Pitching

The meeting had been difficult to get.

For one thing, nobody in the group really regarded Neji as an equal. Madara had scoffed at it; Hinata had been occupied in negotiations with Shikamaru. Meanwhile, none of the others wanted to be seen talking directly to him. Doing so risked looking like a possible conspiracy with the Branch Clan.

So after thirty minutes of being shrugged off, Neji managed to talk to Tobirama. He liked the idea and immediately made arrangements for a meeting. Everyone looked at him with clear respect.

"An academy? For ordinary people?" asked Kiba.

"How will this benefit the village?" asked Shino.

"We can charge," said Tobirama. "We're going to need a lot of money to pay for the construction as things stand. And we'll also benefit from having goodwill with the surrounding lands.

"In addition, we need to keep our people busy in times of peace.

"Having them be training a new generation of ninja could do just that."

"And what makes you think ordinary people will be of any use to us?" asked Madara, who had to be hassled into coming by Hinata.

"Their very existence would help us," said Neji, cutting in. This was not technically proper protocol, but it had been his idea, to begin with.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Ino.

"An ordinary person, instructed in the basics, will be no match for one of your clan," said Neji. "But what about three? What about a hundred?

"If we train enough of them, it could give us a major edge in battles.

"And if they are well trained to make the best use of what resources they have, we could overwhelm our enemies."

"I guess," said Choji. "But I'm not sure the village will be helped by helping a lot of new ninja clans popping up. They'll teach their kids, and it could cause disunity."

"But they won't be a new ninja clan," noted Tobirama. "These ninja will be trained as members of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. They'll identify themselves as Leaf Ninja. Not as Hyuga, or Yamanaka or Uchiha, or Senju. Their clan will be where they are from.

"The Leaf Village will be the place they put their loyalties."

"Are you suggesting that an academy could train our children better than we could?" asked Ino, sounding a bit offended.

"No," said Tobirama. "The idea has not been tested. But I think an academy could train up a lot of excellent ninjas. And if we have several thousand ninjas in this village who regard the Village Hidden in the Leaves as their home. It will make civil war difficult."

"Civil war? What do you mean?" asked Choji.

"Neji is right," said Hinata, speaking up at last. "Think about it. If we keep the clan system as is, this Village will just be an alliance. Everyone will have loyalty to one clan or another. So inevitably, there will be friction between us, and eventually, war."

"But with thousands of ninja to side with the Leaf itself, a coup is impossible," realized Shikamaru.

"It wouldn't be impossible. You'd simply need to attain the loyalty of the ignorant masses," scoffed Madara, which was actually a good point, even if he was a bastard.

"So long as the masses are not ignorant, Madara. I do not think that will be a problem," said Tobirama, who seemed to despise him as much as Neji.

"... It's a counterweight," said Shikamaru suddenly.

"Shikamaru?" asked Ino.

"This idea could create something which would ensure cooperation," said Shikamaru. "Some of the new clans that signed on are afraid we'll dictate to them."

"That may be true," noted Shino. "But it could also divide the village."

"What do you mean?" asked Ino.

"Imagine what would happen if the majority of ninja were trained together?" said Shino. "While the ruling clans all trained by themselves. Such an arrangement would breed division and rivalry."

"Well, we can't go all-in on this," said Choji. "If the idea is a flop, we'd have all wasted a lot of time and money.

"Hashirama, what do you think of all this?"

No answer.

Everyone looked to where Hashirama was sleeping on his part of the table. Neji felt more than a little insulted at this.

An awkward silence ensued.

"Hashirama, wake up!" said Tobirama, standing up.

Hashirama stood up quickly. "Oh, sorry, I was... lost in thought there."

"He calls us up to discuss the idea, and now we have to do all the footwork," muttered Shikamaru. Wasn't it Tobirama who called it? Then again, that might as well be the same thing.

"Sorry," said Hashirama. "I'm not used to this kind of meeting."

Of course.

Hashirama was much more interested in the dream of a united Land of Fire. Not any practical plan to make it a reality. He probably wouldn't care if the village was rotting from the inside, as long as it looked fine on the surface. Neji looked to Hinata, who looked to Madara, and Madara looked to the others.

The others immediately looked to Tobirama, and Madara looked right to Hinata.

Something had happened.

Something symbolic of bad things to come.

"We should do a trial of the plan," said Tobirama suddenly. "We can train a limited number of students and see how they perform. If they perform well, we can open the doors and put more funding into it.

"Do you have any prospective trainees in mind, Neji?"

