Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Daily shenanigans
Dressed in a modest navy-blue kimono adorned with silver flower embroidery she had found in one of the abandoned homes she frequented, Morgan approached the Hyuga house, feeling a twinge of nervousness. Her ash-red hair was pulled into a side ponytail, a nod to Nanoha’s style, though she wished she knew more ways to style her hair besides this simple look. Hopefully, Hanabi and Han wouldn’t be disappointed by her lateness.
After making sure a few clones stayed back and worked she wondered if everything would be fine. As the door opened, a gentle-faced Hyuga attendant with soft, milky eyes greeted her with a warm smile. “You must be Lady Hanabi’s awaited guest and friend. This way, please, Miss Uzumaki,” the woman gesturing politely her milky purple eyes smiling.
Morgan followed her guide through the serene Hyuga compound, glancing around at the other Hyuga members training nearby. Their forms were precise and graceful as they practiced the Gentle Fist technique. In the distance, she caught sight of Neji, his focus unwavering, before turning her attention back to her guide. Finally, they arrived at a sitting area where Hanabi and Han were already deep in animated conversation.
The attendant gave her an encouraging smile, motioning for her to enter. Walking in and opening the sliding door, Morgan overheard Hanabi and Han arguing.
“Nope! I am Morgan’s closest friend. I know so much about her!” Hanabi insisted.
“Huh? If so, list her favorite things!” Han challenged.
“Morgan likes oranges, cats, books, swords... oh, and she likes napping!” Hanabi fired back.
Morgan flinched at the accuracy. Well, they were shinobi, so of course they picked up some things. Sitting down quietly, she sipped her tea and decided to intervene. “We can all be friends,” she suggested.
The two jumped up in unison. “AH! When—since when did you arrive?” they exclaimed in unison.
Just then, the door opened, and Hinata entered, followed by Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Natsuki, who handed over a tray of treats. “Hello there oh you must be Morgan LeFay Uzumaki! Hanabi can’t stop talking about you. I’m her big sister, Hinata. This pink-haired girl is Sakura, the blonde is Ino, the twin-bunned girl is Tenten, and the redhead is Natsuki Uzumaki Namikaze-O-hime-sama. We’ll be just watching over you, please don’t mind us!” the eleven-year-old said with a bright smile as she introduced the older kids she had known as Naruto. Not that they will ever recall.
Morgan bowed politely. Tenten stepped forward. “Uh, can I fix your hair? It looks messy...”
Morgan's eyes widened in surprise. “You would? Thank you! I don’t know how to do it; I can wash it, I suck at styling.”
The older girls shared a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. An orphaned girl, huh?
Hanabi crossed her arms. “That’s not good! I can teach you,” she declared.
Han facepalmed at the enthusiasm. As Tenten began to fix Morgan’s hair, her side ponytail was braided and then rolled into an elegant bun. She looked like a kid from a Nobility. Morgan noticed Natsuki's jealous look. Why? Nastukis hair was prettier than hers. Han and Hanabi quietly continued to argue over something again.
Once done, the three eight-year-olds ran off to play ninja, leaving the door open so the older girls could watch them as they headed to the expansive back side of the Hyuga residence. Ninja was a popular game of hide-and-seek where one pretended to be an evil kidnapper while the others had to hide using their ninja skills.
Morgan volunteered to be the kidnapper as Hanabi and Han hid skillfully in the small forest annexed to the Nara clan deer forests. It wasn’t big but provided enough challenge. After counting to ten, she jumped onto a tree and started to look. Morgan crouched low on a sturdy branch, her heart racing with excitement. The sun filtered through the leaves above, casting dappled shadows on the ground. She could hear Hanabi and Han giggling softly as they scurried away, using their ninja training to hide behind trees and bushes.
"One... two... three..." Morgan counted, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to steady her breathing. She felt the familiar rush of adrenaline; the thrill of the chase ignited a fire in her belly. "Four... five... six..."
The Nara clan's forest was rich with earthy scents, and the sounds of rustling leaves at the nearby grassing deers were idyllic. The Nara took care of the deer, while the Hyuga was responsible for the fauna.
Morgans's sensor skills went crazy from her stimulated environment. After reaching ten, Morgan opened her eyes, focusing on the task ahead. Her gaze darted around the area, scanning for any sign of her friends. The game was on, and she was determined to find them.
