Morning came swiftly. The sky was painted with soft hues of blue and orange as the sun peeked over the horizon. I was already up, leaning against the wooden railing of Tazuna's house, watching the mist roll over the water.
The weight of what was coming settled over me. Zabuza and Haku weren't going to hide forever. They would return, and when they did, we had to be ready.
Footsteps shuffled behind me. I turned slightly to see Kakashi stepping onto the porch, hands tucked into his pockets. His single visible eye watched me for a moment before he spoke.
"Didn't sleep?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Didn't need to."
He hummed, then leaned against the railing beside me. "You're thinking about them."
I nodded. "He was strong, and he wasn't even fighting to kill. Next time… I doubt he'll hold back."
Kakashi was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "It's not always as simple as enemy and ally, is it?"
I glanced at him. "You would know."
He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah. I would." He pushed off the railing. "Come on. We need to check on the others."
By the time we gathered in the clearing for training, the tension was palpable. Naruto was yawning, rubbing his eyes as he trudged forward. Sasuke stood off to the side, arms crossed, focused.
Kakashi clapped his hands. "Alright. Naruto, keep working on your tree climbing. Sasuke, you should reinforce your control. Raiden, you…" He tilted his head. "Actually, I'm curious. How much can you do?"
I smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Naruto groaned. "Oh, come on! He doesn't even have to train, does he?"
Kakashi just laughed. "Oh, he does. Everyone has room for improvement." He turned back to me. "Show me."
I stepped forward, rolling my shoulders. A deep breath, then I pressed my foot against the tree trunk. But instead of simply running up, I channeled my chakra through my entire body, reinforcing my movements.
With a single push, I shot up the tree at an alarming speed, reaching the top in mere seconds. From there, I kicked off, flipping through the air and landing gracefully on the ground.
Sasuke raised a brow. "Show-off."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "What the hell? That's so unfair!"
I just grinned. "You're getting there."
Kakashi hummed in approval. "Your control is excellent." Then his eye narrowed slightly. "But you're holding back."
I just smirked. "You always say that."
The rest of the morning was spent training. Naruto continued struggling but making steady progress. Sasuke was pushing himself harder than ever. I split my time between watching them and honing my own control. I didn't need to struggle with basic chakra exercises, but efficiency mattered.
Then, as the sun climbed higher, a shift in the air caught my attention.
Kakashi stiffened. "They're coming."
The others stopped immediately.
Tazuna's voice rang out from the distance. "They're here!"
My heart pounded in my chest. This was it.
Kakashi's expression hardened. "We move now."
Without hesitation, we took off toward the bridge, the weight of battle heavy on our shoulders.