Now What Have I Gotten Myself Into? ~Enter Konoha's number one knuckle head

41

Without the running to search for Sasuke and Itachi, Kira had found there was quite a bit of down time. Team Kakashi had not been called out in actuality Jiraiya had returned long enough to pull Naruto for a bit of training. Sage mode was underway. However instead of working with Naruto for very long Jiraiya left him to train on his own as usual. Instead Jiraiya went to Tsunade's office for a conversation that Tsunade had been dreading. Filled with the information that Kakashi had gathered from Kira so far.

Meanwhile Kira had been racking her brain before and after training with her new team. Periodically the three of them would meet up with the other half of their team to train as well. To become accustomed to each other's fighting styles as well as train in different formations, minus Naruto. In training Kakashi and Itachi knew something was off. Sasuke's previous foul mood towards the two of them had changed. The anger and underlying hatred simmered to a dull roar. He was focused more on training rather than the interactions between Kira and others. The two of them wondered what had happened the night he went into her room. They had expected a change, a show of emotion from Kira herself even with Sasuke but there was none.

No outward reactions between the two of them that said anything at all in order to explain what happened. That aside from watching the second half of Team Kakashi, Kakashi could tell Kira's words to him were true. When it came to strength, ability, speed, even tactical strategy the three of them were well beyond Sakura and Sai. However they didn't let the gap in skill change anything. Kira herself would call out strategies and even correct any mishaps that would take place. She guided Sakura and Sai into their formations to enhance what already was. A way that Kakashi himself couldn't have done as easily. She was playing off of everyone's strength and guarding their weaknesses.

"She's a good leader." Yamato's voice comes up from behind Kakashi who had been standing on the outskirts of the training area this time. Letting the rest of the team train for a while on their own. Knowing that there will be times when either Yamato or himself won't be around them. These strategies could mean all the difference for their teams. Kakashi grunts without even looking towards those that had shown up to evaluate how well the team was coming along. He remained leaning against a tree with his left hand in his pocket, his book in his right hand so he could even seem like he was reading. "There is a level of trust building in the team. It is quite possible that Kira herself is adding to it with each formation and tactical simulation." Kakashi mutters moving his gaze down to his book as the team once again faces off against shadow clones created by Itachi and Kira.

Kakashi didn't want to admit it but from watching Kira and even Sasuke he couldn't help but think these last three years had done more for them then they could have gotten if neither one of them had left the village. At first it was clear even with Sasuke's developed skills and abilities that he hadn't trained for teamwork. His reactions were slow and unrefined to begin with but at the insistence of a lone raven haired female of their team he kept at it. Now he was easily following quick vague orders when at first he couldn't understand them. Kira herself had been trained to fight with others at her side and from the way she had described the Akatsuki, Kakashi could only see it as Itachi's influence. He made sure that his team would fight and work together as much as possible.

The more their onlookers watched the more they had begun to realize. What they had initially placed as Kira holding back to keep them from knowing what she is capable of was only the way she had been trained. In the Akatsuki, Itachi trained her to get in and get out. There was no moment for error. Where as when she came to the village she was forced to not go directly for the kill. "Go figure, two ex Anbu fighting like this with two chunin and a genin." Shizune gasps watching the fight play out. "M'lady. Is it really right for us to keep them at their ranks?" She breathes as Tsunade crosses her arms watching the formations unfold. "Even if Sasuke would enter into the chunin exams..." Shizune breathes cutting herself off seeing Sasuke's lightning reach through the air in a compressed form it was more like a sword successfully causing a shadow clone to pop.