Naruto: Snow Cold

My heart was racing. I struggled to get up, but Sora offered me a hand and reassured me, "You'll be fine. Just do your best."

...Yeah, that's right. I shouldn't be scared.

I stepped forward into the ring and locked eyes with Suzume. Her stoic, almost emotionless expression was unreadable. Right now... something felt off about her.

I formed the Seal of Confrontation, and she reciprocated my actions.

"Begin!" Kuroda-sensei shouted.

We both backed away and took our stances. Hers was defensive—was she waiting for me to attack? Fine, I'll defeat her, no matter what!

With a firm and resolute glare, I charged at her. I was somewhat fast; maybe the physical training was paying off. But I didn't have any experience in hand-to-hand combat.

I lunged, throwing a wild haymaker, and she sidestepped swiftly, letting the punch sail past her. I wasted no time and launched into a series of jabs aimed at her face. She was extremely focused, blocking them with precision, her movements smooth and controlled. She was almost as strong as me, yet somehow, she was more skilled. How?!

I was giving it everything I had without Chakra Enhancement—I really was.

But then—it happened.

I slipped.

My foot skidded on the ground, throwing me off balance. It was all she needed. Her eyes narrowed, and she pivoted on her left foot, her body twisting like a serpent coiling around its prey. Before I could recover, her right leg whipped around in a graceful, almost impeccable spinning wheel kick, her heel slicing through the air with incredible speed.

I barely saw it coming.

Her foot connected squarely with my jaw, and the pain... Oh god, the pain. The impact reverberated through my skull, blurring my vision. The sheer force of the blow sent me sprawling to the ground. My body refused to listen—it wouldn't move—and my thoughts were a jumbled mess. My head hit the earth with a dull thud, and the world around me spun.

"-MAI! AMAI! ##########!"

I couldn't make out what they were saying. Who's shouting? Was it Sora? Sensei?

The last thing I saw was Suzume's composed figure, standing tall, her sharp, subtly stoic eyes gazing down at me.

"…Good fight."

And then everything went black.

...

Ugh, my head...

My eyes fluttered open, and my hand unconsciously moved to my jaw. Ow, I thought, wincing. That seriously hurts. It's sore as hell.

"You're awake, thank god!" came my mother's voice, trembling with relief. Before I could fully process what was happening, she pulled me into a tight hug.

I stayed silent, unable to fully piece together what was going on. My mind was still foggy, the events before I blacked out swirling in fragments—Suzume, the kick, the pain, and then… nothing.

I glanced around to confirm where I was. Huh, they left me at the Academy's infirmary.

"Does it hurt there? I never thought sparring at the academy could be so intense. Did that girl really knock you out in a single kick?"

I nodded silently in shame. How did I even lose to her like that? I've been training ever since the day the fox attacked, pouring everything I had into getting stronger, and somehow, she still beat me?

Her embrace tightened, warm and reassuring. "Amai, I don't care if you win or lose," my mother said softly, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "You know? There's a saying: there's no shame in falling down, only in choosing to stay down. Like Jun would say, 'If you fall off that horse, you get back up… and you eat that horse!'"

I snickered a little, despite my state. Where did they even pull that joke from? I thought, shaking my head. I knew it was from somewhere, but for the life of me, I couldn't pinpoint exactly where.

"I suppose you're right, Mom. I'll try harder from now on," I murmured. I'll beat her next time, and I won't need any fancy chakra tricks.

Before she could respond, the door creaked open. I glanced toward the sound, and... Oh, It's Sora.

"Hey there, Amai. Hikari-san," he said with his usual easygoing grin. "Just came to check up on my friend. How're you feelin'?"

I managed a small smile. "I'm feeling better, I guess."

Sora stepped closer, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he glanced around the infirmary. His expression was still as he looked at me. I could tell he was worried, even if I'm not very good at reading people.

I sighed softly. I'm glad they care.

"How about you rest for a little longer? I'll pick you up in a bit. After all, the Academy's almost over for today," she said. "Can I trust you to take care of her, Sora?"

"You got it, ma'am," he answered, giving her a confident thumbs-up.

My mother gave me a final look and said before exiting the room, "Make sure she doesn't push herself too hard."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Sora and me alone in the room. I exhaled slowly, and my body was still aching a little. Mostly my jaw, though. And my pride.

Sora turned toward me, looking a little concerned but relaxed nonetheless. "So, got anything fun to do today?"

"Not really, I was planning to just get back to training. Practice and stuff. Suzume really kicked my butt today, so I have to get stronger."

He seemed to hold his chin in thought, before responding, "That's actually perfect. Maybe I can accompany you this time?"

"That... That would be nice."

---------???--------

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, but Suzume remained seated, her mind not on the history lesson but on the girl she'd faced earlier, Amai Yuki.

Indeed, that was her actual name, although it was known only to a select few, and of course, to Danzo and ROOT itself.

Suzume absently ran a finger along the edge of her desk as she thought through what she needed to report to Danzo. She had talent, no doubt about that. Her instincts were sharp, and her resilience was impressive. But she had emotional connections, and relatives she loved. That would only hold her back and make it several times more difficult to recruit her.

A proper tool should be emotionless and ready to carry out any order given. To serve the village no matter what, regardless of what happens to the individual.

Any resources spent on her would be utterly and completely wasted. She doesn't belong in ROOT.

Amai Yuki... will only be a detriment.