A Love Over Time

The Legendary Shinobi

Ritsuka looked upon her new sensei, her fingers timidly brushing through her impossibly tangled hair. She had never met someone from outside of her small village before, and the new experience was most interesting. He was so very tall, with crazy white hair and a brilliantly dopey grin plastered on his face. Ritsuka began to ponder as the odd looking man spoke with her parents about the risks and benefits of becoming a full blown shinobi of Konohagakure, which of course they knew, being shinobi themselves.

Were all outsiders like this man? He didn’t really seem old enough to have white hair already, and were they all so tall? She hoped not, her mother and father seeming to be dwarfed compared to this huge man, which meant she would probably seem tiny to the outside world, even when she was all grown up.

The white haired man then approached her, his confident stride suiting him nicely. The girl pulled back slightly as the strange man bent down closer to her, so he that was now at her eye level.

“So! You must be the Ritsuka?!” he ruffled her hair, earning a small blush to crawl up onto her cheeks. He laughed lightly as he stood back to his normal, towering height. “A quiet one I see. Well, we’d better get started!” he gestured for Ritsuka to follow him into the wooded area that surrounded her tiny village, away from her parents. Apparently, or so she had been told, he was one of the best shinobi in Konoha, and her parents had requested he trained their daughter to become like him. Her mother nodded curtly as she turned a questioning look towards them, unsure of what was going to happen. Sighing, she followed the bizarre man.

The giant man walked on into the forest, away from watchful eyes, whistling a light hearted tune. She tried not to get caught up in the false sense of security he was bringing her into, worried that he was probably going to be real mean when it came down to it. He spun round, which caught her off guard, a bad start to training, and promptly sat on the ground, his grin still in place. “So, Ritsuka, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself, before we get started?” she looked at him, clearly puzzled.

“What would you like to know?” She replied in a small voice, clearing her throat as she readied herself to answer her new sensei, who was now chuckling for some reason.

“Well, your likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, y’know? Stuff like that.” He lay back with his hands behind his head as Ritsuka continued to stand; he, of course, had not instructed otherwise, and she wasn’t about to get punished for something so obvious.

“Well…” she had never been asked this kind of question before. “um… I like to learn, I guess, and uh… helping others?” she stopped, trying to think of a good answer, and found it frustratingly hard. “I don’t really dislike anything. I think. Or maybe I just haven’t come across it yet.” She pulled at her hair nervously as she looked to the ground and trees for inspiration. “When I’m not studying I’m being trained, and when I’m not training, I’m either eating or asleep, so I don’t really have time for hobbies.” She screwed her face up in thought, her finger tapping slowly on her lip as she tried to think of anything she had missed out. “I’m interested in perfecting my skills so as to be able to put them to some good use, and prove to everyone that I can do something, useful hopefully.” She finished with her face set in determination, though she felt she could have done a lot better, if she had been prepared. Her sensei sat up and looked at her, his eyes curious.

“Hm… interesting. So you don’t have any hobbies? Wow. Everyone has to have a hobby! Well during training, I’ll have to find you one.” He smiled as he got to his feet and made his way over to Ritsuka. He bent down to her level again as he spoke. “I hear you have already been taught some fighting skills. Do you mind if we try them out?” Ritsuka shook her head.

“Yes! Sensei!” she replied surely, though her shy blush returned with what would seem to be vengeance.

“Good, good! Right, well, you stand over there,” he pointed off next to a tree stump only a few yards away from where Ritsuka was currently standing, “and I’ll stand over here.” He then gestured to a set group of trees, just behind him. “On my count, you are going to attack me. Try and take me down using any means you like. Okay?” he smiled goofily again as he waited for Ritsuka’s reply.

“Yes! Sensei!” They went to their aforementioned posts, and Ritsuka waited patiently as her sensei counted to three. And then she jumped into action. She forced chakra down her body, and directed it out through her feet, effectively increasing her speed. On reaching her sensei, she pushed out in another burst of speed, diving behind him, and striking him from the back. He caught her leg, surprised by her strategy. She twisted her body so that her other leg struck downwards this time, but was again stopped by her sensei’s big hands. She jumped back, reviewing the situation. He was much taller than her, which gave her the advantage of getting in and out of reach quickly. She would stay low when near him, and watch his legs. She then jumped into a nearby tree, effectively hiding herself in the leaves. She lowered her chakra so that she could not be sensed, her sensei smirking when he couldn’t feel her presence.

“Ah. I see you have come quite far, already in pretty much full control of your chakra, which is rare at your age. Your father was right. You are going to be fun!” he however continued to stand still, waiting for whatever Ritsuka was about to do. He was rewarded quickly by a soft kick to the shin, and a tap on the cheek, as she appeared from the ground beneath him, jumping out of reach.

