The morning sun streamed through the gaps in the thatched roof of their lodging, signaling the start of another day.
Despite the previous day's harrowing events, Team 11 rose early, driven by a sense of duty to complete their assigned mission.
Administrator Tenma, still pale and shaken, insisted on beginning the land dispute resolution as scheduled.
Yua, after a brief discussion with Indra, agreed, deciding that maintaining a semblance of normalcy would be the best course of action for now.
While Tenma met with the village elders in the main hall, Yua led her genin to a training ground just outside the village. The air was still cool and damp from the morning dew, and the scent of pine filled the air.
"Today, we focus on chakra control," Yua announced, her voice crisp and authoritative. "Given recent events, it's clear that you all need to improve your mastery of the basics."
Hayate groaned. "Chakra control? Again? Isn't that Academy stuff?"
"Fundamentals are the foundation for everything," Yua replied sharply. "And based on what I saw yesterday, your foundation is shaky at best, Chinen."
She gestured toward a nearby stream. "Chinen, Sayaka, you've already mastered tree walking, so start on water walking. Indra, tree climbing.
We'll focus on refining your ability to channel chakra to your feet, maintaining consistent flow, and minimizing energy expenditure."
Hayate and Sayaka nodded and moved toward the stream, stripping off their boots and socks. Indra, however, hesitated.
"Tree climbing?" he asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.
"Yes," Yua replied, her gaze unwavering. "You're still struggling with that technique, despite your otherwise exceptional chakra control. We'll work on it until you master it."
Indra scowled inwardly. He knew Yua was right. Despite his impressive chakra reserves, he still struggled with the basic tree-walking exercise.
His overabundance of Yin chakra made maintaining the delicate balance required for the chakra control technique particularly challenging.
"Begin," Yua commanded, settling herself on a nearby tree stump to observe.
Hayate and Sayaka stepped onto the surface of the stream, channeling chakra to their feet.
Sayaka, as usual, displayed near-perfect control, gliding across the water's surface with barely a ripple.
Hayate, on the other hand, struggled to maintain his balance, occasionally dipping a foot into the water with a frustrated curse.
Indra approached a tall pine tree and focused his chakra, attempting to adhere to the trunk. He managed to take a few steps upward before his chakra flow faltered, and he slid back down to the ground with a thump.
He cursed under his breath, ignoring the snickers from Hayate. The imbalance between his Yin and Yang chakra was a constant annoyance, hindering his progress in ways that frustrated him to no end.
He tried again, focusing with every fiber of his being, but the result was the same. A few steps upward, then a slide back down.
He was beginning to feel the burn of chakra exhaustion when Yua called out, "Enough, Indra."
Indra glared at the tree as he stepped away, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Rest," Yua instructed, gesturing toward Hayate and Sayaka, who had finished their water-walking exercises and were now eating rice balls.
"You're pushing yourself too hard. It's useless to force it when you're fatigued. There's a time for training and a time for rest."
Indra gritted his teeth but knew she was right. He had been pushing himself relentlessly since awakening the Rinnegan, driven by a need to master its power as quickly as possible. But he was learning that even he had his limits.
He joined Hayate and Sayaka, accepting a rice ball from Hayate with a mumbled thanks. As they ate, small talk filled the air.
"You'll get it eventually," Hayate said, patting Indra on the back. "You're good at everything else. Can't be perfect at everything, right?"
Indra rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You're practically walking on air on that stream."
"Years of practice with the leaf exercise," Hayate replied with a shrug. "Besides, you have those fancy eyes. I'm sure you'll figure something out eventually."
Sayaka ate in silence, her gaze flicking between Indra and Hayate. Indra noticed that she still had trouble to not constantly stare at him.
"Alright," Yua said, clapping her hands together after a while. "Chinen, Sayaka, back to the stream. Indra, stay put."
Hayate and Sayaka exchanged glances before returning to their water-walking practice. Indra remained seated, sensing that Yua wanted to speak with him in private.
As soon as the other two were out of earshot, Yua turned to Indra, her expression unreadable. "You and Sayaka have gotten close these past few days."
Indra's mind immediately went on alert. "We faced a life-and-death situation together," he replied evenly. "And we're now supposed to be engaged."
