Training Grounds

...

Shizuko sits on the ground with Chie running around on the ground with her tail wagging excitedly. She had arrived a little too early mostly because Chie went running out of the house. Her teammates and sensei weren't even here yet.

Mitsukai ran up to the training grounds, and stopped in a grassy clearing. She glanced around, with an unsatisfied frown, "Katsu-sensei? Where are you!"

"Mitsukai, wait up!" Shin called as he ran up from behind.

"Do you see him?" Mitsukai asked. "I wanna learn a new jutsu today!" She cried cheerfully.

"Um... Mitsukai..." He tapped her shoulder, and then pointed to Shizuko and Chie. He sweatdropped as Mitsukai grinned.

"Morning Shizuko, Chie!" But rather than giving a proper greeting, she went to scout the area for Katsu-sensei.

Shin sighed and sat down near Shizuko, watching Chie.

Shizuko nods and continues to watch Chie roll around on the ground.

Chie barks and rolls onto her stomach and moves so she sits on her hind legs in a beg position.

Shizuko smiles lightly and nods.

Katsu appears behind Shin and Shizuko, "Hello my students!!"

Shizuko jumps slightly and Chie falls over onto her back just to roll over once again and barks.

Shin gasped and jumped forward back onto his feet, turning to face his sensei. "Hello sensei..."

But Mitsukai was no where to be found.

Katsu grins then looks around the area to find no Mitsukai. "... No Mitsukai, huh? Well I guess you guys are stuck with missions and laps today!"

Shizuko goes slightly pale when she hears the word laps come out of her sensei's mouth. She has grown to hate the word. Laps. "...She's here she just ran off before you got here, sensei."

"Hmm?" He smiles once again, "But she is not in my sight, Shizuko so you guys are out of luck."

"SENSEI!!!!!!!"

"Oh boy..." Shin mumbled as Mitsukai came crashing down from a tree, attempting to catch Katsu by surprise with a sneak attack.

Katsu moves to the side, letting Mitsukai land on the ground while he crosses his arms.

Shizuko just watches the scene unfold while Chie runs over to Shizuko and jumps into her lap.

Mitsukai yelped as Katsu moved aside, and Mitsukai landed face first in the dirt. With a sour expression, she looked up at Katsu, "Katsu-sensei.... I almost had you!" She cried indignantly.

Katsu gave her a dull look, "Only in your mind, Mitsukai." He smiles and ruffles Mitsukai's hair.

"What?! No, I was this close!" She measured the distance with her hands, "And next time, you'll be sorry!" She announced. Shin sweatdropped, looking to Shizuko, and simply hoping he wasn't the only one who thought Mitsukai was crazy.

Shizuko looks towards Shin and glances towards Mitsukai then looks back at Chie who barked at her trying to get her attention.

Katsu shakes his head and laughs loudly, "That'll be the day pigs fly, Mitsukai."

Mitsukai glared at her sensei, "Just you wait! We were training today right? Well let's go!" Mitsukai widened her stance, as though ready to spar.

Shin sighed, "Why don't you wait to hear what Katsu-sensei has to saym Mitsukai-chan?" He fidgeted with his fingers blowing a strand of hair out of his face, only to have it flatten against his face again. His beanie always kept his hair flattened against his face- his bright, orange, hair. His object of irritation. And, as usual, Mitsukai didn't seem to hear him- when did she ever hear him?

Shizuko looks over at Mitsukai while holding Chie and she states softly, "Mitsukai remember the deal? We would only do training today if we all were in view when sensei appeared before us today. You ran on ahead looking for sensei when he never shows up before us... never and now, because of you, we have to run laps... and do D ranked missions all day."

Katsu nods proudly, "Yep!"

"Though I feel like you tricked us..." Shizuko mumbles and Chie barks at Katsu.

"What? No fair!" She complained. Shin sighed and sweatdropped.

Katsu laughs, "You didn't keep up your part of the deal, Mitsukai so you have to face the consquences. Now... how many laps should you guys do..."

