Just as promised, Nawaki met up with Mikoto after class ended. Mikoto had chosen a more secluded spot for their meeting, ensuring they were alone.
"You came," Mikoto greeted with a slight smile.
As Nawaki was about to respond, his expression sharpened. He noticed the girl's sudden movement; she leaped from the ground, causing the solid earth to crack beneath her.
Her figure blurred as she moved swiftly to Nawaki's side. Her fist, releasing a wave of chakra, aimed at Nawaki, who reacted instantly. His body emanated white light as he dodged her fist and countered with a kick aimed at her small frame.
For a moment, Nawaki thought he saw her eyes turn red, but it was fleeting.
Mikoto dodged his kick and retreated a few steps. "You're good!" she said, placing her hand on her waist and giving Nawaki a thumbs up, a happy smile on her face.
Realizing Mikoto's attack was a test rather than a threat, Nawaki asked, "Why did you do that?"
"Hehe~" She laughed playfully, a mischievous expression Nawaki had never seen from her before. As she playfully circled around, she explained, "I'm in need of a training partner. After seeing you yesterday, I thought you'd be a good match. And watching you handle Isao Uchiha only reinforced that idea."
"So, that was a test?" Nawaki inferred.
"Yes, since Isao Uchiha couldn't withstand a simple flick to the forehead," Mikoto responded, her nose wrinkling slightly before she smiled gently. "Now that I've seen your capabilities, I think training together would be beneficial for both of us. What do you think?"
Nawaki considered for a moment, then replied with a friendly smile, "I agree. I could also use a training partner."
"Great!" Mikoto extended her hand for a handshake.
Nawaki didn't hesitate to shake her hand, releasing it after a moment with a smile. "It'll be a pleasure to train with you."
"The pleasure is mine," Mikoto said humbly, withdrawing her hand.
She then inquired, "Can we start training today?"
"Sure, why not?" Nawaki agreed, then asked, "But where will we train?"
Mikoto appeared thoughtful, inadvertently placing her index finger on her lip. "Oh yes," she brightened up with an idea. "How about at your clan's place?"
'I don't think Sis will mind if I bring a girl to train there,' Nawaki thought to himself.
Noticing Nawaki's silence, Mikoto added, "Alternatively, we can train at the training grounds, though they're often busy."
Nawaki snapped out of his thoughts and responded, "No, I wasn't objecting to training at my clan's compound. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
"That's great~" Mikoto smiled warmly, pressing her fingers together in anticipation.
-
-
"Welcome, Nawaki-sama!" the employees at the compound greeted him as usual upon his arrival.
"Don't worry about me; I brought a friend to train with today," Nawaki informed them. "By the way, is Sis around?"
"Tsunade-sama left this afternoon and hasn't returned yet," one of them replied.
"Okay, carry on with your work," Nawaki said, dismissing them.
"Shall we go?" he then asked Mikoto.
"Yes," she nodded.
They crossed a bridge over a small lake and walked through a bamboo forest, arriving at a spacious clearing surrounded by bamboo and trees, with marks of combat on the ground.
Observing Mikoto's curiosity, Nawaki explained, "I usually train here. When I was younger, Sis used it too, but it's not sturdy enough for her training now. She still helps me sometimes, though."
"It seems like a good training spot," Mikoto agreed, smiling. "Your sister is one of Konoha's most powerful kunoichi. It's no surprise she needs a more resilient area."
"Should we have a duel before we start training?" Mikoto asked, eager for a challenge.
"Okay, but let me show you my strength first. You can tell me if you can handle it, or if I need to hold back," Nawaki proposed.
"You don't know your own strength?" Mikoto looked surprised.
"Yes, exactly," Nawaki admitted. "You're strong, I've seen that, but I haven't used even 50% of my strength before. It's better if you know what to expect so I don't accidentally hurt you."
"I'm confident in my abilities, but it's wise to gauge your strength first," she said with a smile. "I'll show you mine too."
"Good," Nawaki smiled.
He then demonstrated several taijutsu techniques, using almost 100% of his strength. Each move was powerfully executed, causing minor deformations in the reinforced ground and nearly producing supersonic sounds with his punches.
