Freedom from illness and disaster was the greatest happiness.
After spending so many days in the hospital, Mikoto could not agree more.
Three days later, she eagerly removed her bandages, packed her belongings, and returned to the small house she had missed deeply. Everything inside was just as neat as when she had left. Someone had clearly been cleaning it every day. As Mikoto brushed her fingers across the newly repaired furniture, a warm smile appeared on her face.
The next morning, she woke up early and headed straight for the training grounds.
According to the Konoha Ninja Manual, every squad was required to complete a minimum number of missions each month. However, due to Mikoto's injury, Hayashi had directly waived the team's November quota.
Now that she had fully recovered, Hayashi, her Jonin instructor, naturally called the team together again.
In reality, calling the team together only meant Mikoto and Kushina.
As for Minato and Nawaki, one had been taken by Jiraiya to Mount Myōboku to undergo strange and mysterious training, while the other had been dragged away by Tsunade for special instruction.
With two of the Legendary Sannin involved, Hayashi was more than happy to enjoy some rare peace. The trade-off was that he had to temporarily keep an eye on Kushina for Tsunade.
Not that Tsunade had ever truly looked after her properly in the first place.
Thinking about it, Hayashi found the situation somewhat pitiful. His Team One had rarely completed missions together and was almost always missing members. It felt like being a frontline fighter who had somehow been forced into a support role, with no place to complain.
Watching the two girls whispering to each other nearby, Hayashi let out a quiet sigh.
"What are you two chatting about?"
"That's girl talk, none of your business," Kushina replied, sticking out her tongue playfully.
"I'm your Jonin leader now," Hayashi said, putting on a serious expression. "Without my signature, your Chunin application is going nowhere."
"You wouldn't dare," Kushina shot back confidently. "Careful, or Mikoto and I will beat you up."
That familiar fiery attitude was unmistakable. After pretending to be ladylike for a while, the Blood-Red Hot-Blooded Kushina had finally returned.
After a bit more banter, Hayashi cleared his throat and got to the point.
"Starting next month, the squad will resume missions. For now, we'll focus on training the two of you."
"Really?" Kushina's eyes lit up immediately.
After three years stuck in the village without proper guidance or supervision, her skills had dulled more than she cared to admit. Training again was exactly what she wanted.
Mikoto was quieter but no less eager. After being confined to bed for so long, she was itching to move freely again.
At a Konoha training ground not far away—
"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"
Lightning burst from Mikoto's hands, racing across the ground before slamming into a wooden post. In the blink of an eye, the post shattered into pieces.
"How's your right arm?" Hayashi asked from the edge of the field.
"Perfect," Mikoto replied excitedly. "No chakra disruption, and no pain at all."
"As expected," Hayashi said calmly. "Tsunade-sensei's personality may be questionable, but her medical ninjutsu is beyond reproach."
He then added, "From now on, limit your use of Chidori to no more than four times a day."
"Understood."
After a brief pause, Hayashi reconsidered. "Actually, if your chakra reserves allow it, you can practice a bit more."
Mikoto tilted her head slightly, signaling for him to continue.
Hayashi stepped into the center of the field and raised both arms.
"Ox, Hare, Monkey."
Lightning chakra gathered rapidly in his right hand, producing the familiar chirping sound of Chidori. Then, without stopping, he placed his left hand against his right, drawing the lightning over until both hands crackled with the same sharp sound. When he separated them, each hand held a fully formed technique.
"Chidori: Twin Piercing Light."
After watching the demonstration, Mikoto could not help asking, "Why haven't I seen that technique before?"
"I developed it after your arm injury," Hayashi replied with a grin. "There's also Rasengan: Twin Barrage. Pretty good names, right?"
Mikoto fell silent.
"But I can barely handle one Chidori," she said honestly.
"I'm not asking you to use two at once," Hayashi explained. "Just remember that you don't have to rely solely on your right hand. Your left hand can perform techniques too."
"I see," Mikoto said, nodding thoughtfully.
It sounded simple, but in practice, it was anything but. Switching dominant hands felt unnatural, like trying to write or eat with the wrong hand. Still, mastering this would reduce strain on her chakra pathways and greatly improve her overall combat ability, especially her chakra control.
After finishing Mikoto's training, Hayashi led Kushina to the opposite side of the training ground. They kept their distance, as advanced ninjutsu practice tended to be loud. Even techniques like the Rasengan caused noticeable disturbances.
Standing beside him, Kushina looked eager. "Rasengan again?"
Hayashi shook his head. "Before that, I need to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Did you recommend Yakushi Nono to Tsunade-sensei?"
Kushina nodded without hesitation. "You said she was talented in medical ninjutsu, so I mentioned her to Sister Tsunade."
"Did anyone else recommend her?"
"I don't know," Kushina said quickly, waving her hands.
Hayashi narrowed his eyes. "Your face is red. You're lying."
Kushina covered her mouth and mumbled, "I promised not to tell."
"Then I'll guess," Hayashi said. "You just nod or shake your head. You won't say anything, so it won't break your promise."
After a brief hesitation, she agreed. Keeping secrets like this felt unbearable to her.
"Was it Nawaki?"
Kushina stayed silent.
Seeing her reaction, Hayashi understood immediately.
So it really was Nawaki.
Who would have thought? The earnest, bushy-browed Nawaki, abandoning the single-life mindset?
Unforgivable.