Yua gave him a silent, assessing look. "Spare me the platitudes, Indra. I'll cut to the chase. The story about the missing-nin and that ANBU agent killing each other while you and Sayaka escaped and found their bodies upon returning - that's bullshit."
Indra remained silent, his eyes fixed on Yua's face.
"You're the one who killed that A-rank missing-nin, aren't you? And that other one as well. I don't know how, but every instinct tells me that's the truth."
She paused, studying his reaction. "And Sayaka - her adoration since that incident, plus her chakra feeling far more calm and at peace when she's around you, even when talking about her clan...
None of that would be possible if she didn't believe in your strength - in your ability to protect her from everything."
Deciding that further deception was pointless, Indra scoffed and crossed his arms. "Drop the analytical act, Sensei.
You just hinted at being able to sense Sayaka's chakra and emotional state from it. You're a sensor, therefore you must have sensed the power unleashed from me."
Yua smirked, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Clever brat," she said, reaching out and ruffling his hair.
Indra protested, swatting at her hand. "Hey! Cut it out!"
Yua chuckled, her eyes softening as she continued to gaze at him. "I see that you are as sharp as always, it shows that your intelligence isn't limited just to ninja training."
For a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes - a memory of another time, another person.
In Indra she saw a fleeting image of someone with dark hair and eyes, smiling warmly, before she blinked and saw him again, covered with blood and with lifeless eyes staring towards her, leaning against a bloodstained stone.
The flashback disappeared, and she was seeing Indra again.
Yua's features softened as she stared at Indra, a sad smile gracing her lips.
"I like this side of you, you know," she said quietly. "The blunt, expressive side. More than the cold, calculating mask you seem to constantly wear."
Indra was caught off guard by the sincerity in her tone.
He had always seen Yua as a distant, almost detached figure - a stern instructor focused solely on molding them into effective shinobi.
To see her express such genuine emotion was surprising, even unsettling.
He composed himself quickly, masking his surprise with his usual stoic expression. "What is this really about, Sensei?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
Yua sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Nothing, really. Just commenting on the fact that I know you have some secret, very powerful jutsu.
And that I know that you with it can defeat an A-rank missing-nin, so I'll count on you from now on to protect your teammates if I'm not around."
Indra's eyes narrowed. "You're not going to report this to the Hokage?"
Yua rolled her eyes and flicked Indra on the forehead, making him wince. "What the hell was that for?" he asked annoyed.
She leaned back, gazing up at the clouds drifting lazily across the sky. "And why would I do that? Just because you have some talent in the hidden arts that you can use to protect the team, doesn't mean I should report it."
Yua paused, then muttered almost to herself, "I tried not to get attached again... but I failed."
She turned back to Indra, a mock-hurt expression on her face. "Also, I'm hurt Indra, don't you trust your dear Sensei?"
Indra, still rubbing his reddened forehead, glared at her. "You're the one who told us shinobi are tools. So excuse me for thinking that you would immediately report something like this to the Hokage."
Yua shook her head. "Yes, shinobi are tools, but a tool doesn't act of its own accord. It needs to be picked up, wielded to do something.
It also needs maintenance - which you clearly lack, since you can't even do tree walking properly."
Indra stared at her curiously. "Are you saying you'll tell the Hokage about this if he asks you about it directly?"
Yua met his gaze, her expression unreadable. Then, to his astonishment, she reached out and pinched his cheeks, stretching them out.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Indra yelled, pulling away and rubbing his face.
Yua shrugged, her earlier melancholy seemingly forgotten. "I grew attached," she said simply, as if that explained everything.
Indra stared at her in disbelief. She had done a complete 180 compared to her earlier demeanor.
"The Third gave me a brief description of what signs to be wary of, to know whether you are training or using one of the jutsus from the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing - which you have no right to use," Yua elaborated.
"But this isn't that, so it is probably an Uchiha-exclusive hidden jutsu, and therefore something beyond anyone but the Uchiha clan's right to know about."
She paused, her gaze softening. "So no, I won't report this to the Hokage. Each shinobi has the right to their own secrets. We are shinobi after all, secrets are our lifeblood."
