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TAGS: ReCap, Drama, Humor, Teasing, Queer Themes, Discussion of Mental Health Concerns.
-Still homeless. RIP.
"Am I allowed to participate in the Chunin Exams now?"
Shizune smiled and patted Yuuki on her fluffy head. The past few months since her graduation had been full of hospital work, medical training, and the occasional C-Rank mission for her to get used to the life of an on-field active-duty shinobi. And the notes about Yuuki's performance were fascinating!
As she had been directly working with the other Genin Teams, the Jonin sensei of each team had been tasked with giving their own personal review of her work ethic, plus what they thought she needed to improve upon, and what she was best at.
Other people meeting her and forming opinions about her after a single mission was always going to happen, but documenting those opinions wasn't exactly common practice. However, as she wasn't a member of a Genin Team, it was necessary for Shizune, who never had a student of her own before, to get more than one perspective on how her student was managing her time and efforts.
Needless to say, her fellow Jonin did not hold back. Something that even Tsunade-sama thought was hilarious in her own special way.
Gai:
Young Yuuki has a most youthful personality, and she was very willing to work with the other Genin. Despite the obvious amount of friction between her and Neji, possibly because she is friends with the Hyuuga Heiress, she did not let that problem get in the way of the mission. In fact, between the two of them, my own Genin seemed to struggle with controlling his emotions in regard to her presence, and I will be having a talk with him about it. We mustn't let our personal views interfere during our missions!
On another note, it has come to my attention that perhaps we need to revise more of our teachings in the Academy. Young Yuuki has explained that her entire class did not know that she was a girl for years and when they finally learned, it was blown far out of proportion when it really shouldn't have mattered. It saddens me to know that the youth of today are still so hung up on gender roles when such a thing should never hold anyone back.
My TenTen was very welcoming to young Yuuki's presence and has since then begun looking at things regarding her own future more objectively and in a most passionate way! Yuuki's manner of speech and overall personality make it very difficult to scare or surprise her. She is so pragmatic that she just accepts when things go wrong, or something less than flattering has been said or done.
Personally, while I understand that there are people who genuinely feel no offense when things are callously stated about them, because they are too practical to care or be concerned, I hope that you might be willing to look into her mental health a little more closely. Hearing a child, even if they are a fellow shinobi, bluntly state that they don't mind being the 'distraction' or 'decoy' because it 'makes sense based on the worth of individual team members' is still troubling to hear.
It also severely worried Lee who seems to have become nervous at the thought of anyone else sharing such a thought process. Unfortunately, Neji's comments did not make the situation any better, I fear. I have already spoken to him about that, I promise. Unfortunately, not everything can be solved with a simple talk from one's Jonin sensei.
Overall, there are no real behavioral issues that need to be mentioned. Yuuki works hard and is always studying even when on missions. And her attention span is quite sharp, allowing her to focus on multiple things at once(reading a book, conversing with teammates, and scouting for enemies) without putting herself or her team at risk.
I would like to suggest that she stop using the weights in her shoes in an attempt to strengthen her muscles. There are much better and safer ways to build up leg strength for someone just starting this kind of training. I have detailed a few exercises below that would benefit her much more in the long run!
Shizune-san, you've done a very good job working with young Yuuki. I had the pleasure of meeting her before she graduated, and it's very obvious that you've helped her reach a better understanding of herself and her future. She is more orderly and confident in what she wants to do and say. She also admires you and Tsunade-sama greatly and gladly extolled your virtues to my dear TenTen!
Keep fanning her flames of youth! She will be unstoppable one day! If she ever wants to join us for training or another mission, we'll gladly have her!
Asuma:
There is a very clear divide between Yuuki and Ino. Mostly because, according to Choji, Ino was the leader of a group that bullied Yuuki in school. Now, as far as Shikamaru and Choji are aware, Yuuki doesn't know about it and is entirely unaware of that fact. Her issue is over how Ino used to treat Uchiha Sasuke. Ino's issue is over how Yuuki responded to that, and over how Shikamaru and Choji also responded when they found out about the other girls slandering Yuuki behind her back and Ino not stopping them.
