Naruto: Snow Cold

February. I had celebrated my birthday with my family a few days ago, and now I was 7. Take that, Sora—I'm older than you! Even if it's just by a few weeks.

As of now, the snow was subsiding and it made the training grounds a little more bearable—for him, at least. The cold didn't really bother me. Today, I had brought my notebook and a pencil, along with my training material.

He was there, training the Body Replacement Jutsu over and over again on his own, slight smoke appearing each time he used it and swapped with a nearby log or object. Three handsigns... He's on his way to mastering it. Why don't people use this jutsu more often in the series? There's so much Sasuke could have done with it, instead of that Ameno-whatever that kept using so much more chakra than necessary.

I smiled, looking at his progress, a sense of pride swelling in my chest as I leaned against the nearby training post. I guess I should get something done, too. I sat down crosslegged, and opened up my notebook. Everything I learned so far... Why was it less difficult than it should? Is it because, as otherworlders, our endless imagination allows us to grasp these concepts and understand them?

I mean, humanity itself created so much based on imagination and science alone, such as entire technologies that basically reshaped the entire world. Things like airplanes, smartphones, and artificial intelligence... Yet, I feel like that couldn't be it. Because once peace was brought after the Fourth Great Ninja War ended, there was an explosive growth—both in technology and in the way people connected with one another.

Dunno much about it, though. I vowed to never watch the trash that is Boruto.

Maybe the real reason this stuff is so natural is due to some kind of boon or benefit we got before reincarnating? That couldn't be it, either—there was no god or any kind of deity, just darkness. Infinite, hollow darkness. But then, how did I even arrive here? Is it for someone's amusement?

The thought left a strange taste in my mouth.

I shook the thought away. There's no point in thinking about it, and what mattered was that I was here now—alive. I needed to focus on the present and stop having an existential crisis over nothing.

I let out a deep breath and returned to my notebook, my pencil poised over the page. The blank lines stared back at me, waiting for something to be written, something to make sense of all these swirling, uncontrolled thoughts.

What the hell should I start with...?

Ah, I know. I should probably list down what I want to do in the future. First off...

Ice Release. There's so many things to consider about it, such as the temperature, its density, efficiency and potency, melting point, thermal conductivity, the crystal structure... Each of these factors could drastically change the way I use it, both in battle and in training. But how exactly am I going to train each one of these?

Temperature... Temperature could be a double-edged sword. Lowering the temperature to a certain degree could make ice form faster and more efficiently, but it could also affect me if I'm not careful. What's the point of trying to freeze my opponent if I turn into a popsicle myself? I can think of one training method to increase the potency, efficiency and my control over the temperature all at once.

Freezing entire water bodies.

Yes, you heard that right. Or maybe that's just an exaggeration, because there's no way I'd be able to freeze a pond right now.

I'd probably have to start with a barrel of water and then work my way up from there. It'll be hard, but it should be doable, right?

A barrel is manageable—it's a contained space, so I can focus on freezing it efficiently. Plus, the smaller size means I can test my control without worrying about the vastness of a pond or lake. I can take my time, gradually increase the difficulty, and refine my technique with each attempt.

Next up, density.

Density is all about how tightly packed the molecules in the ice are. The fewer air pockets there are, the denser it becomes, and that results in a harder, more durable form of ice. However, that comes with a tradeoff: the denser the ice, the more chakra and focus I'll need to maintain it.

In simpler terms, I have to expend more chakra the denser I want my ice to be.

If I want something that's tough enough to withstand a hit or block an attack, I can't just create a quick, weak, and flimsy little ice wall. I'd need to pack these molecules as tightly as possible, filling the gaps and making sure the structure is as compact as it can be. The stronger it is, the more of my energy I'd need to expend to make it last. This is something I absolutely need to train, in case I face something like a Jinchuuriki in the future.

Go on, laugh at me. I swear that I'll make my ice so durable in the future, not even the Otsutsuki will be able to get through it!

Of course, density isn't the only important factor. What does it matter how tough it is, if it can just be melted by fire? This is where the melting point comes into play.

I couldn't just think of ice as something that would always behave the same way. If I want it to be tough enough to withstand a fireball, I'd have to make sure it doesn't just melt at the first sign of heat. But not only that, I needed to figure out how to control its melting point, so I could choose when and where it melts.

Then, there's thermal conductivity.

How will I make my ice absorb heat, instead of just being passively destroyed? Maybe I can find a use for this, but I just don't know yet.

Crystal structure...

I have some experience with this, as I've mentioned before. I've been training by crafting figurines and similar creations to improve my control over the formation of crystals. Honestly, there are so many ways I could use this to my advantage—whether it's making weapons, shards, barriers, or walls, and adjusting their strength or brittleness to suit my needs.

There's a chance that, once I've mastered Ice Release to a sufficient level, I might even be able to create my own domain in the future.

Just imagine—manipulating the entire environment around me, freezing everything in my proximity. The air itself turning to ice at my command, the ground beneath my feet cracking and freezing over. In that space, my control would be absolute. Every movement, every attack, would be an extension of my will.

It would take a truckload of chakra to fuel that, though, which is a bummer. The kind of reserves I'd need for something like that... I can't even fathom it right now. It wouldn't just be a drain; it would be an all-out consumption of everything I have. I'd have to train my chakra capacity to ridiculous levels just to maintain it for any meaningful time.

So much to think about.

I scribbled one last time with my pencil and glanced up from my notebook at Sora, who was already exhausted and almost out of chakra. He stood there, a little unsteady on his feet, his eyes flickering with a mixture of frustration and determination. But there was something else, I think? A fleeting glint in them—something almost selfish, like he was trying to prove something, to no one but himself.

It disappeared so quickly, I wasn't sure if I imagined it or not. But it was there. A sharp, unsettling glint that sent a brief shiver down my spine.

...I'm sure it's nothing.

I shook the thought from my mind, focusing back on my notebook, my pencil hovering over the page. It was easier to just ignore it. He was probably just tired from all the training.

Probably.