[Hyūga Shigure]

"keep up, kiddo". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." MY FRIENDS It brought him immense joy when people appreciated the food he made. Shigure loved to cook and loved to share his food with others. Miroru was delighted with the vanilla mocchi, and by chance, he had given her a flavour that she loved, as she made sure to explain and he took a mental note of that. The girl joked that she sounded like her fellow Utsuki classmate, only to retract the statement shortly afterwards, explaining how the bunny girl would have two mocchis in her cheeks instead, before talking about her other classmates and friends. That bond, that fellowship, it was incredibly precious, and it was his job to train them to the best of his capability, so that they would thrive in this ninja world. So many people died young, and he couldn't help but to remember his own friends who passed way before their time. But as fate can be mysterious, Miroru asked him about his friends just as he remembered them. Shigure gazed to the horizon and a rather bittersweet smile took over his feature. "I did go to the academy with many of my friends. It was the first time I was allowed outside of my house. We had a beautiful, strong bond. One of them was a relative of yours, Uchiha Natsuki." he said, unsure if she would remember the name of the girl who died seven years ago during the Chuunin Exams. "Most of them are dead. With time I made some new friends too, but some of them are also dead. I lost three friends during the Chuunin Exams." he sighed, lowering his gaze and staring at the ground. "The ninja world is dangerous. But it will be okay. My duty is to make sure the new generation is better than the previous one. And I will do my best to make sure all of you thrive... And survive... Once you have this forehead protector." he touched the Leaf's forehead protection he wore, before looking back at Miroru, trying to give her a somewhat happier smile. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training The feels... [Uchiha Miroru] [345 words]

[Uchiha Miroru]

Uchiha Miroru

Konohagakure No Sato

Academy Student Extraordinaire!

@name | ### | notes

Miroru beamed to hear that he'd been lucky enough to have friends at Academy, too. "Yeah? What were their names? What were they like? Were you always the smart one? How come you weren't allowed out of the house when you were younger? Is it cuz you got the family Doujutsu and they wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt or nothing?" Her expression fell a touch when she heard Natsuki's name, but she smiled a tiny bit after. "Oh. Natsuki-chan was your friend..? Well... I'm glad she had such a good friend, then."

She listened closely, frowning at the mention of the exams. "Three? You lost three different friends in the exams..? That- that's awful. How come it's so dangerous..? Isn't it a waste..? Wouldn't it be better if they at least died fighting for something they believed in, and not just a trumped-up skills test..?" She stared at the ground a little. "I don't want my friends to die."

She scoffed quietly. "Hrmph. You're already making sure we thrive, and we don't have our protectors yet. Don't sell yourself short. You know what you're doing!" Miroru nodded, confident in calling her teacher out for acting like he'd only be doing that after they graduated.

"Just don't give up on me! We can figure this out!"

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"keep up, kiddo". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." COUNT ON ME At times it was challenging to keep up with all her questions, but he tried nonetheless, and it didn't bother him. He liked to talk to people, and he didn't mind sharing things about himself with fellow allies. "There are many names, but Issei-kun was one of them." he said, mentioning her fellow Uchiha clan kinsman, he couldn't help but to chuckle lightly when she asked if he was the smart one. "I did good in the academy. I wasn't allowed out of the house because I'm the heir to my clan, and my father was strict, so in a way, yes. It was more so to protect the clan rather than me, individually." he admitted with a light shrug, not too worried about that sad reality; he was over it by now. Finally, when the subject got down to his deceased friends, Miroru clearly recognized Natsuki's name, as he expected. Her woRds, saying that she was glad she had such a good friend were bittersweet to him, because the Uchiha girl had died because of him, so he didn't see himself as a very good friend then, but he learned to move on and instead try to honour the life they gave to him by saving his life. Still, seemed like she was finally realizing how cruel the shinobi world could be. The Chuunin Exams, the goal of every Genin. But what many people didn't talk about was on how brutal and dangerous they are. Shigure sighed and nodded when she asked if he had lost three friends in the exams. "I did. There are no rules against killing during the exams. Some people will avoid doing that, because of their own moral and principles, while others will actually try to kill their opponents." and he couldn't help but to think of Waruichi Asuna, who killed Nara Yoru, even though she had clearly defeated him. "Personally, I agree with you. Even if we want to be cold and pragmatic, it is a waste of potential resources for the villages. They are essentially losing soldiers." and that was all he was going to share with her for now. Still, he was happy to hear she believed he was doing a good job at preparing them. "You guys are the future of the village. Count on me to help you out as much as I can. Not only while you are my students here, but after that, as a fellow Leaf shinobi." he said, gaining a more cheerful smile and giving Miroru a thumbs-up. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Conversation [Uchiha Miroru] [424 words]

