Naruto: Snow Cold

HUH?!

I stared at Sora, my mouth slightly agape. He seemed just as surprised, his usual calm demeanor faltering for a moment. After a brief pause, he exhaled and got up on his feet. "...Well, you heard him. Let's go."

I groaned internally but pushed myself to my feet, shaking off the nerves. It's Sora... I can beat him at least, right? His strength is below mine, and I have been practicing the academy Taijutsu style katas, a lot. I have a good chance.

Besides, I know he's strong. He can take it.

"I'm not holding back," I said, glancing at him as we both stepped up to the center.

"Neither am I," He retorted, cracking a small smile.

We both reached the center of the ring, standing a few paces apart. The crowd of students around us fell silent, their eyes glued to the match about to unfold. My heart pounded, but I kept my stance firm, my focus locked onto Sora.

Kuroda-sensei raised his hand, his voice cutting through the tension, "Ready?"

We both made the Seal of Confrontation in unison.

"BEGIN!" he shouted, and just like that, the match began.

I took a deep breath and shifted into the basic stance of the academy Taijutsu style. My eyes stayed on Sora, trying to read his movements, looking for any sign of an opening.

He seemed to be in his own stance, waiting for me to make the first move. Is that boxing? Is this guy for real?

The sensei looked amused, probably about to comment on his "weird" stance. It was solid, at least.

I blinked at him three times with my right eye, to see if he caught the hint. You're giving away too much, dumbass! His eyes widened slightly, and he quickly switched to the academy stance, which looked a bit awkward but good nonetheless.

Despite the nerves from before, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. Just how much have I improved ever since then?

I quickly made a move, and stepped in for a jab aimed at Sora's upper body, testing his defense. He was quick to react, raising his forearm to block the strike, although I could tell he was a bit off-balance due to the strength of my blow. I didn't waste the opening—immediately following up with a low kick aimed at his thigh.

He reacted just in time, stepping back to avoid the kick, and he retaliated by stepping forward and throwing a right hook. It struck me on the cheek, the impact stinging as it jolted my head slightly to the side.

I stumbled back a step, shaking off the hit. Fuck, he's good. He really isn't holding back!

I quickly regained my footing and narrowed my eyes, before stepping in again and feinting a jab to his torso. His eyes flicked down toward the fake, his weight shifting slightly as if to block it—but it was a split-second hesitation. The moment he realized it was a feint, his guard snapped back up and his body tensed, ready to counter whatever I threw next.

Taking advantage of that hesitation, I pivoted on my back foot and launched a low kick aimed at his calf. This time, it connected, the force causing him to lose his balance. I can do this!

I followed up with a hook punch, but he blocked it with his forearm. Undeterred, I continued to unleash a flurry of jabs and hooks, all skillfully deflected by him—either by meeting them with a counterpunch or simply raising his forearm to intercept the strikes.

He was feeling the pressure; I could tell by the sweat dripping down his forehead. My flurry didn't let up, pushing him back closer to the outside of the ring and then I saw an opening: the left side of his midsection, near his ribs.

Seizing the opportunity, I shifted my stance slightly and delivered a quick, calculated punch to the exposed area. The strike landed with a satisfying thud, forcing a sharp exhale from Sora. The impact made him stumble backward, and before he could recover, he stepped out of the ring.

N-No way... Did I actually win?

The moment Sora's feet left the ring, the silence in the air hung for a beat longer than it should have.

I was too focused on the fight, and now that I notice, some of the kids were almost bored. Most of them were watching intently, though. They'd probably have seen way better fights.

Sora grunted as he got up from the ground, his palm pressed against the area I'd struck, and muttered under his breath, "Goddamn, you really were all in."

Kuroda-sensei's eyes widened in surprise before he let out a low whistle. A small, approving smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Sora's out of bounds. Good job, Amai," he said, his tone carrying a genuine note of approval. "You've improved, not just in skill but in combat sense. I'm proud of you."

His gaze then turned to Sora. "Sora, you did well, too. But what I can tell you from this fight is that you were too passive. You need to be more aggressive, take the initiative, or you risk being caught off guard. Remember, hesitation can be just as dangerous as lack of preparation."

Sora's gaze shifted to Kuroda-sensei, and he shot him a thumbs-up while struggling to maintain a smile. One of his eyes was slightly squinted in discomfort, and his palm remained pressed to the spot I'd struck. "I'll work on it, sensei."

"Good, now do the Seal of Reconciliation, the both of you." Sensei instructed, his tone firm but encouraging.

I was already taking a few steps toward Sora, and I helped him up by stretching out my hand, which he took a hold of and got up with, wincing a bit as he did.

"...Sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard." I really felt bad. The body shot I landed sounded like it hurt. If I was using chakra, then I would've—

He waved his hand dismissively, "Nawh, it's okay. I can handle it. Good fight, Amai." He stretched out his index and middle fingers at me.

In response, I shot him a smile and locked my fingers with his, "You too, Sora. Good fight."

My efforts weren't wasted after all.

I had finally won my first fight. But deep down... I knew this was just the beginning.