather's worried about you." Tsugumi's mother put a hand on her arm. "He doesn't like seeing a problem he can't solve with his hands."

"Typical man." Tsugumi said.

Her mother smiled wryly. "You just say that because you haven't found the right one for you yet. Believe me, there is nothing quite like having a man – or woman, if that's your future – willing to burn the world down to make you happy."

"Mom." Tsugumi said, giving her an annoyed look. "Romance is so not my problem right now."

"I know." Tsugumi's mother brushed a lock of her dark brown hair out of her face. "Though I think part of your problem does involve boys. Is this about your brother, or the classes at school?"

Tsugumi's grip tightened on her pillow for a moment. "Both. They're two symptoms of the same problem, really."

"I guess you managed to put aside your anger long enough to think, then." Her mother said, reaching up to stroke Tsugumi's hair.

"Didn't help much." Tsugumi grumbled. "Doing anything to either symptom would backfire. Can't really treat the root cause of the problem either. Stupid old fogeys."

Tsugumi's mother snickered. The snickers broke into full on laughter as she leaned on the platinum blonde. Tsugumi welcomed the contact, loosening her grip to wrap one arm around her mother's back. She felt a rush of comfort when her mother transitioned into a full hug.

"Oh sweetheart." Her mother whispered as the laughter died away. "I hate that they've done this to you. I hate that I can't help you."

"I hate that either way, I lose." Tsugumi snarled.

Then burst into tears. Suppressing her fury had helped her look at the situation rationally, but all she had left now were tears. Tears of helplessness, tears of indignation at the situation she'd been maneuvered into. Some of it engineered by her own behavior, certainly, but looking back Tsugumi was uncertain how much of her bad behavior was intentionally overlooked early on. There were those amongst the Clan Elders who were crafty enough to create an impossible situation to trap her in with forethought and intent, but those same Clan Elders were also clever enough to twist a sudden opportunity to their advantage.

Tsugumi didn't know which was true. It didn't matter. Either way, she knew the Clan Elders had put her in a no win situation.

Yamanaka Tsugumi did her best to not hate anything. Her mother had strong opinions on hatred.

One of the few things she'd developed a hatred for, a burning, seething rage that could easily consume her, were the old fogeys who thought they knew best entrapping those they held power over. It was a hatred that had been seeded before she'd been born, though after she'd been conceived. It was a hatred she'd remained ignorant of until her mother explained the details of her conception to her, of her status amongst the Clan, shortly before her twelfth birthday. Then it had flowered, flowered fully, into a vicious flower with thorns to shred any who tried to pick it.

Tsugumi refused to let her hatred rule her, but she was trapped in a scenario she hated, by people she hated, and it made her feel so impotent. Her, a kunoichi who was going to be one of the best interrogators that T&I ever had, had no control over her fate.

I hate them!

Her mother held her until the tears subsided. She whispered, soft murmurs in Tsugumi's ears, stroking her hair softly as she held her.

"Tears done for now?" Tsugumi's mother asked after a particularly loud sniffle.

Tsugumi nodded. Her mother had a very practical outlook on crying. She never judged Tsugumi for crying – called it a prerogative of any woman in an emotional situation – but she expected Tsugumi to be productive between bouts of her emotions taking control.

Her mother pulled away. She clicked her tongue, brushing some of Tsugumi's hair behind her ears.

"We can't do anything about the situation." Her mother said. "The Clan Elders knew what they were doing, and you don't have the leverage to force a compromise. All we can do is alleviate the stresses the symptoms are causing. Which are two-fold, your brother and your new, mandatory classes. Let's start with your brother."

"Can't do much there." Tsugumi said. "He's the new Clan Heir."

"So he is." Her mother agreed. "But that comes with responsibilities. Including being diplomatic, and a leader that does the best for the Clan as a whole. It would be fairly easy for me to speak to my cousin, to make sure he's reined in. I'm sure his jabs are subtle, but she would consider that enough to crack down on him. The Clan Elders may have come down on you, but Iku-kun has his own problems with his qualifications."

Tsugumi nodded slowly. Then she bit her lip, thinking. An idea had been lurking around, half-formed, for a few days. Her mother's words helped it coalesce into something whole.

"Kaa-san?" Tsugumi asked.

"Mmm?" Her mother hummed questioningly.

"Can I speak to Aunt Inari?" Tsugumi asked. "I'll ask for an official meeting, with her and Ikuhito."