[Uchiha Miroru]

Uchiha Miroru

Konohagakure No Sato

Academy Student Extraordinaire!

Hyūga Shigure | 328 | notes

"Ah! Issei-kun! He's super impressive! Important too, right? He's on the Council, I think!" Miroru chirped proudly! She let her head tilt this way and that as she thought about being kept "safe" in the house. "Okay, so I get that, but at the same time, like. We're in KONOHAGAKURE. What the heck could happen to you here that couldn't ALSO happen on your family estate? Like, accidents happen in the home mostly, don't they? And if someone came all the way here to whack you, then being at your house wouldn't even necessarily be an advantage- when you're out and about, you could be near some even stronger Shinobi- though," she admitted, thinking again, "-in YOUR house, specifically, I guess it'd be hard as nails to sneak around, huh. Okay. I can see that, I guess." She still clearly had doubts if that was the right way to treat a kid, though.

"I- look, I don't need rules to tell me when it's okay to kill another person. Are they trying to kill someone else inappropriately? Okay, good job, they waived their right to not be whacked by taking away someone else's right to not be whacked. Otherwise, like. Unless they're trying to hurt someone in a permanent way and it's just not feasible to disable them... maybe just knock them senseless? That's my take. Plus, if you REALLY need to whack someone... it's easier if they're knocked out, so. It's just sound logic, to me." She nibbled at the latter half of her mochi, grumbling at the needlessness of slaughtering kids for an exam. "I'm gonna learn some really effective zappy go to sleep technique or something so I can win fights without brutalizing anybody. If I'm on a mission and you're in the way? POW LIGHTNING KICK now you're KO'd. Problem solved."

"Just don't give up on me! We can figure this out!"

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"keep up, kiddo". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." SWORD THAT GIVES LIFE Issei was indeed a big shot in the village, and Shigure was proud of his friend and his growth, he knew he would guide the Uchiha to a bright future, and he hoped that Ayukawa would soon make peace with herself so that they could once again be together. When he explained about his family and their concerns, Shigure sighed, but it would be too complicated to explain the whole context of the situation, but then again, she spared him from that for now, when she realized that sneaking into the Hyuuga District was almost impossible. "One day I may explain it to you in more details, for now, yeah, it's a safe place, perhaps one of the safest in the village." he simply added, shrugging lightly. Back at the topic that derived from their talk about the Chuunin Exams, Miroru contemplated the idea of having to kill someone. Ultimately, she decided knocking people out was better and more logical and Shigure smiled to her, gently tapping her head. "You are a good girl, Miroru-chan. The world out there is darker than it seems, but we need to try and preserve our own light, if we hope to one day break out of this cycle of hatred. Still, if you want to choose a more merciful path, maybe I can teach you some Genjutsu. They are great for your goals. Defeat an opponent completely without the need of taking their life or permanently disabling them." he said, as the idea crossed his mind. "I'm by no means significantly skilled in Genjutsu, but I can guide you through the basics, and with your Uchiha blood, you will be able to develop it to a far greater height than I could ever dream of myself. And it would be a perfect weapon, a sword that gives life rather than take it." he added, chuckling lightly at his somewhat silly analogy. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Conversation [Uchiha Miroru] [320 words]

[Uchiha Miroru]

Uchiha Miroru

Konohagakure No Sato

Academy Student Extraordinaire!

