Iroko POV

Training with Sasuke Uchiha was pure hell.

I knew it in my heart that every tough situation I've been in, from my three-year start-up to my fight with Ryuun Kitto, was nowhere near as gruesome as this.

The next two weeks that passed by went like this:

I would wake up every day at 5:00 AM, hurry through my normal morning routine and meet up with Sasuke-sensei on that same plain field on the outskirts of the Leaf at 6:00. It was there he would begin drilling me with sit-ups, push-ups and curl-ups, having me do ten reps of each on the first day and from then on one rep would be added each day.

After that, we would then run five laps around the entire village, and, once again, I would run an extra lap with every new day that came.

The final drill I would do was practising my reflexes. Basically, we were sparring: He would throw several punches, kicks (and even kunai) at me to which I would have to dodge while still trying to land a blow on him. All these exercises would go on until the end of it all where I would have the rest of the day off to relax.

On the fifth day, during the running exercise, I fell onto the ground behind Sasuke-sensei who was jogging ahead of me. With it being the fifth day I was supposed to run ten laps across the Leaf but I couldn't get past seven. It was still early in the morning so the weather was cool enough and I was wearing my jogging tracksuit. But despite all that, I was still just so fatigued. My legs felt like noodles and it hurt to breathe.

"What's wrong? You tired?" Sasuke-sensei asked. "If you want to give u--"

"No!! Never!!" I shouted from my lungs. I forced my body up, pushing down the pain and exhaustion. "I started this, I'm seeing it through to the end. Besides, if I gave up now, then my moment of victory would just pass me by. I'm holding out!!"

My body rose from the ground and I jumped at it again, dashing past Sasuke-sensei.

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"Alright, that's enough for today."

We had just finished a heated spar session. I fell onto the ground breathless and sweating. "Finally!!!"

"You know the drill for tomorrow: one extra rep and lap."

"Man, when are we gonna get some ninjutsu training in?" I asked impatiently. "All we've been doing are physical exercises!"

"Don't worry about that. Just make sure you'll be ready for your drills tomorrow," he said and then he vanished.

After that, there wasn't anything for me to do. I walked the streets of the Leaf, pondering how to spend the rest of my day. Maybe I could stop by Yuura and Daito's for some videogames. Or maybe I could visit Asami for a change.

Though now that I think about, I don't think I've ever been to a girl's house before, I thought. The very idea of it made me blush.

I shook my head and brushed it aside in place of trying to figure out why Sasuke-sensei wouldn't teach me any ninjutsu. I mean, it's not like I haven't been working hard these past five days. (You'd think he'd be impressed by my grind.) Does he not mean to teach me ninjutsu at all? Then how exactly can I pass the Chunin Exams? Taijutsu alone won't get me through, and all my current skills are completely overdone. I need something to give me the edge, doesn't he understand that? Dammit, Sasuke-sensei, what's your endgame h--"

"HEY, STOP, YOU!!! THIEF!!!" The voice tore through my contemplation.

I looked up and saw a grown dude make off with what seemed to be an old lady's purse.

Seriously?

I spun around, searching for a ninja, but it looked like I was the only one in the area. Everyone stood and stared in shock but no one made a move.

"Please, somebody, help me!" The old lady pleaded, half-teary. "Everything I have to my name was in there!!"

My eyes widened. I was the only ninja there.

Without a second thought, I sprang forth at full speed after the swindler. "Hey, get back here, you bastard!!" I shouted at him.

He jerked his head back to look at me then proceeded to run into a side street.

I followed after him but stopped short when I realized the side street lead into an incredibly dense part of the village. There were nearly hundreds of people cramped there, most likely because of the stores and vendors. Even so, I managed to spot the swindler amongst the myriad of heads. He was wearing an orange beanie hat and wore a grey mask that covered his face and was rushing his way through the crowd. "Gotcha!!"

But it was easier said than done. The number of people there made it hard to even walk and because I was slightly shorter than the average thirteen-year-old, things were made even harder for me.

I watched in vain as the swindler slipped by and disappeared down the street.

That does it!

