Open Learning to Run: The Goal is Graduation!

[Chikamatsu Shin]

The air felt electric, the stillness of the clouds above felt alien, but the sharpness of his breaths was far too common. Yamanaka Shuuske, an Academy Student, was a boy of set expectations, but unfortunately for him those expectations were low. His family would be considered the side branch when looking at the strength of the Yamanaka Clan, so much so you could compare his parents to a Queen Anne's Lace in a field of Poison Hemlock. The nearly glowing golden hair and the distinct pupilless eyes that house the same hue as the summer sky, but with none of the potency. His family was nothing in comparison to those heroes within the village. His parents were proud to make Chuunin in the mid thirties. He felt like that was an embarrassment, he could already hold his own against his father and Shuusuke was only 8 years old. His parent's were often on guard duty or leading other helpless Genin on missions to track down lost pets or other thankless jobs. He knew nothing of the relationships between the villages as his parents were not only not involved but treated him like an infant. For all he knew all of the great nations were at war.

Calming his mind, the boy took a deep breath. The surge of electrical energy fading from his hands. A bead of sweat trickled down his face as he looked to his sparring partner, Shida. "If that's all you have you won't make Genin until you're 15!" she yelled out to Shusuke. Inhaling deeply a spiral of water formed around her mouth "Water Style: Water Whip!" As she let the jutsu go an arrow like current of water shot forth at Shusuke, quicker than her could respond. Darting to the side he was able to avoid a direct blow, but the piercing pressure of the jutsu left it's mark as his shoulder began to bleed. A grin came across his face. "Not bad Shida-chan..." His voice trailed off as a flicker of handseals were made.

Lightning Style: Thunder Clap His hands surged with a new rounds of blue sparks as he pulled them back behind him before slamming his two electrified hands together. with similar speed the boy sent out 6 blue currents of electricity which sparked through the air and began to dance around the turtle, barely meeting their target. He had to push harder. He had to cover his weaknesses. How was he supposed to be a great Shinobi when all he could use now was his blade and his kekkei genkai? he had to do more to prove that he was a talented shinobi, worthy of graduation.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

"It never stops..." the thought ran through the young man's head as he sighed and stared at the papers scattered over his desk. Reports to file, assessments to make, he even had a meeting coming up soon with the bosses to discuss his own performance as a teacher. 'Barely above average' is how he thought of himself, so the deities only knew what his superiors would have to say.

Eventually after glaring at his own chicken scratch handwriting for so long that his eyes started to hurt, he swept all the files into a folder and hastily tossed them into his desk. He got there early that day to wrap up some work before he set out on his big upcoming mission... but he couldn't look at these things anymore. They'd have to wait. Painstakingly the chūnin made his way from his classroom, down the steps, out the door and-- Zzzzzt!

"...eh?"
​

Several bolts of chakra electricity zipped past him, causing his hair to frizz up slightly and making his skin feel all tingly. It didn't take long for his shaded eyes to find the perpetrator, a young blonde student who looked to be engaged in combat with the most adorable looking tortoise creature. A waist-level tugging on the end of his shirt caused the older shinobi to look down and spot a student of his wide-eyed and pointing her finger. "Daiji-sensei look! Those jutsu are way cooler than the ones you show us!" A sweatdrop formed on his head as he shifted his gaze once more to the ongoing bout. She wasn't wrong... though there was a good reason for that. The dark-skinned chūnin reached a hand out to pat the youth on her small head. "Fundamentals, kiddo. Fundamentals." His own jutsu were not exactly suited to demonstrate to children. Especially those outside of his clan who had more 'normal' upbringings. Maybe this was a sign that he needed to spice things up. That or stop partying so much so he could form a coherent lesson plan that wasn't thrown together the morning of.

