The Cloud Over The Leaf

A month has passed since we got the basics down, and nothing really changed too much from normal.

I still wake up first with Grandma and Grandpa, watching the twins run from Mom's wrath ever now and then. It's more interesting now though since they boost themselves with Chakra.

I wonder will they ever just get up on time? Probably not.

New things have been added to our training schedules.

Chakra control, chakra control, and chakra control. 

I guess it makes sense when everyone was excited about our chakra natures that they want our control to be exceptional. 

We've been getting used to using chakra whenever we can. We lift things with chakra in our muscles, we run fast with it, and we've been playing around on trees and water as well. 

I gotta say, tag has never been more fun since we've unlocked Chakra.

Though the twins still want to challenge my prestige, I am STILL the tag champion.

No one gets away from me!

Yozora has suddenly become the hide and seek champion though. It seems like no matter where you hide, he just finds you. 

That doesn't stop the challenge though! Moya and I are still discussing tactics to give him the slip.

Moya hasn't had much luck in the games department, but she has been getting really good at fighting Grandpa. 

She uses her kicks and punches to try and get through his defenses in ways Yozora and I never thought of. 

She's even just attempting to fight him on her own!

His grin and her grin are starting to become strangely similar though.

....Should I be concerned?

....Nah!

We've also been introduced to the other types of jutsu. Shuriken jutsu, sealing jutsu, and kenjutsu. 

Shuriken jutsu is pretty fun, though it is really dangerous when Moya starts trying to ricochet shurikens off each other.

That got her a mean lump from Mom.

Sealing justu is a lot more laid back since we just have to write symbols. Grandma teaches this one, which isn't surprising to us. She has been putting up calligraphy in the house for a while now, so it's to be expected. Yozora tends to get praised alot since his hands are so steady. I'm not horrible at it, but Moya?

"This symbol is off, Moya. Do it again."

"Uuuuaaaagh!!"

She's not having the best of times.

Finally, Kenjutsu is the subject I'm surprisingly good at. The katas are pretty fun, and I honestly love the feeling of clashing blades.

Yozora just tends to marvel and ask Grandpa how he made the blades. Grandpa loves to explain, but he likes swinging them more.

Moya isn't as strong against Grandpa in this training, but I'm keeping up with him. 

I'm starting to think that maybe the way Moya looked while fighting Grandpa hand to hand is what I look like now.

Those two wouldn't stop shivering when Grandpa and I were clashing swords. They're wooden, of course, so I wonder why they're act like that? 

Grandpa didn't know either. Guess we'll just leave that alone?

*****

I'm swinging my wooden sword today on the lake in the training grounds. I just love the feeling of practicing on water. 

The soft ripples of the water flowing out as I unleash a perfect swing?

The wave of water when I land a powerful blow?! 

Priceless. Just priceless.

I'm alone today since Moya and Yozora wanted to take some days off. Grandpa surprisingly agreed for once, letting the two go play with other kids. 

They couldn't use any ninja techniques though. We're forbidden from using them until we're in the acadamy.

I still wanted to practice though, so this is the perfect time to get in as much kenjutsu practice as I can.

Well, I planned to, but someone had other plans.

Middway through one of my swings, I suddenly felt the air in the training ground drop drastically. 

"What the heck?! It feels eerie all of a sudden!"

[My bad. I guess I'm getting really strong.]

I almost dropped my sword hearing that voice.

Tears start to well up the instance I register that voice.

My head turns so fast towards the nearby forest, where I heard the voice.

I see him just sitting under a tree, looking in my direction. 

Before I could even register it in my head, I used Body flicker Jutsu and rush towards him.

"Akumu!!"

I wrap my hands around his neck and give him a big hug.

I'm not gonna let him leave so easily now!

[Calm down! I'm not leaving you.]

"You've been gone for 4 years now. Not once did you come by! I'm not believing you!"

[S-sorry. A lot happened.]

"What happened?"

Akumu breathes out slowly as he starts to tell me about his 3 years. Apparently, he's been in the forest of death for most of the time, fighting predators.

[Be careful if you ever go in there. Those snakes can get huge.]

"I don't know if I'm scared or excited to see anything thay big."

[Probably excited. Guess Grandpa wore off on you. You mind letting go of my neck?]

"Nope."

[Haaa... Fair enough. Anyway, I've been spying on people most of the time. Mainly ninjas.]

I can't believe that!

"You can sneak up on ninjas now?! How'd you get so good?"

[I can sense their chakra flow and how they move and copy it for the most part. It's not that hard for me, especially moving in shadows.]

Geez, this wolf is getting ridiculous! 

"When are you coming back?"

Akumu sighed and moved his head away from me.

[I don't know. This growth is getting annoying.]

I can feel my cheeks puffing up at this evasive no.

"What's complicated about growing?! Don't you just grow normally?!"

[Sadly, no. It's actually complicated!]

Akumu starts to growl a little as he thinks of it. Is...is it that bad?

[I have to keep eating Yang chakra to grow. I've been literally eating trees all damn day!]

"T-trees?! Like the one behind us?!"

[Yeah!! Isn't that fucking horrible?! I can't get near people because I might absorb their Yang and hurt them, but I can't eat trees all day because they come investigate it! Ugh!!]

Akumu shoots up and runs to the nearest tree. I watch him bite hard into the tree, snapping the bark off as he latches on.

The tree, it just starts dying. From a perfectly healthy tree, to a fall tree, and then a dead tree. Even the leaves scattered into nothing as they hit his back. 

He lets go of the tree and sighs.

[Sorry. Just thinking about it pisses me off.] 

The tree starts to creak with the breeze and starts to fall over.

Note to self. Never be around a pissed Akumu.