Naruto: Snow Cold

Day three since the start of Amai's second academy year.

"Until the end, we'll pave our way~

I'll give my heart, and soul, to watch it BLAZE!

We'll wipe away the days!"

"Do you really have to sing during our walk to the academy? How can you do this and not be able to talk to our classmates?"

Truth is, Amai couldn't sleep last night, so what did she do? Of course, she reviewed what she knew of biology, and this time, she went for her vocal cords. By increasing the flow of chakra towards the Thyroarytenoid and Cricothyroid muscles, she could use that chakra to control how engaged they were, and therefore increase the depth of her voice.

She figured she could probably amplify the loudness enough to use it offensively if she studied all the organs and muscles involved. However, for now, she was content just playing with her voice, and it showed.

Amai ignored Sora, and continued singing, completely focused on her melody. She grabbed onto his shoulders, and sang into his ears.

"Can you give me your word?

As I pull you closer?

Just open up your heart~!"

Sora's eyes twitched, a mix of irritation and disbelief crossing his face. The sheer audacity. Perhaps he should take revenge right now and… just maybe… bury her six feet under.

The thought flickered in his mind for a brief moment, but he immediately pushed it aside. 'No, she's your friend. No matter how annoying, you can't do that.' Intrusive thoughts were truly volatile, and he was used to fighting them off. But still, the urge to get her back... Oh, the urge to get her back.

"I will surely reach you,

There is no distance too faaaarrr!

Aaaahh~!"

He forced a smile, though it looked more like a grimace. At least she was good at it.

"Hey," he said, his tone half-joking, half-serious, "since you're gonna keep doing this to me, are you planning to give that voice of yours any other use? Like, I don't know, genjutsu like those Sound guys used, or maybe some kind of howl to disorient enemies? You know, like those demi-humans in that Jobless Reincarnation series you told me about once."

Amai's singing paused mid-note as she blinked at him. "That's... actually not a bad idea."

"Yup, I know I'm just a genius like that. Are you gonna stop now?"

"Yeah, sure, my bad. It's just so fun, y'know? Like giving a child a new toy to play with and expecting them not to mess with it every five seconds. What would you do if you were given a sword made out of some chakra metal alloy?"

"Uh... Train with it and use it as much as I can. Chakra metal is pretty damn rare and powerful, after all."

"Exactly."

"...You're impossible. A sword isn't the same as a voice."

After a while, they finally reached the Academy. It wasn't very far from their home, just a kilometer and a half away, so the walk didn't take long. Today, they would be evaluated on chakra control, if memory served her right.

The Academy grounds were already bustling with activity when they arrived. Students were chatting, some dozing off against the wall, others quietly observing their surroundings. Amai's attention was drawn to a familiar sight—a certain someone glaring daggers at Sora. If looks could kill, Sora would definitely be dead right now.

Yup, Yuuma was still mad at him, alright.

She wouldn't blame him though—imagine getting beaten by someone who was handicapped and weighed down. On top of that, a civilian. Yikes.

It was the kind of loss that stung more than anything. Amai almost felt bad for Yuuma. Almost.

Either way, her attention shifted as her curiosity got the better of her. Now that she could sense chakra, could she see how her reserves stacked up against everyone else's?

Wait—was that considered disrespectful? Would anyone even notice if she tried?

...Scratch it. If she tried right now, they would definitely notice since it was an open space. Maybe it was better to try in a more controlled setting, like in class or something.

Hnnngh... The curiosity, though. I really want to know.

Screw it all. She had been waiting for years to do this, so why hold back now? She discreetly leaned against a wall and, behind her, weaved a half-ram seal. She closed her eyes and expanded her chakra field. The results were... unexpected, to say the least.

Amai thought she would have a decently large chakra pool, but it paled in comparison to people like the Senju kids or the Akimichi. Hers, however, seemed at least comparable to the Uchiha's—a small relief amidst the humbling realization.