Normally this was about the time his teacherly instincts would take over and he would stop the fighting before anyone got hurt. However a quick look was all it took to tell the older shinobi everything that he needed to know. The boy had a smile on his face and seemed in good spirits so he could only assume this was a friendly match with a pet or companion of his. And from the little he had seen, the boy appeared to have a decent amount of control over his abilities. "Lightning Release at his age? Not bad." So even the gathering crowd of gawking academy students were not in any immediate danger. Most seemed to be keeping their distance and watching well out of harm's way. A few even spectated from concealment. "At least I'm teaching them something right." a slight smirk grew on his face as he spotted a few of his students hiding. Pride wasn't something he felt very often except when it came to the youngsters under his supervision. For now everyone was safe. And from his completely relaxed demeanor it was obvious that he wasn't worried. The chūnin simply placed both hands in his pockets and would observe. It was always nice for students to see their peers in action.

If things got out of hand he could ensure everyone's safety with little to no issue. He hadn't seen this particular student around the academy before today however. Whatever happened, his interest was definitely piqued.

[Topic Entered]
[mft]

 

[Shishiwakamaru]

A sudden 'snap' resounded down the alleyway Shishiwakamaru was traveling through. To him it sounded like something akin to a wound up towel that had been soaked in water and used as a weapon, not unlike what you occasionally see in locker rooms n' such. He was relatively close to the academy, and with that meant he was also in close proxmity to the training grounds as well. He initially meant to ignore the sound and push forward towards the Clan Houses, but a sudden surge blue energy burst to life, followed by what sounded like a mini-lightning storm. This was enough to pique to curious mind of this untrained student.

As Shishiwakamaru rounded the corner, and the training grounds came into sight, he saw the source of the noise and light. The grounds appeared to be barren for the most part. save for two entities. One he recognized immediately, it was that mednin he met when he had brought Gaki in for treatment. The other, however, was completely alien to him. He had never seen a creature like it, it was a complete mystery. I suppose you really needed to think outside the box to be unique with your pet choices.

The curious little critter was enough to warrant further investigation, but he also wanted to say hello again since Shishiwakamaru also wanted to become a medical ninja in the future. Excited to see a familiar face he would start to jog in their direction. Holding onto his shoulder-slung bag he used his free hand to wave towards Shusuke. "Heya! It's me, Shishiwakaaagghhh!" Suddenly the world made its acquaintance with the young boy, though shaking hands with the ground via your face doesn't exactly work out well. Shishiwakamaru had tripped and landed face first in the dirt a small distance away from Shusuke. He would lay there a moment before rolling over on his back, blood already running from his throbbing nose. "Ow ow ow ow ow...." He wasn't exactly great at making positive impressions.


[OOC - MFT]

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Breathing heavy Shusuke wasn't really paying attention to the other students that started to watch his sparring match with his companion Shida, but the presence of a teacher made the boy grin. Not moving his eyes away from his target, he knew it was about time to wrap this up and send her back to her home. A series of handseals were flashed as Shusuke began to run towards Shida. A soft melody began to fill the area Ninja Art: Trembling Music and in an instant the boy split into multiple images of himself. Ninja Art: Basic Clone. The two clones darted forward and pulled out their short blades and began to attack Shida. Ninja Art: Tourniquet Though the blades were illusory it would appear their cuts were real as a splattering of blood would be displayed across the ground.

A quick jump and a flip over Shida the boy was able to easily dodge the incoming snap of the water whip she had created. He knew he did not personally have the strength to break the summoning that he performed through combat itself and he was about out of chakra. It was time to try out the new technique he had been practicing! "Ninja Art: Mists of Deceit..." Shida knew this technique. He said it for a reason, to let her knew he was ending this fight. As the words came from his lips the boy's body would begin to emit a cloud of crimson fog. A look of fear took to Shida's face as the Hidden in the Blood Mist technique took effect.

Shin had vanished from sight, all that was left were his two clones that were causing Shida to try and be light on her toes as their daggers seemed to cu despite the fact that they shouldn't exist. Shusuke hasn't learned any actual clone techniques and this was blowing her mind. The the realization hit. She needed out, she needed to get away from this fight and with a quick turn of her Water Whip she would get exactly what she wanted. Sweet release.

