"Alright, the Chunin Exams are in six months, so I'm cracking down on training," Ryu-Sensei states ominously. I exchange a glance full of dread with Hana as Itachi looks resolutely ahead.

"Itachi, you're sparring with me first. Hana, work on chakra control with Yoruka. Then Hana and Itachi are going to switch and Yoruka is going to work on getting her handsigns with her right hand back up to speed. Any questions?" Ryu-Sensei explains.

My hand shoots up, "Yeah, why am I not doing any taijutsu?"

Ryu-Sensei glares at me, "You're hurt and the most strenuous thing you will be doing for a month is physical therapy."

I sigh in relief. Physical therapy might be hell, but sparring with Ryu-Sensei is an even worse hell.

"Yoruka, get Kakashi to teach you a higher level lightning jutsu while you're benched from all physical activities," Ryu-Sensei adds on. I groan. Trying to get something from Kakashi is like pulling teeth. Painful and inconvenient.

"Just for that, the next D-rank I give you will be a babysitting one. Emphasis on the baby." Hana snickers as I pale.

We don't get the D-rank that day, instead Itachi, Hana, and I decide to walk our assorted smaller relatives home from the academy. Itachi and Hana are both exhausted from going head to head with a fucking Hyuga Jonin, so we sit against a nearby tree waiting for class to be let out.

I waste time by catching falling leaves with my shadow. I'm fairly certain Itachi fell asleep, which rude, way to steal my schtick. Hana is tossing kunais for her ninkin to catch. It's kind of adorable in a "This kid can murder me in my sleep and she has cute dogs to help her" kind of way.

When the Academy finally lets out, I subtly nudge Itachi awake, because in Fugaku's words, "The Uchiha heir must not be seen napping in public."

We stand so we can recognize children easier, even though most are giving us a wide berth. That might have something to do with Itachi's chronic Resting Bitch Face™, my steadily worsening scowl, and Hana's ridiculously large ninkin.

Shikamaru spots us first and greets me with a delightfully droll "Wow, Yoru, you look like Father figured out a way to pawn off Jonin Commander onto a Genin." By the gods, does everyone know Uncle Shikaku is trying to give me his job?

"Thanks, Shika," I reply with an entirely straight face. He hums, then collapses entirely back into my stomach, leaving me to support his weight. I let out an ooph as the air escapes my lungs.

Itachi spots Sasuke next and waves him over. Sasuke reluctantly approaches. "Who are they?" He asks with a disgruntled expression on his face.

Itachi exhales dramatically, "My teammates."

Hana smirks, "Oh yeah, we haven't seen your baby bro since he was an actual baby. I still can't believe we got banned from your house, by the way."

I yawn in agreement as Sasuke sputters, "What did you two even do?"

"I pushed Shisui through a wall." I'm completely non-apologetic.

Hana nods sagely, "I was an accomplice."

Stars light up in Sasuke eyes, "Can you do it again? In front of me this time? He's so annoying!" Shikamaru snorts.

Itachi pinches the bridge of his nose and cuts us off before we can agree, because we'd obviously do it, "Hana, isn't that your brother?" He points out.

Hana brightens considerably, "Kiba!" She calls out, "Over here!" Her brother begins to walk in our direction with a blond kid tagging along.

"Hey Hana, Hana's teammates!" Kiba grins. "This is Naruto, my best friend, and Naruto this is my sister, Hana and her teammates!"

Naruto grins at us and I start. This kid is the spitting image of Minato. How did no one realize this in canon?

"Hey," he frowns at me, "Why is Shika laying on you?"

Shikamaru cracks open an eye, "This is my sister who's actually my cousin, I can lay on her if I like." He closes his eye again.

I snort, "I'm Nara Yoruka, a pleasure to meet you Naruto." The poor boy looks confused.

"Hey Hana," I hear Kiba say, "Naruto is coming over for dinner, so he's gonna walk home with us."

"Alright, you sleepy gremlin," I say as I push Shikamaru up, "let get you home." He grumbles a bit. "See you tomorrow, Hana, Itachi!" I call as I leave.

A week later finds me at Obito's house to find Kakashi. Seriously, every time I've been over there, Kakashi was there too.

"Hey, Yoruka long time, no see!" Shisui calls out from the dining room table.

"Hey, Shisui, I didn't know you knew Obito well enough for tea," I said, plopping down in the chair next to him.

Obito nodded exasperatedly, "He showed up like a day after I got released to stay here and forced me into friendship. Kind of like you, now that I'm thinking about it."

I let out a wounded sound, then cough, "Anyway, Kakashi, I need to learn another lightning jutsu before the Chunin Exam, can you teach me one?"

Kakashi eyes me skeptically, "I'm not going to teach you Chidori or anything like that, you know."

I snort, "Of course not, I'm a Genin."

"Fine, I'll teach you one," he answers.

I grin at him, "So Obito, Shisui, what have you two been up to?"

Kirishima Izumi is a very accomplished retired medic that works as a physical therapist now. She also happens to be absolutely terrifying. The stretches she has me doing to build my flexibility back up are terrible, but her glare when I complain is worse.

"Now, Yoruka, would you mind falling into a backbend again?" She says sweetly. I shudder, I would almost rather sparring against Ryu-Sensei.

I sigh, Kakashi is late. I don't know why I'm surprised. Suddenly leaves hit me in the face and Kakashi was there. I glare at him as I spit a leaf out of my mouth. "Maa, Yoruka," he rubs his neck sheepishly, "I got sidetracked saving a cat from a tree."

"Bullshit," I mutter. He just smiles at me.

"I've spent a long time thinking about this, and I've decided. I'm going to teach you Lightning Release: Discharge. It's very versatile and perfect for the Chunin Exams. Here are the handsigns," he flashed through a series of signs, "and depending on how you end the sequence, the discharge will have different effects."

I know this is just going to help in the long run, but Kakashi's menacing smile worries me.

A month passes with me just training my ninjutsu skills, so when I'm cleared for taijutsu again, Ryu-Sensei kicks my ass to get me back in shape.

Hana and Itachi are gloating internally, I can feel it. Hana shoots me a pitying look from where she's throwing senbon. Itachi just sets a tree on fire.

Ryu-Sensei throws me over his shoulder into the dirt. I groan miserably. Ryu-Sensei stares at me and says the dreaded word: "Again." I huff and get back into my starting stance. And proceed to get my ass handed to me once again.