Chapter 23: Training Days

Konoha, Training Ground Eleven:

The sun had not risen yet when the members of team eleven arrived at the training ground. Hinata was sitting by the lake, calmly watching the fish swim nearby. Sasuke had perched himself on top of one of the logs, standing on it with one foot.

Naruto, meanwhile, was using his eyes to scan the training ground, trying to look for their sensei. At the same time, he had a large scroll opened and laid out across the ground. He was working on his Fūinjutsu.

"So, what if we change this line here so it can connect here," he points to a section on the scroll.

Naruto heard a soft humming in his head. "No, that won't work," Kurama said. "If you did do that, time would flow normally in the storage space. Not ideal for storage."

Naruto nodded as he got a close look at the symbols. "Yes, I can see what you mean," he responded. "Plus, I think taking it out would accelerate the degradation of whatever was inside. That would not be good for any food we would carry."

Naruto looked over what would have looked like a mess of lines and symbols to others. All interlinked at what seemed like random. Truth was, it was anything but random.

It was the sealing matrix of an average storage scroll. Naruto was trying to figure out ways to improve it. He looked over at another section of the scroll. "So, what about this,"

"That looks interesting," Shisui said.

Naruto nodded. "It is," he said. "I don't get why most people think Fūinjutsu is boring. There are so many things you can?" Naruto jumped up to his feet and whirled around to face Shisui. "Shisui-Sensei?" He shouted in surprise, causing Hinata and Sasuke to drop what they were doing and look at him.

Surprise looks flashed across their faces as they laid eyes on their sensei. "What?" he said nonchalantly.

"I," Naruto started. "I had, but I was. How did you sneak up on me? I had my eyes everywhere."

"You're sure they were everywhere?" Shisui questioned. He looked around the training ground with a thoughtful expression. "It seems pretty easy to get pasted them. All I had to do was just walk up to you."

Naruto gave him an incredulously. "You just walked up to me?"

Shisui shrugged. "Well, sort of," he said. "You were distracted, making it easier to sneak up on you. If I were an enemy shinobi, I could have killed you and your friends. In fact," he pulled out a black marker just as Hinata and Sasuke approached them. "I did kill all three of you."

It was then that Naruto noticed the black Xs on each of their backs. Naruto felt a cold chill go down his spine. Not only had Shisui waltzed into the training grounds without them noticing, but he had marked each of them to prove he could have killed them all if he wanted to.

Hinata and Sasuke had ghostly expressions as they noticed the mark on the other's back.

Naruto gulped. "You killed all of us?" he asked, getting a nod from his sensei. "Why? Couldn't you have just told us you were here?"

Shisui shrugged his shoulders. "I could have," he said. "But I wanted to have some fun with you guys," he smiled at seeing the blank stares he got. "Plus, it seemed like a nice opportunity for a lesson."

"A lesson?" Hinata asked.

Shisui nodded. "They taught you at the academy that you can't drop your guard, right?" He got nods from the three genin. "That you always have to be alert."

"But we're in the village," Sasuke pointed out. "We should be safe here."

Shisui's smile grew. "Exactly," he said. "But you should already know better than that." The three genin remained silent as they remembered past events. The Hyūga Affair, the Uchiha Betrayal, and most recently, the Kurama Kidnapping. All proof that they weren't safe in the village, not always. "Konoha is a safe place. But even here, you can't drop your guard. The life of a Shinobi is one filled with paranoia, and we always have to keep an eye out."

"Kurama, did you know he was here?" Naruto asked his tenant.

"I did," Kurama replied.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Naruto asked.

"For the same reasons, your sensei stated," the foxed answered. "It was fun, and you needed to learn something. You can't always depend on me, kit. There may come a time when you will have to use your own senses and instincts to detect danger."

Naruto had a thoughtful expression on his face. It was something he would have to reflect on later. "Shisui-sensei," Naruto said, getting the young man's attention. "How did you get in here? I had my eyes scanning everywhere."

The older Uchiha gave Naruto a coy smile. "Come now, Naruto," he said. "I'm a highly trained Jōnin and one of the best in the village. I can't really say that if I can't sneak past some floating eyeballs," then he got a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, that is a sentence I thought I would never have to say."

"So, what are we going to do today?" Sasuke asked, looking between his teammates and sensei. "Are you going to show us something, have us go on missions?"

Naruto got an excited look on his face. "Are we going to rescue a princess? Overthrow a tyrannical government? Or maybe you're going to show us some super cool and powerful jutsu?" More questions came out from Naruto.

Shisui chuckled. "Slow down, little guy," he said, holding his hands out. "We're not going to be doing anything like that today. But I assure you we will get to stuff like that eventually."

Naruto visibly deflated. "Oh," he said. "So, what are we doing today?"

Shisui smiled. "Simple, really," he said. "I want to see what the three of you can do."

The three genin stared at their sensei. "What we can do?" Naruto asked. "Can you explain?"

Shisui nodded. "I want to know what you guys can do," he replied. "How your taijutsu is, what kind of jutsus you know, and any other skill you might have. Stuff like that."

The genin looked at each other, still seemingly confused by their sensei's request. "Don't you have access to our records from the academy?" Sasuke asked. "Should that give you some idea?"

"Some," Shisui said. "But I can only get so much from a piece of paper. I want to see what you guys can do with my own eyes. Plus, the academy might have missed something."

"L-Like what?" Hinata asked.

Shisui put a hand to his chin. "Like something you didn't want them to know. A hidden skill or jutsu you don't want anyone to know," at this, the three genin tensed up. Shisui smiled to reassure them. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. If there is anything like that you can tell me in private. But I need to know where you stand and what you can do. I'm your sensei, so you can trust me."

The three genin still looked hesitant but nodded at the young man. "So," Naruto said. "What do you want us to show you first?"

"Let's start off with some simple questions first," Shisui said. "What kind of chakra control techniques do you know?"

"We know the leaf-sticking technique," Naruto said. "It's the first thing they taught us in the academy about chakra control."

Hinata nodded. "We also know how to perform the tree walking technique," she added.

Shisui nodded. "Good," he said. "At least I don't have to show you that one. Show me."

The group of four walked up to the forest, where each genin picked a tree to walk up. Shisui had them do this several times to evaluate their control and reserves.

Shisui was pleased by this. "Okay, so that means I can show you the next step."

"The next step?" Naruto asked.

Shisui waved him off. "Don't worry about that right now," he said. "I'll show it to you later. Now then, onto the next question. What sorts of jutsus do you know? You don't have to give me specifics just yet. Just give me the rundown. Oh, and skip over the academy three. That should be a given."