A cloud of smoke as the summoned turtle was sent back home and Shusuke was out of chakra. For those that could see through the illusions the ending of this fight was probably odd to watch, Shusuke simply ran towards the turtle, leapt over her and successfully dodged the water whip before the turtles, out of nowhere struck herself with her own technique ending the connection from her summoning. Shusuke didn't touch her, she wasn't unharmed but she became panicked and forced herself back from where she came.

A heavy sweat took the boy, he did it, he was out of chakra. Drops came from his face as his hand caught his falling body before dropping to the ground and a heavy breath could be heard as he tried to regain his composure. It wasn't working. He was truly exhausted. That last technique was a jutsu that no student shold be trying. It was a technique that would absolutely drain them, and it did.

 

[Shishiwakamaru]

With a pulsating reminder of his recent accident throbbing like a flashing neon sign, Shishiwakamaru would slowly pick himself up from the ground. Attempting to lightly touch his nose would immediately fill him with regret as pain surged all the way up into his brain. He didn't think it was broken, but baw gawd it hurt like a butt cheek on a stick.

Attempting to keep an eye on Shusuke's action Shishiwakamaru would reach into his bag and pull out a water bottle. Unopened the label would read; 'AquaFiri, 100% pure, 110% Refreshing'. Always handy to have some water on standby! Twisting off the cap he would tilt his head so that any water dripping down would spill onto the ground and not his clothes. He started to poor some water on his face in a shoddy attempt to clean himself up from the still, partially, bleeding nose. This is when he saw Shusuke do an incredible flip over the creature and perform a slurry of techniques Shishiwakamaru could only dream of pulling off.

In amazement he impulsively shouted out in excitement. "Holy guacamole!' However, he was still in the process of pouring water on his face, so anyone paying attention would have heard something more like; "Hoblbly Guablumoblee!" Garbled speech was all that managed to resonate outward. As he was attempting to drown himself he still did his best to watch the show. Shishiwakmaru had barely any concept of illusions, so he would see what Shusuke intended to be seen. 'No wonder he's already managed to become a mednin... This guy's incredible!' This thought rang out in his mind, only encouraging his belief of Shusuke's keen aptitude.

After the smoke had settled and the small creature vanished, a panting Shusuke was all that was left of that brilliant display of skill. With a more cautious approach Shishiwakamaru would jog over to the blonde acquaintance. "Here, have one of these!" Shishiwakamaru was still sorta hyped up on the exhilarating experience he just witnessed, so he probably sounded more chipper than the average joe-ninja. Reaching into his bag again he would reveal another bottle of water. This time it would read; 'AquaFiri, Refresh your style!'. He would hand Shusuke the bottle of water, if he wanted it, complimenting him in the process. "That was incredible, mednin AND a super cool jutsu user?! I'll take some of what you're taking, cuz that was first rate for sure." It was then that thrills began to chill out and his tunnel vision ended. A crowd of other students, and even a teacher by the looks of it, had accumulated to enjoy the spectacle. "Heh heh, looks like you have a few more admirers..."

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Boy were these kids some characters. First the blonde-haired boy sparring with what appeared to be some kind of summon of his, and now this student who walked up and fell flat on his face a few inches from the ongoing battle. "Great..." He barely had time to pinch the bridge of his nose before his 'responsible adult' instincts were screaming at him. Not that he listened to those most of the time...

Couldn't let a student get hurt on his watch. Wordlessly the chūnin moved towards the youth who had fallen flat on his face, even his casual speed likely appearing much quicker to those watching. He maneuvered through the middle of the bout without effort, his sharp eyes taking note of everything he saw as he weaved past several attacks. Upon reaching the boy the instructor would bend down slightly, attempt to grab him by the scruff of his shirt, and then? Woosh.

