Morning arrived.
Chen, already awake, stepped out of his room, stretching and bracing himself for another school day. However, his morning routine was abruptly halted when he saw Mikoto descending the stairs from the first floor.
The sight momentarily left him speechless. Mikoto looked like a shadow of herself, with deep dark circles under her slightly reddened and swollen eyes. Her hair was a tousled mess.
"Mikoto," Chen said with concern, "did you get any sleep?"
Mikoto, seeing Chen, tried to smile, but the gesture didn't reach her tired eyes. "I... not really," she admitted in a hoarse voice. "There was so much information you gave me yesterday, Chen. And then, when I tried to sleep, I couldn't stop thinking about everything. So I decided to train a bit more."
Chen frowned, his tone growing stern. "A bit more? Mikoto, it looks like you've been up all night."
Mikoto looked down, her cheeks slightly flushing with embarrassment. "Well... maybe it was more than a bit," she murmured.
Chen sighed, running a hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "Mikoto, listen to me carefully," he said firmly. "Overtraining your chakra is extremely dangerous. You could permanently damage your chakra pathways, or worse, you could die. I forbid you to do it for now, understood?"
Mikoto's eyes widened. "But Chen," she protested weakly, "if I can't refine my chakra, what am I supposed to practice?"
Chen looked at her sympathetically. He understood Mikoto's frustration well. He knew she was capable of using several powerful Jutsus, but she needed more chakra to execute them properly. It was this limitation that drove her to train so hard, pushing her to this state.
After a moment of reflection, Chen made a decision. Perhaps it was time to advance his plans. "Wait here," he told Mikoto before disappearing into his room.
When he returned, he was holding several scrolls in his hands. "These," he explained, "are training methods for physical skills or Taijutsu, however you want to call it. Rokushiki, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki. These are powerful techniques de hat don't require the use of chakra."
Mikoto looked at the scrolls with curiosity, but also a bit of confusion. "Rokushiki? Haki? I've never heard of those techniques."
Chen smiled mysteriously. "They're... special techniques. Trust me, they'll make you much stronger." He couldn't tell Mikoto that these techniques came from another world, one she didn't even know existed. "For now, I can only teach you physical skills, but I assure you, they're incredibly effective."
Mikoto took the scrolls without questioning, her trust in Chen evident in the way she nodded at each word. "Alright, Chen. If you believe this will help me, I'll do it."
Chen smiled, relieved that Mikoto trusted him so much. "Good. Now, listen to me carefully. Today you'll stay home and rest. I'll ask the teacher for permission for you to miss classes. I want you to read these materials, but don't practice anything recklessly, understood? Your body needs to recover."
As he spoke, Chen quickly finished his breakfast and prepared his lunchbox. "I'll come back after school and check on your progress. But please, Mikoto, promise me you'll rest."
Mikoto, clearly eager to start her new training, nodded obediently. "I promise, Chen. I'll rest and just read the scrolls."
Chen looked at her for a moment longer, making sure Mikoto understood the seriousness of his words. Satisfied with what he saw, he nodded and headed for the door. "Alright. See you later, Mikoto. Take care."
"Have a good day at school, Chen," Mikoto replied softly, waving him off before heading back upstairs to her room.
…
Chen entered the classroom with a carefree stride, whistling a tune. However, his triumphant entrance was interrupted by a hyperactive Nawaki who seemed like he had downed ten cups of coffee.
"Chen! Chen! CHEN!" shouted Nawaki, bouncing like a human spring. "Where's Mikoto? Did you hide her? Don't tell me you ditched her for another girl!"
Chen blinked slowly, processing the barrage of questions. "Nawaki, breathe. Inhale, exhale. See? Not so hard."
"Don't change the subject!" Nawaki flailed his arms. "Answer!"
Chen sighed. "Mikoto is feeling unwell today. Probably because she ate too much ramen last night. Or maybe because she had a nightmare where you wouldn't stop talking... oh wait, that's reality."
"Hey!" Nawaki pouted. "I'm not that talkative!"
Just then, Kuromaru, Tsume's ninja dog, decided to join the conversation with a loud "Woof!"
Nawaki eyed the dog, narrowing his eyes. "Are you mocking me, furball?"
Kuromaru responded with another "Woof!" that suspiciously sounded like laughter.
"Wow, Nawaki!" exclaimed Chen in amazement. "I didn't know you spoke dog! What other hidden talents do you have? Can you bark the alphabet?"
The class burst into laughter as Nawaki turned as red as a tomato.
"Chen, you are a...!" Nawaki stopped, searching for the perfect insult. "You're a... a... shoddy ninja!"
"Ooh, good try, Nawaki," said Chen, patting him on the head. "Keep practicing your insults."
The morning continued with its usual controlled chaos. Shikaku dozed at his desk, Choza devoured his third breakfast, and Inoichi practiced his poses in front of the girls.
"Hey, Shikaku," said Chen. "Do you think if I sleep enough, I could become a genius like you?"
