Naruto: Snow Cold

"...Yeah. It's working."

The words felt strange coming out of my mouth, but they were true. I had done it. With careful effort, I had made the connection. And now, I just had to refine it.

At one point, it might just become something passive, done unconsciously—kind of like when I try walking on water or other surfaces.

It's too bad that, right now, I have to pour at least half of my focus into this specific task to keep it active. If I get distracted, the flow will either stop completely or spike uncontrollably, and that could fry my brain or overwhelm my senses. Neither option sounds pleasant.

The saving grace? It consumed almost no chakra, which was a relief. This meant I only had to maintain constant focus until it became second nature to me, although it'd probably take months to achieve that level of ease. My body would naturally adapt and start filtering out useless information on its own, allowing me to concentrate on what really mattered.

Of course, only enhancing the touch in my hands leaves much to be desired. Not to mention, I haven't even begun to tap into the potential of the other receptors. Nociceptors, though... I don't like pain. I really don't.

I can still remember the day I was run over by that truck, blood bubbling up in my throat, how my own ribs stabbed my internal organs. The pain was so intense, like every inch of my body was on fire, screaming in agony. I could feel everything, the sharpness of the injuries, the coldness of the pavement against my skin. Helplessness.

How should I even go around manipulating them? Could I somehow reduce their effectiveness and achieve an effect similar to adrenaline? It'd dull the sensation of pain, allowing me to ignore wounds, but... Wouldn't that just make my reflexes fall off a cliff? Pain, for all its unpleasantness, serves a purpose. It's a warning system, a way for the body to scream at you that something's wrong, and needs to be fixed.

...I'll just not touch them until I've reached an acceptable level of mastery when it comes to this sense.

Okay, the next logical sense to go after, and probably one of the most helpful directly... Hearing.

Hearing is already so sensitive, even without any kind of improvement. The tiniest sounds, like the rustle of leaves or a drop of water, can carry crucial information if you know how to really listen. I'm not gonna do it just to hear even louder, though. That would be pointless—and straight up, counterproductive.

What I want is filtering. To separate the important sounds from the background noise, and home in on a singular thread of sound in a chaotic web of sound and pull it free without getting tangled in the rest. Clarity and precision.

What exactly is hearing, anyway? How does it work?

Hearing, at its core, is the process of detecting vibrations. Sounds are waves traveling through the air—or whatever medium they're moving through—that are picked up by the ear. The outer ear gathers the sound, the middle ear amplifies it, and the inner ear transforms it into signals the brain can interpret.

The cochlea, that spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear, is where the good stuff happens. Tiny hair cells inside it detect the vibrations and convert them into electrical impulses, sending them to the brain via the auditory nerve. The brain then processes the impulses, giving meaning to the sounds—whether it's the tone of someone's voice, the rhythm of footsteps, or the rustling of wind in the trees.

Once again, I won't dive too deeply into all of that because, just like touch, this sense is complex. Wouldn't want to bore my imaginary audience, would we? Truthfully, I wonder if I even have anyone watching me. Maybe I'm like some kind of Deadpool, breaking the fourth wall without realizing it.

The thought made me pause for a second. What if there is someone out there, sitting back and reading along? Am I entertaining enough for them? Should I throw in a pun or something? Hmmm... Nah, doesn't seem like it. Moving on...

In short, hearing is a combination of physical mechanics and neural interpretation. If I want to augment this particular feeling, I'd have to channel my chakra and send it to all the organs involved in this entire process.

Easier said than done, though! Knowing it, just like touch, is one thing. Visualizing exactly where those organs are is the real hard part. I mean, I can sort of imagine the outer ear and the eardrum, but once I start thinking about the cochlea and the auditory nerve, it feels like I'm trying to picture some tiny, tangled mess inside my head.

But, the thing is... I can actually see myself doing it. Imagination... This must be what separates us otherworlders from those born in this world. The ability to focus not only on what I know but also on what I can dream up. It's like I'm visualizing a map of my own body, one that's constantly shifting and redefined by my chakra. It's not just knowledge or technique anymore. It's mental mastery.

Since we're talking about mental stuff, it might be appropriate if, at some point, I dig more profoundly into my mindscape.

