Sparring

(The Sixteenth Chapter: Sparring)

"I passed without any trouble, Father," Uchiha Itachi said respectfully.

"Did you come in first?" Uchiha Fugaku asked.

Uchiha Itachi shook his head. "No. There were seven of us left in the end, and the teacher called off the test."

"Hmph! They ended it without deciding who came in first? What a weak teacher." Uchiha Fugaku seemed displeased that his son hadn't placed first.

Uchiha Fugaku turned to Mirai and asked, "How did you do, Mirai?"

Just as Mirai was about to say he'd only passed by luck, Uchiha Itachi spoke first. "My cousin Mirai usually ranks first in the grade, so of course he passed easily."

Hearing that Mirai had come in first, Uchiha Fugaku raised his eyebrows, evidently surprised. He knew how capable his son, Uchiha Itachi, was. He was already famous among the Uchiha clan and, alongside Uchiha Shisui, was regarded as one of the clan's two prodigies. Uchiha Shisui was three years older than Uchiha Itachi and had already graduated from the Academy.

Uchiha Itachi was his son, and Uchiha Fugaku had always trained him strictly. Uchiha Itachi hadn't let him down. He picked up ninjutsu and Taijutsu at once and used them with great skill, living up to his reputation as a prodigy.

He planned to pass the position of Uchiha clan head to Uchiha Itachi one day, but he hadn't expected Mirai, who had no one to teach him, to take first place. Naturally, he was surprised.

Mirai was a little exasperated with his cousin Itachi. I know you're trying to help me, but you've got it completely backward. I wasn't trying to show off. The system forced me into it.

"Since you ranked first in your grade, you've done the Uchiha clan proud. How about you and Itachi spar now? I'd like to see how the two of you measure up," Uchiha Fugaku said.

[ Ding--! Temporary mission triggered. For the host's safety, defeat Uchiha Itachi. Mission reward: 10 Points. Abandoning or failing the mission will deduct Points. Mission difficulty: B-rank! ]

Mirai froze for a moment. When Uchiha Fugaku suggested he spar with Itachi, he'd known a mission would probably appear. He was already well acquainted with the system's knack for setting him up. The mission offered ten Points for success, but abandoning or failing it would cost him three. It was as if the damn thing knew he had a few Points and was determined to drain them all. Damn it, he'd only just earned those Points that afternoon, and now they were already about to disappear. What a bloodsucker.

What surprised Mirai even more was the mission's difficulty. A month ago, when a choice-based mission had appeared, the mission to defeat Uchiha Itachi had been rated SS-rank. Now it was only B-rank.

The difference between the two was enormous. Uchiha Itachi had clearly improved a lot over the past month. Every time he went home, Uchiha Fugaku, a Jonin, was there to guide him. His combat skills and instincts were on a completely different level.

Mirai had been practicing on his own. He'd made obvious progress, but in terms of skill and ninjutsu, he still wasn't Uchiha Itachi's match. His only major advantage was the Sharingan. Uchiha Itachi probably hadn't awakened his yet, which was why the mission difficulty had dropped to B-rank.

"Father, my cousin Mirai isn't—" Uchiha Itachi began. He knew his own abilities and understood that Mirai had no good teacher. The lessons at the Academy only covered the basics and couldn't reveal much of a difference between them.

He had his father to teach him, so the gap between them was considerable. It simply wasn't fair.

Before Uchiha Itachi could finish, Mirai cut him off. "It's fine, Itachi. I know that when it comes to strength, even ten of me might not be enough to beat you. It's only natural that I'll lose. But since our elders have suggested it, let's spar. Don't worry that it'll shake my confidence. I'm not the sort to give up just because I lose. Besides, a shinobi's strength will never improve if he doesn't fight. This is a rare opportunity!"

Just as Mirai had said, the mission was B-rank, and the reward was ten Points—a rare opportunity for him. He had to win, even if that meant revealing that he'd already awakened the Sharingan. Then he could unlock the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Now that he was determined to grow stronger, the temptation was impossible to resist. He couldn't give it up.

Hearing Mirai say that, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help seeing him in a new light. As the Uchiha clan head, he'd asked Mirai to stay earlier, only for Mirai to refuse. That had been a slight to his dignity, but he was an adult; he wouldn't hold it against a child.

Still, given how strictly the Uchiha clan raised its children, he'd thought Mirai was showing a lack of ambition. If Mirai had lived here, Uchiha Fugaku might have occasionally given him pointers. Since Mirai had refused, he'd let him be rather than waste his effort.

But seeing that Mirai genuinely wanted to become stronger changed his opinion. If Mirai had talent, he might be worth training.

"Itachi, since Mirai has agreed, spar with him for a while. It'll help him improve," Uchiha Fugaku said, his tone stern.

"Yes, Father." When Uchiha Fugaku spoke in that tone, there was clearly no refusing him.

"Both of you, come to the backyard." Uchiha Fugaku led the way, with Mirai and Uchiha Itachi following behind.

The Uchiha Clan's backyard was huge, almost like a small training ground, with several towering trees. Mirai and Uchiha Itachi stood facing each other in an open space, while Uchiha Fugaku stood nearby. "Begin!"

"Yes!" Mirai and Uchiha Itachi answered in unison. They took up their fighting stances and fixed their eyes on each other, watching for the slightest movement.