Even though she kept grumbling under her breath, Inuzuka Midori still obediently tied the cloth over her eyes, looking about as cooperative as a kid who'd just gotten scolded and knew better than to argue.
Kakashi and Kenshi followed without hesitation, blindfolding themselves and standing in front of Aaron, waiting for further instructions.
"Focus. Tighten your awareness and feel everything around you," Aaron said calmly, explaining the basics of Observation Haki.
"No matter how sharp your eyesight is, unless you have something like the Sharingan or Byakugan, it won't keep up with high-speed techniques. Kakashi, you should know that better than anyone."
Kakashi nodded. "Yeah. Before I had the Sharingan, my Chidori had that exact flaw. It was so fast I couldn't properly track the target, I couldn't aim."
"But with Observation Haki, that problem disappears," Aaron continued. "You won't just sense movement, you'll read it. You might even predict it."
He paused, then added with a faint grin:
"Next, I'll be attacking you at random. You can dodge… or try to hit me."
"Before noon, you either land one hit on me or successfully dodge three of my attacks. Otherwise, no lunch. You'll just get to watch the others eat."
Kenshi frowned. "That doesn't seem fair. Even without blindfolds, we wouldn't be able to dodge you or land a hit."
"I'll hold back," Aaron replied casually. "My speed won't exceed yours."
He had already mapped out a full training plan for Haki. There was no way he'd overlook something that obvious.
This kind of training wasn't something you mastered overnight, it was a long process. Sure, he could accelerate things dramatically… but that wasn't the path he'd chosen.
It was early morning. Late autumn had left a chill in the air but none of them paid it any mind.
They were shinobi.
Kakashi stood tense, every muscle coiled.
It felt like an attack could come at any moment…
But it didn't.
And that made it worse.
If the strike came, he could deal with it. But this constant almost like a blade hanging over his head left him uneasy.
Kenshi and Midori weren't faring any better. They shifted cautiously, never staying still, bracing for a sudden blow.
Watching them, Aaron smiled.
This was exactly what he wanted.
Just swinging at them outright? That would be boring.
Without a sound, Aaron slipped behind Midori
Crack.
The wooden staff came down on her head with a dull thud.
"OW! That hurts! Do you not make any noise when you move? When did you get behind me?!" Midori yelped, clutching her head.
"Relax. Stealth is basic ninja training."
Before she could recover
Thwack.
Another hit, this time across her cheek.
"Hey! Why me again? And you attacked while talking, that's cheap! I'm starting to think you've got a personal grudge!" Midori protested.
Hearing that, Kakashi immediately grew more alert, focusing intently on the air around him. The moment anything shifted, he was ready to dive out of the way.
Even if Midori was usually the troublemaker, there was no way Aaron would just keep targeting her… right?
This was training. And Aaron wasn't the type to mix personal feelings into it.
"Why is it me again?!"
Midori cried out as another strike landed.
Kakashi: …
Yeah… scratch that.
After taking three hits in a row, Midori finally quieted down. She began moving slowly and cautiously, almost like she was deliberately making herself a harder target.
But Aaron had already moved on.
Silent as ever, he shifted toward Kenshi.
Crack.
Another strike, this time from behind.
Kenshi took the hit cleanly, nearly stumbling from the impact.
Regaining his footing, he instantly pulled a kunai and hurled it backward.
It fle
and struck Kakashi in the leg.
Aaron couldn't help it. He laughed.
Friendly fire. Impressive.
He had already moved the moment he struck; he had no intention of repeating Midori's treatment.
Kakashi blinked, completely thrown off.
Where did that even come from?
With the distance so short and his vision gone; he hadn't been able to dodge.
"…Using kunai in training feels a little risky, don't you think?" Kakashi said carefully.
Unlike Aaron, they didn't have Armament Haki. Maybe they should stick to safer methods for now.
Then Kenshi's voice came, awkward and apologetic.
"Uh… Kakashi, sorry that was me. I was trying to hit Captain Aaron."
Kakashi: ???
So he hadn't even been hit by the instructor
He'd been taken out by his own teammate.
Aaron pulled the kunai out of Kakashi's leg, barely holding back laughter, and quickly healed the wound with medical ninjutsu.
"Be careful when you attack," he said. "If you're not sure, don't commit."
"You're all standing too close together. It's easy to hit each other instead, like what just happened."
"Kenshi, if you're throwing something, aim for Kakashi! He's a jonin, he can take it better than me!" Midori blurted out, half-panicked.
Kakashi: !!!
That was slander.
Sure, he was a jonin but physically stronger than Midori? Not even close. She specialized in taijutsu.
Kenshi scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry… I won't attack recklessly next time."
At this point, he wished the ground would just open up and swallow him.
Watching his usually composed, strategist-like teammate fall apart like this, Aaron finally let himself laugh.
It wasn't every day Kenshi lost his cool.
Two more minutes passed.
Aaron didn't strike again.
Instead, he deliberately made faint footstep sounds as he moved around them.
Kakashi felt the pressure mounting. He kept shifting his stance, constantly adjusting, afraid of a sudden attack from behind.
Midori and Kenshi had already been hit, Midori more than once.
No matter how he looked at it…
He was next.
And there was no avoiding it.
Kakashi focused completely, tuning out everything else.
He reached out with his senses, trying to pinpoint Aaron's position.
In fact, this kind of training might be harder for him than for others.
Because of the Sharingan, his eyesight had always been exceptional.
He was used to relying on what he could see.
Now, forced to abandon that advantage, he had to relearn how to perceive the world.
Then
He felt it.
A shift in the air.
---
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