Chapter 13: Precision Under Pressure
Arata walked into the Ninja Academy the next morning, his head still aching faintly from the caged bird curse. The classroom buzzed with energy as he took his seat, but the air shifted when Unno and Sai entered. Unno's scowl silenced the room.
"Sit down!" Unno barked, his voice sharp as a kunai. Arata, Minato, and the others scrambled to their seats.
The morning was for theory—ninjutsu basics, strategy, chakra control. Class A, Konoha's elite track, had perks: their own training field, no sharing with Classes B or C, and free access to props like kunai and shuriken. Other classes had to beg for scraps.
In the afternoon, they hit the training field. Unno stood at the center, holding a kunai. "You learned about kunai this morning," he said, his tone gruff. "Now, you practice."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent a kunai whistling through the air, striking a target ten meters away dead-center. "Kunai aren't just for throwing or stabbing. They're for misdirection, breaking an enemy's rhythm, setting up a surprise attack. Master this, and you're a ninja. Don't, and you're nothing."
Some students—mostly Uchiha—smirked, thinking they had it down. Unno's eyes narrowed. "Think it's easy? Hitting a still target's the basics." He moved, darting across the field, and threw four kunai mid-stride. Each hit the bullseye with a thunk. "Your enemy won't stand still. You need to predict their path, their speed. That comes from practice—thousands of throws. Start with ten-meter targets, stationary. Go."
Class A's students were no beginners; they'd all trained before. First up was Uchiha Genka, strutting forward with a cocky grin. He glanced at the target, tossed a kunai, and hit the bullseye. Not stopping there, he mimicked Unno, grabbing two kunai in each hand and throwing them while sprinting. All four struck true.
Genka shot Arata a smug look, eyes dripping with challenge. The other Uchiha kids whooped, hyping him up. "That's our clan!" one shouted.
Minato went next, his movements fluid. He threw four kunai while running, each hitting the bullseye. The Uchiha's cheers faltered, their faces souring. Unno raised an eyebrow. A civilian matching Genka? he thought. Minato's talent was no fluke.
Kushina followed, her throws powerful and precise, all four kunai slamming into the target. She grinned at Genka. "What's so special about that? I was doing this at six."
The Uchiha kids fumed. One muttered, "We're about ninjutsu, not this taijutsu nonsense."
"Shut it!" Genka snapped, red-faced.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio went, their throws solid but not perfect, grazing the target's edges. Respectable, but no one cheered.
Then it was Arata's turn. The Hyuga were taijutsu masters, so everyone expected him to shine. But his first throws were off—two kunai missed the bullseye, one barely hit the target. The Uchiha kids burst out laughing.
"Some 'strongest clan'!" Genka jeered. "Can't even throw straight!"
"Beginner vibes," another Uchiha snickered.
Arata stayed calm, his face unreadable. Unno frowned, disappointed. "Not bad, but you need work, Arata. Everyone else did fine."
"Teacher," Arata said, his voice steady, "I got distracted. Can you show me again?"
Unno blinked. "You sure?"
Arata nodded, ignoring the Uchiha's taunts. "He's making excuses!" Genka laughed. "What, you think watching once will fix you?"
The other students smirked, thinking Arata was stalling. Unno sighed, grabbing a kunai. "Fine. Pay attention. It's about body control—strength, angle, release." He moved, demonstrating a perfect throw, his muscles precise, his form flawless.
Arata's Byakugan activated, veins pulsing around his eyes. He watched Unno's every move—muscle twitches, chakra flow, even the pulse of blood in his veins. His inner vision locked in, mapping Unno's technique. In his mind, he mirrored every motion, syncing his body to Unno's. The kunai's weight, the flick of the wrist—it clicked.
Unno finished, stepping back. "Got it?"
Arata nodded and stepped up. The Uchiha kids snickered, expecting another flop. He grabbed four kunai, two in each hand. Without a word, he sprinted, mimicking Unno's exact movements. His throws were a blur—thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk. All four hit the bullseye, dead-center.
The field went silent. Genka's jaw dropped. Kushina whistled, impressed. Minato grinned. Even Sai, watching from the sidelines, raised an eyebrow, his smile tightening.
Unno stared, then nodded slowly. "Not bad, Arata. Not bad at all."
Genka sputtered, "H-How? That was a fluke!"
Arata didn't bother looking at him. He'd copied Unno's technique perfectly, his Byakugan and inner vision making it second nature. The Uchiha could mock all they wanted—he'd just shown them up, and he wasn't done yet.
(End of Chapter)
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