Izumi Uchiha

At the same time.

Ninja Academy playground.

Teacher Toriyama Kazunari stood before the target area, holding a kunai as he demonstrated.

"Listen up! The three most important things in kunai throwing are balance, rotation, and timing! Watch closely!"

With a flick of his wrist, the kunai flew out and struck the bullseye with precision.

"Smack—right on target!"

Scattered applause rose from below.

Toriyama Kazunari smugly adjusted his glasses. "All right, now come up one at a time and give it a try! Line up by student number!"

The first to step up was a chubby boy. He put all his strength into the throw—the kunai skimmed past the edge of the target and embedded itself in the back wall.

"Failed! Next!"

The second, third, fourth...

"Failed! Next!"

Occasionally, someone barely managed to hit the target, but Toriyama Kazunari merely curled his lip. "Passable. Next!"

When it was Kushina Uzumaki's turn, she took a deep breath and walked to the throwing line.

Yesterday's "bring your parents" incident had become known throughout the school. The playground was silent now, and no one dared to heckle her anymore.

Still, Kushina felt as though all those eyes were fixed on her.

"Go on, believe in yourself, Kushina!" Minato Namikaze offered a gentle smile, warm as a little sun.

But Kushina did not look at him. Instead, her gaze settled on the red-haired boy in the crowd who had hair just like hers.

Mirai Uzumaki met her eyes and smiled as well. "Don't be nervous. Just do what the teacher said."

Only then did Kushina withdraw her gaze and take another deep breath.

Biting her lip, she picked up a kunai and hurled it with all her might—

"Whoosh—smack!"

The kunai traced an exaggerated arc, sailed far past the target, hit the ground, bounced twice, and rolled into the grass.

The entire field fell silent for a moment.

"Ha ha... mmph!" Someone nearly burst out laughing, only for the companion beside him to clamp a hand over his mouth.

Remembering those unlucky people who had been tied up like dumplings by the Golden Chains yesterday, he forcibly swallowed his laughter.

Kushina's face flared red, and her red hair stirred without wind like a blazing flame.

She grabbed a second kunai and threw it with all her strength—

"Whoosh—smack!"

It flew even farther off course than the first, plunging straight into the ground three inches in front of Teacher Toriyama Kazunari's feet.

Cold sweat broke out on Toriyama Kazunari's forehead as he took half a step back. "Uh... well... the force is there, but your accuracy still needs practice..."

Blushing furiously, Kushina gripped the third kunai, her fingers trembling.

"I'll teach you!" Mirai Uzumaki rubbed his forehead, stepped out from the line, and patted Kushina's shoulder.

"You're using too much force. Relax your wrist a little, like this."

He stood behind Kushina, held the wrist gripping her kunai, and adjusted its angle. "Look at the bullseye. Don't stare at the whole target—focus on that red dot."

"Breathe. Don't hold your breath."

Feeling the warmth on her wrist, Kushina's face reddened even more. She looked exactly like a tiny chili pepper.

Mirai... he's holding my hand?

"What are you spacing out for?!"

Hearing Mirai Uzumaki's voice, she snapped back to her senses and glared at him.

Then she finally focused, silently telling herself, Just pretend a dog is biting my hand!

Kushina Uzumaki slowly adjusted her breathing, relaxing her wrist a little.

"That's it—release!"

The kunai flew out, tracing a beautiful arc—

"Smack!"

It struck the outer edge of the bullseye. It was not a direct hit, but it lodged firmly in the target.

Kushina froze, then abruptly turned to Mirai Uzumaki. Her red hair flew up around her as she shouted, "I hit it! Mirai, I hit it!"

"I told you that you could do it." Mirai Uzumaki grinned, took a step back, and slipped both hands into his pockets.

Toriyama Kazunari watched from the side, dumbfounded. This kid was only seven, yet his teaching ability was better than his own?

When it was Mirai Uzumaki's turn, he casually picked up three kunai. He could not even be bothered to take aim properly before flicking his wrist.

The motion was precise and elegant.

"Smack! Smack! Smack!"

The three kunai flew out almost simultaneously. One struck the bullseye dead center, while the other two embedded above and below it, forming a perfectly straight vertical line.

The entire field sucked in a breath.

Toriyama Kazunari adjusted his glasses, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Full marks..."

Minato Namikaze went next. His kunai also hit the target, lodging securely within the bullseye.

"Full marks." Toriyama Kazunari nodded, quietly making a note of the blond brat.

"Next—Izumi Uchiha."

A little girl with long, straight black hair stepped out from the line. Her features were as exquisite as a porcelain doll's, but her expression was as cold as fresh snowfall.

She walked to the throwing line, picked up a kunai without hurry, and barely paused—

"Whoosh—smack!"

Bullseye.

The second kunai—"Smack!" Bullseye.

The third—"Smack!" Bullseye.

All three kunai were neatly embedded in the very center of the target, their spacing almost perfectly identical.

Toriyama Kazunari opened his mouth. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out, "...Full marks."

Mirai Uzumaki narrowed his eyes as he watched the expressionless girl with long, straight black hair.

Izumi Uchiha... He repeated the name in his mind. Was she a genius of the Uchiha Clan?

No matter what, her throwing technique was clean and decisive, without the slightest unnecessary movement. And like him—

She had proudly chosen to throw three kunai. She really was an Uchiha.

After finishing her demonstration, Izumi Uchiha walked back to the end of the line without expression, not looking at anyone the entire time.

"Are all Uchiha Clan members this aloof?" Mirai Uzumaki muttered under his breath.

Minato Namikaze smiled beside him. "Not exactly. I heard from my parents that Uchiha Clan ninja are all very capable, but their personalities are indeed rather... reserved."

"Reserved?"

Minato smiled helplessly and did not respond.

Kushina happily tugged on Mirai's sleeve beside him. "Mirai! I really hit it just now! Look at that target, my kunai is still stuck in it!"

"I saw it, I saw it. Impressive, impressive." Mirai Uzumaki perfunctorily patted her head, but his eyes drifted toward Izumi Uchiha again.

That girl stood quietly at the very end of the line, like a silent black lily.

An Uchiha girl who had never even appeared in the original story, and she was already this beautiful.

Then what would Mikoto, the so-called greatest beauty of the Uchiha Clan, look like?

Mirai Uzumaki rubbed his chin, planning to find time to check out the upper grades.