Ino was punished by her parents for being involved in this situation, and while she has improved according to the boys, she still hasn't reached the emotional maturity necessary to look past her own issues for the sake of the mission. Yuuki seemed a bit uncomfortable around her but didn't try to exclude her or annoy her into reacting in any way, so it is what it is, I suppose. I don't think this is something that can be fixed unless directly addressed between them.
Perhaps we could have the Genin train together a bit more so they'd get used to each other in a more work-heavy environment and less of a school one? Graduation being only a few months ago means they're all still treating each other as classmates and less as fellow employees. I think it would do them well to be treated more like co-workers and less like students.
Anything else of note would be about Yuuki's Katon Chakra.
Our mission didn't encounter any adversaries, but she did take some time to practice. I did read the basic information about her before she joined the mission, and noticed that her grade for Katon Chakra Manipulation was a 3.5/5. I can confidently say that she has improved enough to be considered a five by now, though I'm not certain where she would have had the time to practice when she works at the hospital and is learning Iryo-Ninjutsu on the side.
I watched her form a kunai out of pure Katon Chakra, and when she threw it 100m, it maintained its shape perfectly even when it embedded itself into a boulder. Her chakra control has definitely improved, most likely from all the lessons you've been giving her in Iryo-Ninjutsu. I'd say her Shape Manipulation is a 4/5 and I didn't score her higher because she should be able to make an entire sword out of Katon Chakra and then fight with it without burning herself but also burning her opponent at the same time.
When she can manage that, she'll have reached a five out of five score.
On a side note, are you aware that she has a crush on the Nara Heir? And that everyone knows and just doesn't care? Not even Ino seemed to care about it and she's the biggest gossip I know right now.
Yuuki was making moon eyes at Shikamaru and when he finally noticed, she just said, "Don't judge me, I warned you that I'd sometimes stare at your pretty face." And then Shikamaru sighed and went, "Troublesome woman, I know. It doesn't make me any more prepared whenever it happens though. Your face doesn't change at all." [Her face did in fact, never move, not even a centimeter.]
Though don't let Shikamaru's words fool you, it is very obvious that he enjoys having her attention specifically, so we'll monitor how that plays out in the future. He also pays her a lot of attention in return and is concerned for her financial situation and whatever personal troubles she has with spending money because she grew up in poverty. She might need therapy for that; I'm not sure if that is something that people need therapy for though. But Shikamaru did make a comment about how her fear and guilt over spending money held her back from enjoying basic things in life. And she was obviously affected by it considering she got very quiet afterward.
Overall, I think having Yuuki join us on new missions in the future would be an interesting experience. Her presence made my Genin want to put forth more effort, either to impress her, to surpass her, or to get her attention. It'd be very amusing to watch how this little crush plays out in the future.
Kurenai:
Shizune, your student is impressive!
It has been brought to my attention by my entire team, that Hinata as I know her is an entirely different person than the Hinata they started the Academy with years ago. And according to Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, this is entirely Yuuki's doing. From just a single mission, I was able to see that she has a very motherly personality even if she downplays it, and is always looking out for the group.
They all listen to her like she is the unofficial leader despite how usually, Kiba likes to act as the leader when Hinata is actually the one in charge. However, when Yuuki joined us that day, they deferred to her judgment instantly. However, she didn't seem interested in taking a leadership role, and kept trying to turn it onto Shino, saying that he was the most level-headed person in the group and therefore he would make the best leader out of them all.
Shino fancies Yuuki a lot it seems, and everyone but her knows it, so that little exchange had him on cloud nine and the very opposite of level-headed. Yuuki ended up stuck as the leader for the mission. I have never seen Shino be so flustered before, it was adorable.
