"Shin! Come on, open up!"
Outside the gate, Kiba was banging on the door again, making Shin who had just finished his morning training feel a headache coming on.
"Why is he up so early even on the weekend? Don't kids these days sleep in anymore?"
Muttering under his breath, Shin crossed the courtyard and went to open the door.
"Shin!"
The moment the gate opened, he was met with Kiba's beaming grin and Akamaru, half-asleep and still perched on his head with eyes barely open.
"What is it?" Shin asked flatly.
"Come hang out!" Kiba said with excitement all over his face.
"You're not doing anything today, right? Irie's older brother just got back from a mission in the Land of Water and brought some specialty treats with him. He invited us to go try some together!"
"Come on, change clothes and come with me," Kiba added, noticing that Shin was still in his house yukata.
"Not interested."
Shin turned around and walked back into the courtyard.
"Hey, don't be like that!" Kiba called after him, rushing to follow him inside.
"You can't get this stuff in Konoha! You really don't want to try it?"
"Not interested." Shin wasn't budging, continuing past the courtyard and heading straight for his room.
"Take your shoes off," he said without looking back, glancing briefly at Kiba as the latter stepped onto the floor.
Kiba chuckled sheepishly and quickly slipped his shoes off before following him in.
"You've got nothing else going on today, right? Just come with me, it's not a big deal."
"A bunch of people are going. If you don't show up, it'll be weird. Besides, Irie's mom really likes you she'll be thrilled if you go."
At that, Shin paused, picturing what Irie's mother might say when she saw him…
"Oh, Shin's here! Come, let me give you a hug!"
"Shin is so adorable! How about you marry our Miyuki in the future, hmm?"
…
His mouth twitched slightly. Then he firmly shook his head.
"Still not going."
Kiba was growing frantic now. He remembered Irie insisting that he had to bring Shin, saying his mom really wanted to see him and how he had confidently promised he'd make sure Shin came.
"Why not?! What are you even doing at home by yourself?" Kiba asked, baffled.
"Who said I had nothing to do?" Shin shot him a side-eye as he pulled a set of casual clothes from his wardrobe.
"You're heading out? Where to?" Kiba asked, surprised as Shin started changing in front of him.
"Training," Shin replied while dressing, then carefully folded his yukata and placed it to the side.
"Training?" Kiba blinked in confusion.
"On a weekend? But didn't you already graduate? Where are you training?"
"Forest to the west of the village," Shin said, picking up a bag from the wall and a bento box from the living room table before heading toward the door. Kiba quickly followed.
"It's quiet there, not many people around. There's a river too, the environment's nice."
"I'm heading out now. You?" Shin sat at the doorway and slowly slipped on his shoes.
Kiba stood frozen, not sure what to say.
Seeing that he had no intention of moving, Shin grabbed his things and walked toward the gate.
"Make sure you close the door on your way out."
Kiba stood there dazed, watching Shin's back until he passed through the gate and disappeared from view.
Has he always trained this hard? Kiba wondered.
He'd never realized Shin trained privately as well.
"Damn it! What am I supposed to tell Irie now?" Kiba groaned, pulling at his hair.
"Woof!"
Akamaru barked in annoyance from atop his head, disturbed by all the shouting.
…
Shin walked alone through the quiet early-morning streets of Konoha. At this hour, few people were out and many shops were still closed.
He strolled at a relaxed pace, casually observing the surroundings. Looking up, he could see the Hokage Rock the massive monument carved with the faces of Konoha's four Hokage.
"Hey, Kakashi! Race you to the gate!"
Coming from the opposite direction were two young shinobi in flak vests, both dressed rather uniquely.
One wore a full-body green jumpsuit under his jōnin vest, a Konoha forehead protector tied around his waist, with a bowl-cut and eyebrows so thick they seemed unreal. Shin found it hard to look at him directly.
