Cold on the Outside, Warm on the Inside

"Isn't this method a little too simple? Are you sure it'll work?"

The little Uchiha girl who called herself "Tsuki" frowned as she took her position according to Naruto's instructions, her little face full of doubt.

The training method Naruto had taught her was far too simple. It was nothing more than adjusting her stance, controlling subtle changes in wrist strength, and calculating throwing angles. It was worlds apart from the secret she had imagined would "turn someone into a throwing master instantly," and it was even less impressive than the techniques her sister occasionally taught her on a whim.

Her sister...

At the thought of that black-haired girl who always wore the clan's high-collared outfit, Tsuki's gaze dimmed for a moment. Her sister had clearly promised to teach her shuriken techniques, but every time, she only gently poked Tsuki's forehead and said in that gentle yet distant tone, "Next time."

Then she would leave with that annoying Brother Shisui, leaving Tsuki alone to practice against wooden targets.

"What's wrong?" Naruto deliberately drew out his words. "I heard the Uchiha Clan are all geniuses. Could it be that you don't have the courage to put that talent to the test?"

"What?!"

Tsuki abruptly raised her head, her huge dark eyes instantly blazing with fighting spirit. "Of course not! Bring it on! I'll show you how amazing the Uchiha are!"

She puffed up her cheeks and assumed her stance, looking as though she were facing a great enemy.

She really was easy to provoke...

Suppressing a laugh, Naruto watched the little Uchiha bristle. The way she pursed her lips and focused with all her might somehow reminded him of the proud black cat at the cat café in his previous life. It clearly wanted dried fish, yet insisted on waiting for someone to set the food on the ground before sauntering over with feigned composure.

After silently teasing her in his mind, he casually picked up a few smooth pebbles from the ground and lightly weighed them in his palm, feeling their weight and shape.

"Ready?" Once Naruto confirmed that she was prepared with a glance, he flicked his wrist.

Whoosh!

The pebble cut through the air in a sharp arc, shooting straight toward Uchiha Tsuki.

Tsuki narrowed her eyes like a kitten locking onto its prey. Her slender fingers had already gripped a shuriken, and she flung it out almost the instant the pebble came flying.

Bang!

Metal and stone collided precisely in midair with a crisp crack. The pebble, split in two, fell to the ground.

"Hmph!"

Tsuki proudly puffed out her little chest, the corners of her lips rising unconsciously into a faintly smug smile.

"It's not over yet. Take this!"

Naruto did not pause. This time, three pebbles flew out in a triangular formation. Tsuki swiftly drew fresh shuriken from her ninja pouch, her arm moving in a rapid blur.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Three sharp rings sounded almost at once, and tiny sparks burst through the air.

As the practice continued, their rhythm grew faster and faster. The collisions of pebbles and shuriken echoed through the woods, while the occasional sparks shone especially bright in the evening light.

Naruto began changing tactics. He no longer threw in straight lines, instead sending pebbles flying from all sorts of tricky angles. Some were tossed high in parabolic arcs, some skimmed rapidly across the ground, and some even collided in midair and suddenly changed direction.

Tsuki was somewhat flustered at first, missing several times in a row. But she quickly adjusted her breathing and began predicting Naruto's trajectories. Her small body nimbly shifted positions, and the angles at which she released her shuriken became increasingly exquisite.

Just as expected...

Naruto marveled inwardly. Although the girl before him was still young, her sharp perception and rapid learning ability truly lived up to the name of an Uchiha genius.

This method was actually rather clumsy and crude. At its core, it was simply brute-force memorization. But that kind of clumsy method was perfectly suited for training a genius.

And if an ordinary person had been the one throwing the pebbles, the girl before him would probably have gotten bored immediately, because it would have been no challenge at all. But Naruto, who was also a genius, was the one throwing them. Their pacing matched each other perfectly, creating a natural, tacit rhythm.

As time passed, the lingering glow of the setting sun gradually dyed the horizon red, and the light in the woods turned soft and hazy. Their shadows overlapped across the ground.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling a slight ache in his arms. Today's practice had been far more involved than he had expected. He had only intended to casually practice shuriken throwing, but as he traded moves with Tsuki, so much time had passed without him noticing. Still, the gains were real. Spurred on by Tsuki, he had tried many new throwing angles and ways of exerting force, and his feel for it had become sharper than when he practiced alone.

Having someone to train against really does make a difference...

He bent down, took two leather water flasks from beside his bag, and casually tossed one to Tsuki.

Tsuki instinctively reached out and caught it. A few hours ago, she definitely would have awkwardly refused, or at least said something stubborn. But now, she merely unscrewed the cap in silence and raised it to drink.

The cool water moistened her parched throat, and only then did Tsuki realize how much she had sweated. Several strands of her long black hair clung to her neck, and the clothes on her back were slightly soaked through as well.

So this is what a hot-blooded shonen manga is like? Even after such a long period of intense training, my body doesn't feel particularly exhausted. Instead, I feel refreshed and fulfilled.

"All right," Naruto said as he lowered his water flask and let out a long breath. "Thanks for practicing with me today. The sun's almost down. Are you heading home now?"

Tsuki nodded lightly and screwed the cap back onto the flask. "...Yeah. Mom should be finishing dinner soon. What about you?"

"...I don't have parents, so I made myself a bento." Naruto scratched his cheek. "I'm getting pretty hungry too. I'll probably go eat by the river."

Hearing that, Tsuki froze for a moment. She had not expected the blond boy before her, who was the same age as her, to be an orphan. Though they had only just met, his words still made a faint ache rise in her chest.

Eating alone... must be lonely.

Dusk deepened, and the evening breeze rustled through the treetops. Tsuki suddenly spoke, her voice a little gentler.

"I see..." She paused. "If I go back now, dinner probably won't be ready yet. I... I'll stay with you a little longer."

Seemingly feeling that was too straightforward, she quickly turned her face away and added, "Of course! It's only because I'm free right now!"

Naruto blinked, surprise flickering through his eyes before it turned into a warm smile. "Then I'll take you up on that." He pointed toward the distance. "The riverside is beautiful at night."