Uchiha Zuho (4)

The way the two of them met was quite peculiar.

Ever since that sparring match, Hyuga Shinichi would appear by Uchiha Zuho's side from time to time.

Despite hearing about the discord between the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan, the kind-hearted Uchiha Zuho never felt any disdain or desire to drive Hyuga Shinichi away because of it.

However, as time passed, Hyuga Shinichi appeared more and more frequently, and every time they met, he would stare unblinkingly into Uchiha Zuho's eyes, a behavior that gradually began to make Uchiha Zuho feel incredibly irritated.

Once, when Uchiha Zuho was alone on the Ninja Academy rooftop enjoying the view, he ran into Hyuga Shinichi, who had come to the rooftop alone as well.

Hyuga Shinichi was looking at Uchiha Zuho just as he always did, and Uchiha Zuho, having reached his limit, finally snapped.

"You Byakugan brat from the Hyuga! Are you an idiot?! Why do you keep staring at me! Do you want to fight or something?!"

However, unexpectedly, Hyuga Shinichi didn't get angry; instead, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile as he spoke softly.

"Yeah, that's the spirit! As expected, a normal Uchiha looks much more pleasing to the eye once they've awakened the Sharingan and act a bit arrogant. Nice to meet you, I'm Hyuga Shinichi."

Hyuga Shinichi's words left Uchiha Zuho stunned; he didn't understand what the other boy meant.

"What do you mean by that?"

Uchiha Zuho asked with a frown, and Hyuga Shinichi smiled, pointing to his own eyes as he spoke.

"I possess the Byakugan, which allows me to see through a person's meridian system and chakra flow. I saw you awaken the Sharingan during our fight last time, and I was curious, so I've been observing you."

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

So it was because he had awakened the Sharingan...

Wait?! Hold on!!

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

After the realization hit him, Uchiha Zuho excitedly grabbed Hyuga Shinichi by the collar and shouted.

"Don't get so worked up."

Hyuga Shinichi gently brushed Uchiha Zuho's hands away.

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

"Unique?"

Uchiha Zuho looked at Hyuga Shinichi in confusion, and Hyuga Shinichi continued.

"Yeah, what were you thinking about when you awakened the Sharingan that day? Was it because you couldn't beat that person and your refusal to admit defeat drove you to awaken it, or was it for something else? I want to know what could give you such a strong conviction."

Uchiha Zuho hesitated for a moment. In his view, the other boy didn't have any malicious intent, but Hyuga Shinichi's previous behavior still made him feel annoyed.

The Uchiha Clan's passive ability to be tsundere kicked in.

"Hmph, none of your business, you Byakugan fool!"

Even though Hyuga Shinichi knew what kind of personality the Uchiha had, he still couldn't help but be annoyed by Uchiha Zuho's punchable attitude.

"Fine, actually I don't really want to know. I have the Byakugan, so I don't care about your Sharingan, you pretentious Uchiha brat."

Uchiha Zuho didn't understand what "pretentious" meant, but after watching Hyuga Shinichi's departing back and thinking for a moment, he finally decided to answer.

"I didn't know I had awakened the Sharingan. At the time, I was only thinking that I had to stand up to become someone's support."

Uchiha Zuho said truthfully, though his voice grew much quieter midway through.

Hyuga Shinichi, who had intended to leave, stopped without turning around; he nodded with his back to Uchiha Zuho, acknowledging his answer.

"Then you will definitely succeed."

Hyuga Shinichi continued.

"However, don't lose your way after gaining the power of the Sharingan, Kano."

Hearing Hyuga Shinichi's words, Uchiha Zuho only felt confused—what was this guy talking about?

Yet, the slight upturn of his own mouth couldn't fully conceal his inner feelings; such a relaxed exchange was a first for Uchiha Zuho.

At the Ninja Academy, the people around him who played with him always showed an attitude of respect, and back home, he could only feel cold indifference.

Is this what a friend is?

"No! Who would want to be friends with a Byakugan fool from the Hyuga!"

Looking at Hyuga Shinichi's figure, which was already out of sight, a trace of loss emerged in Uchiha Zuho's heart. He shook his head, as if trying to shake off the emotion.

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

Uchiha Zuho didn't think Hyuga Shinichi had any reason to lie to him about awakening the Sharingan, but since he couldn't manifest it now, he didn't mention it to his family when he got home.

From then on, Uchiha Zuho would usually huff and walk away whenever he encountered Hyuga Shinichi, but when they met alone on the rooftop, they would trade barbs—though he was the one who ended up blushing in frustration every time.

Still, Uchiha Zuho enjoyed and cherished this way of interacting, feeling that only at these moments was he truly at ease.

Returning to the topic of Hyuga Shinichi mentioning the graduation exam.

Just as Hyuga Shinichi successfully passed the exam and was preparing to find a place to celebrate with Nawaki, Inuzuka Gai, and Aburame Tomohiro, Uchiha Zuho called out to him.

"Hey! You Byakugan fool from the Hyuga!"

"Hmm? So it's the pretentious Uchiha brat. I'm in a good mood today and don't want to trade insults with you, let's do it another day."

"Wait! Fight me!"

Seeing the serious expression on Uchiha Zuho's face, Hyuga Shinichi accepted the challenge. Their exchange was overheard by nearby students, and news of Uchiha Zuho challenging Hyuga Shinichi spread throughout the Ninja Academy in no time.

The training ground was quickly packed with people, and even some teachers came to watch. In their eyes, Uchiha Zuho was already a genius among his peers, so they were surprised to see him challenging someone else.

The opponent had only passed the graduation exam early today, and passing the graduation exam only required knowledge of theory and the successful execution of the Three Basic Techniques.

However, when they saw that the one standing opposite Uchiha Zuho was Hyuga Shinichi, they understood—it was merely a contest between two great dōjutsu clans.

The teacher acting as the referee for this match spoke up.

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

The two on the field performed the Seal of Confrontation and stared at each other. Hyuga Shinichi's grinning face annoyed Uchiha Zuho, who decided to go all out from the start to teach this Byakugan fool a lesson.

"Three! Two! One! Begin!"

Uchiha Zuho lunged forward immediately, intending to land a punch on Hyuga Shinichi to show him what he was made of, but Hyuga Shinichi dodged with a sidestep and countered with a punch to Uchiha Zuho's stomach.

Hyuga Shinichi didn't use much force, just enough to make Uchiha Zuho wince and stumble back while clutching his gut.

Uchiha Zuho seemed to realize that this Byakugan fool before him wasn't so simple. A complex emotion welled up in his heart; it seemed he had underestimated his opponent, though he still hadn't used his full strength.