I apologize for this EXTREMELY long chapter! But I hope you enjoy it!

It was week three of Nue's training and so far, Han has been teaching her a lot in taijutsu. Nue's offense was great, but her defense needed some work. "Stop." Han instrtucted as they stopped their taijutsu lesson. 

"What's the matter? Why'd we stop, Han-sensei?" Nue asked. "I've noticed your knuckles look a little bruised." He mentioned. "Yeah, so?" Nue asked with a raised brow.

"Back home, how often did you train?"

"All the time."

"Did you ever stop to take breaks?"

"No. If I'm gonna become strong, I had to learn to endure with pain."

"Even so, you should be more careful. You're still a child."

"You sound like my dad." Nue mumbled.

Han chuckled and gently petted the young girl's head. "Why don't we take a little break?" Han suggested. "Why? I can keep going." Nue said, but Han could see the dark bags forming under her eyes.

"I understand you wish to become strong, Nue. But you also have to rest so you'll be able to have the energy to train properly." Han explained. "But-"

"Nue," Tatsuo interrupted her. "You should do as your sensei says and not ask any questions." He said. Nue sighed. "Fine." Nue muttered.

While Nue took a nap, Han and Tatsuo talked amongst themselves. "I've never seen a child so determined to become strong." Han commented.

"Yeah, Nue's persistent that way. But the reason she's like that is because she blames herself for what happened to her mother. After she was attacked, Nue vowed that she'd get strong to protect the ones she loves. But I don't want her to go to such extremes." Tatsuo explained.

"Do you want me to stop training her?" Han asked as Tatsuo drank from his bottle of sake. "No, I don't want you to do that. Continue training her. I just hope all of it's worth it," Tatsuo looked back at Nue as she rolled on her left side.

"What am I saying? Of course it's going to be worth it, and I have you to thank for that." He said, smiling at Han, in which Han smiled back. But it was hard tell since the lower half of his face was covered.

After Nue's nap, she and Han got back to training, focusing on her taijutsu and speed. Both of them were giving it their all and neither of them were holding back. Han slammed his hand into Nue's chest, making her skid back on her feet as her hand clawed at the ground.

She dashed forward and went to punch him in the face, but he moved his head to the side so she missed. Nue quickly twisted her body, swinging her leg down on Han's shoulder. He grunted slightly, but Nue wasn't done yet.

She used her other leg to kick off Han's chest and did a backflip, her foot hitting him in the chin. She did a double backflip and landed on her hands and feet. "That was a good kick, Nue. Keep it up." Han encouraged her as he rubbed his chin.

"Han-sensei, exactly what is your armor made out of?" Nue asked. "Steel? Why do you ask? Are you hurt?" Han asked. "No, I was just wondering. Ne, can I have that kind of armor, too?" She said. "Slow your roll there, Nue. I don't think your little body can handle heavy armor." Tatsuo said, chuckling.

Nue frowned at him and stuck his tongue out.

(Time skip)

It was month two of Nue's training. She and Han were racing around the village, testing to see if Nue's speed had gotten any better, and it has. "I'm impressed. You're even faster than me." Han commented. "I couldn't have done it without you." Nue said.

She ran faster and reached the finish line, which was where Tatsuo was. "Not bad, Nue." Her father praised. "She's certainly come a long way." Han said as he walked over to them. "Yeah, thanks to you." Nue smiled at him.

Han smiled back, even though his mouth was covered. "This concludes the end of our training. Well done, pupil." Han said. Nue smiled again and bowed her head. "Arigato... Han-sensei."

Once they said their goodbyes, Nue and Tatsuo headed to their next destination. "Good luck to you, Nue!" Roshi called while Han waved at them. "Thanks for everything!" Nue called back as she waved to them.

While Nue and Tatsuo flew to the Hidden Mist Village, Nue looked down at the lake. "Ne, Dad. I thought you said, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki was missing?" Nue asked. "He is." Tatsuo confirmed. "Oh, yeah? Then, why do I see him down there?" Nue asked, flying down towards the lake.

Tatsuo glanced down and spotted Yagura as well. "Nue, wait!" He called after her daughter. "Nue!"

Nue ignored him and stood beside Yagura as he played from a flute. "Oi." Nue said, grabbing the Fourth Mizukage. "Hmm? Hello, little girl. Are you lost?" Yagura asked, standing to his feet. "Eh? No, I'm not lost. I'm here to see you." Nue confirmed.

