8 Chapter VII

After school, I found myself back at the training ground where the Uchiha had been practicing, hoping to catch him off guard once again so I could jot down his techniques.

It was as if Gautama Buddha was smiling on me, as I was able to observe him training once more.

This time, he was executing a series of maneuvers against a dummy. He primarily used high speed movement, attacking from unexpected angle, for various takedowns, then combined it with Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, and sometimes Ninjutsu like the fireball jutsu he had used near the river last time.

I couldn't help but feel envious of those born with innate Doujutsu bloodlines, especially the Sharingan, despite the inherent plot flaw.

As for me, I could only rely on my plain sight and the fast rate of my fingers sketching his forms. Words alone were not enough to describe what he was doing, which is why I needed to sketch.

These sketches would serve as valuable references for my future training sessions.

"What brings you here, Nobuyuki-san?" Itachi's voice interrupted my thoughts as I jumped in surprise.

"Uchiha Itachi?" I stammered, trying to compose myself.

He simply tilted his head and repeated his question, "…?"

"I, uh, was just admiring these bushes," I blurted out, searching for an excuse. "They look particularly nice this spring."

Itachi didn't seem convinced and I felt myself digging a deeper hole with my clumsy words. "And the natural ecosystem they support," I added hastily, regretting it immediately.

Before I could embarrass myself further, another voice joined the conversation. "What's going on, Itachi?"

I let out a small yelp as I turned to see who it was.

I flinched as another voice suddenly interrupted me. Why do people keep sneaking up on me like this?

"I was just asking this guy a few questions," the Uchiha heir said, eyeing me as though I was a criminal.

"I-I wasn't doing anything wrong," I stammered. "Just admiring this kind Onii-san from a distance... nothing suspicious. Really."

Surprisingly, instead of getting angry or scowling, the older Uchiha grinned brightly. It was blinding. "What's the big deal? If you want to join in, just say so. Any friend of Itachi's is a friend of mine."

"We're not friends!" "We're not friends…" I protested, and Itachi echoed my sentiment.

But the older Uchiha just grinned again. "See? You're like two peas in a pod."

I groaned in defeat. I couldn't keep up with his rationalization.

"Tell you what, since Itachi is here, how about you join us?" the older Uchiha suggested, and I couldn't help but glance in Itachi's direction for his approval.

He simply harumphed, which was typical of an Uchiha unlike this Onii-san. The apple didn't fall far from the tree after all.

"Is that alright?" I gulped, feeling nervous. I had never fought against a skilled ninja before.

"That's okay. I'm Uchiha Shisui," he introduced himself.

Oh no, I realized that I wasn't very familiar with the guy or his appearance in the canon, so I couldn't recognize him immediately.

Wasn't he the kind of genius on par with Itachi with similar beliefs and philosophies? Oh right, now I remember.

They were the Fujoshi's favorite pairing... and Danzo. Oh god, is it too late to back down now?

"N-Nobuyuki. That's all," I stammered. I really wished I had a surname.

And a new technique to rope myself out of this kind of situation.

.

"Are you prepared?" Itachi asked. I nodded in response. He signaled the start of our sparring session with a wave of his hand.

I couldn't afford to take it lightly against him.

Taking the initiative, I charged forward. Since he was going easy on me, it would be a waste if I didn't take this opportunity to learn.

I aimed a punch at his face, but he easily dodged it and countered with a kick. I tried to evade by pushing off the ground and backpedaling, but it was a grave mistake as I was too slow to perform such a trick.

His fist sent a concussive force through my abdomen, and he fortunately gave me a chance to recover.

"If you can, use chakra and techniques. Itachi told me that you are capable of doing so."

I grunted as I condensed chakra at the bottom of my feet through the tenketsu. With my leg strengthened, I lashed out at him.

He seemed surprised that I was already able to use an advanced technique, one formerly reserved for accomplished medic-nin like Tsunade.

However, I knew that my version was weak in comparison. Tsunade's enhanced strength technique relied on releasing stored chakra in a minute burst the moment the hit connected with the opponent, but my constitution couldn't handle it the same way like that old hag.

And mine was different. Weaker, for sure, but unique in its own way. Rather than a burst of chakra upon impact, I utilized a crude chakra scalpel, enhancing my muscles with the stored chakra at the bottom of my soles.

The excess chakra was circulated back and swapped with the chakra already enhancing my muscles, creating a continuous cycle until I chose to turn it off.

It was a technique born out of my rigorous training in chakra control, a way to minimize the wastage of precious chakra.

As I charged towards Shisui again, I felt the power coursing through my legs. This time, I wouldn't hold back.

With a grin on my face, I continued the exhilarating spar with the Uchiha prodigy. It was obvious that Shisui was still holding back, given his growing reputation as a formidable ninja. I struggled to remember his proper title, was it Shisui no Sisui or Shinsui no Shi? My mind couldn't seem to settle on one, but it didn't matter.

