Yuto had just knocked on the Uchiha family's door as he heard the footsteps approaching. Mikoto opened the door, giving Yuto's new attire a look over.
"Yuto, it is nice to see you again," Mikoto said cheerfully.
"You as well, Lady Mikoto," Yuto replied, giving a respectful bow.
"Oh my, you look like you haven't slept in days," Mikoto said, noticing the bags under his eyes.
"Yes, it is quite a hassle managing my studies and training," Yuto replied with a sigh.
"Itachi and you," Mikoto said.
"Oh yeah, is Itachi here? I know he's quite busy," Yuto asked.
"No, but he should be here shortly. You came at the right time," Mikoto said.
"Come in, I insist," she finished, stepping aside, gesturing for him to enter.
He gave a nod, walking through the door. "Thank you for inviting me into your home," Yuto said, slipping off his traditional Japanese sandals and leaving them at the door.
"We are always happy to have you, Yuto," Mikoto said with a genuine smile.
Yuto walked down the small corridor before the front door, following behind Mikoto.
"Lady Mikoto, could I bother you for a cup of coffee?" Yuto asked.
"Yes, of course, you could use some," Mikoto said with a light chuckle, walking into the kitchen.
"Where is little Sasuke?" Yuto asked, taking a seat at the small breakfast table.
"he should be out with Itachi," she replied, grabbing the kettle.
"I see, they must be out training," Yuto said.
"Yes, something about hunting," she said.
Yuto remembered something from the anime, when Sasuke and Itachi were fighting a sage kabuto, when they mentioned something about a hunting trip.
"So he does make time for his younger brother," Yuto said, disinterested.
Mikoto chuckled. "Yes, he can sometimes forget about his younger brother," she said.
"Oh yes, Yuto, how is your medical training going?" she asked.
"Hum, everything went as I expected it to. Though I was appalled by the exchange center process," Yuto said matter-of-factly.
"Hum, an exchange center?" Mikoto said questioningly.
"Well, medical training is provided once a week, and, unable to make steady progress, you must use contribution points from missions to access more material," Yuto explained, sitting with his arms crossed, clearly not happy with the system.
"Hum, I suppose it makes sense. Shinobi who work in the field go through the same process for techniques from the village archive, so it's all but fair," she explained, a finger on her chin. She walked across the kitchen, a glass carafe filled with hot coffee in her hand.
"Yes, I have no room for complaints," Yuto said with a sigh.
"Sugar?" Mikoto asked, pouring some coffee from the glass carafe into a cup.
"Yes, please," he said.
"By the way, Lady Mikoto, you were a jonin of the village; surely Sasuke is old enough for you to enter the field again?" Yuto said.
"Hum, I'm 35 years old; I've achieved much in my career already, and I've protected my home in the third great shinobi war as well, achieving merit and feats. It simply doesn't make sense to enter the field again," she explained.
"I see," he said.
"Ohh, yes, I have something for you," Mikoto said.
"Really?" he asked, surprised. He was just a friend of Itachi's and never had any relations with the Uchiha family, let alone Mikoto herself, so it was surprising she would have something for him.
"Yes, give me a moment," Mikoto said, walking out of the kitchen.
Yuto sat there patiently, wondering what it could be. Mikoto didn't take long before walking into the kitchen, holding a few scrolls in her hand.
Yuto looked up, a bit surprised, as it looked like the scrolls he'd received from the exchange center.
"Lady Mikoto!" Yuto said in shock, his calm demeanor falling, seeing Mikoto set the scrolls on the table.
"It's not much, but I wanted to give Itachi's friend a little something," she said with a light smile.
"Lady Mikoto, this is valuable material. Why give it to me?" Yuto asked. While he was thankful, he was confused, as he had done nothing worth receiving these scrolls.
"The last time you were here, I walked into Itachi's room and saw him jumping on the bed like a child," she said with a smile.
"Ever since Itachi was a child, he'd been forced to be an adult, being the heir to the Uchiha clan patriarch. Just seeing him be a child, even for just a few seconds, brought me so much joy," Mikoto said genuinely, a hand on her chest, as she spoke.
"Lady Mikoto," Yuto said in shock. He had never expected that small fiasco would have left an impression on the wife of the leader of the prodigious Uchiha clan.
"Thank you, Lady Mikoto," Yuto said, leaving his seat and giving a deep bow.
