Although Tetsuya looked suspiciously like a lazy old man, everything about him was sharp. From his eyes to the smallest twitch of his muscles, even the way he breathed felt deliberate, like his entire body was coiled and ready to explode into action at any moment.
He eyed me with a tired kind of annoyance. "Since when have you been learning sensory skills?"
I shrugged and replied dismissively, "Almost a year now."
Tetsuya's eyes widened a bit. "You reached that level in under a year? Seriously?"
"Yeah," I nodded, then frowned. "Still wasn't good enough to catch you though, so clearly I need to work on it."
He let out a laugh. "No, you're doing great actually. Are you related to the Yamanaka clan by blood?"
I shook my head.
He narrowed his eyes at that before sighing. "You look more like a Senju to me, to be honest. Either way, you need to work on your regular senses too. I know chakra sensing is convenient, and it's a massive advantage in most cases, but some people can slip through it, and if that happens, it can get you killed. So training your regular senses will help cover those gaps."
I raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with kenjutsu?"
He snorted. "I guess you really are a genuine idiot," he muttered, shaking his head. "Kenjutsu isn't just about swinging a sword around."
He tapped the side of his blade against my shoulder and started counting off on his fingers.
"Sight helps you track movement. Hearing picks up footsteps, breathing, or the whistle of a blade. Touch tells you how solid your stance is. Smell can warn you if something's off, like poison or blood. And instinct? Instinct is what tells you things are about to go wrong before your brain catches up. You sharpen those five, and you stop just reacting. You start anticipating."
He paused, then gave me a curious look. "What kind of weapon are you planning on using?"
I answered a little too enthusiastically. "I'd love to wield a short spear for mid-range and a tanto for close quarters."
He nodded. "Smart. Why the spear?"
"My chakra nature is lightning. I feel like it fits. And the tanto would let me be extra deadly up close."
He chuckled. "Alright, maybe you're not a complete idiot after all. What's your experience with weapons?"
I scratched the back of my neck and looked away. "I've got basically zero experience. Just basic kunai and shuriken drills from the Academy."
He rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Did your clan never teach you anything?"
I looked even more awkward. "I'm an orphan. I don't have a clan."
For the first time, an apologetic look crossed his face. He spoke more softly now. "Sorry, kid. I didn't have all the info on you. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're prepared for real missions. If you work hard, you'll be unmatched in your age group by the time you're done here. Just hope you've got what it takes."
I grinned. "Look at you, old man. You look so shaken up. Hahaha."
He cracked his neck and let out a long sigh. "You're gonna regret that mouth, brat. But fine. Lesson time."
He walked over to a nearby rack and casually pulled out a short spear and a tanto, giving both a spin before letting them rest comfortably in his hands.
"The spear's all about range control," he started, his tone shifting into something between a lecture and a threat. "Against multiple enemies or in open terrain, it lets you strike first and keep them away. Even in tight spaces, it still works if you know how to use the butt end and stay moving."
He flipped the spear sideways and swung it lightly. "Also good for redirecting attacks or sweeping legs. If someone charges in too fast, one twist and they're eating dirt."
Then he held up the tanto.
"Now this one's personal. A tanto is for up-close, fast kills. It draws quicker than a sword, so it's perfect for ambushes, assassinations, or finishing someone before they get back on their feet. It's small, but that just means fewer tells in your body movement. No wide swings. Just fast, clean cuts where it hurts the most."
He stepped forward and tapped the blade lightly against my chest, right where the ribs met.
"Small blade, big results. If you know what you're doing. And believe me, when things get chaotic, the guy with the tanto knows exactly where to cut."
Then he stepped back, eyes sharp.
"Swords are great. But a real shinobi doesn't worship one weapon. You use what fits the job. And the job changes fast."
I watched the way he handled both weapons. No dramatic flair, no wasted movement. Just clean control, like the weapons were part of him.
Tetsuya shoved the tanto back into its slot and leaned the spear against the wall.
"That's why we're doing it my way. First, we build your awareness with the spear. You'll learn distance, rhythm, and footwork. Not just your own, but how to read your opponent's. Then we move to the tanto. That's where you'll learn how to end a fight up close. It's not about stealth or distance. It's for tight encounters, fast strikes, and cuts that build pressure until your opponent collapses under them."
He cracked his knuckles and gave me a look. "Only after that will we touch the sword. Because by then, you'll stop thinking like a kid with a stick and start thinking like a shinobi."
I stared at him for a beat. "You make it sound like I'm getting a full curriculum."
He grinned. "You are. It's just going to hurt more than the Academy."
A moment passed. Then he clapped his hands. "Alright, enough philosophy. Grab the spear. Let's see if your arms give out in ten minutes or fifteen."
I groaned but reached for the training spear anyway. "You really enjoy this, don't you?"
He didn't even bother lying. "Oh, absolutely."
The rest of the summer passed in a blur of pain and sweat. Between taijutsu drills with Takemura, fuinjutsu lessons with Master Shuzo, and kenjutsu training with Tetsuya, I barely had time to enjoy my new house or hang out outside with Genta and Shizuru. But I made sure to give myself short breaks when I could. Just enough to keep from going insane.
By the end of the break, I was finally getting the hang of both taijutsu and kenjutsu. I hadn't had much time to train Stormdrive or work on my lightning chakra circulation, but I felt confident in my ninjutsu. I was looking forward to seeing what new techniques the Third might approve for me.
On the first day of our third Academy year, me and Genta walked through the streets of Konoha at a slow pace. The air was cool, and for once, we weren't sprinting to avoid Takemura's early-morning madness. We didn't say much, just quietly appreciated the calm.
We met up with Shizuru halfway there. She looked miserable. Bags under her eyes, pale skin, the whole nine yards.
Genta blinked. "Shizuru? You okay?"
She lifted a weak hand and spoke in a dead voice. "I spent the whole vacation training. Didn't take a single day off. I've made a horrible mistake."
Then her eyes opened fully, and she glared at me like I'd murdered her cat. "This is your fault."
I stepped back dramatically. "What did I do?"
She let out a deep sigh. "Let's just go. I don't want to be late. And I want to meet our new sensei."
I nodded, though a part of me still felt sad about it. After all this time with Daiken, the idea of someone else leading us felt off.
Still, I couldn't deny it. I was curious.
Who did the Third choose for a class like ours?