Hyūga Shigure | 263 | notes

"Okay! That's all you gotta say, Sensei. I don't needa know clan secrets, or like. Dirty laundry. I was just thinkin' about it is all." Miroru falls quiet for a moment. "You know... if I have kids someday, I might have a kid with the Sharingan proper. Do you think I should try to do the whole super-protective parent thing, too? Is there a point where someone is important enough to like. Squash their experiences some to ensure that they... I dunno. Fulfill their destiny or whatever?" She wondered quietly.

"... there's a lot of hard decisions out there, huh."

The redhead's cheeks lit up at the headpat and compliment. "Aw. I try to be. And- aw man! I'd love to learn some Genjutsu! That'd be super clutch. I love the idea of being super tricky and sneaky like "aw man oh no you got me KIDDING ACTUALLY YOU WALKED INTO A CAGE, SUCKER!" She threw her hands up. "BOOM. Tricky Miki for the win!" She glanced over and admitted, "Nobody calls me Miki. It just rhymed."

Her nose crunched up at the mention of her clan. "I dunno that it's gonna be much help. It hasn't been yet. I think all my cousins that have the Sharingan already were showing promise by my age. I think I'm gonna have to be one'a those "find my own way" types that like. Innovates so hard the ninja world is never the same!"

"Just don't give up on me! We can figure this out!"

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"keep up, kiddo". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." TO THRIVE "Absolutely not!" Shigure's tone was a bit harsher than usual, but not entirely deprived of his natural kindness; the topic was just a bit of a sore spot to him. "That is not protecting, that will only hurt your child. Alienating them from the real world, and they will likely resent you for that. The price of freedom is steep, they may be more vulnerable in the outside world, but it's a price worth paying in the end." he added, as his tone progressively calmed down. Indeed, life was a amalgamation of hard decisions, but there was nothing they could do about it, other than try their very best. In any case, the subject lighten up when they talked about Genjutsu, and Miroru seemed more than eager to train that, and he did believe it would fit the girl rather well. "Miki is a good nickname. But yes, I think it would be a great weapon for you. You are a bit of tricksters already, and that would be your best bet at beating me one day." he winked at the girl. Shigure did notice that she seemed to feel a bit blue when he mentioned her clan, and he shook his head at what she said. "It's still too early to tell. The Uchiha clan's doujutsu is different than ours, maybe because the bloodline is more diluted. But Natsuki only awakened her Sharingan by the time she was fourteen, so maybe you are a late bloomer. But even if you don't get the Sharingan, your clan is known to have produced incredible shinobi regardless. And you have plenty of potential." his smile widened, showing plenty of kindness and empathy towards the young academy student. He hoped she would one day grow beyond that sort of inferiority complex she had. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Conversation [Uchiha Miroru] [300 words]

[Uchiha Miroru]

Uchiha Miroru

Konohagakure No Sato

Academy Student Extraordinaire!

Hyūga Shigure | 229 | notes

"Aaah! O-okay, okay! I won't, I promise!" Miroru was legit taken aback a little by the usually kind teacher's sharp response. "That's- kinda what I thought anyhow. Being cooped up for years just sounds... awful. I don't wish that on anyone. Maybe it's good I didn't develop the Sharingan, now that I think about it. I woulda been miserable like that."

"Yeah? You like that? Tricky Miki!" Miroru tried it out again, grinning. "It does have a ring! Yeah... I think I'd like to learn from you. Tricks are just fun, so the more I have, the better! What more total victory than one where even the conquered had a fun time?"

Miroru made a noncommittal grunt when he mentioned it being different. "Yeah, but. There should be signs, shouldn't there? I don't really know the details, but I feel like folx should be able to -tell.-" She only really lightened up a bit after he reassured her that she, specifically had potential. "Really? You sure you're not just being nice..? I don't feel like I have that much potential. I'm not the best at anything, you know? I try hard, but it's a whole lotta effort to come up short a lot of the time."

"Just don't give up on me! We can figure this out!"