"It's nothing, I have no use for them anyway," Mikoto said.
Right then, the front door opened, and constant footsteps were coming closer to the kitchen. It was revealed to be Sasuke as he ran into the kitchen, beaming.
"Sasuke! You didn't leave your shoes at the door," Mikoto chastized.
Sasuke looked down, seeing the dirty footprints on the floor. His face became a bit sheepish.
Mikoto sighed.
"Hello, Sasuke," Yuto said, disinterested.
Sasuke crossed his arms, clearly not happy to see Yuto, as he deprived him of his time with his older brother.
Itachi came in behind Sasuke, a light smile on his face.
"Go on, take your shoes to the door," Itachi said.
Sasuke glared at Yuto before walking off to put his shoes up.
"itachi! You sure have been busy," Yuto said.
"You as well," Itachi said calmly, noticing the bags under Yuto's eyes.
"Yes, but for good reason," Yuto said, grabbing the cup of coffee off the counter.
"Come to the courtyard, we can catch up there," Itachi suggested.
Yuto gave a nod before looking at Mikoto. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Mikoto," Yuto said, giving a small bow before walking along with Itachi to the shoji doors leading to the courtyard.
"It's no problem," Mikoto said with a smile.
After a few moments, Yuto and Itachi were seated on the steps leading to the small courtyard. Yuto had sealed the medical scrolls in his everyday Carrie scroll.
"You look like hell," Itachi said calmly.
"I always do, managing time isn't my strong suit," Yuto said.
"So, how did things go with the medical department?" Itachi asked.
Yuto took a sip of coffee before answering. "I've been accepted into the medical training program, but it's not as easy as I thought it would be," Yuto said with a sigh.
"This is rare coming from you," Itachi said, used to Yuto's confident and aloof attitude.
"Of course, my studies are fine, but I need to take missions to gain contribution points to purchase medical material. Thankfully, Lady Mikoto was kind enough to offer me some medical scrolls she had no use for," Yuto explained.
"Really? It seems my parents have taken quite a liking to you," Itachi said, mildly surprised.
"What can I say, I'm quite the charmer," Yuto said, bashing in his good looks.
Itachi actually rolled his eyes at this.
Later, Yuto arrived home, just in time for afternoon training. He grabbed his blade from his room and unsealed his medical scrolls. He changed into his shinobi combat outfit before arriving at the backyards' steps, his sword strapped on his back. He saw his grandfather there already in his usual white kimono and traditional Japanese sandals.
"Come on, it's time that I teach you the fundamentals," his grandfather said.
Yuto walked down the stairs, his face contorted in confusion. "The fundamentals? What have we been doing this whole time?" Yuto asked.
"You're not even close to building a proper foundation. Even with your learning speed, it can take over a year," his grandfather explained as if it were obvious.
"I've been training for four months, though?" Yuto said, confused.
"Yeah, but you've also been studying medical ninjutsu theory for four months and you're not tsunade senju yet," his grandfather said.
Yuto frowned as he knew his grandfather had a point.
"So, what are these fundamentals you speak of?" Yuto asked.
"Hum, the fundamentals primarily focus on balance and coordination. You must have a strong base, but also be able to move swiftly and perform precise movements. One misstep can mean death on the battlefield. While balance and Coordination come through experience, you don't have that privilege, plus you're too much of a coward to actually take to the battlefield," his grandfather said with a frown.
Yuto didn't even flinch; he felt no need to object to a blatantly true statement. His grandfather already knew he was a coward, and his indifferent demeanor was a front, used as an escape from conflict and battle, serving as a shield of confidence, and impersonating a man who has no care for battle, rather than a man who fears battle.
"I simply can't let you continue on like this; it's my duty as your grandfather to prepare you. I originally thought our little mission would be enough, but I was wrong," his grandfather said, a sigh leaving his lips.
His grandfather's face became serious, and the wooden sword in his hand looked as if to were being strangled by the grip of his hand. His short black spiky hair blew in the wind despite its short length before he spoke.
"So... I'll just have to fight you like your enemy would, perhaps then you'll learn to embrace battle like a true shinobi," his grandfather said, his expression cold and his gaze unwavering.
