Scratch that.
Scratch that.
This year was going to be torturous.
The written test was… easy. Basic questions, things Shisui could answer in his sleep.
Things like, "In which year was the village of Konohagakure founded?" or "Name the current five great Shinobi nations." He finished with a yawn hovering at the back of his throat.
But not before Satoshi did.
Satoshi put his brush down first, not with the rush of someone desperate to be done, but like someone who knew they got everything right—or someone who didn't care at all.
Either way, it didn't take Shisui much longer to follow suit, though he'd admit, seeing Satoshi finish first... bugged him more than he'd like to admit.
The real test came after.
Five laps around the Academy grounds. Easy. That was three times less than what Shisui normally did for a warm-up.
He could practically hear Elder Shinji's voice in his head—"An Uchiha must always excel. Be the first to finish." He intended to, of course, but his eyes couldn't help drifting over to Satoshi.
Satoshi ran at a steady pace, but here was the strange part: He didn't take off his geta or kimono. Who in their right mind ran in traditional wooden sandals? Shisui kept his pace, but curiosity got the better of him.
Shisui finished the laps first, obviously, but Satoshi was right behind. As Satoshi crossed the line, Shisui had to ask.
"Why wear geta and a kimono? You could've run faster in something else."
Satoshi's brow furrowed like he was thinking about something unpleasant. "I don't have much choice in what I wear."
That was it.
He didn't elaborate, and Shisui didn't press him, though something in his tone told Shisui there was more to it than that. The way Satoshi's gaze shifted, distant, almost resigned—it reminded Shisui of the way clan elders talked about duty.
Like something Satoshi was carrying whether he wanted to or not.
After that, they had time to rest before the next test. It wasn't much, but enough for most of the students to catch their breath—though it didn't seem to help with the shurikenjutsu portion.
Most of them missed their targets.
Poor form, tired arms, shaky throws. Shisui could see the fatigue setting in.
They hadn't trained for endurance. Some of them still had sweat dripping down their faces, their hands shaking as they tried to steady the shuriken in their palms.
Satoshi and Shisui, though? Not a single miss. They both scored perfectly.
Satoshi's throws were precise, perfect. It was impressive, in a quiet, deliberate way. Shisui didn't think anyone expected much from Satoshi because, well, he wasn't an Uchiha. But Shisui noticed.
And that brought them to now.
Combat.
Shisui leaned against a tree, eyes half-closed, the sun filtering through the branches above. Beside him, Satoshi was standing with his arms crossed, his eyes shut.
Satoshi wasn't even paying attention to the matches in front of them. Not that there was much worth paying attention to.
The spars were slow. Painfully slow. Most of the students lacked technique or jutsu. They were rushing in without a plan, flailing their fists, kicking like they were fighting shadows instead of opponents.
There was no strategy, no rhythm to their movements.
There were a few who stood out, though. A Hyūga boy—his form was good, to be expected. His strikes were precise, but even he was holding back. He could end his match faster if he wanted to.
Then there was an Inuzuka girl. Her movements were sharp, instinctual, but reckless. She fought like she was ready to tear her opponent apart, but there was no control behind it.
Other than that? Not much to see.
The teacher's voice cut through the air, pulling Shisui out of his thoughts.
"Next spar—Satoshi Yamanaka and Shisui Uchiha."
Shisui pushed off the tree, stretching his arms over his head as he glanced at Satoshi. Satoshi opened his eyes slowly, almost lazily, like he was waking up from a nap. He didn't look surprised. Didn't even look interested.
Shisui met his gaze, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. There was a calmness in Satoshi's eyes.
Something moved inside Shisui… Excitement, he realized. Finally, something interesting.
Satoshi lightly tapped Shisui's shoulder, gave him a wink, then walked to the field. It caught Shisui off guard, but he followed right after. He could feel the eyes of the other students on them, their whispers drifting in the air.
"That's the Uchiha," one girl murmured.
"He's so cool," another girl whispered. "Do you think he'll win?"
"I bet it'll be over in seconds. The other boy looks too… pretty and weak. Look at his outfit. He looks like a flower."
Shisui ignored the chatter, his focus entirely on Satoshi now.
The teacher stood in front of them. "Before we begin, the rules are simple," she said, her voice cutting through the murmur of the students around them.
"As I've said before, you are free to use any techniques, jutsu, or weapons in your arsenal. This is to assess your full capabilities. I will step in only if I feel one of you is in danger and cannot continue."
Shisui glanced at Satoshi, who stood at the other end of the field. Satoshi looked… bored. His arms hung loosely at his sides, posture relaxed, almost lazy. Was he even taking this seriously?
The teacher continued, "Now, perform the seal of confrontation as a sign of respect to each other." They both raised their hands and formed the gesture.
As the teacher was about to begin her countdown, Satoshi slowly raised his hand.
"Can we use any techniques, jutsu, or weapons in our arsenal?" he asked.
Shisui blinked. Didn't Satoshi just hear her say that? The answer was obvious, wasn't it?
Shisui caught the faintest murmur from the crowd, some students whispering to each other. A few kids from civilian families probably thought Satoshi was stalling.
"That is correct," the teacher clarified with a slight frown.
Satoshi nodded, and the teacher began her countdown.
"Three…"
Shisui shifted his weight, scanning his options.
Should he open with a fireball? No, too flashy. Shuriken? Maybe, but that might give Satoshi too much time to react. A taijutsu rush? Could overwhelm Satoshi if he was truly as off guard as he looked.
"Two…"
Shisui glanced at Satoshi. Standing straight, arms loose, no signs of tension in his body.
Was Satoshi not even considering a defensive stance? Why wasn't he acting like this mattered? From the whispers around, the other students thought the same.
"Why is he just standing there?"
"Looks like he's already given up…"
"Is he not going to fight?"
This doesn't make sense, Shisui thought. Is this some kind of strategy? Or is he just messing with me?
"One—"
But instead of saying "begin," the teacher's voice broke through with something completely different.
"The spar is over," she said, no hesitation, no question. "…Satoshi Yamanaka wins."
Huh?
Shisui's mind snapped into focus.
He blinked, and the world seemed to shift.
He was still standing in his starting position, but… the space around him shattered like glass, a world breaking apart. And suddenly, there was Satoshi, standing directly in front of him.
Shisui hadn't even seen him move.
A kunai pressed lightly against his throat.
Satoshi stood composed, his expression unbothered, like he was doing something as routine as sharpening a pencil. The look in his eyes was bored, like this entire exercise was beneath him.
"Looks like this is my win, Shisui," Satoshi said as he removed the kunai and slid it back up his sleeve.
Shisui couldn't even respond.
His body hadn't caught up with what just happened.
He blinked again, and his hand instinctively went to his neck, where the kunai had just been. He wasn't injured—Satoshi hadn't even touched him, not physically anyway.
Then it finally clicked.
Satoshi had put Shisui, an Uchiha, in a genjutsu.
A genjutsu so seamless, so subtle, that Shisui hadn't even realized he was in it.
How? When?
Shisui looked up at Satoshi, locking eyes again, and for the first time, he felt something unfamiliar—disbelief. Not in his own abilities but in the fact that, for the first time ever, someone had completely blindsided him.
And just like that, the match was over.
Satoshi Yamanaka had won.
And Shisui lost.
===
[A/N] First spar of many between Satoshi and Shisui. As you are well aware, Satoshi's someone who prefers efficiency, subtilty, and precision. I wonder just how powerful this duo will become in the future? What the enemy villages will name these two rising stars?
I'm pretty excited. Are you?
If you are liking this story, please leave a review!