Nothing but a light swirl of leaves dancing in their place. (Shadow Dance)

Wouldn't take long for the youth to realize what had happened as, assuming he didn't break free, he would now be atop a nearby tree branch in the training yard, plopped down on the edge of the tree limb with the older shinobi squatting beside him, gaze still fixated on the battle below. "Here." he would say as he withdrew a strip of gauze from his hip pouch and offered it to the boy. "Pinch the bridge of your nose and tilt your head forward a bit... just no falling from up here, alright?" he side-eyed the youth, a faint smirk appearing after he spoke. In transit he would have clocked the clan symbol emblazoned on the back of his shirt. "Nara... is this what they're churning out nowadays?" a famous clan noted for their keen intellect and this was what they had to offer? "Nothing says they can't be clumsy I suppose." he chirped to himself in his own head, more amused at the situation than he was sure the boy would be with that leaking face of his. From on high the older shinobi would refocus on the match, taking in every detail.

Eventually the tortoise disappeared in a poof of smoke. So a summon it was. This was getting more interesting by the second. Lightning Release, combination genjutsu and the Summoning Technique all from one so young. First impression? "Impressive." his smirk remained as his shaded gaze lingered on the blonde-haired youth. Then there was his new Nara tree buddy. His eyes shifted once more to the poor kid. First impression? "Not so much." But maybe that made him more endearing. After all, when he was his age he was no genius himself. As for the the other, maybe his initial guess was wrong? Prodigies were common enough in the Shinobi World and age was only a factor insofar as experience was concerned. He might've very well already been a genin, though he didn't spot a forehead protector right away.

"Not bad." he quipped from his position atop the tree. Illusions were never exactly his forte, but he didn't disparage them like most members of his own clan. The boy had talent that was for sure. "Those jutsu weren't exactly basic... learn those by yourself?" He was intrigued, and more than just his normal playful curiosity. The chūnin turned his head to stare at the boy with the bleeding nose. "What about you 'Shishiwakagh', can you do anything like that?" A hand would come up to hold his own cheek in a casual and goofy manner. His watchful gaze bounced back and forth between the two. An interesting duo to say the least.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

A grin came to his face, this was the boy from the hospital who’s friend was beaten to a pulp, ”Yea… something like that.” Shusuke’s breaths were heavy as he took the bottle of water from the other student and shifted his body so that he could sit and lean back against one of his arms. His pupiless eyes scanned the other students who were watching him that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, perfect. If Shusuke was to become a notable shinobi in Konoha it had to start in the academy. His peers needed to be the first to be impressed by him. He couldn’t end up being 35 years old and barely making it to Chuunin like his parents. That’s not the life for him. He turned is eyes back towards Shishiwakamaru and was shocked a bit to see that there were only falling leaves in his place. A brow tensed slightly, was there another gifted student in the academy? Fuck! A child most likely born from a well to do family, a clan like the Uchiha perhaps.

A deep sigh was felt as the young illusionist calmed his nerves and steadied his heart rate. His mind was slowing down and right as he was planning on tracking down this other boy he heard a voice call down to him. Turning his gaze to the lean man in the tree his crystal blue eyes would be matched by a pair of dark sunglasses. Maybe Shusuke should get a pair of glasses, it would definitely help prevent the instant recognition of his Yamanaka lineage. Most shinobi know if you make eye contact with a blond who has pupiless blue eyes you’re probably already under their Genjutsu, but as a student he wasn’t quite to that level yet.

”I mean, for the most part yea, not many Shinobi around these parts feel like their up to the challenge of teaching someone like me about Genjutsu. Too many Taijutsu or Ninjutsu focused types if you ask me.” He snarky grin took to his face as he addressed the presumably Sensei of the academy with such a casual tone to his voice. Almost as if speaking to a peer. Looking the man up and down Shusuke wondered if he could see through his jutsu or not, that was the only question on his mind.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Dark eyes watched the blonde-haired youth as he stared around after his own little disappearing act. It gave him an opportunity to analyze him a bit more closely. His pale yellow hair and featureless blue eyes stood out for sure, but it wasn't quite enough to place him assuredly in one clan or another. At least not in his mind. Certain shinobi clans had strong genetics and that was a fact but playing ninja phrenology was something that he tried his best to avoid doing. Else every black haired, dark-eyed villager might be a secret Uchiha and so on. What he could pick up on for a fact was that this kid was sharp. Not only did he have knowledge of higher-level jutsu the average student would not, he handled surprises well. Even after a straining battle with that tortoise of his. Didn't panic. Calmly assessed his surroundings. Even put on a front despite his exhausted state.

