"Hey, Sister Kushina, why are you here?" Obito called out energetically, his voice echoing across the training field.
Of everyone in the group, Obito had the liveliest personality, and he was always the first to speak up. His energetic disposition naturally brought warmth, and even someone as strong-willed as Kushina found herself fond of him.
Despite what happened in the future during the Nine-Tails incident, Obito and Kushina had once shared a good rapport. His straightforward optimism reminded Kushina of Naruto, which made her especially fond of him. Among Minato's three students, her bond with Obito was the strongest.
"Hey, Minato, you're here too," Kushina greeted, giving him a warm smile as she approached.
Hui, standing nearby, didn't recognize the two women, so Minato Namikaze quickly stepped in to introduce them.
"So you're Hui-kun," Kushina said with cheerful enthusiasm. "Minato's mentioned you a few times. Come over for a meal sometime—I'll cook up something big!"
She waved her hand in a welcoming gesture, her straightforwardness exuding her usual charisma.
After a few more casual greetings and small talk, the group began to part ways. But Kushina's sudden appearance sparked an idea in Hui's mind.
"The Uzumaki Clan would be an ideal fit for my cultivation system. Kushina's too mature for the early foundational stages, but if I could find more of her kin... ideally from childhood, they'd be perfect candidates."
Hui was skeptical that the Uzumaki Clan had been entirely wiped out. After all, they were a powerful clan, strong in vitality and chakra control. They had once founded their own nation—Uzushiogakure. Even if that village was now gone, it didn't make sense that only a handful of survivors like Kushina remained.
Given their legendary vitality, Uzumaki survivors likely scattered rather than perished.
"Of course, even if I don't find others, Karin could be a viable candidate." Hui mused.
At this point in the timeline, Karin likely hadn't even been born yet, and Grass Village likely hadn't taken her in.
These thoughts passed through Hui's mind quickly and without fixation.
---
The Next Morning - Konoha Training Ground
Team 7 assembled early for another day of training.
Unusually, Obito wasn't late.
Hui raised a brow at this rare punctuality. "So he's not late every single time... just most times."
If Kakashi had known Hui was thinking that, he might have rolled his eyes. Obito wasn't late today out of newfound diligence, but because he was afraid of Hui's training punishments. Moreover, after yesterday's training, Kakashi had "accidentally" taunted him again, lighting a new fire in Obito's competitive spirit.
With that in mind, Obito had arrived early—determined not to miss anything.
As a result, Hui arrived to find all of Team 7 already assembled.
He sighed slightly in disappointment. "Tch. Looks like I'll need a new excuse."
He had intended to use Obito as a live subject for medical training with Rin, but now that Obito wasn't late or injured, it felt excessive to create a wound just for the lesson.
"No matter," Hui thought. "Time to move on to fire-style instruction."
He clapped his hands, drawing the group's attention.
"Today, I'll be teaching you a Fire Release technique of my own creation. Though it's ranked at C-level, it's no less effective than a B-rank jutsu when mastered."
He stepped forward and demonstrated.
Walking to a thick training post, Hui's right fist ignited in flames. With a single punch, the fire detonated on impact, carving a sizable hole into the trunk. Smoke curled from the impact point as he retracted his hand.
"Wow! That was amazing! I want to learn it too!" Obito shouted, eyes gleaming with excitement. He immediately began daydreaming about smashing Kakashi into the ground with the same move.
Hui handed him a scroll.
"Here's the scroll for Burst Fist. Go train with it."
On one hand, Hui wanted to assess Obito's comprehension and adaptability based on a written scroll. On the other, the jutsu itself was part of a long-term strategy.
Obito's current fighting style emphasized mid-to-long-range fire-style ninjutsu. It had synergy with Kakashi on paper, but their teamwork was anything but flawless. More importantly, Obito lacked serious melee capabilities—something that would hinder the effectiveness of Kamui later on.
Burst Fist was designed to address that.
A close-range Fire Release taijutsu-style technique—something rare even in Konoha—Burst Fist was inspired by the medical world's Chakra Enhanced Strength. Hui had fused that concept with Fire Release to create a move that used combustion to enhance physical strikes.
Because of its versatility, Hui believed it could help Obito become more well-rounded.
Of course, the jutsu was hard to learn.
Not due to technicality, but because it required excellent chakra control. For someone like Obito, who lacked finesse in that department, practicing it meant he'd likely burn himself several times.
Hui wasn't doing it to torment him—this was simply the natural cost of progress.
"All right. Before we proceed further, I want to assess your basics. You've all trained tree-climbing and water-walking, right? Let's see how far you've come."
While Obito moved to his training area, Hui shifted his attention to Rin.
He retrieved five small steel balls, custom-made last night from the ninja tool shop.
These were standard training aids for chakra control, especially useful in refining precision.
Rin gave him a confused look.
"Here's how they work," Hui explained, sending chakra into the balls.
With a smooth, practiced motion, all five steel balls floated in midair, spinning and weaving through Hui's fingers like extensions of his hands.
Obito let out a loud exclamation—Rin stayed silent, though her awe was clear.
Hui shot a glare at Obito, who shrank back and returned to his scroll.
"It's simple," Hui said to Rin. "You're not aiming for strength—just precision. Use the least amount of chakra possible to move the balls one at a time. Work on control, not force."
Rin nodded, understanding the exercise. She carefully packed the balls into a pouch, planning to train with them later at home.
Hui smiled faintly. Her control was indeed impressive—exceptionally refined for her age.
"Next, I'll teach you a basic medical technique: Hemostasis Jutsu. It's designed to prevent bleeding and stabilize a wound, but it doesn't fully heal."
He slowly performed the hand seals, his hands glowing with a steady green light by the end.
Rin focused intently, memorizing every motion.
She tried herself. Her first attempt was clumsy, and her chakra rhythm faltered—but it was remarkable that she even remembered the entire sequence on the first try.
After a few more repetitions, Rin managed to activate the green light. It wavered, but it was stable.
"Excellent," Hui nodded. "Let's see how it works—Obito, come here."
"Eh? Wait—what?" Obito looked up in surprise.
Before he could react, Hui pulled him over. Obito's hands were already red and blistered from misfiring Burst Fist during training.
Rin placed her hands gently over his wounds and activated the jutsu.
Slowly but clearly, the redness faded, and the internal pressure from burst capillaries was reduced. While not fully healed, the bleeding and internal swelling stopped spreading.
"Well done. That's what proper hemostasis looks like. With more control, you'll be able to stop deterioration completely."
Rin's eyes lit up with pride, but she quickly composed herself, noticing the green light flicker. She focused her chakra and stabilized the effect.
"Next comes Healing Jutsu. Unlike hemostasis, it actually mends the tissue."
Hui demonstrated again, this time allowing Rin to copy him several times. She succeeded quickly—surprisingly so—and gently pressed her hands onto Obito's wounds.
The burnt flesh visibly improved.
"Good. Repeat both techniques often. Your chakra control and memory are exceptional."
Minato Namikaze, who had arrived to observe, watched from a distance. He had witnessed everything—from Hui's martial-style Burst Fist to Rin's medical training.
He nodded silently, impressed by Hui's clear, methodical guidance.
"If Hui-kun ever leads a genin team… his students would be incredible," Minato thought with admiration.
Rin smiled shyly, proud but grounded. Obito gave a sheepish grin, grateful for the relief.
Hui stepped in to finish the healing completely, letting Rin observe the finer chakra flow patterns.
Obito returned to his Burst Fist training, and Rin stood by as his impromptu medic.
And so the cycle of progress continued.