Chapter 38: Mikoto's Strength

When Kunio Shindō announced the participants for this sparring session, Kushina, who was being advised by Mikoto, couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise. 

Not just her, but Minato and even Mikoto herself were also taken aback. 

Uchiha Homura, however, remained calm and walked steadily into the arena after being called.

All eyes were now focused on Mikoto. The beautiful kunoichi furrowed her eyebrows, her black eyes turning serious, before making her way into the arena as well.

"Mikoto, do your best! You can't lose to this guy!" Kushina's loud voice rang out from behind her, complete with her trademark ending phrase.

"Yeah." Mikoto glanced back at Kushina with a slight smile, noticing Minato behind Kushina giving her a thumbs up.

Although Minato had never seen Mikoto fight before, within their class, besides himself, only Mikoto could spar with Kushina at her current level - a testament to Mikoto's formidable strength. 

As for who was stronger between her and her fellow Uchiha clansman Homura, he didn't know.

Mikoto entered the arena and respectfully put her hands together in a hand seal, bowing to her opponent.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you since you're a girl," Uchiha Homura said with a smile.

After bowing, Mikoto straightened her back and replied, "This is just the etiquette of the Ninja Academy. There's no need to go easy on me, or I might get injured and have the elders reprimand me, which I can't afford."

Hearing this, Homura's expression changed slightly, as his father was an elder of the prestigious Uchiha clan.

"Same goes for you. I don't want Fugaku-niisan coming after me if you get hurt," Homura said as he returned Mikoto's bow. The Fugaku he referred to was the current heir and leader of the Uchiha clan's younger generation, renowned for his talents.

"Don't worry, I'm not like you," Mikoto said flatly.

At this point, Kunio Shindō, standing between them, could sense the tense atmosphere and promptly said, "Fight, begin!"

Clang!

As those words left his mouth, Kunio quickly retreated while two figures crossed the distance between them and clashed.

Uchiha Homura and Mikoto each had a black kunai in hand, the sound from moments ago coming from their kunai meeting.

"So fast!" Their speed startled even Kunio, who had just moved away.

As for the other students, they couldn't even follow the two combatants' movements - only Kushina and Minato could keep up.

Mikoto and Uchiha Homura collided, their sharp eyes locking onto each other. Homura seemed fine, but Mikoto's expression was far removed from her usual gentle demeanor.

Though mild-mannered, Mikoto was no fragile girl - anyone who underestimated her would regret it.

Their kunai clashed as they tested each other's strength. "I misjudged you," Homura grunted, his right hand gripping the kunai while his left hand supported his wrist, his arms trembling slightly from the exertion of force.

Mikoto was in a similar state, but her arms shook even more - as a girl, she couldn't match Homura's raw power.

Rather than continue this contest of strength, Mikoto suddenly released her grip, quickly lowering her hands. Homura, caught off-guard, thrust his kunai towards her face with his remaining momentum.

However, Mikoto had anticipated this, whipping her body backwards in an incredible display of flexibility to evade the strike. Supporting herself on her hands, she spun her legs around in a whirling kick.

Thanks to his swift reflexes, Homura managed to jump back just before Mikoto's kick could hit his abdomen. Using her arms for leverage, Mikoto sprang back upright and, without looking, hurled her kunai.

Clang!

Her thrown kunai knocked away the kunai Homura had instinctively thrown while dodging her kick. 

Swish swish swish!

The sound of cutting wind followed as several black fuma shuriken came whizzing at Mikoto from tricky angles - reminiscent of the attack Minato had faced a year prior.

While such a shuriken barrage posed a serious threat to Minato, it was nothing for Mikoto. Her delicate hands reached into her wide sleeves and retrieved her own set of black fuma shuriken.

After a quick glance to assess the situation, Mikoto threw her shuriken.

Clang clang clang!

Homura's shuriken were all knocked away by Mikoto's counterattack. 

"Mikoto's shuriken skills are amazing!" Kushina exclaimed in awe, having struggled to even see the rapidfire exchange.

Minato simply smiled - the shuriken techniques naturally came easier to members of the Uchiha clan like Mikoto and Homura. 

Still, this demonstrated Mikoto's prowess!

"So you saw through my feint tactic as well?" Homura sighed. 

He had intentionally left an opening to lure Mikoto into the shuriken barrage meant to restrict her movements.

Yet Mikoto didn't even need to look closely to anticipate where his first kunai would go.

Could she already discern the paths of kunai and shuriken by sound alone?

This embodied the highest level of the Uchiha clan's shuriken mastery - using not just sight but hearing to track the weapons.

"Then how about this!" Homura swung his arms again, this time launching twice as many shuriken at even faster speeds and from trickier angles. 

Mikoto frowned as she realized she likely couldn't deflect them all simultaneously with her current skill level. The sheer volume and deceptive trajectories would challenge even Minato.

Clang clang clang!

Still, she launched a few shuriken of her own to knock away the most troublesome ones. As she did, her other hand rapidly formed hand seals.

When one shuriken closed within half a meter of her, Mikoto spat out a small fireball from her mouth.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

(To be continued)