They held their poses for a long moment, their eyes locked in a tense stare. Neither was willing to back down.
Finally, Itachi released his grip on Kagami's wrist.
Kagami lowered his fist, taking a step back as Daiku called off the match.
The two boys made the sign of reconciliation before returning to their places in line, but Kagami couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at Itachi.
The prodigy's face had already returned to its calm mask, as if the flash of anger had never happened.
But he was certain of what he'd seen. The question was... why?
Was Itachi upset that he had gone all out against Izumi? He shook his head.
After living through war, Itachi had to know that a real shinobi duel held nothing back, no matter the opponent's age or gender.
Maybe Itachi was upset because he had copied his tactics from his match with Hana - using the Substitution Jutsu.
It was true that his skills were limited to the three basic techniques he'd learned from watching Hayate train.
But what he lacked in variety, he made up for with raw power and precise chakra control, honed through hours of solo practice.
Besides, Itachi wasn't so petty as to begrudge the use of the basic techniques... was he?
In the end, the simplest explanation was probably the right one. Itachi's anger hadn't been about Kagami at all, but about protecting his own clan.
He must have thought Kagami was targeting the Uchiha. It was the kind of misunderstanding that happened easily in the ninja clans, where family ties and loyalty meant everything.
He pushed the puzzle aside for now and focused on the day's final lesson - a relaxed introduction to basic shuriken throwing.
After that, it was time to head home.
----------
As Kagami walked down the path, a voice called out behind him. "Kagami, wait up!"
He turned to see Hana hurrying to catch up, slightly out of breath.
"What's the big rush?" she asked, falling into step beside him. "You got somewhere to be?"
"No, not really," he said, glancing up at the towering Hokage residence. "Did you need something?"
Hana's hands fluttered behind her back, and she looked suddenly shy. "I just wanted to say... your ninjutsu back there was really awesome."
Kagami blinked. "Oh. Thanks, I guess."
"Do you think... could you teach me? I mean, the three basic jutsu?" she bit her lip.
He stopped dead in his tracks, taken aback. "You want me to teach you? But you're from a ninja clan. Can't you ask one of your senpais?"
Hana looked down, scuffing her sandal in the dirt. "I have my reasons, okay?"
He frowned, thinking it over. He didn't mind teaching her, but he wasn't sure his methods would work for her.
His training relied on his chakra reserves, which Hana couldn't replicate.
And besides, he was pretty sure the Inuzuka clan had their own techniques, different from the standard academy ones.
He didn't want to mess with her family's traditions.
Seeing his hesitation, Hana spoke up quickly. "I can teach you taijutsu in exchange! You know, the foundational styles they don't cover in class."
That caught Kagami's attention. Taijutsu was a major gap in his skills, and her performance in their match showed she knew her stuff.
"Alright," he said finally. "It's a deal."
Hana's face lit up like a lamp. "Great! When do you want to start? We could-"
He held up a hand, stopping her. "Sorry, not today. I've got something I need to do. How about this weekend instead? We can meet up and train then."
"Sure, that works!" Hana said. "Let's say... Saturday morning, eight o'clock? At the Inuzuka training grounds."
Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Won't I need permission to enter your clan's grounds?"
She waved it off. "Leave that to me. I'll make sure you can get in, no problem."
"Okay then." he nodded. "Saturday at eight it is."
With their plans set, he turned to leave, but she called out one more time. "Hey, Kagami?"
He turned back. "Yeah?"
She flashed him a bright, quick smile. "I'm really looking forward to it."
Before she could wave goodbye, Kagami was already walking away, his pace a little faster than usual.
He could feel his face growing hot, but he didn't look back, keeping his eyes fixed on the path ahead as he headed towards the Gekko dojo.
"Really, is he in such a hurry?" Hana watched his back with a hint of annoyance.
----------
Kagami burst into the Gekko dojo, setting a new personal record for speed.
As he slid open the training room door, he found his brother in the middle of a sparring match with a purple-haired girl around his age.
She didn't have a forehead protector, so she wasn't a genin yet.
Hayate paused mid-swing when he caught sight of his brother. "Kagami! Welcome home. How was your first day?"
"It was fine," Kagami said, toeing off his sandals. "Just school stuff, you know."
Hayate's brow furrowed. "You sure? You're not hungry or anything? I can start on dinner if you want."
Kagami shook his head. "I'm good, thanks. I'll eat later."
And with that, he dashed up the stairs to his room, leaving Hayate looking puzzled.
"He seems a bit... off," the purple-haired girl said.
"You don't think he got bullied or something, do you? I know he hasn't learned much ninjutsu or taijutsu yet. It might be tough for him to keep up."
Hayate's expression turned serious. "I don't think so. And to be honest, I'm not even sure I want him to become a ninja in the first place. Not after... everything."
The girl's eyes softened in understanding, and she fell silent for a moment.
Then, she reached out and gently placed a hand on his arm. "I'll keep an eye on him at school," she promised.
"I'll make sure he's settling in okay. The first-years are on a different floor, but I'll check in when I can."
He covered her hand with his own. "Thank you, Yugao," he whispered. "That means a lot to me."
Their eyes met, and for a long moment, they just looked at each other. Their hearts were racing, their cheeks were flushing. Then, slowly, carefully, Hayate leaned in -
-but his stomach chose that exact moment to let out a loud, rumbling growl.
Yugao burst out laughing. Hayate's face turned bright red as he buried it in his hands, the moment shattered.
"I guess that's my cue to start dinner," he said with a wry smile.
She took his hand, and they walked together towards the kitchen.
"Why don't I help you out?" she offered. "My mom taught me some great recipes that are perfect for growing shinobi."
Hand in hand, they left the training room behind, both of them trying to ignore the way their hearts were still racing.