Naruto Uzumaki had always struggled with shuriken's accuracy.
He believed that relentless practice would eventually improve his precision.
But he hadn't realized that something as simple as throwing shuriken involved specific techniques.
"Of course! I'm an Uchiha, after all."
"When it comes to shuriken techniques, I'm pretty skilled."
Izumi Uchiha stood with her hands on her hips, a proud grin on her face.
Beneath her confident words, however, a flicker of sadness crossed her eyes.
She carried the Uchiha name and was indeed proficient in shuriken techniques and Fire Release.
But within the Uchiha clan, she was an outlier.
Izumi's mother was an Uchiha, but her father was an outsider from beyond the Hidden Leaf Village.
Born outside the village, Izumi only returned to the Uchiha clan with her mother after her father's death.
Despite bearing the Uchiha name, her peers in the clan looked down on her.
The Uchiha's pride meant they rarely associated with someone of mixed heritage.
In this way, Izumi and Naruto shared a similar sense of isolation.
"Big Sis Izumi, you're amazing!"
"Teach me, quick!"
Naruto's eyes sparkled with excitement, urging Izumi to show him more.
If he could master this, he'd shine in the Ninja Academy's upcoming test.
He wanted everyone to see how capable he was.
His childish competitive streak was clear, and Izumi understood, patiently guiding him.
As night fell, Naruto offered to treat Izumi to dinner at Ichiraku Ramen as thanks.
But Izumi declined—she had just returned from a mission, and her mother was waiting at home.
She headed back, and this time, Naruto wasn't disappointed.
Instead, he grew even more excited for the test two days later.
[Everyone's going to be so shocked.]
[I'll use Big Sis Izumi's shuriken techniques to take first place!]
Chu Ran's prompting echoed in Naruto's mind, fueling his determination.
…
Two days later, it was time for the Ninja Academy's monthly mini-test.
As an institution for training ninjas, the academy held evaluations at the end of each month.
All grades and classes participated, focusing primarily on shuriken techniques and taijutsu.
Today's test was on shuriken throwing. Though it had only been half a month since the school year began, Iruka Umino needed to gauge his students' progress.
He had to identify who needed encouragement, who required extra guidance, and who showed unique potential.
This was part of his duty as a teacher.
Only by ensuring these students trained diligently at the academy would they be better equipped to complete missions and avoid casualties as ninjas in the future.
"When I call your name, step forward."
"You'll throw ten shuriken and ten kunai. Scores range from A to D!"
"A C is passing. Anyone with a D will stay after class to practice!"
Iruka stood on the training field, holding his roster, addressing the group of children.
The first name was called quickly.
Sakura Haruno, who would later become Naruto's and Sasuke Uchiha's teammate in Team 7.
As a new student with no prior training, Sakura hit only three out of ten shuriken.
The other seven clattered to the ground.
Naruto watched Sakura's disappointed expression, his gaze lingering.
In the original Naruto story, this cute girl with a headband was the archetype of the "green tea" character Naruto initially crushed on.
But now, as a child, Naruto simply glanced at her before moving on.
Next came students from prominent Hidden Leaf clans with ninja training.
They earned B scores. Those without ninja backgrounds, at best, scraped by with a C.
When Naruto's turn arrived, he faced the standard target with a slight smirk.
He reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out shuriken.
Unlike most students, who threw one or two at a time, Naruto flung three simultaneously.
He threw ten shuriken in four volleys, each one whistling through the air and striking near the target's center.
He was still far from hitting the bullseye every time, but his performance was strong enough for a B grade.
"Naruto Uzumaki, B!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Iruka's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and announced the score.
Naruto, however, was dissatisfied. Students like Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi had also hit all ten shuriken.
But their accuracy wasn't as tight as his, and they threw one at a time, lacking the flair of his technique.
Just as Naruto opened his mouth to protest, a figure approached.
"Iruka-sensei, with a performance like Naruto's, shouldn't he get an A?"
"His technique and accuracy seem worthy of an A grade."
Mizuki strolled over, his face wearing the same kind smile as always.
Iruka's brow furrowed at Mizuki's words.
He had indeed let some personal bias influence the score, but he couldn't admit it now.
With so many students watching, confessing would undermine his authority as a teacher.
"Sasuke Uchiha, you're up."
Iruka ignored his friend Mizuki, turning to a boy in the crowd.
Black hair, dark eyes, dressed in the Uchiha clan's signature fan-emblazoned clothing.
Though young, Sasuke was already strikingly handsome, drawing the attention of the girls in the class as he stepped forward.
Mizuki, seeing Iruka dismiss him, shook his head helplessly.
He glanced at Naruto, his eyes conveying a hint of apology.
[Thank you, Mizuki-sensei.]
A voice, prompted by Chu Ran, echoed in Naruto's subconscious. His gaze toward Mizuki was filled with gratitude.
But in that fleeting moment, the sharp sound of shuriken striking the target snapped Naruto's attention.
It wasn't just one sound—it was as if all ten targets had been hit simultaneously.
Naruto turned to look at the boy behind him and the target.
"No way…"
"All ten shuriken hit at once? And the bullseye?"
"That's unbelievable… Sasuke Uchiha is incredible!"
(End of the Chapter)