Yuuki is very sensitive to emotional fluctuations in the people around her. It's very interesting because she knows how to handle it when someone becomes too overwhelmed with something, but her ability to address it properly aloud is where the problems lie. She possesses great emotional intelligence and interpersonal intelligence, but her inability to modify her approach makes these traits clash in a sense.
Thankfully, her friends know her and how she is as a person, so they aren't offended when her practicality comes across as cold and rude. Still, she might need to take some lessons on how to handle overly emotional people without unintentionally escalating a situation in the future. Not everyone views the world the same way and not everyone is going to understand her approach.
Yuuki did confess that she lacks an active imagination and that when she considered her future options, she knew that Iryo-Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were her best options due to chakra control, but because she lacks the imagination or will to care about it, she chose to become an Iryo-Nin. She did ask for me to evaluate her current Genjutsu skill and regrettably, it is considerably low. Her graduation score in Genjutsu was not joking at all.
I would advise that she learns at least a few C-Rank Genjutsu just so she can have them as a back-up plan. All of her public information says that she is terrible at illusions and no one would expect her to have that knowledge if she keeps it hidden.
Personally, I think she has what it takes to be a leader, but I'm not so certain people would want her as a leader if they don't understand her first. I'm not sure how she can improve in this matter. One day she might be called to lead a team of her own and it is imperative that she knows how to communicate properly and effectively with different personality types.
I know we say that we should abandon our emotions for the mission, but realistically that simply isn't possible. I hope Yuuki can find a happy medium among all of this. She is truly an exceptional Genin and I am looking forward to seeing her progress in the future.
More joint missions wouldn't go amiss.
Kakashi:
Mah, where to begin?
I taught her some Fuin to better hide the existence of her menstrual cycle when on missions. After our initial greeting, we had a conversation about her physical concerns, and I feel it is imperative that a new injection needs to be developed so that people in Yuuki's position can still benefit from it. Being able to place your menstrual cycle on hold for a time is definitely something that should be available to all shinobi who menstruate, even those with additional health concerns. The fact that she can't use such a thing puts unnecessary stress on her mind and body.
On another note, it has been brought to my attention that there is a bit of history between all three of my Genin and Yuuki. However, it was interesting to note that despite Sakura's minor concerns over how it would be having Yuuki around for the duration of the mission, considering Sakura's past of bullying being tied to Yuuki personally, there were no altercations between them. Not even a slight bit of discomfort on Yuuki's end, which had Sakura settling down relatively easily. They even had a meaningful conversation about Sakura's potential as an Iryo-Nin.
Yuuki seems to possess a lot of knowledge about various shinobi pursuits despite her youth and the fact that she only recently graduated. I'm not certain if this is a result of being under your care, or if she is naturally like this, but she certainly has the makings of a great leader. Despite each member of my team thinking themself to be the leader, they quickly did whatever Yuuki wanted with ease. Though she seemed to prefer to follow Sasuke's lead overall, which was smart of her since he kept his focus the best during active battle.
I have observed that Yuuki is very dangerous from a close distance, but her speed and reaction timing are not as up to par as all of her other skills. Now, the enemies were Chunin and Jonin-level shinobi, so perhaps my assessment is a bit unfair in that regard, but I do think she will need to put more attention into her speed and endurance training as opposed to her strength. What use will all that power be if she can't land the hit to begin with?
I would suggest putting her through suicide drills in Training Ground 19. It is the only location in Konoha with sand and it is used primarily to train up shinobi who want to improve coordination and overall speed. Running on the shifting sand isn't as easy as it sounds, and this is a required training experience for all shinobi in active teams, as they will eventually be made to travel to Suna at some point. I would suggest using more creative methods of motivation to get her moving when the time comes, as she seems to lack interest in specific types of training.
Personally, I don't think there are any deficits in Yuuki's behavior or personality that require attention. Her ability to wrangle Naruto into behaving and using an indoor voice is to be commended. She does enable him a little though, but not enough for him to become overbearing or ignorant of present circumstances. Everything worked out in the end, so I'm not certain that is a bad thing or not.
