Disclaimer:
Naruto and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
“Dialogue”
‘Thoughts’
-Author notes-
Chapter 05: The Proving Ground
As the days passed, Sho began to fall into some sort of rhythm.
He woke early each morning, performed his stretches, and spent an hour on the leaf exercise before breakfast.
His progress was slow…agonizingly slow, but it was progress.
The first night after the academy, he’d managed thirty seconds.
By the third night, he’d reached a minute.
By the end of the first week, he could hold the leaf for nearly three minutes before his chakra reserves gave out.
Three minutes would already be considered “normal” by academy student standards.
[Skill Update]
Chakra Control: 4 → 5
Your improved control allows for more efficient chakra usage.
You are beginning to understand the flow of energy through your body.
It wasn’t much.
Not compared to what the other students could do.
But it was more than he’d ever been able to achieve before.
<><>
The academy was the same as always, but Sho viewed it differently now.
Every class was an opportunity.
Every lesson was a chance to learn something new or improve himself in some way.
He still struggled with most subjects.
His physical conditioning was generally far below average.
His kunai throws were still inconsistent, though the Shuriken Throw skill had reached Level 5, giving him a solid 30% accuracy bonus.
[Shuriken Throw: Novice (Level 5)]
Accuracy Bonus: 30%
He could now hit the target about one-third of the time.
It was still pathetic compared to Sasuke’s perfect aim, but it was a massive improvement from his previous ten percent.
Naruto had noticed.
“You’re getting better, Sho!
Like, way better!
What’s your secret?”
Sho had shrugged.
“I’ve been practicing.
A lot.”
“Well, keep it up!” Naruto had grinned.
“We’re gonna graduate together, I can feel it!”
Sho had smiled, but the knot of anxiety in his chest hadn’t loosened.
‘Graduation.
The exam.
The three basic jutsu…I still can’t do any of them.’
<><>
Two weeks after his recovery, Sho was walking through the Hyuga compound when he heard it.
The sound of training…the sharp crack of fists against wood, the grunts of exertion, the rhythmic footwork of taijutsu practice.
He turned a corner and found himself at the edge of one of the clan’s smaller training grounds.
A group of young Hyuga boys was practicing, their movements precise and powerful.
And at the center of them all, leading the drills, was Neji.
Sho’s cousin moved like water…he was fluid, graceful, and unstoppable.
His Gentle Fist technique was flawless, each strike aimed with surgical precision.
The branch house members around him struggled to keep up, their movements clumsy in comparison.
‘Of course.
Of course it’s Neji.’ He thought with a hint of bitterness.
At the academy, he had Sasuke, and here at the compound, there was Neji.
The two greatest geniuses of his generation.
Sho started to back away.
He had no interest in engaging with his cousin.
The hatred in Neji’s eyes was always too sharp and personal.
But it was too late.
He had already been detected.
“Shokuhi.”
Neji’s voice cut through the training ground like a sharp blade.
The other Hyuga stopped in their tracks, turning to look at him.
Sho felt their eyes on his back… a mixture of pity and contempt.
“Neji,” Sho said evenly.
“I was just passing through.”
“Were you?” Neji stepped away from the group, approaching slowly.
His white eyes never left Sho’s face.
“I heard you made a miraculous recovery.
The clan is abuzz with talk of your ‘miracle.'”
Sho said nothing.
He knew where this was going.
“A fever that burns away chakra blockages,” Neji continued, his voice dripping with contempt.
“How convenient.
Almost as if you were trying to draw attention to yourself.”
“I wasn’t trying to do anything.
It just happened.”
“Just happened.” Neji smiled coldly.
“Of course.
The weak spare, suddenly gifted with a second chance.
How poetic that is.”
Sho felt his fists clench at his sides.
‘He’s trying to provoke me.
Don’t let him.
Don’t give him the satisfaction.’
“If that is all you have to say, cousin, I’ll take my leave.
I’m just trying to get to my room.” He turned around, but Neji was not willing to let it rest.
“Your room.” Neji’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes, you should stay there.
That’s where people like you belong.
Hidden away.
Out of sight.”