Suzume's reserves were slightly larger than hers, while Sora's chakra pool was a bit smaller. It wasn't an exact measurement, though, since there wasn't an established average to base it on. She didn't know what a Genin, Chunin, Jonin, or even a Kage were supposed to have in terms of chakra reserves.

For all she knew, her pool could be average, impressive, or downright disappointing. However, even if it was small, she had control. Way too much of it, in fact. Not just anyone could enhance their muscles, senses or manipulate chakra the way she did.

She didn't just check up on everyone's reserves, though. She took a look at their 'auras,' and today, the one with the strongest presence was none other than Yuuma. This confirmed it—it was either a way to measure someone's hostility or to gauge their fighting spirit. And the 'attraction' she felt was stronger this time, although still faint, because it wasn't directed at her.

Everyone else's auras were calm by comparison. A few showed faint ripples, likely stirred by the anticipation or excitement brought on by the chakra control evaluation. It wasn't surprising—moments like these tended to draw out a bit of tension, even in those who usually kept their cool.

Finally, she opened her eyes. No one seemed to notice what she just did, except for Sora, who stared at her with a knowing smile. Amai simply smiled back. Of course he'd notice— he's been training with her, after all.

Her gaze drifted toward the crowd of students, and a new thought crossed her mind. Kind of weird that Kenjiro-sensei is tardy, though. He should've been here ten minutes ago... Amai tapped her fingers lightly against her arm, her mind working over the possibilities. Maybe Hiruzen is lenient with him since he's a Sarutobi?

Then again, he'd been slightly late on Monday and Tuesday as well. Maybe this is just his thing? she mused, letting out a quiet sigh.

The minutes passed, and finally, Kenjiro-sensei appeared, strolling into the training grounds as if he wasn't fazed by the time. "Good morning, class. How are all my students?"

"I'm good, Kenjiro-aniki!"

"Shohei, I told you several times not to call me big brother while in class. In here, I am your sensei."

The Sarutobi kid rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "My bad, Kenjiro-sensei. I got carried away."

Kenjiro gave him a wry smile. "I know you're excited, but let's keep it professional during class hours." His gaze swept across the students, and he nodded approvingly at their attention.

"Alright, now that we're all here, let's get started. We've got a lot to cover today. I want to see how much everyone's control over their chakra has improved during the break. I imagine everyone here is familiar with the Leaf Concentration Technique?"

Every single student replied with a strong "Yes," almost in unison. Amai was surprised at how coordinated they could be.

'Amazing, Kuroda-kun really has drilled it into them. I shouldn't underestimate his capabilities as a teacher.' Kenjiro thought, impressed.

He gave a small nod of approval before continuing, "Good. Now, let's get to it. I want to see where everyone's chakra control is at after the break. If any of you have any other techniques you'd like to show, such as the Tree Walking Technique, feel free to do so. Shall we start?"

Part of the class responded in unison with an enthusiastic "Yes, Kenjiro-sensei!"

The students quickly scattered, some reaching up to pull leaves from the nearby trees while others grabbed scraps of paper from their bags. Amai chose the former option, the crisp, green leaf in her hand feeling light as she prepared to begin.

'Speaking of trees...' she thought to herself, 'I should start collecting twigs and using them to train my Wind Release.' It had been a while since she'd focused on that, but now felt like the right time to revisit her training. After all, she could do it in class and still learn as she did it.

And Water Release... It was a crucial part of her Kekkei Genkai, and yet, she had been neglecting it. Perhaps she should read up on some scrolls to learn a way to train her affinity for it, too.

For now, that didn't matter, because she had to focus on the matter at hand. Not that it would be hard, she just had to wait until twelve or thirteen kids dropped their leaves, and drop hers as well. No need to reveal her chakra control to them.

Yet.

With one last deep breath, she placed it onto her forehead, and directed a gentle flow of chakra to keep it stuck.

Here we go.