After finishing, Nawaki looked at Mikoto, waiting for her reaction.
Observing Nawaki's display of strength, Mikoto sighed in admiration and then smiled gently. "I'm glad you showed me your strength first. Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to withstand a direct hit at full force. It was just physical strength you used, right? Impressive~"
Before Nawaki could respond, she continued, "I think 60-65% of your strength would be my limit for sustaining only minor injuries, and that's without you using chakra."
Nawaki was impressed. If Mikoto's assessment was accurate, he would have been weaker than her before consuming the orbs of light. He proposed, "I won't use chakra, and I'll reduce my strength by 50% to start. How does that sound?"
"That works for me," Mikoto replied with a slight smile. "Let me demonstrate my strength too. Since you're so strong, I'll include some ninjutsu as well."
"Okay," Nawaki agreed.
Mikoto began with a series of taijutsu moves, then transitioned to ninjutsu, creating a fireball about the size of a watermelon.
Nawaki watched as the wooden target turned to ash in seconds, questioning his own ability to withstand such an attack.
Mikoto also demonstrated her skill with shuriken, accurately striking the center of targets. Her wooden shuriken penetrated deeply into the wood, showcasing her strength and precision.
'She's incredibly strong and skilled...' Nawaki reflected, realizing he had never seen her display such abilities at the academy. He doubted many could match her in a full-force duel, perhaps only the blond boy who seemed to conceal his true strength.
As he contemplated Mikoto's difficulty in finding a suitable training partner, he mentally noted her capabilities.
When she finished, she appeared unruffled, maintaining her usual gentle demeanor. With a smile, she inquired, "How did I do?"
"You're amazing," Nawaki complimented, giving her a thumbs up. "No wonder you can't find a suitable training partner. Our partnership will be beneficial to both of us."
"Hehe," Mikoto playfully stuck out her tongue. "No need to flatter me; you won't gain anything from it~"
Nawaki feigned disappointment, "That's a shame, I think."
"Hahaha, you're funny," Mikoto laughed more freely.
This was the first time Nawaki had seen her laugh like that. Her laughter surprised him; even though she was young, she had a unique charm, and physically, she was more developed than girls her age, particularly noticeable in her figure.
"Shall we start now?" Nawaki asked.
"Yes," she replied with a smile, adopting a more serious demeanor.
Preparing for their training, Nawaki took out a coin. "I'm going to toss this coin. As soon as it hits the ground, we start, okay?"
"That's fine with me," Mikoto agreed.
The coin was released and hit the ground. Mikoto quickly formed six hand seals – Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" She unleashed a fireball, similar to her earlier demonstration.
Nawaki, remembering his promise to only use taijutsu, dodged the attack. Expecting his dodge, Mikoto threw shurikens in his direction. Nawaki, reacting swiftly, leaped high, avoiding the shurikens that passed beneath him.
As he landed, Mikoto was already forming new hand seals. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Nawaki pondered if Mikoto was overexerting her chakra. Instead of dodging sideways, he charged forward, narrowly avoiding the fireball by sliding on the ground.
Seeing his approach, Mikoto's eyes widened momentarily before she smiled, finding the situation increasingly intriguing.
As she moved sideways, Mikoto formed a different set of five hand seals. "Fire Style: Fire Sage Phoenix Technique!"
Nawaki, familiar with this jutsu, braced himself. The technique involved launching a volley of fireballs of varying sizes, moving unpredictably and controlled individually with chakra, making them difficult to avoid.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The barrage of fireballs exploded where Nawaki was positioned, engulfing the area in flames.
Before Mikoto could become concerned that she had gone too far, Nawaki used a substitution jutsu, replacing himself with a twig at the last moment. To her astonishment, he was already standing just a few steps away from her.
"How is this possible?" she wondered, unable to fathom the incredible speed it took for him to reach her side so quickly.
His hand, shaped like a blade, hovered mere inches from her neck. Nawaki's smile widened, deepening his cute dimples: "You missed it~"
"Yes, I surrender," she conceded with a sigh, her lips then curving into a gentle smile.