The genin nodded. Sasuke was the first to answer the young man's question. "I mostly know some Katon jutsu. Like the great fireball and phoenix bullet. I know a lighting one, but aside from that, just some basic jutsu."

Shisui hummed. "But what I would expect from another Uchiha," he said. "Though the lightning one is a surprise."

Sasuke shrugged. "Itachi tested my chakra," he explained. "I have an affinity for fire and lighting."

Shisui nodded and looked at Naruto. "I know a few wind and water jutsu. Great breakthrough, water whip, and working on air bullet. Also, the clone jutsu I know is a little different from the academy version."

"The Kage Bunshin," Shisui said. "Yes, I know about that one. You'll have to show me how many you can make. But from what I've been told, it should open up some possibilities."

Naruto nodded, he held his hands out where a pair of eyes floated down to. "I have some jutsus with my eyes, and I've been working on Fūinjutsu."

"Fūinjutsu," Shisui repeated. "Should be interesting. Is that all you want to tell me for the moment?" Naruto nodded. Shisui glanced over at Hinata. "All right, little lady. You're last."

Hinata shyly nodded. "I know some ninjutsu," she said. "Like Water Needle and Earth Dome,"

"Do you have an affinity for water and Earth?" Shisui queried. Hinata nodded. "So, we got all five elements here, nice."

Hinata continued with her run down. "Aside from those, I mostly know clan jutsu, and," she paused momentarily. "And I have been working on medical jutsu. I already know the mystical palm."

"So, you'll be the team medic," Shisui said. Then closed his eyes as he processed what he had learned. "Sounds like we got a wide range of abilities to work with. Which should be good what I have in mind for you guys."

"What do you have in mind for us?" Sasuke asked.

"Don't worry about it right now," Shisui said. "I'm starting to understand what you guys can do. Here in a moment, you all will have a private session with me where you can detail your skillset. Including anything you want to keep hidden," the three genin nodded. "Alright, then, let's get onto the next question. How would you rate you're taijutsu skills?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'd won't say mine is bad," he said honestly. He knew his skills were better than most of his class. But he knew he couldn't hold a candle next to Sasuke and Hinata. "But I'm definitely the worst on this team."

Shisui smiled at the boy. "Don't sweat it," he said. "You don't have to be the best at everything, just the stuff you're good at."

Naruto felt a hand land on his shoulder. It was Hinata giving him a reassuring smile. He turned his head towards her and nodded. "Thanks," he said. Then faced Shisui.

Hinata spoke next. "I'm well versed in my clan's taijutsu," she said. "The Juken. I was in the top ranking of my class when it came to taijutsu."

"I was close behind her," Sasuke added. "I know the Uchiha style of Taijutsu like the back of my hand."

Shisui hummed. "I wouldn't say that," he said. "There are some stuff you have yet to learn. But I do see where you're coming from. From the sounds of it, I got two students who can specialize in taijutsu, while the third is good enough to hold his own. But words can only tell me so much. I want to see the three of you in action."

The three genin looked at each other. "Do you want us to come at you?" Naruto asked.

Shisui shook his head. "No," he said. "Nothing like that. Not today, anyway. I want each of you to spare with each other," the genin nodded their heads, showing they understood what he wanted.

"Shisui-Sensei," Hinata says. "Since there are three of us, how should we pair off?"

Naruto thought it was a good question. With the three of them, either one of them would have to fight twice, or all of them would. He turned his head to face Shisui to see what kind of answer he would give.

"There will be three spars," Shisui said. "First, it will be Naruto vs. Hinata, then Naruto vs. Sasuke, and finally Sasuke vs. Hinata. Naruto, you're going twice in a roll first since I know you have the most stamina. This way, Hinata can have a moment to rest."

"But I won't," Sasuke grumbled under his breath.

Shisui smiled at his cousin. "Your stamina is pretty good, too, Sasuke. So, you should be in good enough condition to face off against her," he clapped his hands together. "All right then, let's get to it."

Shisui guided them to the middle of the training ground. Where they found large circles outlining arenas for taijutsu. Naruto and Hinata stepped into one, taking opposite sides.

Shisui and Sasuke stood outside to watch. "Now remember this a spare, not a deathmatch," Shisui said. "I don't want you hurting each other. At the same time, I do want to see what you can do. So, don't hold back too much. Got that?" Naruto and Hinata nodded. "Good, then begin."

Both genin took their respective taijutsu stances and waited for the other to act. After a moment, the two started to move around the arena, watching the other carefully. Naruto notices the moment of uncertainty in Hinata's eyes.

He knew what she was thinking. She didn't want to hurt him. Naruto smiled and nodded at her, telling her it was okay. Hinata's eyes widened just a little bit, and she nodded.

Not a moment later, she charged at him. Naruto stopped in his track and took a defensive stance waiting for the Hyūga girl to close the distance. When she did, she threw a palm out. That Naruto noted was glowing faintly at the fingertips.

Naruto quickly deflected the blow, then did the same with the second strike that came after. More palm strikes came from Hinata, all aimed at his chest or arms. Naruto knew better than to take any hits. With the Juken, any hit that got in would close off a charka point. With each point closed off, he would have less and less access until he couldn't draw on his chakra anymore.

So, the best strategy was to either parry the strikes or dodge them altogether. Naruto wasn't a particularly nimble fighter, so his best bet was to parry Hinata's attacks and dodge where he could.

But Hinata was quick and flexible. Her attacks came in fast and precisely. Even as Naruto deflected most of them, he felt some of them slip through in the form of prickling feelings in his arms and shoulders. Already, Naruto could feel a little less of his chakra coursing through his body.

Not to say that Naruto was on the defensive or in trouble. In fact, he managed to get some good blows at Hinata that forced her to slow her offensive. Hinata may be the quicker and more nimble of the two, she even had a highly regarded taijutsu form in her arsenal, but Naruto had stamina. A lot of it, and Hyūgas were not known for their stamina, so they preferred to end their fights quickly.

If Naruto could keep his defense up long enough, Hinata would tire out, leaving her open. Hinata knew this to. After almost a decade of living together, training, and sparing against one another, they knew each other's tells. They knew what the other was thinking.

Naruto could tell that Hinata was getting tired now. Her palms strikes were coming slower now and were not as precise as before. Naruto smiled, finally seeing his chance.