As the words hit him, Sho remembered his father’s voice in the darkness: “Dying from sickness may be for the best.” He remembered the whispers, the pity, the constant weight of being a disappointment.
‘I’ve heard worse.
I can take this.’
He started to turn away.
“I suppose I should be grateful,” Neji called out, his voice carrying across the training ground.
“At least you’re finally doing something useful.
Staying out of the way.”
Sho stopped.
“What did you say?”
Neji smiled.
“You heard me.
Hinata has been held back by her concern for you.
Everyone knows it.
The elders talk about it constantly.” He paused, letting the words sink in.
“They say she’d be a better heir if she didn’t have to worry about her weak brother.”
Sho turned slowly, his eyes narrowed.
“That’s…” He wanted to say it wasn’t true, but deep down, he wasn’t so sure.
“Is just the truth,” Neji’s voice was calm.
“You’ve seen the way she looks at you.
The way she’s always hovering, always anxious.
Every time you get sick, she stops training.
Every time you have a headache, she cancels her lessons.
She’s spent her entire life taking care of you.”
He took a step closer, his white eyes boring into Sho’s.
“And what have you given her in return?
Nothing.
You’ve given her nothing but worry and guilt.
You’re a weight around her neck, Shokuhi.
A chain holding her back from her potential.”
He knew his sister had never seen him as a burden, but…
But the doubts crept in anyway.
The memory of Hinata’s worried face.
The sacrifices she’d made for him.
The time she’d spent tending to him instead of training.
‘What if he’s right?
What if I am holding her back?’
“I would have thought,” Neji continued, “that after everything, you’d have the decency to stay out of sight.
But no.
You come out here, parading your ‘miracle’ like you’ve actually accomplished something.
Instead of doing the one thing that would finally help your sister.”
Sho’s hands were shaking with anger.
“And what would that be?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
Neji’s smile widened.
“Disappearing.
For good.
Leaving her free to become what she was meant to be.”
Something inside Sho snapped.
BONG!
A chime echoed in his mind, and a new window appeared in his vision.
[URGENT QUEST DETECTED!]
Quest: The Proving Ground
Objective: Spar with Neji Hyuga for a minimum of thirty seconds without surrendering.
Reward: 500 Experience Points
Note: This quest is a test of resolve and wits, not of skill.
Winning is not required.
Only the willingness to stand your ground.
Do you accept?
[YES] / [NO]
Sho stared at the quest window.
‘500 experience points?.
That should be more than enough to increase my level.’ With each level increase, he would also gain three free stat points.
It was a big reward but…it required him to spar with Neji.
The prodigy of the clan.
The cousin who hated him with every fiber of his being.
‘He’ll destroy me in thirty seconds.
He’s been training for years.
I’ve been training for like a week.’
He looked at Neji, who was watching him with that same cold smile.
The other Hyuga were standing behind him, waiting to see what would happen.
‘He wants me to leave.
He wants me to prove him right.
He wants me to show everyone that I’m just a coward.’
Sho almost did it.
Almost turned away.
Almost walked back to his room and pretended this hadn’t happened.
But then Neji had to speak again.
“You know, you’re not the only one who suffers because of your existence.” His voice was quiet, almost gentle.
“Your sister suffers too.
Every time she fails at something, every time she falls short of what’s expected of her…
the elders whisper that it’s because she’s too soft.
Too weak.
Too much like you.”
He paused, letting the words sink in.
“They say the heiress shares your weakness.
That she’ll never be worthy of the title because she spends too much time coddling her useless brother instead of training.”
A murmur ran through the watching Hyuga.
Sho’s blood ran cold.
“Tell me, Shokuhi…
is that the legacy you want to leave?
A sister who’s seen as weak because she couldn’t let go of you?”
‘That’s it.
That’s enough.’
Sho’s eyes snapped up, meeting Neji’s gaze.
The rage in his chest had crystallized into something cold and sharp.
“You want to talk about Hinata?” His voice was steady, calm.
“Fine.
Let’s talk about her.”
Neji’s eyebrow rose.
“Oh?”
“She’s not weak.
She’s never been weak.” Sho stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest.
“You see her kindness as a flaw because you’re too blinded by your own hatred to understand what real strength looks like.”
He took another step, closing the distance between them.