With a silent leap, she landed gracefully from her perch, her instincts guiding her as she moved through the underbrush. “Where are you guys?” she murmured. As she tiptoed deeper into the forest, she expanded her sensor skill. With that in mind, she focused her chakra and picked up any faint movements or sounds. As she moved through the trees, she caught a glimpse of Hanabi's hair disappearing behind a tree trunk. “I see you, Hanabi!” Morgan shouted, laughter bubbling up as she gave chase. The thrill of the game and the joy of camaraderie filled her heart.
“No fair! You’re too fast!” Hanabi squealed, trying to dodge around another tree. Morgan’s competitive spirit flared as she sprinted after her friend, determination setting in.
In a swift movement, Morgan lunged forward, grabbing Hanabi by the arm. “Got you.”, their laughter echoing through the trees.
“Oh no! What will we do now?” Hanabi exclaimed, feigning distress. “You’ll have to carry me away!”
As they emerged from the trees, Han peeked around, a smirk on his face. “Looks like you’re outnumbered, Morgan! We’re both going to escape!” He darted off in the opposite direction, eyes glinting with mischief. “Not if I can help it!” Morgan shouted, slipping into her role as the kidnapper once again. The chase was exhilarating, every ounce of stress Morgan had and doubt melting away as they played their silly game.
It felt good to be a part of something like this, even if just for a moment. The three of them ran through the forest, weaving around trees and leaping over roots as they played. It was a game of light and shadows, laughter and adrenaline, and Morgan felt free. She never wanted it to end. After several rounds of chasing and hiding, the group finally paused, collapsing onto the soft grass, breathless and giggling. Hanabi lay sprawled out on her back, her cheeks flushed with excitement, while Han sat up, catching his breath.
“That was amazing!” Hanabi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. “You’re so fast, Morgan! I think you’d make an excellent ninja!”
Morgan couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. “I am not that great,” she admitted. ´´I will be lucky to be an average Chunin.´´
“What are you talking about, you’re a natural!” Han said with his arms crossed: “Maybe we should train together sometime. I want to get stronger too!"
Just then, they heard a playful shout from the direction of the house. “Hey, you three! Come back! It’s time for tea!” The three kids looked at each other, wide-eyed with glee. “Tea time!” they all exclaimed in unison, scrambling to their feet and racing back toward the Hyuga house. As they burst through the door, the aroma of freshly brewed tea and sweets enveloped them, and Morgan felt a rush of warmth. The older girls had set a cozy scene, with soft cushions scattered around the low table, teacups arranged neatly, and a beautiful assortment of pastries spread out for everyone to enjoy.
“Wow, this looks amazing!” Hanabi said, her eyes lighting up as she took in the sight. “Did you make all of this, Hinata-nee?”
Hinata smiled softly, her gentle demeanor shining through. “Everyone helped a little. I just made the tea.”
Sakura chimed in, her voice bright, “And I brought the mochi! We have strawberry, matcha, and red bean.” “I got the dango!” Ino added, gesturing to a plate piled high with sweet dumplings.
" I also got red bean paste!", TenTen giggled proudly. As the daughter of the clan that provided Konoha with weapons, it was a well-known fact in The Land of Fire that the Higurashi clan was very good at making red bean paste.
As they settled down, Morgan watched Hand and Hanabi talk/argue again.
As they enjoyed their tea, Natsuki chimed in with her usual enthusiasm. “So, Morgan, do you want to play Ninja again later? I can show you some cool ninja tricks! I am 2 years above you, heck TenTen is 3 years ahead of you. We can teach you stuff.” A swell of pain went to Morgan.
´´Of course, she would brag about being skilled she gets trained by the Hokage and by his wife, she didn't need to rub it in that she is so skilled I know she is leagues and centuries above me!´´, she thought to herself annoyed. “Nope. I have to go....” Morgan replied, shooting an annoyed look at Natsuki the older girl flinched at her look earning Nastuki an evil giggle from Ino who gave Nastuki a soft pat on the shoulder:" You have to go already? Aw, man!" After her fun time with Hanabi and Han, Morgan ran off to an extra shift at the Hospital.
Tired she slipped on her Medic uniform while reading emails on her Intelligent device. On weekends she never trained with Hayate and Cat Senpai but purely focused on magical energy training. Her eyes skimmed over the emails before tending to her work.
Running off she went home after a small workout and a quick shower she waited for the familiar beep and flash:" Morgan-chan there you are! Hm it's good to see you! Um I and Raising Heart (her intelligent device) gonna send you a request to a simulator!", Nanoha beamed Raising heart in its stand by form was floating beside her. The Raising heart had the form of a red marble orb with pink wings on the left and right sides. The device shimmered:" Hello Lady!"
