The next day I went straight to the market to spoil myself rotten. After an hour of intense haggling that left three shopkeepers red in the face, I finally walked away with something I hadn't owned in what felt like forever. Actual new clothes, not the usual scraps someone else had worn before me.
I bought a good pair of sturdy training pants, loose enough to move around in but tough enough to hold up during Academy drills. I found a plain dark shirt, nothing fancy, just strong fabric with a high collar that wouldn't get tugged or torn easily. Then, just because I felt like spoiling myself, I grabbed another set, a slightly nicer outfit for classes and the rare days I needed to look halfway respectable. Simple, neat trousers and a clean undershirt that didn't itch or smell like stew.
When I got back home and slipped into my new clothes, I nearly laughed at how ridiculously good it felt. The fabric didn't scratch or hang loose in weird places, and it didn't smell like old soup like the last hand-me-downs. It actually fit too, no sagging sleeves or lumps patched over for the hundredth time. I twisted in front of my mirror, tugging at the sleeves and checking every seam like I was some stuck-up clan kid showing off a tailor-made uniform.
"Look at you," I muttered to my reflection, trying not to grin too wide. "All respectable now. Probably good enough for the village to pretend you're worth feeding properly."
I spun once more just to feel how nothing pinched or slipped. It was just basic stuff, simple pants and shirts any kid with a decent family wouldn't think twice about. But for me, it felt like putting on skin that actually fit for once.
For once, I didn't look like a charity case. I looked like I was supposed to be here. And that was worth every single coin.
I was still admiring myself when a knock at the door snapped me out of it. I sighed, annoyed. People were visiting me a lot lately, which was strange enough on its own. I liked my quiet. I wanted my quiet. I laughed to myself as I walked to the door, muttering, "One day of peace is too much to ask, huh?"
When I opened it, I found Shizuru standing there, shoulders slumped, eyes shadowed with the darkest bags I'd ever seen under them. She looked exhausted, her braid a little messier than usual, but there was something else. Something sharper about her chakra, more focused than I'd ever felt from her. It was like watching a dull blade suddenly gleam in the light.
I narrowed my eyes, studying her tired face. Under all that weight dragging her down, there was a spark of excitement buried deep. I couldn't help but smile as I asked, "Alright, what did you do?"
Shizuru grinned, though her lips cracked from how dry they looked. "I'm trying to catch up. According to my dad, I'm doing great."
I chuckled as it finally clicked. She'd been pushing herself nonstop since our last talk, probably working herself half to death to master that clan move. Ahhh, to have a nice clan technique that makes you so much stronger in just a few days. It must be nice.
Out loud, I just gave her a small grin and said, "Well, looks like all that effort's paying off."
She snorted, eyes half-closing. I looked down at her, watching the exhaustion pulling her shoulders down. "Care to go for a walk? Fresh air, maybe a snack on the way?"
Shizuru shot me a tired glare and muttered, "I am too tired," before shuffling right past me. She nearly knocked me aside with her shoulder, then dropped into the old wooden chair like she might sink through it. Her back slumped, arms hanging loose, as if she'd melt into the floor if I looked away.
I shook my head and stepped past her, trying to figure out how to bring up what she had just done. I shouldn't know about it yet, not really. It wasn't like she would brag about clan secrets if she was thinking straight. But she looked half-delirious with pride.
I sat down on the bed and turned to face her, ready to poke at her for answers. Before I could get a word out, I saw her lock her fingers into a hand sign. A huge grin spread across her tired face like she had just found a new toy. It was so out of place I almost laughed, right up until I tried to lift my hand to scratch my itchy head and nothing happened. My arm stayed frozen, completely useless.
I narrowed my eyes, a chill crawling up my neck. I tried to lift my hand again, but my arm stayed frozen in place. For a second, my heart stuttered and I felt Stormdrive coiled in my gut, ready to burst out. Losing control over my own body was one of the few things that could really shake me to my core. I forced myself to breathe as I realized what was happening, pushing the panic back down where it belonged, then put on the fakest wide-eyed look I could manage.
"What's going on?" I said, putting a bit of tremble in my voice just to sell it. "I can't move."
Shizuru broke into full laughter, sharp and a little too loud. It wasn't her usual deadpan snort either. She sounded like a kid who'd just discovered the best prank in the world. She laughed so hard she had to stop to catch her breath, still holding the hand sign steady so I stayed pinned. I actually thought about breaking free just to knock her down a peg, but watching her grin made me swallow it. I was a good friend, apparently.
She finally sucked in enough air to speak. "I can now perform our clan's shadow technique." Her voice dripped with pride.
I gave her my best clueless look. "Shadow technique? What is that, exactly?"
Shizuru straightened up as much as her tired body would let her, fingers still locked in place. "It's called the Shadow Possession Technique. I stretch my shadow until it touches yours. Once they connect, you match my movements exactly. That's why you can't move right now. If I lifted my arm, yours would lift too."
I rolled my eyes, still frozen. "So you really can just turn people into puppets?"
Her eyes narrowed, calm as ever. "It's not puppeting. It's control. Even if someone is stronger than me, I can still hold them long enough for my squad to finish the job. Or I can control multiple enemies at once if they're weak enough."
She let the silence hang for a moment. "Used right, it changes the flow of a fight."
I snorted, "Sounds unfair."
She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Then don't get caught." She held the sign a moment longer just to rub it in before finally dropping it. My fingers twitched back to life all at once, and I flexed them just to make sure they were still mine.
Shizuru crossed her arms, a tired smirk creeping back. "You'd be a terrible puppet anyway. Too twitchy."
I stretched my arms out, narrowing my eyes. "So this is what's been keeping you busy the last few days?"
She sighed and shrugged, her shoulders drooping again. "I was already training it, but after our last talk I decided to push harder. I needed to pass the last step and really learn it. I've been working on my control too." She let out a small laugh, but her eyes looked tired. "I'm still not good at it. I only held you because you didn't resist. If you had, I would have lost it in seconds."
"Don't sell yourself short," I said. "A few seconds can decide who gets to breathe tomorrow."
She looked up at me, eyes softening. I smirked, pushing on. "Keep that fire up. By the time we graduate, we'll have a shadow master on our side. You can freeze our enemies while we run away with their money."
That pulled a real laugh out of her, quiet but honest. I laughed too, the sound bouncing off the cracked walls. For a moment, it didn't matter that we were tired or worn out. For a moment, we were just two kids sharing one small victory.