The next day dawned, bringing with it a new face to the academy. A girl from the Hyuga clan, one of Konoha's most prestigious lineages, was joining their ranks. Her presence, however, seemed to draw unwanted attention.
"What's up with your eyes? Don't look at us, you weirdo!"
The timid girl, with her long, dark hair and distinctive Byakugan, became the target of two bullies. Naruto, ever the defender of the underdog, stepped in.
"Come on, cut it out! Leave her alone! What did she do to you, anyway?"
"What? You wanna be a big hero or something?" one of the bullies sneered, their fists clenched.
Naruto's own fists tightened in response. "You shouldn't pick on people weaker than you, you know?" he retorted, his voice filled with righteous indignation.
Tsuki, who had been trying to catch some sleep at the back of the classroom, couldn't bear to watch Naruto face them alone. He drew chakra toward his Rinnegan, focusing on the girl.
Fwoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Tsuki and the girl swapped places, leaving the bullies facing a very different opponent.
"Don't do anything you'll regret," Tsuki warned, his voice calm but firm, his stance radiating a quiet confidence.
The bullies recoiled, their bravado faltering. "Was that some sort of ninjutsu?!" one of them stammered.
"No, it's another weirdo! Run!" they cried, scrambling out of the classroom in a panicked frenzy.
"Nice one, Tsuki," Naruto grinned, relief washing over him.
Tsuki simply nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. He had once again used his unique abilities to protect someone in need, a sense of satisfaction warming his heart.
"That girl is the one you met a few weeks ago?" Tsuki asked, watching the bullies flee.
Naruto nodded. "Uh huh, I never thought I'd find her in the academy. She didn't seem like someone who would want to become a shinobi."
"I see..." Tsuki's attention was quickly drawn to a commotion across the room. "Hey! Hey! What're you guys doing? Stop it! You guys are friends, aren't you?" Shikamaru and Choji were locked in a mock scuffle, their playful jabs escalating into a full-blown wrestling match. Naruto tried to intervene, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Cause fatso started complaining," Shikamaru grunted as he shoved Choji.
"Shikamaru, open your eyes!" Choji retorted. "I'm not a fatso, I'm... pleasantly plump."
"Alright! Let me buy into this fight," Naruto said with a mischievous grin.
Shikamaru paused, looking at Naruto quizzically. "What's that mean?"
"Then I'm gonna buy all the snacks with all the money you'll give me," Choji added, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Whaat?" Naruto and Shikamaru exclaimed in unison.
"What's that about?" Naruto asked, genuinely confused.
The boys burst into laughter, their shared bewilderment momentarily dissolving the tension.
Meanwhile, at the Uchiha training lake, the real Tsuki was immersed in a rigorous training session with Itachi. "Follow my instructions, okay?" Itachi reminded him. Tsuki nodded, his gaze focused on his mentor.
"This jutsu is a key technique in the Uchiha clan, taught to every Uchiha as a rite of passage." Itachi's hands moved with blurring speed as he formed the seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, its heat scorching the air and boiling the lake's surface. The flames dissipated, leaving a cloud of steam in their wake. Itachi turned to Tsuki.
"Now you try it," he instructed.
Tsuki mirrored Itachi's hand seals with surprising accuracy, then inhaled deeply. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
He exhaled, unleashing a torrent of flames that rivaled Itachi's in size and intensity. The lake churned violently, steam billowing into the sky.
Itachi's eyes widened in surprise, his usual stoic expression momentarily broken. 'The size of that fireball is similar to my best... and Father's.'
"Impressive," a deep voice boomed from behind them. "I'm curious, even with the Rinnegan, surely you have to attend the academy, right?"
Tsuki and Itachi turned to see a man approaching them. He had long, dark hair that framed his face, and his piercing gaze held a hint of authority. He wore a jonin vest emblazoned with the Uchiha crest, and his features bore a striking resemblance to Itachi's.
"You must be Sasuke's friend," the man said, addressing Tsuki. "Tsuki, isn't it?"
"Yes," Tsuki replied, a sense of awe washing over him.
"I'm Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the clan and captain of the police force." Fugaku's eyes surveyed the still-boiling lake, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
"Your display of ninjutsu earlier was impressive," Fugaku continued, his voice laced with a hint of approval. "No wonder Itachi has taken a liking to you."
"Thank you," Tsuki replied, a bashful smile spreading across his face.
Fugaku's gaze lingered on Tsuki's Rinnegan, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. 'So these are the Rinnegan... Even from up close, you can feel their immense power. They do resemble the Sharingan a little.'
"Tsuki," Itachi's voice interrupted Fugaku's thoughts, "Shisui is waiting for us. Let's not keep him waiting."
"Right," Tsuki said, turning to leave. But he paused, noticing that Itachi hadn't moved. "Aren't you coming?"
"Go on ahead," Itachi replied, his voice steady. "I'll be right behind you."
"Got it." With a swift hand seal, Tsuki vanished from the spot, leaving a swirl of leaves in his wake.
Shisui was perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Naka River, his gaze distant as he waited.
"Shisui!" Tsuki's voice broke the silence, and Shisui turned to see the young boy running towards him.
