Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ What a Lovely Turn of Events ❯ Kakuzu's Training ( Chapter 17 )

Kakuzu and Gina were outside in the clearing where they had met the day before. Today Kakuzu was going to be training Gina with earth release.

"First, I'm going to show you the hand signs. Then we'll get started on some earth techniques."

Kakuzu explained. Gina nodded, and they set to work. It took an hour of practice, and Gina finally learned all the hand signs and could create them quickly.

"This technique is called 'Earth spear.' The only sign it requires is 'snake'." Kakuzu explained. After his explanation he preformed the technique. His skin got visibly darker, and when he punched a tree in demonstration the entire tree trunk smashed to bits and the tree fell to the ground. "Earth spear makes your skin hard as diamonds. It can be used to block an attack and protect you from harm, or it can be used in the offense, as you just witnessed."

The blonde kunoichi nodded, performed the hand sign, and swung at a tree. In all honesty, she barely made a crack in the bark, and she ended up busting her knuckles open.

"Dammit!" Gina snapped examining her hand. She went to work healing her scraped knuckles.

"You didn't focus your chakra enough, and you paused to see if your skin darkened?" Kakuzu questioned. Gina nodded. "You can't do that. You have to do it all in one swift motion. Focus your chakra, and trust in your abilities."

Gina nodded, and proceeded to perform earth spear again. The first few times she split her knuckles open again. After hours of practice she finally managed to make a fist imprint in the bark.

"Yes!" Gina cheered for herself. Kakuzu let out a small chuckle himself.

"That's enough for today. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow. Get that hand fixed up. It won't be any good to you if it's broken or busted up."

Gina nodded and bowed. She had actually started calling him 'Kakuzu-sensei'.

"It just seems right, since you are training me." The blonde explained. Kakuzu simply nodded slowly. Secretly, he was slightly flattered the girl referred to him as 'sensei'.

The two made their way into the base. Gina made her way over to Itachi and Nina, taking Nina in her arms and cuddling her, and started excitedly chattering to Itachi about what she was being taught. Her husband smiled softly at her, and nodded as she spoke.

Ah, young love.

-time skip!-

It's been a week since Gina's training started. She could now perform earth spear almost to perfection. They had been informed the girls needed to learn at least three techniques of their chakra natures. So today, since she had the earth spear fairly learned, Kakuzu was going to show her a new technique.

"Earth Flow Spears is a mid to short range technique. When you perform the sign, the mud or stone around you will protrude from the ground to skewer enemies. The only sign this requires is 'bird'." Kakuzu explained. Kakuzu performed the technique, and Gina had to jump out of the way to avoid the sharp spears of stone that shot out of the ground.

"Hey!" The blonde cried glaring at Kakuzu. The miser just chuckled.

"We're training, are we not?" He asked. "As well as teaching you the techniques we'll also be sparring, and I'll be throwing surprise attacks at you. You have to remember to keep alert. An enemy won't have mercy on you."

Gina nodded, and performed the sign. Almost instantly stone spikes shot up around her.

'Ah, so she can easily flow her chakra into something else, but it's a bit more difficult for her to focus it within herself.' The miser observed to himself.

"Very good, Gina. Now come on." Kakuzu barked at her.

With that, he hardened his skin, and lunged at the blonde. She jumped to the left out of the way, unsheathed her katana, and attempted to pierce his shoulder. Kakuzu hardened his body, and whirled towards Gina, attempting to smash her with earth spear again. Gina leaped back out of the way, and performed earth flow speak. Kakuzu barely managed to jump out of the way, and landed on the branch of a tree. Gina lunged at him, and was going to attack him with earth spear. Kakuzu jumped to the right onto a different branch, and when Gina's fist made contact with the branch he leaped off of she completely tore it down.

The two continued to spar like this until nightfall. Gina used her katana, and continued to jump back and forth with earth spear and earth flow spear. By the time it was dark the two's clothes were torn up. Gina had a few bruises where Kakuzu managed to make contact, and Kakuzu himself even had a few injuries from earth flow spear and Gina's katana.

"You're getting very good at being able to switch from offense to defense." Kakuzu complimented.

"Thanks." Gina panted. They had finally stopped sparring, and were currently resting against the rocks outside the base.

"Take tomorrow off, you used a lot of chakra today. I'll teach you your final technique in a couple days."

Gina only nodded. Slowly the two made their way into the base.

"What the fuck happened to you guys?" Hidan asked when everyone caught sight of them.

"I kicked Kakuzu's ass." Gina grinned. The miser snorted.

"I've been going easy on you, you know." He grumbled.

"Training is coming along good then?" Nagato asked with a smile. Gina nodded, and Kakuzu left to get cleaned up. Audrey helped Gina mend up her wounds, and Gina then took over her mother role. Scooping up Nina.

"Ma!" The little raven haired baby cried. She was just learning to talk.

"How's my little girl?" Gina cooed kissing her baby's nose. Nina giggled.

"Ma!" She cried out again happily. Gina only smiled. One day, she would teach her daughter to be a strong kunoichi. Until then, she basked in the innocence of her child. They would be at war soon, with only the nine-tail's jinchuriki left to capture. Gina only hoped she survived it. So she would watch her daughter grow up, and welcome her home from her first mission. So she would watch Nina fall in love, and have kids of her own. After all, the most wonderful part of being a parent was seeing your child grow-up into who they were meant to be.

-Time skip!-

A month has gone by since Kakuzu started Gina's training. He had taught her a long range technique, Destructive rising rock pillars. He explained it was perfect for war, as it could take out a large number of foes. As long as she didn't get her comrades caught in the crossfire. That seemed to be the only downside. Gina had struggled with it the first couple days. The jutsu took a vast amount of chakra.

"I think I got it now." Gina had panted. Kakuzu had taken them to a dry land, far from the base. As well as forcefully emerging giant pillars of rock from the ground, the technique also caused shock-waves in that process. There was no need to destroy the base over training. She performed the jutsu, and all around them huge pillars of earth rose from the ground. The shock-wave nearly knocked Kakuzu back.

"Good. Now come at me!" The miser barked.

"Prepare yourself, Kakuzu-sensei!" Gina laughed.

With that, they started to spar.

'She's fast.' Kakuzu thought to himself halfway through their fight as he leaped out of the way of Gina's earth flow spears. 'It's why she's able to switch from jutsu, to katana. From offense to defense so quickly.'

True, Evelynn had the best chakra control. Shoto had the most stamina and chakra. Audrey was quickly becoming a medical expert, but Gina was the fastest of the four. These women were turning into some of the finest kunoichi the ninja world could offer. No doubt, when the war was upon them, they would be great aspects.