The bitter cold that had gripped Konoha since the winter festival showed no signs of stopping. February settled over the village like a heavy blanket, with frost covering every surface each morning. The training ground looked almost magical in the early morning light, but it was also much harder to practice on.
Hikaru arrived at their usual practice area earlier than normal, his breath forming thick clouds in the cold air. The weeks after hearing about Itachi's graduation had made everyone at the Academy work harder. Even though Hikaru knew Itachi was special, the news had pushed all the students to train more seriously. Hikaru rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, still feeling the pressure from hearing about someone his age becoming a real ninja.
Ryōta arrived fifteen minutes later, wrapped in layers of winter clothing that made him look almost round. The cold didn't seem to bother him as much as it had when they first started training in winter weather.
"Maybe we should train somewhere warmer today," Ryōta suggested as they looked at the frost-covered practice area. "My fingers are already too numb to handle proper chakra control, and we're supposed to work on those new exercises."
"It's too bad Yuki-san and Kenta-kun don't join us for physical training," Ryōta continued, flexing his hands inside his mittens. "They're missing out on how the cold weather actually helps with focus once you get used to it."
This was true. While Yuki and Kenta were good students, they preferred their warm library sessions on weekends. The harsh winter weather made them even less interested in outdoor training.
As they completed their warm-up, Hikaru pulled out a fresh leaf from the small collection he'd brought. His leaf concentration practice had become a daily habit over the past month. He could now keep the leaf attached for nearly fifty minutes on a good day—much better than when he started, but still far from the hours he wanted to achieve.
"How's your progress been this week?" Ryōta asked as he settled into his own practice position, pulling out his own leaf with mittened hands.
"Better, but not as fast as I'd like," Hikaru replied honestly, placing the leaf on his forehead. "Yesterday I managed just over an hour. The goal is to work up to two hours before trying to go longer."
Ryōta's progress had been slower but still meaningful. He had gone from struggling to keep the leaf for even five minutes to achieving fifteen minutes—still behind Hikaru's level, but real improvement through hard work.
"I'm aiming for twenty minutes today," Ryōta said with quiet determination. "Grandmother says she can see the difference in how I carry myself, more confident somehow."
The comment about improved confidence was important. Chakra control training didn't just develop technical skills—it built the kind of internal awareness that affected everything about being a shinobi.
"Let's aim for our personal bests today," Hikaru suggested, settling into the focused state he needed for extended chakra control practice. "The cold might actually help with concentration—fewer distractions once we get past the initial discomfort."
The theory proved partly correct. The bitter air did create a focused intensity that was different from their usual training, though it also made things harder because their bodies had to work to stay warm while controlling chakra.
The first ten minutes were the most challenging, as his body got used to the cold while his mind settled into the familiar rhythm of chakra control. But gradually, the discomfort faded into the background, replaced by deeper concentration. The leaf remained steady on his forehead, his chakra flow smooth despite the environmental challenges.
"This is strange," Ryōta said quietly after about fifteen minutes of practice, careful not to disrupt his own concentration. "I thought the cold would make everything harder, but it's almost like the discomfort is helping me focus on the chakra instead of getting distracted by other thoughts."
"That's a good observation," Hikaru replied, impressed by his friend's understanding of the mental aspects of training. "Mild discomfort can actually help concentration by giving your mind something concrete to work through instead of wandering."
As their practice session continued, they talked naturally despite maintaining focus on chakra control. The shared challenge of training in difficult conditions had made their friendship much stronger over the past few weeks.
When Hikaru finally completed fifty-three minutes of continuous leaf concentration—a new personal record—he felt really accomplished. The cold had indeed helped his focus, creating good conditions for pushing beyond his previous limits. More importantly, the success came from steady effort rather than luck.
"Your turn to set a new record," Hikaru said, settling back to watch Ryōta's continued practice while his own chakra recovered.
Watching his friend work through the same challenges he'd recently overcome, Hikaru found himself understanding the teaching process better. Identifying mistakes and suggesting corrections required a different kind of understanding than just doing techniques correctly.
"Try relaxing your jaw," Hikaru suggested as he noticed tension in Ryōta's facial muscles, touching his own jaw to demonstrate. "Any physical tension can interfere with chakra flow, even in areas that seem unrelated to the technique."
The advice worked immediately, Ryōta's technique showing improved stability as he consciously released the facial tension. The correction was small but significant, showing how easily bad habits could develop without someone else watching and helping.
"Much better," Ryōta said with obvious relief as his control smoothed out. "I never would have noticed that tension on my own. Having a training partner really does make all the difference."
When Ryōta finally completed eighteen minutes of continuous practice—beating his previous record by three minutes—both boys felt the satisfaction of meaningful progress achieved through shared effort. The cold had challenged them in unexpected ways, but it had also revealed new depths of focus and determination.
"Time for weapons practice," Hikaru announced, gathering the collection of training kunai and shuriken they'd accumulated over months of practice.
"Fifty meters today?" Ryōta asked as they approached their throwing area.
"Let's start at sixty," Hikaru replied, recognizing that their improved abilities needed harder challenges. "The cold weather has actually been helping with consistency—fewer variables affecting trajectory."
