17 - Arriving Late

When Chiba returned home, he went straight to bed, recovering his strength before resuming his relentless training regimen. After his daily exercises, he embarked on an additional training session that included the Eight Gates, Hand Sealing, and Ninjutsu, which nearly depleted his stamina.

Due to a summons from their Jonin instructor expected the next day, Chiba decided against further training. After dinner, he took the time to rest.

As dawn broke, Chiba woke up on time, feeling unusually alert and refreshed. For the first time upon waking, he opened the window and inhaled the fresh morning air deeply.

A question then crossed his mind.

'How will the Jonin sensei gather us?'

Chiba was puzzled. The day before, when the instructor had asked them to sit together, he hadn't received any notification. It was only because Hirohiko and Yukina had chosen to sit next to him.

Glancing out the window, he noticed a kunai with a piece of paper attached to it fluttering in the morning breeze.

Instinctively, Chiba recoiled, fearing the paper might be an explosive tag.

Could this be related to the Jonin?

His first thought was that it might be an attack from an associate of the Jonin he had killed who was still in the village.

However, no explosion occurred; the only sounds were the wind and the rustling of the paper.

Chiba cautiously approached the window and looked down, only to realize the paper wasn't an explosive tag but a message tied to the kunai.

Relieved, he retrieved the kunai and the note.

"Meet at the Konoha Gate at 11 o'clock this morning."

The message was straightforward, and Chiba immediately understood it was a summons from his Jonin instructor.

Checking the wall clock, which showed it was only around 7:20, Chiba decided there was enough time to complete his daily training routine.

After a quick wash and breakfast, which included Konoha's extra-large steamed buns, Chiba began his training: five hundred side kicks, forehands, squats, and push-ups. Instead of his usual 10,000-meter run, he opted for a cold shower and changed into clean clothes. By then, it was 10:45.

'It's almost time to leave,' Chiba thought, exiting his cabin.

He wondered about the identity of their Jonin instructor. 'Could it be Minato Namikaze? But he's likely still mentoring Kakashi; it's a pity.'

On his way to the gate, Chiba pondered the importance of a good instructor, recalling how Sasuke learned the A-rank Ninjutsu *Chidori* from Kakashi, Naruto mastered the *Rasengan* from Jiraiya, and Rock Lee developed his skills under Might Guy's tutelage.

'A good teacher makes all the difference in the world of Naruto,' Chiba realized, hoping to learn the *Flying Thunder God Technique* if Minato Namikaze were indeed his instructor.

Arriving at the village center, Chiba made his way to the Konoha Gate.

"Thank you," he heard an elderly voice say as he passed by.

Turning, Chiba saw a young man with large goggles smiling warmly at an old woman, reassuring her, "It's okay, I'm off, grandma!"

The old woman smiled back as the young man hurried off, muttering about being late.

Chiba watched him go, wondering, 'Is that... Obito?'

Meeting iconic characters like Kakashi and the Third Hokage had always felt surreal to Chiba.

'Uh-oh,' he suddenly realized, 'I'm going to be late too!'

Chiba raced to the Konoha Gate, arriving ten minutes late. Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga were already there, along with a striking red-haired beauty, hands on her hips and frowning.

'Is this our Jonin instructor? She seems... familiar,' Chiba noted, observing the distinct expressions of Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga. The red-haired beauty's anger was palpable, and Chiba had no doubts about the consequences of his tardiness.

'It's time to think of an excuse,' Chiba thought, quickening his pace and preparing his defense.

Chiba quickly came up with an idea.

At that moment, the three also noticed Chiba running towards them. Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga turned their heads, and when they saw Chiba, they all nodded slightly.

But the red-haired beauty was twitching at the corners of her mouth, her brows furrowed, her hair fluttered slowly, and a fist was raised uncontrollably.

"Ha! Good morning everyone, today I got lost on the road of life, so..." Chiba said while gesturing around.

"Boom!"

Then, Chiba received a violent punch on the top of his head, and a large bump turned red and swelled, as it began smoking.

"Ouch, it hurts! Such strength!"

Chiba, in pain, covered his head with both hands and squatted down.

After the red-haired beauty delivered the punch, her anger seemed to be vented. She turned her head, smiled amiably, and said softly, "Now that everyone is here, let me introduce myself. I am your teacher, Kushina Uzumaki."

At this time, Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga were sweating profusely on their backs, shocked at the sight of Chiba squatting on the floor in pain.

Just that moment, so fast! Although Kushina was still a few meters away, she rushed to Chiba's side... they never saw how Kushina's fist connected.

The two of them swallowed.

Is this what a Jonin is like?

When Chiba heard the introduction of the red-haired beauty, his eyes widened.

'Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mother, wife of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, a master of sealing techniques...' A series of titles flashed through Chiba's mind.

'Kushina Uzumaki! She's going to be my teacher?'

Chiba slowly stood up. At this time, Kushina was familiarizing Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga, with her back to him.

Looking at her figure and the eye-catching red hair...

'It can't be wrong, it's Kushina Uzumaki.'

'Wait, I remember, Kushina Uzumaki is a Chunin in the end... how can she take us...'

Chiba suddenly had a bad premonition, feeling that something like A-level Ninjutsus were slipping away from him like doves in the wind.

"Then, it's your turn to introduce yourselves," Kushina suddenly turned around and said to Chiba.

"Chiba Taki."

"Hirohiko Uchiha."

"Yukina Hyuga."

Following Kushina's prompt, Chiba was the first to report his name, then Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga also introduced themselves.

Although Kushina Uzumaki already knew their names, introductions were still deemed necessary.

"What are you good at?" With that, Kushina motioned for Chiba to stand alongside Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga.

Chiba complied and walked over, and the three of them stood in a row.

"Gentle Fist," Yukina Hyuga was the first to speak.

"Fire Style, Shadow Clone," Hirohiko Uchiha said.

"Taijutsu," Chiba also said.

Kushina Uzumaki raised her eyebrows. When the three spoke, one had a cold face, another a poker face, and the last one looked thoughtful.

Such a gloomy trio.

Originally, she wanted all of them to get acquainted with each other by introducing themselves, but unexpectedly, their answers were very concise. This wasn't an introduction; it was more like a report. There was no life in their words at all, how could they get acquainted?

"Hey..." She sighed deeply, but when she looked up, there was already a warm smile on her face.

"Since we know each other now, let's have this teacher treat you to a meal on the first day. What do you want to eat?"

"Barbecue!"

"Barbecue!"

"Barbecue!"

The three said quickly, concisely, and clearly.

Kushina Uzumaki not only furrowed her brows but also twitched the corners of her mouth, and her smile became very reluctant. She said, "Very well, then let's have some good ramen!"

"Ugh, we said barbecue..." Chiba began to speak.

But after half of the sentence, Kushina Uzumaki glared, silencing the rest of his sentence. Remembering the punch he had just received, Chiba lightly coughed, "Hirohiko, Yukina, the ramen is very famous, I like it very much."

Hirohiko Uchiha and Yukina Hyuga also saw Kushina's gaze and nodded: "Yes, yes, let's have ramen."

Kushina nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, let's go, teacher is treating."

The three responded happily, but at the same time thought to themselves:

'This teacher seems a bit unreliable.'