Naruto: Threads of Crimson

The Land of Fire outpost stood tall ahead, camouflaged among the dense trees that separated the Land of Fire from the Land of Stone.

Shisui and I stayed close behind Reika, exchanging brief, knowing glances. The mission had gone smoother than expected, and now, we only had to deliver the supplies before returning to Konoha. 

As we approached the outpost's gate, I noticed two shinobi standing guard. They held their swords ready but relaxed just slightly when they saw a Hidden Leaf headband. The two were talking casually despite the tension around them, 'Must be veterans for them to look so calm in such a high-stress environment.' I thought as I looked at the rotund man and the tired-looking woman.

Reika waved, a genuine smile crossing her face. "Akira! Lucy!" she called out, her voice warm and welcoming. The shinobi's stances loosened even more as they recognized our teacher. 

Akira, an Akimichi with broad shoulders and an infectious grin, stepped forward, his hair tied back in a loose ponytail. He clapped Reika on the back in greeting. "Reika! Been a while!" His cheeks were painted with the signature markings of his clan, and his demeanor was friendly and open.

Beside him stood Lucy, a Nara clan member. She had that typical lazy, calculating look that seemed to come naturally to the Nara. Her eyes were half-lidded, she barely moved but somehow exuded an air of quiet authority. Still, I noticed her eyes sharpen, just for a moment, as Shisui and I drew closer. She was sizing us up, no doubt.

"And who are these two ninjas?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow with as much curiosity as a Nara could possibly show. "I hope you didn't bring children into an active war zone for fun, Reika."

There was a brief flicker of sadness on Reika's face, but it passed as quickly as it had come. She smiled again, her pride in us evident. "These 'children' are my two prodigies—Shiro and Shisui Uchiha."

I felt a familiar heat rise in my cheeks. No matter how many times people called us that, I never quite got used to it. I knew we were skilled, but the word prodigy always felt too big, too heavy. Even when my parents said it, it made me feel... awkward. I shot a glance at Shisui, wondering how he felt about it.

Shisui, as usual, tried to play it cool. He rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to hide his embarrassment, but I could see the quiet pride in his eyes. He was pleased, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Prodigies, huh?" Akira chuckled, looking us over with an amused expression. "Uchiha prodigies, no less. Haven't seen too many of those recently." He scratched his chin thoughtfully, the gears turning behind his eyes. 

Reika continued, her voice full of admiration. "Word spread fast once these two breezed through the academy. The village wasn't expecting to see talent like theirs as quickly as they have, but here they are. Eventually, Lord Third took notice, and I got the honor of training them."

Lucy, however, remained skeptical. Her eyes drifted from Reika to us again, and there was a subtle frown on her face. "They don't look like much, Reika," she said slowly, her voice tinged with doubt. "Are you sure they're ready for this? This is an active combat zone, not some training ground. We could be attacked at any time." 

Reika crossed her arms, her smile widening just a bit more. "As crazy as it sounds, yes. Both of these two are already fighting at a low-chunin to mid-chunin level separately. When they fight together, they can take down an elite-chunin."

"Right, well, I'm still skeptical." Lucy's voice held a tone of doubt as she furrowed her brows at our teacher. She stood there with her arms crossed, eyes flickering between us and Reika, clearly unconvinced. There was something about her gaze that felt more piercing than before, like she was reevaluating her assessment of us.

"Lucy, if Reika is saying this, then you know there's some merit to it. You know how she feels about children picking this path." Akira, towering over the rest of us, placed a big hand on her shoulder, his voice carrying a calming sound. It was clear the three of them had been through enough battles together to understand when to trust each other's judgment.

Lucy sighed, her resistance melting, but not without a groan of exasperation. "Fine, but don't ask me for any help if things go south. I'd much rather watch the river flow than get into any battles because of you two." She muttered, glancing between Reika and Akira. Her words were cutting, but there was a hint of warmth buried in them, the way an older sibling might speak when they were unwillingly roped into something.

I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Lucy's reluctance had nothing to do with us personally—it was just her clan's nature. 

"You're just too lazy to get involved with such a troublesome group, aren't you?" Reika teased with a playful smirk. "Besides, you should've seen them during our last spar. They were strategic, precise that even you would've been satisfied. They even managed to land a hit on me. Well, my clone, but still."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at this, finally showing a sliver of interest. "Oh really? That is quite troublesome." She turned her sharp gaze back to Shisui and me, as her monotone voice picked up just a little bit.

I could feel her analyzing us in a new light, but before Shisui or I could even respond or properly introduce ourselves, a new voice cut through the conversation like a blade.

"Uchiha prodigies? That's rich." The voice had a slight hint of disdain hidden under the propriety of the way he said it. "We haven't seen an Uchiha prodigy since Lord Third's time, and you expect me to believe that all of a sudden there's two?"