"What are you hoping to accomplish with that?" Her mother asked in a curious tone.

"I don't have leverage on the Clan Elders, but I do on Ikuhito himself." Tsugumi said, articulating and developing her idea as she spoke. "I never really planned on using it, but he's shown me his angry side since the Clan Elders handed down their decision. I knew we didn't get along, but he's been different and it feels like he's only going to get worse."

"I doubt he came to that opinion wholly on his own." Tsugumi's mother said softly. "But go on."

"He wants the Uchiha heiress." Tsugumi said. "Like pretty much every boy at the Academy does, but he's one of the worst about it. I can't get that for him, but now that he's Clan Heir, he can't have her. Even if she did want him."

"That would be problematic, politically." Tsugumi's mother nodded. "The Uchiha heiress will no doubt need spouses from at least a few of the Clans, but a Clan Heir would certainly be off limits…hmm, I think I see. You want to help guide his future marriage prospects?"

"There are a number of girls who are interested in him." Tsugumi said. "He doesn't pay enough attention, but Chori-san practically worships the ground he walks on. Given how tied we are to the Akimichi, she would make an excellent wife for him."

"I think your brother may be a bit shallow for that." Tsugumi's mother said dryly. "But I'll assume you have other options, and yes, presenting the politically opportune choices first will make my cousin inclined to agree with you. I presume you're going to propose to feel the potential candidates out?"

"More or less." Tsugumi said. "It'd be helpful to the Clan, it'll show the Elders I'm willing to work for benefits outside of my own, and it'll make sure I can at least get along with Ikuhito's future wife, hopefully to have her curb any lingering resentment."

"And rubbing it in his face that he no longer stands a chance at getting the girl he's been a fanboy for since the day he realized he liked girls has nothing to do with it?" Tsugumi's mother asked.

"Getting small revenge in a sane fashion helps prevent insane attempts for large revenge." Tsugumi said in a rote fashion.

Her mother laughed. "That is not the proper way to twist that quote around. Still, I would likely do the same."

"Did do the same." Tsugumi pointed at herself.

"True enough." Tsugumi's mother agreed easily. "I'll make sure my cousin is available for a meeting soon. Do you want me there?"

Tsugumi shook her head. "No. Otherwise, Aunt Inari will think this is you directing me."

"Alright." Tsugumi's mother nodded. "Clearly you've thought it out."

"I don't have any ideas for the classes." Tsugumi griped, squeezing her pillow again.

"You're usually quite eager to learn." Tsugumi's mother said. "What's so wrong with these classes?"

"I don't…" Tsugumi shook her head. "It's just…Seong-sensei picked the dead last's friend as our partner, for taijutsu and yuwaku both."

"Seong-sensei…Akena-chan is teaching at the Academy?" Tsugumi's mother cocked her head.

"Seong Kae." Tsugumi said. "I think Seong Akena is her older sister?"

"Ahhh." Tsugumi's mother said. "Ohh! Gaya's kohai, in battle if nothing else. Little Kae-chan. Is there something wrong with this partner? What's his name? She did pick a shinobi in training, yes?"

Tsugumi narrowed her eyes. "Kaa-san, why do you sound worried?"

"Because back in her Academy and genin days, my cousin had something of a rivalry with some of the kunoichi in a group of friends, including Seong Akena." Tsugumi's mother said, her eyes growing distant. "It started out fairly friendly, but grew acrimonious when a boy got involved. Do you know Gekko Yuugo? He's a jonin now, but his bachelor name was Uzuki Yuugo."

Tsugumi shook her head. "Never heard of him."

"Not surprised, he's pretty quiet, and he's certainly not instructor material." Tsugumi's mother snickered. "They all were within a couple years of each other at the Academy and as graduating genin. I'm not sure just how aware Yuugo-kun was about the catfighting, but by the time he was a genin, he was in a relationship with Gekko Hanayo. Married to her now, but he was one of the more talented shinobi in that group. Your aunt decided to get some rather petty revenge, and I'm not sure if any amongst that group of kunoichi still holds any resentment."

"Probably doesn't help that I was an assistant to Kae-chan's jonin mentor." Tsugumi's mother continued. "I never treated her poorly, but Tachiana-senpai was a genjutsu specialist, and she really didn't know how to handle anyone who wanted to specialize in taijutsu like Kae-chan. Her opinion of her jonin might've rubbed off onto me."