As soon as he deflected another palm strike, he sent one out at Hinata, aiming for her lower abdomen. Hinata quickly pulled herself away from Naruto, then moved to the side, avoiding a hit to the shoulder.

Naruto kept his offensive up, forcing Hinata to rapidly backpedal. Even on the defensive like this, Hinata was still the nimbler of the two, ducking and weaving through Naruto's attacks. Even getting in a few good hits on Naruto, hoping to break his offense.

But it wouldn't happen, as Naruto had the advantage now and wasn't about to let go. Hinata took a step back, avoiding a palm strike to her chest. Then her eyes widened when Naruto spun around and shot his leg out. Hinata didn't have enough time to react, so she did the only thing she could. She held her arms out to block the leg coming at her side.

Naruto's leg impacted up against Hinata's arms, causing a small cry to escape her. For a moment, Naruto felt something tug at his chest. He ignored the feelings and pressed on with his attack. The impact of the attack was too much for Hinata, as her arms gave way. She was sent to the ground, catching herself with her battered arms.

Hinata tried to make a move to get up but stopped when she found a palm just inches away from her face. Naruto looked down at her and smiled. Hinata sighed and relaxed her posture. "I concede," she said.

Naruto nodded and loosened his shoulders up. He held a hand out for Hinata. The girl blushed but took his hand. "You okay?" He asked her. After a moment, she nodded, giving him a smile. Naruto nodded and turned his attention to Shisui. "So, how was that?"

Shisui looked at them. "Not bad," he said. "Naruto, you put up a solid defense and outlasted your opponent long enough to go on the offensive. But I think your form could use some work. There was some waste movement there, and you could have ended the fight sooner."

Naruto nodded happily at the praise he got, taking note of the criticism. "I'll try to work on that," he said.

Shisui nodded. "Don't worry, it's more to do with lack of experience, I think," he said. "We can fix that soon enough," then he turned his attention to Hinata. "As for you, Hinata," Hinata started to tap her fingers together and retreated into her coat. Naruto frowned and took a protective step in front of her. An apologetic expression passed across Shisui's face. "You did great, too," Hinata perked up and looked at him with a surprised look. "Unlike Naruto, your form was good. I would even say flawless. You were precise and wasted no energy. You took advantage of every opening you could. What held you back was your lack of stamina and power to overpower your opponent's defenses. With the former, some training should be able to help out with that."

Hinata nodded, with a mild blush on her checks. "Thank you, Shisui-sensei," she said. "I'll think about what you said."

Shisui then placed a hand on his chin. "Actually, there was something else I noticed," he said. "While your form was good, it differed from the normal Juken. Did you modify it?"

Hinata looked away for a moment as uncertainty flashed across her face. Naruto nodded at her telling her it was okay. She looked back at Shisui and nodded. "I did," she said. "I'm not particularly good with the traditional form of the Juken. My body is more flexible than most Hyūga."

Naruto nodded. "The normal Juken is too ridged for her," he explained. "So, she's been using a modified version of it. One that's a little more flexible than the other. Although the Hyūga elders don't like it."

Shisui snorted. "Then it's a good thing I'm not one of them," he said. "It is interesting to know now. I would encourage you to keep using this form and even expand on it. If you need help with that, you can always come to me. I might not be able to help, but I know some Taijutsu specialists who might."

Hinata had a small smile on her face. "Thank you, sensei," she said.

"All right then," he said, turning around to face Sasuke. "I think that's enough talking. Let's get to the next round. Sasuke, you're up," Sasuke nodded and walked into the arena. "Hinata, take this moment to rest until I call you up." Hinata stepped out of the arena and stood next to Shisui.

Naruto and Sasuke took opposite ends of the arena. At their sensei's signal, the sparing match began. Unlike with his match with Hinata, Naruto didn't have to wait long. Almost immediately, Sasuke launches himself at Naruto.

Naruto parried the first attack that came from the Uchiha boy and then blocked the next that quickly followed. Another difference here was that Naruto could afford to take hits from Sasuke since none of his attacks would block off chakra points.

But he couldn't take the hits forever. The Uchiha taijutsu style was precise, like the Juken, but had more power and speed behind it. It was meant to overwhelm their opponents with quick, powerful strikes.

Sasuke kept up his assault on Naruto, and he didn't focus on one angle of attack. Sasuke moved around Naruto throwing palm strike after palm strike and even mixing some leg movement in the hopes of finding an opening to exploit.

Naruto, though managed to keep up with the Uchiha boy. He deflected the strike that would have gone for his throat. He grabbed Sasuke's arm in the same motion as it shot out at his shoulder.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized the trouble he was in. Before he could react, Naruto shot his free arm out and hit him in the chest. Sasuke was sent stumbling back as Naruto let go of his arm.

Naruto pressed on his advantage and charged at Sasuke. Closing the distance, Naruto sends out another palm strike to his stomach. Sasuke had mostly recovered and twisted his body around to avoid the attack. Naruto used the momentum to turn himself around and swung his arm out.

Sasuke used his arm to take the hit. Then used his free arm to send a strike at Naruto. He parried the attack, then ducked below Sasuke and swept his leg out. Sasuke saw the attack coming and jumped over the attack, and brought a hand down on Naruto.

Naruto moved back and jumped up at Sasuke, meeting him blow for blow. Their match would continue as the boys would switch between going on the offensive and defending on the turn of a dime.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm, holding it up, and sent a palm strike to his chest. Naruto used his free arm to send a punch to Sasuke's chin. "That's enough," Shisui's shout caused them to stop. Naruto's fist stopped just short of Sasuke's chin. Naruto felt Sasuke's hand on his stomach.

Both boys were out of breath as they looked at each other, wondering if the other would continue. Then Sasuke smiled, took his hand off Naruto's stomach, and let his arm go. Naruto pulled his fist away and lowered his now free arm. Both boys nodded and looked at their sensei.

"That was a good match," Shisui said. "Naruto, what I said about your match with Hinata still stands. Good solid defense, but your form needs work. You also kept up a good solid offense. I could see the power behind your blows. Work on your precision more, and I'm certain you'll be a juggernaut in no time."

Naruto nodded, again happy for the praise and taking the criticism to heart.

Shisui then looked over at Sasuke. "Sasuke, like Hinata, your form was good," he said. "You executed your attacks with precision and speed. You've taken quite well to the Uchiha style of fighting."

Sasuke rubbed the back of his head, a slight blush lighting his cheeks. "Thanks," he said.

