The following afternoon, Chiya brought Mikoto to the Uchiha training ground again.
Training always comes with hardship and the effort of keeping at it without giving up.
Mikoto's talent was solid, and the speed at which she picked up ninjutsu was very fast. The Great Dragon Fire Technique she had just learned yesterday would, with another day of training, probably be something she could handle with ease.
In the harsh world of ninja, the importance of one's own strength went without saying.
A breeze passed through, carrying a slight chill. Chiya raised his head and looked at the sky, letting out a long breath.
"Chiya-nii, wait just a moment. I need to change my clothes!"
Chiya did not even turn around and waved a hand at Mikoto.
"Go ahead."
About five minutes later.
She had taken off her police force jacket and stood before Chiya in her ninja training attire, looking sharp and neat.
Her black hair drifted lightly in the breeze, and her face carried a gentle smile.
"Chiya-nii, let us get started!"
Chiya was just about to nod.
His gaze shifted.
He looked toward the depths of the forest.
"Hold on a little longer."
Mikoto followed Chiya's gaze and blinked in surprise.
"Is that Kushina coming?"
Mikoto murmured softly.
Sure enough, a red-haired girl poked her head out from behind a tree.
Her eyes looked off into the distance.
She happened to look right as Chiya and Mikoto were both staring directly at her.
Kushina's expression froze, and the flush that spread across her fair face was visible to the naked eye.
"Kushina!"
Mikoto called out warmly.
She jogged over to Kushina and led her back to stand in front of Chiya.
"Did I not tell you, next time you want to come to the training ground, just come directly. No need to hide."
Kushina had now been caught in the act by both Chiya and Mikoto.
Her face felt like it was burning, and she stumbled over her words and could not get anything out.
"Alright. We will follow the same training plan as yesterday. Let us begin."
"Yes! Chiya-nii!"
"..."
Kushina, however, seemed somewhat distracted.
She kept her head low, her red hair hanging down over her shoulders, her steps slow, as if something was weighing on her mind.
'Is the girl troubled by something?'
Chiya was a little puzzled.
"Kushina, did you not sleep well last night?"
Mikoto had also noticed something was off with Kushina and asked quietly.
Kushina lifted her head. Her gaze flickered for a moment, then she looked away.
"It... it is nothing. I am just a little tired."
Mikoto took her hand with concern.
"Do you want to rest first? We can start training a little later."
"No need!"
Kushina suddenly raised her voice, then immediately caught herself and softened her tone.
"I... I am fine. Let us start training."
Chiya gave her a thoughtful look but did not press further.
"Alright. Today we will start by going over yesterday's Fire Release and taijutsu, then move on to new material."
Once training began, Mikoto was as focused as ever, pushing each movement toward something as close to perfect as possible.
Her progress was fast, and the power behind her Fire Release was noticeably stronger than the day before.
Chiya stood beside her and offered the occasional pointer.
"Well done, Mikoto. If the chakra control can be a little more precise, it will be even better."
Mikoto's cheeks flushed lightly, and her eyes shone with delight.
"I will keep working at it!"
On the other side, however, Kushina kept making mistakes.
Her movements were stiff, and her chakra control was unsteady.
Chiya frowned and told her to stop.
"Come with me."
Kushina blinked, glanced back at Mikoto.
Mikoto smiled and gave Kushina an encouraging look.
She followed Chiya to a corner of the training ground.
"What is going on?"
"Well..."
A shadow of worry showed on Kushina's face.
"Today, the Hokage told Lady Mito that traces of my clan members were found somewhere in the eastern waters of the Land of Fire!"
Traces of her clan members?
The Uzumaki Clan?
Chiya looked at the worry on Kushina's face and felt compelled to offer a word of comfort.
"Do not worry. If they are still alive, Konoha's people will bring them back."
Kushina gave a quiet nod.
Seeing that her spirits were still low, Chiya's gaze moved to Mikoto.
"Kushina, this ninja world is vast and it is brutal. Only when your own strength is great enough will you have the ability to protect others."
"Kushina, you would not want your clan members to come to Konoha and still be struggling, would you?"
Kushina bit her lip.
She had had the misfortune of witnessing the destruction of her own country, and she understood all too well the pain of losing a homeland and family. Now, hearing news about her clan members, she found it hard to stay calm.
"I will work hard!"
Her gaze drifted without thinking toward Mikoto, then pulled back quickly.
"Do not just say it. Show it in action. You are training alongside Mikoto, so compete properly with Mikoto."
"Huh? Compete with Mikoto-nee?"
Kushina's mouth fell open without her realizing it.
"I know you and Mikoto are close. That is exactly why you should compete with each other all the more."
"Competition is what brings out your potential better than anything else."
"Mikoto comes from the Uchiha Clan. Because of the Sharingan as a Kekkei Genkai, she has a natural advantage when training in ninjutsu and genjutsu. And you, as a member of the Uzumaki Clan, have chakra that is abundant and special in a way others do not possess, along with powerful vitality and a gift for sealing jutsu."
He gave Kushina a pat on the shoulder, his tone easy.
"Stay focused during training. If you get tired, take a short rest."
Kushina lowered her head, her voice almost too quiet to hear.
"Got it..."
Chiya brought Kushina back to the training ground, and she was noticeably more focused.
The afternoon's training came to an end in an atmosphere that felt subtly different from usual.
Mikoto wiped the sweat from her forehead and pulled her jacket on.
She smiled at Kushina.
"Kushina, it is still early. Let us go to the market and buy some groceries!"
Kushina blinked, then nodded.
"Sure... sure."
Chiya walked over and asked.
"Do you need me to come along?"
Mikoto's eyes lit up.
"Of course! If Chiya-nii comes with us, we can buy more ingredients."
Kushina opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she stayed quiet and gave a small nod.
The three of them left the training ground and headed toward the village market.
Along the way, Mikoto chatted enthusiastically about what ingredients to buy, while Kushina followed quietly behind, her gaze falling on Chiya from time to time before darting away again.
The market was alive with noise, and the stalls were packed with goods of every kind.
Mikoto led the two of them through the crowd without hesitation, picking out fresh vegetables and haggling with the vendors with ease.
Kushina stood to one side and stared in amazement.
She tugged at Mikoto's sleeve and asked in a low voice.
"Mikoto-nee, how are you so good at bargaining?"
Mikoto blinked and smiled.
"I picked it up from the aunties at the market. They say that running a household well means being careful with every coin, and that is how you keep things running smoothly."
A flicker of admiration passed through Kushina's eyes, and she murmured quietly.
"Mikoto-nee is amazing..."
Chiya stood behind the two of them, watching Mikoto's busy figure with a slight lift at the corner of his mouth.
Her gentleness and capability always made people feel at ease.
After buying the vegetables, the three of them came to the fish stall, only to find that the fish had all sold out for the day.
Mikoto said with a hint of regret.
"What a shame. I was hoping to make a fish soup."
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind them.
"Chiya?"
Chiya turned around and saw Hatake Sakumo walking toward them.
He was dressed in casual clothes and had a few bags of groceries in hand.
"Captain Sakumo."
Chiya greeted him with a smile.
Hatake Sakumo gave a nod in return, his gaze sweeping over Mikoto and Kushina as he said warmly.
"Hello."
Mikoto and Kushina quickly bowed in greeting.
"Captain Sakumo, there is something I happen to need to ask about. Would it be alright to speak privately for a moment?"