"But…she wouldn't know you're my mom." Tsugumi said.

"She might." Tsugumi's mother shrugged. "She's the little sister of one of Hatake Kazune's good friends. There's very little the Silver Vixen can't figure out when it comes to gossip, not if she truly wants to learn it. I wasn't exactly subtle about my anger with the Clan back then and that was before the Yondaime's death fighting the Kyubi, so Kazune still had a lot more connections outside of her friend group."

Tsugumi blinked a few times. "Wait. The Mistress of Jutsu, the one everyone says will be the Godaime?"

"Mmhmm." Her mother nodded. "That whole group is full of talented kunoichi. They're some of the core jonin, outside of ANBU directly, that the Hokage relies on the most."

"I didn't realize." Tsugumi said. "Do you think the Mistress of Jutsu would ever come teach us? Could Seong-sensei get her to give a guest lecture?"

"You wouldn't want her giving a lecture." Tsugumi's mother chuckled. "Hatake Kazune has many stellar qualities, but I sincerely doubt being a large group instructor is one of them. She never struck me as the type while at the Academy, and I don't think that's changed now."

"But, you're off track." Tsugumi's mother said gently. "You were having issues with your sensei's selection of partner for your mandatory lessons. Putting aside your awe that your sensei probably talks with your childhood hero on a regular basis, I'm fairly certain she didn't pick this partner specifically as pettiness against your aunt. Unless this partner's terrible for your learning?"

Tsugumi frowned at her mother. "No. He's actually…really good at taijutsu. I thought he was only okay, but apparently that's just him only using Leaf Style taijutsu in normal classes. He's got these other styles that he's much better at, he beat both Bitai and I working together during our lesson last week. He's not an ass about it either, like some of the guys are when they actually manage to beat a kunoichi in taijutsu."

"Mmm." Tsugumi's mother nodded. "Well, is he ugly then? Because I imagine that would be your first complaint during yuwaku, since you don't seem to have any about taijutsu."

Tsugumi snickered. "No. He's younger than Bitai and I, but he's not bad looking at all. His skin reminds me more of the tans of the coastal merchants that we used to see when we'd travel to the coastal villages, but he's fine. He does already have facial hair though, which is weird."

"So you don't like his facial hair when he kisses you." Tsugumi's mother said.

"We haven't even done that." Tsugumi shook her head. "I just…he's friends with Uzumaki Narisa, the dead last. Everybody's going to know Bitai and I are in mandatory lessons, and they're with her friend. It feels like Seong-sensei intentionally chose Shiranui-kun to purposely make my social life even harder. The other kunoichi are already starting in, saying that he's contagious or other things. Putting that together with the news I'm sure Ikuhito's already told everyone, and I feel like Bitai's going to be the only friend I have left at the Academy."

"Shiranui-kun…is he related to Shiranui Ginna?" Tsugumi's mother asked, eyes narrowing.

"I…maybe?" Tsugumi replied. "I don't know if he's mentioned her. It's not a super common surname, and he did start more than halfway through the year, so I saw his family at the opening ceremony for the year."

"Which the Hokage would need to approve, which she would likely only approve for someone with proven connections to the village." Tsugumi's mother said, tapping her cheek with a finger. "Still, that would explain why he's friends with the dead last of your class."

"It would?" Tsugumi asked. "How?"

"That would require you to use your observational skills, Tsu." Her mother smiled at her. "Though in fairness, it's an observation I doubt many have made. But yes, I can see how your voluntary partner would make your life harder. At the same time, I doubt Kae-chan picked him for that reason. The more likely explanation is that her older sister is also friends with Shiranui Ginna and knew that she could get her nephew to agree. A nephew who's apparently at least passable in both classes you have to take."

"What do I do?" Tsugumi asked. "Even if she didn't do it intentionally, she's going to make mine and Bitai's life miserable until the year's over and we can take our genin exams. She's being more demanding in regular class too, not just the mandatory lessons."

"As much as I'd like to hand you a solution, I don't have one to hand, and you need to learn how to tackle things like this on your own, anyways." Tsugumi's mother said. "I'm not trying to guilt you, but when it comes to the Academy, you made the bed you have to sleep in, by refusing to participate until now. Especially considering that you want to be an interrogator like your father. Taijutsu, and especially yuwaku, are skills any competent interrogator needs to master. In a sense, you're lucky to have Kae-chan. She was Rookie of the Year in her graduating class, and she's capable of giving a practical demonstration of any skill you could possibly want to learn. For all you want to use your brain and be an interrogator, there are times where understanding the physical skills will help you better understand the people you're questioning. Might even give you other methods of cracking them, through their pride in their own skills that can be turned against them."