"That said, while you were good, your form can still use some work," Shisui explained. "Your attacks weren't as clean as they could have been, and you could have been faster. If you had been a little quicker and put some power into your blows, you could have kept Naruto on the defensive. But that's something we can work on later. Get ready for your match with Hinata," he looked at the Hyūga girl. "Hinata, are you ready?"

"Hai," Hinata said with a nod.

Shisui nodded back. "Naruto step out for now," he said.

Naruto nodded and started to walk out of the arena. He walked passed Hinata as she entered. "Good luck Hinata-Chan," he said to her.

Hinata didn't pause or turn to acknowledge him. But he did see the faint smile. Naruto stood next to Shisui, facing the arena. Hinata and Sasuke stood at opposite sides of the arena, both taking their clan's respective fighting stances.

"You know," Shisui said. "People would pay good money to see a match like this," Naruto smiled.

Now Naruto was the one to watch, he thought this would be an interesting sparing match. In their last matches, Hinata and Sasuke had been pitted against an opponent who could outlast them in terms of stamina. Someone who, no matter how many times they were knocked down, would always get back up.

For this match, the two would face an opponent whose style was similar but different. Both forms of taijutsu relied on precision and taking the opponent out quickly. However, the Juken was more defensive, whereas the Uchiha style was geared towards overwhelming offensives.

It would be interesting to see which was better. As expected, Sasuke was the first to attack. He charged at Hinata and lashed out with a series of palm strikes aimed at her upper body. Hinata, meanwhile, blocked and deflected them all.

Sasuke tried to maneuver around Hinata to try to find a weakness in her defenses. But with her Juken, the Hyūga girl was perfectly suited for a defense in a circular motion. She remained still even as Sasuke pressed his attack on her. She blocked, parried, and shifted her body just enough so Sasuke missed. All the while, she never moved from her spot.

Sasuke, on the other hand, looked like he was getting frustrated with the lack of progress he was making. He ducked under Hinata and swept his legs out to trip the girl. But she quickly stepped over the attack.

Hinata then shot out a palm strike down at Sasuke. Who leaped back from the attack and shot back up to his feet. The fight shifted. Hinata charged at Sasuke and shot out another palm strike.

Sasuke lifted his arm to block the attack. A mistake, Hinata's palm strike quickly turned into a series of quick jabs at Sasuke's arm. Sasuke's eyes widen as he realizes his mistake, but too late to act. His arm fell to the side as Hinata sent out more jabs at his shoulder.

Sasuke tried to pull himself away from Hinata, but with the weight of his arm dragging him down, he couldn't get out. Sasuke then attempted to send a palm strike out at Hinata with his other arm. But that only gave the girl the opportunity she needed. Hinata sidestepped the attack and jabbed at the arm before Sasuke could pull it back.

A moment later, Hinata held her palm before Sasuke's face. "Concede," she said. "I've blocked off all the chakra points in your arms. In this condition, you can't fight me."

Sasuke frowned, looking like he wanted to argue, but a moment later, he nodded. "I concede," he said. Both opponents relaxed and bowed to the other.

Next to Naruto, Shisui clapped his hands together. "Well done, you two," he said. "What I said before still stands. Both of you have good forms and have little waste energy when you act. My critiques remain the same. Both of you need to work on your stamina and putting more power behind your blows. Understood?"

Both genin nodded. "Hai,"

Naruto walked out to stand next to his friends. "So, does that give you an idea of what we can do?"

Shisui nodded. "It does," he said. "I'm getting a general idea of what the three of you are capable of. I'll learn more as time goes on."

Sasuke had a tight frown on his face. "Why are you making us do this?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be training us right now?"

"I am," Shisui said. "But I need to have an idea of what you can do before I can start your training. I need to see what you're good at and what you need to improve in. I know I have academy reports and the good word of your parents or caretakers. But that can only tell me so much."

Sasuke nodded, satisfied by the answer. Naruto was the next to speak. "So, what's next?" he asked.

"Individual assessments," Shisui said. "I'll take one of you one by one into a private section of the training ground. There I want you to tell me and demonstrate in detail everything you can do. That includes anything that you've been working on in private. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, not even your teammates, if you don't want that. But I do want to know. I can't help you grow if I don't know."

The three genin nodded nervously. They weren't eager to expose their secrets but understood where their sensei coming from and hoped he could be trusted to keep their secrets.

"Sasuke, you'll go first," Shisui said, pointing to his cousin. "Hinata, I want you to work on your stamina while we're gone. Run laps around the training ground until we get back."

"Hai, sensei," Hinata said, then ran off.

Shisui turned his attention to Naruto. "Naruto, I want you to work on your chakra control. Use the tree climbing technique and the leaf sticking technique together. You should aim to walk up and down a tree without your leaf falling off."

Naruto nodded and started to walk off to a nearby tree.

"Oh, Naruto," Shisui said, stopping him. "No spying on us. I don't want to catch any of your eyes peeking at us. Understood?"

Naruto nodded. He wasn't planning on doing that anyway. But he knew it was best to say it aloud. "I won't, Shisui-Sensei."

Shisui nodded. He then took Sasuke into the forested area of the training ground and out of Naruto's sight.

Secluded area

Sasuke was nervous. This was his first day as an official genin under the tutelage of a Jōnin. Before the team assignments, he didn't know what kind of sensei he and his team would get. His only expectations were they had to be strong and knowledgeable.

Never did he expect that his Jōnin-Sensei would be his cousin Shisui. Today Sasuke had expected harsh training that would make him and his teammates stronger. He didn't think the first they would have to do was demonstrate what each of them could do.

Thinking about it, Sasuke knew it made sense. His Jōnin-Sensei needed to know what he could do and where he stood in terms of his skills to figure out what his training would be. In some ways, it was already helping Sasuke. In his head, Sasuke was going over everything he knew, how well he knew them, and what he needed to work on.

The two Uchiha stopped in a small clearing in the woods. Shisui turned around to face Sasuke. "All right, Sasuke," he said. "Time to tell me what you know. What Jutsu do you have, anyone ones you're working on. What other skills do you know or are working on? That sort of stuff."

Sasuke nodded. "Sure," he said. "But first, mind if I ask a few questions?"

Shisui nodded. "Go ahead," he said. "I'm your sensei. You're supposed to ask me questions. How else am I going to teach you?"

"How come you didn't tell anyone you were becoming a Jōnin-sensei?" Sasuke asked. "And did you know you would have my friends and me?"

Shisui crossed his arms. "I wanted this to be a surprise," he said. "I didn't even tell Itachi until the day before. You should have seen the look on your brother's face. He thought I was joking. And yes, I did know who I was getting on mine. In fact, I requested you guys."

