The Teacher and the Watcher

C-rank mission Link

Natsuki walked out of their shower as she had a thousand times before. The hot water against her white skin early in the morning was the most revitalizing way for her to wake up. She wrapped a pink towel around her thin frame and moved towards her wardrobe to pick her outfit of the day. Natsu was a creature of habit and had multiple copies of the outfit she wore while performing her duties as a Chuunin of the Village Hidden in the Stars.

A black tunic decorated with gold, a red cape, and red leggings reaching down to her ankles, meeting her low heel boots. The scraping these boots made as they brushed across the cobbled streets of Hoshi brought a regality to the kunoichi that some could label as eccentricity. However, a noble must dress like a noble.

Even if their duty was to be a teacher, Natsu was the best suited apparently for this activity. She enjoyed it to the point that she actively sought any opportunity as a substitute teacher. To help the next generation build a direct line of communication to the upper ranks of the shinobi system in the school system was to ring us in all circles.

Shina had assigned a new class to the Silver Hyuuga. Most of the students of this particular class were the offspring of the higher noble classes. After the heroic achievements of the shinobi of this country, they had decided to convince second sons and daughters to enlist in the military and bring their house great glory. Natsuki expected most of them to quit by the end of the year. Yet if she was pleasantly surprised, all for the better. 

One student, in particular, worried her, Tomoya Kamigawa. He had failed his Genin exam twice already and was re-enrolling for a third term. She hoped she could help; he was a troublemaker.

 “Today, we are going to review the theory of Chakra Infusion and elemental potencies. I believe you know about infusion in a general form, but I’m going to review it just in case.” Natsuki said as she addressed the class, smiling. 

“This is an advanced shinobi skill for the flowing of chakra through a weapon. ” Natsuki turned and went on to write on the blackboard new, unused chalk that was on her desk.  It was then that she realized that she couldn’t be farther with his earlier thinking – she was naive, believing she would be able to build a rapport and communicate better with the audience because of her noble status. Instead, the students brushed off Natsuki’s rank and found this an opportunity to mess with her. When Natsuki turned around to write on the board, everybody dissapeared under their desks, and when she asked them what they were doing, everybody replied they were tying their shoelaces. Another student began gently banging his head on the desk and made noises like "no, stop that, get out of my head!" like he was losing his mind. 

It seemed Natsuki had lost the first round with her new class. The kunoichi clenched her fist with force and broke the chalk she held in her hands in a cloud of powder.  "I have to control my temper, and I can’t let them get a reaction out of me. That would be unsightly for the sister of the Kage." Natsuki thought to try to maintain her composure. It would be best to give up using the blackboard and go with a more direct approach.  “I can’t risk losing their attention again.” Natsuki thought and went on to address the students once more.

“ Alright, a shinobi can use elemental chakra to flow through weapons, bladed or blunt, to increase their damage-dealing properties or gain other additional advantageous depending on the element.” Natsuki made sure to speak loud and clear while also her body language supported the words by moving her lotioned hands accordingly. "For instance, let’s take the Flying Shallow. That increases the sharpness of the weapon's blade to the point where an experienced user can slicing and piercing through thick objects such as weapons or armor. An unparalleled advantage if you ask me when in the close or middle distance during combat. Alternatively, infusion increases the defensive power by reinforcing the inherent properties of the material involved. Even if that object is the user’s armor, let's take, for instance, Temple of Incomplete Tru-“

“Natsuki Sensei, question!” A spiky-haired kid with sharp eyes raised his hands and yelled passionately—the same one who was banging his head earlier, which Natsuki thought was a good thing. Not the kid banging his head but students engaging in the lecture sign that everything was running smoothly.  “Yes, remind me of your name again,” Natsuki called upon the student. “It’s Tomoya. But the plant has a question, not me.” Tomoya said and reached to his back, pulling out a plant. Natsuki was taken aback but decided to play along. “Alright, what is the question.” Tomoya looked at the plant and waited for it to say something. When it didn’t, the kid shrugged, and he let Natsuki continue. “Anyhow, returning to the Chakra infusion.”

“Sensei!” Tomoya raised his hands again the rest of the class began to chuckle. “What is it now?” Natsuki responded with dismay. “The cactus!” Tomoya said and pointed to the plant again, eagerly waiting for a response. “I can’t believe you embarrassed me again!”  Tomoya yelled to the plant, and the entire class burst into laughter. “Insolent brat.” Natsuki ought not to get annoyed with the kid that was messing with the Chuunin sensei. Her duty was to make sure that no harm was to come to the students under her watch.  And right now, she wanted to shove that cactus down to Tomoya’s throat. I’m done trying to win the hearts. Natsuki grew more pissed by the moment and was about to walk out of the class right now. Screw that mission. She would do it if all this didn’t make sense to her. What were the odds for freshman Academy students to pay attention to a teacher? Even if that teacher was sister to their Kage. No matter how excellent the presentation was, no matter politely she spoke. There was part of the kunoichi that knew she would never succeed trying to win them over.  But being aware had allowed Natsuki Hyuuga to prepare for this situation before coming here.

