"Begin!"
Iruka's hand dropped.
Kiba shot forward like a bullet.
Fast.
Wild.
Exactly like Ren expected.
"I'm not holding back!" Kiba barked, leaping in with a wide swinging kick aimed high.
Ren didn't flinch.
His feet shifted half a step.
The kick missed by inches.
He's leading with aggression. No rhythm. Too much flash, not enough structure.
Kiba's other leg came up — spinning low now, a sweeping arc aimed to trip.
Ren jumped. A light motion, just enough height to clear it.
As he came down, his eyes never left Kiba.
"Fast reaction," Kiba growled. "Let's see how fast you are when I get serious!"
He rushed in again, fists flying.
Ren ducked under the first.
Redirected the second with a tilt of his shoulder.
Blocked the third with his forearm.
Then—struck.
A short jab to Kiba's exposed side. Clean. Controlled. Not meant to injure — just remind.
Kiba gasped, stumbling back a few steps, hand clutching his ribs.
The class went silent.
Shikamaru opened one eye. "Huh…"
Sasuke leaned forward slightly.
Iruka's eyebrows rose.
Kiba growled. "Lucky shot."
He charged again — reckless now.
Ren pivoted.
One hand to redirect Kiba's strike. Another to sweep his feet.
Kiba hit the dirt.
Hard.
And before he could rise, Ren was already standing over him.
Still calm.
Still breathing evenly.
Iruka stepped in.
"Match over. Winner: Ren Uzumaki."
A few stunned whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Did he even get hit…?"
"He made that look easy…"
"He doesn't even blink…"
Kiba pushed himself up, panting, but not angry.
"Tch. Alright, fine… you got me."
Ren offered a hand.
Kiba looked at it.
Then took it.
Behind them, Naruto practically exploded.
"YEAH! That's my brother!"
Ren walked back, brushing dust off his pants.
Naruto held out his fist.
Ren bumped it without a word.
Just then, Ren's eyes flicked sideways.
Sasuke.
Still watching. Silent. Calculating.
Ren stared right back.
Their gazes locked — the genius of the Uchiha and the silent shadow of the Uzumaki.
Then, without warning—
Ren pulled his cheeks wide, crossed his eyes, and stuck out his tongue.
A full-on, dumb, ridiculous face.
Naruto lost it.
"PFFTT—RENNN! WHAT—HAHAHA—WHAT WAS THAT?!"
A few students turned, confused. Even Shino blinked.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed — not angry, just caught off guard.
He looked away, scowling lightly.
Ren dropped the face like it never happened.
Voice calm, flat:
"If you mess with one Uzumaki…"
Naruto beamed, finishing the line with a grin:
"You get both!"
Iruka sighed heavily from across the field. "This is going to be a long year…"
But as the dust settled and the students returned to line up…
The bond between the twins glowed just a little brighter.
A storm and a shadow.
Different in every way.
But unbreakable, side by side.