Yuto was shocked, never having seen his grandfather like this. While he'd never seen his grandfather in combat, he had a feeling that he could look way scarier than he looked right now. he was a little nervous; he didn't know what he had coming for him. he unsheathed his blade, his face shaken as a drop of sweat rolled down his face and the spit in his mouth was forced down his throat from the hard gulp.
Then, for the first time since Yuto and his grandfather sparred, his grandfather started the attack. The distance was closed, Yuto's tanto was out of his hand, and he lay on the ground next to his tanto, groaning in agony, clutching his now bruised abdomen, tears flowing down the sides of his face. His brown eyes flowed with water like a river, and his body danced on the ground as he flapped around in pain.
"On your feet! You won't have time to cry on the battlefield," his grandfather ordered sternly.
Yuto struggled, pulling his body off the ground and clutching his stomach.
"Remove your hand, you don't know medical ninjutsu, so it won't soothe the pain. Pick up your blade and fight," his grandfather said.
"My hair is dirty!" Yuto spat out, his face contorted in anger and agony.
"This is abuse!" Yuto said as the principles from his previous world came in.
"Abuse?" his grandfather chuckled.
"Don't be foolish, child, this is a battlefield," his grandfather said, clearly amused.
Yuto wanted to retort, but he stopped, unable to conjure up the words, from the pain he felt in his body. He'd only been hit with a wooden sword once, and he felt like he'd been hit by truck-kun. Yuto let his hand clutched on his abdomen, fall to his side before he picked up his tanto off the ground.
"fuck my life," he said, placing his sword in front of him.
Later, Yuto sat on the porch sipping on his plastic straw doused in a cup of cold lemonade. His clothes were dirty, his body was drenched in sweat, and there were red bruises on his pale skin. His delicate hands had calluses from the number of times his sword was forced out of his hand, and his hair, his precious hair, was covered in dirt.
His grandfather walked up the steps, stopping to speak. "We will repeat this Tomorrow morning. I'll have you toughened up before you're shipped off to the genin reserves," his grandfather said before walking into the house.
Yuto frowned. He looked down at his reflection in his cup of lemonade.
"he's being a big meany," Yuto pouted.
A few days later, Yuto had received a message from the village that he'd be transferred to the genin reserves. He would need to find a way to attend his weekly classes during the six-month training period. During the six-month training period, the genin are restricted to the headquarters and are only allowed to leave after the training period. If he couldn't attend his classes, he'd fall behind in his medical training, even with the scrolls he obtained from the exchange center.
Even the extra scrolls Mikoto gave him wouldn't be enough for him to stay caught up. At most, it was a few months of material, and he could cover all the material in a few weeks if he had enough time in the genin training. That meant he'd have to wait another five months before he was given any medical training, because he had no way to gain access to the material or lessons. He'd miss physical explanations and examples, not to mention the notes during the lessons.
He sighed, throwing the letter in the trash bin.
"Grandfather! I'm leaving for the genin corps," Yuto said.
"Nonsense, I'll send you off myself," his grandfather said.
"Hum, I'd think you hated me after these past few days," Yuto said.
"Humph, I just gave you some conditioning," his grandfather said.
Yuto rolled his eyes, murmuring something under his breath.
When Yuto and his grandfather left the home, Yuto gave the two-story Japanese-style home one last look as he wouldn't see it for six whole months.
"Just so you know, we have a few stops. I have to say my farewells," Yuto said.
His grandfather sighed. "If I recall correctly, you already said your fairwells to that Uchiha brat," he said.
"Yes, I do have other friends, you know, and my student," Yuto said defensively.
"A student? What are you teaching? Your hair routine?" his grandfather said, amused.
Yuto frowned. "I'm just teaching her how to unseal and seal things," Yuto said.
"Hum, I see," he said.
Later...
"But why for so long?" Iami pouted, clearly not happy with Yuto being absent for so long.
"Sorry, but I must do what is asked of me by the village," Yuto said.
She sighed, stepping forward and pulling Yuto in for a hug. She towered over him, pulling his head into her stomach.
His grandfather stood at the entrance of the store, his arms crossed, waiting impatiently.
"It's just the training period, so it won't be anything too dangerous," Yuto said once he was released from the hug.
"Alright, be careful, though," she said.
"Of course," Yuto said.
"Are you two done flirting yet? You're going to be late," his grandfather said with a grunt.
"We are doing no such thing," Yuto said, hiding the flush of red on his pale face.
