~Soutarou POV~
After being discharged and thoroughly examined by Kabuto, Nono, Shizune and a dozen other medical shinobi, all while under the continuous guard of four ANBU around the clock. Soutarou finally went home, though not without an impressive entourage of Nono, two open ANBU guards, two hidden guards, Kabuto, Shizune, and four sealing corps ninja who Soutarou didn't know.
Soutarou, being Soutarou, didn't question it, instead just went into his house while the four sealing corps ninja began their work on the outside of the house. Kabuto, Shizune, and Nono all immediately began questioning Soutarou.
Kabuto went so far as to say, "Why didn't you just abandon Naori and flee, you very easily could have."
Soutarou feigned tightening his expression before seriously staring at Kabuto and saying, "Kabuto… That mentality is messed up. We live in Konoha. Forget that… I won't abandon my comrades even if the supposed mission in this case was my survival. Those who disregard the mission are scum… But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum!"
In the shadows Kakashi who was one of the guards literally began trembling hearing that.
Soutarou pretended not to notice, but a thin smile worked its way onto his face, 'Another one. Hooked and almost ripe for reeling. Just once he leaves ANBU.'
Soutarou's eyes seemed somewhat indifferent despite his words which Kabuto caught, but also pretended not to notice. Kabuto pushed up his glasses and silently noted,
Nono scolded him and Shizune threatened Soutarou with calling back Tsunade-sama. The entirety of the time Soutarou calmly answered and acted normal, Nono felt something was off, but let it go, while Kabuto kept his eyes locked on Soutarou and noted,
After the trio of Nono, Shizune, and Kabuto finally left Soutarou alone, he just entered the storage room and unlocked one of the drawers and pulled out Aonami.
'Developing my water style will take more time. I have to increase my lethality then. Wind style and Vacuum style are the best options… Vacuum style jutsu aren't within our clan scrolls… Meaning I have to ask the old man. Before that I have to develop a wind style combat style….'
'And I have a great example to do it. Fujin Suzuki (Naruto: Wind Calamity). While that series never finished, it's obvious what I need to do… Reduce the number of handsigns as much as possible and focus purely on cutting power and speed.'
'The same needs to happen with my water style. Penetrative power and… Water pressure.'
'That plus I need a good AOE jutsu… Perhaps… Water Style: A Thousand Needles of Death, Ninja Art: Shadow Clone Shuriken, and of course Water Style: Heavenly Weeping.'
'Of those jutsu I don't know if Konoah has Water Style: A Thousand Needles of Death in its collection and Ninja Art: Shadow Clone Shuriken is Hiruzen's signature jutsu much like Minato's Rasengan…'
'Speed and power… I suppose I should learn the Rasengan too… If I had it I could've ended the fight against Tetsuro decisively.'
'So everything comes down to speed then…? Yes… I need an advanced body flicker, not that standard academy one… the Senju Body flicker is an option… But Tsunade herself uses the Konoha Body flicker… Meaning that's the better option.'
'Heh. Isn't there a great option for me to request…? Shirakumo Hayama. I had forgotten about this guy. But he was alongside Kosuke Maruboshi often and is an excellent Elite Jonin specializing in Wind Style, the Konoha Body Flicker, and Swordmanship.'
'Well… all that'll have to wait… Looks like the old man showed up for real. Apparently after the whole incident he came under fire for how his chakra imprint got leaked. But then Hiruzen suppressed it immediately, but this old man still got sad… and all of a sudden he was moved into the house next door to the academy.'
'Two Elite Jonin just for guarding… Heh.'
Soutarou stepped out of the storage room after finding a strap for the sword and slung it around his back.
'Aonami… Huh…?'
'Whatever. Let's begin.'
Just as Soutarou was about to head out, the ANBU stopped him and said, "Where are you going Soutarou-san?"
Soutarou's face immediately darkened and he said, "To the training ground to meet old man Kosuke."
The ANBU put his hand out and said, "Wait a moment. We'll go fetch Kosuke-san and we'll go to the training ground once he's arrived."
Soutarou's face twitched and he said, "Hurry up."
The ANBU bowed and flickered away before a Kakashi, Tekuno, and another unknown ANBU openly stood around Soutarou. Soutarou sighed and said, "Oi Inu, teach me the rasengan."
The room that was already silent turned even more silent somehow as if someone had turned the sound off in sheer shock of what Soutarou had just said. Before Kakashi shook his head and said, "That's a jutsu from the Scroll of Seals and the signature jutsu of the Fourth Hokage. That can't be handed out so easily."
Soutarou put his hand on his chin and then said, "Fine. But if I recreate it, you're paying for my ramen for an entire year, no matter how much I eat."
Kakashi chuckled and said, "If you really can recreate it I'll be most impressed, Soutarou-san. Try your best."
Soutarou stared at him and said, "Just say you're too afraid to accept the bet and are trying to deflect or that you don't believe it's possible."
Kakashi shrugged and said, "Let's see if you really can recreate it. So yes, I agree."
Soutarou smiled before saying, "You can trade the ramen for Chidori too."
Kakashi's eyebrows twitched under his mask as he thought,
Soutarou clicked his tongue as he got no reply from Kakashi, all before the ANBU who left to inform Kosuke returned with the old man.
