Naruto: Snow Cold

The days passed, and it was finally Monday. I was kind of scared since we'd start having Taijutsu sparring matches, not just because I didn't know what to expect, but because I had never been in an actual fight before. I always just took whatever insults came my way, laughed it off, and never let it escalate into a fight.

My strength was another matter. I have to hold back by not using Chakra Enhancement at all, because what if I hit someone too hard in the face? Would it break their skull? I'm terrified of the thought. Hitting inanimate objects like logs and dummies was one thing, but actual, living people?

...I really don't want to.

We also had to return the scrolls we borrowed later in the day. It should be fine since we learned most of the stuff, and all we had to do was keep practicing to master these techniques further.

I questioned Sora about what he'd learned during the time he had those scrolls, and you know what? I was pretty damn surprised that a boy his age actually learned the Clone Jutsu and two E-ranked elemental abilities. Fire and Lightning—the latter was apparently very hard for him to learn, and they were called the Torch Jutsu and Lightning Spark Jutsu.

He may not be Minato, Orochimaru, Kakashi, or any genius, but this is impressive as hell, considering that he probably had no guidance and no prior knowledge.

If you're wondering what I've been learning at the academy, it's mostly just the same: Arithmetic, Literacy, Geography, History, Ninja Etiquette, and some special classes for girls.

Kunoichi classes, where we had to learn about different types of flowers (not poisonous ones, of course, because who would put those around children?) during the first week, and also how to make bouquets. I kind of liked it since it was refreshing to just enjoy myself and the distinct aromas. We'd probably learn much more in the future... I noticed that Suzume didn't particularly like this class; she was more into the more serious stuff, like theory and ninjutsu, which is understandable.

I didn't participate much when it came to answering questions, asking anything, or pretty much anything else that involved participating in class. Not because I didn't know, didn't want to, or even because of external forces, but because I just... couldn't. It's hard to get the words out of my throat, even if I know that I'm right. What if I stutter? What if they laugh? I wanted to have friends, I wanted to—

I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Amai, are you okay? You've been staring at your paper for a while," Sora whispered, a bit concerned.

"O-Oh, yeah, I'm totally fine. Just zoning out a little."

"If you say so..." And he went back to his own notebook, taking notes once again. He's already picking up how to write, even if it's a little, uh... rough. I'm glad to have someone like him.

Right now, the lesson was about Geography, and it was certainly accurate to what I've seen before as my former self.

The teacher continued, "The Middle Sea region lies east of the Shinobi Continent, stretching all the way to the shores of the continent to the far east. While the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water are considered part of this region for their coastal connection, the majority of the nations found here are islands.

These include the Land of Waves, the Land of the Sea, the Land of Whirlpools, the Land of Water, as well as the small merchant nation of Benisu Island, Nanakusa Island, The Land of Calm Seas, and many others."

Sora looked like he had no idea, but he kept on scribbling down notes, determined to understand the subject. I wonder what the Land of Water would be like? Kirigakure is a bloody mess right now, but perhaps I can make a visit in the future once I'm powerful enough, or if the situation calms down.

One of the students raised their hand—it was none other than Yamanaka Inomaru. "Sensei, what kind of things do they trade in the Land of Water? Like, do they trade fish or anything else?"

"Good question, Inomaru-kun. As you've said, they export fish and other seafood since it is a region surrounded by water, making it thrive as a fishing industry. The abundance of it also means they trade plenty of salt, seaweed, which is essential for plastic and as a food source, pearls, jewelry, tools, etc.

The climate and island nature are not quite suitable for large-scale agriculture like our Land of Fire, so they just happen to be one of our main clients for dry goods, grains, timber, and..."

He kept blabbing on and on. I still tried to listen, though.

Eventually, the bell rang, signaling the end of this class and the beginning of Taijutsu Sparring.

The nervousness gnawed at me as we filed out of the classroom and into the open training area. Taijutsu sparring. This was it—the moment I'd been dreading.

I could feel my heart pounding faster, each beat echoing in my chest as my body alternated between icy cold and blazing heat.

Kuroda-sensei was already pairing up students against each other.

I have to calm down... First up, was Hatake Kiyoshi against Inuzuka Kenta.

They both stepped up to the center, and made the seal of confrontation, showing that they considered each other equals in this spar and wouldn't hold any grudges after the fight.

"Begin!" barked Kuroda-sensei.

They both rushed toward each other with resolute expressions on their faces. Kenta launched a short, feral, and powerful punch aimed at Kiyoshi's jaw.

Kiyoshi barely avoided it by stepping back just in time, the blow missing by an inch. He spun around with his left arm and struck Kenta square in the face with a swift backfist.

Kenta staggered slightly but quickly recovered, baring his teeth in frustration. He responded by darting forward, feinting a jab toward Kiyoshi's torso, only to twist at the last second and aim a rising knee toward Kiyoshi's ribs.

Kiyoshi caught onto what he was trying to do, sidestepping the attack just in time. With a quick pivot, Kiyoshi used the momentum of his dodge to deliver a sharp front kick that connected cleanly with Kenta's chest, knocking him out of the ring. This signaled that he had won the match.

"Match over! Good work, the both of you. Now, do the Seal of Reconciliation." Kuroda-sensei instructed, his voice firm yet encouraging.

I could tell that Kenta was furious—his jaw was clenched, and his fists trembled slightly. But after a brief pause, he swallowed his pride, stood up, approached Kiyoshi, and extended his hand.

Kiyoshi, calm and composed, met Kenta's hand halfway, completing the Seal of Reconciliation with a respectful nod. "Good match," he said.

"...You too. Good match," Kenta replied, though it was clear he struggled to get the words out.

"Remember, this is about learning, not winning. Keep that in mind," Kuroda-sensei adviced, and continued, "Next up, Suzume versus Amai!"

Oh, god. I'm finished.