The next day at school, Masaki sat in the back row, letting his mind drift as the teacher lectured on shinobi theory. His newly awakened Sharingan allowed him to feel his chakra flow steadily once again, and without the earlier blockage, his strength continued to build. He avoided the teacher’s gaze and instead practiced chakra control in his mind, ignoring the lecture.
Iruka, seated beside him, was taking notes with intense focus, occasionally looking up at the teacher and nodding along. “Next class, everyone will meet at the training ground,” the teacher announced. “We’ll be having a practical session today.”
Hearing the word “practice” made the classroom buzz with excitement. “Let’s go, Masaki!” Iruka nudged him as the students began filing out.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” Masaki replied, stretching slightly. This time, they’d be using real shuriken, not the wooden ones they’d started with. The students’ excitement was almost contagious as they gathered on the training field.
“There will be a shuriken-throwing test soon, so everyone get warmed up,” the teacher instructed before stepping aside. Masaki picked up a shuriken, letting it spin on his finger by the center ring as he practiced his grip.
Just then, a boy with white eyes approached him, an arrogant look on his face. “Hey, Uchiha,” he called out, his tone dripping with challenge. His expression was proud, even though he was slightly shorter than Masaki.
“What’s up?” Masaki asked, keeping his expression calm. He knew the Uchiha and Hyuga clans were always competitive, but he hadn’t expected to be openly challenged.
“Think you’re up for the test?” Tokuma Hyuga, his challenger, raised his chin, issuing a challenge.
“Sure. Just don’t start crying afterward,” Masaki replied, keeping his tone light but firm. ‘Maybe I’ve been too low-key,’ he thought. ‘If people like him feel brave enough to test me, it’s time to make my strength known.’
“Teacher, I’d like to take the exam with Masaki,” Tokuma said confidently. The teacher looked at Tokuma with mild surprise but quickly nodded, recognizing the rivalry between the two clans. He figured a friendly competition wouldn’t hurt and gave them the green light.
For Tokuma, Masaki was the next best target since Shisui, known for his exceptional talent, hadn’t been at school recently. Tokuma was confident—he’d been trained in the Gentle Fist style and had plenty of practice with kunai and shuriken.
When it was time for the test, the teacher gathered everyone around to explain the setup. “You’ll each face ten targets—two fixed and three moving targets at 15 meters, two fixed and two moving targets at 20 meters, and one moving target at 30 meters. Each hit scores one point, and the maximum score is ten.”
Masaki touched his shinobi pouch, feeling the reassuring weight of the shuriken. Since awakening his Sharingan, his vision was sharper, and he could track movement easily, even without activating it. He steadied himself, ready to begin.
Swosh! Swosh!
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Tokuma struck first, hitting two close targets right in the bullseye, earning murmurs of admiration from the crowd.
“Wow, Tokuma’s accuracy is impressive!”
“Yeah, he’s from a prestigious family, after all,” one student commented.
Masaki held back a smirk and quickly returned the favor, throwing two shuriken of his own. Both hit the bullseye.
“Oh, Masaki from the Uchiha clan isn’t bad either!” someone noted with surprise.
As the murmurs continued, Masaki didn’t waste time. He drew five shuriken in one hand and threw them in rapid succession, each one hitting a target dead-on, including three moving ones. Tokuma’s face turned pale. He realized Masaki had just achieved something he himself couldn’t—a perfect five-hit throw, including three moving targets. Undeterred, he took a deep breath, holding three shuriken as he lined up his next throws.
But before he could release them, the air was filled with another quick series of stabbing sound as Masaki hit three more targets. The crowd fell silent, and even the teacher looked impressed. Masaki’s final throw had been precise—each shuriken had hit a moving target with impeccable timing. He’d thrown them in such a way that they collided mid-air, bouncing into each target one by one. The sight left everyone speechless.
Tokuma froze, lowering the shuriken in his hands as he stared at the targets, the words Masaki had said earlier ringing in his mind
Without looking back, Masaki walked away, realizing that sometimes strength needed to be shown openly. ‘Only the strong are respected,’ he thought.
The crowd began murmuring, awed by Masaki’s skill. The teacher looked thoughtfully at the targets, amazed by Masaki’s control and accuracy. ‘As expected,’ he thought. ‘The Uchiha can’t be underestimated.’
Tokuma clenched his shuriken tightly, frustration visible on his face. “shinobi tools are just a small part of a real fight,” he muttered. “I’ll beat you head-on next time, Masaki Uchiha!”
Iruka immediately ran up to Masaki, his face full of excitement. “Masaki, I didn’t know you were this skilled!” he said, practically bouncing. Being close friends with Masaki meant he could ask for tips, and hopefully improve his own throwing techniques too.
Masaki smiled. “It’s nothing special. Want me to teach you? I’d be happy to.”
As the shuriken test continued, no one managed to match Masaki’s perfect score. The best scores afterward were only eight points, and none of the others hit all the moving targets. By the end, it was clear Masaki’s skills were exceptional, and his classmates looked at him with newfound respect. In the final class of the day, the teacher covered the basic three jutsu techniques. Masaki had already mastered these entry-level techniques over a month ago, so after performing them effortlessly for the teacher, he returned to the back row, using the time to continue his chakra practice.
Iruka, sitting beside him, whispered excitedly, still impressed by Masaki’s display earlier. Masaki could feel the gap widening between him and his peers; perhaps only Shisui was on par with him now. Soon, the semester would be ending, and time seemed to be moving fast.
One day after class, Masaki stopped by a weapons shop to pick up a chakra attribute paper. After realizing he’d been practicing all this time without knowing his elemental nature, he decided to find out. The shopkeeper handed over a chakra paper for 100 ryo, and Masaki carefully tucked it into his pocket before heading to his usual training spot in the woods.
Finding a quiet spot, Masaki sat cross-legged, holding the chakra paper in both hands. He channeled his chakra into it, waiting for the reaction. As expected, the paper responded in different ways: one corner started to burn, another wrinkled up, and the center tore slightly. Fire, wind, and lightning—three powerful elements, with fire being common among the Uchiha.
Pleased with the result, Masaki crumpled the test paper and buried it in the ground. His attributes were impressive—three elements! Feeling proud, he headed home, sure that Ayame would have dinner ready. As he got closer to his house, he felt something unusual in the air—a tense stillness. He quickly stepped through the doorway. “Back already, Masaki-kun?” Ayame greeted him calmly, standing safely in the yard. Masaki let out a small sigh of relief.