Training Ground Two.
The area was dotted with wooden targets, training dummies, and various posts for practice.
A group of students stood together while not far away, Iruka knelt on the ground, unrolling a scroll in his hands. As the parchment spread open, an intricate series of symbols came into view, with a large character at the center: "Weapon."
Placing one hand in the center of the scroll, Iruka formed a two-fingered hand sign with the other. With a sudden puff of white smoke, a wooden box slowly materialized on the ground.
"That's amazing," Shin murmured, wide-eyed as he stared at the box. He had rarely seen anyone perform ninjutsu, and each time left him awestruck.
Just like with chakra yesterday he had never known such an energy even existed within the human body.
Iruka opened the box, revealing its contents: iron kunai and shuriken.
Those, Shin at least recognized.
"Alright. Let me give you all a brief introduction," Iruka said, picking up one kunai and one shuriken before standing up.
"These two ninja tools are the most commonly used weapons by shinobi. Every ninja must learn to use them."
"First, this is called a kunai," he said, raising a blade that resembled a short dagger.
"It can be used in close combat like a knife or short sword."
"There are two basic grips: standard and reverse. The reverse grip where the blade faces downward is more common. There's a ring at the end of the handle that can be looped around a finger, ideally the index finger in combat."
As he spoke, Iruka expertly spun the kunai around his finger, drawing gasps and shining eyes from the students.
"Next," Iruka paused, stopping the kunai's spin.
"Throwing."
"Throwing a kunai is much harder than a shuriken. Since it doesn't spin when thrown, the technique is more limited, and it only travels in straight lines. But in terms of raw impact, it's stronger than a shuriken."
He demonstrated with a flick of his arm. The kunai cut through the air with a sharp whistle, striking the bullseye of a distant wooden target dead center.
"You can throw it by placing your middle finger through the ring or gripping the tail."
"Now, onto the shuriken." Iruka raised the other weapon, a four-pointed, star-shaped tool.
"Shuriken are strictly for throwing, but they're far more versatile in that regard, and much easier to control than kunai."
He gave it a large, smooth arc as he threw. The shuriken spun rapidly through the air, curving as it flew before lodging firmly into a wooden stake.
"They can be thrown from various angles, which is their advantage over kunai. However, a standard shuriken isn't very lethal. It's usually used as a distraction or for support."
"There are specialized versions of both weapons some combined with specific jutsu but those are more advanced. Modified shuriken are more common than custom kunai, though."
"That covers the basics." Iruka's gaze swept across the gathered children.
"Raise your hand if you've practiced with these before."
A rustle of movement followed. Many hands shot into the air. Kiba had been waiting for this moment, his small arm raised proudly high.
"Good," Iruka nodded. "You can go first. Show the others how it's done."
The children stepped forward, each selecting a kunai or shuriken. Those still waiting watched them with envy and admiration.
"Who wants to go first?"
"I do!" Kiba exclaimed eagerly.
"Alright."
The others cleared a space for him. Kiba gripped a shuriken tightly in his right hand, his small face showing deep concentration.
He took a breath, stilled his body, then let it fly.
Smack!
A perfect bullseye.
A grin lit up Kiba's face.
"Well done," Iruka praised. "Now the kunai."
Kiba's confidence wavered. The pride in his posture slipped, his movements suddenly awkward.
Shin guessed Kiba wasn't nearly as good with the kunai.
"Not confident with kunai?" Iruka asked.
That question reignited Kiba's competitive spirit.
"Who says I'm not?!" he retorted.
Grabbing a kunai, he looped a finger through the ring and mimicked the same stance.
Smack.
The kunai hit the edge of the target.
Kiba winced and scowled.
"Still not bad," Iruka said with a smile, and Kiba's mood brightened a little. He returned to the group, standing beside Shin with a self-satisfied look.
Shin blinked. "...You're amazing, Kiba."
"Hmph!" Kiba lifted his chin toward the sky, full of smug superiority.
Shin: "..."
"Who's next?" Iruka asked, turning back to the crowd.
"Iruka-sensei, let me try!" Ino raised her hand and stepped forward confidently. Her accuracy was slightly better than Kiba's, landing both kunai and shuriken directly on target.
Kiba: "..."
Then came Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata, and Choji. Aside from Choji, who missed a little, even Hinata managed two bullseyes outperforming Kiba.
"Damn it," Kiba muttered under his breath, then sighed. "Should've listened to Mom and practiced more."
"It's okay, Kiba. You did really well," Shin said encouragingly. "There are still lots of people who haven't done it yet like me."
Kiba glanced sideways, face softening slightly. After hesitating a moment, he said, "If you really want to learn, my mom could teach you too. You can ask her sometime."
Shin smiled gently. "Thanks."
"Want to give it a try, Sasuke?" Iruka asked the dark-haired boy with the fan-shaped crest on his back. He was the only one who hadn't gone yet.
Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, he stepped forward without a word. In each hand, he gripped two shuriken. His body lowered slightly into a throwing stance.
Whish!
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
All four shuriken flew in a perfect line and landed cleanly in a straight vertical row on the wooden post.
Everyone behind him stood frozen, stunned.
"Whoa! Sasuke is amazing!"
"He's so cool!"
"Sasuke!"
A chorus of adoring voices erupted, mostly from the girls, who seemed on the verge of swooning. Shin marveled at how precocious they all were.
"Sasuke's amazing. Don't you think so, Sakura?" Ino gushed, shaking her friend's arm excitedly.
Sakura didn't respond, staring at Sasuke with sparkling eyes.
As expected of a Uchiha, Iruka thought, watching Sasuke stand calmly where he was. His performance had been truly impressive.
"Show-off," Kiba muttered bitterly. He was clearly jealous of Sasuke's popularity.
Still, he really is something else, Shin admitted to himself.
"Incredible work," Iruka said. "No need to show the kunai."
Sasuke said nothing, simply returning to the group with a cool expression.
"Tch. That's nothing. I could do that easily," a voice cut in.
Everyone turned. It was Naruto, speaking at the worst possible moment, wearing a defiant look.
"How dare he disrespect Sasuke?!"
"Ugh, and he's not even good-looking!" several of the girls scoffed, glaring at Naruto with open hostility.
Naruto, undeterred, gave a cocky grin and stepped forward, grabbing four shuriken just like Sasuke had.
Wait, doesn't this kid not know how to do this? Shin frowned, suspicious of Naruto's bravado.
Is this going to go wrong?
Iruka looked just as puzzled.
"Get ready to witness greatness!" Naruto declared, lifting his goggles dramatically.
He mimicked Sasuke's pose almost exactly, crouching with his arms crossed.
Everyone held their breath.
Whish!
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
…Huh?
Iruka now stood awkwardly bent into an S-shape, hugging the tree behind him. Four shuriken were embedded in the bark one on each side of his body.