Uchiha Zuho (4)

It was a rather curious way for the two of them to meet.

After that spar, Hyuga Shinichi started showing up around Uchiha Zuho from time to time.

Though Zuho had heard of the feud between the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan, his kind heart had never led him to look down on Shinichi or drive him away.

But as time went on, Shinichi began appearing more and more often. And every time they met, he would stare intently into Zuho's eyes. Before long, the behavior had become incredibly irritating.

One day, Zuho was alone on the roof of the Ninja Academy, enjoying the view, when Shinichi arrived by himself.

As usual, Shinichi looked at Zuho. Unable to stand it any longer, Zuho finally snapped.

"Hey, you Byakugan brat from the Hyuga! Are you an idiot or what? Why do you keep staring at me? Looking for a fight?!"

To Zuho's surprise, Shinichi didn't get angry. Instead, the corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile, and he said softly,

"Yeah, that's the stuff! A normal Uchiha who's awakened the Sharingan should have a bit of an attitude. Looks much better that way. Hey, let's get acquainted. I'm Hyuga Shinichi."

Shinichi's words left Zuho baffled. He didn't understand what the other boy meant.

"What did you mean just now?"

Zuho frowned. Shinichi smiled and pointed to his eyes.

"I have the Byakugan, so I can see through people's circulatory systems and chakra flow. Last time, I saw you awaken the Sharingan during a fight. I was curious, so I've been watching you ever since."

Only then did Zuho understand why Shinichi was always staring at him.

So it was because I awakened the Sharingan...

Wait!

"What did you say?! I... I awakened the Sharingan?!"

When it finally sank in, Zuho grabbed Shinichi by the collar and shouted.

"Hey, calm down."

Shinichi gently pried Zuho's hand away.

"I'm just stating a fact. Besides, the way you awakened the Sharingan was unusual."

"Unusual?"

Zuho stared at Shinichi in confusion. Shinichi continued,

"Yeah. What were you thinking when you awakened it that day? Was it your refusal to accept defeat that made you awaken it when you couldn't beat that person, or was it something else? I want to know what gave you such a strong conviction."

Zuho hesitated. The other boy didn't seem malicious, but Shinichi's behavior up until now had still annoyed him.

The Uchiha's haughty streak kicked in.

"Hmph. What's it to you, Byakugan idiot?"

Even Shinichi, who knew what Uchiha were like, couldn't help finding Zuho's obnoxious attitude irritating.

"Fine. It's not like I really want to know. I have the Byakugan, so I'm not jealous of your Sharingan, you show-off Uchiha brat."

Zuho didn't understand what "show-off" meant, but as he watched Shinichi walk away, he thought it over and eventually decided to answer.

"I didn't know I'd awakened the Sharingan. At the time, I was only thinking that I had to become someone's support. That was what made me get back up."

Zuho answered honestly, though his voice grew much quieter halfway through.

Shinichi, who had been about to leave, stopped. He didn't turn around, but nodded to show that he approved of Zuho's answer.

"Then you'll definitely succeed."

Shinichi went on,

"But now that you've gained the power of the Sharingan, don't lose your way, okay? See you."

Hearing Shinichi's words, Zuho could only think, What's this guy even talking about?

Yet the faint smile tugging at his lips couldn't quite hide how he felt. This kind of easygoing exchange was a first for Zuho.

At the Ninja Academy, the people who played with him always treated him with a certain deference. And when he went home, all he felt was indifference.

Could this be what having a friend is like?

No! Who wants to be friends with some Byakugan idiot from the Hyuga?!

Staring at the spot where Shinichi had disappeared from view, Zuho felt a little disappointed. He shook his head as if to shake off the feeling.

"My goal is to support my brother! And did I really awaken the Sharingan? Then why can't I use it? How strange."

Zuho didn't think Shinichi had any reason to lie about his Sharingan awakening. But since he couldn't use it now, he didn't tell his family when he got home.

From then on, whenever Zuho ran into Shinichi, he would huff and walk away. But when they met alone on the roof, they would trade insults—though Zuho was always the one who got worked up.

Still, Zuho enjoyed and treasured the way they got along. He felt that it was only then that he could truly relax.

Back to the moment when Shinichi mentioned taking the graduation exam.

After Shinichi passed the exam, he came out and was about to find somewhere to celebrate with Nawaki, Inuzuka Gai, and Aburame Tomohiro when Zuho called out to him.

"Hey! You Byakugan idiot from the Hyuga!"

"Hm? Oh, it's the show-off Uchiha brat. I'm in a good mood today, so I don't feel like trading insults. Maybe another time."

"Wait! Fight me!"

Seeing how serious Zuho looked, Shinichi accepted the challenge. The students nearby had all heard them, and news that Zuho had challenged Shinichi soon spread through the entire Ninja Academy.

The training ground was soon packed with spectators. Even some teachers came to watch. They had thought Zuho was already a genius among his peers, so they hadn't expected him to challenge someone.

The other boy had only passed the graduation exam early that day. And all it took to pass was knowledge of the academic subjects and successfully performing the Three Basic Techniques.

But when they saw that Zuho's opponent was Hyuga Shinichi, they understood: it was just a match between two members of great clans known for their ocular techniques.

The teacher refereeing the match spoke up.

"Uchiha Zuho versus Hyuga Shinichi! Both sides, make the Seal of Confrontation!"

The two boys formed the Seal of Confrontation and faced one another. Shinichi wore a carefree smile, which annoyed Zuho. He decided to go all out from the start and teach the Byakugan idiot a lesson.

"Three! Two! One! Begin!"

Zuho charged forward at once, hoping to land a punch and show Shinichi what he could do. But Shinichi dodged to the side and punched Zuho in the stomach.

Shinichi hadn't used much force, but the hit hurt enough to make Zuho clutch his stomach and stumble backward.

Zuho seemed to realize that the Byakugan idiot in front of him wasn't so simple after all. A complicated feeling welled up inside him. It looked like he'd underestimated Shinichi, but he still hadn't used his full strength.