Hikaru wiped sweat from his forehead as he leaned against a training post, his chest rising and falling heavily. Two weeks had passed since their genin training began, and his old Academy exercises already felt like a joke compared to this.
The morning run that had seemed manageable now proved more difficult when Hideaki-sensei increased the distance from ten to fifteen kilometers around the village perimeter. He'd made the change after seeing that everyone could keep up with the basic physical fitness requirements.
This is like army bootcamp, Hikaru thought, looking at his kunai. Hideaki-sensei really is preparing us for real missions.
The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees of Training Ground Eight, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the forest floor. Every muscle in his body hurt from the hard training, but Hikaru could feel himself getting stronger. His speed was better, his stamina was improving, even if it felt slow.
Better to sweat now than bleed later, he reminded himself, pushing away from the post and gripping his kunai tighter.
"Ready for the next round, Hikaru-kun?" Hideaki called from across the clearing. He wasn't even breathing hard after their evening exercises.
"Yes, sensei," Hikaru replied, getting into a fighting position. His legs felt shaky, but he kept his form straight.
"Remember what we practiced," Hideaki said, raising his own kunai. "This isn't just about weapons work. You need to read your environment. Use everything the forest offers you."
Shink, shink, shink.
Their kunai clashed as they started fighting. The sound echoed through the trees. Hikaru lunged forward with an overhead strike, but Hideaki blocked it easily and moved toward some trees.
"Use the terrain, Hikaru-kun!" Hideaki called out as their kunai locked together. "Try to use your surroundings to your advantage."
"Yes, sensei!" Hikaru replied, spinning around the thick tree trunk to get some distance.
But Hideaki was already moving. He was faster and chased after Hikaru while he was still getting his balance back. Their blades met again as Hideaki attacked, making Hikaru step backward while blocking quick strikes.
"Don't just defend, try to attack when there's a chance!" Hideaki said as Hikaru focused too much on blocking.
Hikaru bit down and looked for an opening. When Hideaki's next strike came from the right, he blocked it and stepped forward instead of back. He brought his kunai up toward Hideaki's side.
"Better!" Hideaki said, avoiding the attack but nodding. "Now think about your next three moves, not just the current one!"
It was hard to do. Planning ahead while someone was trying to hit you needed clear thinking. That was almost impossible when sweat was getting in your eyes and your lungs were burning.
Hikaru ducked under a low branch and used it as cover while he tried to circle around to Hideaki's left side. The forest floor was tricky with roots and leaves that could trip you, but it also gave chances if you were smart enough to use them.
That tree's root there, Hikaru noticed a thick root coming from a big pine tree. If I can get him to step over it...
He pretended to go right, then went left, hoping to move Hideaki into position. But his sensei seemed to know what he was thinking before he even did it. Hideaki moved to keep the right distance while avoiding the trap.
"Good thinking," Hideaki said, moving forward with several strikes that made Hikaru back up again. "But you're showing your plan too early. You need to be more sneaky."
Two quick blocks, and Hikaru found his back against another tree. Instead of trying to run right away, he used the tree to brace himself and met Hideaki's next attack head-on. Their locked kunai shook with opposing force.
"Check your environment," Hideaki reminded him. Their faces were close enough that Hikaru could see the focused look in his sensei's eyes. "What good things does your position give you?"
Hikaru's mind raced. The tree behind him meant he couldn't back up, but it also meant he had solid support. He could push harder without losing his balance. More importantly...
He suddenly dropped low and rolled to his right, letting Hideaki's force carry him forward into the tree trunk. Before his sensei could recover, Hikaru was back on his feet and attacking from the side, finally taking control for the first time in their fight.
"Good!" Hideaki said, blocking the attack but having to work harder to get his preferred distance back. "That's exactly the kind of thinking you need to develop."
The sparring continued for another twenty minutes. Hikaru gradually got more comfortable using the forest terrain to help him. He learned to step on roots to get higher for downward strikes, to use tree trunks to change direction quickly, and to know when fallen logs could give cover or block his opponent.
By the time Hideaki finally called them to stop, Hikaru was completely exhausted but also excited. His movements had become smoother and more natural as the training went on. The forest no longer felt like it was in his way during combat. It felt like extra options he could use.
"That's enough for now," Hideaki said, lowering his kunai and stepping back. Both of them were breathing hard, though Hideaki wasn't as tired as Hikaru. "Your improvement over the past two weeks has been really good."