Turning in a different direction. I struggled past the people until I came face to face with a wall that I climbed up, using chakra control. Leaping onto the roof of the building, I ran down the street at full speed.

The swindler was down below me but jumping into the crowds now would be a bad idea, I thought, so I stayed up, leaping over several obstacles and jumping from rooftop to the other. At a moment when I was high in the air from a large gap I had to make, I looked up at the face statue of the Sixth Hokage and nostalgia swept over me at that moment.

It really had been over a month since I had opened this new chapter of my life.

Once the streets were clear, I landed back onto the ground and was now only some feet away from the swindler. It had then occurred to me that my stamina and personal speed had actually increased. It didn't take me long to close the gap between us and I didn't even that lagged. Sasuke-sensei's training really was making an improvement in my skills after all. The swindler spun back to look at me and I saw sweat dripping between his eyes.

"You had me in the first half, not gonna lie," I grinned. "But now it's time to give back that purse!!"

I was on almost on him when he flung a kunai across the street to the direction of a woman rolling a baby in a crib.

My heart went into my mouth when I thought it would it hit them but instead it went above them.

I breathed.

Then I saw it cut a loose rope above them that held together a giant beam just over their heads.

Dammitall...

Even if I knew what his plan was, even if I had him in my grasp, it's a hero's job to always do the right thing, no matter what. I rushed forth, using the Flash jutsu and intercepted the beam. The lady, cradling her baby in her arms, looked up to see me holding the beam up, much to my obvious pain and discomfort. She nodded at me thankfully and ran away. I dropped the beam harshly due to exhaustion.

Even my arm strength has increased, I thought. Then I remembered the awindler.

I turned round to see him more than two meters ahead of me already. He was climbing up a building about to make his escape. NO!!!

I ran after him in vain, fully aware that it was too late to reach him now. But some part of me still had to hope there was a chance, even a sliver...

The swindler leapt off the building, about to be gone for good until a moving swarm of rocks bashed him into the ground and overwhelmed him. I gasped in awe.

"What the...?!" I asked out loud.

The swarm of rocks held up the unconscious swindler and a person came took the purse from his grasp.

Said person looked no more around my age with fluffy and tousled dark green hair held up by a dark grey forehead protector. He was wearing a neck long dark green jacket with grey stripes, zipped-up, and light grey shorts and black slippers. He stared straight at me with thin, pale-grey eyes.

"Is this yours?" He held up the purse to me.

An awkward second passed before the question registered in my brain. "W-what? No, no! It's for an old lady he nabbed it from just down the street there."

"Oh, I see." He handed it to me.

"Thanks for your help though!" I commented. "I doubt I ever would've caught him if it wasn't for you! That was a pretty nifty jutsu you used there, too!"

He nodded. "Thanks. You were pretty fast on your feet there yourself."

I noticed that he wasn't much of a talker, not in a timid manner but in a more reserved, self-contained way instead. I also noticed the different symbol on his forehead protector, but I had forgotten what village it represented.

"So, uh, you from outta town?" I asked.

He followed my gaze and realized. "Yeah, I came here with my team for a special occasion."

"Special occasion?"

"That would be the C--"

"Itsuki! Hey, Itsuki!!"

Itsuki?

A girl with sandy brown hair, tied into two ponytails with bangs virtually covering her eyes was waving and calling after him from a distance. Beside her was a boy with dark blue hair covered in a black hat with a particular expression on his face and a grown man with greyish brown hair sticking out on all sides of his head.

"Come on, we gotta go!" the girl said to Itsuki.

"That's my team," he said to me. He pointed to the swindler. "Can I leave him in your hands?"

"Oh, sure."

The rocks that were holding the swindler upright suddenly crumbled unto the ground, letting the swindler fall lifelessly. Itsuki took his leave.

"Oh, hey!" I called after him, remembering. "Itsuki. That's your name, right? Mine's Iroko!"

"Iroko. Perhaps I'll see you around," he last said to me and went and joined up with his team.

Upon a closer look, I realized that on the black hat of Itsuki's teammate was the same symbol as was on his forehead protector.