The other one looked more familiar his outfit was typical: mesh undershirt, ninja vest, spiky white hair, most of his face hidden behind a black mask, and his headband worn at an angle, covering his left eye.
That's the guy from the memorial stone... Shin realized. He'd seen him there the other day.
Kakashi noticed him too, casting him a calm, indifferent glance.
"No."
"Kakashi, you're slacking off again! Youth does not permit such idleness!"
"I was supposed to have these two days off. You just had to recommend me for this mission in front of the Third..." Kakashi replied, his voice flat and eyes half-lidded.
"I couldn't help it. You're the best partner I've got."
"Heh."
Shin watched them walk off in the distance, but didn't pay much attention.
He continued westward, eventually reaching the edge of the village. Ahead lay a dense forest, and there were no people in sight.
He stepped into the woods. Towering trees surrounded him thick trunks and aged bark casting deep shadows across the forest floor. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in scattered shafts, lighting the undergrowth here and there. Shin liked this place.
He reached a clearing, crouched down, and opened his bag. Inside were dozens of shuriken and a few kunai.
Picking one up, he rolled it in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it. It spun through the air and lodged itself in a tree trunk not far away.
Glancing around, he selected a thinner tree and walked up to it, carving an X into the bark with a kunai.
Then he backed away ten, twenty steps until he was about twenty meters away. From there, he stared at the marked tree and pulled out another shuriken.
He paused, then hurled it with force. It spun sharply through the air and hit the target dead-on.
"This is too boring."
He wasn't satisfied. It felt too easy. He looked back.
No matter how far I throw it, it's still just a matter of strength. Beyond improving aim, there's no real breakthrough here...
Shin frowned, thinking.
Sasuke's technique is different... but not by much.
What made the difference?
Aside from the fact that Sasuke could throw two more at once than he could a skill Shin could master with enough practice their techniques weren't drastically different.
"Shuriken and kunai…"
"Easy to pick up, hard to master."
He stared at the tools in his hand, remembering something Iruka had once said.
Rotation… rotation's the key…
"I remember every time Sasuke throws, his shuriken arc widely through the air."
"I, on the other hand, try to make the trajectory as straight as possible for better accuracy."
"That must be it."
Suddenly, everything clicked.
"The strength of shuriken isn't just in their sharpness it's in the ability to curve midair to strike from unexpected angles."
"I've been doing it all wrong. No wonder it feels so limited." He laughed bitterly at himself.
"Really thought I was being clever."
He stood, gripping a shuriken tightly and eyeing his target.
This time, he crouched slightly. As he threw, he added spin, letting the shuriken trace a wide arc through the air.
It missed, flying past the target and hitting a tree behind it.
Not that he was discouraged he'd expected that.
He retrieved it and studied the surroundings carefully, adjusting his position to approach the marked tree from the side. Then he retreated ten more meters.
"This angle should be easier. I'll start from here."
He threw again.
And again.
Each attempt veered off, either over-rotating or under-rotating. It was difficult to control the spin with precision.
Time passed quietly. Shin trained alone, throwing shuriken again and again in the secluded forest.
Eventually, through the gaps in the leaves, he saw the sun hanging overhead.
Almost noon…
Looking at the scattered shuriken across the ground, he sighed.
Still no major progress. A long road ahead.
He sat down beside his bag, opened the bento which had gone cold long ago and began to eat in silence.
Come to think of it, Sasuke could throw six in one go. Shin could only manage four.
They weren't even on the same level.
I really underestimated him.
Right now, Shin couldn't even throw a single one accurately with a curved trajectory.
Just shows what happens when you start off on the wrong path.
After finishing his meal, Shin gathered all his shuriken and returned to practice.
The forest was still and quiet. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the faint whistle of spinning blades.
Shin moved tirelessly, arm swinging again and again.
Eventually, fatigue settled into his muscles his arm aching with each throw. When the pain dulled his control, he paused to rest.
And so, an entire day passed in quiet, solitary training.
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