I can reliably say she has no skill in tracking though, so perhaps a little focus on that area would help her.
I watched her channel chakra into her own forehead and headbutt an enemy shinobi so hard that she broke not only his nose, but all of his front teeth as well as his jaw. She also used the Chakura no Mesu offensively, which I've never seen someone do before. She's also apparently teaching Naruto a variation of it but with Fuuton Chakra. I don't know where either of them are getting the free time to be doing this in between missions and individual training times.
Her advice and example has inspired Sakura appropriately, which is very nice. I wasn't sure what to expect but I think this result is the best I could have hoped for.
Yuuki seems to have a mind for battle despite focusing on medics. She ended up going on a long rant about different types of warfare that Sakura could work toward as her Mastery. Sakura wants to do poisons now since she used some chemicals in the middle of battle and confessed that her father loves science.
Despite how things went to hell, like they always seem to do with my team, the mission was a breath of fresh air and I wouldn't mind having her join us again. Also, no one sustained any sort of injury which is a first for our C-Ranks.
Yuuki fanning the flames of Sasuke's crush on Naruto was amusing as well.
I wouldn't refuse having her join us again in the future. I'm interested in how she will do in the Chunin Exams.
Each note highlighted similar parts of Yuuki's personality, while also drawing attention to different concerns they each had about her or her mental health.
The general consensus was that she might need therapy for one thing or another. Yuuki's view of herself and her position in life was fueled by her experiences while growing up. It certainly wasn't a completely healthy mindset even if it was what pushed her to keep going so far.
Just because something became a habit did not mean it was healthy. And just because someone got used to doing things a certain way did not mean that was how things should be done.
Konoha was improving in the fight for better mental health for all people, and Tsunade-sama was overseeing the expansion of the practice in general. It was a considerable task that required a lot of people with various skills and talents to better understand the human brain and how it controlled the body.
They were on the road to improvement, but it would be a long time before they reached a real understanding of the complexities of the human condition.
"Yes, you can participate in the Chunin Exams now."
Yuuki's face shifted into a genuine smile, one of the few Shizune had ever seen from her, and she gave a quick fist pump. "Nice!"
"As a result, the other Jonin sensei made some notes about how to improve your training, so we're going to have a conversation about the changes to your schedule in the near future."
Yuuki's groan was adorable. "Let me guess… there's a lot of stuff in there about aerobic exercises. Just put a pillow over my face and end the pain ahead of time."
Shizune didn't realize that having a student of her own was going to be this fun!
"The Chunin Exams are right around the corner?" Shikamaru gave a long groan because he wasn't looking forward to it. All he wanted to do was continue doing boring D-Ranks that required very little effort. Now Asuma was going to sign them up and force them to interact with other people in mass quantities.
"Yuuki is going to be there," Chouji said around a handful of chips.
"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. We literally see her every single day, or almost every single day. Seeing her in the middle of a dangerous situation is not going to make things any better."
"Well, considering how you act whenever she's not around, I would say that that is a lie."
Shikamaru sent a glare toward his best friend. "Again, I know exactly what you're implying and I'm not in the mood to evaluate my feelings for Yuuki. Yes, I was jealous when I saw her hanging out with the Uchiha for no apparent reason, and I do prefer her being able to hang out with us more, but that could mean literally anything."
Choji hummed. "I don't think it's as complicated as you're making it out to be."
In his personal opinion, Shikamaru begged to differ. With examples like Hinata over Naruto, Shino over Yuuki, Sasuke over Naruto, and even Yuuki over Shikamaru himself, he wouldn't exactly say he had a crush on Yuuki. He admired her and considered her a very good friend, but he wasn't exactly feeling the urge to stare her down, nor did his heart skip a beat or his pulse quicken whenever she came around.
He also didn't feel the urge to tease her, or taunt her, or follow her around.