“Kindness isn’t weakness, Neji.
It takes more strength to be kind than it does to be cruel.
But you wouldn’t know that, would you?
You’ve spent your whole life nursing your resentment, blaming everyone but yourself for what happened to your father.”
Neji’s expression flickered.
Something dark passed across his face.
“You don’t know anything about my father.”
“Maybe not.” Sho met his gaze without flinching.
“But I know that he died protecting the clan.
And you’ve twisted that sacrifice into an excuse for hatred.”
He stood tall, his fists clenched at his sides.
“Hinata has never done anything to you except try to be kind.
And you repay her by calling her weak.
By saying she’s not worthy of being heir.” His voice rose, carrying across the training ground.
“She’s worth ten of you, Neji.
She always has been.”
A murmur ran through the watching Hyuga.
Neji’s face was stone, but Sho could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands had curled into fists.
“Are you challenging me?” Neji’s voice was quiet, dangerous.
“Is that what this is?”
Sho thought about the quest window, still floating in his vision.
He thought about the 500 experience points.
The chance to prove that he wasn’t just a burden.
And he thought about Hinata.
The way she’d never given up on him, no matter how many times he’d failed.
‘This is for her.
This is to prove that I’m not the weight everyone thinks I am.’
“Yes,” Sho said.
“I’m challenging you.
Neji Hyuga, I challenge you to a spar.”
The training ground went silent.
The branch members stared in disbelief.
Neji’s eyes widened, just slightly, before narrowing again.
“You want to spar with me?” Neji’s voice was incredulous.
“You, who can barely stand for ten minutes without collapsing?”
“I can stand for longer than that now.” Sho met his cousin’s gaze.
“Unless you’re afraid I’ll hurt you.”
A ripple of shocked whispers ran through the crowd.
Neji’s face went still, the amusement draining away.
“Afraid?” He stepped closer, his chakra flaring slightly.
“I’m not afraid of you, Shokuhi.
I’m just not interested in wasting my time.”
“Sounds like fear to me.” Sho forced a smirk onto his face.
“But if you don’t want to spar, I understand.”
It was a dangerous gambit.
If Neji walked away, Sho would look foolish.
But he knew his cousin…knew the pride that burned beneath that calm exterior.
And more importantly, he knew that Neji couldn’t refuse a challenge in front of witnesses.
Not without losing face.
Neji’s eyes flashed.
“Fine.
If you want to humiliate yourself, I’ll oblige.”
He turned to the other Hyuga.
“Clear the training ground.
Give us space.”
The branch members scrambled, forming a rough circle around the two combatants.
Sho felt their eyes on him…curious, skeptical, expecting him to be crushed.
‘Thirty seconds.
I just need to last thirty seconds.’
He assumed a basic combat stance.
It was clumsy and awkward, the stance of someone who’d never truly fought before.
Neji’s eyes flickered with contempt.
“You’re not even holding your guard properly.”
“I’ll learn as I go.”
“I doubt that.”
Neji moved.
[Quest Accepted: The Proving Ground]
Objective: Spar with Neji Hyuga for 0/30 seconds without surrendering.
Neji was fast…impossibly fast for his untrained eyes.
One moment he was standing ten feet away, and the next he was right in front of Sho, his palm aimed at Sho’s chest.
‘He’s aiming for my chakra points.
If he hits, I’ll be paralyzed.’
Sho threw himself to the side, barely avoiding the strike.
He felt the air displacement as Neji’s palm passed within inches of his chest.
“Lucky,” Neji murmured.
‘Three seconds.
I lasted three seconds.’
Neji attacked again, his movements fluid and relentless.
Sho dodged, blocked, retreated.
Each evasion was sloppy, each block barely adequate.
But he kept moving, kept trying.
Ten seconds.
I need to last twenty more.
The gap was impossible.
Neji was faster, stronger, more skilled.
Sho’s body screamed in protest, his lungs burning, his muscles straining.
But he didn’t stop.
‘I can’t stop.
I have to prove I’m not weak.
Not anymore.’
Neji’s palm caught him in the shoulder, and Sho felt his chakra point lock up.
His left arm went numb, hanging uselessly at his side.
