Precarios chapter 14
"Substitution justu!"
Kuin managed to switch places with a log he found at the training grounds at the academy.
Watching a short distance away was Sasuke observing with his arms crossed. Impatiently tapping his foot on the ground. After seeing him perform the justu for the fourth time Sasuke quickly lost patience.
"Hey kuin are you done yet! You've been at this for 30 minutes already!"
"Not anywhere close to done. You can go ahead and tell miss Uchiha I won't be able to make it today." Kuin began forming the hand signs for the substitution justu again.
"Substitution justu!"
He switched with the log again. He started to shake his hands out and began forming the hands signs again but before he could do so Sasuke grabbed his arm.
"You need to stop. Your going to run out of chakra otherwise."
Kuin took his hand back from his grip and gave Sasuke his full attention.
"You worry to much. I'm fine see." He began doing katas. "I'm perfectly fine continuing."
Sasuke threw a punch that was dodged by Kuin. They both got into Taijuitsu stances and charged each other.
In between blows they continued their conversation.
"Why are you still practicing that justu. You practically mastered it already." Sasuke parried a chop to the throat and punished Kuin with a knee to the gut.
"Oof! Apparently if your familiar enough with a technique you can cut hands signs out entirely." Kuin said while weathering Sasuke's assault. Waiting for a opening.
Finally finding it he sent a quick jab to Sasuke's face surprising susuke causing him to lose momentum and Kuin to regain his footing.
"And your practicing that justu to make it seamless? Why that one in particular."
"It has potential. Imagine sasuke if you dodged a thrown kunai then when you think you were safe BAM!! You get stabbed in the back."
"So your trying to copy lord 4th?"
"That's the idea!"
Sasuke shook his head in amusement and continued their spar.
*Charlie brown teacher noise*
Kuin was currently in class sitting down while his teacher went on a excessively long rant.
"Yes, we know you met lord 2nd shut up about it already." He muttered to himself. Looking around class he started to observe the other students.
"Pinecone is still asleep. How he gets away with doing it all the time is beyond me." He turned his head to the left. "Look at Sasuke jotting down notes. Trust me you won't need them for the test buddy."
Every other student were in either states of boredom like him trying to distract themselves or dutifully taking notes. He eventually landed on Kiba.
"All this time In class together and we barely talked. I know I was avoiding him due to pettyness but why is he avoiding me?" He tapped his fingers on the desk. "Maybe it's time to stop acting like an ass and talk to him."
As the teacher went on a rant about one of his missions during the second Shinobi war one thing caught his attention.
"My teammates and I had the bastard cornered. Aiho and mushashi was too late to release their Justus so our enemy was able to pull off a hastily done substitution justu. Luckily I was able to grab him and be taken on the ride. When he least expected I gutted the fool."
Kuins hand went up. "Sensei! You said the substitution justu right? How were you able to chase him if you didn't know where he would go?"
"Chase? Who said anything about chasing?" The teacher turned his attention to the entire class. "Listen here young ones, the substitution justu should be used sparingly while up close. Not a lot of Shinobi do this but if you can grab into someone while they are performing the technique they will be taken with you."
Kuin raised his hand again. When the teacher nodded he asked another question. "Has this ever been used offensively. As in to separate a target from their group?"
The old teacher leaned on his cane more. "This has been used offensively in the past but was found too tiring for the average Shinobi to do regularly. Only chakra freaks like the sanin can do it without much repercussion."
The teacher squinted his eyes at Kuin. "And from what I'm sensing at the moment you might be able to also do it without issue."
"Huh sweet."
After completing the practice test for graduation in two years, Kuin felt a mix of relief and anticipation as he prepared to leave. However, his joy was short-lived when an instructor handed him a forehead protector.
"Congratulations," the instructor said.
Kuin's disbelief was evident. "...this has to be a joke or something, right?"
The instructor sighed, offering a grim explanation. "Look, kid, things aren't going so great right now. We need all the support we could get."
"But I'm just a kid!"
"Tough luck. I was ten when I was sent out. Stop being a coward and go. Make sure to report to the genin corps headquarters tomorrow."
As Kuin stormed off, slamming the door behind him, the instructor muttered, "Kami, this generation is soft."
--
As Kuin exited the academy, he encountered Hinata finishing her homework. "Good, you're just on time. We can begin you—"
"Looks like things are coming to an end."
Hinata tilted her head curiously. "What? Kuin, are you alright?"
Kuin, his hair covering his eyes, slammed his forehead protector on the desk. "APPARENTLY SOME DUMBASS THOUGHT IT WAS A BRIGHT IDEA TO DRAFT KIDS INTO WAR!"
He grabbed his head. "What are we gonna do, Hinata?"
"...Kuin, when did you get this?"
"After the mid-term practice exams."
"Kuin, I never got a headband. Matter of fact, I don't think Sasuke got one either."
Reality crashed into Kuin's mind.
"You must be joking, right, Hinata? That's not nice, you know."
Hinata threw her hands in the air. "I'm not lying! You can ask the rest of our classmates."
Kuin ran out the door, looking for familiar faces who might have graduated early.
"Yeah, they just handed me this. I don't know what I'm gonna do!"
"They just gave me the usual pat on the back and good job."
"Huh, I thought I was the only one!"
As he ran around, he got mixed answers. Kuin eventually sat down, trying to discern a pattern.
"Hitioshi's parents are dead. Nashua also is from an orphanage. Those bastards are recruiting orphans!
"Dammit."
Hinata walked up to him. "So how did it go?"
Kuin sighed. "Awful. Apparently, they need more manpower, and they thought recruiting orphans was a good idea."
Hinata sat next to Kuin. "Don't worry, Kuin. I'm sure they won't send you out on anything too dangerous. Especially right out of the academy."
Kuin smiled and nodded. "You're right; maybe I'm overreacting. Thanks, Hinata."
The girl nodded and was about to walk away before pausing and looking back. "Maybe I can teach you something that'll help you out."
Kuin got off the floor and nodded. "I'd appreciate that."
--
Kuin dodged a kunai, only to have it explode behind him, knocking him into a tree. Before he could be impaled, another Leaf ninja saved him and started attacking the enemy.
Grabbing his sore ribs, Kuin stumbled toward where he remembered seeing a medical ninja in the chaos.
"Why did you have to jinx it, Hinata?" he coughed out.