"Yes, I do," said Neji. This was bad. Hashirama and Madara were a unifying duo, but if Hashirama became viewed as a puppet...

That would draw attention to the Uchiha. Or, to Tobirama.

And Madara and Tobirama despised eachother. Mutual respect for Hashirama was the only thing keeping this idea credible. But if Hashirama ceased to be a factor in his own right, like, say, not being willing to do paperwork, it could be a disaster.

Even if Madara and Tobirama wanted the village, their hatred could sabotage things. And if Hashirama wasn't willing to put the world in to mediate...

This was very, very bad. If Hashirama didn't shape up, this entire plan could crash and burn.

"Neji, is something wrong?" asked Hinata.

"It's nothing," said Neji. "I was merely distracted. I've had the easy job of examining defenses, and you've had to deal with the greatest enemy of all. Paperwork."

That got a laugh, a somewhat nervous laugh. Tobirama shot Hashirama a dirty look.

"At any rate," said Neji. "One of my possible candidates is male, has a fair amount of experience in combat and stealth. We worked an operation together in Senju territory before political intrigue." He looked to Hinata, who tried to look nervous. "Forced him to seek employment elsewhere. The other has no experience whatsoever and is female. Both are my age and have no bloodlines to speak of.

"I had planned to instruct them in the basics of how I was trained. The former should be useful either way."

"That seems like a fine idea, for the moment," said Hashirama. He evidently realized everyone had become annoyed with him. "If this idea does work, we may want to figure out what techniques we will teach the students."

"Well, I'm not handing over any of our special abilities," said Kiba. "You're the guy who set this whole venture up, Hashirama. You lead by example if it's so important." That statement had absolutely nothing to do with the academy, and everyone knew it. Even Choji seemed a bit at odds.

"We should focus on training students only in common techniques," said Shikamaru. "Their clan should do all instruction in special techniques."

"Then it would seem progress toward our dream is well underway, my friends," said Hashirama. He was trying to pass it off. "If this academy idea does work, however, I will gladly contribute some of the techniques of the Senju. As a show of good faith."

Probably the best move he could make in the circumstances.

"...Um, right, yeah, I'm sure we can find something to provide for them. Right Choji?" asked Shikamaru.

"Mmmhmm," said Choji. "Hey uh, Madara, you got any suggestions?"

"Do as you like," said Madara, who sounded a bit insulted. "I have no intention of handing my clan's techniques over without compensation. Not until I've seen evidence that this academy will actually work.

"One might as well distribute them to all our enemies."

That led to a tense series of debates, and Hashirama did not fall asleep again. But once had been enough, and any number of tense glances were around. Everyone was calculating things internally and calculating what others were calculating.

And Hashirama couldn't quite put them all at ease.

Eventually, they adjourned to discuss things. Neji, for his part, felt that progress was being made. But he was deeply concerned that Hashirama was simply not cut out to lead this kind of venture. Unfortunately, Madara would be even worse, and Madara knew as much. And if they scrapped the plan now, who knew when they'd have another chance.

So they'd simply have to hope Hashirama shaped up and plan around him if need be.

"Neji, good work," said Hinata coming up behind him.

Neji looked over the village below and took a moment to respond. He felt... hunted. Tense. As if an enemy was about to spring. But he wondered if the enemy was anything of flesh and blood. "Thank you, Lady Hinata."

"Still, do you think this will work?" asked Hinata.

"I do not know," said Neji. "But I will do all I can to ensure it does. Do you mean the village or the academy?"

"Both," said Hinata. "I don't think there is any cause of alarm. Everyone makes mistakes now and then.

"Hashirama isn't used to this kind of negotiation. He's been mostly a battlefield commander.

"I'm sure he'll learn like he always does, and things will work out. He knows enough to know what he does not know."

"Yes, but that kind of policy, if taken too far, can lead to scheming," said Neji. "Think of what destroyed the Land of Fire in the first place. The Lords of Fire became too hands-off. They were no longer accessible to their people.

"They lost touch with reality and were unable or unwilling to take necessary steps."

"Yes, but we're not the Land of Fire," noted Hinata. "The kind of leader that is needed is exactly the opposite of what we need. All Hashirama really has to do is keep everyone motivated and mediate disputes. He's good at that, and with Madara, myself, and Tobirama, he has plenty of talented help.

"We'll have problems now and then, but I'm sure we can conquer them. You have permission to train them in the basics. We haven't decided on any techniques as of yet. So just give them the training you would to a Hyuga recruit."

