At the ninja academy training ground,
"Today we're going to learn how to use shuriken." Teacher Ibuki held up a shuriken, his expression serious.
The children stood in front of him in several rows.
Shin-chan was in the second row, with Uchiha Toru beside him and Kakashi in front of him.
Teacher Ibuki began explaining, "The shuriken is the most basic long-range weapon for a ninja. When you throw it, your wrist has to be steady, your aim has to be true, and your breathing has to stay even."
As Shin-chan listened, his attention started drifting. First he looked to the left.
There was just a wall there. Nothing special.
Then he looked to the right.
There were just trees there. Nothing special either.
Then he lifted his head and glanced outside the training ground.
There was a small grove over there that people normally didn't go into.
Something seemed to be moving?
Shin-chan narrowed his eyes and looked more carefully.
The shadows of the trees swayed, but he didn't see anything.
"Shin-chan," Uchiha Toru called quietly.
No response.
"Shin-chan!"
Shin-chan snapped back to himself and turned to look at him. "What?"
"What are you looking at?"
Shin-chan scratched his head and glanced outside again. "I don't know. It just feels weird."
"Weird?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "Feels like someone's watching me."
Uchiha Toru froze for a second and looked out too.
There was nothing there.
"There isn't anyone."
"I know there isn't." Shin-chan said, "It's just that kind of feeling. Like when you go to the bathroom alone at night and it feels like something at the end of the hallway is watching you."
Uchiha Toru fell silent.
That comparison somehow made sense... but also didn't.
"Nohara Shinnosuke! Uchiha Toru!"
Teacher Ibuki's voice exploded across the field.
Both of them shrank their necks.
"No whispering during class!!!"
"Yes," the two answered in unison.
Shin-chan pulled his head back in and stopped thinking about it.
"Alright, now we'll move on to practice." Teacher Ibuki pointed at the targets ahead. "Each of you gets six shuriken. After you throw them, go pick them back up. One at a time."
Kakashi stepped forward, three shuriken in each hand, and threw them all at once.
Thunk thunk thunk!
Every single one landed dead center in the bullseye.
The field went silent for a second.
Then came a burst of astonished cries.
"So amazing!"
"They all hit!"
"And with both hands at once!"
Rin stood nearby, eyes shining. "That's Kakashi for you."
Obito was watching too, his expression complicated—there was envy, admiration, and just a little unwillingness to accept it. "Hmph. So what if he throws accurately? I can do that too."
"Obito, don't—" Rin tried to stop him.
But Obito had already rushed out, copying Kakashi and gripping three shuriken in each hand before throwing them hard.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The shuriken flew out.
Crooked.
Slanted.
A few dropped straight to the ground.
A few hit the neighboring targets.
And one almost flew into Teacher Ibuki's head.
"UCHIHA OBITO!"
Teacher Ibuki's roar shook the whole training ground.
Obito hunched his neck, looking guilty as can be.
"Pfft."
A snicker came from the side.
Asuma was leaning against a tree, grinning with the most punchable face imaginable. "With skills like that, and you dared copy Kakashi?"
Obito's face turned red. "You—!"
"What?" Asuma shrugged. "You're the one who threw them. Am I not allowed to laugh?"
"I just... wasn't ready."
"If you weren't ready, why'd you copy him and use both hands? Where's your brain?"
"What did you say?!"
Just as it looked like the two of them were about to start arguing again, Teacher Ibuki strode over.
"Enough. Obito, go pick up your shuriken. Asuma, you're next!"
Obito gritted his teeth and ran off to collect the shuriken.
Asuma stepped up and threw his set. Not as good as Kakashi, but at least every one hit the target.
Then he turned back and looked at Obito.
"See that? That's how you throw shuriken."
Off to the side, Obito's face had turned green with fury.
Before long, it was Uchiha Toru's turn.
Thunk thunk thunk!
He also hit every bullseye.
Another wave of shocked exclamations rose from the sidelines.
"Uchiha Toru is amazing too!"
"Just what you'd expect from an Uchiha!"
Obito stood there at the side, his expression getting even more complicated.
They were both Uchiha.
So why was the difference this huge...
Shin-chan leaned over to Uchiha Toru. "Your shuriken are amazing."
Uchiha Toru smiled a little, looking shy.
"It's nothing. I've just practiced a lot."
"So how are you supposed to throw these?" Shin-chan asked.
Uchiha Toru picked up a shuriken and started explaining.
"First, your grip is important..."
Shin-chan watched his hand seriously.
"Then your stance has to be stable. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and your center of gravity low..."
Shin-chan nodded.
"Finally, your breathing. The instant you release it, hold your breath, keep your arm straight, and snap your wrist..."
Shin-chan nodded again.
After finishing, Uchiha Toru looked at him expectantly.
"Got it?"
Shin-chan thought about it.
Then thought about it some more.
And then honestly shook his head.
"I didn't understand any of that."
Uchiha Toru: "..."
"But it's okay." Shin-chan waved a hand. "I'll just try it first."
He stepped forward, raised the shuriken.
Grip... probably right?
Stance... close enough?
Breathing... hold it?
Shin-chan took a deep breath and threw the shuriken.
Whoosh.
It flew out.
Not in a straight line.
In a curve.
But it still hit the bullseye.
The field fell silent for a second.
"..."
Teacher Ibuki froze.
Uchiha Toru froze.
Kakashi's eyes widened slightly.
"Huh, it hit?" Shin-chan scratched his head, looking just as confused himself. "Toru, didn't you say I was supposed to aim?"
"Yeah."
"I was aiming over there." Shin-chan pointed at the target on the left.
Uchiha Toru fell silent.
Then Shin-chan pointed at the target directly in front of him. "But it flew over here."
Uchiha Toru remained silent.
Shin-chan thought about it, then said seriously, "Maybe it just wanted to go there by itself?"
Uchiha Toru couldn't help covering his face.
At the side, Rin laughed. "Shin-chan is so funny."
Obito's expression, meanwhile, grew even more complicated.
Shin-chan picked up his second shuriken.
Whoosh.
This time the curve was even bigger, but it still wobbled its way into the target.
Shin-chan looked at the shuriken that had bent through the air and nodded. "Yep. It definitely wanted to go there by itself."
"You have to aim. Watch your stance." Uchiha Toru reminded him.
Shin-chan stopped to think for a few seconds, then picked up the third shuriken.
This time he got very serious. Narrowing his eyes, he aimed at the bullseye right in front of him for a long time.
He took a deep breath.
Throw!
The shuriken flew out.
Straight line.
A perfectly straight line.
Then it flew right past the edge of the target and stuck into the wooden post behind it.
Shin-chan: "..."
Uchiha Toru looked at him, his expression incredibly complicated. "When you actually aim, you miss?"
Shin-chan scratched his head, looking aggrieved. "I don't know what happened either."
"Then how did you throw the first two?"
Shin-chan thought about it and tried hard to remember how it felt just now.
"It was just... kind of random?"
Uchiha Toru fell silent.
At the side, Teacher Ibuki wore an indescribable expression.
This child...
What exactly was going on with him?
~~~
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