Kosuke wore a grave expression and the guilt was clear on his face, but Soutarou broke everyone's seriousness by clearly playfully saying, "Old fart your debt just went up! Rent's due!"
Kosuke deadpanned, and who knows what the ANBU thought. Soutarou just smiled and said, "Come on I've waited too long, the longer I wait the worse this itch for training will get."
Kosuke sighed and said, "Come then young Soutarou. Let's get started."
As the group approached the training ground the four ANBU hid in the trees leaving Soutarou and Kosuke on the field.
Kosuke took a glance at Soutarou and his narrowed almost closed eyes barely visibly opened as his posture straightened and he said, "It's my failure that you were harmed, and worse its my failure to teach you despite promising to do so. So tell me little Soutarou, what do you wish to learn?"
Soutarou stared forwards and he pulled Aonami out and without saying anything flickered and slashed at Kosuke and said, "Swordsmanship."
As he slashed again and Kosuke nimbly dodged, Soutarou continued, "Water style: Heavenly Weeping, your specialized Swordsmanship genjutsu, the Konoha bodyflicker, Vacuum Style wind jutsus and…"
As Soutarou was forced back by Kosuke lightly redirecting his sword arm and lightly kicking his abdomen, Soutarou finished by saying, "Combat… I wish to learn."
Kosuke's eyes were like narrowed slits, his face a pokered expression of blankness, and his body radiating a sense of seriousness, before he said, "Combat… Is it? Tell me something, Soutarou… To you, what is the essence of combat?"
Soutarou paused, lowering the sword for a moment causing a kunai to zip by his face, making Soutarou grin as Kosuke seemed to be of the same mindset as Soutarou… Train and teach.
Soutarou put his guard back up and answered, "The essence of combat should vary from person to person… But I imagine that it sums up to winning or surviving…"
Kosuke seemed disappointed for a moment before Soutarou continued by saying, "Or that's what I would have said a few days ago… But the reality is… The essence of combat is to kill. To kill your opponent."
Kosuke nodded and said, "It seems you've formed your rudimentary ideas and thoughts about the matter after experiencing true combat for the first time in your life. While it is true that each person's ideals and ideas vary… Combat is a language that is universal. For shinobi there is only one path, no matter how righteous you may claim to be… That is killing."
Kosuke added, "However, no matter how much you kill, no matter how much you force yourself onto the path of darkness as is the duty of shinobi, you must not forget that you too are a being of light, that killing is merely a means to an end. If you forget the end in the process of exploring the means… then you aren't qualified. So remember it well, Soutarou. Or you may end up becoming something truly inhuman in the process."
Soutarou nodded grimly before Kosuke questioned, "Now tell me, Soutarou, what do you think is the best way to kill?"
Soutarou without hesitation answered, "Absolute speed, ambushing, and absolute penetrative power."
Kosuke's face lit up and he smiled, before he suddenly appeared behind Soutarou holding a kunai to Soutarou's cheek. Kosuke said, "However, before you achieve any of those… You must first be able to properly detect ambushes. While your guard is good, what good is a guard that can be fooled?"
Soutarou's eyes lit up and Kosuke said, "I understand your desire for power… However, nothing can be formed without a proper foundation. Or rather it can, but in the future it will topple horrifically. The same is true for ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, bukijutsu, and shinobi skills. While I admit you have immense talent, beyond what I've seen before, excluding two figures. However, you must start slow."
Kosuke continued, "Your foundation is however strong, it merely needs diversification. Your chakra control is strong, however, your speed of projection chakra needs a bit of work, additionally your eyes and actually five senses are falling behind your sensory network. A shinobi must never overrely on their senses, especially not sensory techniques that so many stronger shinobi have mastered and learned to combat them."
"As for your jutsu, your taijutsu, and chakra, they'll all come with time. You must not be anxious, young Soutarou. All will come in time, despite your anxiety about the recent attack and your own strength. You have the talent, the work ethic, and the mindset to set you for a bright future. So bide your time and I promise I will help you draw out as much of your talent as I possibly can-."
Soutarou interjected with his face dark, "Listen old man Kosuke… I respect you and I know you have more knowledge than me and know what's best for me. But I must get stronger, faster. If I don't, tragedies will keep happening and one day I'll stop getting lucky. You imply that Konoha is safe… But in the last six months haven't outside enemies unleashed the nine tails upon us, haven't they attacked me, and even impersonated you?"
"I don't believe in so-called certainties, if something can go wrong it will go wrong. The only defense mechanism to that is unbridled power, beyond what this world has seen. People believe if I had the power of the First Hokage or Madara Uchiha reality could be whatever they wished it to be. If they had even the power of the Second Hokage they believe they could guarantee their own safety and those around them. The unfortunate reality is the Second Hokage, despite possessing the ability to traverse space time, ultimately died. The reality is that despite being literal gods… Both Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha died unexpectedly."
"So no, I'm not anxious… I need to grow faster so I still have room to grow in the future, or my talent will mean nothin-"
Kosuke shook his head and said, "It seems words won't work, little Soutarou… I've lived as long as I have as an active combatant exactly, because I've lived through and now know the answers to the anxiety's you hold. No matter. I'll teach you through my actions."
Kosuke pulled one of the swords from his back and said kindly, "Prepare yourself Soutarou-kun."