"I'm home!" Kuro took off his shoes and made his way toward the kitchen.
"Welcome back!" Kokomi greeted Kuro.
"What did the Hokage say?" Kigan replies from the living room.
"The Hokage says that starting tomorrow, I do not need to attend the academy anymore. Old Lady Mito would be taking me under her wing." Kuro replies back.
Kokomi raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Old Lady Mito?"
Kigan walked into the kitchen, his expression curious. "Wait, does that mean you're going to be training with her now? I heard she's as tough as they come."
Kuro nodded, his tone serious. "I think so. In fact, she reminds me a lot of you, Mom."
Kokomi's eyes narrowed, and she gave him a sharp look, the knife in her hand pausing mid-air. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kuro quickly raised his hands in defense, sensing he'd made a misstep. "I—I didn't mean it like that! I mean, you're both tough, but you also push me to do my best."
THUD!
Kokomi chops the veggies with strength. "I see." She said nothing else afterward.
"You escape death right there, son." Kigan pat Kuro on the back.
"Did I? I didn't do anything that could anger mom." Kuro was confused.
"Lady Mito temper is well known throughout the village." Kigan replies with a knowing smile.
Kuro glanced nervously at his dad's smile and quickly pieced it together. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, silently thanking the gods he'd avoided another of his mom's famous Fists of Love.
The sound of running water and a few minutes of peace helped Kuro relax. After the shower, Kuro joined his dad in the kitchen, where they set the dinner table while his mom worked on the meal.
The dinner was filling, and Kuro couldn't help but rub his full stomach as he sat back in his chair.
"Night!" His parents called after him.
"Night!" Kuro shouted back.
***
Ahou! Ahou! Ahou!
The next morning, the cawing of crows outside his window pulled Kuro from his sleep. He groggily rubbed his eyes, stretching as he got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
"Are you ready for your training with Lady Mito?" Kigan asks Kuro during their breakfast.
Kuro groaned, leaning his head against his hand. "No. I just want to relax for the day."
Kigan could only shake his head at his son's lack of motivation.
After breakfast, Kuro went out for a light jog. By the time he finished, he headed straight to the Hokage's office. His plan was to get the exact directions to Lady Mito's place, but when he arrived, an ANBU greeted him.
The ANBU operative in black armor silently approached him. Without a word, the ANBU motioned for him to follow.
"Guess I'm not getting the directions from the Hokage, huh?" Kuro muttered, but the ANBU didn't respond.
After 20 minutes of following the ANBU at a brisk pace weaving through the village and toward the back of the Hokage Monument, Kuro arrived at a villa.
The ANBU stopped at the front door, nodding toward Kuro. "This is where Lady Mito now resides. I'll be on my way now."
Kuro watched as the ANBU turned and disappeared, leaving him alone in front of the villa.
'Well damn, I wouldn't mind training here,' Kuro thought, looking at the villa.
"Don't just stand there, get in." Kuro heard Lady Mito's voice from the inside.
Kuro snapped out of his thoughts and quickly pushed the door open.
He was immediately greeted by the cool air of the interior. Despite being a villa, there was nothing except for furniture and some paintings.
"Lady Mito?" Kuro called out.
From a doorway at the far end of the villa, Lady Mito appeared. She was standing with her arms crossed. "What's wrong? You look disappointed."
Kuro scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out how to explain himself. "I guess I was expecting... more. It looks like no one lives here."
Lady Mito's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you expect this 'old lady' to decorate the villa for a snub-nosed brat like you?"
Lady Mito stared at him for a moment longer, and then with a flick of her wrist, she turned around and called over her shoulder. "Follow me."
Kuro quickly followed her into the center part of the villa, where Lady Mito prepared for his first lesson.
It was a large, open area, almost like a courtyard, with walls that were lined with windows to let in the natural light. It felt like the perfect place to train and meditate.
(A/N: Something like this but much bigger)
At the far corner, Kuro noticed two large wooden buckets resting on the ground.
"You see the two buckets?" Lady Mito asked, pointing toward them.
Kuro nodded, following her gaze. "Yes."
"Good," she replied, her tone blunt. "Your first training is simple. Fill them up and hold them in each arm while squatting and holding a T-pose."
Kuro blinked in confusion. 'A T-pose?' That seemed easy enough, but with the added weight of the buckets... It sounded a lot harder than it looked.
Lady Mito crossed her arms, watching him closely. "The purpose of this exercise isn't just about strength. It's about control and endurance. You'll feel the strain on your body as you squat with the buckets, but you need to keep your chakra under control while doing it. Focus on steadying your breathing, keep your balance, and don't let your chakra get erratic. If you lose control of your chakra or drop the buckets, we start over."
Kuro swallowed, already feeling the sweat begin to bead on his forehead. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew it wasn't going to be easy. 'Control and endurance…' He thought back to his own training and the basics of chakra control he'd learned from the anime.
He walked over to the buckets, bent down to lift them, and immediately felt the weight in his arms. The buckets were heavy, and the water inside sloshed slightly as he stood up.
"Get in position," Lady Mito instructed.
Kuro gritted his teeth, positioning his feet shoulder-width apart. He extended his arms out to his sides in the T-pose, careful to keep the buckets level, then slowly started to squat, feeling the burn in his legs almost instantly.
After a few minutes, his breathing quickened, but he forced himself to slow it down. His arms trembled slightly as the weight of the buckets pulled at him.
The longer he held the position, the harder it became. The weight in his arms seemed to double, and his legs burned with every second. His body screamed for him to stop, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
Lady Mito stood off to the side, her gaze unwavering as she observed Kuro's struggle. "You're fighting against the weight with your body, Kuro. But you need to fight with your chakra, too. Don't let it escape you. Use your chakra to steady your arms, your legs, to support your muscles. Let it become one with your body."
Kuro's brow furrowed when he heard Lady Mito guidance. He tried to focus his chakra, channeling it through his muscles, trying to find a balance between the weight and the flow of energy inside him. It wasn't easy. He could feel his chakra fluctuating with every tremble in his arms, and his body begged him to give up.
But something clicked. He adjusted his focus, sinking deeper into the T-pose while keeping his chakra flowing steadily through his limbs. Slowly, he felt his arms stabilize, the buckets seeming less heavy despite the strain in his legs.
"Good." Lady Mito stated before walking away. "Keep the pose until I tell you to stop."
Kuro felt a knot tighten in his stomach, but he didn't move. His legs quivered with every second, and his arms began to feel like they were made of lead, but he fought the urge to let them fall. The silence of the villa settled over him, only broken by his strained breathing.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly. Sweat ran down his face, stinging his eyes, but he refused to blink. His muscles screamed, every fiber begging him to give up, but he gritted his teeth and held his ground. His thoughts were a mix of focus and pain, but somewhere between the two, he managed to push past the exhaustion, forcing his chakra to stabilize the tension in his limbs.
Lady Mito didn't say anything as she observed him from a distance. Her sharp eyes studied his form, watching his every move as though looking for signs of weakness.
Hours passed—how many, Kuro couldn't say. He had lost track of time the moment he had sunk into that position. All he could do was concentrate on his breathing and the steady flow of chakra through his body.
The sun rises and sets as Kuro stays in that position. He thanks his past self for training to get fit. Otherwise, I would not be able to keep the pose for as long as he had been.