Nodding she watched a screen pop up pressing accept she was transported to a virtual reality. Ellen had shown her before what these virtual spaces were. It transported your soul to a different reality while your body was still in the presence. In the simulation, Morgan found herself standing in a vast training field that stretched out into a hazy horizon. The atmosphere felt almost surreal, the ground a strange mixture of natural earth and smooth, polished tile, divided into intricate geometric patterns. At the far end of the field, Morgan saw Nanoha waiting, her Intelligent Device, Raising Heart, gleaming in its staff form beside her.
"Welcome to the training simulator!" Nanoha’s voice rang with warmth and enthusiasm, carrying that unmistakable energy Morgan had come to admire as she approached the girl with her bright smile. "Here, you can practice your skills in a safe but challenging environment. Ready to give it a go?"
" Welcome.", Raising Heart chimed as it transformed into a staff, Nanoha opted to not wear her barrier jacket she didn't need it after all.
Morgan took a deep breath, excitement, and determination mingling within her. "I'm ready! What’s first?"
Nanoha nodded approvingly, a small smile playing on her lips. "Let's start with a basic assessment to see where you're at. Raising Heart will create a few target dummies for you to engage. Use your sensor skills and any attacks you've been working on. Also, I have no idea how Ninjas in your world fight so I need to observe so I can help you better."
" Alright, setting up Targets!" a raising heart responded from her staff, the red Marple at the top of the staff lit up. With a flash of pink light emanating from it, a few training dummies morphed into existence, taking the form of floating oval metal-shaped things. Resembling the toros of humans. Morgan nodded, her fingers tingling as she prepared herself.
Channeling her chakra her body tensed in anticipation. She could feel the subtle shifts in energy around her, her sensor skills heightened in this virtual realm. With a swift leap, she closed in on the first target, raising her hand to strike. In a quick, fluid motion, she released a burst of chakra, dispersing the dummy in a flash of blue light. It was a basic enhancement punch. Compared to Tsunade S Rank Jutsu enhanced Punch could make craters and level mountains. But it did the thing.
" Enhancing yourself with chakra is also possible, interesting...Keep it up!" Nanoha encouraged from afar, her eyes tracking Morgan’s movements.
Nodding, Morgan shifted her attention to the remaining targets. She leaped from one to the next, weaving through the holographic projections with newfound confidence. Each target disappeared with a single strike, vanishing into wisps of digital light. Her heart raced, exhilarated by the seamless flow of energy in her movements.
Twirling two kunais she threw them coated in wind chakra slicing them in precision.
Chakra could be divided mainly into 7 different chakra elements, water, earth, fire wind, and Lightning non-elementals yin and yang. These elements were opposing and also able to enhance one another. Like wind was weak against fire but enhanced water greatly. Then came special elemental chakra which falls into Bloodline limits.
For Example, Morgan recalled Sunagagure had a Jonin with the Scorch release which combined wind and fire, opposing elements into a hot blazing heat. When two or more elements mix and it becomes a different character element it is considered a bloodline limit. It is rare but sometimes a few ninjas pop up with these skills. Luckily she had a wind, lightning, and water affinity and also her chakra chains but no bloodline limit. To have an affinity to more than one is a blessing already.
She had control over water and wind but lightning was hard. Summoning water chakra to her feet she was sliding everywhere like a roller skater. She didn't have a name for it but she called it Water Style: water glider. No matter which surface you could use it to elegantly glide on anything. It was useful for movement. Morgan had made it herself but still, she hadn´t shown anyone this jutsu. Plus it didn't require any handseals just the affinity for water.
´´ Still, I will never be like Nastuki or Menma...it sucks but It's better than nothing...´´, she taught.
As she dispatched the last of the dummies, Nanoha’s approving nod filled her with pride. But the training was far from over.
“Now that you've warmed up," Nanoha said with a gleam in her eye, "let’s try something a little more advanced. Raising Heart, increase the difficulty level to moderate.”
" Ok, Raising dummies to moderate!", The device in its staff form held in Nanoha´s hands blinked as the adults pointed it at the field.
In response, Raising Heart glowed brighter, emitting a series of pulsing red orbs that floated around the arena, forming shifting barriers and obstacles. Morgan watched as the terrain transformed, making the training field a maze of energy walls and moving platforms. It felt like a surreal game of dodge and focus. As she ran and slid through the obstacles she came across a few dummies here and there. She quickly them out with some shurikens, coating them with chakra scalpel Ninjutsu she had just been taught in the hospital just a few hours ago. Sometimes she used the Replacement aka the Kawari jutsu, replacing herself with a log that had explosion tags on it. This would take out any leftover targets even if she wasn't at the previous place anymore.