Neji nodded. "I understand." Then he paused. "You know, I think someday this academy will need an instructor."

"Well, we'll see if we get that far," said Hinata.

So Neji searched for Tenten and Lee and found both of them at the agreed-upon spot. Tenten looked very nervous, while Lee was surprisingly calm as he leaned against a wall. Tenten looked up. "Did it work?"

"Yes, I've been permitted to train both of you," said Neji.

"Excellent," said Lee. "I have always wished to be a fully-trained ninja."

"Right, so what do we do now?" asked Tenten.

"For a start?" asked Neji. "Get down on the ground and do pushups."

"Um..." Tenten paused. "How many?"

"Until I tell you to stop. Now move," said Neji.

And they obeyed and quickly. They began to move up and down, lifting their body weight, and Neji watched. He observed their chakra flow and saw it gradually increase as they worked at it.

"Keep at it," said Neji.

"So uh... how long are we going to do this?" asked Tenten.

"Until I tell you to stop," said Neji.

And they went on it as their chakra flow began to speed faster and faster. Then he raised a hand. "Stop."

Both stood up, and Tenten looked exhausted. "Are we done?"

"Not even close," laughed Neji. "Run the training ground, now." And he motioned to a track that had been carved out.

"But we just..." began Tenten.

"Do it or prove I'm wasting my time," said Neji. "You've been using your arms until now. Now you will use your legs."

"Yes, of course," said Lee.

And they went out and started work.

Neji sat down and observed them in action, taking notes. Lee, of course, had done this kind of thing before, so he was handling it easily. Tenten was obviously feeling the strain after the first few laps. However, she kept on trying at it and moved on, lap after lap.

Little by little, their chakra surges were growing in intensity. However, there wasn't a lot of sign of strain. Tenten seemed to be very durable, while Lee was...

Well, his chakra was strange. Somehow tamer.

Now and then, they'd look up to him, and he'd tell them to keep going with a glance. And they did until they were sweating all over and gasping for air. Tenten, in particular, was hardly able to keep up. Then, just as she crossed the line again, Neji raised a hand.

They'd done quite a few laps. "Stop," said Neji.

"What... what was the point of all this?" asked Tenten.

"Physical fitness," said Neji. "Obviously. Although there are other elements, you've hit your limits, and by hitting your limits, you tapped into your chakra network. You feel it, don't you?"

"Yes, I..." Tenten stood up. "I feel it. I feel great."

"Precisely," said Neji. "If you had given up before the time was over, you'd have been wasting my time, and this training session would be at an end. This was a test, and you passed it."

"So what now?" asked Tenten.

"Now we try some exercises with different muscles," said Neji.

And he did just that.

He worked them through a series of different exercises as the sun rose into the sky. When they began to get dehydrated, he gave them water to drink, a brief rest, and put them back to it. All of the exercises he gave them deal with different muscles.

Little by little, they were pushed on, and Tenten looked downright dead on her feet. All the better for the next life. When evening came next, Neji looked up to the sky. "Now, you go home and rest up. Meet me back here tomorrow.

"We'll go into real training."

"Yes... Neji..." said Tenten.

"That is Sensei to you," said Neji.

"Yes, Sensei," said Tenten.

Neji half expected Tenten to give up. However, she ended up coming back alongside Lee, and he looked up from his reports and stood. "So, you're both back.

"Now then, let's something out of the way. You will never be Hashirama; you will never be Madara Uchiha. You will probably never even be me.

"The fact of the matter is that you are competing against ninja born and bred for this very purpose. You have no kekkei genkai; our chakra networks are not as good as theirs. In addition, you are starting your training late.

"You can accept this fact and attempt to do what you can within the bounds of reality. Or you can reject it and find another career path.

"Are you still interested in this training?"

"Yes, Sensei," they said at once.

"Good," said Neji. "We'll be doing a different set of exercises with a different set of muscles today."

"Um, quick thing?" said Tenten, raising a hand. "Sensei?"

She asked a lot of questions, didn't she? "Yes."

"Shouldn't we... rest between training sessions?" asked Tenten. "I mean, in order to let our bodies recover."

"You've awakened your chakra networks," said Neji. "Someone who hadn't would never have been able to get through yesterday. Once you do that, all of your natural abilities are heightened, including healing. You must have noticed that you feel stronger with more energy since doing this."

"I did. Work was a lot easier," said Tenten. "I felt like I'd jump out of my skin."