“I wasn’t sure if I was to actually hit you or not, so I decided it best to just touch you where I would have hit you.” Her face remained serious as she readied herself for any surprise attacks. Her sensei then burst out in full hearted laughter as he looked upon his new, and incredibly cute student. It had been so long since he had been surprised by a child like that. He had deliberately not done anything, but still. And not only that, but she had not hit him with her full power in case she hurt him. Ritsuka looked at her sensei, who was now clutching his side, and wiping tears from his weeping eyes. She couldn’t believe it. Was he laughing at her!? Her blush returned yet again as she folded her arms in annoyance.

“Oh dear! You are definitely talented, I’ll give you that, but when I said take me down, I meant it.” He chuckled again, Finding it hard to get over how a six year old had felt the need to protect one of the legendary Sanin from herself. She couldn’t be that strong, right? Ritsuka looked at her sensei, still not quite sure why he found the situation so funny.

“Well I won’t hold back then.” She launched into another attack before her sensei had time to realise she had moved. He jumped aside as a kick came for his head, and blocked a punch that was directed for his stomach. She had some power behind them for someone so small, which had him laughing softly again. She jumped back, landing in a crouching position as she re-evaluated her options. Her sensei resumed his non-chelant pose as he looked down at her, his eyes ablaze with excitement. That’s when he noticed she had two different coloured eyes, one brown and one green.

How strange, and yet beautiful.

Ritsuka darted to the side, channelling her chakra through her feet again and launching herself over the top of her sensei. As she landed on the ground behind him, she kicked at his feet, missed, and jumped up, immediately catching her sensei’s long pony tail. She used it as a rope, swinging round on it to pull her sensei off balance. He yelped in pain and he desperately held onto his hair, trying to free it from her grip. He of course didn’t notice the foot headed straight for his face, nor did he register for the first few seconds that he had been hit. It connected with a loud thump, to both of their surprise, and her sensei stumbled a couple of feet before eventually sliding down the nearest tree.

Ritsuka ran over to her sensei, surprised to see him laughing again.

“A dirty fighter huh? Daddy didn’t mention that.” Ritsuka blushed for what felt like the millionth time that day, not realising there had been rules. Her stomach dropped as she felt guilt take over.

“I am so sorry!” Ritsuka said quickly before jumping down on all fours, bowing deeply. “I thought you would have blocked it! I didn’t realise that the hair was a ‘no go’ area. I over stepped my mark! I am so sorry!” she continued to plead, which surprised her new sensei greatly. Was this a product of her upbringing? A cheeky smile crossed his face as he decided to defuse the situation, his foot sliding under her body, before cruelly flicking it, and watching as she rolled over with a look of shock etched on her face. Her sensei laughed and shuffled so that he was now laying down next to her, ruffling her hair again, with a little more affection than before.

“Don’t worry about it. I never set any rules, so it was allowed. I never realised you were so mean though.” He faked a pout. Ritsuka looked at her sensei apologetically, her hands running through her tangled hair, again, nervously. He lay beside her for a while, with his arms behind his head, and stared at the canopy of leaves above them. In the short time they had spent together, Ritsuka had grown rather fond of her knew sensei, and would be looking forward to their future meets. “So, I take it you’re quite experienced in the old taijutsu then?”

She looked over to the white haired shinobi and nodded.

“My mother teaches me a lot. She just doesn’t seem to have any time now, and feels that a change in style might help me to improve.” Her sensei turned on his side so he was now facing the young girl.

“How long have you been training?” Ritsuka sat in thought for a moment before answering.

“Since I could walk really. But proper training didn’t start until I was four.” Her sensei nodded thoughtfully. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl. All those wasted years, learning to kill... You couldn’t have a childhood with that going on.

“When do we meet again?” Ritsuka asked after a while of comfortable silence, regretting having said anything at all as she ruined it.

“I’ll be seeing you once a week. Apparently you have a busy schedule!”

“Well we better get started then, right?” she turned a cheeky grin towards her sensei as she flicked the tip of his nose with her finger. He rubbed at the now tingling skin, looking a bit puzzled by the sudden change in confidence. “That’s for flicking me with your foot!” she laughed and made a successful get away as her sensei tried to grab her.

“You know kid. I think I’m gonna enjoy teaching you!” she blushed at the comment and smiled.

“I think I’m going to like you teaching me!” Ritsuka chirped, happy for the relaxing atmosphere that surrounded her sensei, which was of course cut short as he took off after her, instigating a game of chase.

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Hey everyone! Just redoing this story, at along last XD
Hope the first Chapter is seeming to be a lot better, and i hope you all like it XD