Who are they?

Sasuke-sensei was beside me. "Those are ninja from the Sand Village."

"Oh, sh-- where'd you come from?!?!"

"They're more than likely here to take the Chunin Exams," he went on.

The symbol on Itsuki's protector finally clicked. "The Sand, that's right! And they're here to take the Chunin Exams?"

Sasuke nodded. He looked down at the swindler. "There've been guys like him running all around the Leaf as of late. Nice job apprehending him."

Hey, a compliment! About time! "It was all thanks to your training, and Itsuki's jutsu..."

It then dawned on me that Itsuki was seriously strong. With just a relatively simple technique as what he had used he almost instantly brought down the swindler. That was real strength. If he's participating in the Chunin Exams that meant two things. One was that even with that obvious amount of strength he was still a genin, two was that I might end up against him at some point, and as it stood right now, even I could tell that I wouldn't be able to beat him..

Just thinking about it excited me.

"...I'll bring him into the Police Force," Sasuke-sensei was saying.

"Sasuke-sensei!!" I burst out. "Let's keep training today!!!"

"No. Go home and rest." He flickered away along with the swindler.

Seriously? That's twice in a row he's left me on such a sudden note. On the same day, at that!

Walking into my home, rather annoyed, I heard crying from the living room. I guessed oneesan was home - but why was she crying?

Worried, I threw off my slippers and hurriedly walked into the living room.

She was lying on the couch, her blonde hair tied up with that familiar large hairpin, and was bawling into a pillow.

"Oneechan? Hey, what's wrong?" I went to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Say something!"

"He's... he's... he's dead!!" she sniffed.

I froze. "Who? Who's dead?"

She whipped out a book that she had hidden. "My favourite character in Love Dillemma!!!! WAAAAAAH!!!!"

My face creased up in absolute cringe. "Eh?"

She later sat down with a cup of tea in hand.

"You gonna be okay?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I think so..." she wiped a tear away.

Dammit, woman, I was being sarcastic!!

"So how did training go today?" she asked.

"Same as it has these past five days. Just adding an extra rep and lap each time."

"You don't sound so enthusiastic about that anymore," she pointed out.

"It's 'cos I'm not!" I vented. "I've been doing the same thing for nearly a week now. I mean, how long is he gonna keep making do that? I don't mean to sound ungrateful but don't I need to learn some actual ninjutsu for a change? I met a genin from the Sand Village today. His ninjutsu was crazy. I don't know if how I am now can top that. What if all the participants there will be like that?" I know for a fact, too, that Kaz'll be bringing his A-game! Maybe Asami and Yuura as well!

"Hey," she casually poked my forehead. "Don't forget this is Sasuke Uchiha were talking about. You know, the guy that helped Naruto Uzumaki save the world? The closest person to the man you practically worship? If he's gonna drill you with just taijutsu and physical augmentation the whole of these three weeks then he's gonna! Who are we to question his technique?"

"I know, but..." I started stubbornly. "I just wanna learn a new jutsu. Anything that can help me size up to the likes of Kaz."

She looked at me sympathetically. "There's still about two weeks left. If he hasn't taught you anything yet it might be because it's still too early. At any rate, he is your teacher, Iroko. You need trust that he'll be able to prepare you for the Exams right. I sincerely doubt he'll do anything to derail you. You proved yourself already, remember?"

I smiled. "Yeah, you're right, oneechan. Thanks!"

"Still," she added, "I have to wonder why you didn't pick me as your teacher, hm?"

"Oh, come on, not again! I thought you said you had no hard feelings!"

Oneechan is right, I thought, as I prepared to go to bed, I have to trust Sasuke-sensei. He's seen my value in me he believes in me. So even if he goes throughout these whole three weeks, teaching me only taijutsu and physical aug-whatsit called, potentially killing me, it was in my best interest and I should be thankful I even got him at all as a teacher. I guess I shouldn't complain one bit. I should just accept that as reality...

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃Exactly one week later🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

"I'm going to teach you ninjutsu now," said Sasuke-sensei.

HELL YEEAAAAAAHHH!!!