"None." says Shizuko while throwing a stick that Chie catches after.

"That's not a number, Shi-chan."

"Fine, zero. Don't call me Shi-chan, sensei." snaps Shizuko, showing her Inuzuka side finally of the day.

"Smarty pants!" Katsu points at Shizuko, "Mitsu-chan, Shin-kun, Shi-chan is a smarty pants!!" Katsu complains like a small child. Katsu was obvious a child at heart since he acted like a child from time to time, mostly complaining about Shizuko when she decides to be a 'smarty pants' as he puts it.

Shin's sweatdropped only grew twice in size. Mitsukai only played a long.

"Ha!" She pointed accusingly at her sensei, "Smarter than you, Katsu-sensei? I bet we're stronger than you too!-"

'Uh oh...' When Mitsukai started talking this way... things only got worse. Shin groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

"-We can handle laps, can't we guys? Not just ten, or twenty either- we could run all day!" Mitsukai grinned proudly, placing her hands on her hips, "That'll prove how strong we are, sensei!"

Katsu stares at Mitsukai along with Shizuko though Shizuko had a more shocked expression filled with utter disbeilf. Katsu eventually smiles with arms crossed, "You can? Well then! I guess you all are going to run all day!"

Shizuko face palms herself calling Mitsukai a baka repeatedly out loud. Yes, she respected Mitsukai but Mitsukai goes over board... a lot. Espeically with Sensei.

"Baka? No, you're the baka! Baka! Baka! Baka!" She said, insistently pointing her finger at Shizuko. Shizuko didn't talk much, but when she did, Mitsukai always seemed to lose her temper. "We can do it! Right sensei? Around the training grounds as usual?" She asked, directing her attention back to Katsu. Shin held his hand over his stomach- he could feel the cramps already.

Katsu grinned brightly and nodded, "Alrighty then! Let's get running everyone! I'll even run with you guys today!"

Shizuko shakes her head as Chie returns with the stick but she runs over to Shin instead and sits down in front of him with the stick at her paws, waiting for him to throw it. Chie seemed to favor Shin out of everyone minus Shizuko that is.

Shin smiled as Chie set the stick out in front of him, and after glancing to Shizuko, he bent down picked up the stick, watching the dog as its gaze followed the stick closely. Shin's smile widened into a grin, and slowly stood up, getting ready to throw it.

"Hurry up guys! Let's go!" Mitsukai said, getting in a stance to run, but this time waiting for her team- mainly because sensei was waiting for the rest of the gang.

Chie stood up, watching Shin's hand that held the stick, waiting for him to throw it as Shizuko stood up herself getting ready to run. She was going to get Mitsukai later for this.

Katsu watches his team for a while, grinning proudly.

(hehehe xD Oh joy.)

Shin glanced to Mitsukai, only to see the back of her head; she had been talking to him, but she hadn't been looking directly at him, "Be right there." He looked back down at the dog, smiled, then threw the stick as far as he could. He waited for Chie to run after it before he went to join his friends and his sensei.

"Alright, let's go! All day! All night if we have to!" Mitsukai then shot forward, bursting into a run before Katsu could even say 'Go'.

Shizuko was ready to run though she wasn't too thrilled about it since she knew her legs were going to make her regret it later.

Chie bolts after the stick, barking.

Katsu lines up with his students and laughs as Mitsukai bolts off running, "That's the spirit, Mitsukai! Now go!" Katsu bolts off with Shizuko behind him.

Shin stood there for a moment, watching them disappear from sight, then he sighed, adjusted his beanie, and broke into a run to chase after them.

Mitsukai was jumping from trees to trees now, focusing on the wind against her face, and the smells of the forest, even the leaves in the breeze. She felt free, and only wanted to go faster. Slowly but surely, she was becoming just a blur from the sight of her teammates.

Shin was already having trouble catching up to Shizuko and Katsu-sensei. He was trying to keep his breath all while trying to push his pace.