Basara POV
The Senju Compound
Konoha
I grunted as I panted hard, trying futilely to push myself off the ground. Everything hurt. I brought my hands underneath my chest with great effort and slowly pushed myself up. I barely managed to do so, feeling sweat pour down my forehead to the ground.
"Come on, Basara, I didn't even hit you that hard! Come on, get up!" a loud voice proclaimed.
I grunted and scathingly thought, The fuck you didn't. I'm surprised my ribs didn't break. With a short yell, I stood up and looked back at the voice, where a man stood grinning at me. He had short black hair and was built like a brick shithouse, and I glared at him moodily.
When Touka-obasan told me I would be starting my training today, I had expected something more structured. That didn't seem to be the case, apparently, as Jōnin Goru Senju, my instructor for today, stood in front of me.
He was my designated Taijutsu instructor. It was the first time I felt there was nothing I could do to contend with a foe, as I was currently barred from using ninjutsu or genjutsu — heck, not even bukijutsu. Only chakra reinforcement was allowed, something I had come to know was a specialty of the Senju clan.
Goru-san had drilled me all morning in the Senju taijutsu style — the Hundred Fists style katas — which needed massive reserves and chakra control. Then he simply told me we were going to spar.
I was quickly learning just how terrifying pure physical prowess could be when backed by insane chakra control, as the style required controlled bursts at the point of contact. And despite my reservations about him only teaching me through fighting, I could tell I was getting better.
Goru rolled his massive shoulders, still grinning. "What's the matter, kid? You waiting for me to come to you again?"
Knowing I couldn't afford to let him dictate the pace, I reinforced my entire body with chakra and charged.
I closed the distance in a burst of speed and threw a heavy right hook, concentrating my chakra at the point of impact just like he'd taught me. Goru snorted. He stepped inside my swing, slapping my arm aside with almost casual ease, then drove a short, brutal palm strike into my solar plexus.
I staggered, gasping.
"You're focusing too much on the chakra burst. Again!"
Fuck, he's right. Fine, let's do this then, I thought. I gritted my teeth and pressed forward, launching a combination jab, cross, and low kick without using the chakra burst. I moved as fast as I could, pressuring Goru-san, who was finally forced to take me a little more seriously as he weaved through them and caught my kicking leg under his arm.
Using it as leverage, I jumped, twisted my body mid-air, and slammed a spinning kick toward his head, channeling chakra into my shin at the moment of contact.
Crack!
My shin connected hard with his blocking forearm. The force sent a small fissure spiderwebbing through the ground beneath us.
That hit caused a crack on the ground, and he just brushed it off...?, I thought incredulously.
Then he casually lobbed me away like a ragdoll. I flipped in the air and landed in a crouch several meters back, breathing hard.
"Not bad," Goru said, cracking his neck with a grin. "You're starting to get it. But you've still got a long way to go, kid."
He suddenly stomped his foot.
BOOM.
A massive fissure, the size of a grown man, ripped across the training ground in an instant, dirt and stone exploding outward. I stared at the scene in front of me, sweat dripping down my face as I slowly loosened my guard, knowing the spar was over. I would need to surpass that...
"That's enough for today," Goru called out, waving a hand. "We'll continue tomorrow morning."
Before I could reply, Touka-obasan's calm voice rang out from the side of the training yard.
"Goru-san, thank you for your hard work."
I looked towards the "peanut gallery" sullenly, where she and a few other ladies sat elegantly under a shaded pavilion, sipping tea and enjoying traditional snacks
Goru laughed heartily and gave her a deep bow. "My pleasure, Touka-sama." He glanced back at me with a grin. "See you at dawn, Basara." Then he left.
Seeing Touka-obasan beckon me, I made my way there after picking up a towel from the side to wipe away the sweat from my face.
The small group of Senju ladies greeted me with warm smiles as I approached. Despite being covered in dirt and sweat, none of them batted an eye. This was a shinobi household, after all — a little grime was practically a badge of honor.
"Basara-kun," one of the older women said kindly, patting the cushion beside her. "Come, sit. You must be hungry after all that."
I bowed slightly to everyone. "Thank you. It's good to see you all."
They passed me a plate of mochi and a cup of cool barley tea. I accepted them gratefully and took a seat; the kindness, and sometimes even a little reverence, still made me a little uncomfortable.
Touka-obasan studied me for a moment as I drank the tea. "You seem to have something on your mind, Basara-kun. Speak freely."
I hesitated, then decided to be honest. "I was hoping I'd have more time to focus on my Mokuton training."