"That's not helpful, kaa-san." Tsugumi pointed out.

"I helped with the first symptom." Tsugumi's mother said as she leaned over for another hug. "And I raised an intelligent, creative daughter with the ability to solve just about any problem she puts her mind to, so I'll take some credit when you inevitably solve your second symptom too. Love you, Tsu."

"Love you too, kaa-san." Tsugumi grumbled, hugging her mother back.

"Let me know if you need a shoulder again." Tsugumi's mother said as she got to her feet.

Tsugumi was left with her own thoughts once more. She felt better; talking with her mother had given her a path forward, at least in regards to the provocations from within her Clan. While she wasn't optimistic about the Clan Elders ever reinstating her full status, there were a couple of lesser titles she would be content with, as long as she could appease the old fogeys enough.

As for the mandatory lessons, Tsugumi couldn't see a way out of them. For all her mother spoke of practical demonstrations, that didn't help the fact that the lessons themselves weren't intere-

The kernel of an idea struck Tsugumi so hard it took her a moment to realize she was holding her breath. She released it explosively. Carefully, she set down her stuffed koi pillow before delving into her school bag.

A minute's search revealed her sought after prize: the curriculum laid out for her mandatory lessons. Not quite a full syllabus, as Seong-sensei had explained the lesson plans were going to follow her's and Bitai's pace of advancement rather than sticking to a rigid schedule. It was a copy, one given to her and her father when they'd met with the Hokage and Seong-sensei, to discuss her participation in mandatory lessons. Tsugumi had skimmed through it, her focus shot for much of the meeting due to sheer shock. It had been completely forgotten in the wake of the Clan Elders pronouncement the very next evening.

Now, however, she remembered two little words in the packet of papers. Tsugumi scanned through each page, reading carefully. She came across the desired words quickly enough. From there she read in further detail, a grin widening on her face as she framed her idea within the context of the curriculum.

Tsugumi couldn't get out of the mandatory lessons. The Hokage had laid them out as a new requirement for her graduation from the Academy, and even if she hadn't, the Clan Elders had made them an equally essential component to surviving their ultimatum.

What she could do, what she would do, was take advantage of a loophole Seong-sensei may not have even realized existed in the curriculum. A loophole that Tsugumi could leverage, use as a tool to reshape the mandatory lessons into something she could benefit from more fully. In more ways than one.

Best of all, she had the perfect stalking horse. Bitai hadn't said anything explicit – Tsugumi's best friend was sensitive to her moods and had clearly known Tsugumi wasn't up for idle chatter for most of the last two weeks – but Tsugumi wasn't so out of it that she'd completely discarded her observational skills. Once she explained what she wanted to do, she knew Bitai would be more than happy to spearhead the upfront effort.

Turning the lessons into a psychological study on all involved would help her. The effects it would have on their partner, and their instructor, would be good for her to study. Depending on how they reacted, Tsugumi could see using the same, core elements to construct interrogation genjutsu similar to her mother's in the future. Tsugumi could sit back, observe, interrogate Bitai in detail to ensure she had at least one complete perspective in addition to her own, outside observations.

Yeah. This is…I can use this. I will use this.


"Ha!" Riri struck out at the log stuck in the ground.

Ry followed suit. Unlike Riri's underhanded fist, Ry stuck with a conventional punch. He was learning at a 'barely acceptable' pace, according to Kazune and Aoba, but he was no savant. Nor did the Styles he preferred lend themselves to those kind of strikes. Ry wasn't sure what Gaya and Riri called their version of Leaf Style taijutsu, but it reminded him of a fairly famous martial artist from some old movies he half remembered.

"Ha!" Riri's next strike looked identical to her first.

Because it was. Riri and Gaya called the exercise 'One Thousand Identical Strikes.'

Which is just like it says on the tin.

Ry repeated his own motion again. The sanded wood was smooth, and somewhat pulped from previous exercises, but it still hurt like hell. Ry had to grit his teeth with each punch. Partially to help himself stick to identical form, and partially to fight through the pain.