“Alright, since you couldn’t care less about theory, then you leave me no choice,” Natsuki said and proceeded to pull out an object covered in cloth. As she did, the laughter of the students began to quiet down. “Good.” The kunoichi thought as she began to unbind the fabric revealing a worn-out katana with a red sheath. The class seemed to lose interest again as they realized this was a blunt sword from the armory of the Academy.  Natsuki had borrowed it when she inspected the grounds the day before being officially assigned to the mission. Again being aware he was bound to fail allowed him to prepare accordingly. The Chakra infusion effect is achieved by utilizing two opposing chakra currents, which are ground against each other to sharpen into fine pieces. The Hyuuga princess will have to explain to the students if they let him. 

Unsheathing the blade smoothly, Natsuki pointed the tip of the blunted steel towards the finely plastered ceiling. The chakra traveled to her hand and soon enveloped a field around the sword. He was making it look as if the object was absorbing it. That sight seemed to raise attention among the students.  Natsuki confirmed this by looking at Tomoya's expression, the kid who played the cactus prank on Natsuki.  “Tomoya, get up from your chair and bring the bloody plant here,” Natsuki said, her tone serious and direct. "Please and thank you." She wasn’t going to brush off the student’s earlier actions for the sake of completing the mission. The kid had to be taught to respect his superiors for his good.  Make an example out of him for the rest of the class to see.

“But-“ The student attempted to protest. "Now.” Natsuki glared at him, and Tomoya complied.  When Tomoya put the cactus on the teacher’s desk, Natsuki told him to go back to his seat. It felt good to boss the student around after all. The girl holding the katana engulfed in chakra was the one calling the shots. So glowing sword at hand walked a few steps away from the teacher’s desk and stopped when she was about a couple of meters back. Taking a deep breath, she swung the blade with force at nobody in the form of a horizontal slash. Natsuki unleashed the projectile with great speed and, when it reached the impact, forced the cactus to explode, sending pieces of it flying in all directions. Students were amazed by the display of power, cheering loudly—all except Tomoya, who had his cactus destroyed. “Never looked a blunted sword looks so powerful, I bet," Natsuki announced passionately. 

 "Your homework will be a case study from what you've seen today," Natsuki said as she dispelled the chakra infusion and put the sword back to the sheath. Natsuki wanted to have one of the students wrap it back in cloth and put it back in the armory to spare her the trouble. Tomoya preferably. But Natsu didn't trust the little devil or any other kid in class enough to put them up to the task. On the way there, a student may try to perform what he just saw and be injured in the process. With the chakra infusion, you can learn to cut clean through trees and even boulders; she was glad he didn't have this slip from her mouth. Else they might be risking another Sakuragi Hyuuga. What a weirdo that one was.

 "Class dismissed."  The class was empty in a flash, all the students running off to the yard to enjoy their break. Natsuki remained there for a few moments, savoring the silence in the classroom before starting to pack up. The students would most likely forget everything they learned today by the next couple of hours, but not Natsuki. Someone had told her that to teach is to learn twice.

“So, what did you gather?” A voice thrust in the silence of the yard, as sharp as a kunai. Toneri’s figure loomed over her, the rays of sunlight spilling on his Golden hair, giving it the appearance of a fiery red almost. 

“Will I have to keep my sword ready at some point for this Tomoya Kamigawa?” His hand was on the grip of his sword, Brighroar. Toneri loved that blade, too much for his own good. It was said to be able to match legendary weapons in power, according to her twin brother. The medieval sword with the crucifix hilt was personally reforged by Mercurio Stamatis, the master armorer from the land of birds with the big house at the end of the street of Iron. The sword formerly belonged to a Hoshimura rebel, that died in the Battle of the Red Valley. Of course, this wasn't done by Toneri's hand. "The Hyuuga that missed the battle and got the sword." People japed but never to Toneri's face.

“No. The boy is a troublemaker but isn’t a danger to anyone. Besides himself anyways.” The kunoichi said. “I drove the point across though, Let’s hope he follows the path of his cousin Zeo, who with his performance in the Chuunin exam earned himself a spot in the higher ranks of the system.”

Her violet eyes looked at the sunset. Today was a good day. “Speaking of, we should go to the water gardens tomorrow. Our brother will hold a ceremony there and rewards the boys for their effort. Tsunayoshi too.”

“A big heart, our brother,” Toneri said, with a smile, albeit his eyes did not follow. The wind made his cloak, black as a midnight sea, dance like a living thing behind him. “I hope his Naruto fantasy won’t get us all killed someday. "

TWC: 2024
Claims for Natsu and Toneri:
Mission Rewards: (4,000 ryo + 20 AP)
Natsuki: Yin Healing Wound Destruction Mastery for Handseals [1012/1875]
Toneri: Metal Crusher [1012/1125]

Approved