Hearing Nozuki's concerns, Reiki smiled and shook his head. The matters surrounding Tsunade and Kato Dan were entangled with Konoha's inner politics, and even someone as capable as Minato would struggle to help without risking his own safety.
"Don't worry, Nozuki. I'll stay in the village and handle things here," he assured her. "Focus on your missions and get stronger. Who knows? I might make Jonin before the rest of you."
Nozuki rolled her eyes with a smile. "Alright, but remember, we're all in this together." She hugged him briefly before turning to leave with Minato.
Once they were gone, Reiki sat on the steps, feeling the weight of Tsunade's predicament. He couldn't abandon her, but he knew how hard it would be to get any useful information. Even with Tsunade's influence, Sarutobi Hiruzen had hidden things so well.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Still worrying about Lady Tsunade?"
Reiki looked up to see Morishita beside him.
"Yeah, but I know there's not much I can do right now," Reiki replied with a sigh.
Morishita patted his shoulder. "Let's take your mind off things. How about some training?"
Reiki's eyes lit up. "Alright! But since you're a Jonin, you can only use taijutsu against me. I, on the other hand, get to use everything I've got."
Morishita smirked. "Fine by me."
Without giving him a chance to prepare, Reiki quickly activated a sealing scroll, momentarily blocking Morishita's chakra.
"You little sneak!" Morishita laughed, then took a defensive stance. "Alright, let's see what you've got!"
"Shadow Clone Technique!" Reiki summoned a clone while his main body wielded Murasame, his unique blade.
"You're bringing out the big guns, huh?" Morishita teased, blocking Reiki's attacks with his kunai. "This sword of yours is quite something!"
The two clashed in a flurry of blows, metal against metal. Initially, Morishita thought it would just be a lighthearted spar to distract Reiki, but soon, his expression grew serious. Reiki's speed, strength, and reflexes were remarkable, and he even began to press Morishita back.
*Is this kid really just a medical ninja?* Morishita thought, struggling to keep up with Reiki's relentless strikes.
"Morishita-sama," Reiki called, grinning, "it's not wise to get distracted in a fight!" He struck down with his sword, forcing Morishita to retreat.
"Switched to the blade, have we?" Morishita remarked, regaining his footing. "But you're still using the back of it. Don't underestimate me!"
He lunged forward, pushing his own speed and strength. The tide of the battle shifted, and soon Morishita had Reiki on the defensive. After all, he was an elite Jonin; Reiki, despite his skill, couldn't overcome that gap entirely.
"Alright, kid, you're good, but…" Just as Morishita was about to end the fight, he was hit square in the face by an unseen force, sending him sprawling backward.
"Who did that?" Morishita muttered, instinctively trying to sense his attacker's chakra—only to realize his chakra was still sealed.
"Did you…?" He glanced at Reiki, who wore a mischievous grin.
"Oh yeah. You see, I have a few surprises up my sleeve," Reiki laughed, launching himself forward for another round.
"What the…" Morishita barely had time to react as Reiki's strikes rained down on him, each punch landing with greater force than expected. Without chakra, he couldn't fully gauge or counter the attacks, and for the next half hour, Morishita found himself struggling to keep up.
Finally, Reiki staggered backward, collapsing against the wall, breathing heavily. "You win, Morishita-sama. I'm wiped out."
Morishita, bruised and battered, growled, "Untie me… release the seal…!"
"Oh, right." Reiki smirked, retrieving the scroll and releasing the chakra seal on Morishita.
As the Jonin's chakra returned, a bit of color returned to his face, though he looked a bit worse for wear.
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