A finger came up to push his shades further up on the bridge of his nose. "Oho.~" he vocalized, his dark eyes narrowing on the youth. Confident. Not a bad quality per se, but something that could easily become a slippery slope if left unchecked. "'Someone like you'?" he parroted, the tone of his voice as nonchalant as ever as he tilted his head upwards seemingly in 'thought'. After a few seconds he would slowly stand from his squatting position on the branch and fold his arms as he leaned up against its trunk . "Maybe you could teach us all a thing or two then?" A few students who were previously in hiding had started to peek their heads out now that the chakra had stopped flying, and a small crowd was starting to form. Gossiping ensued of course. The wide-eyed girl from before piped up first. "Yeah, please? Daiji-sensei never shows us any high-level moves..." It was a good thing his back was facing away from the kid so they couldn't see the sweatdrop that formed on his head after...

"Ahem..." a hand came up and he cleared his throat before continuing on. "It's not every day such an esteemed Genjutsu expert graces us with their presence." his own smirk remained as he spoke, the fact that some of the other students around seemed to agree only serving to add fuel to the fire. And then there was the Nara boy, who mentioned the fact that the boy was a Medical Ninja as well. "A Med-nin too? So accomplished." Something definitely didn't add up here. Sure prodigies weren't unheard of in the Ninja World, but he was positive he would have heard about a Med-nin as young as this kid if that was in fact the case. "Let's see how he reacts." the thought crossed his mind as he folded his arms once more and nodded to the gathering crowd of students. "Well? Your admirers are waiting." it wasn't long before a few "Yeah!"s and "Teach us something neat!"s rang out throughout the yard. The girl from before even approached the boy and nervously clasped her hands as she nervously choked a request. "C-... can we see your headband?"

This was too good. It seemed like just yesterday he was the mischievous young ninja causing a ruckus all over the village. It was glad to see that some things never changed. His gaze would turn towards the Nara boy once more, his glasses having slid down just far enough so that the youth could see a wink shot his way. It'd be interesting to see if that intellect his clan was so renown for was enough to start putting the pieces together. Although it would depend on the blonde's reaction to the situation. Maybe his instincts were off and he was in fact the village's youngest Med-nin? But at a glance? Something didn't smell right.

 

[Uchiha Asuka]

Taking a stroll through the academy was calming enough, in a comfortable white Kimono was even better. It even gave her a moment to reprise from work. Or at least her annoying... eh... advisors... pestering about boring stuff like budgets and high profile missions. That's why she had Sennin, to deal with stuff like that. Boy, where those the days. Thankfully no one really paid much attention to her, probably because she didn't show her face much. Made her anonymous. Taking a sip from her tea cup she took it upon herself to go outside, immediately she was able to hear a very familiar and particular noise. Untrained fighting, well that certainly would be exciting to watch.

Slowly making herself over to the origin of the noise she took slow sips from her wonderful tea, an import from the outskirts of the country. It only grows on top of a high mountain, very hard to get, rare to find, expensive to get. All from a porcelain cup brought from cloud, one of her favorites... also expensive. But it certainly was godly, hence why she would enjoy every last drop. Usually, at the Hokages mansion, as soon as she showed her face people would start hammering her with requests, meetings and obligations. Here? Not a peep, that's what she liked about the academy. No one cared.

It took her a bit to figure out what was going on. Some yellow haired person was fighting who knew what. Although she had to admit, she was quite impressed at the skills of the boy. She recognized the hands signs of one of the jutsus, she used it to annoy Takeshi a couple of times. She followed the lightning bolts as they scattered across the arena, following a turtle.... a quick turtle. Taking a sip from her tea once more, she looked around and saw one of her chunnin with a class of students. How lively was the village lately. She surely had to say high to the younglings.

