Fifteen minutes later,
at a training ground about three or four kilometers from the Ninja Academy—
Smack smack smack—the sound of impacts rang out nonstop.
Mikami Yuu and Yūhi Kurenai were doing taijutsu sparring.
After a round of close exchanges, Mikami Yuu still looked calm and composed, while Kurenai was breathing a little harder. Fine beads of sweat formed at her temples. She held a kunai pointed at Mikami Yuu, but her eyes showed clear frustration.
"Again!" she snapped, stepping in and lunging forward, the kunai cutting a clean arc toward Mikami Yuu's shoulder blade.
At the instant the kunai was about to hit, Mikami Yuu swayed slightly to the side like a drifting willow leaf. At the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning, precisely catching Kurenai's wrist—the one holding the kunai. He pulled with the motion, then hooked his left foot forward to trip her.
Kurenai lost her balance and stumbled forward, falling flat to the ground.
"Ah!"
"See that?"
Mikami Yuu spoke. "When you charge, you can't go too hard. Otherwise your center of gravity is entirely forward—if your opponent just guides you a little, you'll go flying. You have to keep your weight centered and move with the flow. That way, no matter what they do, you can adjust and neutralize it in time…"
"Mm…"
Kurenai's cheeks reddened slightly. She bit her lower lip and nodded. That fall reminded her of how miserable Hyūga Kamon had looked when Mikami Yuu had knocked him down.
"And power generation. Whether you're thrusting or blocking, don't rely only on brute arm strength. Integrate your whole body's force—from the soles of your feet, to your waist, back, shoulders, and finally your arms… You're a girl, so pure physical strength is naturally your weak point. That means technique matters even more…"
A lot of these technical points were things Mikami Yuu had heard from Hyūga Hizashi and earlier from Might Duy.
Now he was basically using them right away, explaining them smoothly.
Kurenai listened seriously, tried adjusting, and traded a few more moves with Mikami Yuu. Sure enough, she was already a bit smoother than at the start. That change encouraged her.
"Oh right—Yuu, can I ask about your Three Basic Jutsu? My Transformation and Clone Techniques… the teachers always say they have 'form but no spirit,' and are easy to see through. Yours are so good—do you have any tricks?"
"This…"
Before Mikami Yuu could answer, the galgame system suddenly got lively.
[Clone Technique: Hmph—who's this little brat? She thinks she's worthy of using the Three Basic Jutsu? Look how dumb she is. It'd be a miracle if she could use us well—her clones probably couldn't even fool a dog!]
[Transformation Technique: Clone-chan… aren't you being a bit harsh?]
[Clone Technique: Harsh, my—cough, cough! Mikami, show her! Let her see what real Three Basic Jutsu looks like!]
[Substitution Technique: Yeah… doesn't feel as good as Mikami-kun. (.-ω-)zzz]
"…nice."
Mikami Yuu secretly found it funny.
As affection increased—especially after the "limited skin" gift—the Three Basic Jutsu' tone when talking to him had clearly improved. Even the previously most sharp-tongued Clone Technique was way chattier now, almost like a different person compared to the beginning.
So,
using "demonstration" as an excuse, Mikami Yuu formed the seals for Clone Technique first.
With a poof, four figures identical to Mikami Yuu instantly appeared at his side! Every one of them moved and carried themselves almost exactly like the original—so much so you could even see the rise and fall of "breathing."
It was the Water Clone version of Clone Technique!
Next, Mikami Yuu formed seals again. The main body vanished with a puff, and as the small cloud of smoke dispersed, he had transformed into a gray-and-white little wildcat with bright, lively eyes. It crouched in place and let out a "meow."
"Wow!"
Kurenai couldn't help letting out a quiet gasp, eyes wide. She walked up to Mikami Yuu and examined him closely.
She even dared to squat down, extend a finger, and gently pet "Mikami Cat" on the head and back. The warm softness of the fur startled her.
"T-this is way too real… It's like you actually turned into a cat. Mikami-kun, did you use Substitution Technique?"
"But… it's really cute…"
Kurenai petted him again, smiling with pure affection—like she was fighting the urge to pick him up and cuddle him.
Across from her,
Mikami Yuu awkwardly turned his head to the side.
How to put it… his Transformation really was different from other people's. It wasn't a simple visual trick—it was a real, tangible change. So both appearance and touch felt almost identical to a real cat.
Which meant, from the low "cat perspective" looking upward, Mikami Yuu felt… kind of awkward. Because when Kurenai squatted down, her pale thighs naturally parted a little, and the hem of her red skirt fell. From his position, it was impossible not to glimpse a bit of… well.
To avoid it becoming even more awkward,
Mikami Yuu let out a "meow," kicked off the ground with agile speed, and shot up onto the branch of a small nearby tree. He padded lightly along the branch for a few steps, then did a nimble backflip down. The instant he landed, he returned to human form, face serious as if nothing had happened.
"See, Kurenai."
Mikami Yuu cleared his throat, doing his best to ignore the faint blush still on her face from the kitten moment. "The Three Basic Jutsu aren't a rigid formula. You have to imagine the target's breathing, heartbeat—even little habits and movements—if you want to create another 'you.'"
"Mm… it still feels really hard. I can't catch that feeling."
Kurenai looked confused.
Mikami Yuu thought for a moment. "How about this: you perform the Three Basic Jutsu one by one. I'll place my hand on your back and try to sense how your chakra flows. Maybe I can find where you need to adjust."
"Huh? Th-that…"
Kurenai hesitated a little. But thinking that he was guiding her, and his demonstration had been so impressive… she still nodded. She turned her back to him, took a deep breath, and began forming seals with focus.
Mikami Yuu reached out with his right hand, palm gently resting in the center of Kurenai's back, just beneath her shoulder blades. Under his hand was the soft fabric of her training top, and beneath that, the warmth of her skin. The sensation was nice, though she seemed slightly tense from nerves.
Soon,
Kurenai's chakra began to surge with the hand seals—clearly casting Transformation Technique.
Mikami Yuu could vaguely sense where the problem was. As he was thinking how to describe it to her, the galgame text box appeared again, and Transformation Technique—silent for a moment—spoke up:
[Transformation Technique: Mikami-chan, this girl's chakra output is decent, but the way she uses it is far too loose. She should spread chakra evenly across her whole body like putting on clothes, then focus the remaining chakra on a few key distinguishing traits…]
"…?"
Wait. What do you mean my Three Basic Jutsu teacher is… the Three Basic Jutsu itself?
~~~
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