A Leaf on the Forehead

Yuhi Shinku turned her head and glared at the Genin under the shade of the tree.

What are you all still doing sitting there?

The Genin were taken aback.

"You can't even beat a five-year-old, and you still have the nerve to sit and watch?" Yuhi Shinku's voice was stern. "All of you, come here and train with us."

The Genin looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a sound. One by one, they stood up and slunk Earth Flow the sidelines.

Yuhi Shinku pointed to the tree. "Everyone pick a leaf."

Several Genin quickly picked the leaves and distributed them to everyone.

"Place the leaf on your forehead and use Chakra to hold it in place so it doesn't fall." Yuhi Shinku took one for herself. "Once you can do that, try Tree Climbing."

Shin-chan slapped the leaf on his forehead.

The leaf swayed, but didn't fall.

"That's it?" Shin-chan blinked.

Yuhi Shinku ignored him and turned to the group of Genin: "Some of you can't even climb Tree Climbing properly. Go practice over there. If you don't know how, ask. Don't just stand there dazed."

Several Genin blushed slightly and silently walked to the tree to begin practicing.

Kakashi placed the leaf on his forehead and stood there for a while.

"How about it?"

"I can keep it steady," Kakashi said, "But keeping the leaves from falling and Tree Climbing at the same time is much more difficult; I'll have to multitask."

Shin-chan, with a leaf on his forehead, said, "Then I'll begin."

After saying that, he took only two steps on the tree before the leaves began to sway to the side and finally floated down.

"It's gone."

Yuhi Shinku looked at him. "Continue."

Shin-chan jumped down from the tree, picked up a leaf, and paused to think for a moment, something he rarely does.

"I see."

"What do you know?"

"Just now, when I was walking, I was thinking about both my feet and the leaves; my mind was split in two," Shin-chan said. "Now I only need to think about the leaves; my feet can walk on their own."

The nearby Genin heard this and looked completely bewildered.

"Feet walk on their own? How can feet walk on their own?"

"What nonsense is he talking about?!"

Shin-chan ignored them, carefully sensing the leaves as he walked upwards step by step, as if he didn't need to think about where to step or how much Chakra to use.

After reaching the top of the tree, Shin-chan ran straight down, with leaves still stuck to his forehead.

"Teacher, aren't I amazing?"

Yuhi Shinku looked at him, paused for two seconds, and then said, "Impressive."

The lower- Genin nearby were speechless.

Their faces all had an "this is acceptable?" expression.

Shiro ran over and circled around Shin-chan's feet, wagging its tail rapidly.

"Shiro," Shin-chan patted its head, "Do you want to play too?"

Woof woof.

Shin-chan stuck the leaf from his forehead onto Shiro's head.

"Shiro, use your Chakra to absorb it."

The leaf stuck firmly to Shiro's forehead.

Yuhi Shinku's eyes widened slightly. This dog can do that too?

Shin-chan squatted down, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction. "Next is Tree Climbing."

Shiro looked at the big tree, then pushed off with its hind legs and shot up to it.

Its four paws were firmly planted on the tree trunk, with leaves still stuck to its forehead.

Halfway up the tree, Shiro released its two front paws and stood upright on the trunk using only its two hind legs, continuing to climb.

The leaf on his forehead remained perfectly still.

The Training Ground was silent for a full five seconds.

Then it exploded.

"That dog!!!"

"It can also control Chakra?"

"You're better than me?"

"It's Tree Climbing on two legs!"

Yuhi Shinku watched the Little white dog walk back and forth on its hind legs on the tree trunk, her expression quite subtle.

A leaf fell from Kakashi's forehead, but he didn't pick it up. He just looked at Shiro on the tree with a complicated expression.

The lower -Genin nearby were already squatting on the ground, starting to question their existence.

Are we not even as good as dogs?

"Stop talking—"

Am I not suited to be Ninja...?

Shiro walked around the tree once, then jumped into Shin-chan's arms, its tail wagging like a propeller.

"Shiro is amazing!"

"Woof!"

Yuhi Shinku looked at Shin-chan: "Shin Nohara."

"Exist."

"You've finished your training for today."

Shin-chan blinked. "Can I go home now?"

Yuhi Shinku looked at him, then at the dog wagging its tail in his arms, and remained silent for two seconds.

"Sure, you can leave early as long as you meet your daily training goals."

Shin-chan's eyes lit up.

"Real?"

"Real."

"Then I'm leaving." Shin-chan turned and ran.

Yuhi Shinku called out to him, "Wait a minute."

Shin-chan stopped and looked back at him.

Yuhi Shinku handed him a leaf. "Try it, see if you can walk home while wearing this leaf on your head."

Shin-chan- chan looked down at the leaf in his hand, then pressed it back against his forehead.

"Good!"

He waved to Shiro: "Shiro, let's go."

Shiro followed at his feet, the two of them, each with a leaf on their forehead, walking one after the other out of the Training Ground.

After taking a few steps, Shin-chan turned back and waved to Kakashi and Tetsuya: "I'm going now!"

Uchiha Toru looked at him, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just waved his hand.

Kakashi nodded simply.

Shin-chan turned around and ran outside.

Yuhi Shinku shook her head and turned back to look at the remaining students.

"What are you looking at?" He glanced at the Genin who were still in a daze. "Can't you even do something this simple?"

The Genin jolted awake and quickly continued their training.

The Training Ground became lively again.

One of the Genin glanced at the tree that Shiro had climbed and cautiously took two steps on it.

Then, with a "plop," it slid down.

Upside down.

He lay under the tree, looking at the leaves above him, and muttered to himself, "I can't even stand steadily on the trees it walks over—"

"Don't overthink it," a teammate comforted her.

"I've simply come to terms with a fact."

What facts?

"I'm a piece of trash."

"..

Shin-chan- chan ran home, the leaf on his forehead fluttering in the wind.

After running for about two blocks, Ye Zi finally couldn't hold on any longer and floated off his forehead, landing on the ground.

Shin-chan didn't notice until he reached his House Door, at which point he remembered to touch his forehead.

The leaves are gone.

"Never mind, at least we're home."

Shin-chan pushed open the door.

The Living Room was quiet. Miya was nestled on the sofa, one hand resting on her stomach, her eyes closed.

Shin-chan -chan tiptoed Earth Flow and peered at her closely.

She fell asleep.

Shin-chan squatted down, leaned over the sofa and watched for a while, then reached out and gently poked Miya's face.

"Mother."

No response.

I poked it again.

Miya gave a muffled hum, turned over, and buried her face in the cushion.

"Mom, I'm home."

Miya finally opened her eyes a crack, looking at him groggily, and it took her several seconds to come to her senses.

"Shin-chan?" She sat up, her face still bearing the marks of the cushion. "Why are you back so early?"

"The teacher said I'm done practicing and told me to come back first."

Miya rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Finished practicing? What time is it?"