"Everyone, take a moment to get familiar with these ninja tools," Iruka instructed the class.
"And be careful not to hurt yourselves."
The students eagerly stepped forward, each picking up a weapon with a mixture of caution and excitement on their faces.
Shin picked up a kunai and weighed it in his hand. To his surprise, it felt just right perfectly balanced. He slowly began to spin it between his fingers.
Clack.
He suddenly gripped it tight, his movements fluid and confident.
"Shin, how did you do that?" Naruto leaned in, wide-eyed. "You didn't even use the finger ring!"
"It just... felt natural," Shin replied, gazing absently at the kunai in his hand. In his previous life, he'd trained with throwing knives, so this kind of projectile weapon wasn't unfamiliar.
"Have you practiced before?" Iruka had noticed his practiced technique and couldn't help but ask.
Shin shook his head and picked up a shuriken next. But unlike the kunai, it didn't feel quite as comfortable in his hand.
"Want to give it a try?" Naruto asked with anticipation, clearly more excited for Shin than he would be for himself.
Shin looked toward Iruka, who understood the unspoken question. After a brief hesitation, he nodded.
"Just be careful."
Iruka gestured for the other students to step aside, clearing a space for Shin. He stood nearby, watching closely.
Shin raised his right hand, holding the kunai in a relaxed grip.
"Kunai are actually harder to throw than shuriken," Iruka began explaining. "They don't spin and can only be thrown in a straight line, which makes them harder to hit a target with."
"But the weight is centered once you find the balance, it's not too difficult to throw," he continued. "Feel where the center of mass is. Throw it however feels most natural to you."
Shin nodded, eyes locked onto the wooden target ahead. He suddenly flicked his wrist.
Thwack!
The kunai embedded itself in the target, though a little off-center.
Iruka looked at Shin, clearly surprised. "Incredible... You're sure you've never used ninja tools before?"
Shin didn't answer. Instead, he stared at his hand, replaying the motion in his mind.
Then, without a word, he turned back, grabbed another kunai, and walked forward again. This time, under the expectant gaze of everyone watching, he threw it cleanly in one swift motion.
Thwack!
Dead center.
Iruka: "..."
"Shin, that was amazing!" Naruto cheered, more excited than if he'd hit the bullseye himself.
"That really was impressive," Iruka said, genuinely awed.
The other students were stunned too, especially those who had trained with kunai before. They knew how difficult it was to master even basic proficiency.
"Did Shin really never practice before?" Kiba muttered as he watched him.
Of course Shin had practiced just not here. Compared to throwing knives, the kunai felt even more solid and well-balanced. The distance to the target wasn't far either, so hitting it was no big deal for him.
But the others saw it differently.
"Nice one, Shin!"
"You're incredible!"
"Shin, that was so cool!"
Several students who were on friendly terms with him couldn't hold back their admiration.
"Want to try a shuriken next?" Iruka asked, his gaze now subtly more complex.
"Sure."
Shin picked up a shuriken with his right hand. The four-pointed star felt awkward in his grip.
He took a deep breath, clearly more serious now than before. The room quieted down, all eyes on him.
Whoosh
The shuriken spun through the air but veered completely off course, flying past the target and into the trees behind it.
Shin: "..."
Iruka: "..."
Everyone: "..."
A few students let out a low whistle of disappointment. Shin himself looked a little helpless after that impressive kunai throw, the contrast was too stark.
"Ahem," Iruka coughed lightly.
"That was still pretty good. It's your first time, after all."
Though he said that, Iruka was puzzled. Shuriken were generally easier for beginners to throw than kunai. Yet for Shin, it was the exact opposite.
Shin understood that too. He started heading back toward the group when he noticed a dark-haired boy in the back staring straight at him.
"Hmph!" Sasuke turned his head away arrogantly when he saw Shin looking back.
Shin: "???"
"Tch, what's he so smug about!" Naruto grumbled nearby. "Jeez, Sasuke is such a pain!"
"He's got every right to be smug," a calm voice cut in, startling Naruto.
"...Shino! Don't just appear out of nowhere like that!" Shin rubbed his forehead.
Shino remained silent.
"Sasuke's from the Uchiha clan," he added plainly.
"So what about the Uchiha?" Naruto scoffed.
Shino: "..."
You really have no idea, do you?
"What do you mean?" Shin asked.
"The Uchiha are famous for three things," Shino explained.
"The Sharingan, Fire Release techniques, and shurikenjutsu."
"The Uchiha's shuriken skills far surpass the average ninja. And anyone skilled with shuriken is usually also good with kunai kunai just require more effort to learn at first."
"That's why Iruka-sensei didn't have Sasuke demonstrate with kunai. With his level of shurikenjutsu, it's a given he's already mastered kunai."
"When it comes to weapon skills like kunai and shuriken, Sasuke is probably the top student in our class."
Shino's tone was calm and matter-of-fact.
"Tch. Big deal," Naruto muttered, still unconvinced.
"I see," Shin nodded. He didn't know much about the clans in Konoha yet.
"Alright, everyone, time to practice! Aim for the targets and don't injure yourselves!" Iruka called out again.
"I'll correct your form as we go."
"Come on, Sakura! I'll help you!" Ino said, turning to the pink-haired girl beside her.
"Th-thank you, Ino..."
...
"Are all the Uchiha really that strong?" Shin asked softly as he glanced toward Sasuke.
"Probably," Shino replied. "My dad said most Uchihas in the past always ranked at the top of their classes."
"They're known for being gifted."
"I see..." A ripple of emotion crossed Shin's gaze.
"But Shin, you're talented too," Shino added, hands in his pockets. The dark lenses of his glasses hid his eyes, making his expression unreadable.
"Just because Sasuke's an Uchiha doesn't mean he'll be our top student."
"Maybe," Shin chuckled quietly, saying no more.
Sharingan, Fire Release, shurikenjutsu...
What a fascinating world...
"Shin!" Naruto's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Hm?
"What is it, Naruto?"
Apparently, Naruto had gotten impatient when Shin and Shino started chatting, so he went off to practice throwing kunai on his own.
"Shin, I can't get it right at all! How did you do it? Can you teach me?"
"Iruka-sensei is going to teach everyone in a minute. Why are you in such a rush?" Shin walked over, sighing.
"Because I want you to teach me."
"..."
Talent...
Shino watched as Shin patiently explained to Naruto, who still looked as confused as ever.
These two... Their talents are completely opposite.
Dad told me to look after Eiken Shin at school...
But does he really need me to watch over him?
He's better than me at everything...
Shino's thoughts drifted, lost in quiet uncertainty.