HALF || Naruto x Crossover Story

002

One Skip At A Time

"Ugh!"

The female Uchiha balled up her fists in frustration as she laid on the ground, face first. It's been four years since Shisui attempted to teach Kaiden the Body Flicker technique. A rather difficult technique to teach a child, but Kaiden begged him after seeing it in action once. Till this day it was in no successful progress for the young girl. She's been practicing the technique as she remembered for a very long time, but she can't exactly perfect it with scrappy knowledge. Shisui only practiced with her two times, but opted to fully teach her after her graduation as a genin after seeing her struggle with his technique. Sadly, Kaiden was on her own in figuring out the body flicker technique now.

For the seventh time today, Kaiden had flown herself back from her position instead having a smooth teleport to a nearby tree. Slowly, she pulled herself off the ground. She winced at the many cuts and bruises she had given herself at the many attempts she took. Kaiden brought her hand up in the necessary hand sign for the technique, determined for this time to work.

Taking a deep breath, Kaiden prepared herself for one last attempt for the day. Adding chakra to the sign, Kaiden performed the body flicker unsuccessfully. Teleporting herself into a tree trunk. After a minute of processing where she was at and why the tree was so hallow, Kaiden let her forehead hit the tree in defeat. "This is impossible.", she mumbled to herself.

As a self-punishment for not succeeding the technique, Kaiden remained in the tree for half an hour. Going over all the possible wrongs she's done this time, and the possible ways to perfect it.

Though her silent punishment and self-scolding came to an end when she saw light again. Kaiden looked up at her savior. Only to see a man's back. He was wearing a brown conical hat and a white kimono. He had long dark, brown hair that hung in a low pony tail. Kaiden was conflicted. Who was that guy? She wondered, her face scrunched and her head tilted at the man. The said man never looked back nor said anything, and before she knew it, he vanished.

"Weird."

〰️〰️〰️

Time flew.

By the time Kaiden knew it, it was Sunday. Sunday's were her rest days. Kaiden currently stood near a river by the Uchiha compound. Today she felt inclined to learn the art of skipping stones. Not a useful skill for a shinobi, but it was a skill that Shisui made look very cool to Kaiden once upon a time.

Her stones, of course, sunk at first contact. Occasionally the two skips, but never more. Soon Kaiden began to wonder if she just sucked at everything she attempted. Taking one more stone, Kaiden carelessly threw stone into the water, knowing it will only sink. Only for her stone to be hit by another stone, giving it a boost to stay on the water surface and skip several more times. Her eyes widened at the scene, and looked to her right.

It's the cone head again. Kaiden saw the man sitting a good distance from the river. His face still hidden with the conical hat. Kaiden couldn't put a finger on it, but the man did look kind of cool. With the sunset shining behind him, the man cooly picked up another stone and skipped it very far.

"One skip at a time." was all she heard the man say before he was gone in a puff of smoke. Kaiden hummed. She pondered what his words meant exactly. The final stone she picked up was shiner than the others she's thrown.

"One skip at a time." She repeated, thoughtfully. Kaiden recalled how the man flicked his wrist as he tossed the stone, and she mimicked his moves. To the Uchiha's surprise, her stone went five skips further. She was excited for the first time in forever. Subconsciously, Kaiden turned to show her accomplishment to an empty spot on her left side. Reality brought her back to her lonesome state. Her smile slowly faded away at the fact.

Forgetting the stupid accomplishment, Kaiden shoved her hands in her pant pockets, and started walking back to her empty apartment. Unbeknownst to her, the man had stayed hidden to watch the girl's achievement. Never mind that skipping stones was a useless skill to achieve. For an achievement is still an achievement. The man silently applauded Kaiden's tiny success.

"One skip at a time." He softly smiled at the Uchiha's walking figure.