Iida sensei, Mika's Medical Mentor, proved to be a difficult mentor from the start. He pushed Mika, focusing on his chakra control even as it proved to be above average though not prodigious, his medical knowledge which actually was prodigious, and his taijutsu evasion skills which were no where the man's desired potency. It was in these three things that he forced Mika to training in every day, even though Mika worked and trained in the hospital for three days a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday he spent twelve hours in the hospital, six of each day dedicated to just training, the rest to Aide work.
Every other day bar his rest day, Sunday, he worked on his own projects. He refused to solely work as a medic, even if he did focus on chakra control and evasion by working shadow dodging on the pond of his training ground. However, more than that, he bought a Tanto and some weights, needing to bolster his speed and strength, and give some sharp range to his short body. He also grabbed the next steps of the Leaf Taijutsu to give himself some offensive skills should he be weaponless.
To add to that, after learning he was a water type, he picked up a scroll on water manipulation, the water clone jutsu and a water style body flicker. He wanted to be a real power house, someone that could hold his own against anyone, and starting early was his best option. He was thankful that the Second Hokage focused so much on Water Jutsu that the Leaf even had such Water Jutsu to master.
Actually, he thanked the Second Hokage for more than that. The man was his idol, powerful and potent enough to be a devastating force, smart enough to hold sway on the village even now. Most of the key components of the village were his creations. The Academy, hospital, ANBU, and more. The man was everything Mika wished to be, powerful, wise and intelligent. His use of a blade was partially inspired by Tobirama Senju.
It was also that man's sensory training, Meditation mostly, that rounded out Mika's training. For twenty minutes while he rested between sets of training, three times a day, Mika meditated and used that to master his sensory skills, chakra suppression and over chakra levels.
He would have worked on more, but there were only so many hours in a day...
So, over all, in one week that left him working on medical jutsu, chakra control, meditation, kenjutsu, taijutsu, water manipulation, and a few small jutsu. It was a lot, but he knew he could do it. All on his own, as per usual, but he knew... just knew... that one day, it would all come together and he would prove himself to the world.
"""
Two Months Post Academy training later, Mika found himself smiling at a very unamused Iida sensei. The man was tall with blue hair and glasses, looking sort of constipated at all times.
"You've... improved." The man said, looking at Mika's hands, where rainbow sand was separated into colors on his skin via chakra. "And your chakra levels are ten percent higher. What did you do?"
"I trained in all other things on the water with leaves or stones on my skin, as well as intense meditation."
"Hmpph... fine, I guess you are cleared to learn the Mystic Palm. Even Lady Tsunade took months, and she was a prodigy. Let's see how long it takes you."
Twenty minutes later, Mika was frying a burned fish with his green chakra. Making the green chakra was the easy part, maintaining it was damn near impossible. "Damn!" Mika growled, almost ready to throw the fish into a fire and tear into it. "I hate this jutsu..."
After four hours passed, Iida turned from his book. "Go do your rounds, we'll pick this up next time. Clean yourself up first, you reek of sweat."
Mika nodded, going the locker room to clean up. 'I'll have to practice on some small animals, I will get this damn it.'
"""
Wearing the ugly yellow medical ninja outfit, Mika passed trays of food and spent hours wiping butts of incontinent ninja. Essentially D ranks, he did three sets a week, so he actually made much more than the average genin, this would soon help him he was sure. He actually enjoyed it, it helped with his bed side manner while also getting him used to blood, guts and damage.
For at least two hours of his work shift, he would clean up or transport dead ninja or civilians. Sometimes it was the entire shift if a mission had gone wrong...
Today was one of those days...
"MIKA!" Iida called out, Mika sprinted to the man who was in his office. Iida stared at him, cold and sad all at once. " Go to the Emergency Ward, they will need you for clean up..." The man paused, sighing. "Mika, three of your classmates, their team did not make it. Yoko, Inari and Tetsu have all passed, a terrible explosion took their lives."
Mika actually fiegned stumbling back, holding his chest. "I was not close, hell I did not like them... why does it hurt my heart?" In reality he felt nothing, a ton of the kids he graduated were bullies... besides, he had never really cared for others outside of himself. His father had ensured that, sadly enough.
Iida put a hand on his shoulder. "That is called empathy, it is good you still have it... so many of us lose it. Now... go... and when you are done, preparing them for autopsy and all that, take the night off... and let yourself feel."
Later, as he sent the corpses of his fallen classmates, Mika looked down on them... and still felt utterly nothing. He just did not care, how could he? They had never done him any favors or hurt him. They were just... there, they had existed in his periphery. Still, despite that he whispered. "I wish you had lived... I will learn from where you failed, but know you live in my memories and my thoughts."
He did indeed take the rest of the night off, meditating until to his shock, tears fell down his eyes as he remembered Yoko's obnoxious laugh, Tetsu's braggart heart, and Inari's cowaring in taijutsu. Silly as it was, all the things he remembered of them brought him more tears, even if he could barely remember them...
And somehow, that made it so much worse...
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a joy to write.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.