The academy never truly slept.
Even long after the dormitory lights were supposed to be out, the training grounds below still echoed with quiet footsteps and the occasional clang of practice weapons.
Raizen noticed this during his second week living in the dorms.
One night he woke to the sound of movement outside the room.
Daigo was already gone.
Ren sat up slowly from his bed.
"He does this every night."
Raizen glanced toward the door.
"Training?"
Ren nodded.
"He wants to beat you."
Raizen smirked slightly.
"Ambitious."
The Rooftop Culture
Raizen stepped outside onto the dormitory rooftop.
The cool night wind carried the distant rumble of thunder through the mountains.
Several students were already there.
Some stretched quietly.
Others practiced hand seals.
One group was throwing shuriken at a wooden board nailed to the wall.
Kumogakure students took pride in effort.
If someone fell behind, it was usually their own fault.
Daigo was at the far end of the roof.
Practicing the same strange movement Raizen had seen during the mission simulation.
Step.
Pivot.
Redirect.
It wasn't refined yet.
But there was something unusual about the way Daigo moved.
Raizen leaned against the wall.
"You're using momentum wrong."
Daigo froze.
"…Were you spying on me?"
"No."
"Then how did you see that?"
Raizen shrugged.
"Observation."
He stepped forward.
"Try shifting your weight earlier."
Daigo attempted the motion again.
This time his movement flowed slightly smoother.
His eyes widened.
"…Whoa."
Raizen walked back toward the wall.
Inside his mind Astra spoke.
"Host unintentionally guiding subject combat development."
Raizen sighed quietly.
"That's not what I'm doing."
Akari's Weapon
The following afternoon Raizen found Akari behind the training field.
She was holding a real bow this time.
Not the makeshift branch from before.
But it clearly wasn't academy issued.
The design was simple.
But functional.
"You made that," Raizen said.
Akari nodded proudly.
"With help from the workshop instructor."
She pulled the string back.
Released.
The arrow struck the outer ring of the target.
Not perfect.
But promising.
"I still need better control," she muttered.
Raizen walked closer.
"Your stance is wrong."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Here we go again."
He gently adjusted her shoulder position.
"Relax your grip."
She tried again.
This time the arrow struck much closer to the center.
Akari blinked.
"…Okay maybe keep talking."
The Strategy Hall
One of the most interesting places in the academy quickly became the Strategy Hall.
Large tables filled the room, each covered in miniature terrain models.
Mountains.
Forests.
Rivers.
Students used these maps to play tactical simulations.
One evening Raizen sat at a table analyzing a mock battlefield.
Kaito sat across from him.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Finally Kaito moved a piece across the map.
"You left your supply route exposed."
Raizen responded immediately.
"That was intentional."
Kaito frowned slightly.
"Why?"
Raizen moved three pieces simultaneously.
"Because now you're surrounded."
Kaito studied the board carefully.
Then leaned back slightly.
"…Interesting."
Across the room Daigo whispered to another student.
"Are they playing a game or planning a war?"
Rumors of a Clan Heir
Several weeks later, a quiet rumor began spreading through the academy.
A new transfer student was arriving.
Not just any student.
A clan heir.
Students whispered excitedly in the dining hall.
"I heard their clan raises special summons."
"Someone said they can fight like animals."
"Is it a lightning user?"
Raizen listened quietly.
Kaito sat nearby doing the same.
Akari rolled her eyes.
"Everyone's acting like a celebrity is coming."
Daigo leaned closer.
"What if they're super strong?"
Raizen shrugged slightly.
"Then we'll find out."
The Hidden Training Ground
Later that evening Raizen explored a rarely used area behind the indoor training complex.
A small stone courtyard hidden between two cliffs.
Quiet.
Private.
Perfect.
Several wooden weapon racks stood against the wall.
Most students preferred shuriken and kunai practice.
The swords were mostly ignored.
Raizen walked toward the rack slowly.
He picked up a wooden training blade.
The weight felt… familiar.
Balanced.
Natural.
He stepped into the open courtyard.
Then moved.
The motion was simple.
Just a single practice swing.
But the movement flowed through his body instinctively.
Like muscle memory from somewhere deep within him.
Even Astra paused for a moment.
"Host neural response indicates unusually high familiarity with weapon."
Raizen stared at the blade.
"…Interesting."
Lightning flashed across the sky above Kumogakure.
Somewhere in the academy, the instructors were beginning to notice the same thing.
A student with unusual balance.
Strong instincts.
Calm intelligence.
And a natural connection to blades.
The Arrival
The next morning the academy courtyard was unusually quiet.
Students gathered near the main training field.
Instructor Tetsuya stood beside another academy official.
A new student walked through the gate.
Their uniform was slightly different.
Dark gray with subtle claw-shaped stitching along the sleeves.
Their eyes were sharp.
Golden.
Predatory.
Several students stepped back instinctively.
Akari whispered.
"…That must be them."
Daigo leaned forward.
"Whoa."
Raizen simply watched.
The clan heir paused briefly in the courtyard.
Their gaze swept across the students.
Then stopped.
Directly on Raizen.
A faint smile appeared.
Inside his mind Astra spoke calmly.
"Subject displays high confidence and predatory behavioral traits."
Raizen smiled slightly in return.
The rivalry had just become much more interesting.