"You wanted us?" Sasuke said. "Why?"

Shisui closed his eyes and took a breath. "That might take some explaining," he said, opening his eyes. "You remember when our clan almost tore itself apart?" How could Sasuke forget? He nodded. "During that night, your brother told me to protect you above anyone else. Yes, I know your mother was there, and Itachi did want me to protect her. But I suspect that if it came down to a choice between you and your mother, Itachi would want me to choose you."

Sasuke shifted around uncomfortably. He didn't like to dwell on that night. But this was something new to him. What if it did come down to that? What if Shisui had been forced to choose between him and his mother? Or rather him over his mother?

Shisui noticed his thoughts. "I wouldn't dwell on in," he suggested. "That never happened, and for that, I'm thankful. That night, most of my thoughts centered on protecting you. Sasuke, you were very brave that night, you know that?" Sasuke nodded. "But at the same time, you were something of a mess. Your whole body was trembling, and I could see the fear in your eyes. That night was something no kid should go through. I wanted to protect you and keep you safe, not just for that night but for all the days that came after. So that got me thinking, how could I best protect you? I knew you wanted to become a Shinobi, which would make keeping you safe hard. So how was I going to protect you then? Surprisingly, the only thing that came to mind was by teaching you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Teaching me?"

Shisui nodded. "Yes, it was then that I knew I wanted to become you're Jōnin-Sensei," Shisui said. "That way, when you became a genin, I could protect you in the best way possible by teaching you. As your Jōnin-Sensei, I would be expected to teach you everything I know and to guide you on your way to becoming a Shinobi of Konoha. I would give you all the skills and knowledge you would need to protect yourself while out on missions if something happens."

Sasuke was speechless. "I," he started, finding it hard put his thoughts into words. "I never knew."

"It's something I've been keeping to myself for a while," Shisui said. "Itachi might have suspected that something was up. Though he never imagined I wanted to be your Jōnin-Sensei. But now I am. I swear to you that I will protect you the best way I can. By teaching you everything you need to know to survive the shinobi world and become a great Shinobi as well."

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you, Shisui-Sensei," Sasuke said. Then frowned as a thought occurred to him. "You're not going to show favoritism towards me, are you? Hinata and Naruto deserve to be thought too."

Shisui smiled. He ruffled Sasuke's hair. "Of course not," he said. "They're my genin students too. So, I'm expected to protect them. And you already know what I consider to be the best way to protect someone is," then he crossed his arms. "Plus, they're your friends."

Sasuke nodded, satisfied with his cousin's response. "You've already seen what I can do with taijutsu," Sasuke said. "So, I guess there's no point in explaining that."

"Not unless there's something else you've been working on," Shisui said. "Now list the ninjutsu you know and then show how well you can perform them."

Sasuke nodded and went into detail about the jutsu he knew. Which included the academy three and several kanton jutsu, such as the great fireball and phoenix bullet. Shisui then had him demonstrate to them. Thankfully, the area was treated with a special substance that made it resistant to elemental attacks, so Sasuke didn't have to worry about starting a forest fire.

"Not bad," Shisui said at the end of it. "Is there anything else you want to show me?"

Sasuke bit his lip, wondering if he should tell him. "There is one more jutsu I'm working on," he said. Shisui gestured for him to go on. Sasuke took a deep breath and went through the hand signs he had been practicing. Then he channeled his charka into the palm of his hands. "Raiton: Lighting Palms," blue lighting formed and cracked around Sasuke's hands. Then without another word, he shot his hand out at a nearby tree.

He grabbed the tree trunk and channeled the electricity into the bark. A moment later, a section of the tree exploded into a shower of wood. Sasuke pulled his hand back and opened his palm showing the smoking remains of wood fragments.

Sasuke turned around to face Shisui to see he had an impressed look on his face. "So that's the Raiton jutsu you were talking about," he said.

Sasuke nodded. "My brother showed it to me once he learned I had an affinity for Raiton," he explained. "I'm hoping to learn more to even out my Katon Jutsu."

Shisui nodded. "Most Uchiha are known for their Katon jutsu," he said. "Encountering one with an affinity for Raiton will certainly come as a surprise."

"That was what I was thinking," Sasuke said.

"I don't know how helpfully I'll in teaching you Raiton," Shisui admitted. "I don't know that many Raiton Jutsu. But I do know somebody who can help."

Sasuke nodded, glad for that. Itachi had told him that affinity for Raiton was rare, as Konoha was known more for its Katon users. They were in the land of fire, after all.

Shisui had a thoughtful expression on his face. "From what I can see, you're pretty heavily set on the offensive," he said. "You have a decent set of Katon jutsu, and you are working on your Raiton affinity. Your grasp on the Uchiha taijutsu style is coming along nicely, but it could still use some work. The way I see it, you're going to be the sword of the team. The one who is always focused on attacking the enemy while your teammates act to support you. However, I would like to teach you some defensive techniques to round out your skill set."

Sasuke nodded. He understood what his sensei was saying. "There's something else I'm working on. But Naruto and Hinata don't know about this one. I wanted to surprise them."

Shisui looked at him, intrigued. "What?"

"I'm practicing kenjutsu," Sasuke said.

After Shisui was done with Sasuke, Hinata was the next to be called on. While she was gone, Naruto would still work on his chakra control, while Sasuke was expected to work on his taijutsu form.

Entering a small clearing, Hinata looked around, noting the scorch marks around the area. Sasuke must have demonstrated his katon jutsu.

"All right, Hinata," Shisui-Sensei said, facing her. "Show me what you can do."

Hinata nodded her head. "I don't know that many ninjutsu," she explained. "Just the academy three, some Suiton, and a doton jutsu."

Shisui nodded. "Understandable," he said. "The Hyūga aren't known for their ninjutsu mastery. A shame, really, with their Bykugan, many Hyūga could make for great Ninjutsu specialists."

Hinata nodded. "A few do branch out," she commented.

"Like you," Shisui replied. "As far as I'm concerned, that makes you better than most shinobi I know. Too many rely on a single skillset, so they fall apart the moment they're countered."

Hinata hadn't really thought of that. She only did it because she felt she wasn't as good at taijutsu. So, she looked into other fields of study to find what she was good at.

"Show me what you do know," Shisui said. "Then you can show me the clan techniques you know," at this, Hinata gave him a wary look. "Don't worry, you can only show me the ones your clan will let you. The rest I'll leave up to Hyūga to judge."

