When they met again at one o'clock, Hideaki was waiting with an expression that suggested the afternoon would be more challenging than the morning's exercises. The brief lunch break had given all three genin time to mentally prepare, though Hikaru's hands kept clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"Ready for the next phase?" Hideaki asked, forming hand seals. Two identical copies appeared beside him in small puffs of smoke.
"Nobue-kun, work with my clone over there," Hideaki said, pointing east toward a section of the training ground marked with practice posts. "Hana-chan, take the western area where there's more space for pack exercises. Hikaru-kun, you're with me."
As his teammates moved away to their designated areas, Hikaru found himself alone with the original Hideaki, shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot.
"Relax, Hikaru-kun," Hideaki said gently, noting his obvious tension and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "This isn't a judgment—it's an assessment to help you improve. I need an honest evaluation of your current capabilities."
Hikaru's shoulders dropped slightly, though his breathing remained shallow.
"Let's start with your sensor abilities," Hideaki continued, removing his hand and settling into a casual stance. "Can you tell me your current range?"
Hikaru closed his eyes and carefully molded his chakra into sensory mode, extending his awareness as far as he could manage. The familiar sensation spread outward as his jaw tightened slightly.
"About fifty-five meters," he admitted quietly, opening his eyes. "Maybe sixty if I push myself, but that gives me a headache fairly quickly."
"Duration?" Hideaki asked.
"Fifteen minutes if I'm just sitting still," Hikaru replied, shifting his weight nervously and tugging at his sleeve. "But if I'm moving around or doing anything else, I can barely maintain it at all."
Hideaki nodded thoughtfully. "That's actually pretty impressive for someone your age. Did your old man teach you the sensing technique?"
"No, I learned from his notes," Hikaru said with a bitter smile, his shoulders slumping slightly. "He didn't exactly get the chance to teach me himself."
Hideaki's eyebrows shot up, and he blinked twice. "You learned this entirely from written instructions?" When Hikaru nodded, Hideaki's expression softened considerably. "He was my teammate back then, you know. We were assigned to the same genin team when we were your age."
Hideaki paused, his gaze drifting past Hikaru toward the trees. "Your father was always the most dedicated among us. While the rest of us were complaining about training, he'd be off practicing on his own for hours. Said he wanted to make sure he could always bring his teammates home safely." He smiled sadly. "That dedication never changed, even years later when he became parents."
"I'm truly sorry for what happened to him and your mother," Hideaki continued, his voice carrying the weight of personal loss. "They died protecting the village, but more than that—they died protecting their friends and family. Your father would be proud to see how seriously you're taking your training, especially learning his techniques from his notes alone."
After a moment of respectful silence, Hideaki cleared his throat and continued, "But learning this yourself from notes alone is genuinely impressive. What about accuracy? Can you distinguish between different people or just detect presence?"
"I can sense different chakra signatures and tell people apart if I know them," Hikaru said, his spine straightening and his voice growing steadier. "But I can't identify specific people unless I'm already familiar with their signature."
"That's really good for someone at your level," Hideaki said with approval. "Sensor abilities take a lot of training to develop properly, but your natural aptitude is promising."
The assessment moved to his physical capabilities next. Hideaki observed his taijutsu forms, noting his reflexes and movement patterns while making mental notes about areas that needed development.
"Your form during our team test was pretty good, and I noticed your reflexes are quite good," Hideaki observed. "Better than expected for your age. You react to attacks faster than most academy students. Have you been doing specific reflex training?"
"Some dodging exercises and reflex training," Hikaru replied, a small smile tugging at his lips before he rubbed his neck nervously at the attention.
"That dedication shows," Hideaki said with an approving nod. "Good reflexes can compensate for physical limitations in many situations."
The chakra control tests came next, and here, Hikaru's movements became more assured. He demonstrated tree walking, and water surface walking with ease, his hands steadying and his breathing evening out.
"Your chakra control is actually quite good," Hideaki said with genuine approval, watching as Hikaru maintained perfect balance while walking on a water surface. "Better than many students several years older. That's a solid foundation to build on, which explains why you're skilled at genjutsu."
