"The subsequent taijutsu training session was almost identical to yesterday's, except this time we fought not only with the instructor but also with each other, where she pointed out various mistakes and ways to overcome them. Specifically, this applied only to Rotaro and Tsume, as Mito had polished my stances, strikes, and movements much better than academy instructors. The only thing I lacked a bit to defeat Kanade with current restrictions was experience. Decent strength and speed were there even with working seals.
To wrap up the day, we had a D-rank mission where we were forced to weed a garden. Nothing unexpected for me, but it was pleasant to see the expressions on the faces of the others! I intentionally didn't warn them. By the way, unlike Shikaku and his group, we received the assignment from a regular clerk in the lower floors of the Hokage Tower, not directly from the Hokage himself or his deputy, who currently occupied the office.
Here we see the division between privileged and ordinary shinobi, even if they are from a clan. I am not an heir, though I stand second in line; Ishi is an orphan from a shelter, and the Inuzuka is merely the wife of the clan head, so they won't go out of their way to court us. At least beyond a certain limit—Kanade herself chose a mission from the available scrolls rather than being handed a pre-selected one, like a couple of teams who received missions with us.
From what I understand, the Hokage personally assigns missions to clan heirs first and foremost to avoid risky missions that could provoke clan claims. Also, personal acquaintance and assessment of future leaders play a role.
Politics, damn it, it's unavoidable. I'm willing to bet that when Kushina's turn comes, her team will exclusively receive missions directly from the Hokage, and Hiruzen will pretend to be a kindly uncle, aiming to leave only a positive impression.
***
Engrossed in training and other activities, the days flew by in an instant, forming weeks, and weeks gradually turned into months without any notable shocks. Routine teamwork and improving individual skills became Kanade's main focus of education. Having more or less achieved a normal physical shape and speed for a Chunin, and significantly improved my teammates' taijutsu, young Hyuga shifted to chakra control and ninjutsu.
It was here that she really unfolded, literally overwhelming Tsume, who was focused on hand-to-hand combat, and Rotaro, who was more accustomed to swords. A vivid demonstration of when a close combat shinobi simply can't reach their target in time. The first stage of training immediately became clear—without acquired speed, agility, dexterity, and endurance, this pair wouldn't stand a chance against destructive Katon techniques.
Considering our instructor also mastered Doton, I was the only one with decent odds, thanks to Suiton proficiency and clan Hijutsu. However, as often happened in taijutsu, I simply lacked the experience against an opponent who knew their capabilities well and how to apply them. And my arsenal of three water techniques was clearly insufficient against the almost dozen unleashed against me. Here, it wasn't just about the forced restrictions. Well, they were in place but didn't affect the outcome as much as in taijutsu.
Unfortunately, considering my equipment's capabilities, overall damage resistance, and sensor skills, Kanade preferred not to hold back. My enormous reserve was the only thing that saved me—Huuga simply tired out faster than she could truly harm me. I understood she took advantage of the opportunity and used me to conduct full-scale training sessions on herself.
I involuntarily had to study new Suiton techniques and resume working on Raiton, which had been neglected recently due to an overload of tasks. I completed the first part of elemental training, gaining the ability to use Chidori and its variations through some control over the element, but overall power still left much to be desired. Working at the hospital and frequent off-hours calls did not help in this matter.
A huge relief amid the insane schedule became the not-so-frequent meetings with the elusive Mito and rare visits from Reiko. A month after receiving the Genin title, we had a serious conversation with the latter, after which she definitively transitioned into friends-with-benefits. However, subconsciously, this is roughly what I expected—after more than a year of communicating with a nice person and getting to know each other well, it's hard to break the bonds that have formed.
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