Just as promised, Nawaki met up with Mikoto after class ended. Mikoto had chosen a more secluded spot for their meeting, ensuring they were alone.
"You came," Mikoto greeted with a slight smile.
As Nawaki was about to respond, his expression sharpened. He noticed the girl's sudden movement; she leaped from the ground, causing the solid earth to crack beneath her.
Her figure blurred as she moved swiftly to Nawaki's side. Her fist, releasing a wave of chakra, aimed at Nawaki, who reacted instantly. His body emanated white light as he dodged her fist and countered with a kick aimed at her small frame.
For a moment, Nawaki thought he saw her eyes turn red, but it was fleeting.
Mikoto dodged his kick and retreated a few steps. "You're good!" she said, placing her hand on her waist and giving Nawaki a thumbs up, a happy smile on her face.
Realizing Mikoto's attack was a test rather than a threat, Nawaki asked, "Why did you do that?"
"Hehe~" She laughed playfully, a mischievous expression Nawaki had never seen from her before. As she playfully circled around, she explained, "I'm in need of a training partner. After seeing you yesterday, I thought you'd be a good match. And watching you handle Isao Uchiha only reinforced that idea."
"So, that was a test?" Nawaki inferred.
"Yes, since Isao Uchiha couldn't withstand a simple flick to the forehead," Mikoto responded, her nose wrinkling slightly before she smiled gently. "Now that I've seen your capabilities, I think training together would be beneficial for both of us. What do you think?"
Nawaki considered for a moment, then replied with a friendly smile, "I agree. I could also use a training partner."
"Great!" Mikoto extended her hand for a handshake.
Nawaki didn't hesitate to shake her hand, releasing it after a moment with a smile. "It'll be a pleasure to train with you."
"The pleasure is mine," Mikoto said humbly, withdrawing her hand.
She then inquired, "Can we start training today?"
"Sure, why not?" Nawaki agreed, then asked, "But where will we train?"
Mikoto appeared thoughtful, inadvertently placing her index finger on her lip. "Oh yes," she brightened up with an idea. "How about at your clan's place?"
'I don't think Sis will mind if I bring a girl to train there,' Nawaki thought to himself.
Noticing Nawaki's silence, Mikoto added, "Alternatively, we can train at the training grounds, though they're often busy."
Nawaki snapped out of his thoughts and responded, "No, I wasn't objecting to training at my clan's compound. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
"That's great~" Mikoto smiled warmly, pressing her fingers together in anticipation.
-
-
"Welcome, Nawaki-sama!" the employees at the compound greeted him as usual upon his arrival.
"Don't worry about me; I brought a friend to train with today," Nawaki informed them. "By the way, is Sis around?"
"Tsunade-sama left this afternoon and hasn't returned yet," one of them replied.
"Okay, carry on with your work," Nawaki said, dismissing them.
"Shall we go?" he then asked Mikoto.
"Yes," she nodded.
They crossed a bridge over a small lake and walked through a bamboo forest, arriving at a spacious clearing surrounded by bamboo and trees, with marks of combat on the ground.
Observing Mikoto's curiosity, Nawaki explained, "I usually train here. When I was younger, Sis used it too, but it's not sturdy enough for her training now. She still helps me sometimes, though."
"It seems like a good training spot," Mikoto agreed, smiling. "Your sister is one of Konoha's most powerful kunoichi. It's no surprise she needs a more resilient area."
"Should we have a duel before we start training?" Mikoto asked, eager for a challenge.
"Okay, but let me show you my strength first. You can tell me if you can handle it, or if I need to hold back," Nawaki proposed.
"You don't know your own strength?" Mikoto looked surprised.
"Yes, exactly," Nawaki admitted. "You're strong, I've seen that, but I haven't used even 50% of my strength before. It's better if you know what to expect so I don't accidentally hurt you."
"I'm confident in my abilities, but it's wise to gauge your strength first," she said with a smile. "I'll show you mine too."
"Good," Nawaki smiled.
He then demonstrated several taijutsu techniques, using almost 100% of his strength. Each move was powerfully executed, causing minor deformations in the reinforced ground and nearly producing supersonic sounds with his punches.