“I see so that's how you ninjas fight... Ok, this is your next task. Raising Heart Start Scenario 1!"
The area changed again filled with more dummy barrbarriersYour goal is to navigate. The barriers while maintaining your chakra flow. Avoid getting too close to the red barriers—they’ll disrupt your chakra if you touch them,” Nanoha explained. “This exercise is all about control and awareness. Use ninjutsu or magic. Begin!"
Morgan nodded, swallowing down her initial nerves. She took a steadying breath, mentally mapping her path through the maze. Then, with a burst of energy, she took off, weaving her way between the barriers. She moved carefully but quickly, feeling the thrill of the challenge as she twisted, ducked, and leaped over the shifting obstacles. The first dummy blocking her path raising her hand with a palm summoned her magical energy:" Mana bullet!", the familiar iridescent orb floated from her stretching an out-finger index that she held like a gun, and the orb at the size of two shurikens smashed the dummy to bits.
Halfway through, one of the barriers moved unexpectedly, closing in on her path. Morgan’s eyes widened, and she barely managed to sidestep it, the edge of the barrier brushing her shoulder and sending a jolt through her body. It hurt so touching them was bad.
The sensation was sharp and electric, like touching a live wire, but she shook it off and kept going a huge group of dummies appeared blocking her path. Out of Shurikens and Kunais, she could punch Kick some down but she was almost out of physical energy. Circling them with her feet coated with water she pushed herself from the ground. Using both chakra and magical energy was very challenging but also rewarding. Forming her hand in front of them in an open position similar to an agape whale mouth she grinned:" Great Mana Bullet Explosion!", she summoned a huger orb the size of a soccer ball and fired it on them:" Fire!" The dummies exploded her spell was a success.
“Amazing you can do a blast spell?! I bet Ellen would be thrilled to learn this.” Nanoha called out encouragingly.
After what felt like an intense few minutes, Morgan finally reached the end of the obstacle course, her breath coming in quick pants. She looked back, a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction on her face. She’d made it, barely touching a single barrier.
Nanoha beamed with pride, clapping her hands as she approached. “Well done, Morgan! You’ve made amazing progress. It takes a lot of concentration and control to get through that sequence.”
Morgan gave a small, proud smile, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Thanks, Nanoha-san. That was… intense.”
“That’s the idea!” Nanoha chuckled. “Now, if you’re up for it, I’d like to try one more exercise—this one will test your offensive abilities a bit more. It's A test I give to cadets I train Considering your skill you will breeze through it.”, she winked at the eight-year-old.
Morgan felt her pulse quicken, but she nodded eagerly. “I’m ready.”
“Alright! Raising Heart, switch to Combat Scenario 2 and generate target illusions.”
With a series of mechanical clicks, Raising Heart emitted another wave of light. This time, shadowy opponents materialized around Morgan—these figures were larger and more defined, moving with a certain fluidity that suggested combat skills. The stakes felt higher, the thrill more pronounced. The weekend Nanoha and her went through many scenarios. Nanoha filmed and recorded her progress and sent it to Ellen which gave her lots of emails from Ellen-sensei happy of course. The adult praised her saying she was better than most adult cadets in TSAB which Morgan never understood. ´´ I suck even my family left me...´´
When Monday arrived, Morgan sat in her usual spot in the academy, feeling a new wave of energy as her clones sent her their weekend training memories. Her progress felt real, and she couldn’t help but feel proud. As her classmates trickled in, Morgan exchanged cheerful greetings with Hanabi and Han. Her time at the Hyuga house and her training had given her a renewed sense of confidence.
As the bell rang, Hayate-sensei stepped into the room, she spoke up: “Alright, everyone! Stand up, bow, and let’s get started!” the class followed her instructions and sat down. As the class rep her job was to make sure the class bowed, handed in paperwork, etc. With a nod, Hayate did the attendance list before his lesson started.
Morgan looked forward to the lesson, a sigh escaped her lips. Soon where Summer holidays and she couldn't wait to see Ellen again.
" Morgan LeFay Uzumaki is just as good as a B Rank Mage here....wow she's quite good but I feel she has self-esteem issues.", Nanoha reported to Chrono who raised his eyebrow:" I wonder if it has to do with her name change? Wenn will Ellen bring her here to Milchidan again?"
" In two months during her summer holidays. I can't wait to see her in real. Maybe I can parade her around in front of my new cadets to put some fire under their backs. They are quite slow.", Nanoha responded with a chuckle.