Marrow Minded Focus
She was younger than I thought she'd be. Maybe around Kakashi's age? Most likely just slightly younger. It was really quite remarkable that she'd surpassed him despite that.
More importantly, that was without the benefit of the game-breaking sharingan, or any other brand of overpowered shinobi lineage to back her up. Purely her own dedication to the craft; that's not to say that she didn't possess her own special quality that aided her ascension. Like me, she had her own unique kekkei genkai.
Yet, even with her S-class pedigree she was no match for me. She could do nothing to enforce her malice, but glare at me - paralyzed as she was from the neck down. I approached her cautiously, steel gripped tight in my hand. She gave a futile attempt to dodge it; I had no mercy to give.
"Here comes the kunai, open up little kunoichi." She opened her mouth and I quickly shoved the spoon inside before she could change her mind.
Her face contorted in disgust at the bitter taste. The antidote to the poison affecting her was extremely unpleasant. "Blech! I don't know why you need my training, you're already a T&I expert as far as I'm concerned."
"C'mon, don't be like that. According to the notes, you should be right as rain after two more doses."
"I'd rather starve to death in this godforsaken swamp. You should have left me to rot like the rest of them did." She spat with the same bitterness as the medicine she just swallowed.
"You mustn't be shy. I merely did my duty as your bonafide pupil when I rescued you from the jaws of defeat."
"Duty my butt. I'd never met you before in my life."
"You were always going to be my teacher, you just didn't know it until now."
It had been a week since she'd entered my care. On death's door with only a child as her oncall physician, somehow still managing to pull through. I guess the old adage 'shinobi endure' was an apt one; but this shinobi could hold one hell of a grudge too.
Even in the short time I'd known her, there was no doubt that Pakura of the scorch release would take her pound of flesh from Suna.
Following my escape from the Kaguya slaughter, I bumbled my way over to the area surrounding the Hidden Mist Village proper. The local shinobi had grown bold and lazy during Yagura's - or rather Obito's - tyrannical rule. Confident in their superiority over the fractured remains of any bloodline stragglers, they often conducted themselves far less covertly than they ought to have; this made it easy to spot when any major events were taking place.
So, when a single Suna shinobi arrives alone into the village and leaves with an entire battle-ready squadron of Kiri ninja, it's impossible to not take notice. My plan was a winner.
I couldn't keep up with shinobi going flat out, but the trail of bodies, destroyed puppets, molten slag, and all around general aftermath led me to where I needed to be.
I kept as hidden as I could the closer I got to the epicenter. The fight had only just ended, for there wasn't any noise of battle; all I could hear was the raged screams of a woman as she cursed her ungrateful, traitorous, dust bowl of a village, and even more acerbically that pathetic, limp-dicked, megalomaniac Rasa.
I'd like to say I intervened and single-handedly defeated an entire squad by myself, but truth be told, Pakura had pretty much decimated the entire battalion herself. Looking around the clearing all I could see were the mummified husks of Suna and Kiri shinobi alike - the marshland was relegated to being an arid wasteland. One lone, severely charred Suna shinobi stood above Pakura's paralyzed form - sword dripping in some mysterious purple ooze.
With the racket Pakura was causing, and his own ragged breath, he didn't notice the bone spear I'd launched from my palm shooting straight through his skull.
I pilfered what I could from him; unsurprisingly he had the antidote to his own poison on hand. Finally dragging away my new sensei to convalesce at my makeshift hideout.
She wouldn't speak for the first couple of days, I was unaware whether that was the poison or the realization that the nation she had arduously dedicated her entire life to wanted her dead, but I soldiered on regardless.
Every moment I wasn't nursing her or making sure we were fed, I spent talking at her - mostly sharing my own little sob story. I guess the combination of the betrayal and my constant monologues proved effective as it didn't take long to break her down.
A lot of relentless pestering later, I hit her with a "Our homes abandoned the both of us, so let's stay abandoned together." And she agreed to teach me. Talk no jutsu was considered S-class and forbidden for a very good reason.
Soon enough the antidote did it's job and the poison was expunged from her system. We'd had to stay far too near to the Hidden Mist so the first thing she did was toss me over her shoulder and dashed for the border to the nearest minor nation.
The Land of Sea was where we found ourselves currently. And let me say it is damn sight better than Kiri.
I followed along to her set of stretches, we'd ditched most of the shinobi paraphernalia, choosing to look far more civilian to stay away from too much notice. But you'd best believe Pakura kept her Suna headband stashed away with a nice deep slash right across the symbol.
We rose up and exhaled. "Ready to start?"
Smashing my fists together I respond, "with every bone in my body."
"I still struggle to understand why you're so adamant that I specifically must train you." She went around the clearing and touch cast a barrier seal to keep us discreet. "In all honesty, barring Kiri and Suna, you could announce yourself at any major shinobi village and they'd be tripping over themselves to have you."
"Sure. But if I did that they'd make me get an estate, train me safely within their walls till I was strong enough to handle myself, and then when I become of age throw a dozen women at me to procreate my bloodline."
"Yes… what a tragedy."
"See? You get it. Plus I refuse to be saddled with some no-name Nakamura as my shisho and to be beholden to anyone but myself. I'm Kimimaro Kaguya, I'll only let the best train me."
She got a cocky smirk at that and crossed her arms over her chest. Though I'd only call Pakura's a chest if most other girls had jewelry boxes. "Well I can't blame you for that. I am pretty great after all. And I guess there's a certain charm that comes with the freedom to pursue your own growth as you see fit - especially with a dedicated Kage class shinobi."
"What are you gonna teach me then?"
"Well my specialty is my nature release ninjutsu, though I'm proficient with fuinjutsu as well. However, the cornerstone of every powerful warrior is always going to be chakra control and taijutsu - both of these principles will also heavily benefit the shikotsumyaku."
"What about my nature release? The bone stuff I know I'm going to have to figure out myself."
"Hmm… that's a little tough. No way we're going to be able to get chakra paper to test it. Too heavily regulated by the ninja villages. You're from Mizu no Kuni, so chances are that even if it's not you're primary release, suiton is probably a safe bet to learn."
"You can use suiton too?"
"Not really, but it was highly coveted in Suna so every Jounin knows the nature control steps and a handful of jutsu to teach it just in case. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Basics first."
She plucked two leaves off a bush and using one hand pressed them just above my brows. "I'm using chakra to stick these to you. I want you to sense how I'm using my chakra and copy it."
I closed my eyes and focused, I felt two dots of heat on my forehead and using my own chakra imitated the pulling force of Pakura's chakra.
I heard her clothes shift, I opened my eyes and saw her hands move back to her sides. The leaves were still on my head.
"Feel like you got it?"
I smiled at her, "You bet!"
She returned the gesture. Then punched me hard, right in the face. She broke my nose, my concentration, and as I crashed into it a nice big boulder too.
I quickly peeled myself off the rock and gaped at her like an idiot. She merely raised and eyebrow and pointed at the two leaves on the ground. "I thought you said you had it? Are you gonna be able to train properly, or do I have to start babying you?"
Hearing this, my expression slowly shifted into what I felt was a happy one; Pakura assured me later however that I looked certifiably insane. I rushed back to the leaves, smacked them back on my forehead and launched myself at her. "That's what I'm talking about sensei!"
Current Timeline: 10 TC (Till Canon)
Kimimaro ~ 7 years old
Pakura ~ 17 years old
Naruto ~ 2 years old