When word spread that a descendant of the Senju and a Uchiha were going to settle their bet with a duel, a swarm of students rushed to the First Training Ground. Even the Ninja Academy teachers couldn't resist the temptation to watch and hurried over too.
But they were teachers, after all, and had to act the part. So they hid themselves away and secretly joined the "spectators." It was all part of teaching their students how to be ninja, wasn't it?
The duelists had already taken their places. The three boys stood facing one another in the middle of the training ground. They were all six or seven years old. By coincidence, Uchiha Yan and Liuxia both had handsome features and black hair, while Nawaki was a round-faced boy with short chestnut hair.
If Liuxia hadn't been wearing anything that marked him as a member of the Uchiha Clan, everyone might have mistaken him for one of their descendants. But the two boys were still quite different. Uchiha Yan was handsome, yet he gave off a cold, forbidding air. Liuxia, on the other hand, felt like a gentle breeze rustling through willow branches, putting people at ease and making them want to draw closer to him.
"Since I'm the one who challenged you, you can decide who fights first! I don't mind taking you both on at once. I, Uchiha Yan, am nothing like brats who play at being ninja!"
"Hey, you Uchiha jerk! Are you asking for a beating? How dare you look down on me!"
Hearing the taunt from across the field, Nawaki grew angry and started forward, only to realize Liuxia had grabbed him.
"As the saying goes, a ruler must not wage war in anger, nor a general fight in a fit of rage. As ninja, we must stay calm no matter what happens. Nawaki, you're being too impulsive. Let me handle this one. I'll teach him a lesson."
"Liuxia, what was that about a ruler? And a general? I heard every word, but how come I can't understand it when they're all put together? Hahahaha!"
Nawaki scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward laugh.
"Uh..."
Everyone there was stunned by Nawaki's cluelessness, and they couldn't help thinking: Are the First's and Second's grandsons really this stupid?
"Hmph. So the Senju haven't fallen into complete decline after all. Come on, show me the strength of the Senju of the Forest!"
The two boys took their positions. After Nawaki stepped aside, they formed the Seal of Confrontation.
Then they quickly leaped back to put some distance between them. In less than three seconds, both sides had hurled several Shuriken at each other.
Clang—clang—clang... The Shuriken from both sides were intercepted.
Liuxia had known for a long time that Shuriken-throwing was a specialty of the Uchiha Clan, but he hadn't expected his own technique, honed through years of practice, to be matched so well.
His opponent was just a character who had never even appeared in the original story, yet he could still stand against him. It seemed he hadn't let go of his pride as a transmigrator after all.
Little did he know that Uchiha Yan was even more shocked. After all, he was a well-known young genius of the Uchiha Clan, and his skill with ninja tools was the best among his peers!
Yet Liuxia's aim and power were every bit as good as his own. In fact, when it came to strength, Liuxia seemed to have a slight edge!
In that brief instant, both sides hurled more ninja tools at one another, trying to find an opening.
Clink, clang...
The clatter of Shuriken colliding as they intercepted one another rang throughout the training ground. Faced with the dazzling flurry of ninja tools, the onlookers quietly edged backward, afraid one might come flying their way and stab them.
The Ninja Academy teachers in the trees couldn't help sighing. "Those two boys are incredibly talented. Their Shuriken-throwing skills are already on par with a full-fledged Genin!"
"Indeed. No wonder they're from the Senju and Uchiha Clans! Their talent is astonishing!"
"Uchiha Yan's Shuriken... Th-that's the Uchiha Clan's signature throwing technique! At this rate, Liuxia's going to be in a desperate situation!"
Sato Ichiro sighed to himself, but he didn't stay idle. He stepped forward, ready to jump in and save Liuxia at a moment's notice.
After all, both Uchiha Yan and Liuxia were geniuses from the village, and descendants of the Senju and Uchiha Clans.
Just then, someone among the spectators outside the field suddenly cried out.
Everyone looked over. Half of the Shuriken that had been floating motionless above the training ground suddenly began to dance as if they had come to life.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of Shuriken swooped through the air like nimble dragons, changing their flight paths at astonishing speed. They darted left and right, soared skyward, then dived down, forming an inescapable net that bore down on Liuxia.
"How is this possible? How did he do that? Why are the Shuriken moving on their own?"
Nawaki stared at the scene in astonishment and cried out before he could stop himself. "Liuxia! Watch out!"
At that moment, countless gleaming Shuriken shot toward Liuxia like a storm of blades. The eerie thing was that they seemed to be alive, adjusting their paths and speed on their own, leaving him nowhere to dodge.
"It's wire! Specially treated wire! It's connected to Uchiha Yan's Shuriken! You'd have a hard time noticing it if you weren't paying close attention. This technique is supposed to be something you can only master after awakening the Sharingan!"
Teacher Sato had already come up beside Nawaki. His face was grave as he watched the battle, and he held out one hand to gently restrain Nawaki, who was about to rush into the fray.
"It's too dangerous. You can't go in. Don't worry, Liuxia won't be hurt. I'll step in if I need to."
Only after hearing Teacher Sato's words did Nawaki slowly relax, though he was still worried about Liuxia.
Liuxia knew all about the Uchiha Clan's unique Shuriken technique. When he watched Naruto back then, he'd been amazed by it.
But only when he faced it himself did he truly understand how difficult it was to deal with.
The specially treated wire controlling the Shuriken was nearly impossible to spot, and he had almost used up all the ninja tools he'd brought for throwing.
Fortunately, Uchiha Yan seemed to have only just learned the technique, and he clearly hadn't mastered it yet.
Liuxia fought to fend off the Shuriken darting up and down through the air while looking for a chance to close in on Uchiha Yan and find an opening.
After all, Taijutsu was Liuxia's strongest ability at this stage.
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