"Me? Why?" Yagura asked. "Aren't you the Fourth Mizukage?" Nue asked. "Yeah." He nodded. "Why aren't you in your village?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm just taking a walk." He explained with a smile.

"A walk? Wait, so you're not missing?" I asked. Yagura's eyebrows raised in surprise before laughing. "Is that what the elders have been saying? No, I'm not missing. I just needed some fresh air." He explained.

"Are you the Three-Tails Jinchuriki?" Nue asked. "I am. Judging by those things on your back, I'm guessing you must be Nue Houjuu. The girl who I'm supposed to train. I apologize for my absence in the Hidden Mist Village." Yagura said, bowing his head in a sign of apology.

"Nue, I told you to wait up." Tatsuo said as he walked over to her. "Sorry. This is my father, Tatsuo Houjuu." Nue introduced. "Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Houjuu." Yagura greeted. "Yagura, right? The Fourth Mizukage, also the host of the Three-Tails?" Tatsuo assumed.

"That's me." Yagura grinned while pointing to himself. "Yeah, but..." Tatsuo looked at him from head to toe.

"You're a bit young, don't you think? I mean, it's heard to believe a kid can be the protector of the Mist Village." Tatsuo said as Yagura was nearly the same height at Nue, but only a few inches taller than her. "Hey, I'm not a child! I'm an adult!" Yagura defended.

"Oh! My apologies, Mizukage-sama!" Tatsuo apologized, quickly. "Oh, Dad." Nue sweat dropped and Yagura sighed. "Anyway, since you two are here, how about we do some training here?" Yagura suggested. "Yes! Thank you so much!" Nue said, bowing her head respectfully.

"Perfect! How about we get started then, shall we?" 

"Hai!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"The first technique I'm going to show you is the Aqua Mirror Jutsu." Yagura explained. "Sounds like fun." Nue smiled. "Demo..." Yagura scratched the back of his head. "What's wrong?" Nue asked. "It's gonna be a little difficult to perform this jutsu without a staff." He mentioned.

"Oh..." Nue said, sounding disappointed. Suddenly, a small black fog appeared near Nue's hand and created a black staff. "Huh? Well, that's a handy trick." Yagura said, impressed. "Huh?" Nue looked down at her and gasped slightly as she noticed the black staff.

"You should've told me you were able to do that." He said. "Uh..." Nue didn't know what to say because she knew she didn't try to make a staff. She didn't even know she could do something like that. "Anyway, let's get started." Yagura said. "Hai!" Nue agreed.

Yagura did a demonstration of the Aqua Mirror Jutsu, ordering Nue to attack him while Tatsuo sat on tree branch, watching them. She gave a nod and dashed forward, aiming to punch him as he performed the Aqua Mirror Jutsu, creating a mirror image of Nue.

When they clashed, the mirror image of Nue dispersed into water on impact while Nue flew backwards and slid on her side. "Ow... Damn, that hurt." Nue groaned while rubbing her head. "That's the Aqua Mirror Jutsu for you," Yagura walked over to her and helped her up.

"Now, it's your turn. Don't get too down on yourself if you can't get it your first time." He advised. "Right." Nue replied, and picked up her black staff she had set on the ground.

Nue got frustrated the first twelve times and threw a fireball at tree out of anger. "Calm down, Nue. You'll get it." Yagura assured while petting her head. "Every time I do the jutsu incorrectly, I feel like I'm failing you, Yagura-sensei." Nue said, disappointedly.

"You're not failing, Nue. It just means you're trying your hardest. Just keep practicing and you'll get it eventually." He encouraged her. Nue gazed at the ground until she thought of her mother, how she told her she'd get strong for her.

"I refuse to give up! I won't let you down, Yagura-sensei!" Nue said, persistently. "That's the spirit!" Yagura grinned.

Nue did the jutsu continuously, practicing it on her father, until she finally got it right. "It's about time." Tatsuo joked while ruffling his daughter's head. "Looks like you've got a handle on that. Now, it's time to for the next technique. But let's do that tomorrow. It's late." He said.

He, Tatsuo, and Nue walked back to the Mist Village, which was very far away. Tatsuo and Nue rented a room for them to stay the night and went to sleep for they were exhausted. After two hours of sleep, Nue woke up, feeling a bit stressed and got out of bed.

