Chapter 38: New Faces and Fiery Tempers
"Mikoto, you didn't sleep at all last night, did you?"
Shinra frowned, taking in the prominent dark circles under Mikoto's eyes.
"Yeah," she admitted softly. "The things you told me yesterday... it was a lot to process. And then I practiced for a while. Before I knew it, the sun was up."
"Mikoto, I'm serious. Over-refining chakra will only drain your body and could even be life-threatening. You are to stop chakra refinement immediately," Shinra said, his expression stern and leaving no room for argument.
He wasn't exaggerating. Chakra was fundamentally different from the internal energy of martial arts lore. While undeniably more potent for combat, it lacked the nourishing, life-sustaining properties. It was a power drawn from the very cells of the body, and overdrawing it had severe consequences.
"I know," Mikoto mumbled, her head bowed. "But if I don't refine chakra, what else can I practice?"
She had already mastered basic ninjutsu like the Great Fireball and Phoenix Sage Fire techniques. Any more powerful jutsu were beyond her current chakra reserves. This desperate need for more power was the very reason she had been pushing herself so hard.
"Here," Shinra said, his tone softening. "I was planning to give this to you in a few years, but now is as good a time as any." He handed her a scroll containing the complete training methods for the Marine Six Styles, as well as Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
The only thing he could safely teach her right now was physical conditioning. While he possessed powerful genjutsu, they were utterly unsuitable for her. Using them required a deep understanding of their horrific nature, and exposing Mikoto to that could be psychologically damaging.
"Physical training?" Mikoto took the scroll without question and stored it securely. If Shinra said it was good for her, she believed him. She trusted he would never lead her astray.
"Look at you. You should rest today. I'll ask for a leave of absence for you. Stay home and recover. And read through the materials I gave you, but don't start practicing on your own yet," he instructed firmly. After a quick breakfast, he packed a lunch and headed to school alone.
Mikoto didn't object. She saw him off with a soft goodbye before finally going to get some rest.
When Shinra arrived in the classroom, Nawaki, who was always early, looked up in surprise.
"Where's Mikoto? Why isn't she with you? Don't tell me you did something and she left you!"
"Go on, get out of here. A dog's mouth can't spit out ivory," Shinra retorted, pushing Nawaki's face away. "Mikoto isn't feeling well today. She stayed home."
"A dog's mouth can't... Hey! Shinra, you're calling me a dog!" Nawaki finally processed the insult.
Grrr! Inuzuka Tsume's ninken, Kuromaru, let out a low growl.
Nawaki shot a glare at the dog, feeling like it was mocking him. He was not having a good morning.
"See? Even the dog gets it, Nawaki. You're nobody," Shinra chuckled, watching the exchange.
As the rest of the class trickled in, the room grew noisier, the chatter only dying down when it was nearly time for class to start.
"This is strange," Nawaki mused, tapping his desk. "Ueno-sensei is always here by now. Is he sick or something?"
"Maybe he's just busy," Nara Shikaku mumbled, his head already pillowed on his arms. "Don't get your hopes up for a free period, Nawaki."
"Shikaku, you're so lazy! You're just as bad as Shinra!"
"Inoichi, speak for yourself. And Choza, could you eat any louder? It's distracting," Shinra complained without lifting his head from his desk, where he was focusing on his chakra refinement. He was curious, too. Ueno Kuri was a punctual man; he'd never been late before.
Thirty minutes later, their teacher finally arrived. And he wasn't alone. Two girls with vibrant red hair followed him into the room.
Shinra's eyes narrowed on one of them. Red hair... that must be Uzumaki Kushina. But who was the other one? He felt a flicker of confusion. Kushina's arrival made sense, but the second girl? Was this a ripple effect caused by his presence?
"Class, these are our new transfer students," Ueno Kuri announced. "This is Uzumaki Kushina, and this is Uzumaki Tomoko. I expect you all to be on your best behavior and make them feel welcome. Is that understood?" His tone carried a clear warning.
He then turned to the two girls. "You can find empty seats for now."
Uzumaki Kushina strode forward with a bold, almost careless air. The other girl, Uzumaki Tomoko, was her polar opposite—painfully shy, her eyes darting around nervously.
"Their hair is so weird! It's red, like Choza's!"
"Yeah! And look at that Uzumaki Kushina. Her face is so round! Like a tomato!"
Kushina's eye twitched, a visible tick mark appearing on her forehead as she resisted the urge to snap back. She marched down the aisle and promptly sat down in Mikoto's empty seat next to Shinra.
Shinra couldn't help but look at her.
"What are you looking at?" she challenged, raising a small, pink fist. "Want to make fun of me too? I'll punch you!"
"Did you not see the books on this desk?" Shinra said flatly, pointing to Mikoto's belongings. "This seat is taken."
"So what? This lady is sitting with you, you should be honored! Do you have a problem with that? I'm sitting here, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Kushina declared, her stubbornness on full display.
"Fine. For one day. When Mikoto comes back tomorrow, you move," Shinra stated before laying his head back on the desk, dismissing her.
"Huh? Classmate Mikoto?" Ueno Kuri, having finished settling the other girl, noticed Kushina in the wrong seat. "Why isn't she here today?"
"Teacher, Mikoto isn't feeling well. She won't be in class today," Shinra explained, standing up.
"Is it serious?" Ueno asked with genuine concern.
"Nothing major. She just needs rest," Shinra assured him.
"Good." Ueno Kuri nodded, then his face hardened as he turned his glare on the rest of the class. "You little rascals! What did I just say? The moment I turn my back, you're mocking the new students! Let me hear one more comment, and you'll all be running laps until you drop!"
"Kushina, you can sit there for now. Tomoko, take that empty seat in the back. We'll sort out permanent seating later," he instructed.
"Y-yes, sensei!" Uzumaki Tomoko stammered, quickly scurrying to the back of the room.
"And Tomoko, there's no need to be so nervous," Ueno Kuri added in a gentler tone. These two were special transfers, personally entrusted to him by the Hokage. He couldn't afford any mishaps.