The next morning, I woke up early, though, judging by the sunlight streaming through my window, maybe not early enough.
Bee had given me a meeting time at our usual training spot, the rocky peak where he had been teaching me for years.
I quickly got dressed, slipping into my black kimono and throwing on my white kimono jacket over it. After making sure my white hair was neatly in place, I grabbed my katana and headed out.
On my way to the meeting point, I stopped by the kitchen to eat a solid breakfast, couldn't fight on an empty stomach, and then ran out of the Raikage's residence.
If I didn't hurry, I was definitely going to be late.
By the time I reached the training peak, I was already expecting to see Bee waiting with that smug look on his face.
But when I arrived…
He wasn't there.
Instead, standing a few meters away was a girl.
Even from a distance, I could tell, this was Yugito Nii.
She hadn't noticed me yet, her gaze fixed somewhere far off, clearly lost in thought.
I approached, clearing my throat slightly before greeting her.
"Yo, good morning."
She flinched ever so slightly, snapping out of her trance.
"Hi." she said, her voice calm but distant, like she was still weighing everything in her head.
I stepped a little closer and offered a friendly smile. "I'm Z. Starting today, I'll be your partner."
She nodded, her expression unreadable. "Yeah… That's what they told me. I'm sorry for you though… because of me…"
Her voice trailed off, like she didn't really want to finish the thought.
But I already knew where this was going, so I cut in without hesitation.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down." I raised both hands casually. "There's nothing to be sorry for. I know what you are. Bee is one too. I've got no problem with that, at all."
That seemed to genuinely catch her off guard. Her eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting that kind of response.
"You… you believe that?" she asked after a beat, not with suspicion, but with the kind of disbelief that came from hearing something rare.
I shrugged, giving her a confident grin.
"I believe what I see. And right now? I see a kunoichi who's gonna make one hell of a duo with me."
She turned.
"Anyway, where's Bee?" I asked, glancing around the peak.
Before Yugito could answer, a familiar voice rang out behind us—"You called for me? Well, here I be!"
Bee stepped out from behind like he had just materialized from thin air.
"I wanted to give you both some space, Let first impressions fall into place."
I rolled my eyes slightly but smirked. "Alright then, what's the plan for today?"
Yugito stepped in as well, arms crossed. "Yes, what exactly are we doing?"
Bee grinned wide, eyes sparkling with that familiar mischief.
"First task to get your flames ignited, You two will fight, get properly excited!"
I blinked. "Wait, fight each other? Right now?"
"Yup! One on one, let's see your flow, How you move, strike, block, and grow!"
Yugito narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly taking this seriously. I could feel a small rush of adrenaline in my chest.
Without waiting for anything else, without hesitation, Yugito moved.
Just moments ago, she had seemed a bit reserved, even timid. But now? She dashed forward, swift and precise, her tanto flashing in the morning light.
There was no wasted motion. Her stance was clean, balanced.
Reflexively, I reached for my katana.
The sound of steel echoed through the air as I drew it in one smooth motion, bringing it up just in time to block her strike.
Clang!
The blades met, sparks flying between us.
Our blades clashed, once, twice, three times, each strike sharper, faster, more intense than the last.
Yugito was fast. Her footwork was nimble, precise, and her attacks came in calculated bursts. She aimed for openings, trying to test me. But I'd been training with Bee for years. I had the edge in kenjutsu, and it was starting to show.
She came in low, tanto glinting toward my ribs. I twisted my hips, parried the strike with the side of my blade, then slid past her guard, pivoting on my heel.
"Too open." I muttered under my breath.
My katana was already sweeping down, stopping a hair's breadth from her neck. Not enough to hurt her, but more than enough to prove a point.
Yugito froze, eyes wide.
But instead of stepping back, she spun away, trying to regain momentum. I followed, reading her movements. She tried to come at me from the side, but my stance was solid.
One step back. Parry. Sidestep. Counter.
Just as I stepped in to counter, she flicked her free hand, weaving a sign with one quick motion—
She vanished from in front of me. 'Body flicker smart.'
I dropped my weight instinctively and twisted, just in time to block her reappearance at my flank. Sparks flew again as steel met steel..
I backed off, slid two fingers along my blade, 'Raiton: Denkō Kiri.' (Lightning Style: Flash Cut)
My katana sparked to life with chakra, humming with low electricity.
Yugito's eyes widened slightly but didn't waver. She brought her chakra up too, breathing steady, and slammed her hand on the ground—
"Katon: Hono no Kiba!" (Fire Style: Flame Fang)
Two flaming arcs surged forward like fangs trying to bite into me.
I slashed diagonally, slicing through one with the charged blade and leapt over the second with a clean front-flip, landing just a few feet in front of her.
Before she could recover, I was already on her.
Three clean strikes. Left shoulder. Right rib. Diagonal down to her hip. She blocked the first, barely deflected the second, but the third hit her tanto.
She staggered.
Our swords met again, but now, she was breathing harder, starting to fall behind.
With a swift feint to her left, I baited a block, then slid in low, sweeping her legs out from under her. She hit the ground with a light thud, landing on her side, but rolled quickly back into a crouch.
I was already pointing the tip of my katana at her chest.
Match over.
Yugito looked up at me, cheeks flushed, not just from the effort, but maybe a little frustration too, still, breathing fast, a single drop of sweat rolling down her cheek. Then, slowly, she stepped back, hands dropping to her sides.
Behind us, Bee clapped loudly, laughing in his usual rhythm.
"Z on the move, slicin' clean like a breeze, Didn't take long to put her at ease!"
I stepped back and offered Yugito a hand. She hesitated, then took it.
"You're fast." she said, a bit out of breath.
"No doubt." I replied. "You're good, but I'll stay ahead."
From behind us, Bee let out a booming laugh. He walked up, clapping both our shoulders.
"Next time? More ninjutsu, less hesitation. You two just passed Bee's initiation."