She went to the roof of the room she and her father was staying in and mediated. While she meditated, she kept recalling the day her mother came home, bruised and near the brink of death. "It all their fault. It's all their fault." Nue frowned as she felt her anger boiling.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, Yagura woke up and heard something on the roof. He climbed to the roof and found Nue practicing her techniques. "Lava Style: Scorching Rocks Jutsu!"

She breathed multiple balls of lava out of her mouth, then threw fireballs at the lava rocks so they'd disperse. "Is something wrong, Nue?" Yagura asked. She turned around so she was facing him. "Yagura-sensei. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She asked, in which he shook his head.

"You should be resting. Why are you up so late?" Yagura asked. "Because I have to get strong. For my mother." Nue answered. "I see..."

Yagura has heard about the incident with Nue's mother from Tatsuo when they were walking back to the Mist Village. Tatsuo told him how Nue was so scared that she'd might lose her mother. No child should have to see their mother in pain.

He understand Nue's pain and determination for getting strong. Nue, exhausted from her late night training, collapsed and fell to her knees. "Nue!" Yagura rushed to her side and noticed her whole body was shaking from her training.

'She's pushing herself to her limit. That's not healthy for her, even at her age' He thought. "I'm sorry... for making you worry about me, Yagura-sensei. I promise to work harder..." Nue panted. "No, Nue. I don't want you to work harder." Yagura said.

"But... I can't fail you... or I'll never be able to protect Mom." Nue said, looking at him. Feeling horrible for the young girl, he hugged her to his chest. "Yagura-sensei?" Nue blushed slightly as her eyes widened a bit. She wasn't expecting to be embraced by her sensei.

"The last thing I want to see is my student pushing themselves to the point where they can't even stand. I understand you want to do this for your mother, but you shouldn't push yourself too hard. I don't want that for you... and I'm sure your mother wouldn't want that either." Yagura said, softly.

"Mom..." Nue whispered as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She apologized as she hugged her sensei back. "Please forgive me, Yagura-sensei. I didn't realize I was worrying the people I love most." Nue said, looking at him with tears streaming down her face.

"It's all right, Nue," He gently wiped her tears away and she sniffled. "I also don't like to see my students cry." He said, smiling gently at her. Nue gave a small smile and hugged Yagura, in which he hugged her back.

"You're going to be a successful kunoichi, Nue. I know because I believe in you." Yagura said. Nue's eyes softened before she closed them, feeling the stress melt away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

"Now this next technique is pretty easy, but with your small body, I'm not sure how much chakra it would take." Yagura explained. It was month two of Nue's training as their session was coming to an end.

Nue managed to bond with Yagura, thanks to the talk they had. "Let's see... Now that I think about, I think this is the last technique I'll be teaching you." Yagura said, thinking to himself. 

To be honest, Yagura had much more to train her, but Tatsuo didn't want her daughter having too much power. He feared it would be dangerous for Nue, seeing how there as only so much Nue could handle.

Because Nue didn't know her own limit, that worried Tatsuo, so Yagura agreed to only teach Nue the techniques that she might need in the future. Nue frowned as she hated how her sensei was underestimating her.

"I can handle it." She said. "I know. I'm not saying you can't handle it. I'm just warning you." Yagura explained. "Water Style: Supreme Typhoon."

Nue looked around her as the area around them started becoming covered by mist. "With this technique, you'll be able to blow away all weather conditions. This will also help you dispel a Hidden Mist Jutsu." Yagura explained.

"Right." Nue gave a nod and tried it out herself. Yagura was expecting her to tail the first time, but she surprisingly did it perfectly. "Wow, looks like I was wrong. You didn't need much effort than I thought. Nice job. I knew you could do it." Yagura praised with a smile.

Nue unexpectedly hugged Yagura, making me look down at her with a bit of shock. "Thank you for believing in me, Yagura-sensei." Nue thanked him. "No problem." Yagura grinned.

Tatsuo was hiding behind a tree with his arms crossed over his chest. He closed his eyes with a smirk as he knew their training session was over. "She's warming up to them faster than I thought." He mumbled to himself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tatsuo and Nue thanked Yagura for the training. "Good luck to you, Nue, and remember what I said." He said, petting her head. "I'll never forget. I promise." Nue vowed, bowing her head to him.

She and her father took off while Yagura waved goodbye to them as they were certain that they would meet again. 

