—Do not fight with brute force; you do not have the capacity now— Konan said in a cold tone while her paper clone dominated the small girl who tried to block a downward kick with her thin arms.
The Bunshin's heel landed hard on Karin's shoulder, forcing her to kneel on one knee and slightly bend her body.
She clenched her teeth, unwilling to make any sound. She felt her limb lose strength and a sharp sensation sent electric waves throughout her upper body, filling her with discomfort more than pain.
—And it is very likely that even when you grow up, you won't be able to face attacks like this from your opponents. Kunoichi must be smarter, as it is common for men to surpass us in brute strength, most of the time— the bunshin continued, driving a punch into the girl's stomach that made her stumble back a couple of meters.
—Ack!— Karin gasped with wide eyes, the air escaping her lungs. She barely had time to recover when her opponent lunged at her.
Stiffly, the Uzumaki evaded the Bunshin's punches as best she could, her forearms suffering from the constant impacts that sent jolts throughout the limb.
The speed was blinding to her eyes, the strength incomparable, the precision surgical. Counterattacking was a luxury she did not have; defense was useless.
After another one-sided beating, Karin ended up gasping heavily on the ground, strands of blood and saliva escaping the corner of her lips while an uncomfortable nausea rose in her throat.
Konan dispelled the paper clone and looked at the Uzumaki with a stoic expression, internally surprised by the improvement she had experienced in such a short time.
When Karin had her first sparring session, the clone disabled her in two seconds, granting her the first second just so the girl could raise her guard. Now, her matches lasted at least five minutes.
That was how long Karin could tolerate the bunshin's one-sided beating before her monstrous Uzumaki resilience hit rock bottom. And she was only five years old.
—Sensei~ A little help?— Karin called out suddenly, pulling Konan from her thoughts.
The Angel approached her pupil and hoisted her onto her shoulders like a sack of potatoes, calmly leaving the enclosed training ground where the rain did not enter.
—Umm, Sensei? Shouldn't you carry me like a Princess? Big Brother Takeshi always did it that way— the Uzumaki complained with a pout. Konan rolled her eyes.
—I doubt you needed him to carry you. When we started, your condition wasn't bad, but Yuki Takeshi didn't train you properly. I bet you played more than trained— the kunoichi replied in a flat voice.
—That's not true!— Karin defended herself, squirming in disdain.
Konan frowned slightly and picked the girl up under her armpits, holding her in front of her and looking at her intently.
Karin froze, taken by surprise by the sudden movement and intimidated by Konan's aura. She offered a shy smile and shrank further into her position.
—I-I'm sorry, Sensei. Big Brother Takeshi is silly, he doesn't know anything, and you are the best— she appeased the terrifying woman.
—... I will take you home— Konan let out, hoisting the girl onto her shoulder once more.
Karin sighed in relief and decided to keep quiet, failing to notice, due to her position, the slight smile of satisfaction that crossed her new Sensei's lips.
If she had to be honest, Konan had a point: Takeshi wasn't tough in his training.
It could have been because of her age, their relationship, or pity. It could have been for all of that and more, but the fact is Karin realized the stark difference between "training" with Takeshi and receiving instruction from Konan.
The woman was relentless, tough, and merciless. She beat her until she bruised, made her roll on the ground, spit blood, knocked the wind out of her lungs, threw kunai and shuriken at her, and forced her to push her chakra to the limit.
Karin welcomed it all with open arms. She was grateful to Takeshi for helping her and her mother, for dedicating his time and resources to her growth. But Karin didn't just want to play.
Her desire for power was real, and this was the path, Konan was her instructor, her Sensei. Karin would take the opportunity and squeeze out all the knowledge the cold and terrifying kunoichi possessed.
—Stop thinking rude things— Konan said suddenly, her gray eyes meeting Karin's.
Karin tensed, her eyes widening for a second, and she bit her tongue by accident while trying to utter an apology for something that happened in her mind.
—Hnngh!— was the only sound Konan and her clone heard, the latter dissolving before the girl after completing its mission.
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Uzumaki Yumi was finalizing a part of her next project at a small desk her Master pulled out from somewhere.
Scrolls were spread around her and even on the floor, fine script traced with precision and elegance, a coherent and well-structured draft, more than she herself imagined possible or necessary for something so simple.
Despite her own beliefs, Yumi followed the instructions she was given, as everything else Takeshi had given her had been useful and had worked. She had confidence this would also be the case.
—Mooooom!— a familiar little voice shrieked from the entrance of the house, while the sound of the door opening and slamming shut reverberated through their spacious home.
Yumi let a warm smile spread across her lips, carefully closing the scroll she was using along with the others she had left scattered around before going out to meet her daughter.
Knowing what would follow, the woman grabbed a roll of bandages and a jar of medicinal ointment from her office, locking it so Karin wouldn't snoop around or touch anything.
—Did you wash your hands?— Yumi questioned with her hands on her hips and a frown, finding Karin with her head stuck in the refrigerator and a bunch of cold grapes in her hand.
—...Of course— she said insecurely, smiling awkwardly.
Yumi shook her head, pulling her increasingly unruly daughter over to the couch to treat her.
Even though she tried, she failed to maintain a calm expression as she applied the ointment to the bruises Karin had all over her body.
Her arms were in the worst condition, being the ones that received most of the impacts. Her stomach also showed the effect of the blunt instructions from the blue-haired woman.
—It's okay, Mom. This is nothing for us, you know that. I'll heal in a couple of days— Karin confidently reassured her, but Yumi did not feel any less worried by such claims.
Their vitality was superior to the norm, but it did not make them immortal. She knew that better than anyone.
—Do not ask me to feign ignorance, Karin. I am your mother, and I will never be happy with my daughter coming home beaten up every day— the older Uzumaki replied, wrapping Karin's arms in bandages.
The girl fell silent, unable to argue anything further in her favor. She was smart enough to understand there was no rebuttal after such a statement.
After the treatment, Karin rested for a while before starting her other training, one she found extremely boring but could not avoid: Classes.
Reading, writing, basic arithmetic. A home-schooling plan that Takeshi himself devised along with her mother, one that differed slightly from the curriculum Karin would have seen during her instruction as a Kusa-Nin, had her original destiny not been altered.
Scrolls that Yumi considered the most valuable in her collection were prepared for this purpose, using methods more than innovative for her to apply to her daughter's education.
Innovative for someone like Yumi, of course. She had no way of knowing that Takeshi simply traced onto paper those methods he remembered from his other life. That didn't change the fact that they were more effective than mere rote memorization.
Interesting and somewhat strange techniques, concrete and orderly definitions not only for writing and reading, but also for different levels of arithmetic, something Takeshi called "Natural Sciences" and physics.
That last one surprised Yumi. She was aware that shinobi needed to understand some things about that, but in Kusagakure it wasn't exactly an advanced topic, and yet Takeshi prepared a complete plan for aspects that even she couldn't understand.
—I hope he returns soon... I need to receive instruction on this before Karin is ready to learn— the Uzumaki had thought, more than willing to be the one to teach Karin herself.
In addition, Yumi needed to master everything those scrolls contained so that her idea could fully take shape and she could start a new business in a new and almost unexploited area in this Village: The sale of Knowledge.
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A/N: I know, I'm aware that I crossed the line this time.
I am not very consistent and now I disappear for several days, but don't worry, I won't stop writing. I have been relieved of some responsibilities and now enjoy more time, so I will advance this fic more~