The observation proved accurate as they began their throwing sequence. The stable, windless conditions created by the intense cold provided ideal circumstances for precision work, while the bitter temperatures seemed to enhance their focus.
Hikaru's first throw struck the target's center ring with satisfying accuracy. His follow-up throws maintained similar precision, creating a tight grouping that showed both skill and consistency.
"Your improvement has been remarkable," Ryōta observed as he prepared for his own throwing sequence. "I remember when hitting the target at all was challenging for both of us."
The reminder of their starting point provided useful perspective on how far they'd come. What now seemed like basic competence had once been ambitious goals that required weeks of dedicated effort.
Ryōta's throws showed similar improvement within his natural limitations. While his accuracy remained slightly below Hikaru's level, his consistency had improved dramatically.
"Ready for the movement drills?" Hikaru asked as they completed their stationary practice.
"Actually, I have an idea for something new," Hikaru said, gathering a collection of small stones from around the training ground and fidgeting with them nervously. "We should try reflex training with projectiles."
"How does it work?" Ryōta asked, eyeing the stones with obvious uncertainty and shifting his weight nervously.
"We start fifty meters apart," Hikaru explained. "One person throws stones at the other, who has to dodge them. Once you're comfortable with the timing, we can gradually move closer. It's about building reflexes and spatial awareness."
The exercise was inspired by training scenes he remembered from his previous life, though Hikaru presented it as his own idea. The concept was simple but demanding—learning to react quickly to incoming projectiles while staying aware of positioning.
"That sounds intense," Ryōta said with growing excitement. "Who goes first?"
"I'll start as the target," Hikaru decided.
The first session proved immediately humbling. Even at fifty meters, reacting to incoming stones was far more difficult than Hikaru had expected. His first few attempts resulted in direct hits as he completely misjudged the timing and trajectory.
"Ow," Hikaru muttered as a stone caught him in the shoulder. "This is much harder than it looked in my head."
"Are you sure this is safe?" Ryōta asked with concern as another stone found its mark despite Hikaru's attempted evasion, adjusting his grip on the remaining stones nervously.
"The stones are small and you're not throwing them very hard," Hikaru replied, rubbing his shoulder. "It stings, but it's not dangerous. I just need to get used to the timing."
After ten minutes of practice, Hikaru had managed to avoid perhaps two throws out of fifteen. His movements were awkward and poorly timed, often reacting too late or moving in the wrong direction entirely.
"This is definitely harder than it looks," Hikaru admitted as he prepared to switch roles with Ryōta, rubbing his shoulder where several stones had hit him. "I can see the stones coming, but by the time I process where they're going and decide how to move, they're already hitting me."
Ryōta's first attempts were similarly unsuccessful, his larger frame making evasion even more challenging while his reaction time proved roughly the same as Hikaru's. The exercise was clearly going to require significant practice before either of them achieved competency.
"Maybe we should think about this differently," Hikaru suggested after both had endured several minutes of mostly unsuccessful dodging attempts. "Instead of trying to avoid every stone, let's focus on improving our reaction time gradually."
The revised approach proved more educational. Rather than becoming frustrated with constant failures, they began analyzing their responses and identifying patterns in their mistakes. Hikaru noticed that he tended to move too late, while Ryōta often moved too early or in the wrong direction.
As they continued practicing, both boys began to show modest improvement. Hikaru started reading trajectories slightly better, managing to avoid perhaps three stones out of ten by the session's end. Ryōta achieved similar progress, his success rate climbing from zero to roughly two out of ten attempts.
"I think this could really help our reflexes if we keep practicing," Hikaru observed as they gathered the scattered stones. "But it's going to take a lot longer than I expected to get good at it."
"Agreed," Ryōta replied, flexing his shoulders where several stones had found their mark. "I can already tell this is going to be one of those skills that develops over months rather than weeks."
Their introduction to reflex training had been both educational and humbling, revealing gaps in their physical development that other exercises hadn't exposed. The challenge would require patience and dedication, but the potential benefits seemed significant.
"We should probably stick with fifty meters until we can avoid at least half the throws consistently," Hikaru suggested as they prepared to conclude their morning session. "No point in making it harder until we master the basics."
"That makes sense," Ryōta agreed with obvious relief. "My reflexes feel like they're about ten years behind my brain right now."
"We should probably head back soon," Hikaru said as he noticed the sun beginning to sink lower in the sky. "Ayako-nee worries when I'm out too late, especially in cold weather like this."
As they packed their equipment and prepared for the walk home, both boys felt satisfied with their productive training despite challenging conditions. The morning had brought progress in multiple areas while revealing new avenues for development.
The reflex training would become a regular part of their routine, joining the growing list of exercises that pushed them beyond their comfort zones. For now, though, they could take pride in having taken the first steps toward mastering another fundamental skill.
As they reached the point where they usually separated, Hikaru felt grateful for how much his friendship with Ryōta had grown. The training partnership had become something deeper—a real friendship built on mutual support and shared goals.
"I should ask Ayako-nee about this weekend," Hikaru said, remembering the dinner invitation from the previous day and adjusting his equipment on his back. "She'll want to know what to bring to your grandparents' house."
"Just tell her to come hungry," Ryōta replied with a grin, slowing his pace as they walked. "Grandmother always cooks enough food for ten people anyway."