"Where are we going next, Dad?" Nue asked as they flew. "To the Hidden Mist Village. That's where we'll find Utakata, the Six-Tails." Tatsuo explained. "Got it." Nue replied. When they got to the Hidden Mist Village, they walked through the village to visit the Hokage. As they walked, Nue gasped in excitement. "This is where Uncle Zabuza lives! Do you think we can go visit him?" She asked.

"Sure, we can visit him, if we can find him that it. But I doubt-"

"Uncle Moo Moo!"

Nue quickly flew forward in attempt to find her uncle. "Oi, Nue! Wait!" Tatsuo ran after her. "This isn't the Houjuu Clan! You can't just go flying around like that!" He called after her. Nue flew faster, heading into the woods.

Tatsuo stopped chasing her and sighed. "I'll look for her later. I've gotta go find Utakata."

He asked a nearby jonin if he could give him directions to where Utakata might be, but he was told Utakata left the village a long time ago. "I see. Thank you for your time." Tatsuo said walking away. "This is bad. Nue's not gonna be happy about this." He said to himself.

He walked into the direction he last left his daughter while Nue was searching for Zabuza. But little did they know that her uncle was back at the Houjuu Clan, taking care of Hotaru and Karin.

"Uncle Moo Moo! Are you here?" Nue called. She floated around, trying to find her uncle, until she accidentally wandered out of the village.

"Nue? Nue, where are you?" Tatsuo called. "She went this way, didn't she? I'm sure of it," He sighed. "I shouldn't have let her run off like that. Searching for her in these woods could take forever." He said to himself. Tatsuo held out his hand and created a crystal ball.

"Find Nue." He instructed the ball. It glowed a bright blue until it revealed Nue. "She left the village?!" He yelled. "Crap! Not good!" He took off into the air and quickly flew out of the village "Nue!" He called out for his daughter.

He flew faster as he looked around. "OI!!!" Tatsuo looked down towards the woods, hearing his daughter's angry voice.

"You jerk! Get me out of this thing right now!"

"Nue!"

Tatsuo flew down to a wooded area and landed on his feet. "Nue! Where are you?" He called. "Dad!" Nue called. Tatsuo quickly followed the sound of her voice until he found her with none other than the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata.

"Let me outta here, jerk face!" Nue yelled at him. She was trapped inside one of Utaka's bubbles as she tried punching her way out, but failed. "Shut up. You're hurting my ears, kid." Utakata said. 'This is the Six-Tails Jinchuriki?' Tatsuo thought.

"Does this child belong to you?" Utakata asked. "Yes, she's my daughter." Tatsuo nodded. "Kick his ass, Dad!" Nue  called, in which Utakata rolled his eyes. "May I ask what happened here?" Tatsuo asked. "Why don't you ask your daughter?" Utakata said.

Tatsuo raised a brow and looked at Nue. "All right, Nue. What did you do?" He asked. "Nothing." Nue answered. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head to the side with frown as her eyes were closed. "Nue..." Tatsuo frowned.

"Hmm..." Nue sighed in defeat, deciding to come clean. "Okay, okay. I may or may not have attacked him." Nue confessed. "Why would you do that?" Tatsuo asked. "I thought he was an enemy! Come on, look at the way he's dressed!" Nue defended.

"What does his clothing have to do with anything?"

"It's suspicious!"

Tatsuo sighed with one hand on his head. "Is she always like this?" Utakata asked. "Meh." Tatsuo shrugged his shoulders. "Let me out of this bubble so I can kick your ass! I'll punch your fucking teeth down your throat, pretty boy!" Nue shouted.

"Pretty boy, huh? Sounds to me you have a crush on me." Utakata smirked. Nue frowned. "Asshole! Let me out of here so I can kick your ass!" She snapped. "Cut it out, Nue. Apologize now." Tatsuo instructed. "What?! No way! Forget it! Never!" Nue refused.

"If you apologize, I'll let you go." Utakata offered. Nue glanced at him before sighing in irritation. "I'm... sorry..." Nue mumbled. "I can't hear you." Utakata said. "Why I outta-!"

"Nue, just do it. I don't see why you have to be so stubborn about it." Tatsuo said. "Grr...! All right, fine! I'm sorry, okay! There! You happy?!" Nue yelled. "See? Wasn't that hard, was it?" Utakata said before making the bubble pop. Nue landed on her bottom and glared at Utakata.

"Dirty human. I'm gonna-"

"Nue," Tatsuo interrupted her. "Come over, here." He instructed her. "But-!"

"Now."

