Sehnsucht [Naruto Fanfiction]

Chapter 18 - Fire

Chapter 18 - Fire

Itachi entered Hitori's apartment and heard her yell that she would be out in a minute from her room. Although he still felt a little awkward, it was okay. He only felt strange, not because he didn't know what to say or how to act around her, but more or less because he just didn't know what she saw in him. Sure, he had done things in his life that would haunt him long after he was dead, but he always treated Hitori as best he could. Still, that didn't mean that she would immediately become best friends with him and think that he was an extraordinary person. She wasn't stupid, and she knew he had done terrible things and wasn't a saint, but she somehow seemed to accept that side of him. He already knew very well that he was a polite and well-mannered man, so it wasn't hard to appreciate that side of him. He didn't want her to accept him without question, as he would feel like he was practically cheating at making friends. It would be like finding a beautiful box, only to open it and find a demon inside.

Hitori came out and went to the small table in the corner next to her TV unit and her bookshelf holding her weapons. She hesitated when he stared blankly and spun on her heel.

"I'm not going to need weapons since we are just focusing on Katon jutsu, right?" Her tone sought confirmation, but although it sounded like a stupid question, it wasn't. Typically, she would charge weapons with Raiton chakra, but she had never used Katon like that before.

"No need for weapons." He crossed his arms over his chest but didn't let himself smile at her. Their training sessions usually ended up with Hitori laughing or depressed because she felt incompetent, but he always tried to stay serious as long as possible. "Though I do suggest bringing some burn ointment and any other medical supplies you might need."

She narrowed her eyes, pointed her finger at him and nodded approvingly before she turned and rummaged through her medical kit on the coffee table. He huffed at her thoughtful expression as she grabbed a few things and placed them in a small storage scroll. Once she put it in her pocket and gave him a thumbs up, they headed to the training grounds. While they were walking, Itachi explained the fundamentals of using Katon, using your breath to fuel the technique and how to control it. Little did he know, she already knew all of this, but as always, Itachi had his own eloquent way of explaining things. By the time they got there, Hitori seemed to comprehend what he was trying to say well enough, and it helped her understand on a deeper level how to use Katon. They started by sitting down on the ground.

"So, just make a ball of fire in your hand. Don't worry if it's small, but just try and control it so the size and heat stays consistent."

After a nod, Hitori took a breath and rested her elbow on her knee so her hand was in front of her. She concentrated until a small ball of fire appeared in her hand, and she managed to hold it for around ten seconds before it fizzled into empty space. Itachi realised that she had been unconsciously holding her breath the whole time and reiterated his speech about using her breath to help control and fuel the technique. When she began to learn full-scale Katon jutsu, she would only have her breathing to create it, so she needed to have it down pat even at this scale. It would need to be second nature for her to control the flame before she could upgrade to big techniques.

With his instruction, it didn't take long for her to be able to maintain and control the small fire in her hand. Now, he would teach her how to mould the chakra for the more significant techniques. Although he knew she was brilliant and she understood him well, he still needed to make sure he was patient. It was common knowledge that Uchiha had a natural affinity for using Katon jutsu, so he had to take it easy with her. It wasn't as easy for her as it had been for him. After all, he could use high-ranking Katon jutsu by age 5.

"So we are going to work towards getting you to be able to proficiently perform Gokakyu no Jutsu. Then we can work on some other techniques, but since it's C-rank, I think this is the best place to start," he explained, and she smiled happily, pleased with her progress so far.