‘He’s aiming to systematically disable me.’
“There,” Neji said coldly.
“One point.
I’ll take you apart piece by piece.”
‘Fifteen seconds.’
Sho switched to his right side, compensating for his disabled arm.
He blocked a strike with his forearm, grunting at the impact.
His bones ached…he could feel the micro-fractures forming in his wrist.
‘Brittle Bones.
I still have Brittle Bones.’
But he didn’t stop.
Couldn’t stop.
‘Twenty seconds.
Ten more.’
Neji’s next strike caught him in the ribs.
The breath was driven from his lungs, and he stumbled, gasping.
His vision swam.
‘Don’t fall.
Don’t you dare fall.’
He forced himself upright, raising his one working arm in a desperate guard.
Neji paused, studying him with something that might have been grudging respect.
“You’re still standing.
I’m impressed.”
“Don’t…
don’t be.” Sho forced the words out between gasps.
“I’m…
not done yet.”
“Really?” Neji’s eyes narrowed.
“Then show me.”
He attacked again…a flurry of strikes that Sho could barely track.
He blocked two, dodged three, took a hit to the stomach that made him double over.
Then another to his right shoulder.
His arms were both numb now.
He couldn’t block.
Couldn’t attack.
‘What now?
I can’t do anything.’ He began to panic
Neji’s palm came toward his face.
Sho couldn’t dodge.
‘Twenty-five seconds.
Five more.’
Time seemed to slow.
Sho saw the strike coming, knew he couldn’t avoid it.
But he had one option left.
‘If I’m going to take a hit, I’ll make it count.’
He threw his head forward, meeting Neji’s palm with his forehead.
The impact was jarring, and stars exploded in his vision.
He even felt his nose crack.
But he’d also interrupted Neji’s strike.
The older boy stumbled back, momentarily thrown off balance.
‘Twenty-eight seconds.
Two more.’
Sho forced himself to stay upright, swaying on his feet.
His vision was swimming, his body screaming, but he was still standing.
‘One more.
One more second.’
“I see,” Neji said, his voice carrying a note of grudging respect.
“You’re not as pathetic as I thought.”
‘Thirty seconds.’
He collapsed on the floor.
The branch members panicked when they saw Sho fall.
He may not have any respect in the clan, but he was still the son of the clan leader.
If word got out that some branch members injured him, that could be really bad for them.
“We’ll get a healer!!
They all took off running.
Not really planning on coming back at all.
Neji watched them leave before turning his eyes back to Sho.
He could tell there were no serious injuries on him, as he had been holding back.
Just some bruises and cuts.
But then…something strange happened.
[Quest Complete: The Proving Ground]
Objective: Spar with Neji Hyuga for 30 seconds without surrendering.
Reward: 500 Experience Points
Level Up!
Level: 1 → 2
All injuries healed!
Sho’s eyes widened as a wave of warmth spread through his body.
The pain in his arms faded.
His ribs stopped aching.
His nose straightened, healing itself.
‘What…
what is that?’
Neji was staring at him, his eyes wide with shock.
“What…
how…”
Sho looked down at himself.
The bruises were gone.
The swelling had vanished.
He felt great…better than he’d felt all day.
‘Leveling up heals me?.
It completely restores my body!.’
He straightened up, meeting Neji’s stunned gaze.
“What’s wrong, Neji?” He kept his voice calm, steady.
“Did I surprise you?”
“That’s impossible.” Neji’s voice was flat, uncertain.
“I saw you.
You were injured.
Your nose was nearly broken, and the bruises…”
“Maybe it wasn’t as bad as you thought.” Sho shrugged, ignoring the throbbing in his head.
“Or maybe you don’t hit as hard as you think you do.”
“Impossible,” Neji repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
“This is impossible.”
Sho turned away, his heart pounding.
‘I have to leave.
Now.
Before he asks more questions.’
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said, walking toward the exit, “I have to get back to my room.
I have things to take care of.
Thank you for the spar.”
He walked out of the training ground, feeling Neji’s eyes boring into his back.
The other Hyuga parted to let him pass, their expressions a mixture of awe and fear.
‘That was insane.
That was absolutely insane.
But I did it.