Nue sighed and walked over to her father. "You're Utaka, right? The Six-Tails Jinchuriki?" Tatsuo asked. "Yeah. What of it? Who are you?" Utakata asked. "My name is Tatsuo Houjuu, and this is my daughter, Nue Houjuu." He introduced.

"What?! This is the Six-Tails?! No way!" Nue said, dumbfounded. "What do you want? Are you ninjas of the Hidden Mist?" Utakata asked. "If we were, don't you think we would be wearing their headbands?" Tatsuo asked, bluntly.

"You make a good point. So, what do you want?"

"I'd like you to train my daughter."

"I'll pass. I have no interest in training your daughter."

Utakata turned and began walking away until Nue flew over to him and stood in his path. "Move." Utakata ordered. "No. You have to train me." Nue said in a serious tone. "And why would I wanna do that? You're just a kid. What could I possibly teach you?" He asked.

"Everything you've ever learned. I need to become strong." She answered. "Why? What's your purpose?" Utakata asked her. "Because..." Nue trailed off before looking at the ground. "Because of her... For my mother. I have to become strong so I can protect her and my people." Nue said.

Utakata stared down at the little girl and glanced back at her father as he stared at them. "What did you say your name was again?" Utakata asked, turning his attention back towards Nue. "It's Nue Houjuu." She answered.

"Houjuu, huh? Sounds familiar. I think I've heard that name somewhere before." Utakata said. "You've heard of the Houjuu Clan?" Nue asked him. "Not really. But I've heard rumors about it not existing. Some say it never existed in the first place, that it was just a myth. Hmm..."

Utakata closed his eyes with a hand resting on his chin as he thought to himself while Tatsuo continued to stare at him. "Tell you what. How about we strike a deal?" Utakata proposed. "A deal?" Tatsuo repeated, in which Utakata nodded. "What sort of deal?" He asked.

"Prove to me that you're members of the Houjuu Clan. Do that, and I'll agree to train your daughter." Utakata said. "Eh? How am we supposed to prove to you that I'm a Houjuu?" She asked. She looked at her father as he pointed to the cloak she wore on her back.

Nue sighed and removed her cloak, revealing her red wings and blue tails. Utakata's eyes widened with amazement as he saw Nue's features.

"Every member of the Houjuu Clan have these on her back. Whenever we step outside the clan, we must wear cloaks to keep our identity a secret and blend in with the humans." Tatsuo explained, revealing his own wings and tails. 

"I see... All right, you win. I'll agree to train you." Utakata said. "Yes!" Nue cheered while pumping her fist in triumph. "Demo..."

"Hmm?"

"I don't see how I'm going to train you if you don't have the right tool."

"What do you mean?"

"The techniques I'm going to teach you require a Bubble-Utilising Bubble Pipe, and you don't seem have one."

"Uh..."

Nue gave a nervous smile while shrugging her shoulders, her hands by her shoulders. A small puff of black smoke surrounded Nue's hand before the pipe Utakata had mentioned appeared in the palm of her hand.

But instead of the pipe having a golden color, it was black. Nue looked at the pipe, wondering how she was able to summon it, then looked at Utakata. He blinked his eyes, surprised that she was able to summon a pipe of her own, then shrugged.

Tatsuo narrowed his eyes at the pipe in Nue's hand. "It's just like when she summoned that staff when she was training with Yagura-san." He mumbled.

How was Nue able to create these things? 'But it doesn't look like Nue knows how she's able to create them either. Surely, there has to be an explanation' Tatsuo thought.

"That could work, I guess. Now, let's get started." He said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Utakata trained Nue in Water Style while teaching her the Blinding Bubbles Technique, the Bubble Clone Technique, and the Drowning Bubble Technique. Nue performed the techniques without any problem and she was then taught in Water Style.

"You're pretty good at this." Utakata mentioned. "I know. I've been training my hardest ever since..." Nue trailed off and went back to training. "Ever since what?" Utakata asked. "I don't wanna talk about it right now." She said, quickly.

Utakata dropped the topic and continued to train her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next two weeks, Nue's skills have improved faster than Utakata had anticipated. 'It was like she was naturally gifted or something' Utakata thought.

"Ninja Art: Bubble Bomb!"

Nue blew from her pipe and bubbles floated towards Utakata. One of the bubbles exploded, causing him to leap back. "Careful. Are you trying to kill me?" Utakata said. "If I was, don't you think I would've done that sooner?" Nue replied, sarcastically.