"Exactly," said Neji. "You're body is able to regenerate itself much faster than normal people. Of course, if you get stabbed, it won't knit before you bleed out. But if you work out with your muscles, they'll be repaired in a few hours.

"Ordinarily, I'd take things slow.

"But we don't have time for that. So we'll be doing a crash course to get you oriented as quickly as possible. Now, let's get to work."

The next few weeks dragged on as negotiations dragged on. Messengers came in and out from the various clans. And several lesser clans ended up coming to try and join the negotiations. Soon there were people camped outside the gates for lack of rooms at the inn.

Tenten and Lee, meanwhile, worked very, very hard.

It was good that they did since both were of inferior bloodline and pedigree. But he kept them working throughout the day. It was a necessary step to ensure their chakra networks stayed awakened. Ordinarily, as he explained to Tenten, a brief awakening of the chakra network would fade.

Training someone to become a ninja was about waking it up over and over. Until eventually, it was constantly thrumming with power. Only then could one truly begin to utilize it to its full potential. Until, when two months had passed, and they were stronger than ever, he chose to move on.

"Hmm, decent work so far," said Neji. "Follow me. We'll practice some kunai throwing."

"Wait, so we're actually practicing with weapons now?" asked Tenten.

"I've decided to indulge you," said Neji.

"Thank you," said Lee.

Although, there was something odd about Lee. It was difficult to pinpoint, but he spoke less and observed more. He often paid attention to who was entering the village. He would ask questions about the negotiations and Hashirama's part in them.

"You hold the kunai like this and throw like so. Now you try," said Neji, showing them how to do it.

Lee tried and missed entirely.

"A decent try, Lee. Tenten, you're up," said Neji.

Tenten moved forward, took a kunai, and hurled it at the target. It was planted straight in a bullseye. Neji blinked. "...Beginners luck. Try again."

Tenten did try again. And again.

And most of them were dead on hits or near to it.

"Tenten, you seem to be a natural," said Lee.

"I'm sure she is, but that just means she has to put more work in," noted Neji, keen to undercut their pride.

"What do you mean?" asked Tenten.

"Natural talent is something of an illusion," said Neji. "Everyone who is training in a given skill usually hits a plateau in power growth. Once they hit it, they have to train very hard to advance even a little in that area.

"Being a 'genius' just means that your skill plateau is much higher on the mountain than others. Take Hashirama and Madara, for instance.

"When I first started observing them, they were monstrously powerful. Records indicated that they advanced at a rate of power that was astronomical. But during the two years, I watched them, they hardly increased at all. This despite training and fighting extensively."

"Why not?" asked Tenten.

"Several reasons," said Neji. "First, Hashirama and Madara were already the absolute peaks of their fields. No one is even close to them. So they don't have anyone to surpass, meaning they are less motivated. And since neither of them have been seriously trying to kill the other, there is no rush to win.

"Second, they broke new ground in terms of power. So when developing new techniques, they had to figure stuff out through trial and error."

"So that's an advantage for us, then?" said Tenten.

"What do you mean?" asked Lee.

"Well, if we're the absolute weakest ninja out there, we can achieve our goals more easily," said Tenten. "All we have to do is surpass the next weakest person."

"I wouldn't bother with that, Tenten," said Neji. "Don't try to surpass anyone else when you're starting out. You'll fail. And if that person dies or is defeated before you beat them, you'll lose motivation.

"Instead, try to surpass yourself."

"Surpass myself?" asked Tenten.

"Try to become stronger than you were yesterday," said Neji. "See every day as an opportunity to learn something new. And tie the lessons you learn together to become stronger.

"Don't waste your time. If you find yourself idling, ask if there is something more valuable you could be doing.

"And don't pick fights with someone stronger than you.

"Time your battles for a time and place that you will be stronger than them.

"You'll probably still be humiliated and defeated, of course. But as long as you survive and learn something from the defeats, it should be fine."

"You uh... you're not very ambitious, are you?" asked Tenten.

"I'm a member of the Branch Clan. Ambitions would ruin my health," said Neji with a laugh. "And you're lower than me, so you should be equally cautious. Don't try going above your station until you are much stronger than you are now."

"Good point," said Tenten.

"Now, get back to kunai throwing. Once that's done, I'll teach you how to center yourself in meditation," said Neji. "Oh, and I recommend you train in your spare time. You've got a lot of ground to cover. If you want to have any hope of survival, you need to put extra work in."

"What spare time?" asked Tenten. "We've only got a few hours a day to ourselves."

Neji took the point.

So he gave them something to do in those few hours. Being a teacher was fun.