She was quite enjoying herself as she took another sip from her tea. Her lips touched the tip of the cup but no liquid came through, as soon as she opened her eyes she was seeing through her cup. It took her a few moments but apparently one of the lightning strikes had hit her cup, turning half of it into dust. Giving a slight giggle as her eyebrow trembled, trying to suppress... whatever was happening she decided to make a move. Moving forward towards the group she stood behind the yellow haired boy. Giving a slight, giggle that sounded cute but delivered with it a sense of dread. "Ma boi here doesn't have a headband yet!" Asuka gave a warm smile as she took a deep breath, placing her arm on Shusukes shoulder "But I can certainly teach you something! A lightning dragon, meteors, I can even show you a very nice clone trick I learned." Asuka made sure her broken tea cup was in sight, in case the people around figured it out. "Of course we're gonna need a volunteer. I think Shushuke here should volunteer. What do you say Daiji sensei!" Asuka gave a frightful smile, basically saying... interrupt and die.

[Topic Entered]

 

[Shishiwakamaru]

He had never traveled so fast in the entirety of his life, it was enough to nearly make him hurl! It took him a moment to regain his composure after Daiji-sensei took him along a mach 1 adventure. What's worse is he was now up a tree, a very tall tree. How the leaf was he gonna get down?! After some brief breathing exercises to keep the vertigo from taking over he would look to Daiji. He sensed a jesting tone about him as he spoke to Shusuke. A subtle wink hinted towards vexed him dearly. Though he was not the sharpest Nara, the bloodline still ran through his veins. Enough for him to pick up on what the teacher was suggesting. His mind had trouble coming to terms with the implications, however, and caused him to start thinking deeper about it. Had Shusuke lied back then at the hospital? He couldn't have...

But in the back of his mind the feeling still crept up and down his spine. He needed to know for sure. It bothered him for some reason, the thought of having been lied to. Granted they weren't exactly friends, but being honest with each other was a necessary step to that foundation. The situation was enough to help him overcome his fear of heights and he began to struggle down the tree. Attempting to be cautious as he started down the tree.. To his surprise, and perhaps others, he made it down without issue or mishap!

As he made his approach towards Shusuke he suddenly stopped short in shock as the Hokage appeared from seemingly nowhere. Initially he was dumbfounded, unsure of what to even say, or if he even SHOULD say anything. That was, at least, until he heard her say that her boi there didn't have a headband. This knowledge coming from a source that he couldn't even dream of lying, coupled with Daiji-sensei's playful wink, the jig was up! And so when Lady Asuka said she would need a volunteer he would completely dismiss the option of Shusuke being the volunteer and offered himself up as tribute. It was time to see what this Shusuke was all about. "I volunteer!"

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shusuke chuckled, the sensei clearly misunderstood his intent. "Yea, a child of the Yamanaka Clan, we tend to have a genetic headstart when it comes to mastering the ways of the illusions." His eyes locked onto the Sensei, he didn't show off? Was it because he couldn't and he was a failure of a shinobi that was forced to teach because his practical skills were trash, or perhaps he didn't want to scare his class by showing his true power. A bead of sweat began to form on his brow, surely this shinobi could tell that Shusuke wasn't a Medical Ninja, was he going to get caught in a lie by some no-name chuunin? A sigh slipped from his lips. "I wouldn't say I was an expert, yet..." The eight year old child would turn to stare at the class nearby. "But I know I could probably take on any of my peers" He said, clearly as an insult to his fellow students.

Before Shusuke could do anything else he heard an unfamiliar voice, the voice of a woman. A voice stating that he doesn't have a headband yet. "Yea? And how wou-" His voice stopped mid-sentence. He recognized this woman as the Hokage. Not only was this the Hokage... but apparently, he also broke her mug with his spar with Shida. He tried to grin at her, but it was quite clear that he was intimidated, hell she could probably feel the rigidness of his body since her arm was around him. Probably for the first time in his life Shusuke was speechless, she would pay for this. Shusuke didn't scare easy, but this woman was powerful. You could feel her strength just standing beside her. He was concerned what she was hinting at, and his mind began to wander.