"As I recall last time, you got caught in one of my bubbles." He stated. "I thought you were an enemy, all right?! Let it go!" Nue said. "Pipe down, loudmouth." Utakata said, calmly.

"What did you just say?! That's it! You asked for it, Utakata! Let's go! You and me! Right here and now!" She said, holding her fists up like she was ready to fight.

"Are you always this easily angered?" Utakata asked, bluntly. "Pretty much." Tatsuo answered as he sat on a boulder, drinking from a bottle of sake. "Dad! You're supposed to have my back!" Nue said, somewhat whining.

"I do have your back. I'm your father, aren't I?" Tatsuo joked. "You're unbelievable, Dad." Nue deadpanned.

Next, Utakata had Nue work on her chakra so she would walk on water. "Goddammit!" Nue yelled, angrily. She tried walking on the water, but she ended up falling into the lake instead. "Shit! Mother! Fucking! Dammit!" 

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Utakata asked as he lied against a tree trunk, his hands behind his head. "Hey! Instead of sitting over there, criticizing me, how about you tell me what I'm doing wrong!" Nue said, angrily.

"You're a ninja. Figure it out yourself." Utakata said. "Tch. Lazy ass." Nue mumbled and went back to work.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"You're supposed to be training, Nue. Not floating in the water." Utakata said. Nue floated on her back as she gazed up at the sky. "I can't do it. No matter how many times I try, I can't walk on this damn water." Nue explained as she

"I see. So, you you're giving up." Utakata said. "Yep." Nue replied. "Then, I guess our training is over." He said, standing to his feet. "Say what?!" Nue quickly sat up and swam towards the shore. "What do you mean our training is over?" She asked.

"If you're willing to give up on something as simple as this, then there's no point in training you any further." Utakata explained. "No, don't end the training here! Look, I'll try again! Just give me another chance!" Nue begged.

"Don't say it. Do it." He said, sitting back down. Nue gave a nod of determination, then got out of the water. "All right. Here I go." Nue said before focusing her chakra to her feet. She walked towards the water and expected to fall into the late, but she found herself in walking on the water.

"Yes! Fucking finally! All right!" Nue cheered. "I can't believe you swear for a child your age." Utakata said.

He and Nue went back to basics as they reviewed the previous techniques he taught her.

After another few hours of training, Nue and Utakata took a break as they leaned against a tree, the two of them on opposite sides. The long leafed branches gave them shade as they covered them from the sun that beamed down on them.

"Your father told me you've trained with half of the Jinchuriki that's out there. So, why don't you tell me? Are you fascinated with Tailed Beasts?" Utakata asked. "Of course I am. I think all of them are pretty cool. But Matatabi's my favorite though." Nue mentioned.

"Matatabi? The Two-Tails?" Utakata asked. "Yeah." She nodded.

"How do you know its name?"

"I know all of their names. Shukakau, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Gokū, Kokuõ, Saiken, Chõmei, Gyūki, and Kurama."

"Did someone tell you about them?"

"The elder did. He showed me a scroll of all the Tailed Beasts. I thought their pictures were pretty cool,"

Nue looked up towards the sky as the clouds slowly passed. "I think I can relate to you guys though." She mumbled. "How so?" Utakata asked.

"It must be hard for all of you. Having to be despised and rejected by the villagers. It's kind of the same thing for the members of the Houjuu Clan. We can't go outside the clan without having to hide our wings and tails. We were so afraid to leave clan during the day, we decided to do our chores at night. Because when it's nightfall, the humans are sleeping and they don't know we're out and about. We don't sleep during the night. Only during the day. I guess you could call us vampires or something like that. But hey, it's just how we are." Nue explained.

"Hmm..." Utakata glanced at Nue before looking towards the branches that covered them. "Nue." He said. "Hai?" She turned her head slightly so she was looking at him. "What do you see when you look at me?" Utakata asked. "What do you mean?" Nue asked.

"Do you see a monster when you look at me?"

Nue looked in front of her and gazed at the grass with a slight frown. "When I look at you, I see... a shinobi."

"A shinobi?"

"A shinobi who doesn't know how to get off their ass and stop being lazy."

"Heh... Well, that's pretty obvious."

Nue giggled for a while until she held her stomach and fell over on her side, still laughing. Utakata closed his eyes with a smile. 'You're a weird kid, Nue Houjuu. A very weird kid' He thought to himself.

