Three shuriken embedded into a tree trunk in a neat triangle pattern. Rin frowned at the two-centimeter deviation from the bullseye and silently calculated the wind drift error for today. Reaching into her ninja pouch, she pulled out a whetstone and began sharpening the shuriken blade.
No helping it—her family was poor. Most of their money went to buying her herbal bath ingredients, so their ninja tools had to be used to the last sliver.
The biggest advantage of this abandoned training ground was its silence. There were no classmates to gawk in awe, no teachers watching like hawks, and even Konoha's Anbu rarely paid attention to such forgotten places.
Which also made them highly contested.
Rin's hands slowed, her expression calm as she subtly glanced upward.
This guy's been watching forever. When is he coming down?
"You're wasting motion with your wrist," came a voice from above.
Rin's pupils shrank. She acted startled, feigning that she had only just noticed someone.
Maintaining her sharpening rhythm, she looked up. Through the thick leaves, a pair of dark eyes stared back at her. The faint outline of a Uchiha fan crest shimmered through the shadows.
A Uchiha, no doubt. And judging by that recognizable round nose—it was none other than Uchiha Shisui, the famed one-eyed prodigy known for unlocking Susanoo in the original timeline.
Though for now, he was just a pint-sized boy.
Rin whistled inwardly. Based on the original storyline, this kid should be training in the Uchiha district's own facility right now, probably working on Fire Style jutsu.
"And what brings a member of the great Uchiha clan to a place like this?" Rin asked lazily.
"The Uchiha training field's been taken over by the elders," the boy replied, leaping gracefully to the ground. He wore a dark-blue high-collar shirt and looked about Rin's age.
Rin continued grinding her shuriken, deliberately making the scraping sound more obnoxious. "So, the 'Uchiha prodigy' graces us with a visit just to give some advice to a poor civilian?"
She spoke with a pouty, offended tone, pretending to be annoyed.
Shisui tilted his head, a childlike motion that made him look even more adorable. Seemingly sensing her irritation, he offered a sincere apology. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He pointed at her wrist. "Your grip is unique, but it doesn't help with your aim."
Rin said nothing.
Shisui took a step back to give her space. Strangely, the leaves beneath his feet made no sound. "What's your name?" he asked politely.
"Why should I tell you?"
The air froze for two seconds.
Shisui rubbed his nose awkwardly. What a feisty little girl.
"You're right," he said at last. "I should've introduced myself first. I'm Uchiha Shisui. I'm six. Nice to meet you."
Rin observed him with care. His nails were trimmed meticulously. His sleeves bore the faint burns of Fire Style hand seals. Clearly, the Uchiha training regimen was more intense than she'd imagined.
"I'm Hanabuchi Rin. Also six."
…
"Want to try moving targets?" Shisui offered, trying to break the awkward air. Without her noticing, he had drawn six shuriken between his fingers. "I'll use Uchiha-style technique."
Rin narrowed her eyes. Is this a test or a lesson?
In a childish voice, she said, "But Daddy told me Uchiha techniques are family secrets!"
"In theory, yes," Shisui replied.
With a flick of his wrist, six silver arcs cut through the air—seemingly defying physics—and pinned a swaying leaf thirty meters away, skewering it mid-motion.
"But if you happened to see it while I was 'training,' well…" he added nonchalantly.
Oh? Rin raised an eyebrow mentally. So this is Shisui's personality, huh?
Feigning innocence, she nodded. But in truth, she was engraving every motion into her memory—the angle of his wrist rotation, the timing of chakra application, even the subtle rhythm of his breathing.
By the third demonstration, Rin's mimicry already looked alarmingly accurate.
Shisui stared in disbelief at the trajectory of her third throw, his face like he'd just seen a Tailed Beast.
"You already learned it?"
"Maybe I'm just a genius," Rin replied smoothly.
Shisui was stunned. She's a prodigy too…? Never heard of the Hanabuchi clan—is she a civilian? Then shouldn't she be in the Ninja Academy now?
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Shisui suddenly turned serious.
"Will you come again tomorrow?"
Rin was packing up her tools and didn't even look up. "Yeah."
"I can teach you the official Uchiha throwing techniques," he said quickly. "In exchange… can you tell me about the Ninja Academy?"
Rin's hands paused.
That single request revealed so much. An Uchiha prodigy curious about everyday school life?
Looking into Shisui's shimmering eyes, she understood.
"Deal." She extended her pinky.
Shisui hooked his finger with hers, a rare, genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Deal."
With a soft swish of her skirt, Rin turned, slinging her ninja pouch over her back. "See you tomorrow, Uchiha Shisui."
On the way home, Rin reviewed what she'd gained today:
7 insights into Uchiha-style shurikenjutsu
1 modified Great Fireball hand seal sequence
And most importantly—Shisui's curiosity and longing for the village outside the Uchiha compound
The Uchiha have been isolated from the rest of the village too long. Proud as they are, they won't be the ones to bridge that gap. But maybe… Shisui could be the key?
Almost home, Rin heard a deafening boom in the distance—from the direction of her house.
She sighed and quickened her pace.
Kenichi must be testing a new trap again…
"Rin! Come look at your amazing dad's new invention!" Kenichi, covered in soot, waved enthusiastically from the front yard. Three of his shadow clones were running around frantically, trying to put out the flames on the roof.
Rin grabbed a bucket of water from the barrel and dumped it with perfect aim.
"Dad," she said sweetly—but with words that struck like a blade—"we don't have any money left to repair the house."
Kenichi's smile collapsed. "Ehh?"
While he went off begging his colleagues for roof repair money, Rin sank back into the herbal bath again.
She cupped a handful of green-tinted water, watching it trickle through her fingers.
The bath's effects are getting weaker. Maybe I should stop it… We could use that money to upgrade Kenichi's gear.
The Third Great Ninja War was closing in. Tensions among the hidden villages were rising. Lately, Kenichi had been coming home with injuries more and more often.
Kenichi specialized in sensory and trap techniques—his direct combat abilities weren't strong. His rank as jonin was only possible due to his superb perception skills. Most of his recent mission pay had gone toward buying her herbs. His kunai were chipped beyond repair.
"I guess… my current strength is enough to survive, as long as I'm not too unlucky. I should be able to hold my own, even against most jonin."
Rin took a deep breath, trying to encourage herself.
She thought again of Uchiha Shisui. If she could fully learn Uchiha-style shurikenjutsu, it would perfectly complement her ability, "Sange no Mai."
She had coveted the Uchiha's throwing techniques for a long time.
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