Turning toward the voice, my eyes landed on a Hyuga, probably in his late teens or early twenties, who had decided to insert himself into the conversation. His white eyes gleamed with concealed annoyance—though it wasn't quite as hidden as he thought. His tall frame and the smug way he carried himself made it clear that he wasn't here for a friendly chat.

I felt a spark of irritation flared up inside me. 'What is it with every Hyuga I've ever met? They always act like they were put on this planet just to irritate us.' My eyes rolled instinctively, but I kept my composure.

Shisui and I exchanged a look, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. The Hyuga's dismissive gaze was fixed on us, his lips curling into a smirk as though he couldn't even be bothered to mask his condescension.

"Uchiha brats always think they're a step above, don't they?" His voice was calm.

Shisui narrowed his eyes, his sharingan appearing in his eyes, and though his voice remained calm, there was an undeniable edge to it. "Maybe we are," he said, throwing the challenge right back at him.

The Hyuga's pale eyes narrowed in response, and I could see his body tense, though his face remained eerily neutral. "Careful with your words, brat."

I couldn't help but step forward, backing Shisui up as my eyes narrowed as well. "Are you sure you don't have some unresolved trauma?" I asked, my voice cool but with a smirk tugging at my lips. "I mean, you're talking like this to a couple of seven-year-olds. Seems a bit petty, don't you think?"

I could feel the air between us crackling with tension as the veins around the Hyuga's eyes flashed. Without saying another word, his hand moved to launch a palm, probably intending to strike first. But before he could do anything, a massive figure stepped between us, blocking the line of sight.

Akira

The broad-shouldered Akimichi raised his hand, placing it firmly on the Hyuga's chest, stopping him in his tracks. "Alright, enough of that." His voice was calm, but there was an undeniable force behind it, like a boulder that couldn't be moved. "We're all on the same side here."

The Hyuga looked like he was about to argue but thought better of it. He shot one last glare at us before stepping back, clearly unhappy but unwilling to make a scene in front of someone like Akira.

Reika, arms still crossed, glanced at us and then at the Hyuga. "Let's save the fighting for the battlefield, shall we?"

Akira gave us a reassuring smile as Lucy let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Great. Now we have two overconfident Uchiha and a Hyuga with a superiority complex. This is shaping up to be such a fun day."

The Hyuga, didn't let up. His gaze remained locked on Reika, his byakugan veins pulsing slightly, a challenge clear in his stance. "You know what, that's a great idea, Reika," he said, sarcasm hidden in his tone. "If they're so good, maybe we should fight and see if you're right. After all, Uchiha are always so quick to brag."

Reika exchanged a glance with Lucy, clearly weighing the situation. "Do you really think it's smart to test them now?" she whispered, her voice calm but with an edge of caution. "I mean, we are in the middle of a warzone."

Arata scoffed, waving her concern away as though it was nothing. "Afraid they'll lose?"

Reika's eyes narrowed slightly as she let out a scoffing laugh in return. "Arata, trust me, I'm not afraid for them."

With a slight flare of his chakra, the veins around Arata's Byakugan bulged even more as he continued to speak in his flat tone of voice. "You don't genuinely think that some Uchiha kids could hope to keep up with a fully-fledged Hyuga, do you?" He said as if he couldn't believe anyone would even suggest such a thing.

The air around us thickened around us even more, and I felt the familiar burn in my eyes as my Sharingan activated, my vision sharpening instantly as the tomoe spun around the pupil. The challenge had already been issued, and neither me nor Shisui were the type to back down.

"We don't lose," I muttered, just loud enough for all six of us to hear.

At the surge of chakra from both the Hyuga and us, more shinobi from the outpost started gathering around, drawn by the sudden flare of power. They looked around for a threat, hands twitching toward their weapons, only to realize it was a confrontation among fellow Leaf shinobi. The growing crowd of onlookers murmured in curiosity, the tension palpable as they watched us face off.

Lucy, who had been watching the entire exchange with an almost bored expression, suddenly stepped forward. She let out an exaggerated sigh, her voice dripping with mock laziness. "You know what, Reika? Maybe they should spar. It'll give the outpost some entertainment, and we can keep things under control. If it gets too heated, I'll step in. My shadow possession can handle stopping them if it comes to that."

Reika looked at Lucy, then back at us. She seemed to hesitate for just a moment, before sighing in resignation. "Fine," she said, her voice low but firm. "But we stop this the moment things get out of hand. If anyone is about to get seriously injured, the spar ends."

Shisui grinned, his usual carefree attitude returning despite the seriousness of the moment. "We got this," he whispered to me, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

I nodded and smiled, my heart beating fast, but not from fear. The adrenaline of a battle, of showing what we were capable of, surged through me.

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(A/N: This was a pretty tame chapter. I really just wanted to introduce some new characters into the fold and also build up some of the dynamics that will be present in the future.)