Hinata nodded and went through all of the ninjutsu she knew. First, showing the academy three, then the elemental jutsu she knew. After that, she shows the clan techniques she knew (and was allowed to reveal), such as the sixteen palm.

Shisui looked impressed. "Not bad," he said. "I've seen some Hyūga in action before, and I see you have the potential to be one of their best."

Hinata blushed at the compliment. "Th-thank you, Shisui-Sensei," she was not sure how right he was, though.

"So, we got your Ninjutsu down, and you've shown me the clan techniques you could," Shisui said. "The academy reports said you're working on Iryō Ninjutsu. Is that right?"

Hinata nodded her head. "I only know the mystic palm right now," she explained.

"That's all right," Shisui said. "I know the medical field can be difficult to get into," he took a kunai out and cut the palm of his hand. "Show me how well you can do."

Hinata quickly took Shisui's hand and used the mystic palm to close the wound. Then she wiped the blood off his hand. "Please don't cut yourself like that again," she said after she was done."

Shisui smiled and pulled his hand back. "Don't worry I won't," he said. "Aside from the mystic palm, have you been practicing any other medical techniques?"

Hinata nodded. "I finished all the basic skills two months ago," she said. "But I couldn't start on the mid-level techniques until," she trailed off.

"Until you were a genin," Shisui finished for her. "I'm guessing you'll need the endorsement of your Jōnin-sensei to go further down medical training."

Hinata nodded. "And another doctor," she explained. "I already have Tsunade-Sama to support me. I just need you to fill out a form.

"I will," Shisui said. "It would be fantastic to have an actual medic on our team. I know basic aid, and so do Sasuke and Naruto. But I would feel better knowing we have someone who knows what they're doing."

Hinata blushed again, happy for the praise. "I've also been making my own medicine," she said.

An eager glint appeared in Shisui's eyes. "Even better," he said. "I assume this is because a certain someone gets hurt a lot?" Hinata's silence was all the answer he needed. "Since we're on the subject of making our own stuff, have you looked into making your own poisons?"

Hinata stiffened. That had been something she had thought about and was still uncertain about. "A l-little," she said slowly.

Shisui noticed her discomfort. "You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable with it," he said. He got a nod from Hinata, who relieve by his words. It was still something she would have to think about later, but at least for now, it wasn't something she had to worry about. "Is there something else you want to tell me?"

Hinata remained silent for a moment, wondering if she should tell him what she was working on. "I am working on something," she said. Then went into an explanation of what she had in mind.

Naruto was a little disappointed that he was the last to be called on by their sensei. But he wasn't surprised either.

Looking around the clearing with his eyes, he saw that the area had scorch marks and dump areas. His teammates must have shone the jutsu they knew. He heard Shisui clear his throat, grabbing his attention.

Naruto turned his head to face Shisui. "You know it's a little creepy how you look around like that," he commented. "You still turned your head around as though you still have eyes in your sockets. Why?"

"Unconscious habit, I guess," Naruto said. "Or maybe it's just something hardwired in the human brain."

Shisui shrugged, accepting the answer for what it was. "Well, you should already know the drill by now," he said.

Naruto nodded and went into an explanation of the jutsu he knew, even showing how well he knew them. He started with the academy three (except for the standard bunshin, for obvious reasons), then the element jutsus he knew, like the great breakthrough, wind cutter, and water whip.

Shisui looked impressed by the display. "Nice," he said. "Though I think you might have put too much in some of them," he looked over at a tree that was almost falling over. Its roots were visibly holding it in place.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry," he said. "Still have a hard time with my chakra control."

"I understand," Shisui said. "I know you have a lot of chakra, quite a bit more than most kids your age do. We'll try to work on your control some more. Now then, you have yet to show me your Kage-Bunshin."

Naruto nodded. "I was hoping to save that one for last," he said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Make as many clones as you can," Shisui said. "Don't bother with control just pop out as many of those things as you can. I want to see what I'm working with."

Naruto nodded and made the handsign for the Kage-bunshin. He channeled all his charka and released it. "Kage-Bushin no-jutsu," from Naruto's perspective, he saw the whole clearing and a large part of the forest area enveloped in smoke.

Once the smoke cleared, all that could be seen was an ocean of blondes. Very handsome blondes, might he add. With the smoke gone now, Shisui was able to look around. If he had been impressed before, now he was awe-struck.

"Just how many clones did you make?" Shisui asked, looking all over the filled clearing.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said honestly. "We could count them if you like."

Shisui shook his head. "No, never mind," he said. "Let's just say it's a lot. Disperse them, but carefully and slowly."

Naruto nodded. "I know," he said. He dispersed the clones in clusters, letting a few seconds to pass between each cluster. He ignored all the useless information being dumped into his mind.

Maybe ten minutes later, Naruto and Shisui were alone again. Shisui gave Naruto a concerned look. "You okay, Naruto?" He asked. "No headaches or anything?"

Naruto nodded his head. "Don't worry, the clones were only around for a few seconds, and they all had the same memories. So, it really wasn't that much of an overload."

"So, you know about the memory thing," Shisui stated.

Naruto nodded. "Yea, Kurama told me about it after I learned the Kage Bunshin," he explained.

"Kurama?" Shisui asked.

"You would know him as the Kyūbi," Naruto said.

Shisui's eyes widened. "I knew you were in contact with the fox," Shisui said carefully. "But I didn't know you knew its name. Or even that it had a name."

Naruto ignored the low growl in the back of his head. "He's not as bad as you think," Naruto defended Kurama. "And the Hokage does know about this. You can ask him yourself."

Shisui nodded. "I will," he said. "That brings me to my next question. Can you access it,"

"His," Naruto corrected sharply.

"His chakra?" Shisui finished his question.

Naruto nodded. "I can," he said. "I've practicing ever since I meet Kurama."

"Which would have been about seven years ago," Shisui said. "From what I understand, Jinchūriki can measure their power based on the number of tails they can manifest. Right?" He got a nod from Naruto. "So, how many tails are you up to?"

"Right now?" Naruto asked, getting a nod from his sensei. "None,"

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "You've been working on this for seven years, and you can't even manifest any tails?" he asked.

Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Well, that's because Kurama believes I'm not ready yet," he explained. "The furball has really high standards when it comes to controlling his chakra, and he won't let me control any tails until I can fully control it at each stage. As I am now, he'll only let me create a tailless cloak. Still powerful, but nothing compared to what the tails will offer me."

