Chapter 113: Comfort; Training on Mount Hane

When the class finished up, I watched as everyone filtered towards the Academy building, drenched with sweat and swaying with exhaustion as they walked.

However, I moved towards the purple haired girl who was dragging her feet, her normal enthusiasm nowhere to be seen.

Sighing, I approached her and said "Ami, come here."

The girl flinched as I said her name, but she just nodded as she shuffled over to me.

Hearing that, Tenten gulped as she too turned, her eyes wide as she pleaded "Kokoro-Sensei, Ami didn't mean to hur-"

I nodded to the girl, interrupting her as I said "She's not in trouble Tenten, I just need to speak with her. I promise. Now go, wash up."

Smiling gently at the cream robed girl, I watched as she hesitantly nodded, returning to the Academy with heavy steps.

She would occasionally glance back, worry in her eyes as she stared at Ami, who was frowning as she stared at the ground between us.

Waiting for a few moments, I spoke when the girl started to get uncomfortable, keeping my voice soft.

"Ami, it wasn't your fault. I know, and Tenten knows that you didn't mean to hurt her."

Crouching in front of her, I stared into her brown eyes, watching as she bit her lip.

When she spoke, her voice was unsteady, and I could tell that her normal confidence was diminishing slowly.

"B-But that d-doesn't change the fact that I DID! I DID hurt her! Me! E-Even though I... I..."

Seeing her gulp, I laid my hand on her shoulder and squeezed slightly, before saying "Yes, you hurt her. But she's healed now; the pains gone, and she is now worried about you, Ami. She doesn't resent you; if she did, then she wouldn't have tried to plead with me moments earlier."

The young girl shivered slightly, her eyes unbelieving as she asked "R-Really..? D-Do you think so? Do you think s-she doesn't h-hate me for h-hurting her?!"

Seeing a single tear fall from her eye, I nodded as I smiled gently at her, laying my other hand on her head as I pulled her into my arms.

"Yes, I think she doesn't resent you, Ami. I think she knows that you didn't mean to hurt her."

She shivered in my arms for a few moments, before gently slipping out of my embrace.

Seeing her eyes regain their lost conviction, I smiled at her as I said "Feeling better now?"

Giving me a nod, she bowed and said "Thank you Kokoro-Sensei!"

Then, she tried to turn and run towards the Academy, likely to apologize again, but before she could leave, I grabbed her arm again.

"Before you go, let's talk control. That's what you need to focus on going forwards. Stop increasing your weights, and instead focus on controlling the strenght you already have, alright? Pace your training, focus on the exercise and muscles being used instead of focusing on the power behind everything. Try to get your body under control, so that in the future, this won't happen again."

She nodded at me, her eyes serious as she said "I will, Kokoro-Sensei... I just... don't want to ever hurt a friend again..."

Lowering her face to the ground, she muttered "Especially not her..."

Holding in a grin, I finished by saying "Well, just think about what you're doing while you work out in the future; think about the muscles being used and try to control them while you go through your sets, alright?"

Giving me another nod, Ami smiled before running back to the Academy, her enthusiasm and energy back.

Chuckling, I stood up and went to go meet Kurenai, the raven haired woman stretching as she exited the Academy, her face tired as she met me on the Training Grounds.

Entwining my hand with hers, we made our way home, telling one another about our day.

~~~

When our rest days rolled by again, I made my way into Mount Hane of the Hawks, appearing on the windy mountaintop.

Staring at the decaying log that the golden Asa and green Shiba rested on, I bowed to them before sitting before them, closing my eyes.

We had talked recently, and I wanted to continue getting my body used to Nature Energy, while also asking the two Hawks about Wind Chakra and how to better employ some of my Ninjutsu.

This was the third time I had been here, and as I sat down with Asa pouring Nature Energy into my body, I continue to slowly grasp and mold the warm energy as it entered my body, continuing to patch up my right arm until it was almost completely back to normal.

There were small spots around my arm that weren't fully healed, and sometimes the pain that spiked when I used chakra grew to be too much, so I was intent on healing myself completely.

Besides doing that, after every training sessions that we had, I would spend time with the not so small black Hawk that was Meigetsu, the daughter of Asa and Shiba.

She had grown in the time that I hadn't been here, slowly reaching my chest instead of being around my knee; Asa and Shiba were still my height or slightly taller, but Meigetsu was growing fast.

The girl was still shy though, and with her growth spurt she joined me in my training, which...

Dodging a chakra coated feather as it flew past my face, I panted before listening to a dozen of the Wind Chakra coated projectiles thumped into the tree I hid behind.

Meigetsu huddled above me, her large head scanning the trees around us as her pitch black body blended in with the shadows.

"Kokoro, I'll mark them!"

Her voice was still low and melodic, and I nodded as she mirrored her brother's technique, using her feathers as projectiles.

Sending them flying, I rolled from behind my tree and watched their path, finding the hiding Ren easily.

His brown and gold feathers glimmered as Meigetsu's feathers streaked past him, and I ran towards him, using the trees as cover as I grew closer.

Of course, he wasn't the only Hawk in this exercise, but...

Jumping into the tree, I then leapt and grappled his body, dragging him to the ground.

Grinning down at him, I heard him sigh before he got up, shaking the dirt from his feathers.

"You two work surprisingly well together..."

I nodded, before turning to see Asa land beside us, pride in her eyes as she stared at Meigetsu, who appeared moments later.

"Yes, Mei-Mei is rather quiet and hard to find... While Kokoro here can sneak around while also pouncing rather quick!"

Bowing slightly to the golden Hawk, I grinned at Meigetsu, her black feathers shimmering blue in the light as she preened, making her mother chuckle again.

"Well, thank you for that! It's always fun training here!"

Ren and Asa nodded, while Meigetsu asked "W-When will you return..?"

Hearing her shy voice, I chuckled as I reached over and stroked her head, enjoying the way she nuzzled into my palm.

"Most likely tomorrow, since I have another rest day."

She nodded, watching as I bowed my goodbye to everyone before going through the hand signs to return home.

We had gotten closer over these training sessions, and I really enjoyed being with the younger Hawk, her shyness reminding me of Hinata, while her determination to get stronger made me think of Ami.

Finishing the seals, I slammed my palm into the ground and vanished into the smoke, returning to my home.