Finally, Hideaki tested his basic ninjutsu and genjutsu skills. The three academy jutsu performed adequately, his wind technique showed promise despite its limited power, and when asked about genjutsu, Hikaru demonstrated his techniques with carefulness.
"Two genjutsu techniques?" Hideaki raised an eyebrow with interest, his tone carrying genuine surprise. "That's unusual for academy students. Most can barely manage the basics. I have to admit, genjutsu isn't my specialty, but I can teach you how to train your resistance against them."
As the evaluation continued, Hideaki's eyes caught sight of something on Hikaru's wrist. "What's that bracelet you're wearing?"
Hikaru glanced down at the Four Limbs Weighting Seal, his face flushing as he tugged at his sleeve to cover it. "It's... a training weight."
"May I see it?" Hideaki asked, extending his hand with curious interest.
Reluctantly, Hikaru removed the bracelet and handed it over, watching nervously as Hideaki examined it carefully. The Jōnin's expression grew more serious as he recognized the complexity of seal work.
"This is a weighting seal," Hideaki said, looking impressed but concerned as he turned the bracelet over in his hands. "The Fūinjutsu work is quite advanced. Where did you get this?"
"My parents left it for me," Hikaru replied, scratching his head nervously as he lying through his teeths, avoiding direct eye contact.
"I see. Your mother was good with Fūinjutsu," Hideaki said, his tone becoming more thoughtful as he continued examining the seal. "It's smart that you're taking your physical training seriously, but you need to be careful with these weights. You're still growing, so don't add too much resistance to your body. It could mess with your development if you overdo it."
He handed the bracelet back to Hikaru with a gentle but firm expression. "Use it wisely, and if you feel any joint pain or unusual strain, remove it immediately. Your body is still developing."
"I understand, Hideaki-sensei," Hikaru said, putting the bracelet back on with more awareness of its significance, relief evident in his posture.
"I already saw your kunai throwing during our exercises," Hideaki said, shifting to the final portion of the assessment. "Now show me how you handle a kunai in close combat."
Hikaru picked up a kunai and held it awkwardly, clearly uncertain about proper grip and stance for melee combat. His fingers shifted nervously around the handle as he tried different positions.
"I... I only know how to throw them," Hikaru admitted, tugging at his sleeve and looking embarrassed. "I haven't learned close-quarters weapon combat at the academy yet. That's covered in later years."
"Ah, I see," Hideaki said with understanding, nodding thoughtfully. "Your throwing skills are acceptable, but you'll need to learn bukijutsu—actual weapon combat techniques. That's a big gap we'll need to work on. Knowing how to throw kunai is useful, but knowing how to fight with them in your hand is essential for close combat."
Throughout the assessment, Hikaru could hear occasional sounds from his teammates' evaluations—Nobue's confident responses to questions, Hana's cheerful interactions with her instructor clone—but he couldn't make out specific details.
"Overall assessment," Hideaki announced as their session concluded, "you've got several clear strengths to build on and obvious areas that need work. Your chakra control and sensor abilities give us a solid foundation, but we need serious work on physical conditioning and basic shinobi skills."
The shadow clones dispersed with soft pops, returning their memories to the original, and his teammates rejoined him in the center area. Nobue straightened his posture as he approached, while Hana walk over with the Haimaru brothers trotting beside her.
"Next, we'll begin chakra control training for Nobue-kun and Hana-chan using tree climbing exercise," Hideaki said while looking at the three. "As for Hikaru, you'll start learning how to fight with kunai with me."
Nobue's brow furrowed slightly. "Tree climbing exercise?"
"Your assessments showed that your basic chakra control needs work," Hideaki explained patiently. Tree climbing teaches precise chakra focus—too little and you fall, too much and you damage the bark." Hideaki demonstrated by walking up the tree trunk, explaining the technique details that Hikaru had already learned from his father's notes.
"Mastering precise chakra control has benefits beyond just tree climbing," Hideaki continued, his tone becoming more instructional. "Better control means your techniques require less energy, making your chakra reserves last longer in combat. It also allows you to perform jutsu with greater accuracy and power—the difference between a technique that barely works and one that can save your life."
He paused, letting the information sink in. "Advanced techniques like medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, and complex elemental manipulations all require the foundation we're building here. Without excellent chakra control, you'll hit a ceiling in your development that no amount of raw power can break through.
