The team’s first missions were a success. They were tasked to hunt down specific targets and destroy them. There were regular incursions from the Land of Water’s shinobis. Kiri wasn’t yet in the middle of a civil war, but their ninjas were particularly restless.

Therefore, they tried to show their strength by putting pressure on Konoha’s borders to mask the chaos within their village. It was a bad idea. In a couple of months, Shisui’s team killed about half a dozen ninjas each. Half of them were jonins. It was a severe blow to Kiri. Jonins didn’t grow on trees.

These missions made Jun realize how far he had come since the disastrous assignment that claimed the lives of Ise, Sora, and Daiki. At his current level, he would have been able to kill Kiri’s team from back then without much difficulty. Perhaps, he was ready to be a jonin after all.

The members of the team got along well. Kanna was a shy person, but she opened up with time. Miyamoto began to be comfortable with the rest of the team as he already was with Jun. Shisui’s jovial personality and charisma were appreciated by all. The four of them met regularly to train. Sometimes, Jun and Shisui just met together to practice, like in the good old days.

Their friendship wasn’t like before. They weren’t the same people. They had both matured and experienced a lot. They had lost their innocence. Jun felt like their relationship was more balanced now. It was easy for them to interact. They had more things to talk about.

However, there were some taboos. Shisui didn’t talk about his family anymore. His father passed away years ago, and his mother followed him last year. Jun no longer mentioned his grandparents, simply pretending like they didn’t exist. They didn’t talk about the Police or the Uchiha clan in general. Jun was happy Shisui was back in his life, but the Uchiha wasn’t among his close friends anymore. There were many things he didn’t discuss and share with him.

Time passed. Izumi became a genin. Her brother had made peace with that, but he was still worried. Shiba Arata forbade him to stalk his sister’s new team. It wouldn’t be well taken by the jonin in charge of them. Therefore, he forced himself to keep his distance from Izumi’s training sessions and first missions. However, he asked her about her teammates. Izumi answered all of his questions. She seemed happy that her big brother was interested in her comrades.

It was an all-girl team, which was rare. Her teammates were Hana Inuzuka and another girl named Ume. Their sensei was a woman called Rio. She was apparently the only Jonin to also be a certified medical ninja and a big fan of Tsunade.

“Is she going to teach you medical jutsu?” Jun inquired with interest during dinner.

Izumi nodded enthusiastically, her mouth full.

“That’s the point. Hana has already started to learn that, but she wants to be a veterinarian. Ume would like to become a medical kunoichi and work at the hospital. I don’t care much about it, but it seems useful. Combining chakra scalpels with Taijutsu could be deadly.”

Jun thought of Kabuto, and his smile froze a little. What his sister had described was similar to Kabuto’s fighting style. It was quite lethal indeed.

“For now, we have a lot to read. Hana already knows a little because she learned from her clan. So Rio-sensei gives most of her attention to me and Ume.”

“It’s hard, isn’t it? Susumu forces me to study the same way to learn the Mystical Palm Technique. But with all my missions, I’m not improving as fast as he would like…” Jun sympathized.

“Maybe I’ll master the Mystical Palm before you.”

Jun narrowed his eyes and waved his loaf of bread menacingly in Izumi's direction.

“I have a head start.”

“Maybe, but I have more time to spend studying it.” His sister argued.

“Jun reads better,” Kazuma commented, nodding his head.

Izumi looked indignant. Jun pointed triumphantly at their little brother, who based his certainty on the fact that it was his big brother who read him stories before bedtime. Their mother was amused by the scene but decided to intervene.

“Calm down, all of you. Kazuma, medical ninjutsu is more complicated than just reading. Izumi, Jun, it doesn’t matter who masters the technique first as long as you both learn it, does it?”

The two siblings nodded but exchanged a complicit look. Jun was going to plunge back into his study of medical jutsu with much more seriousness. He already knew Izumi would be a better medical-nin than him, but the competition was fun. Especially since his sister seemed over the moon to finally have a domain in which she could beat her brother.

“Do you want to practice tomorrow? I can get some chakra induction papers to find out your elemental affinity.”

Izumi’s face lit up.

“Yeah! Let’s do it!”

Izumi’s main affinity didn’t turn out to be Katon, like any good Uchiha, or even Raiton, like Jun and their late father. It was the Suiton. Her little sister’s disappointed expression was heartbreaking.

“Dad also had an affinity with the Suiton. So, it’s not unusual for you to have the Suiton.”

“Yeah?”

Jun nodded.

“I’m glad you have the Suiton. Dad would have been happy. I remember how ecstatic he was when we found out I have a natural affinity with the Raiton.”

Izumi bit her lip.

“I barely remember him…”

Jun thought of their father, so brave and strong. His patience when he was teaching him Ninjutsu, his tenderness… He also thought about his death, his body lying like a broken giant amidst ruins while Kyubi roared in the background. Renzo had been important to him, a primordial figure in his life. He was surprised to realize it had been years since he had thought of him, of the searing pain that pierced his chest when he thought of his absence.

The teenager still missed his dad, but it didn’t hurt as much anymore. The pain was better, but he knew it would never go away. It had become a part of himself.

“You were very young, but I remember him. He had taught me his Suiton jutsus. He would have wanted you to learn them.”

Subsequently, the only Katon that Izumi learned was the Great Fireball Technique. It wasn’t an Uchiha from the clan who taught her, but his brother. Jun thought it was part of her heritage, and she was entitled to it. He also taught her many Suiton techniques which came from their father.

Jun got into the habit of training regularly with his little sister, at least once a week if possible. His schedule was quite busy. He had his assignments with the special team, his other missions, his Kenjutsu training with Shiba, and his practices with his friends.

Iruka’s team took part in a mission that had been misjudged. Instead of a squad of bandits, they came upon an Iwa outpost near the border, and the enemy caused a landslide to cover their escape. Iruka managed to capture one of them thanks to his traps and valiantly defended the civilians there, which was the goal of their mission. Mizuki helped to evacuate some people, saving their lives in the process. Madoka was hurt. Their sensei had given his life to protect them.

Due to their heroic actions, Iruka and Mizuki were promoted to chunin. They didn’t get any comfort from it. However, the ordeal seemed to have brought them closer together. They both wanted to quit doing dangerous missions and decided to teach at the Academy. They began studying for it. Not anyone could be allowed to instruct Konoha’s future shinobis. They needed to pass a bunch of tests and exams.

Jun saw Iruka less and less. The latter was really motivated to achieve his goal. He was studying hard. The young Uchiha was happy Mizuki was there for his friend. Even though he didn’t like his personality and he knew he could become a traitor, Mizuki still helped Iruka with his study.