Indra remained silent, trying to decipher her true intentions. He still didn't fully trust her - past life knowledge of this world, makes him know that he must question everything, to always suspect hidden motives.
Yua broke the silence with a sigh. "Besides, if the old man wanted to know, he would have had someone else watch you. He probably would've had a dozen ANBU following you at any given moment."
She paused, grinning slightly. "The fact that he assigned me only to your team says he trusts me not to interfere unless it's absolutely necessary."
Indra scoffed, but he had to admit she had a point. The Third was a master manipulator, and he likely had his own reasons for assigning Yua to Team 11.
"What do you want?" Indra asked again, cutting through the pleasantries. "What's your real motivation for telling me all this?"
Yua leaned back, resting on her hands as she gazed at the sky. "My motivation is simple, Indra. I want you to survive."
She turned her gaze back to him, her eyes filled with a sadness that touched something deep within Indra's soul.
"I've seen too many talented shinobi die young," she said quietly. "Thrown away on pointless missions, sacrificed for the sake of political expediency, destroyed by their own inner demons."
Her gaze hardened. "I won't let that happen to you, Indra. You and your teammates have too much potential to waste."
Indra found himself at a loss for words. He had expected suspicion, perhaps even a veiled threat, but not this - genuine concern, almost maternal in its intensity.
"I appreciate the sentiment, Sensei," he said finally, his voice slightly softer than usual. "But I can take care of myself."
Yua smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know you think that, Indra. But everyone needs someone to watch their back. Even the strongest shinobi can be caught off guard."
She stood up, brushing dirt from her pants. "Besides, I'm your sensei. It's my job to make sure you don't do anything too stupid."
She smirked, her earlier melancholy gone. "Now, enough with the heart-to-heart. We still have a mission to complete. Let's go check on those two brats on the stream."
As they walked toward the water, Indra couldn't help but feel a grudging affection for his sensei.
She was a complex, seeminly contradictory person - a stern taskmaster who could also display surprising tenderness, a cynical realist who still clung to a shred of idealism.
He knew that he couldn't fully trust her - that no one in this world could be trusted completely.
But he also recognized that she was one of the few people perhaps who genuinely cared about his well-being, and for that, he was grateful.
As they approached the stream, they could hear Hayate and Sayaka arguing.
"No, you're leaning too far forward," Sayaka was saying, her voice composed but with a hint of exasperation in it. "You need to distribute your chakra more evenly."
"I am distributing my chakra evenly!" Chinen replied, her tone as composed as ever. "Perhaps you are the one who doesn't know how to teach!"
"What's going on here?" Yua asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sayaka's chakra control is too good," Hayate complained. "She's making me look bad!"
Yua chuckled. "Perhaps you should focus on improving your own skills rather than comparing yourself to your teammate."
She turned to Indra, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "See, Indra? I told you everyone needs someone to watch their back."
"Yes, but it is still only Chinen, and we know he needs all the help he can get. So you've still proven nothing Sensei" Indra countered with a smirk forming on his face.
"Hey!" Chinen protested in anger, as he lost control because of it and fell into the water, rising after a moment, with a glare towards Indra.
Yua gave Indra a side-eyed look, and suddenly grabbed him back the back of his shirt, and to Indra's surprise threw him with ease into the water, earning a small yelp from him.
As Indra rose from the water, everyone could see a bewildered look on his face, his face full of question towards his Sensei. Sayaka and Hayate shocked - Hayate not even being able to laugh because of his shock.
"That's what you get for being a cheeky brat, talking back to your sensei." Yua stated with a smile.
Her only response was a glare from Indra as he crossed his arms, and decided to sink into the water, not wanting to have them see him like this, causing Hayate to finally break into laughter.
'Damn woman, she knows no personal space,' were Indra's last thoughts before he sunk himself down.
Though there was no true malice within them.
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(Author note: So! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
I hope you all liked Yua's character this chapter.
She isn't heartless.
I hope I showed that when she grew angry at them when she wanted to go against all missing nin for the three, or when she explained to them the true nature of a shinobi rather than giving them a false idealistic view that could get them in danger and killed.
She just... well, has had her own traumatic experiences and had closed off as shown in this chapter.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)