His eyes widened. He was being threatened by the Hokage but it appeared that Shishiwakamaru was volunteering. Did the boy that Shusuke was assuming is a Nara offering to fight him or was he wanting to learn from the Hokage. He wasn't sure one way or the other, but he wasn't in a position to fight anyone. He knew, in this instance he wasn't expected to respond.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

The chūnin watched the blonde-haired boy carefully as he spoke, taking extra pains to study his body language and mannerisms. "Yamanaka, hm..." He was sure of it now. This kid's head was almost as inflated as Asa's and that was saying something. Age was a factor not lost on him and that's exactly why he was playfully banting with the student and not wagging his finger. Hopefully time and experience would dampen a bit of that arrogance. And if not? Well he always did find amusement in the extremes. "Listen." he started, adjusting his shades as he spoke. "Innate talent is nice but genes are no guarantee. I've seen plenty of shinobi rely too heavily on their kekkei genkai and grow complacent." It was true. The boy didn't exactly strike him as the slacker type, but overconfidence was a dangerous business in their line of work. "Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching. If you do..." he narrowed his eyes on the boy and paused for effect. "You'll pay the price." Just as he was about to wave his hand and say 'lecture over' something caught his attention.

His dark eyes didn't see everything, but they captured a lot. It wasn't easy to slip anything past Daiji which is why when a red-haired woman arrived on the scene his gaze instantly locked on to her. She seemed awfully familiar. "Is that... ? it can't be." he was trying to convince himself but he wasn't so sure. Almost like when you notice a celebrity's face but can't quite place the name. If he got that effect from meeting two of the village's Sennin, Nao and Soku (which he most certainly did) you could say this was like that same effect times ten. Reputation was important in the Shinobi World, and no self-respecting ninja could go about their lives without knowing of their leaders. He studied her as she approached. The way she carried herself. How she dressed. "She's pretty cu- focus, Daiji." he shook the thought from his head and resumed his watch. It wasn't until a stray bolt of electricity vaporized part of her teacup that his concentration was broken, and when he finally realized what this meant even his normally calm and even demeanor slipped as he shifted his gaze to the blonde-haired boy.

Things were about to get even more interesting.

She played along instantly and outright said what he had been hinting at with the Nara boy and to his fellow classmates. So that confirmed it. The 'Med-nin' was in fact a student and not the youngest doctor the village had ever known... but that being said the idea of him being a prodigy was not out of the window just yet. He had skills beyond his years and that was clear. Daiji stepped aside to make room for the boy with the bloody nose to descend the tree, which was a feat not lost on him. "Pretty dexterous." he noted, nodding in approval at the youth as he made his way down and towards the crowd. It had been a long time since he climbed something this high without the use of chakra but he knew it was no simple task. The woman's voice sounded out, beautifully punctuating the light teasing he had been administering to the youth and putting a spin on it that would have made his younger prankster self beam devilishly. "I agree... Hokage-sama." that smirk of his was growing larger by the second. She threw her arm around the boy and he could almost laugh out loud. It would be quite the sight to see how this played out.

The Nara boy himself volunteered and Daiji's attention once more fell to him. He seemed like a good kid. Earnest and kind. Reminded him a bit of Toshi actually. His thoughts briefly flashed back to his own academy days. Not only was he himself no prodigy by any stretch of the imagination, but he did not even have his clan's famed Dōjutsu so he had no genetic advantage to carry him through. He had to scrape and claw to get where he was at, with no shortage of training. And those were the ones who endeared themselves most to him. He always did have a soft spot for the underdog. And in his own experience, they had the potential to go as far as they wanted. Time would tell but... students like the Nara boy were truly the ones to watch out for. He'd be keeping a watchful eye on his development as time passed by. "He did volunteer first." Daiji casually backpedaled off of the tree branch, falling a short ways before catching the tree limb with his hand and swinging himself forward and onto the ground below. His sandals clacked as he landed near the Nara boy. Standing from his crouched position and placing a hand on the boy's head. "What do you say kids? Want to watch our Hokage show us something cool?" Several cheers sounded out from the surrounding students and he even chuckled himself. It was time to see just what their leader had in store for these youths.