Focus Session

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            “Me?”  Mikoto looked up from her teacup at the suggestion posed.

            Kushina laughed anxiously, rubbing the back of her head, embarrassed and humbled by the issue.  “Well, I’ve been helping Naruto with his training after Jiraiya-sensei, but, well…!  Heheheh!  I’m not really good at it-tebane.”

            The cup lowered.  “I see,” muttered the Uchiha thoughtfully.  It was polite of her not to agree, for she knew that Kushina’s test scores were among the lowest in the class when younger, and compensated with a whole lot of bluster in the schoolyard.  Naruto had passed the academy and was a decent shinobi, yet for all his talents, in these past two years, he was still the only Genin among his classmates.  He’d be taking part in the next Chunin Exam, and while he may have become clever to the tricks employed in the Exams, it didn’t excuse a poor performance for the written exam.

            Kushina, Mikoto considered, would be of no help.

            “But Sasuke-kun and Itachi-kun were both the best in their classes!” Kushina persisted.  “It’s all thanks to your study regiment, I’m sure!”

            “No, no,” Mikoto laughed weakly, holding up her hands in front of her as if buffeted by Kushina’s bolstering.  “It’s mostly to do with Fugaku’s guidance.  Sasuke and Itachi are naturally gifted.”

            Two hands smacked down on the table, and Kushina reared across to her best friend, cowing the Uchiha in her seat.  “It’s the mother who guides the family,” Kushina insisted.  “So it’s up to me to convince you to help-tebane!”

            Mikoto stared at her passionate eyes, the straining jaw and firm, quivering lips.  A younger sister begging Onee-chan for help.

            With a nervous but contained sweat drop appearing at her temple, she cocked her head with a polite smile.  “Surely Naruto-kun can make it,” she insisted.  “If he studies…”

            “He just can’t do it.”  Kushina dropped back on her seat, and dropped her chin on the table, fully pouting now, like she’d failed.  “He’s just as bad as me.  It’s my fault…”

            Her misery was pitiful.  Mikoto’s eyes softened.  Did it really matter so much to her?  Minato-san was well off, in brains and technique, explaining his role as Hokage.  He should be the one to teach Naruto.  Then again… he was softhearted, even more so than Kushina.  Kushina had the guts and the nerve to rein in their boy, while Minato was always of the mind of potential.  “Naruto will figure out his path,” he was likely to say.

            She couldn’t bear to see her friend moping like this.  Tea going cold, just dragging her feet.  With a small, resigned sigh, she acquiesced, “I suppose I could help him a little.”

            Kushina’s demeanor changed at once, like it was all an act; it probably was.  “You’re the best, Mikoto-chan~!”

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