[indent] [/indent][hr][h3]Team Six[/h3][hr][sup][i]Afternoon || Land of Fire: Konohagakure — Mumi Village[/i][/sup][indent] [/indent] Kazuhiko waited, peeking out from behind a tree. He’d been elected as lookout due to the fact that his hair was darkest and therefore the most inconspicuous. Well, that and because he was the most ‘reliable’ team member, but that part was implied because no one would trust Natsuko for timing, and Koharu had already done her part getting their sensei's attention. Now, he played the waiting game. [hr] Minoru had been left sitting alone in the tree as his laughter died down to small giggles. It was nice seeing the kids act like kids. He looked around, trying to find any source of the kids. They could hide decently well, far better than the last time they tried this. He'd wanted to make their training fun and hide and seek was a rather good way to have them learn the skills they needed to survive on missions. Of course he smeared them into the ground. He was on the lookout for pale hair, since poor Koharu was at a major disadvantage. Natsuko probably would be easier to find as well. He didn't doubt that she could hide, but he knew that out of all his genin she was the one most likely to yell at him if he got too close. [color=darkgray]"Alright kids. Just remember to not complain too much if I win. Again."[/color] He teased. The teasing was bait for Natsuko. He knew that she'd give in easily to his challenge. [hr] Natsuko’s eye twitched. She does [i]not[/i], did not complain too much last time! A fierce glance from Kazuhiko, though, reminded her of the task at hand, and she set about trying to calm down and focus again. It was obvious from the way that Kazuhiko had instantly looked at her that Minoru’s jibe had been for her, and she didn’t like it one bit. Dirty tactics from the jonin with the upper hand were never appreciated, however much he was outnumbered. Biting her lip, she focused on looking at Kazuhiko, intent on carrying out the plan. [hr] He hadn't seen any sign of the genin so he assumed that they were a little deeper into the orchard. He jumped from tree to tree looking for signs. He thought he'd seen Koharu amongst the branches but it turned out to be a reflection on the tree branches. Minoru wondered if they were waiting for him to get closer, or if the small genin had been joking with him. That was something he highly doubted but he had learned that his kids were full of surprises. Minoru paused on a sturdy branch, listening to the sounds of the orchard. He could hear birds and the rustling of leaves that he'd assumed was a breeze until he realized that there wasn't a breeze or anything to move the branches. It could have been birds nestled in the branches but he had a feeling it was his genin. He caught a flash of something pale and headed towards it, unknowingly entering into a trap set by the very genin he was searching for. [hr] ‘Now!’ Kazuhiko mouthed, signing his lightning release. The goal was to hit fast and hard since they likely wouldn’t get a second chance without someone being tagged. From his hands came an arc of lightning that stretched and widened before shooting towards Minoru. Beside him, a single clone from Natsuko popped forth to charge at the jonin. [color=indianred]“You’re going down, Sensei!”[/color] her clone shouted, signing her Gale Palm technique. Her real form, though, stayed behind to start signing her dark release, as they’d planned. As it went, the plan was as follows: Kazuhiko would stun Minoru enough for Koharu to trap him with an ice technique, which would then allow Natsuko to utilize her dark release to sap his energy and keep him trapped. Whether it would all come together remained to be seen, but as of this moment, the plan was working. [hr] Minoru had known that it was silly to stop and stare instead of moving but it filled him with pride to see them working together. Although there was no realistic way to have dodged lightning, he still could have attempted to instead of standing there like an idiot. The pride didn't last long once the lightning made it's contact. His muscles in his arms and legs spasmed and he was stunned. He'd never get used to it, and he'd been Kazuhiko's sensei for a while now. In the aftermath of the lightning he was a sitting duck. Something cold crept up his legs and held firmly. Ice encased his feet and up towards his knees. The cold feeling grounded himself and he turned his head to see the smallest genin, hands pressed firmly against the tree trunk above him. [Color=8882be]"Get him Susu!"[/color] She was close enough for him to reach out and tag, but she'd scampered up the tree trunk just barely out of reach. His arms were a little sluggish from the lightning and he'd flailed as he tried to tag her. Minoru heard her little whine of fright and remembered that she'd been terrified of heights at one point. He didn't get to mull over things though, because the kids had a plan and they did it perfectly. [hr] [color=indianred]“Oh no you don’t!”[/color] Natsuko yelled, dispelling her clone and launching herself at Minoru in one motion, her hands giving off the faint purple glow of her dark release technique, Kusunemasu. Coming to a stop before him so that she was just out of reach, she held her hands out in front of her, white wisps starting to come off from Minoru and float towards her glowing hands. [color=indianred]“I’m doing it! It’s working!”[/color] she shouted excitedly as she felt the first wisps float into her hands, a faint euphoric feeling energizing her as she absorbed the chakra. Despite the number of practice sessions and failed attempts in training, this was the first time she’d been able to call up the technique on the field. [color=indianred]“Are you seeing this, Kazu-kun, Haru-chan?”[/color] she called, grinning up at her teammates. Kazuhiko was standing on the branch beside Koharu, likely having helped her out earlier when Minoru tried to tag her. While Natsuko usually would have teased them about it, she didn’t care right now. She’d finally pulled off her dark release technique! [color=lightsteelblue]“Natsuko!”[/color] Kazuhiko yelled, his eyes wide. [color=lightsteelblue]“Watch out!”[/color] But she’d been a beat to slow in realizing what she should be watching for. Her excitement had distracted her, and she’d looked away from her target: her sensei who, while proud, was clearly not enjoying the treatment. [hr] He'd praise her later for actually getting her dark release to work, but right now they were still playing their game and he could still win. Minoru was feeling even more sluggish as his chakra was slowly drained from his body. He trained with Natsuko enough to know what was happening and how it felt. In all honesty it was exhausting, even in little amounts. With a smirk he reached out, taking advantage of Natsuko looking up at the other two genin. He tapped her lightly on the forehead with the pads of his fingers. The angle was awkward as his feet were still trapped in ice, but he supported his weight by pressing his free hand against the tree trunk. [color=darkgray]"Tag. Good job, Natsuko, but I win. Never let your guard down."[/color] Poor Minoru didn't get very long to savor his victory. Koharu, who'd been watching everything unfold, forced the ice that was surrounding their sensei's feet off the tree branch and it knocked Minoru off his feet. He landed on the ground below with a dull thud. They hadn't been up high enough for him to get injured but it still hurt a little bit. With a groan he rolled over, shaking the last remnants of ice off of his legs. He could hear Koharu talking to Natsuko. [Color=8882be]"Good job Natsuko. We lost but you did well."[/color] The girl had left Kazuhiko's side (and she'd deny that she'd been holding onto his shirt for balance) and stood where Minoru once did. She was smiling up at the other girl. [Color=8882be]"Isn't that right, Kazu-kun? She's making leaps and bounds."[/color] Encouragement was a powerful thing, especially for one like Natsuko. She had to work hard, possibly harder than Koharu and Kazuhiko. She didn't have the same pressures they did, but she had her own. Koharu wondered how it was to be the technical weak link for your team. They couldn't protect Natsuko forever. But she was proud of her, and she hoped the other girl knew that. She pulled the other girl into a brief but tight hug. [@Typical]