Time to do this. Hearing. Channel the tiniest amount of chakra into your ears, into the pathways that carry sound from the outside world into your mind. Feel the delicate tremors of the sound vibrations. Visualize the flow of chakra gently touching every aspect of your auditory system—the ear canal, the eardrum, the ossicles, the cochlea, and beyond.

Careful not to burst anything. Very small quantities at a time.

I squinted my closed eyes in concentration, directing the chakra carefully flow and pour slowly into those parts, gradually increasing the input until I felt something.

The effect wasn't immediate, but I could sense the subtle shift as the chakra began interacting with the delicate structures inside my ears. At first, it was like a faint hum, a ripple that passed through the air, barely noticeable, if at all.

Louder. My own breathing was getting louder, the chirping of birds getting sharper, the chattering of other people in the apartment complex, and so much more.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Too loud, too loud! Stop!

I scrambled mentally, trying to cut down the overwhelming barrage of noise that flooded my ears. My heart was racing. This was too much, too fast. I needed to bring it under control.

Quickly, I decreased the flow, pulling back the information input. The surge of noise didn't immediately stop, but slowly, gradually, the booming sounds began to retreat. I increased it once more, this time focusing on the more subtle, quiet sounds.

The distant rustle of the wind, the soft shuffle of someone walking several floors below... Yes, this is it. No overload, and certainly no chaos.

"Amai, you're shedding tears. Nothing went wrong, right?" asked my mother, concern clear in her voice.

Oh. I didn't even realize I was crying. Hearing all of that at once, and so loud, could make anyone's emotions get the best of them. The sheer magnitude of it all—every little detail amplified, oversaturating your senses—could put anyone in a great deal of pain.

I quickly wiped my face, trying to steady my breathing. My ears were still ringing, but I was regaining control. I expected something intense, but not something quite like this.

I opened my eyes, and turned my gaze to her "Nothing went wrong, mom." I answered her, "It was just... a lot of sounds, all at once, but I'm fine."

"Sounds? Are you saying that you tried going for your ears next? It's not that I don't believe in you, but, it's dangerous. What if you somehow burst your eardrums? We may be close to the nearest hospital, but, that doesn't mean I want to take unnecessary risks," she continued, her voice laced with concern.

"I know, I know. It won't happen. You know I'm good when it comes to this stuff," I replied, trying to reassure her, though I couldn't completely shake the unease in her voice.

She didn't look entirely convinced, but at least she seemed to appreciate my confidence. "...Don't push too hard," she said, her tone softening. "You're already doing so much more than what me and your father could at your age. Just like the other children, you're a genius. Perhaps even more so than them."

Her words hit me differently this time. There was admiration there, but also something deeper—a concern, a hope that I wouldn't lose myself in the pressure to be better, to do more.

"I'll take care, Mom. I won't push my boundaries and stop with just these two senses. The other ones can wait," I promised.

Really, just these two would be more than enough to keep me busy. No need to mess with taste or smell, let alone sight. I don't want to go blind... yet.

As for applications for enhanced hearing, I could use this to my advantage in intel gathering, music, long-range enemy detection, detecting environmental changes, and so much more. It was limitless. Eavesdropping on conversations from a distance without even being in the same room, identifying subtle shifts in the environment like changes in wind patterns or faint vibrations in the ground.

Yeah, that sounded nice. The mental fatigue, though... I'll have to keep at this for a long time if I want to use it effectively. Shadow Clones wouldn't even help, considering it's my body that needs to adapt to these new changes.

Mm. Tired of all this nerdy crap, I just want to go back to physical exercise—plunging my hands in water and practicing my jutsu. Speaking of that...

"Hey, Mom. When will I start sensor training?"

My mother, who had been quietly observing me, responded, "You'll be starting tomorrow, after academy hours are over."

I perked up at the news. "Really? That soon?"

"Of course. Your father and I contacted a Yamanaka around two weeks ago, and they've agreed to assist you with it. He's especially good at it, too!"

A Yamanaka? Ah, yeah! They specialize in mental techniques, don't they? So, they must be pretty skilled at sensing chakra. I certainly didn't expect my tutor to be one of them.

Either way, I'm plenty excited to start!