Switched With a Fangirl (Various!Naruto X Reader)

30.

Taking the day off yesterday was for the best it turns out, you woke up still feeling sick but more refreshed and Sakura's mother allowed you to leave the house today as long as you promised to take it easy and drink plenty of water. You put your hand above your eyes and squint them, staring at the target. "I've already practiced throwing kunai and stuff, when I was in the academy, you know?"

"That is not what you're doing." Baki steps up beside you, taking your hand and placing something in it. You look down at the smooth, curved wood in your hand. Plucking at the string of the bow. He holds an arrow out for you and you glance back to his face.

"Why?"

"You barely beat Kabuto. Luck, I would even say. All ninja have their specialty eventually. It's time you start looking for yours." You look back at the weapon, hesitantly taking the arrow.

"I didn't even know this existed here." Lifting it like you'd seen many movie characters do before.

"And yet you're a natural." He adjusts your posture slightly.

"I'm psychic, of course I am." You release the arrow when you're sure it'll hit the target. It stabs into the ground two-thirds of the way there. Another arrow is handed to you immediately. You take aim again. "Why don't other ninja use bow and arrows?"

"Because they're a poor weapon choice. Ninja are fast, they control elements and bows put you at a disadvantage during close combat."

"Then why I am learning it?" Lowering the bow.

"You will be fighting against Haku, you won't be able to enter close combat with him and he knows he doesn't have to kill you to win. You need a long distance weapon and you need to be good at it." You blink at him before turning back to the target. Trying to remember the posture he showed you and aiming higher than previously. The arrow lodges into the stump of the tree above the target.

"What the heck, it was barely higher." You turn to him, taking the arrow being offered. He doesn't give any advice as you try again. And again. And again. Just keeps handing you arrows and letting you figure it out on your own. You feel pride swelling in your chest when your arrow finally hits near the center of the target, turning to look at Baki.

"Well done." He ushers you over a few steps. "Keep going." The few steps made a world of difference and you went right back to missing for the first ten shots.

"Hold on, hydration break." You set the bow down and fetch the water Sakura's mother sent with you, contemplating your approach to this skill while you drink. "Thank you, by the way."

"Don't thank me, thank your friend. The Uchiha. Before he left to train he told me all about Haku's fighting style and asked me to help you." He looks at the target, away from you.

"You still chose to. Thank you." Allowing a moment of silence between you. "Alright, time to learn this thing." Picking it back up. Instead of calculating where you needed to aim based on where previous arrows landed you worked on teaching yourself a more accurate way of aiming. Your arrows found their mark more often, even when you moved. Baki looked proud to see you improving so well.

"You may only get one shot at him. He will be fast." You're about to look at him when a red ball crosses your vision, you aim and fire as quickly as you can but it's making its descent by the time you react and your arrow misses. "You're aiming at a moving target, you need to predict where it'll be when the arrow gets there." He sets the arrows near you and tosses another ball. The added pressure slows you down and you miss again. He doesn't immediately throw one again.

"You need a break?" You ask, he's twirling the ball in his hand.

"You need to clear your head. He's going to be flying all around you tomorrow and that's going to be stressful enough, you need to keep your wits about you." Up the ball goes and you pull the string back again. You aim below the ball and fire when it floats in the air for a moment, before it begins to fall. The arrow hits it, not straight on like you'd hoped but it changes direction with the arrow for a second. That's how the day goes until sunset, Baki throwing balls around and challenging your bow skills. The progress has been incredible, by many standards. He hides his prideful look whenever you look at him but sometimes you catch it.