Shisui hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose I can't blame him," he said. "I read about what happens when a Jinchūriki draws too much power and goes berserk. Considering the Kyūbi is the strongest of the nine, I don't want to see what would happen if you couldn't control yourself."

Naruto nodded. Kurama had told him what could happen if he went out of control. The kind of damage he could do in that state. It was the main reason he didn't complain too much about Kurama's high standards of control.

"So, how close are you to your first tail?" Shisui asked. "That is in the opinion of your tenant."

"Not that far, actually," Naruto replied. "In about three or four months. After that, he said the other tails should follow more quickly. The first tail is always the hardest."

Shisui nodded. "And how long until you can manifest all nine tails?"

"A few years," Naruto said. "Probably when I'm about sixteen or seventeen. Eighteen at the latest."

"Well, that's good to know," Shisui said. "Having a Jinchūriki on the team will be helpful. Especially when we get into a tight spot."

Naruto nodded, seeing what his sensei meant. "I don't want to rely too much on Kurama's power," Naruto said. "I want to be able to rely on my own power and abilities. That way, if something happens and I can't call on his chakra, I'll have something to fall on."

Shisui smiled at him. "I wasn't saying you should rely on his power," he said. "That way, I see it. It's just another tool in your arsenal. Like my Sharingan, it's nice to have to, but it is only as good as I allow it to be."

"That alone makes him better than most Uchiha I have met," Kurama said.

"There is one last thing I want to ask before we move on," Shisui said. "What about your teammates? Do they know about your status as a Jinchūriki and what it means?"

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Of course they do," he said. "And all my other friends know about it too."

Shisui gave him a surprised look. "Really?" He asked and got a nod from Naruto. "Hinata and Sasuke I can see. They're your closest friends and now your teammates. But for the others, I didn't know you trusted them that well."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I took a chance," he said. "They still think of me as me, and that's what matters to me."

Shisui nodded. "That's good to hear," he said. "It makes things easier anyway. That way, we don't have to tiptoe around the subject when they're around," Shisui placed a hand on his chin as he thought over something. "So, is there anything else you're working on?"

"Well, I am working on Fūinjutsu," Naruto said.

Shisui looked over his genin as they gathered together. He had to admit he was impressed with them. Sure, he knew they were good and that this team would be awesome all on its known. He just never knew how good these kids would be.

Shisui smiled. He was so going to brag about them with the other Jōnin. "Alright, your three, you've actually impressed me," he admitted to his students. He saw all three of them perk up and smile at him. "I knew the three of you were good. But this is something else."

"That's because we're the best," Naruto bragged. Next to him, Sasuke nodded and had a smirk on his lips. Hinata just nodded and had light blush spreading around her cheeks.

"Now, don't get too cocky," Shisui said. "You're still genin and far from being on top in the Shinobi world," the three genin deflated as they were reminded where they stood in the world. "But you are good, nonetheless. I have an idea of where each of you stands and where you can improve. At least as individuals, tomorrow I want to see what you can do as a team," he already had an idea about that. The genin test from the other day gave him an idea, but tomorrow would give him a clearer picture.

"But as it stands, I already have a rough schedule for our training," he explained. "From Monday to Friday, we will be meeting here at training ground eleven at five in the morning, so adjust your schedules accordingly," he got nods from his genin. "We'll begin our days with simple warm-up exercises for one hour. Then, we'll conduct teamwork exercises for two hours. After that, we'll run different drills and scenarios for two hours. Then, we'll go into individual training. Each day I'll take one of you for personal instruction while the other two work on whatever you want or anything I think you might need to work on. Mondays, I'll work with Sasuke, Tuesdays will be with Naruto, and Wednesdays, I will go to Hinata. Thursdays will be with whoever I think needs it the most. Fridays will instead be replaced with an additional hour of teamwork exercises. Understood?"

His genin nodded. "We understand," Hinata said.

"Good," Shisui said. "After the individual training, we'll take a thirty-minute launch break. Then we'll move to sparing matches for an hour and a half. Afterward, we'll head for the Hokage tower and take missions for the next two hours." At this, he saw some excited gleams in the eyes of the three genin. "Now, don't get too excited. Since you are fresh genin, we'll take D-ranks, nothing exciting, I'm sorry to say."

That was perhaps the only downside to being a Jōnin-sensei. He would be expected to watch over his students for D-ranks. Chores and minimal work were not his ideal shinobi missions. But hey, at least he'll see the looks on their faces when they realize what D-ranks are. That would make it worth it. Almost.

Shisui was already planning to move past the D-ranks as quickly as possible. "Anyway, after the missions, we'll return here and briefly discuss the say. Then I'll dismiss the team. Now then, any questions?"

"What about weekends?" Sasuke asked. "What do we do on those days?

"Glade, you asked," Shisui said. "Weekends are yours to enjoy. But I will tell you this, I don't care what you do on Saturdays. You can train more, take missions, or even do nothing. But Sundays, I want you guys to rest. Your bodies need time to recuperate, is that understood?" He eyed both Naruto and Sasuke.

Both boys nodded at him. "Hai," they said in unison.

Hinata also nodded. "I'll make sure Naruto doesn't do anything that day," she said.

"Then I'll worry about Sasuke," Shisui said. "All right, kids. That's it for the day. I know it was short, but I wanted to get an idea of what you can do on your own. Which I am happy to say is good. The three of you impressed me today, and I look forward to seeing what the three of you can do together tomorrow. But if today is any indication, then I know this will be the best team our Village will have to offer. Who knows, maybe we'll be more famous than the Sanin," call him biased, but he did see a lot of potential in his team. He knew their names would be long remembered.

He saw happy expressions on the faces of his students. "Trust me, we will," Naruto said with a fox-like grin. "We'll be the best team that this village has ever seen. It has to be, considering I'll be Hokage one day," his boast earned him a good-natured snort from Sasuke and a supportive stare from Hinata.

"We've heard that one before," Sasuke commented.

"Only because it's true," Naruto said. "Wait and see, Sasuke. When I take the hat, you and everyone else will bow to me."

"I look forward to the day," Sasuke replied.

Shisui smiled at his genin as the boys descended into one of their arguments. The ones he knew frequently led them to spare with each other. Before that could happen, Hinata spoke up. "Shisui-Sensei," all eyes turned to her as she got out her question. "The other day, you said that each team had a purpose for being made, right?"

The boys looked at Shisui. "I remember now," Naruto said. "I was talking to Sara about it, and she mentioned something about a team fulfilling certain roles."