"I was worried you weren't going to make it," Shisui said, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
"Itachi taught me the Fireball Jutsu!" Tsuki exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over.
"Oh really?" Shisui's eyebrows rose in surprise. "And where's Itachi right now?"
"He's with his dad," Tsuki explained, "but he said he'd be right behind me."
Shisui nodded. "Tsuki," he said, his tone apologetic, "I'm sorry, but I've got a new mission. I'll train you some other time."
"Oh, c'mon, that's not fair!" Tsuki protested, folding his arms and looking away.
Shisui chuckled. "Here," he said, handing Tsuki some money. "Don't waste this on ramen again. I'll be back, I promise." He ruffled Tsuki's hair affectionately before disappearing with a swift shunshin.
Tsuki sighed, but his disappointment quickly faded as he hurried back to his friends. They were strolling through the village, their laughter echoing through the quiet streets. Shikamaru was listening intently as Naruto recounted a story, while Choji munched on his favorite chips.
"Uh, Naruto, you want some chips?" Choji offered.
"Oh, yeah, thanks!" Naruto replied, reaching for the bag.
"Can I have some too?" Tsuki asked, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, balancing precariously on a clothesline above them.
Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Wait, if you're above us, then..." He turned around just in time to see Tsuki's clone dissipate into smoke.
"Oh man, what a drag," Shikamaru sighed, pocketing the chips Tsuki had dropped.
"Hey, look!" Naruto pointed towards Ino, who was storming away from Sasuke, tears streaming down her face. She had been rejected once again.
"What, seriously?" Shikamaru groaned. "What a drag."
"Man, forget that," Naruto declared. "No girls for me."
"Same here," Tsuki and Choji agreed in unison.
Their voices caught Ino's attention, and she turned to glare at them with icy fury. The boys, realizing their mistake, immediately took off running, their laughter echoing through the streets.
After a while, they finally stopped, collapsing onto a nearby bench. Choji and Shikamaru were panting heavily, their sides aching. Naruto and Tsuki, however, were barely winded. Their rigorous training had paid off.
"Man, she's terrifying when she gets mad," Shikamaru wheezed, wiping the sweat from his brow. "What a drag."
"Naruto, look over there." Tsuki says as he spots something interesting.
"It seems I spy with my little eye, a pervy Iruka-sensei," Naruto said as he spotted Iruka-sensei flirting with multiple women by his side.
"What do you say Naruto, you wanna do that?" Shikamaru asked with a sly smirk,
"You serious?" Naruto asked. Choji nodded with a smug look.
"Naruto, I have a better idea," Tsuki adds to the mischievous plan. He hang his arm around Naruto and whispered his plan.
A slight giggle escaped Naruto's mouth as he continued.
The plan was simple, they walked over to Iruka-sensei with menacing grins.
"Oh, so it's you two, what are you doing out so late? Young kids should be in bed right now."
"Hehe..."
"Harem jutsu!"
Poof! Several clouds materialized, revealing numerous clones of women with both blonde and dark hair overlapping each other seductively.
Iruka blushed, eyes wide, and stumbled backward as blood gushed from his nose, causing him to faint while the girls giggled and dashed off.
"Ahahahah!"
Giggling, they all scampered away, leaving their sensei in a fluster.
As the day drew to a close, Shikamaru and Choji reluctantly announced their departure. "See you later, Tsuki!" Shikamaru called out. "Your super-sexy jutsu was awesome!"
"Bye-bye!" Choji added with a wave, his stomach still full from the playground snacks.
"Hey, Shikamaru," Choji's voice piped up, "it's curry night at my house."
Shikamaru's eyes lit up. "That sounds great," he said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "I'm getting tired of my mom's cooking." The two friends shared a laugh as they walked away.
"Okay, see ya!" Naruto waved goodbye.
"See you tomorrow!" Choji called back.
Once they were out of sight, Tsuki turned to Naruto. "Hey, Naruto, Shisui gave me a few bucks earlier. Let's get some new training equipment tomorrow."
Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, let's do it!"
"Hey Tsuki," Naruto's voice was hopeful, "could you teach me the Shadow Clone Technique?"
"Sure," Tsuki replied easily.
"I want to train with you and Shisui while my clone goes to the academy," Naruto explained, his eyes gleaming with the prospect of skipping class.
Tsuki shook his head. "That's not possible."
Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Why not? You do it."
"But that's because I'm the best at taijutsu in the academy," Tsuki pointed out. "You'll probably pick a fight with Sasuke and then lose."
"What?!" Naruto's face flushed with indignation.
Tsuki laughed and took off running, Naruto hot on his heels.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Naruto yelled playfully as he chased his friend.
"Hahaha! You'll have to catch me first!" Tsuki shouted back, his laughter echoing through the streets.
After a while, they reached their apartment, breathless and giggling.
"Alright, alright," Tsuki said, catching his breath. "I'll teach you tomorrow morning. Wake up early, we need to get that new equipment."
Naruto nodded, his excitement palpable. "Good night, Tsuki."
"Good night, Naruto."
They settled into their beds, the sounds of the city fading into the background as they drifted off to sleep, dreams of training and adventure dancing in their minds.
(Edited on: 14/9/24)