Shikaku murmured something that sounded suspiciously like "how troublesome" before resuming his nap.
"Inoichi," Chen continued, "if you keep making those poses, you're going to get stuck that way. Though, on second thought, it might be an improvement."
Inoichi shot him an offended look before returning to his critical task of perfecting his smile.
"And Choza," Chen turned to the Akimichi with an eye twitching in contained rage, "have you considered eating with your mouth closed? Or at least, not so... enthusiastically?"
Choza paused mid-bite, blinked, and then continued eating as if nothing happened, this time with a bit more decorum.
Just as the class was about to officially declare Kuri-sensei missing (Nawaki was already planning a rescue mission), the door burst open.
Kuri walked in, not alone. Behind him, like two little whirlwinds of energy and red hair, came two girls.
"Sorry for the delay, class," said Kuri-sensei, looking slightly overwhelmed. "We had a... minor mishap on the way."
The two redheads looked around the classroom with curiosity.
Chen felt his heart skip a beat. One of the girls looked eerily familiar. "Could it be...?" he thought, his eyes locked on the small figure he believed to recognize as Uzumaki Kushina.
However, the presence of the other girl puzzled him. "Who is she?" he wondered, his mind racing. "Could this be another butterfly effect?"
Professor Kuri cleared his throat, drawing the class's attention. "Students, today we have two new classmates joining us. Please welcome Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Tomo."
His eyes scanned the classroom with seriousness. "And I warn you, I don't want to see or hear anyone intimidating or making fun of them. Understood?" The tone of his voice left no room for doubt. "Girls, please find an empty seat."
Chen watched them closely. Kushina had bright red hair, slightly messy, and her round face and violet eyes sparkled with nervous energy, giving her a carefree and spirited air.
Tomo, on the other hand, appeared to be the opposite of Kushina. Her hair, also red but a darker shade, was neatly styled into two braids. Her eyes, a deep emerald green, timidly scanned the floor. She wore a light blue dress and seemed to wish she could disappear from the spot.
Despite the professor's warning, some students couldn't hold back their comments. "Look at that hair," whispered one. "It's like a giant tomato," laughed another, pointing at Kushina. Suppressed laughter spread through the classroom.
Kushina clenched her fists, her face reddening with anger. Chen could see her struggling to control her temper, remembering how this girl would grow up to be as tempestuous as Tsunade in terms of temperament. However, to his surprise, Kushina managed to keep her cool and started looking for an empty seat.
It was then that Kushina's eyes met Chen's. Time seemed to stop for a moment. Kushina felt her heart skip a beat. The boy sitting next to the only empty seat was... beautiful. His silver hair, moonlike, contrasted perfectly with his fair skin. His eyes, which shone like stars, seemed to devour her with their gaze.
Kushina felt her cheeks heat up and her heart begin to thump wildly. "What's happening to me?" she thought, confused by these new sensations. Without knowing why, her feet started moving toward Chen.
With each step she took, Kushina felt her nervousness increase. Finally, she reached the vacant seat next to Chen, and she was surprised by the boy's height. "H-hello," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Is this seat taken?"
Chen looked at her curiously. For a moment, Kushina feared he might laugh at her too, but his gaze held only interest and something she couldn't quite decipher. "Actually..." Chen began, but Kushina, driven by nervousness, cut him off.
"Don't you dare laugh at me, dattebane!" she exclaimed, raising a fist threateningly. "If you do, I'll hit you so hard you'll wish you were never born."
Chen blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in her demeanor. "Actually," he repeated calmly, "this seat is reserved for someone. She couldn't come today because she's sick."
Kushina's face burned even hotter, this time with embarrassment. "Oh," she murmured. But then, remembering her initial resolve, she lifted her chin defiantly. "I don't care. I'll sit here so you can admire my beauty."
Chen couldn't help but smile at her boldness. "Alright," he conceded. "You can sit here today, but tomorrow Mikoto will be back and she'll need her seat."
At that moment, Kuri noticed the situation. "Eh? Classmate Mikoto? Why didn't she come?" he asked, frowning. He had been about to reprimand the students who were laughing at the Uzumaki sisters, but Mikoto's absence distracted him.
"She's sick, professor," explained Chen. "She just needs some rest. It's nothing serious."
Kuri looked concerned for a moment, but then nodded, relieved. However, his relief was short-lived when he remembered the mockery towards the new students. His face hardened, and his voice hissed with anger. "Listen up, you little demons! I will not tolerate any disrespect towards your new classmates. Got it?"
The ensuing silence was absolute. Satisfied, Kuri turned to Tomo, who was still standing next to his desk looking lost. His expression softened considerably. "Tomo-chan, why don't you sit here in front? We'll adjust the permanent seats later."
To everyone's surprise, Kuri gave Tomo a kind smile, revealing a side of him none had seen before. He had to be very careful with these two girls since they were sent to his class by the Hokage himself.
________
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