Mikami Yuu had actually considered another way to play it.
That was to use [Give Gift] instead of [Talk] and [Practice].
But…
Water Clone could be given to Clone Technique because they came from the same "lineage." As for Eight Gates… what would he even gift her—"Body Activation"? Or maybe go ask Might Duy for a few of the Might family's ancestral green jumpsuits and see if this "pretty girl" would like them?
Come to think of it, the material of that green outfit was actually pretty good. The Might father and son trained like maniacs every day and it barely wore down. It absorbed sweat pretty well too. Even if he couldn't gift it, he could keep it at home and use it as a cleaning rag…
"Alright, it's basically dinner time…"
"Clocking out!"
Seeing the sun already set, Mikami Yuu stretched and strolled home to eat.
Meanwhile,
in other parts of Konoha—
Might Guy, Yūhi Kurenai, Hyūga Kamon, Sarutobi Asuma… basically most of the Academy students in this cohort were preparing for graduation season. They got up early and stayed up late, grinding basic ninja taijutsu training.
Unlike Mikami Yuu, most of them had an elder at home acting as a sparring partner—either their father or an older brother.
Even that white-haired boy who had just returned from outside the village and was being isolated by his teammates washed his face and quietly practiced his family sword style in his own yard…
…
Two or three days passed in a blink.
Winter break ended before anyone noticed.
By late January, Konoha saw a heavy snowfall.
When the snow stopped, many kids ran out happily, building snowmen and having snowball fights in the streets, laughter everywhere. Adults also wore brand-new winter clothes, faces filled with anticipation for the new year.
But the ninjas in dark green flak jackets, leaping across rooftops, mostly wore serious expressions. More and more of them were injured, wrapped in bandages, and words like "casualties," "supplies," and "war" began drifting on the wind.
People with sharp instincts could already feel the shift in the air.
But since Konoha hadn't formally entered a war-prep state, and the last war was still recent—its memories too brutal—most civilians didn't dare talk openly. They simply became more cautious in private, preparing for the possibility of another war.
Explosive tags and kunai at ninja tool shops began quietly going up in price, and orders for soldier pills surged.
Still,
for now, none of that had much to do with Academy students.
At the start of the new term, students who hadn't seen each other all winter returned to class. Familiar groups clustered together, swapping stories about what they'd been doing.
Mikami Yuu had just sat down when a "cataract" walked over and stopped beside him.
"Mikami-kun. Long time no see."
Hyūga Kamon spoke stiffly, very seriously. "This winter break, I trained under my cousin Hizashi in special training. I'm not the same as before. In this graduation exam, I'll win it all back—including last time!"
"…Oh."
Mikami Yuu thought: train if you want—why tell me?
But Academy kids were all like this. Guy and Obito also constantly talked about challenging Kakashi. When Kakashi was still around, they said it to his face; when he wasn't, they said it behind his back.
So Mikami Yuu nodded politely. "I'm looking forward to your performance."
Alright. Go play.
Hyūga Kamon turned and walked away.
A while later,
Kurenai entered the classroom. As she passed Mikami Yuu's desk, she placed a homemade bento on it.
"Um, Mikami-kun… I don't know if you ate breakfast, but I brought an extra one when I left. If you don't mind, treat it as a thank-you for earlier."
"…Huh?"
Not far away, Ebisu perked up his ears, desperate for gossip.
Wait—what does this mean? Wasn't Asuma the only one who used to get Kurenai's breakfast?
Could it be…
"Thanks. I'm actually a bit hungry."
Mikami Yuu smiled and accepted it.
His appetite really had grown lately.
After all, he practiced every day, burning chakra over and over. Chakra and stamina weren't exactly the same thing, but it definitely made you hungry. So Mikami Yuu often carried bread and chocolate in his pockets. An occasional extra meal was nice.
Rin glanced over. After Kurenai left, Rin looked away again without saying anything.
The class bell rang.
Ooki-sensei walked into the classroom almost at the same time as Obito.
Ooki wanted to scold him, but since it was the first day of the new term and Obito wasn't too late, he just waved him in.
"Ahem. Hello, everyone. You all had a pretty good winter break, right?
"But starting now, you need to get serious, because we'll be entering the graduation exam phase soon…"
The Ninja Academy graduation exam was a big deal.
It covered many subjects.
Written exams alone included language, math, geography, intelligence translation, and more—roughly like a modern middle-school entrance exam.
Even though Konoha at this time didn't put as much emphasis on education and didn't demand super high academic ability, you still needed the basics. Otherwise you'd go on missions and not even be able to draft a battle plan or write a mission report—what would be the point?
So,
during the roughly one-week "buffer" period after school started, Ooki-sensei, Teacher Himura, and a few others led everyone through review and exam prep. Mornings were reading and memorizing; afternoons were outdoor training and paired sparring. The schedule was packed.
During this time, several students showed a completely different level compared to before winter break, making nearby kids whisper in amazement.
"Whoa, Nara improved so much!"
"Did Hyūga Kamon turn on cheats? He's crazy strong!"
"Still… feels like he's not as good as Asuma."
"Kurenai's taijutsu improved a lot too. She feels like a different person from last term."
"By the way, I ran into Kakashi on the street yesterday! I heard he came back after a mission. He's still as handsome as ever, and his vibe is even colder now—so charming!"
"Really? Really?!"
The moment Kakashi came up, it grabbed everyone's attention.
Obito and Guy both jumped up, asking the girl for details.
Only Mikami Yuu sat cross-legged with his eyes closed to the side, restoring chakra—while quietly "playing" the galgame system in his head.