After finishing, Nawaki looked at Mikoto, waiting for her reaction.
Observing Nawaki's display of strength, Mikoto sighed in admiration and then smiled gently. "I'm glad you showed me your strength first. Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to withstand a direct hit at full force. It was just physical strength you used, right? Impressive~"
Before Nawaki could respond, she continued, "I think 60-65% of your strength would be my limit for sustaining only minor injuries, and that's without you using chakra."
Nawaki was impressed. If Mikoto's assessment was accurate, he would have been weaker than her before consuming the orbs of light. He proposed, "I won't use chakra, and I'll reduce my strength by 50% to start. How does that sound?"
"That works for me," Mikoto replied with a slight smile. "Let me demonstrate my strength too. Since you're so strong, I'll include some ninjutsu as well."
"Okay," Nawaki agreed.
Mikoto began with a series of taijutsu moves, then transitioned to ninjutsu, creating a fireball about the size of a watermelon.
Nawaki watched as the wooden target turned to ash in seconds, questioning his own ability to withstand such an attack.
Mikoto also demonstrated her skill with shuriken, accurately striking the center of targets. Her wooden shuriken penetrated deeply into the wood, showcasing her strength and precision.
'She's incredibly strong and skilled...' Nawaki reflected, realizing he had never seen her display such abilities at the academy. He doubted many could match her in a full-force duel, perhaps only the blond boy who seemed to conceal his true strength.
As he contemplated Mikoto's difficulty in finding a suitable training partner, he mentally noted her capabilities.
When she finished, she appeared unruffled, maintaining her usual gentle demeanor. With a smile, she inquired, "How did I do?"
"You're amazing," Nawaki complimented, giving her a thumbs up. "No wonder you can't find a suitable training partner. Our partnership will be beneficial to both of us."
"Hehe," Mikoto playfully stuck out her tongue. "No need to flatter me; you won't gain anything from it~"
Nawaki feigned disappointment, "That's a shame, I think."
"Hahaha, you're funny," Mikoto laughed more freely.
This was the first time Nawaki had seen her laugh like that. Her laughter surprised him; even though she was young, she had a unique charm, and physically, she was more developed than girls her age, particularly noticeable in her figure.
"Shall we start now?" Nawaki asked.
"Yes," she replied with a smile, adopting a more serious demeanor.
Preparing for their training, Nawaki took out a coin. "I'm going to toss this coin. As soon as it hits the ground, we start, okay?"
"That's fine with me," Mikoto agreed.
The coin was released and hit the ground. Mikoto quickly formed six hand seals – Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" She unleashed a fireball, similar to her earlier demonstration.
Nawaki, remembering his promise to only use taijutsu, dodged the attack. Expecting his dodge, Mikoto threw shurikens in his direction. Nawaki, reacting swiftly, leaped high, avoiding the shurikens that passed beneath him.
As he landed, Mikoto was already forming new hand seals. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Nawaki pondered if Mikoto was overexerting her chakra. Instead of dodging sideways, he charged forward, narrowly avoiding the fireball by sliding on the ground.
Seeing his approach, Mikoto's eyes widened momentarily before she smiled, finding the situation increasingly intriguing.
As she moved sideways, Mikoto formed a different set of five hand seals. "Fire Style: Fire Sage Phoenix Technique!"
Nawaki, familiar with this jutsu, braced himself. The technique involved launching a volley of fireballs of varying sizes, moving unpredictably and controlled individually with chakra, making them difficult to avoid.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The barrage of fireballs exploded where Nawaki was positioned, engulfing the area in flames.
Before Mikoto could become concerned that she had gone too far, Nawaki used a substitution jutsu, replacing himself with a twig at the last moment. To her astonishment, he was already standing just a few steps away from her.
"How is this possible?" she wondered, unable to fathom the incredible speed it took for him to reach her side so quickly.
His hand, shaped like a blade, hovered mere inches from her neck. Nawaki's smile widened, deepening his cute dimples: "You missed it~"
"Yes, I surrender," she conceded with a sigh, her lips then curving into a gentle smile.
