The Hot-Tempered Jonin Leader

"Mikoto, make sure you pay attention to him. Look after him more in your daily life."

Mikoto Uchiha looked a little impatient. "Just him? What about the other two?"

Fugaku Uchiha replied as if it were obvious. "You should keep an eye on that girl, Kurenai Yuhi, too. The Yuhi family may not be a major clan, but her father, Shinku Yuhi, is quite capable and has some standing among the jonin."

"As for the other one... what was his name? Nebula?"

Mikoto Uchiha said, "Nebula Kotetsu."

Fugaku Uchiha replied, "Right, Nebula Kotetsu."

"Just use your own judgment."

Mikoto Uchiha looked at her husband helplessly. He always seemed to be thinking about the clan, the situation, and their influence.

Sometimes, she felt he was missing a little warmth.

Pushing aside her complicated feelings, Mikoto Uchiha said gently, "All right, stop thinking about it. Leave tomorrow's worries for tomorrow, and get some proper rest tonight. Why don't you take a bath?"

Fugaku Uchiha froze halfway through taking off his jacket.

"Ahem... I'll skip it tonight. I'm exhausted."

"Go wash up. A bath won't take much effort."

"Well... um... let's just forget it," Fugaku Uchiha stammered. "I'll do it tomorrow."

"Won't you be going out tomorrow?"

"Then I'll wash up while I'm out." Fugaku Uchiha played dumb, then put his half-removed jacket back on.

"I'll go check on our son. Itachi really is something. He's several years old and still keeps insisting on sleeping with his dad."

As he spoke, the man lowered his head.

With a soft puff, he blew out the candle.

The vapor from the melting wax struggled on for two seconds before finally dissipating.

"Get to bed early."

The door slammed shut.

"Faster!"

"Put your back into it! Use your legs!"

"Did you skip breakfast?"

Uchiha training ground.

Nebula Kotetsu and the other two were attacking Mikoto Uchiha together.

Today, Mikoto Uchiha wasn't wearing her Konoha Ninja uniform. She was dressed simply and comfortably.

She wore a cool, short-sleeved top and athletic pants that hugged her long, straight legs.

Her breathable sports sandals had several small beads set into the open toes.

Her calm, swift movements kept the three of them scrambling to keep up. They panted heavily, drenched in sweat.

"A ninja's stamina is the foundation of their fighting strength."

"On the battlefield, good stamina and quick reflexes are what keep you alive!"

"Asuma, Nebula, you two are responsible for most of the team's offense. You need quick reflexes and strong Taijutsu skills."

"That way, you'll still be able to fight when something unexpected happens, instead of getting taken out so easily!"

"Kurenai! Even though you're more of a support-type ninja, you still need to improve your reflexes!"

"Otherwise, you'll become the weak link in the team."

"Teacher Mikoto, I... I'll do my best!" Kurenai Yuhi replied between gasps.

Ten minutes later, Kurenai Yuhi had run out of stamina and could only withdraw from the fight.

Nebula Kotetsu and Asuma Sarutobi were left struggling to hold on.

"All right, that's enough for now. Take a break."

Mikoto Uchiha stopped moving.

Asuma Sarutobi, who had been forcing himself to keep going so he wouldn't lose face in front of Kurenai Yuhi, collapsed to the ground in relief and sucked in air desperately.

Nebula Kotetsu was much the same. His Taijutsu and stamina were a little better than Asuma Sarutobi's, but Mikoto Uchiha adjusted her attention to each person's ability, so the result was about the same.

Seeing how reluctant Mikoto Uchiha seemed to stop, Nebula Kotetsu couldn't help grumbling to himself.

Was this woman crazy?

Why was she training them so much harder today than yesterday? Had she been pretending before? Was she actually a violent woman?

Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi were thinking much the same thing.

They'd both noticed that Mikoto Uchiha seemed to have a much shorter fuse today.

They drank some water and rested for a few minutes before Mikoto Uchiha clapped her hands. "All right, let's go again!"

"What? Teacher Mikoto, again?" Asuma Sarutobi groaned.

"Can we rest a little longer?"

Mikoto Uchiha snapped, "Do you think the enemy will let you rest a little longer on the battlefield?"

Asuma Sarutobi had no answer.

Seeing that, Mikoto Uchiha relented a little. "All right, how about you come at me one at a time?"

"That way, the other two will have more time to rest."

"Who wants to go first?"

Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi froze.

Who'd go first?

Me? No way. I'm exhausted.

Let someone else go? That feels a little wrong, too.

"I'll go," Nebula Kotetsu volunteered.

He had more chakra than the other two and recovered faster.

Standing in front of Mikoto Uchiha, he put on his gloves and checked for any damage. He didn't want them to tear halfway through the fight. Once he'd confirmed they were fine, he took his stance.

"Teacher Mikoto, I'm ready."

As Mikoto Uchiha watched Nebula Kotetsu put on his gloves, she suddenly remembered the moment during their earlier spar when she'd pinned his hands in place. The unforgettable memory came rushing back, and she clenched her fists without thinking.

For some reason, her irritation grew even stronger.

She pushed off the ground and shot forward, approaching Nebula Kotetsu like a lithe leopard before unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.

Their blows landed with a series of thunderous thuds.

Mikoto Uchiha knew Nebula Kotetsu's punches and kicks were heavier than Asuma Sarutobi's, and his skills were better, too. He still wasn't strong enough to let her vent to her heart's content, but at least she could throw her punches and kicks with a little more freedom than before.

Under the immense pressure, Nebula Kotetsu struggled to defend himself, barely keeping up.

Kurenai Yuhi watched from nearby as she rested. She was surprised that the fight seemed even more intense than Asuma Sarutobi's had been, and she couldn't help feeling sorry for Nebula Kotetsu.

As teammates, it didn't seem right to let him bear all the pressure while their teacher went berserk.

Unfortunately, her close-combat skills were too poor. She couldn't even take Mikoto Uchiha's attacks in his place, so she turned to Asuma Sarutobi.

"Asuma."

"How are you feeling? Should we switch Nebula out? He looks like he can't hold on much longer."

Asuma Sarutobi lay beneath the shade of a tree, unconcerned with appearances. Without even looking up, he replied, "Why bother?"

"Kurenai, let's just rest."

"When it's time to switch, Teacher Mikoto will tell us."

Kurenai Yuhi wasn't satisfied with Asuma Sarutobi's answer. In fact, she was faintly disappointed.

He's so narrow-minded.

Back when they'd been students at the Ninja Academy, she hadn't thought much of it. Asuma Sarutobi had been a little stubborn and liked showing off in front of her, but overall, she'd thought he was a decent person.

But after only a few days as a team, she'd seen another side of him.

Bad-tempered, quick to anger, and unwilling to work with others.

She understood why he disliked Nebula Kotetsu, but whatever the reason, Nebula was their teammate now. She didn't approve of how Asuma Sarutobi treated him.

By comparison, her opinion of Nebula Kotetsu had improved considerably.