"Even though you're lazy, you're a pretty cool teacher." Nue said. "I know that." Utakata boasted, making Nue giggle again. Tatsuo smiled as he watched them.

"She sure does like Jinchurikis. Probably because they have human faces. Nue... I wonder if you'll learn to like all humans. Heh... Maybe someday, you will." He said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Ninja Art: Bubble Bomb!"

Utakata's bubbles collided with Nue's waves, making an explosion occur between them. "You're getting pretty good at this." Utakata said. "I know that." Nue bragged with a smirk. "Don't get cocky just yet. This battle isn't over yet." Utakata said.

He used his pipe again, blowing explosive bubbles towards Nue. She quickly used her pipe and created a Bubble Dome around herself. "Now you're just cheating." Utakata said. "It's a battle. I didn't think there were any rules." Nue objected, making the Bubble Dome disperse.

Utakata smirked again and blew more bubbles towards Nue. They swirled around her, impairing her vision. "Damn it... I can't see anything." Nue muttered. "Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Argh!" Nue got splashed with water as she slid on her back until she came to a stop. "Bet you didn't see that one coming." Utakata said. Nue growled in irritation before going a Chinese get-up. "Not done yet!" Nue said.

Nue went straight into taijutsu as she attacked Utakata with her wings and tails. Utakata began leaping backwards while Nue kept at it. "Going straight into taijutsu, huh? You're really determined to win this battle, aren't you?" Utakata said. "Maybe." Nue answered.

An hour and a half later, the two of them were panting while they stood across from each other. Both of them looked pretty beat up and it looked like they could barely stand. "Ready to give up... Utakata?" Nue asked, panting.

"Are you kidding? I'm just getting started." Utakata replied. Two seconds later, both of them collapsed to the ground as they had exhausted all of their energy. Tatsuo sighed. "Somehow, I saw this coming." He mumbled before walking over to them. 

"Good grief, you two. Don't you think you might've overdone it? I knew you would, Nue. But you, Utakata-san?" He said. "She's the one who got all hostile." Utakata defended. "I only did that because you were getting serious with this battle." Nue said, panting.

"I was getting serious? You were the one who attacked me with taijutsu." He objected. "It's called payback for getting with me that Bubble technique and Raging Waves combination." She said. "Now, you're just being a sore loser, Nue." Tatsuo said.

"I am not." Nue denied. "Don't kid yourself. You just wanted to win." Utakata told her. "Yeah, you're right." Nue admitted. Tatsuo sighed again. "It's just a training session, Nue. Not a competition to beat him." He reminded her daughter. 

"Must be her way of saying she wants to get strong." Utakata said. Nue chuckled and "Ne, Utakata. Is it possible to travel inside a bubble?" She asked. "Yeah." He answered.

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Why? You can fly, can't you?"

"Yeah, but I wanna know to travel inside a bubble. It can't be that hard, can it?"

"Of course not. It's a pretty basic technique."

"Then, teach me."

"Are you gonna keep pestering until I teach you the technique?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Then, keep trying."

Nue glanced at him with a frown and stuck her tongue out at him. In the end, Utakata ended up teaching Nue how to travel inside a bubble.

It's been a month and a half as Nue's training came to an end. Utakata had taught her everything he knew, including his Tailed Beast techniques. Nue was expecting the training to be longer due to Utakata being a Jinchuriki.

"Nice job, Nue. I doubted you from the beginning, but you did alright." Utakata said, ruffling her head. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Nue said. "We need to get going. Thank you for everything, Utakata-san. We're very grateful." Tatsuo said, bowing his head.

"Hai. Arigato." Nue chimed in, bowing her head as well. Utakata smiled again and placed his hand over her head. "I have hope for you, Nue Houjuu. You... will grow up to be a great shinobi." He said. "Utakata, promise me something." She said.

"What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll live long enough for us to see each other again."

Utakata smiled and got down on one knee so he was at Nue's level. "I promise. Just promise me that you'll protect those who are important to you. Your father, your mother... your family." He said. "I will protect them. All of them. I swear." Nue promised.

She quickly hugged Utakata, closing her eyes with a smile. "Thank you... Utakata-sensei." She whispered.

After saying their goodbyes, Nue and Tatsuo flew off to the Hidden Waterfall Village.

"Nue... That was the first time... you called me 'sensei'..." Utakata mumbled. He smiled as he watched them flew off before walking away to do his own thing.