[POV - TETSUYA]
The evening training session had just ended when I heard familiar footsteps approaching the compound gates. I was stretching after another intense round of gravity-enhanced taijutsu practice.
"Tetsuya!" Father's voice called out from the courtyard entrance.
I spun around to see him walking through the gates, travel pack slung over his shoulder and dust from the mountain roads still clinging to his clothes. He looked tired but smiled when he saw me running toward him.
"Father! You're back!" I launched myself at him, and he caught me in a strong hug that lifted me off the ground.
"I missed you too," he said, setting me down and ruffling my hair. "You've grown in the two weeks I was gone. And gotten stronger, I can tell just from that hug."
Mom appeared from the direction of the forge, wiping her hands on a cloth. Her face brightened with relief and happiness as she approached us.
"Welcome home," she said softly, stepping into Father's embrace. They held each other for a moment, and I felt that warm feeling of family being complete again.
"How did the mission go?" Mom asked as we walked toward our house.
"Successful, but longer than expected," Father said. "The border settlements had more complex issues than the initial reports suggested. We ended up mediating disputes between three different villages before we could finalize the trade agreements."
"Three villages?" I asked, walking beside them. "That sounds complicated."
"Very complicated," Father agreed. "Each had different concerns about resource sharing and security arrangements. It took careful negotiation to find solutions everyone could accept."
Elder Genzou emerged from the main house, leaning on his walking stick but moving with obvious pleasure at seeing Father return.
"About time you came back," he said with a gruff smile. "Your son has been pestering me with questions about advanced techniques every evening."
"Has he now?" Father looked at me with raised eyebrows. "What kind of questions?"
"Gravity manipulation theory mostly," I said quickly. "And tactical applications of Academy jutsu in real situations."
"Ambitious topics," Father nodded approvingly. "We'll discuss those properly after I've had a chance to rest and hear about everything that's happened while I was away."
During dinner in our family section, I told Father about my Academy progress over the past two weeks. The advanced genjutsu training had continued, and I'd started learning more complex applications of the three basic jutsu.
"Instructor Yamada said I have natural resistance to illusions," I explained between bites of rice. "Something about my meditation training giving me better mental awareness."
"That's excellent," Father said. "Genjutsu resistance is incredibly valuable for field missions. Many ninja struggle with illusion techniques throughout their entire careers."
"Mei-san has been helping me practice during the cooperation sessions," I continued. "She's really good at creating variations of transformation techniques."
"Still maintaining those friendships across Academy tracks?" Father asked.
"Yes, and they're getting stronger," I said. "Misaki-chan joined our practice group recently. She's from a family that's struggled since the war, but she works harder than almost anyone."
Father's expression grew thoughtful. "Tell me about her situation."
I explained what I knew about Misaki's family, her father's war injury, and how she helped with cleaning work while maintaining excellent Academy performance.
"The war's effects are still visible throughout the village," Father said quietly. "It's good that you're aware of how different families have been affected."
Mom reached over to squeeze Father's hand. "How were the border settlements handling recovery?"
"Mixed results," Father said. "Some communities have rebuilt successfully, others are still struggling. The mission wasn't just about trade agreements, it was about providing stability for regions that haven't fully recovered."
"Is that why it took longer than expected?" I asked.
"Partly," Father nodded. "When we arrived, we discovered several groups of bandits were targeting supply convoys. We had to coordinate with local security forces to establish safer trade routes before any agreements could be finalized."
"Did you have to fight them?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself.
Father was quiet for a moment. "Sometimes diplomacy requires demonstrating strength to make negotiations possible. But the goal is always to create lasting solutions, not just win battles."
After dinner, Father asked to see a demonstration of my recent Academy progress. We went to the small training area behind our house, where the evening air was cool and clear.
"Show me the transformation technique first," Father said, settling on a wooden stool to watch.
I formed the hand signs carefully, channeling chakra while visualizing every detail of a practice post. The transformation felt smooth and natural now, my understanding of materials helping me recreate the wood grain texture perfectly.
"Excellent control," Father observed. "Very detailed work."
Next came the substitution technique. I'd set up a practice target earlier, and when Father called out "Now!" I immediately swapped places with a training dummy, appearing behind a different post entirely.
"Much faster than before," Father noted with approval. "And good distance."
Finally, the clone technique. I created two solid-looking duplicates that lasted nearly thirty seconds before dispersing.
"Outstanding progress," Father said, standing up from his stool.
"Can I show you the genjutsu detection exercise?" I asked hopefully.
"Tomorrow," Father said with a tired but warm smile. "Tonight I want to hear about everything else that's happened. How are your civilian friends doing at the Academy?"
We sat together on the small porch outside our house, and I told him about Yuki's creative problem-solving during team exercises, Kenji's dramatic improvement in weapon techniques, and Masa's growing confidence in his second year.
"It sounds like the Academy's integration efforts are working well," Father said.
"They really are," I agreed. "Even students from different backgrounds are becoming genuine friends."
"And what about the Advanced Foundations group?" Father asked. "How are those relationships developing?"
I described how our flag capture simulation had tested not just our individual abilities, but our capacity to work under pressure. Each member of our group had shown their specialized strengths.
"Mei-san is incredible at tactical coordination," I said. "Daisuke-kun provides this steady reliability that keeps everyone calm. Takeshi-kun's mental discipline helps during stressful moments. And Rina-chan notices when people need help before they even realize it themselves."
"A well-balanced group," Father observed. "Those relationships will be valuable throughout your ninja careers."
"Do you think we'll stay together as a genin team?" I asked.
"That depends on many factors," Father said thoughtfully. "Team assignments consider complementary abilities, personality dynamics, and mission requirements. The Academy instructors and village leadership evaluate many possibilities."
"Would you want us to stay together?"
Father was quiet for a moment, looking out at the compound where other family members were settling in for the evening.
"I want what's best for your development and the village's needs," he said finally. "Sometimes that means staying with familiar teammates, sometimes it means learning to work with different people. Both experiences have value."
The conversation drifted to his mission experiences, and Father shared appropriate details about the diplomatic challenges he'd faced.
"One village wanted exclusive trading rights," he explained. "Another demanded security guarantees we couldn't provide. The third insisted on prices that would have bankrupted the other two."
"How did you solve it?" I asked, fascinated by the complex negotiations.
"Patience, creativity, and finding common ground," Father said. "We restructured the agreements so each village got what they needed most while contributing what they could offer best."
"Like a three-way partnership instead of separate deals?"
"Exactly," Father smiled. "Sometimes the obvious solution isn't the right solution. You have to look for arrangements that serve everyone's long-term interests."
Later, after I'd gone to bed, I could hear Father talking quietly with Mom in their room next to mine. Their voices were too soft to make out specific words, but the warm sound of their conversation made me feel safe and complete.