Sora sat in the crook of a tree branch, well above where her student’s would inevitably arrive, eyes closed but not sleeping. It was barely after dawn and, though she was long since used to waking before the sun rose, that didn’t mean she had to
enjoy the prospect, not when it meant finally integrating the two halves of her (currently incomplete) Genin Team into something resembling its name. A third member might have made things easier, balancing out Enyo’s snobbish attitude and Ikana’s self-deprecating savagery, but unfortunately none of the current Teams had an extra member to spare, and the current class at the Academy… Well. They weren’t ready. Not by a long shot.
That left her in a bit of a pickle, one she’d avoided dealing with for a good week now, but that would end today. She couldn’t train two Genin separately and expect to keep up with her other duties, not when she had a trip to Takigakure planned and a vague offer of a mission from the Suiryu Butai somewhere down the road. So she had gone ahead and bit the bullet, scheduled her preferred training ground for the whole day, and informed her student (Ikana in person, Enyo through his parents) of when they were supposed to meet. And then, she’d set up camp.
Not in the literal sense of the word, of course; the training grounds were next to the Academy and, while she absolutely had the authority to reserve one for several days to perform survival training, that wasn’t what Sora wanted to do. Not yet. No, her purpose for this session would be something far more fundamental, something both her Genin, unfortunately, needed to work on, though for wildly different reasons.
Teamwork.The fundamental reason for even having a Genin team was that, technically speaking, three Genin working in concert should be able to tackle a Chunin without fear, and at least moderately trouble a Jounin (depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the three Genin, of course). Numbers, when used in the right way, had a way of making even the worst odds better, though not every problem could be fixed by throwing more people at it. Her Genin had learned this lesson in the Academy, every Genin did, but knowing you ought to work together to fight a superior opponent and
actually doing it were two very different things. Which was why she was here, hidden in the crook of a tree well above what either Enyo or Ikana would be willing to climb just to relax, waiting. Because when they arrived, she wanted to be ready.
As it turned out, she didn’t have to wait very long.
About twenty minutes past sunrise, a shape appeared through the early morning light- Enyo Kuronmeru, for once where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there. It was surprising to see him before Ikana but… Well. The girl couldn’t exactly account for miracles, after all.
I wonder if he’ll actually keep his mouth in check today. Wishful thinking, probably, but still. If he arrived on time, perhaps things might actually work out well. Or at least better than last time. Ikana arrived not long after, her outfit practical if garish (as usual), and Sora smiled, knowing this next bit would be key.
Because now, it was time to make her students wait.
Kuronmeru Enyo Miyamoto Ikana