I lasted thirty seconds against Neji!’
<><>
When Sho reached his room, he collapsed onto his futon, breathing hard.
His body was healed, but the emotional exhaustion was overwhelming.
‘Level 2.
I’m Level 2 now.’
“Status.” He called up his status screen, his eyes scanning the numbers.
[Status Update]
Name: Hyuga Shokuhi
Level: 2
Title: The Eclipsed Spare
Stats:
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Vitality: 4
Perception: 6
Chakra Capacity: 3
Chakra Control: 5
Available Stat Points: 3 (from Level Up)
Status Effects:
Chakra Vein Constriction (Mild) – Permanent
Chronic Fatigue – Permanent
Brittle Bones – Permanent
Byakugan Inefficiency – Permanent
Skills:
Endurance: Novice (Level 1) – Passive.
Allows the user to push the body past its normal limits for a short period of time.
Shuriken Throw: Novice (Level 5) – Passive.
Increases accuracy when throwing shuriken and kunai by 30%.
Quests Active:
None
‘I have three points to allocate now…that’s great!’ He thought with excitement.
“But I need to balance things out,” he murmured.
“Strength, Agility, and Chakra Capacity are my weakest points.”
He made his choices.
[Stat Point Allocation]
Strength: 3 → 4
Agility: 3 → 4
Chakra Capacity: 3 → 4
[Status Update]
Name: Hyuga Shokuhi
Level: 2
Title: The Eclipsed Spare
Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 4
Vitality: 4
Perception: 6
Chakra Capacity: 4
Chakra Control: 5
Sho smiled.
It wasn’t much…he was still below average in almost every category, but it was progress.
Real, tangible progress.
And now…
The Clone Technique requires Chakra Control: 5 and Chakra Capacity: 3.
I have both.
His heart leaped in his chest.
‘I can learn it.
I can finally learn the Clone Technique.’
He reached for the scroll on his shelf, his hand trembling with anticipation.
But before he could open it, a new notification appeared.
[New Quest Detected!]
Quest: Eyes of the Clan
Objective: Your performance against Neji has not gone unnoticed.
The clan elders are curious about your sudden improvement.
Perform well in the next clan tournament to demonstrate your growth.
Reward: 1000 Experience Points and a special passive skill
Do you accept?
[YES] / [NO]
Sho stared at the quest.
“The clan tournament?” Sho exclaimed.
It was just a small competition among the younger members of the clan.
Everyone under the age of seventeen could participate
Last year, Neji was the winner.
Of course, Sho had never participated, and neither had Hinata.
But the part that worried him was about the Clan Elders watching him.
‘Did they see my spar against Neji?…no, of course they did.’ This was the Hyuga clan after all.
Not much goes around without someone seeing it.
Since he had already gained the attention of the Elders, there was no point in holding back.
The tournament was not going to take place for another two months, just three weeks before the academy graduation.
This was an opportunity he could not pass.
“Alright System…I accept.”
[Quest Accepted: Eyes of the Clan]
Objective: Perform well in the next academy training session to demonstrate your growth.
Progress: 0/1
“Now… let’s get to work.”
Sho turned back to the Clone Technique scroll, his heart pounding with excitement.
“One thing at a time.
First, the Clone Technique.
Then, the rest.
I’m going to be a ninja.
I’m going to prove everyone wrong.”
“I’m not the spare anymore.
I’m Shokuhi Hyuga.
And I’m just getting started.”
[Status Update]
Name: Hyuga Shokuhi
Level: 2
Title: The Eclipsed Spare
Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 4
Vitality: 4
Perception: 6
Chakra Capacity: 4
Chakra Control: 5
Status Effects:
Chakra Vein Constriction (Mild) – Permanent
Chronic Fatigue – Permanent
Brittle Bones – Permanent
Byakugan Inefficiency – Permanent
Skills:
Endurance: Novice (Level 1) – Passive.
Allows the user to push the body past its normal limits for a short period of time.
Shuriken Throw: Novice (Level 3) – Passive.
Increases accuracy when throwing shuriken and kunai by 20%.
Quests Active:
Eyes of the Clan] Objective: Perform well in the next academy training session to demonstrate your growth.