Iami chuckled, seeing this.
Yuto walked up towards the shop exit, sending a glare at his grandfather waiting at the door.
His grandfather chuckled at this, opening the door for Yuto before speaking.
"Where's this student of yours anyway?" he said.
"It's not far. She's actually the Higarashi weapon shop's owner's daughter," Yuto said.
"Oh, no wonder I saw you practicing with a fuma shuriken. You've been going there often," his grandfather said.
"Yes, she's actually an aspiring weapon specialist," Yuto said as they walked.
"Hum, I see," he responded.
When they finally made it to the weapons shop and walked through the door, Yuto was immediately met with Ten-Ten's little face peeking over the counter next to her father.
"Ahh tengi, I see you've brought your grandson with you," the shop owner said.
"Yes, he's leaving for the genin reserve training period, and wanted to say goodbye," his grandfather said.
"I s..." the store owner spoke before he was cut off by the sound of Yuto's bottom hitting the ground. The store owner looked to his side, seeing that his daughter was missing and was now on top of Yuto.
"Yuto senpai!" ten-ten said with a large smile on her face.
Yuto pulled himself off the ground after ten-ten got off.
"You really are ruthless," Yuto said with a groan.
He looked down, seeing that ten-ten had grown to his chest.
"Geeze, kid, you're making me feel short," Yuto said with a chuckle.
"That's because you are," his grandfather said.
Yuto frowned at being reminded of his small frame and stature.
"Who's this old geezer?" ten-ten asked, pointing a finger at Yuto's grandfather.
Yuto grinned, seeing the twitch on his grandfather's eyebrow. "Well, that's my ancient grandfather," Yuto said.
His grandfather scowled, murmuring something under his breath.
Ten-ten gave Yuto's grandfather a look over before shrugging her shoulders.
The shop owner then spoke. "Wait, if I'm not mistaken yuto you were on a chunin team, why are you off to the reserves?" he asked.
Ten-ten looked at Yuto in confusion as she had no idea what her father was talking about.
Yuto sighed. "This is why I came here. My chunin team was disbanded, and since I'm a lone genin, I'll be sent to the reserves, since I'm not officially a part of a department," Yuto explained.
"So you'll be gone for the six-month training period," the shop owner said.
Yuto nodded.
"Yuto senpai, what do you mean?" ten-ten asked.
Yuto sighed. Ten-ten had grown so much in the four months that he could no longer bend down to talk to her, not that he was ever that much taller in the first place.
"Look, kid, I've been ordered by the village to report to the genin corps; unfortunately, it's not up for debate," Yuto said.
Ten-ten's little face contorted into a few emotions before it became resolute.
"I understand," she said begrudgingly.
Yuto was surprised by how well she took the news.
"I'll probably miss your birthday, so here. think of it as an early present," Yuto said, handing her a scroll.
She looked at the scroll in curiosity and excitement.
"It's one of my fuinjutsu scrolls since I won't be able to give you any lessons for a while," Yuto explained.
"Thank you, Yuto senpai," ten-ten said in joy, tackling him to the ground again.
When he got up from the floor, it looked like he'd miss some more sleep.
"No warnings," he muttered, placing a hand on ten-ten's head.
"Take care, kid," Yuto said.
"Bye, yuto senpai," ten-ten said, a bit down that yuto would be leaving for so long, as she clutched the scroll to her chest.
Yuto looked up at the store owner, giving him a small nod as he received one back.
"It was nice seeing you, Tengi," the store owner said.
"Yes, you as well," Yuto's grandfather said.
When they had finally left, his grandfather looked a little impatient as he'd been running around with Yuto for half an hour, so he could say his goodbyes.
"Any more stops?" he asked impatiently.
"No, that was the last one," Yuto said with a chuckle.
They made it to the genin corps training facility, as Yuto was surprised by the big entrance and giant building. It looked more like an apartment building.
Yuto sighed, looking at the tall walls surrounding the building, before looking at his grandfather beside him.
"Well, I'm off," Yuto said.
His grandfather placed a hand on Yuto's head, much to Yuto's dismay.
"Well, go on then," his grandfather said.
Yuto walked through the entrance, waving a hand over his shoulder casually. He wasn't intimidated by the genin reserves; it was nothing he couldn't deal with.
Soon, he'd find out how wrong he was.
[be sure to give me your power stones]