The Light to His Darkness

Chapter 6

The next morning, after Pain and the others left, Aurore went with Itachi to Enkami Forest which wasn't very far from the hideout. The latter was known for the density of its trees which made it a perfect place for training and camouflage.

"Since it's your first time training, we'll take it slowly. As a ninja, you have to master certain basic techniques. The first one being the throwing of shurikens and kunais," Itachi explained.

"Shurikens and kunais? What are they exactly?" asked the girl curiously.

The Uchiha took out of his pocket a small weapon in the shape of a star and another one that looked like a knife but with a pointed end.

"This is a shuriken... And this one, a kunai... They're two traditional weapons that every ninja must have in their pocket... They're not the best for fighting but they can be very useful sometimes to create a diversion or neutralize an enemy... Sometimes, even during a hand-to-hand combat."

"I see."

"The secret to successfully master both of these weapons is to focus on the target and be fairly accurate and nimble when throwing them... You see the circles I drew on the trees?" he asked, pointing at them.

"Yeah?"

"These are your targets... To succeed in your first training, you have to successfully throw your shurikens and kunais... And right in the bullseye... Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm going to give you a small demonstration and then it will be your turn to try. Watch me very well and if you have any questions, don't hesitate."

"Okay."

With these words, the young man stood a few meters away from the targets and observed them for a long time without moving a finger. In the blink of an eye and with a very agile movement, the weapons found themselves right on the targets in the tree trunks. Aurore's eyes widened in amazement and admiration.

"Unbelievable..." she whispered to herself.

"I'm not asking you to be that nimble because it takes several practice sessions to get to that level. But try anyway," he said, turning to her.

"Okay..."

The Uchiha left his place to the young girl and went to stand a few meters away from her to observe her movements. The latter took the kunai and shuriken he had given her and focused on her targets.

"Look at them, take a deep breath, and throw them with all your force," he explained.

Aurore did as he told her and threw the shuriken towards the target, then the kunai. Unfortunately, the weapons completely missed the tree trunks which disappointed the young girl greatly.

"I…" she whispered, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

"You don't have to be embarrassed... It's just your first try, after all... I also failed mine the first time... Try again... I'm sure you'll succeed..."

"Understood."

The new recruit repositioned herself in her place and focused again before repeating her throw. This time, she stayed silent for a moment, staring at the two targets with a surprised look plastered on her face. She had succeeded in her shuriken throw and right on the bullseye. For the kunai, it was almost there.

"I can't believe it..." she whispered.

"You see... I told you..."

"I succeeded..." she said with a small proud smile on her lips.

"Having seen you doing it, it looked like you're used to it... Or even that you failed on purpose the first time..." he retorted in a cold tone.

"W-What?" the girl asked, her eyes wide in surprise.