Naruto: The Medical God

Shin and Sasuke stood facing each other, the space between them charged with an unspoken intensity. The crowd of students gathered around them, whispering in hushed tones, sensing that this was no ordinary confrontation. Among the onlookers, Naruto still sitting on the swing, his blue eyes dull with concern, watched the fight unfold with a mixture of apprehension and sadness. His gaze flickered briefly to Shin, then to Sasuke, as though hoping for an end to the tension but fearing what might come next. At the same time, Shin's father, standing at a distance, watched the scene with sharp, calculating eyes—eyes that were dark and cold, full of silent judgment as they flicked between his son and Sasuke. The air crackled with anticipation as onlookers whispered eagerly, some hoping for a spectacle, others fearing where this confrontation might lead. Iruka, stationed nearby, watched with growing concern, his hand hovering over the hilt of his kunai, unsure whether to intervene or let the boys resolve their conflict on their own.

Shin's stance was firm, his eyes locked on Sasuke, the sharp gaze of the Uchiha reflected back with a gleam of challenge. Sasuke's smirk only deepened, his hands already balling into fists as he prepared for the fight. Every muscle in his body was taut with aggression, the excitement of battle flickering in his eyes. He had no intention of backing down, not from anyone—especially not Shin. If he couldn't even beat Shin, how could he possibly hope of taking revenge for his clan?

Without warning, both fighters lunged toward each other with a speed that seemed to blur the lines between them. The crowd collectively gasped, the tension in the air palpable as their movements were synchronized in the moment before impact. Time seemed to slow as they closed the distance, the world around them falling away as their focus narrowed to nothing but each other.

Their fists collided in mid-air with a brutal thud, the force of their blows sending ripples through the surrounding crowd. The sound of bone meeting bone echoed across the courtyard, both boys gritting their teeth as they struggled for dominance. Shin's eyes burned with fierce determination, the fight not just for pride but for something deeper, something personal. Sasuke's expression remained unreadable, though his lips curled into a feral grin. He reveled in the power behind his strike, savoring the feeling of his strength meeting Shin's.

Neither boy budged, their arms locked in a battle of will and strength, but the force of their blows pushed them both back a step. Shin's heart raced, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could feel the burn of Sasuke's punch, but it wasn't enough to stop him. His own fist, clenched tightly, was poised for another attack.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, Hamada!" Sasuke taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice. His body coiled, ready to strike again.

Shin's lips twitched into a smile, despite the sting of the impact. "I was hoping you'd say that," he shot back, his muscles tense as he prepared for the next move.

Without a word, his hand darted to his weapon pouch, pulling out a kunai in one fluid motion. The crowd gasped as he hurled the kunai straight at Sasuke with deadly precision.

Sasuke's smirk deepened, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to dodge, but Shin's hands were already forming signs at a rapid pace:

Ram, Snake, Tiger.

"Kunai Clone Jutsu!" Shin shouted, his voice cutting through the tension.

The single kunai mid-air shimmered, a ripple of chakra spreading through the air as it multiplied into four identical kunai. They surrounded Sasuke, their sharp edges gleaming menacingly in the sunlight as they hurtled toward him from different angles.

The four kunai streaked through the air, closing in on Sasuke from all directions. Gasps rippled through the crowd as they realized the precision and ingenuity behind the move.

At a distance, Shin's father's sharp eyes widened slightly—a crack appearing in his demeanor. His arms uncrossed, his posture stiffening as he watched the scene unfold.

"What...?" he murmured under his breath, his tone a mix of astonishment and suspicion. "That jutsu... I've never seen him use it before. Where in the world did he learn something like that?"

His gaze bore into Shin with a newfound intensity, a mixture of pride and unease stirring within him. It wasn't just the execution of the technique that startled him—it was the creativity behind it. This wasn't something Shin had learned at the academy. No, this was something else entirely.

For a brief moment, his mind drifted to the possibilities: had Shin been training in secret? With someone else? And if so, why hadn't he come to his father for guidance?

His jaw tightened, a flicker of frustration and guilt crossing his face. "Shin... what have you been hiding from me?"

Sasuke chuckled, his confidence unwavering as his sharp eyes tracked the approaching kunai. "Hamada, I see that you've improved," he said, his tone laced with mockery. "You can now make one more than last time. But…"

The kunai were now just a fist's distance from him, the tension mounting as the crowd held their breath.

"…don't think I'll fall for the same cheap trick twice!"

With a swift motion, Sasuke spun on his heel, his fist striking out in a perfect arc. One by one, the kunai met his strikes—each fake one disappearing into harmless puffs of smoke as his punches tore through the illusion. The real kunai, struck precisely on its flat side, ricocheted harmlessly away, clattering against the ground.

Sasuke straightened, his smirk deepening as he glanced at Shin. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted, his voice carrying a hint of derision.

Shin's smirk mirrored Sasuke's, but there was a sharpness to his gaze that hinted he wasn't finished yet. With his left hand, he made a subtle motion, as if tugging on something invisible. His voice carried an edge of mockery as he retorted, "Well, you should first finish defending from an attack before saying something like that, don't you think so as well, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he caught the strange movement. His instincts flared, and without hesitation, he hurled himself to the side.

Whoosh!

The sound of the kunai slicing through the air was unnervingly close, and though he avoided a direct hit, a sharp sting ran across his cheek. He landed on his feet, his hand shooting up to touch the thin line of blood dripping from the shallow cut.

"You bastard…" Sasuke growled, his voice low and venomous. His dark eyes locked onto Shin, the weight of realization dawning on him. "That was a chakra thread, wasn't it?"

Shin didn't respond, his calm demeanor only fueling Sasuke's frustration. He let the kunai, now back in his hand, dangle loosely at his side, its edge glinting menacingly in the sunlight.

The crowd gasped, murmurs of admiration and shock spreading as they pieced together what had happened. Shin's strategy was unlike the straightforward moves taught at the academy—it was clever, calculated, and undeniably dangerous.

Shin's father stood motionless, his eyes fixed on his son. The moment he saw Shin tug at the invisible thread and the kunai veer back toward Sasuke, his expression darkened further.

"Chakra threads?" he thought, his mind racing. "That's not an academy-level skill… and it's certainly not something I ever taught him."

He clenched his fists tightly, the tension evident in the way his shoulders squared. A storm of conflicting emotions brewed within him—pride at Shin's ingenuity and frustration at being left out of his son's growth.

"Who is teaching you these things, Shin? And why didn't you come to me?"

The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though it quickly faded. It was undeniable—his son wasn't just talented. He was a genius.

"Shin…" he muttered under his breath, his tone low and unreadable. "You're stronger than I expected."

As the murmurs from the crowd continued to grow, Shin's father turned away slightly, his sharp eyes glancing at the gathering of students and teachers. His gaze lingered on Iruka, who looked as though he might intervene at any moment, then back at Shin and Sasuke.

"Shin, you've really taken after your mother a lot..."

To be continued...

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Also, I might not be able to upload in the next two or three days, I'm departing for another holiday. Gotta enjoy life.

Be sure to check my original novel, Hyperborea, in the mean time!