Chapter 12

Meanwhile.

"GOOD WORK TODAY KIYOSHI!"

This… is getting awkward.

Kiyoshi didn't think his battles yesterday were much of anything than mere snow play, and yet today, the whole school appears to be respectful of him. The kids in particular asked when they could do snow wars again.

He does admit it was fun, at the same time, the younger students who were shy about their technique got a chance to shine. They used it without worry since it was on snowmen of all things, and by the end of it, they got the hang of their power.

As much as he would love to do that again, the snow is still melting on the field that they played on. Yet as he walked the halls today, he was stopped by Principal Kashimo. "Kiyoshi, mind if we talk for a moment?" he asked.

He agreed and went to the office, just as before the principal sealed it off before he turned to him with a smile on his face. "Thank you first of all for yesterday. Second, I am wondering if perhaps you can do that once a month?"

He paused. "The snowball fight?" he asked bluntly.

"Especially for the younger students, they had fun and it was the first time many of them actually had fun using their technique. In fact, the teacher himself cannot express how thankful he is for your help since now, these students want to learn more." he explained.

Kiyoshi was taken aback, he didn't realize that playing was this impactful. "I don't see the harm in doing it once a month." He said. "That's easy for me to do."

Kashimo smiled. "Perfect, excellent…" he then paused. "I know this seems rather brash of me to say but… is there a reason WHY you are in this school? From what I have seen, you need no lessons."

"Still working on reverse jujutsu" Kiyoshi said. "I can fix myself up no problem, but, if someone else needs assistance I lack."

"Well, after that, I was curious, would you be interested in teaching here? I know it's odd to ask considering your circumstances, but if you would like to consider it…"

He forced a laugh. "Really? Me? You have met my dad right? I channel him more than my mother and my old man isn't that swift to begin with."

Kashimo smirked. "How about a teacher's aid or if we really need your help like doing this snowball fight training once a month? Not a full teaching role but an important one in helping the youngsters. How does that sound?"

Honestly, he didn't mind the notion, not to mention, playing in the snow is one of his favorite things to do now. "Sounds like a plan." He decreed. "And if you like, during the winters, we can do this once a week."

"I want in on this so much…" Kashimo said snickering. "You guys were having a blast, I wanted to join you!"

Sometimes the teachers are like big kids, granted it is refreshing to see since most of the time, sorcerers are bragging about their power and how strong the family clan is.

"Oh and Ryoto…"

Kashimo smirked. "I am testing him right now. We have five students in our possession who need a little extra help when it comes to their curse energy. The thing is we don't quite know how to help them or make use of their ability."

Curious.

"Then why leave them in Ryoto's care?" he asked.

Kashimo crossed his arms and sighed. "Because, I think Ryoto isn't telling us the full story of his capabilities, just today alone proved to me that he has more than a trick or two up his sleeve. At the same time, his curse energy has changed. It's far more dense then it was before meaning that he has refined himself greatly and it continues to refine as we speak." He explained. "As such, I think there is something in Ryoto that has not been seen in a while… if anything. Should I compare him to a sorcerer, the best one I would be able to put on his level is Ryomen Sukuna."

Kiyoshi froze to this. "That… serious huh?"

"Indeed, my father pegged this before me, ever since he first saw him. But, I am not going to pass judgment either. He has such skills and the maturity to use them, that alone is half the battle for a sorcerer. I just want to see how he will use his power for those around him."

Fair assessment.

Kiyoshi was glad he told the principal sooner than later about himself, Ryoto however… he knows better than to say otherwise.

"All I know is that if push comes to shove, I would be grateful to have someone like Ryoto in my corner." Kiyoshi said rather defiantly. "And you knowing what I am… that's not something I say lightly."

Principal Kashimo paused, but smiled. "That speaks volumes…" he said offhandedly.

"And you sir, said so yourself. Ryoto is someone important to you. A key to something right? I wouldn't negate that notion…"

This caught his principal off guard. "Are you certain that you don't have some of your mother's smarts? Or perhaps your father may have been smarter than he looked?"

"Dad has his moments, but if we are being honest, they are few and far between…"

He was dismissed shortly after.

Kiyoshi just left the principal's office when he heard. "So it's the snowflake!"

He peered and saw one of the kids he beat silly yesterday. "Jade was it?" he asked offhandedly.

"Yeah me, look, take it as an honor, but I need another guy to help me put some lesser sorcerers in their place. You are the first one I thought of!" he said proudly. "So, what do you say?"

Kiyoshi forced a smile. "I would say, thanks, but no thanks."

"Huh? What's with you? I come from a good family you know! We got connections!"

"I'm not looking for connections." He replied. "Besides, the way you took your defeat yesterday was rather bitter medicine for you wasn't it? Look, I don't really care about who you are as a sorcerer or what have you. At the same time, the way you spoke of other students being lesser sorcerers than you… yeah… I don't agree with any of it."

Jade trembled with rage. "You don't think someone like me is worth speaking to!?"

"I never said that," Kiyoshi said in a gentle tone. "What I am saying is this. Your cause is not one I am willing to fight for."

He didn't realize there were other students watching all of this. Some gasped, others whispered. But, by the looks of things, Kiyoshi stood out even more. "You'll regret this." Jade warned him.

"Dude, if yesterday proved anything to you… you are more than welcome to try and take your best shot against me."

"OOOOOOOOoooo!" filled the halls.

"You're full of it! You manipulate snow! There's NO SNOW here!"

Kiyoshi rolled his eyes. "Man, that's a side hustle to my technique!" he protested.

Jade froze. "What?!"

"Yeah, manipulating snow and ice… side hustle, you ought to be looking at the broader perspective of my ability. If you can't figure that out, you ought to step back a grade or two."

"DAMN!" came out of Nao.

Kiyoshi paused as he noticed his cousins were among the other students watching, his brother and sister were there too. So he has to set the tone, and the example.

"Now, I think we are done here. Watch yourself," Kiyoshi warned. He must have accidently sent out a strong aura. Since everyone became rather startled to him as he walked away…