"I've never had a crush on anyone so I can't exactly say what you would or wouldn't do when you have a crush, but there has to be more ways to fancy someone than just devolving to a creepy fangirl mentality," Choji said.
And that was when his mother just had to pop in.
Nara Yoshino came in with a wide grin on her face. "Shikamaru, do you like Yuuki? Is it finally happening?"
Choji shook his head. "He's a bit in denial and bit on the fence, ba-san. We probably won't get a definitive answer from him any time soon."
His mom nodded and sighed. "Just wait. The Chunin Exams are coming up and Yuuki is bound to meet and see new people. She'll see someone with similar enough features and develop a small crush on them as a result. Then Shikamaru will understand what he feels when he no longer occupies most of her attention."
"I am right here," the Nara Heir protested.
Neither Choji or Yoshino seemed particularly bothered by his offense.
"To make things worse, when someone else begins to show an interest in Yuuki, things are going to drastically change."
"Shino likes Yuuki and we all know it, yet I've never had any kind of reaction to that fact."
His mother sent him a pitying look. "Aburame Shino is a relatively shy young man and hasn't had enough courage to be as up front about his feelings. One day he's going to say something, or someone else is going to say something, and Yuuki will finally become aware of the fact that she has traits that others look for in a romantic partner."
Choji nodded. "When that day comes… she might just give him a shot. You have to admit that you and Shino are kind of similar enough. You talk in relatively monotone voices and don't get excited over anything. You both have dark brown, almost black hair, and dark eyes. Your skin tone is close enough. If he stopped dressing that way, and exposed a bit more skin, it'd be super obvious how close you both look."
…Shikamaru and Shino looked nothing alike. So they shared the dark hair, dark eyes thing, but Yuuki also had those same features and she didn't look like either of them! Sharing the same coloring with a large number of people did not mean that you all looked the same!
Yoshino headed off to the kitchen to do whatever it was she felt she needed to take care of. She looked amused though, which only served to annoy Shikamaru even more.
"You're trying to rile me up and make me jealous," Shikamaru noted. "You haven't succeeded."
His friend shrugged and continued to eat his chips.
A disturbance at the door had them both looking up. Seconds later, three sharp knocks sounded. It was Yuuki.
"Speak of the devil," Choji murmured as Shikamaru got up to let her in.
When he opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of Yuuki in her usual glory, hair a bit longer than the last time he'd seen it. In fact… it was very reminiscent of Shino's hairstyle now. Still short and spiky, but further from her scalp now. It was like a large, spiky puff around her head.
"Nice hair. Come in before the bugs do."
"Thanks! Also, the door leading to the engawa is always open so they're coming in no matter what." She had a point. "Anyway, shishou is letting me take the Chunin Exams!"
From not too far behind him came Choji's muffled choking. Either in shock or amusement, who could say?
Ignoring him, Shikamaru fixed Yuuki with a smirk. "Are you being sent with a random Genin group?"
"Yeah. Two Genin from the Genin Corps will be with me because in Konoha, they require you to have a team of at least three participants."
"Congrats. Asuma is having us take the Exams too."
Yuuki plopped down so there was an equal distance between her, him, and Choji. "My money is on our entire graduating class becoming Chunin. After how much the school curriculum improved while we were in school, and how much more advanced we are compared to others who have been Genin longer, we all have a solid shot."
And there were just some who were practically guaranteed to rank up from this too. Sasuke, Naruto, Yuuki, and Shikamaru most definitely. If even one of them didn't then there was something wrong with how shinobi were scored in the Chunin Exams.
"Anyway, I brought something new to show your father. Basically, an early prototype of what it's actually going to be, but after my mission with Team Seven, I have concluded that this is necessary." And then she pulled out… something. He had no clue what it was. Not even a vague idea. It looked kind of like a... condom wrapped around a metal ring?
"So, this is a new invention that will help people who menstruate, so they don't have to use less pleasant options of catching blood."
…Of course it was.
Choji's snickering was not helping at all.
A/N: Another chapter is done!
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