Hana tilted her head curiously, glancing between Hideaki and Hikaru. "So... what about Hikaru-kun?"
Hideaki nodded toward Hikaru, who was standing nearby. "He already mastered tree climbing, so there's no need for him to learn it anymore."
Nobue's pale eyes flicked toward Hikaru for a brief moment, his jaw setting with quiet determination. His hands clenched slightly at his sides before he turned back toward the trees with renewed focus.
He gestured toward the nearby trees. "Start practicing. Channel chakra to your feet and find the right balance."
Nobue's jaw tightened slightly, his pride clearly stung, but he moved toward the largest oak tree. Hana moves toward another tree, her enthusiasm intact despite the criticism.
"Don't get discouraged by falls," Hideaki called as they began their attempts. "It takes time to master."
Turning to Hikaru, he retrieved a practice kunai from his equipment pouch. "Your assessment showed chakra control was quite good but a significant gap in close-quarters combat. We'll start with fundamentals."
Hikaru accepted the weapon, his fingers adjusting nervously around the handle.
"First, proper grip," Hideaki said, positioning Hikaru's hands correctly. "Thumb and forefinger form the primary control point, remaining fingers provide stability. The blade should feel like an extension of your arm, not a separate tool."
Hideaki demonstrated the grip, his movements fluid and practiced. "Never grip too tightly—tension restricts movement. Never too loosely—you'll lose the weapon during combat."
Hikaru mimicked the position, his knuckles white from over-gripping.
"Relax," Hideaki corrected, tapping Hikaru's wrist. "Weapons flow with your body's natural movement. Rigid muscles create predictable patterns that experienced fighters can exploit."
The sound of Nobue falling from his tree punctuated the lesson, followed by a frustrated grunt.
"Stance next," Hideaki continued, positioning Hikaru's feet. "Weight distributed evenly, knees slightly bent for mobility. Your stance determines everything—balance, power, defensive options."
He guided Hikaru through the basic defensive position. "Weapon held at mid-chest level, ready to block or strike. Never extend too far forward—overreaching creates openings. Never hold too close—you limit your reaction time."
"Like this?" Hikaru asked, adjusting his position.
"Better. Now, basic defensive movements," Hideaki said, picking up his own practice kunai. "Combat isn't about flashy techniques—it's about fundamentals executed perfectly under pressure."
He demonstrated a slow overhead strike. "Block by redirecting, not stopping. Let the attack slide past while positioning for counter-strike."
Hikaru raised his kunai awkwardly, trying to match the demonstration.
"Your elbow's too high," Hideaki corrected. "Efficient blocks don't take much energy while still being able to attack. Watch again."
The lesson continued with basic parrying techniques. Hideaki showed how to deflect attacks from different angles—overhead strikes, side slashes, upward thrusts. Each movement emphasized redirection over brute force blocking.
"Real combat happens fast," Hideaki explained as they practiced slow-motion combinations. "You won't have time to think through responses. Muscle memory must handle basic techniques while your mind focuses on tactics and positioning."
Hana's cheerful voice carried over from her tree. "I made it two steps up!"
"Good progress, Hana-chan!" Hideaki called back before returning attention to Hikaru. "Now, basic footwork. Combat movement isn't about speed—it's about positioning and timing."
He demonstrated proper stepping technique. "Step with the balls of your feet, maintain balance throughout the movement. Flat-footed stepping creates sound and restricts quick direction changes."
They practiced moving in different directions while maintaining proper stance and weapon position. Hikaru's movements were clumsy initially, but gradually became more controlled.
"Counter-attacks," Hideaki said, moving to the next lesson component. "After successful blocking, you have a brief opportunity to strike. Most genin miss this window because they focus only on defense."
He showed how to flow from defensive parries into offensive positions. "Block and counter should be one fluid movement, not separate actions. The same motion that deflects incoming attacks can position your weapon for immediate counter."
Hikaru followed the movement and tried to focus and remember every detail Hideaki-sensei taught, but a thought suddenly entered his mind. I haven't had time to talk with him about the surveillance issue yet.
His eyes furrowed as he gripped the kunai tightly. Should I bring it up to him after this?