Chapter 19: Believe it!

The afternoon sun blazed overhead, bathing the Academy training grounds in golden light. The air shimmered with heat, and the faint scent of grass and sweat lingered. Shin stood in the center of the grounds, his shirt clinging to his back, soaked through with perspiration. His breathing was labored, but his determination remained unshaken.

He took a deep breath, his sharp gaze locked on the target dummy at the far end. "Alright, one more time," he muttered under his breath.

With a flick of his wrist, the kunai flew forward, cutting through the air. As it soared, three identical kunai appeared around it, the clones perfectly mimicking the trajectory of the original. But Shin wasn't done. His left hand glowed faintly with chakra, a thin, almost invisible thread connecting it to the real kunai.

"Now," he murmured, forming a quick seal. "Substitution Jutsu!"

In an instant, one of the fake kunai closest to the target vanished in a puff of smoke, replaced by the original mid-flight thanks to the chakra thread. The real kunai struck the target dead center, while the remaining clones dissipated. But instead of letting it stay there, Shin tugged on the chakra thread, pulling the kunai back into his hand.

He barely had a second to rest before he repeated the process, throwing the kunai again with renewed focus. Each time, the timing of the substitution was different—sometimes early, sometimes just before impact. Sweat dripped down his face, but Shin's focus never wavered.

"Yes, it finally worked!" he exclaimed to himself as he retrieved the kunai once more. His grip tightened around the handle, his lips curving into a determined smile. "If I can keep switching the real one while pulling it back, I can keep my opponent guessing until they run out of chakra—or make a mistake. I just need to..."

A sharp tug on the chakra thread jolted his focus. The kunai wobbled mid-air before clattering to the ground. Shin winced, clutching his arm. His chakra reserves were starting to dwindle, the strain of maintaining the thread beginning to take its toll.

"Damn it," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "If I can't control the thread properly, it'll break in a real fight. And if they figure out which one's real..."

"Guess that I'll have to train my chakra control even more... sigh... I didn't expect that just adding the Substitution Jutsu to the Kunai Clone Jutsu and simultanously attaching a simple chakra thread on a kunai would be so difficult —"

"Oi, Shin!" a loud, familiar voice interrupted, jolting him from his concentration.

Shin turned toward the sound, only to see Naruto Uzumaki bounding toward him. The blond boy skidded to a stop a few feet away, his hands on his hips and a wide grin plastered across his face. "You're still at this same crap? You've been messing around with these kunai tricks for an entire week now!"

Shin sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. His expression was one of exasperation mixed with tired amusement. "Naruto..." he began, his voice flat. He adjusted his grip on the kunai before pointing it vaguely in Naruto's direction. "If I were you, I'd focus on mastering the Clone Jutsu instead of bothering me. You do know the graduation exam is next week, right?"

Naruto's grin faltered slightly, replaced by a sheepish look. "Tch, I know that!" he shot back, crossing his arms. "But, seriously, you're acting like this kunai thing is gonna be your secret weapon or something. What's the big deal?"

Shin raised an eyebrow, his tone unimpressed. "The 'big deal' is that it's better than running around aimlessly, hoping I don't flunk the exam.

Naruto glared at him but didn't have a quick comeback this time. Instead, he kicked at a patch of dirt, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Well... you'll see when I'll become the Hokage!"

Shin raised an eyebrow at Naruto's bold declaration. His grip on the kunai loosened slightly, and a skeptical smirk tugged at his lips. "Naruto, do you even know what it takes to become Hokage?" he asked, his tone dripping with doubt.

Naruto's grin faltered for a moment, but his eyes blazed with defiance. "Of course I do!" he shot back, planting his fists on his hips. "It takes guts, determination, and hard work! And guess what? I've got all of that!"

Shin shook his head, his skepticism unwavering. "Guts and determination won't cut it if you can't even master the Clone Jutsu. Do you realize how important passing this exam is? You can't just 'believe' your way through it."

Naruto bristled at the comment, his cheeks puffing out in frustration. "Oh yeah? Watch me!" he yelled, pointing dramatically at Shin. His voice rang out with conviction, filling the training grounds. "I'll pass this exam, become Hokage, and show everyone in this village that they were wrong about me. Believe it!"

The sheer force of Naruto's words left Shin momentarily speechless. For a split second, he saw something in Naruto's fiery determination that he couldn't dismiss—a raw, unshakable will that seemed completely out of place for someone so notoriously unpredictable.

Shin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, his earlier doubt softening into something closer to reluctant admiration. "You're impossible, you know that?" he muttered.

Naruto grinned triumphantly. "That's because I'm gonna be the best ninja this village has ever seen! Just wait, Shin. You'll see it with your own eyes!"

Shin shook his head, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. "Alright, Naruto. Show me what you've got, then."

Naruto's grin widened even further, and he struck a dramatic pose, clearly energized by Shin's challenge. "Get ready, Shin!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the training grounds. Without waiting for a response, he lunged forward, his orange jumpsuit a blur against the golden afternoon light.

Shin didn't move, his expression calm as he watched Naruto's charge. His eyes tracked the boy's every step, his body relaxed but prepared.

Naruto reached him in an instant, his fist already swinging toward Shin's face. "Take this!" he yelled, putting all his strength into the punch.

But Shin didn't flinch. At the last moment, he moved his hand in a smooth, almost lazy motion, redirecting Naruto's fist away from his body. The sudden deviation threw Naruto off balance, his momentum causing him to stumble forward.

Before Naruto could recover, Shin's other hand shot out like a whip, his fist driving straight into Naruto's stomach.

"Ugh!" Naruto let out a sharp gasp, his eyes widening as the air was forced from his lungs. He staggered back, clutching his stomach with both hands.

Shin stepped back, his stance casual but ready. "You're too predictable, Naruto," he said, his tone carrying both critique and mild amusement. "Charging straight ahead without a plan isn't going to work against anyone who knows how to counter."

Naruto coughed, his breath coming back in short bursts. Despite the pain, his eyes blazed with determination. "T-That was just... the warm-up!" he shouted, straightening up with a strained grin.

Shin raised an eyebrow, his stance unwavering. "If that's your warm-up, I hope your real moves are better. Otherwise, this is going to be over in seconds."

Naruto gritted his teeth, the fire in his gaze undiminished. "You'll see! I'm just getting started!"

To be continued...

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How was this chapter? I tried to change my writing style a bit, so I hoped you liked it.

Also, don't you dare to forget checking out my original novel 'Hyperborea'!