As I threw another punch followed by a sidekick, Shisui vanished with incredible speed, only to reappear behind me.

I quickly ducked, feeling the rush of air above me, and spun around to knock him to the ground. Letting out a roar, I brought my elbow down towards his abdomen.

But then he made a one-handed seal and disappeared once again, leaving me bewildered. I remembered that technique - it was Shunshin!

In close combat, there were only four directions to attack from: left, right, below, and above. Based on my crouched form, it was obvious that Shisui would appear either behind or above me with his one-dimensional movement.

I revved up more chakra within my body, letting it flow around my waist as I turned around... only to find nothing but empty air.

Confused, I let out a groan as a sudden concussive force hit me from the side. The next thing I knew, I was staring up at the spinning sky and trees, humiliated by my defeat.

Shisui had likely been toying with me, making me believe he was using a hand seal when he didn't need to.

I had been too confident, too assured of my victory that I took a gamble.

Hence now, I, Nobuyuki, proclaimed a defeat.

.

Shisui's excitement was palpable as he exclaimed, "That was fun, Nobuyuki-kun! You should definitely join our evening training session more often!"

However, in stark contrast, I lay motionless on the grass, paying the price for using a technique that was still in development and one that I was not yet ready to use.

As the adrenaline slowly faded away, my leg muscles began to scream in agony, refusing to budge. It was as if my leg had been rendered numb by the constant stress it was subjected to during the fight. I knew that it would be a few minutes before I could regain control over my motor functions, but the thought of enduring the excruciating pain was unbearable.

I groaned in response to Shisui's words, unable to form coherent sentences. Itachi, who had been observing our spar, chimed in, "Looks like that technique took too much of him."

Shisui brushed off the comment, saying, "Hahaha, even still, it was amazing of you to develop the technique on your own."

Itachi, on the other hand, seemed more concerned about my well-being, adding, "That's what you call irresponsible, Shisui-san."

I couldn't help but retort to myself, 'It's not my fault I don't have anyone to learn from!'

"Ah, the life of a ninja," Shisui sighed in a sage-like manner. "A little bit of pain is nothing compared to the satisfaction of performing a technique successfully." I groaned in response, feeling the pain in my legs slowly dissipating.

Itachi let out a snort at Shisui's words, clearly amused. We all sat on the grass, watching the river flow peacefully.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance as my mind wandered to the ridiculous yaoi cliché that seemed to follow Itachi and Shisui wherever they went.

I shuddered at the thought of being the dynamic top or bottom and that I'm just pieces of cog in some of the worst Fujoshi's fantasies. If I ever returned to my own world, I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to rid the internet of such abominable literary works.

But for now, I had to focus on getting back on my feet. With renewed determination, I pushed myself up from the ground, gritting my teeth against the pain shooting up my legs.

"I heard from Fugaku-sama that you were recommended to graduate early, Itachi-kun?" Shisui's words caught my attention, even though I already knew the information. Hearing it from the source was different.

Itachi's eyes flicked to me, considering whether or not it was appropriate to discuss in front of me before he spoke. "Yes, that's correct. Father and the rest of the clan have high expectations for me."

"I can understand the pressure," Shisui said, "although my time at the academy felt like a blur with the war going on. What about you, Nobuyuki-kun? What do you think?"

"Eh?" Are you asking me? I widened my eyes in surprise before trying to churn out my thoughts on the matter. "If it was me… I don't think I'll accept."

"Why is that?"

I took a deep breath before answering, "Because being a ninja is a serious responsibility. Once you receive your headband and become an adult, there's no turning back." Then I added, "Konoha won't be going anywhere. Even with the nine-tails attack and setback after setback our village still endures. It might be sounds selfish but let the adults solves their problem, I'm sure they can hold it down for just a few more years." I felt embarrassed as I spoke, but it was my honest opinion.

Itachi then posed a question, "What would you do if the entire expectations of your family rests on your back?"

I fell silent, unable to come up with a confident response, "I'm bad with pressure… so despite what all I said, I think I will cave in to their demand..." I admitted, avoiding eye contact with Itachi.

To me, family is above all after all.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA." Shisui, on the other hand, seemed to find my response amusing, bursting into laughter that echoed across the clearing.

"Wow, Nobuyuki-kun, you really know how to make us laugh," Shisui chuckled, patting me on the back. "But in all seriousness, you do have a point. It's not easy to carry such responsibilities on your shoulders. If you're not ready then nothing will ever will. Better to take it slowly now that period of respite is here."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The expectations of our clan can be quite burdensome at times. But it's a duty we must fulfill."

"I suppose that's what separates us from ordinary citizens," Shisui mused. "We have a higher purpose, a greater responsibility."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at their sense of duty. As someone who was brought to this world unexpectedly, I still struggled to find my place and purpose in it. But I didn't want to bring down the mood with my own insecurities, so I simply smiled and nodded in response.