I felt a little stupid as she smiled at me indulgently, the way an adult might smile at an eager child. "Basara... we have roughly a month or two before you are sent back to the front lines. Or, by some miracle, never, if the war ends." She took a slow sip of her tea before continuing. "What I want you to do is fight multiple Jōnin-level shinobi and come out the victor. To do that, you need a solid foundation. Despite what many say, taijutsu is the root of all shinobi arts. That is why we will focus on it in the mornings — along with chakra reinforcement. In the evenings, I will work on your advanced nature manipulation, focusing mainly on Water and Earth. For your bloodline, you will practice on your own using my brother's scrolls. And every now and then... we will have no-holds-barred combats."
I thought about this for a few seconds. No, it was solid advice.
"Yes, obasan."
One of the ladies beside her, a quiet woman with sharp, intelligent eyes, suddenly spoke up. "Basara-kun, may I see your hand for a moment?"
I offered it hesitantly. She took it gently, then used a chakra scalpel to make a small cut on my palm. A vial appeared from within her kimono sleeve, and she collected a few drops of blood before sealing the wound with a quick Healing Palm.
I blinked at the sudden action, resisting the urge to retrieve my hand. Instead, I asked, "May I ask what that's for?"
Touka-obasan answered for her. "We will be making custom seals for your training. Your blood is a necessary component."
I nodded, still a little surprised, deciding to let this matter go. Looking at the woman's smile, I knew she wouldn't answer for what seal exactly. I will find out eventually.
"When will we start this evening, obasan?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I have a council meeting I cannot miss. We will begin your evening training at night."
"Understood." I finished my tea and stood up. "Then I'll be visiting the Inuzuka compound. It's been a couple of days, and I still need to see my friends."
Touka-obasan smiled softly and nodded in approval.
I returned to my quarters, cleaned up quickly, changed into fresh clothes, and stepped outside. With a deep breath, I gathered my chakra and shunshined out of the Senju compound, heading toward the Inuzuka district on the other side of the village.
It took me a while to reach the compound. Other than that, nothing seemed to have changed. But the moment I arrived at the main gate, things felt... different.
Two guards stood watch with their ninken partners at their sides.
The moment they saw me, both men straightened up.
"Senju-sama," one of them greeted respectfully. "May we ask why you are here?"
I blinked, taken aback by the formal title. "Uh... I'm here to meet Tsume."
The two guards exchanged quick glances — something I quietly filed away as weird — before the first one nodded. "Of course. Please follow me."
He led me through the compound. We eventually reached the familiar building I had visited before. As soon as we stepped inside, an older Inuzuka man with wild graying hair and a scar across his cheek came forward.
"Welcome, Senju-san," he said with a respectful bow. "Asuka-sama has been informed of your presence. She wishes to meet you."
Asuka-sama, the current matriarch of the Inuzuka clan. I nodded and followed him deeper into the house until we reached a spacious sitting room.
The moment I stepped in, I felt several strong presences.
A massive ninken the size of a small horse lay sprawled near the center, its head lifting lazily as I entered. Sitting around a low table were three people: an older woman with sharp, piercing eyes and wild silver-streaked hair (clearly Asuka, the matriarch), Tsume, and a much older Inuzuka male with a thick beard.
"Ah..." Asuka's voice boomed with amusement as she looked me up and down. "So this is the Senju pup I've been hearing about. Come, join us."
I bowed politely. "Thank you for having me, Asuka-sama."
The matriarch waved a hand dismissively, grinning. "Enough with the formalities. Come join us."
I wasn't sure what the matriarch of the Inuzukas wanted from me. The Inuzukas, in general, avoided village politics as much as they could. Still, I took a seat, and they passed me some snacks and tea, which I partook in so as not to be seen as rude. The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed and welcoming, though I could feel their eyes studying me with open curiosity.
After a few minutes of light conversation, Asuka suddenly leaned forward, her grin turning sharp.
"I want to see you fight."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... right now?"
Tsume, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly stood up. She stalked over and stopped right in front of me.
"Fight me," she said, voice low and serious.
I leaned back slightly, trying to defuse the situation. "Tsume, I just wanted to meet you and the rest of the team... we hadn't met after coming back. I had a really intense training session this morning. I'm kinda tired—"
I glanced hopefully at the others in the room, looking for backup.
None came.
Asuka was openly smirking. The older man just watched with interest. Even the giant dog seemed entertained.
Tsume's eyes narrowed dangerously, as if I had just insulted her. She reached out, fisted the front of my collar, and yanked me closer.
"FIGHT.ME"
Behind her, I heard Asuka snort a laugh.
...Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea, I thought, a nervous sweatdrop sliding down the side of my face.