Shin Nohara Was Still in Class

The Ninja Academy's 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 stood in the second row, with Uchiha Toru beside him and Kakashi in front.

Teacher Ibuki began his explanation. "Shuriken are a ninja's most basic ranged weapon. When you throw one, keep your wrist steady, your eyes focused, and your breathing even."

As Shin listened, his gaze began to wander. First, he looked to the left.

There was a wall on the left. Nothing special.

Then he looked to the right.

There was a tree on the right. Nothing special either.

Then he raised his head and glanced outside the Training Ground.

There was a small grove out there. Not many people went there normally.

Was something moving?

Shin narrowed his eyes and looked closely.

The shadows beneath the trees swayed, but he didn't see anything.

"Shin," Uchiha Toru whispered.

Shin didn't react.

"Shin!"

Shin came back to himself and turned to him. "What?"

"What are you looking at?"

Shin scratched his head and glanced outside again. "I don't know. Something just feels weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah." Shin nodded. "It feels like someone's watching me."

Uchiha Toru paused, then looked outside too.

He didn't see anything.

"There's nothing there."

"I know there's nothing there," Shin said. "It's just that feeling you get when you go to the bathroom alone at night, like something at the end of the hallway is watching you."

Uchiha Toru fell silent.

He sort of understood the comparison, but also sort of didn't.

"Shin Nohara! Uchiha Toru!"

Teacher Ibuki's voice thundered across the training ground.

They both hunched their shoulders.

"No whispering during class!!!"

"Yes," they replied in unison.

Shin ducked his head and stopped letting his imagination run wild.

"Okay, let's start practicing." Teacher Ibuki pointed at the targets ahead. "Each of you gets six shuriken. Throw them all, then go pick them up. One at a time."

Kakashi stepped forward, holding three shuriken in each hand, and threw them all at once.

Thud, thud, thud!

Every one of them hit the bullseye.

The area around the training ground fell silent for a second.

Then everyone erupted in astonished cries.

"Amazing!"

"He hit every one!"

"And he threw them with both hands!"

Rin stood nearby, her eyes shining. "As expected of Kakashi."

Obito watched too, his expression complicated. He looked envious and admiring, with just a hint of defiance. "Hmph. All he did was throw accurately. I can do that too."

"Obito, don't..." Rin tried to stop him.

But Obito had already charged up. Copying Kakashi, he gripped three shuriken in each hand and hurled them with all his might.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The shuriken flew out.

One veered off.

Another went crooked.

Some dropped straight to the ground.

Some flew toward the targets beside them.

And one nearly hit Teacher Ibuki in the head.

"Obito Uchiha!"

Teacher Ibuki's roar resounded across the training ground.

Obito hunched his shoulders, looking thoroughly guilty.

"Heh."

A snicker came from nearby.

Asuma leaned against a tree, grinning like he was asking for a punch. "With aim like that, you still dare to copy Kakashi?"

Obito's face flushed red. "You!"

"What about me?" Asuma shrugged. "You threw them yourself. Am I not allowed to laugh?"

"I just... wasn't ready."

"If you weren't ready, why'd you try throwing with both hands? Where's your brain?"

"What did you say!"

Just as the two were about to start arguing again, Teacher Ibuki strode over.

"Both of you, quiet! Obito, go pick up the shuriken. Asuma, you're next!"

Obito gritted his teeth and ran to retrieve the shuriken.

Asuma stepped forward and threw his shuriken. He wasn't as good as Kakashi, but at least they all hit the targets.

Then he turned and looked at Obito.

"See? That's how you throw a shuriken."

Obito stood nearby, so angry his face had turned green.

They were both from the Uchiha Clan. How could they be so different...

Shin sidled up to Uchiha Toru. "You're really good with shuriken."

Uchiha Toru smiled, looking a little embarrassed.

"I'm okay. I've just practiced a lot."

"Then how do you throw one?"

Uchiha Toru picked up a shuriken and began explaining.

"First, your grip is important..."

Shin watched his hands closely.

"Then, keep your stance steady, feet shoulder-width apart, and lower your center of gravity..."

Shin nodded.

"Finally, your breathing. Hold your breath the moment you throw. Keep your arm straight and flick your wrist..."

Shin nodded again.

Uchiha Toru finished explaining and looked at him expectantly.

"Got it?"

Shin thought about it.

Then thought about it some more.

Finally, he honestly shook his head.

"I didn't understand any of that."

Uchiha Toru: "..."

"But that's okay." Shin waved a hand. "I'll give it a try first."

With that, he stepped forward and raised a shuriken.

Grip... probably right?

Stance... more or less?

Breathing... hold it?

Shin took a deep breath, then threw the shuriken.

Whoosh.

The shuriken flew out.

Not in a straight line.

It followed an arc.

But it hit the bullseye.

The area around the training ground fell silent for a second.

"..."

Teacher Ibuki was stunned.

Uchiha Toru was stunned.

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly.

"Huh? I hit it?" Shin scratched his head, looking a little confused himself. "Xiao Che, didn't you say I had to aim?"

"Yeah."

"I was aiming at that one." Shin pointed to the target on the left.

Uchiha Toru fell silent.

Shin pointed at the target in front of him. "But it flew over here."

Uchiha Toru stayed silent.

Shin thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Maybe it wanted to go there by itself?"

Uchiha Toru couldn't help rubbing his forehead.

Nearby, Rin couldn't help laughing. "Shin's so funny."

Obito's expression grew even more complicated.

Shin picked up a second shuriken.

Whoosh.

This time, it curved even more sharply, but in the end it still wobbled its way into a target.

Shin watched the shuriken curve and nodded. "That's right. It wanted to go there by itself."

"Aim carefully and watch your stance," Uchiha Toru reminded him.

Shin stopped to think for a few seconds, then picked up a third shuriken.

This time, he was very serious. Narrowing his eyes, he aimed at the bullseye straight ahead for a long while.

He took a deep breath.

Throw!

The shuriken flew out.

A straight line.

A perfectly straight line.

Then it skimmed past the edge of the target and lodged in the Wood Stakes behind it.

Shin: "..."

Uchiha Toru watched from beside him, his expression complicated. "When you aim, you miss?"

Shin scratched his head, looking a little aggrieved. "I don't know what happened."

"Then how did you throw those first two?"

Shin thought about it, trying hard to remember how it had felt.

"I just... threw them without thinking?"

Uchiha Toru fell silent.

Teacher Ibuki stood nearby, at a loss for words.

What was with this kid...?

What was going on?