The Red Maelstrom

[14] New Arrivals

"You want me to teach you summoning techniques?"

Kohana nodded vigorously. They had finally arrived in Konoha and just finished turning in the mission report, but before Kakashi could disappear until he needed them for a mission? Kohana had forcefully pulled him aside while the others weren't looking to ask him this one favor.

"Yes! I've been workin' on this technique, and I thought that it was either like the Body Flicker Technique or a Summoning Technique, y'know? If we're talkin' the Flying Thunder God Technique—" Kakashi's eye widened at this, but it was just a split second that Kohana didn't even bother commenting on it. "—I wouldn't need a seal if it were another type 'a Body Flicker Technique, right?" she tilted her head. "The Body Flicker Technique means you move really fast, but the Flying Thunder God Technique means that you move a different kind of way."

Kakashi nodded. He was smiling. "Go on." Kohana wanted to ask him what was so funny, but she shrugged it off. "So anyways," she lifted her hand and moved it horizontally, "you move like this when you're doin' the Body Flicker Technique," then she drew a "v" under the line she drew with the other hand, "but you kinda take a shortcut like so: point A to point B to point C rather than point A to point C." Kakashi nodded again.

"Correct, so what's so special about the Flying Thunder God Technique? Can't you just use the Body Flicker Technique? Sounds awfully easier," he pointed out, and now Kohana got it. He was testing her. Maybe if she answered all his questions, he'd teach her about summoning techniques... and maybe more about the Flying Thunder God Technique! He'd even put away his Make-Out Paradise for her...

Kohana allowed herself to gloat. Was this what Sakura felt when she gave them basic lectures? Damn. She could get hooked on this. "Easy! With the Flying Thunder God Technique, you get to tap into even greater speed and cover even greater distances, but the distance you travel is directly proportional to the amount of chakra 'ya gotta tap into. Although it can still be technically a Body Flicker Technique because the way people see the Flying Thunder God Technique is relative to their position!"

Kakashi crossed his arms and nodded for the third time. "Yup, you got it. Now, I'm going to teach you a little bit about summoning."

"So will you teach me how to summon?" Kohana finally asked Kakashi. She had been leading him to this moment! She saw all of those dogs... she wanted a contract of her own!

"Nope. I'll be giving you lectures and demonstrations, but I'll teach you how to apply seals. If I teach you how to summon now, you body wouldn't be able to withstand the strain on your chakra reserves. Besides, summoning creatures is different from summoning yourself."

Kohana pouted, but she supposed that she was in no position to complain.

"We'll be starting at noon tomorrow."

"Roger, Kakashi-sensei!" Kohana saluted and made a move to run off to her house, but Kakashi grabbed her by the back of her shirt. She stumbled back and almost fell if she hadn't regained her footing.

"Isn't there something you haven't been telling me, hm?"

Kohana frowned up at her sensei. "What're you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?"

He fake-coughed into his hand, then waved the same hand around. "When you fought Haku?"

"Um..." Kohana was beginning to feel woozy. She'd been banking on no one finding out. It wasn't like it happened all the time. It was probably just because she'd gotten thrown around the only two times her little bloody coughing fits happened. Leave it to someone like Kakashi to notice. What had she been expecting anyway? Almost nothing got past Kakashi...