"Thank you, sensei," Hikaru replied, bowing while trying to catch his breath. He wiped his kunai clean on his training clothes before putting it back in its holder. Hideaki had made him do this from the first day.
They sat on a fallen log that worked as a bench. The afternoon air felt cool against Hikaru's sweaty skin. Around them, the forest was alive with bird sounds and rustling leaves. It was peaceful compared to their intense training.
"By the way, Hikaru-kun," Hideaki said casually, cleaning his own kunai, "you don't need to worry about that monitoring situation anymore."
Hikaru looked up quickly. His tiredness was forgotten. "Really?"
"I found a report that some kids participating during early graduation went missing. I had a long talk with the Hokage and the higher ups about this," Hideaki continued. His tone was normal despite how important his words were. "It's been made clear that you're under my protection now. No one will be coming after you."
The relief that hit Hikaru was immediate and huge. His shoulders, which had been tense for weeks, finally relaxed. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. The constant worry that had been with him since the surveillance started simply disappeared.
"Thank you, Hideaki-sensei," he said, bowing deeply from where he sat. "I can't tell you how much that means to me."
"No need for thanks," Hideaki replied with a warm smile. "Looking out for my students is part of my job. Besides, you have more important things to focus on than worrying about shadows."
Higher ups, Hikaru thought. His stomach finally felt completely settled for the first time in weeks. That probably means Root. And if Hideaki-sensei managed to get them to back off...
The understanding of how close he might have come to real danger was scary, but also deeply reassuring. He'd dodged a bullet from Danzo and his people without even fully knowing the threat he'd been under. The fact that Hideaki had been able to fix the situation said a lot about his sensei's influence and protective instincts.
"Come on," Hideaki said, standing and stretching. "Let's go check your teammates with their chakra control exercises. I think they could use some extra perspective to help with the techniques."
As they approached the other section of the training ground, Hideaki formed a hand seal. His shadow clone that had been supervising Nobue and Hana's training dispersed with a small puff of smoke.
They walked to where Nobue and Hana were practicing the advanced chakra exercises Hideaki had given them. Both looked focused but frustrated. It was the kind of expression that came from trying something just beyond your current skill level over and over.
"Having trouble with the water walking?" Hikaru asked as he got close to Hana. She was sitting cross-legged beside the training pond, water dripping from her soaked pants.
"I can't get the chakra flow right," she replied, opening her eyes with frustration. Sweat mixed with pond water on her forehead. "I step on the water and immediately sink through. It's completely different from tree walking."
"Here, let me show you how I learned that," Hikaru offered, kneeling beside the pond's edge. "The trick isn't to use the same amount of chakra as tree walking. Water moves, so you need to constantly adjust the flow to stay on top."
He demonstrated the foot positioning and chakra control technique, showing how to maintain the delicate balance on the water's surface. He explained how to feel for the water's resistance and adjust accordingly.
"Thanks, Hikaru-kun," Hana said gratefully after successfully taking several steps across the pond's surface before losing her balance. "Your explanations always make more sense than the textbook versions."
Nearby, Nobue kept his distance. His pale eyes stayed focused on his own training rather than paying attention to his teammates talking. His pride wouldn't let him openly ask for help, but Hikaru noticed he was close enough to hear the instruction if he wanted to use it for his own practice.
"The important thing is patience," Hikaru continued, speaking loud enough for both teammates to hear. "These techniques take time to develop. Even when you understand how they work, your body needs practice to make it feel natural."
"Wise words," Hideaki said, sitting nearby to watch his students work. "Teaching others often helps strengthen your own understanding of these principles."
As the afternoon went on, Hikaru found himself moving between his teammates, giving suggestions and encouragement when he could. The role felt natural, and he was surprised to find how much he enjoyed helping others work through the same challenges he'd recently overcome.
The intense training that had seemed so overwhelming just hours earlier now felt like a foundation for something bigger. He was becoming not just a stronger individual fighter but also a better teammate and maybe even a future sensei someday.
Talk about talent, I can't really compare to these two from big clans, he thought, watching Hana successfully take several steps across the water's surface while Nobue worked through his own surface water walking exercises with determined focus. In just two weeks, they've nearly caught up to where it took me months to master.
"Alright, everyone," Hideaki announced as the afternoon light began to fade. "That's enough for today. You've all made good progress with your individual exercises."
"Much better today," Hikaru muttered to himself, wiping sweat from his forehead with a genuine smile. With his surveillance concerns finally behind him, the intense training felt like progress instead of punishment.