"I'm so sorry!" you cried apologetically as you collided headfirst into a tall man wearing the standard Konohagakure flak jacket. You backed away, feeling thoroughly embarrassed by your blunder.
"Don't worry about it," the man said, coughing. He had dark brown hair and he wore his forehead protector like a bandanna around his head. His most prominent feature, and one of the first things you noticed about his appearance was the dark bags under his eyes.
"Hey, you look familiar!" you blurted out, before turning slightly pink at your unexpected outburst. He gave you a wry smile.
"Do I?"
You squinted at him and shrugged slightly. There was something about his face that made you think you've seen him before, somewhere.
"You must be [Name]," he said, coughing again.
Your eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Your sensei sent for me," he explained. "I'm Gekkou Hayate."
"Nice to meet you," you said hesitantly, feeling uncomfortable. "Why did Asuma-sensei send you here for?"
Hayate gave another racking cough, and you wondered if he was ill. Come to think if it, he looked a little pale, like he was sick. And dark circles under the eyes were never a good sign. "He asked me for a favour. Instead of embarking on that D-ranked mission tomorrow, Asuma wants you to train."
"Train?" you echoed, confused.
He nodded. "More specifically, he wants you to learn the art of kenjutsu. He believes it will be good practise for you."
"Swords?" you asked, your eyes growing wide.
"Yes," he confirmed, a small smile creeping on his face.
"Cool!" you exclaimed, clapping your hands together like a small child promised a treat. Hayate looked troubled by your unbridled enthusiasm, but didn't bother to comment. He probably thought you were a little crazy, you decided.
-:-
An hour later, you were crouching on a large rock, trying to balance a katana vertically on your palm.
"I still don't get why I have to do this," you muttered, shooting Hayate a reproachful glare.
"The objective of this activity is to learn how to infuse your weapons with chakra. The mere action of wielding a sword won't do much in the long run," he countered, raising an eyebrow.
"Fine." You went back to concentrating a thin, sharp flow of chakra into the tip of the blade while simultaneously trying to keep the katana from wobbling too badly with a second stream of chakra. Hayate leaned casually against the rock, watching you practise. Your arms soon grew sore, and you wished that you were on the mission with the rest of your team. Why did Asuma-sensei want you to go through this training instead?
"Um, Hayate…sensei?" you called, cautiously testing the honorific on your tongue.
"Yes?"
"Why did Asuma-sensei ask you to train me in kenjutsu? I thought we were supposed to be going on a mission today." You lost your focus momentarily, and the katana slipped from your chakra-suffused hold and clattered noisily to the ground.
"Careful, [Name]," he scolded, picking up the sword and handing to you. "The rest of your squad have techniques passed down from generations of their clan members. Asuma noted that, as you do not, you need to find yourself a useful skill in order to be an asset to your team."
Wide-eyed, you nodded mutely.
"He told me that there were a variety of fighting styles you could be potentially suited to. But it was something you said that gave him the inspiration to choose kenjutsu for you."
YOU ARE READING
A Kunoichi At Heart
Fanfiction[Naruto CYOA reader-insert] You've wanted to be a ninja ever since you watched Naruto. You had always dreamed that one day you would wind up in the shinobi world. When that fateful day arrives, how will you react? And more importantly, what will you...