Getting beat up was one thing. Ry was becoming very accustomed to taking hits as Aoba, Akena, and Kazune trained him. Every lesson he walked away from with fresh bruises, and occasionally cuts. They were not merciful teachers, and their difficulty had been steadily increasing since Ry had begun his study of iryo ninjutsu.

Ry knew better than to think that merely a coincidence.

Intentionally causing himself pain was another skill entirely. Receiving pain was easy, because it wasn't something he directly caused. Indirectly, through a missed block or failed counter, but not something he inflicted upon himself.

Punching a wooden log with knuckles that felt like they'd already fractured demanded far more mental discipline.

Hirana was off to the side, working on a scroll. Ry didn't know what kind, but he knew better than to ask. Hirana, as a teacher, did not like questions. She didn't seem to like questions, in general.

Gaya and Kazune were off doing some sort of competition. Ry didn't know the specifics, nor did he want to. He could vaguely remember the relationship that Kakashi and Gai had in the anime, and he was not inclined to get involved. Gaya seemed similarly spirited, as did Riri. Training with her was already enough of a challenge, as were the training weights that had been implemented.

"Ha!" Riri struck again.

Ow.

"Your knuckles are bleeding again, Shiranui-kun." Hirana said without looking up from her scroll. "Stop and heal them."

Riri paused. Ry nodded at her gratefully, then brought his right hand over. The chakra around his hand flared, settling into a blueish green. He pressed his palm against his knuckles, hissing slightly. Experienced iryo ninjutsu specialists were able to their work with minimal pain. Sometimes none.

Ry was not near that point. Instead, he closed his eyes, doing his best to let the pain sharpen his focus rather than dissipate it.

Bruises might've been the easiest injuries to heal, but scrapes and hairline fractures weren't much worse. All they required was injecting his attuned chakra into the wound and using it as fuel to accelerate the healing process.

Rather than leaving it at that, Ry pushed to clarify. As he injected the chakra, he studied how it felt, and the effects it had. Most of his chakra control was utilized to slow the process down; rather than flood the area with his chakra to heal it in seconds, Ry wanted to take his time. He used the slowed healing to study its effects, occasionally prodding and tweaking how his chakra was injected.

The next step, according to Hirana, would be to manually take charge of the healing process, directing it as he went. Which would require complete understanding, and finer grained chakra control than he had, by a couple of magnitudes. It was the step that delineated a triage iryo ninjutsu from one used by an iryo ninjutsu specialist. It was the difference between reattaching a freshly severed finger and reattaching a finger that had been severed for more than five minutes. The triage iryo ninjutsu might still be able to reattach it after that length of time, but it would never quite work right.

Only those with fine enough grain control to reweave the patient's chakra network into reattached or regrown flesh could rightfully call themselves iryo ninjutsu specialists.

Ry wasn't expected to get there for years. He'd already been given a personal demonstration.

My pinky finger still sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night. I reattached it, but…ugh, no, don't want to think about that right now.

Or my eyes.

Once the healing was done, Ry opened his eyes. "Rokku-san, you want some?"

"No, Shiranui-san." Riri shook her head emphatically. "Gaya-sensei says that only those who can endure through training can triumph in combat, that the blooming flower of our youth will heal us when we nurture it properly."

Hirana snorted, but didn't say anything. Ry didn't look her way, nor did Riri. Riri was fairly enthusiastic, and energetic, but she was clearly capable of reading the moods of her instructors. Ry wasn't sure if that was due to the capriciousness of Gaya, or just the kind of EQ needed for someone who had defective tenketsu to survive as a kunoichi in training.

"Then let's get back to it." Ry said.

"Yosh!" Riri smiled, pumping her fist. "Only two hundred and forty seven more strikes to go!"

Wait. Weren't we just at nine hundred?

Did I miscount? It's been a bit of a mental blur for the last hour.

This was only his second afternoon training with Riri. Kazune and Ginna didn't want him doing it more than once a week. Ry's aunt had muttered about 'infectious obliviousness,' but Ry wasn't inclined to disagree.

He was dedicated to training, but Riri did the 'One Thousand Identical Strikes' method at least twice each day. There were plenty of pulped logs around the clearing demonstrating that she'd been keeping up that regimen for months, at least.

Ry planned to survive, but he knew himself better than that. Mindless repetition only worked for so long with him.

"Ha!" Riri shouted, punching the log once more.