A murmur rippled through the stands as spectators recognized one of the combatants. "It's Hirohiko Uchiha!" someone exclaimed. "Mito is in trouble!"
Another voice chimed in, "Indeed. He's a prodigy of the Uchiha clan."
Whispers continued to circulate, and several onlookers noticed Kayami Hyuga's intense focus on the field. His teammate, Sata Nozawa, sat beside him, his brow furrowed with concern.
Mito Kiko, hearing the commotion, glanced back at Kayami. A pang of disappointment shot through her as she realized the Hyuga's attention wasn't on her, but on her opponent. 'He's not worried about me,' Mito thought bitterly. 'He's just observing Hirohiko Uchiha.'
Turning back to face her adversary, Mito's eyes hardened. 'Even this Uchiha gets more attention than me? How vexing!'
The match commenced. Hirohiko maintained his stoic demeanor as he reached into his ninja pouch, retrieving several shuriken. He paused, noticing the sudden intensity in Mito's gaze. 'Why does she look so... menacing?' he wondered, momentarily taken aback.
Despite his surprise, Hirohiko didn't hesitate. His shuriken whistled through the air, aimed directly at Mito.
Mito's eyes narrowed. 'Shuriken? Two can play at that game.' In one fluid motion, she extracted her own projectiles from her pouch.
The air rang with the sharp clash of metal on metal as eight shurikens collided mid-flight, falling to the ground with dull thuds.
'When it comes to shuriken, I won't lose to you!' Mito thought, her determination rising. 'Genius of the Uchiha clan or not!'
She reached for her ninja pouches once more, but Hirohiko had already drawn a kunai, preparing for close combat. Seeing Mito's movement, he hesitated, holding the blade defensively. 'A weapons specialist?' he surmised, fingers brushing his own pouch.
A smirk played at the corners of Mito's mouth, lending her an unexpected air of confidence. With a flick of her wrists, she launched eight more shuriken, her hands already forming seals at a blistering pace.
In the stands, Chiba's eyes widened. "Such fast hand seals!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with awe. 'Her speed rivals my own!'
Kushina Uzumaki observed silently, her thoughts racing. 'Don't underestimate her, Hirohiko. This Mito Kiko may be unknown, but her strength is formidable.'
Hirohiko's gaze darted between the incoming shuriken and Mito's rapidly moving hands. 'This seal... I've never seen it before.'
As Mito completed her jutsu, she called out, "*Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique*!"
In an instant, the eight shurikens multiplied, becoming twenty-four deadly projectiles hurtling toward Hirohiko. The young Uchiha's mind raced, searching for a counter.
"An A-rank ninjutsu!" Chiba gasped, his shock evident. "The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, created by the Third Hokage himself. How could a twelve-year-old master such an advanced jutsu?"
Sata Nozawa's lips curved into a small smile. 'Six years of relentless practice have paid off, Mito. You've come so far.'
Hirohiko's eyes flashed scarlet as his Sharingan activated. He ducked low, tracking the shuriken's trajectories with practiced precision. With a flick of his wrist, he launched two of his own shurikens.
The air filled with the cacophony of metal striking metal. Some shuriken embedded themselves in the ground with solid thuds, while others dissipated in puffs of white smoke. Hirohiko's two shurikens ricocheted through the maelstrom, taking out two shuriken clones before deflecting off each other and streaking past Mito's cheeks.
Mito froze, her eyes widening in surprise. She glanced back at the two shurikens now buried in the earth behind her. 'He used the momentum of the collision to alter their trajectory,' she realized, a grudging respect blooming within her. 'Is this the power of the Sharingan?'
As two thin lines of blood trickled down her cheeks, Mito's face betrayed her astonishment. The genius of the Uchiha clan had lived up to his reputation, and the real battle was only beginning.