Part 2: Lessons in Control
Silence fell. Everyone sat up, waiting.
Daigo stepped fully to the front, tapping the board.
"Everyone. Open your notebooks. Today, we begin your first proper lesson on Fire Style."
The room went completely quiet—full of excitement and focus.
Daigo turned back to the class, picking up a piece of chalk.
"Alright," he began, "before we start anything advanced, a simple question."
He tapped the board.
"When you're near fire, what should you do?"
Hands slowly lifted—
but Haruto spoke first, loud and confident:
"Touch it."
The whole class froze.
Misaki immediately slapped her forehead.
"That is such a bad idea!" she burst out.
"You'll burn your hands off!"
Haruto crossed his arms stubbornly.
"You guys can't touch it… but I can touch fire."
Half the class gasped.
The other half looked at him like he'd gone completely wild.
Daigo raised a brow. "Oh? You can, huh?"
He walked toward Haruto slowly.
Haruto sat up straighter, suddenly unsure.
Daigo stopped right in front of him and held out his hand.
A small flame flickered to life in Daigo's palm—warm, bright, controlled.
Haruto's eyes widened.
"H–Hey—wait—"
Daigo moved his hand slightly closer (but still safe distance).
Haruto panicked instantly.
"AHHH! FIRE! FIRE! GET IT AWAY!"
He scrambled back in his seat, waving his arms dramatically.
The entire class burst into laughter, some falling over their desks.
Daigo let the flame disappear and sighed, though a smile pulled at his face.
"Haruto," he said, walking back to the board,
"let's save the fire touching for when you're not screaming."
More laughter filled the room.
Daigo tapped the board again.
"Now then—let's continue. Fire Style basics."
The class settled—still chuckling—but their eyes were locked on him, ready for the lesson.
Daigo tapped the board once more.
"Alright, let's go over the basic Fire Style techniques."
He drew simple diagrams: hand signs, airflow direction, chakra flow.
"This," he said, pointing, "is the foundation of every fire technique you'll ever learn.
If you can't control your breathing and chakra release, you'll burn your eyebrows off before you burn anything else."
A few kids touched their eyebrows nervously.
Daigo demonstrated slowly, moving his hands through the sequence.
"Remember—
Fire Style is not about strength.
It's about control, timing, and precision."
He made a tiny flame spark at his fingertips—
small enough not to scare Haruto again.
"Basic ignition," he said. "We're not doing this today. Just watch."
The class nodded, completely focused.
Time passed as Daigo explained each element: fire, water, lightning, earth, wind—what made each one different, and the basics of their chakra nature.
Eventually, Daigo placed the chalk down and faced the class seriously.
"Listen up."
The room fell completely silent.
"Tomorrow is your final exam."
A few students straightened up instantly.
"This exam will test your basic understanding of chakra releases—fire, water, lightning, earth, wind, and so on."
He looked around the room.
"Study well. After this exam, you'll be promoted to the next year. I don't want anyone failing."
He turned back to the board and began writing the important points:
Chakra shaping
Elemental control basics
Release identification
Hand-seal accuracy
Stability and breathing
"Memorize these," Daigo said. "They will come tomorrow."
Just then—
BRRRING!
The academy bell rang.
Chairs screeched. Bags rustled.
Students shot up, packing everything as fast as they could.