Shisui nodded, glad his genin remembered what he said. "I did," he confirmed. "You see when making teams, we take more than just how well each person works together into consideration. We also consider what sorts of missions they'll be taking. You see, Konoha likes to specialize its teams towards specific kinds of missions or in certain aspects of Shinobi skills. Like there is this one team that specializes in close-quarters combat, they have two taijutsu specialists and a weapons specialist. Or how the teams in your class were organized."

"Like what?" Sasuke asked.

"Like, take your friends, for example," Shisui replied. "There's Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru their team is geared towards capture and interrogation missions. Choji is the muscle of the group and can hold the enemy down long enough for Shikamaru to ensnare them in one of his shadow jutsu. Then Ino can go into their mind and extract information from them." He got nods from the three showing they understood. "Then there are Kiba, Shino, and Sakura what do you think they're suited for?"

Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke looked at each other, holding a silent conversation. It seemed they didn't have a clue about that, or at least the boys didn't. "Could they be a tracker team?" Hinata asked.

Shisui smiled as the boys looked back at him. "Right in one," he said. "Their team is geared towards hunting down a target and bringing them back, ideally alive. Kiba and Shino provide the tracker roles while at the same time being the team's combat specialists. Kiba being the close-range fighter, and Shino fighting at a distance with his Kiku."

"But what about Sakura?" Naruto asked. "I don't remember her having any tracking ability."

"True," Shisui said. "But take into consideration who her sensei is. Kurenai, our village's resident Genjutsu specialist. A very useful talent when you want to track someone down and bring them back."

Now he was seeing the gears working in the minds of his genin. "Sakura did have the best chakra control in our class," Sasuke said. "She would be perfect for genjutsu training."

"And medical jutsu," Hinata added. "She would be the team's medic. She could even treat captured targets if they need it."

"Right, to both of you," Shisui said. "Her academy reports also indicate that she has a highly analytical mind. With the proper training, she put that mind toward more conventional means of tracking. You can see where each genin's skills and abilities are taken into consideration."

"So that leaves the question," Sasuke said. "What is our team made for?"

"Glade, you asked," Shisui said. "There is no official term for what I have in mind for this team. But if I had to describe it, I would say we are a deep strike team."

"D-deep strike team?" Hinata repeated nervously. "What is that?"

"In theory, we'll be taking missions that will take us behind enemy lines," Shisui said. "From there, our objectives could range from destroying vital supply lines to assassinating high-profile targets. We may even be expected to extract persons of interest from the enemy, such as important prisoners, or take important officials as prisoners. During times of war, we would essentially be recking havoc on the enemy from behind their lines."

His genin showed him a mixed range of reactions. Coming from excited and awe to hesitant and fearful. "Th-that sounds kind of like what the ANBU do," Sasuke said. "At least it sounds like some of the stuff my brother told me about his time with them."

Shisui nodded. "It does fall along their lines," he said. "In fact, there is a good chance we'll be working with the ANBU frequently. But don't worry about that. We won't be taking missions like that for a while. Just know that my training will have you geared towards that."

His genin nodded, seemingly relieved. "Shisui," Naruto said. "A lot of these missions sound like something we would do in wartime. But we're at peace, right?"

Shisui carefully held back the tug at his lips. "True," he said. "We are at peace. But peace in the elemental nations is not as it appears. The nations are closer to war than they would like people to think. Iwa is still nursing a grudge from the previous war, Kumo barely maintains the illusion of peace with us, and Kiri," Shisui crossed his arms as a frown formed on his face. "Well, we all know what is going on there. Suna is our only real friendly neighbor of the five, and even then, we have to be careful with them. Not to mention all the little things going on across the continent. Things might look peaceful now, but a lot is bubbling underneath, and the sparks of war could ignite at any moment."

Each of his students shifted around uncomfortably. This was something they didn't like to hear, and to be truthful, Shisui couldn't blame them. It was a sentiment he shared, but he knew this was something they had to know, considering the line of work they would be going into.

A small smile spread across his face. It wouldn't hurt to offer some words of comfort. "Try not to worry too much about it," he said. "It's been like this for a long time. No one is ready to go to war, so I doubt anything will be happening soon," the three genin relaxed a little. "We will be doing some of this stuff I mentioned to prevent war from happening. Or, at the very least, delay it long enough for Konoha to prepare," he would have to talk to them about some of the other realities of Shinobi life later. But for now, he would let them leave with some hope in their eyes today.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "So now that you three know what kind of team you will be. Do you have any other questions."

Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke looked between each other and him. "Not that I can think of," Naruto said for them.

Shisui shrugged. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of questions for later," he said. "But if that is everything. The team is dismissed. Remember to meet up here tomorrow at the same time as today. Tomorrow, I want to see what you can do as a team. So, bring you're A-game.

"Hai Shisui-Sensei," all three genin chorused. Then one by one, they left.

Now left alone, Shisui crossed his arms and smiled. His genin are an impressive lot. He knew they would be. They're good kids, and he knew they would turn out to be great Shinobi one day. All he had to do was train them right and try to be a good sensei to them.

Shisui let a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't realize how nerve-racking this could be," he said to himself. The reality was now dawning on him. This was his first genin team, his first team as a sensei. He had so much to teach them and so much to learn about being a good sensei.

For a moment, the young Uchiha man wondered if he was up to the job if maybe there were others more qualified to lead this team. Shisui pressed these thoughts to the back of his mind. There was no use dwelling on those thoughts. All he could do was press forward and find out.

But he did resolve to be the best sensei he could be. He had to, for their sake and for the sake of the village.

Shisui looked up at the sky and smiled. "Well, time to make my report," he said. Then he would hit up the Jōnin bar. He had some students to brag about.

Not much happening here sorry to say. Main just Shisui getting an idea of what his genin can do and where they can improve. I hope you find what I'm going to be doing with Team-11 to be interesting. Though I will warn you that we won't be seeing that for a while. Like not until after the Chunin exams, while. There might be one instance where you'll see the team operate like this before then, but I'm not sure how well that counts.

Next time Team-11 will be getting into their first C-Rank, mind you its not the wave arc (that will come in time), just an original one I cooked up. It won't be too long of an arc, about three or four chapters, and will be light on the action. I figured after the Uchiha Betrayal and Kurama Kidnapping arcs, that the next few chapters should be lighter. I want to give our characters a chance to relax before I toss them into the deep end again.

So until next time, I hope you guys are staying safe out there. I look forward to updating this story more and maybe even see about getting something else out soon.