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"keep up, kiddo". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." ADAPTABILITY Tricky Miki was definitely a fitting alias for the girl, and she seemed to have embraced it already. When they went back to the Sharingan, Miroru wondered if there shouldn't be signs, and to be completely honest, he didn't know. Even though the Hyuuga and Uchiha clan were from the same village, it was not like they shared intel on their kekkei genkai more than what was necessary for their cooperation. As shinobi clans, they still kept their secrets. And the two doujutsu being so different didn't help on his understanding of it. "That I don't know. In our clan, if someone is born with different eyes, then it means they will likely not be able to activate the Byakugan, but some could... Ultimately, the one thing we know is that if you do have the dormant Byakugan as your natural eyes, you will be able to activate it eventually. For the others, it's just a chance, so maybe that's the case with the Uchiha." he wondered, rubbing his chin with the index and thumb. "But that's just a guess..." he shrugged, hoping to let go of this subject. Miroru doubted herself, and Shigure could definitely relate to that, but when he said she had potential, he meant it. "You don't have to be the best to be strong. And who knows, maybe your strength will be a more vast knowledge. Most shinobi specialize in one thing or two, if you can instead have a good level of skill in more areas, you won't ever be in a real pinch. Adaptability, I think it's something that fits you." he commented, and he meant it. Miroru had an active and flexible mind, she had the potential to learn things quickly, but with such a hyper mind, she lacked the focus people like Shigure had. On the other hand, he was good with Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, somewhat decent with Fuin, and quite lacking in everything else. Pros and cons. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Conversation [Uchiha Miroru] [325 words]

[Uchiha Miroru]

Uchiha Miroru

Konohagakure No Sato

Academy Student Extraordinaire!

Hyūga Shigure | 291 | notes

"Hrm. Well. In any case. I don't wanna build my life around assuming I'm gonna get it later. That feels like volunteering to get really disappointed, and-" Miroru cut herself off and giggled, though this time it sounded a bit forced. "-and there's no reason to be disappointed! Tons of awesome shinobi didn't have stupid spinny eyeballs anyway!"

Miroru frowned up at her teacher at his response about not having to be the best. "Okay, sure, but the thing is, if you look at the class as like. A sample size of the ninjas we'll encounter in the field, it's really not a great sign if you're never beating anybody at anything. That's implissitive-" She meant indicative, clearly, but she didn't notice the mistake. "-of losing to ninjas in the field."

She listened quietly while he suggested she might be able to be pretty good at everything instead of really good at a few things. "... that sounds like an awful lot of work to try to be good at -everything.-" She protested quietly. "That doesn't sound very fair. Don't lots of shinobi win all the time by just being super good at one thing?"

To her credit, she didn't discount the idea, and clearly thought it through a while longer, brows drawing together- then rising. "Nonowaitwaitwait I think I get it! YOU'RE saying that being second at everything is its OWN superpower. If I'm second at everything, that means I'm beating everyone at every single thing they're not BEST at. So all I have to do is-"

Her eyes shot wide. "TRICK THEM INTO PLAYING A DIFFERENT GAME."

"Just don't give up on me! We can figure this out!"

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"keep up, kiddo". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." NEXT SHIFT He shrugged and leaned his head. "It is a lot o work, in a way, but not many people manage to pull it off. It's arguably easier to specialize in a couple things, rather than getting a decent level in most things." he admitted, but Miroru eventually understood what he was trying to say and she looked rather excited about the prospect. Shigure smiled and laughed a bit, amused by how excitable and enthusiastic she could be, but that was also the reason why he thought she could pull it off. She had the energy and ambition for it, and if she truly didn't have the Sharingan, it would make her a more balanced shinobi, one that could fit into almost any team, a jack of all trades of sorts. "See? That's exactly what I mean, it's something very few can accomplish, but I believe you are one of those." he admitted, with a firm nod. After that, Shigure got up from his bench. As much as he was enjoying the conversation, it was almost time for his training with the Barrier Corps. He was progressing a lot lately, and he hoped he would be making into the Interception Team sometime soon, so he could start working alongside the person who inspired him to join it in the first place: Yamanaka Tomomi. His past missions were also focused on tracking and interception, so they worked as sort of training for that job in more practical way. "Miroru-chan, I have to get going now. I'm done with my work here at the academy, but I still have to go for my shift at the Barrier Corps." he explained. Maybe she didn't know he had two different positions within the village. "I will see you in class tomorrow." he said, with a subtle bow to the Uchiha girl. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Training Preparing to leave [Uchiha Miroru] [308 words]