> "Line up. I want to see your recent training progress. **Haruki**, you'll go last."
**Uchiha Masaru** (formerly Uchiha Zhen) gestured to the children to line up, preparing for the shuriken technique assessment. Perhaps out of consideration for Haruki's father, he offered a few kind words.
> "No pressure. It's your first time—just try your best."
Given Haruki's earlier claims, the coach assumed he'd never thrown a shuriken before. Boasting he'd mastered it just by watching? That had to mean inexperience...
The drill began.
Each child received five shuriken and was expected to throw at five wooden targets ahead. Accuracy was measured by how close each hit landed to the center, or *bullseye*.
The first participant—a five- or six-year-old—was clearly a beginner. Out of five shuriken, only two hit the targets, and just one landed near the center.
A standard result for a new trainee.
One by one, the children took their turns. The top performer was **Uchiha Izumi**, who landed all five shuriken squarely in the bullseye. Even three-year-old **Sasuke** managed to hit two bullseyes, and the remaining three landed solidly on-target.
> "Itachi, you're up!"
All eyes shifted to **Uchiha Itachi**, the pride of the Uchiha clan. Everyone wanted to witness his skill.
Even **Haruki's** gaze sharpened.
> (I've wanted to see what people mean when they call him a "genius"...)
With calm confidence, Itachi stepped forward, selecting a position ten meters from the targets. Flicking his sleeve, he produced five shuriken.
Haruki's eyes narrowed as he saw Itachi twist his fingers.
The shuriken disassembled into precise formation in his palm.
Then—
> *Swish!*
All five shuriken flew through the air, seemingly at once.
> *Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk!*
Every single one struck the bullseye—dead center.
The action was so fluid and swift that even the instructors looked on, muttering in quiet awe.
> "What control…"
> "He's going to surpass us within a few years…"
The children cheered.
> "Itachi-sama is amazing!"
> "Big Brother Itachi is so cool!"
> "He's the real genius of the clan!"
Sasuke's eyes gleamed with admiration.
> "One day, I want to be as strong as you, Brother!"
Itachi, however, responded only with a quiet nod and turned away.
> (He doesn't even care about the praise. Typical elite behavior.)
> "Haruki, your turn."
Coach Masaru handed him a set of five shuriken.
Haruki took them, spinning them in his tiny hands. Each one nearly filled his palm—the weight would be a challenge for most kids his age.
But not for him.
Three years of chakra-enhanced growth, intensive refinement of his body, and his ever-growing appetite for high-calorie meals had transformed his physique. He was stronger than most people knew.
Haruki stepped to the platform.
He didn't hesitate. Adjusting his grip perfectly, he took aim at one of the wooden targets.
> *Swish!*
Cold steel cut through the air in a clean arc—but missed.
The shuriken slammed straight into a thick tree nearly twenty meters beyond the target.
It lodged deep into the trunk—almost fully embedded.
One of the instructors who'd been out retrieving earlier throws froze mid-step.
The shuriken had passed within inches of his face.
He looked up at the blade lodged beside his ear and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
> "T-That was intentional… right?"
Haruki gave him an innocent smile.
The man swallowed nervously.
> (That's not a normal child's throw… That was a warning shot.)
> (He could've killed me.)
Twenty meters... and the *impact force* was still devastating.
> "That's insane..." one murmured. "Even mid-level Chūnin don't have that kind of wrist strength."
But still... it missed.
Itachi, having watched closely, frowned.
> "What incredible raw power," he admitted silently. "But he missed. That technique won't mean anything in real combat."
He relaxed. Strength alone wasn't everything. Strategy. Skill. Precision. He still saw himself as far beyond Haruki.
The kids on the sidelines only saw a failed throw and began snickering.
> "What was that?"
> "He missed totally! He's just strong—that's all!"
> "Maybe he's better suited to splitting trees than hitting targets!"
Haruki just shrugged and smiled.
> "Oops… just warming up."
Masaru watched curiously as Haruki took a second shuriken... and threw it again.
This time, he adjusted slightly—lowering his elbow, shifting his grip.
> *Thunk!*
A direct hit.
It landed in the center zone—not the bullseye—but solidly placed.
> (Lucky shot?) Masaru thought.
> "Still off-center... Let me correct one more thing."
Haruki took the third shuriken.
> *Thunk!*
Dead center.
Everyone went momentarily quiet.
Even Itachi froze.
> (He's adapting… rapidly.)
The fourth and fifth throws followed—
> *Thunk!*
> *Thunk!*
Both landed perfectly in the centers of their targets.
A murmur spread through the crowd.
> "W-what the—was that luck?"
> "He sharpened with every throw…"
Masaru, who'd thought Haruki was bluffing all day, now stood stiff, jaw slightly open.
Itachi's gaze turned sharp again.
> "...Strange."
> "This isn't," he whispered, "just talent. This is mimicry."
Haruki now pulled out two shuriken at once.
> "W-What is he doing?" Izumi whispered from the crowd.
> "Could it be—?"
Masaru's eyes widened.
Even Itachi bent slightly forward, lips forming a disbelieving whisper:
> "That's… my technique."
From the mechanics of his fingers… the flick of the wrist… the shoulder's fluid motion—it was *identical* to the throw **he** had performed earlier.
> "No one has ever seen me throw like this… not even Izumi," Itachi muttered. "Is it possible... he copied me? So quickly?"
> (That's impossible. Isn't it?)
Haruki's double pupils gleamed, and he flicked his wrist.
> *Whoosh—Ding!*
> *Whoosh—Ding!*
Two *simultaneous* throws. Two direct hits.
The shuriken landed, side by side, embedded deeply in the targeted wood.
Silence.
Not one sound from the crowd of children.
Even Masaru and the second instructor stood frozen in disbelief.
> "He copied Itachi's throw... just by watching once?"
> "His eye ability… It didn't just observe—it *memorized and modeled* the entire sequence."
For the first time, even *Itachi* was visibly rattled.
> "This learning speed—this observation capacity..."
> (This is something monstrous.)
📝 **Author's Note:**
*A reminder that your support matters! If you're enjoying the series, please drop a comment, drop Power stone& review . Your encouragement fuels my writing! Thank you, truly!*
(End of Chapter 5)