Deep within the Forest of Death, by an unnamed waterfall.
Sakura and Ino stood dumbfounded, pointing first at Kamizuki Hikari, then at the roaring waterfall before them, utterly speechless.
Hikari smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, you two won't be training here."
A flicker of disappointment crossed the boys' faces.
After all, even if Ino and Sakura didn't have much of a figure yet, they were still girls...
And training with girls always made things a little more enjoyable.
"That's fine! No problem!" the girls chimed in, secretly relieved.
'Sorry, boys, but for our own sakes... you'll just have to suffer a little.'
'It's not like anyone's going to die.'
"There's another waterfall like this one over there!" Hikari explained, pointing further downstream. "You two will train there instead. This spot's not that big—it'd be crowded with everyone here."
Sakura: ???
Ino: ???
'Give us back our feelings of gratitude, you jerk!'
Ignoring the two girls' exasperated looks, Hikari continued his explanation. "The force of the waterfall's impact will help you better control your bodies. For you, Shikamaru and Chōji, this is perfect for improving your taijutsu. As for Naruto and Sasuke, this environment will help you refine your chakra control."
"Besides shape transformation and nature transformation, chakra has a third aspect—basic control," Hikari lectured. "For example, if you intend to use 1 unit of chakra for a technique, but end up using 1.2, it might not seem like a big deal now—but in the long run, sloppy control will become a problem."
For Shikamaru and Sasuke, this explanation was a bit too advanced to fully grasp. They couldn't quite see the long-term implications.
As for Naruto—he wasn't paying attention at all.
With his huge reserves and the Nine-Tails acting as an infinite battery, chakra efficiency meant nothing to him.
To him, 1 or 1.2 made no difference whatsoever.
"Alright, enough talking. A real man doesn't fear challenges. Naruto, you go first and set an example for everyone!" Hikari, tired of babbling with the boys, issued a direct order.
Naruto blinked, confused. "Why me?"
"Because you're the future Hokage! Is that reason good enough?" Hikari smirked.
Naruto's eyes sparkled as he gave Hikari a thumbs-up. "Nice one, Hikari-senpai! You've got a good eye. When I become Hokage, I'll make you my advisor!"
"Please don't. If you really become Hokage, just let me retire in peace."
Hikari nearly slapped him right there. Advisor? No thanks.
If he could just stay home doing nothing while still getting paid, that'd be perfect.
But in a shinobi village... peaceful retirement was nearly impossible.
"Don't worry, Hikari-senpai! I won't forget your kindness!" Naruto shouted as he dashed straight toward the waterfall.
"I'll give it my all! Datteba—ahhh!"
Before his speech could finish, he slipped from the rock he had jumped onto, and the waterfall's powerful current swept him back into the pool below.
Sasuke turned away in embarrassment. He refused to admit he knew this idiot.
"Alright, move it! Don't waste my time!" Hikari shoved the boys forward.
"Sasuke-kun, you can do it!" Sakura cheered, sending heart-shaped beams his way, which nearly caused him to slip into the water.
"You lovestruck idiot! Big forehead, hurry up already!" Ino snapped. Watching Sakura's foolishness reminded her too much of her own past self—and it made her cringe.
To escape the awkwardness, Ino grabbed Sakura's arm and dragged her toward the other waterfall Hikari had pointed out.
---
"So... do we just jump in like that?" Facing the rushing water, both girls hesitated.
"Not yet." Hikari said calmly.
To them, his gentle tone sounded like the voice of a devil.
"Wha—Hikari-senpai, don't tell me you came here to peep!" Ino yelled, about to explode.
"Please. With your two bean-sprout figures, what's there to see? Looking at myself would be more rewarding."
Ino's brain froze, unable to process the counterattack.
Sakura, on the other hand, glared at Hikari with suspicion.
A woman's intuition told her—he definitely meant something by that.
She glanced down at her own flat chest and fell into silent despair.
"Alright, enough sulking!" Hikari said, pulling out a sealed scroll from his pocket. He unsealed it, revealing a large portion of food and placing it before them. "Here's some food. Heat it up—it's almost lunchtime."
"So... you mean you want us to cook for you?" Ino stared at him in disbelief. She, the Yamanaka clan's pampered daughter, being asked to cook? Was he serious?
"Actually, Ino, you're cooking for Shikamaru and Chōji." Hikari said smoothly. "As for you, Sakura, it's for your beloved Sasuke. From what I know, lonely boys like him tend to like well-rounded women who can take care of their daily needs, make them feel the warmth of home..."
"Hikari-senpai, leave it to me, please!" Sakura caved.
She didn't yield to Hikari's authority but to the power of love.
Ino shot Sakura a look of exasperation, but Sakura's face was resolute. She saw through Hikari's little scheme, but since it was for Sasuke-kun, she was willing to give her all.
"Sakura, I believe you'll be a wonderful wife one day. Go for it. The revival of the Uchiha clan—I'll leave that to you!" Hikari declared solemnly.
For some reason, Sakura understood the deeper meaning behind these words.
To others, it might sound like teasing—but to her, it was pure bliss.
'Yes!' she thought. 'Hikari-senpai approves of me! I'm the one who'll be by Sasuke-kun's side!'
"Go on, do your best! Ganbatte!"
Satisfied to have found at least one willing cook, Hikari encouraged her with a grin. As Sakura started preparing the fire, he noticed Ino standing idly and gave her a nudge.
"Come on, beautiful Ino, you can do it!"
"Hmph!" Ino scoffed. "You think I'm some lovesick fool like Sakura? I have no interest in men! Especially not ordinary ones like Sasuke! Your little tricks won't—
"Well then..." Hikari cut in, "How about this—after this training, you'll be the leader of Team 10. Shikamaru and Chōji will follow your orders. What do you say?"
'Leader?'
The thought of bossing around Shikamaru and Chōji made Ino pause. It was tempting. But a girl like her never settled for just that.
"Then maybe I could—"
"No 'maybe'. If you don't want it, forget it. Sakura can handle cooking alone." Hikari cut her off immediately.
Ino nearly choked on her own breath. That infuriating man—couldn't he at least pretend to coax her a little?!
"Fine, fine! I accept! I'll be the squad leader from now on!"
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