Chapter 11: Flags
The note concealed between the sides of his notebook managed to flavor the blandness of the following lessons.
Isui thought about what he was able to find out about the boy.
Given his age, Iwabee should have graduated this year. That the teachers did not let him pass meant that, in their eyes, he lacked what it took to become a genin. It raised a yellow flag in Isuis's head.
What did it take to become a genin? Isui wrecked his brain.
Bravery.
The will to succeed.
Loyalty.
The possession of a decree of mental and physical strength was required too.
Isui mentally shook his head. He pondered too hard. His thoughts were all over the place.
Iwabee had a problem. He would learn about it by speaking to him or during the fight.
At least this Iwabee seemed a little smarter than the bullies Sarada faced, or perhaps he had even more pride than this Toma guy.
An invitation via note.
One-on-One.
Alone.
Basement.
The boy had a fancy for the theatrical. At least Isui would not die from boredom. He loved suspenseful stories and a good sense of flashiness.
Isui closed his eyes and concentrated on the warm feeling of his chakra underneath his skin.
Isui wondered how strong he was. Facing someone who should have finished the academy would be a good comparison. It could not be any better.
Isui did not mind walking off a fight with a few bruises. It meant that he still had room to grow.
A rival.
Another rival that would challenge him to grow as Shikadai and Boruto did. It was a tasteful thought.
"Isui Uchiha."
Isui looked up. His hands were still in his bag as he concentrated on Shino-sensei.
His teacher gestured for him to come in front of the teacher's desk.
Isui shoved the last book into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He walked over.
Shino-sensei held a stack of papers out to him.
"Please bring those to Boruto. He is to these exercises so he does not fall behind the curriculum."
"Of curse, sensei."
Isui bowed as he took the papers with both hands.
"Have a good day, sensei."
Isui bowed for a second time and turned to leave.
"Are you bored?"
The spark of surprise split the backness of Isui's eyes. He paused, and the papers in his hands crackled.
"I thought so."
Shino-sensei kneaded his chin.
"Your file mentioned that you are a shooting star considering the shinobi arts. As your homeroom teacher, I want to tell you that there are consultation hours you can take with me if you have questions that exceed the academy curriculum."
Isui's eyes widened a bit before his rational part unloaded a bucket full of water onto his brain. The cold douse washed the slight hope that had been dangerously fast bloating like a balloon in the back of his mind away. He should not get too excited.
"I also want to warn you not to experiment without supervision and tell your sister she is welcome, too."
So it is damage control. Better offering the students help before they do something stupid. Isui wondered how many shinobi trainees got this privilege since Shino-sensei did not see it fit to make the offer for all students in the class. Always view the world through a magnifying glass, he reminded himself.
His sensei reeked of disinfectant and Ichiraku ramen broth.
Ugh. Isui did not want to be a nepotism baby.
"Yes, sensei.", he said dryly.
Isui bowed for a third time.
"Have a good day," said Shino-sensei, ending the conversation.
Isui was pleased. The fact that he had to deliver the papers gave him an excuse to get rid of Sarada.
"Well, then, how about we go get some mochi?" Cho Cho hooked her arm around Saradas, smiling at her. Sarada nodded at her friend's rhetorical question and glanced at Isui for a last time before Cho Cho dragged her off.
"See ya at home, Nii-chan."
"Yes. I will be home so we can make supper." Isui called and waited at the academy entrance until the girls crossed the gate and turned left, disappearing behind the wall surrounding the school building.
He turned and made his way down the stairs to the basement.
"You are late."
Iwabee Yuino leaned against the grey wall. He had crossed his arms in front of his chest. A metal staff pressed in between them. Half of his face was dark from the shadow of his red hat.
He looked up and revealed his eyes. With their eyelids drawn down, they appeared more angular. Pride had hardened the chocolate brown ires, but Isui caught the gleaming needles of confidence quivering ever so slightly in the pupils.
"Compared to you, I am no lone wolf," he answered.
Isui let his shoulders slack and put his hands in the pockets of his trousers. His face was indifferent as he felt Iwabee analyzing him.
"Well. I heard that your alpha got himself suspended for two weeks."
Isui's eyes narrowed.
"Since I started with these ridiculous wolf allegories, I can tell you that the only person I would consider my alpha is somewhere sitting in the sun enjoying sweets with her best friend."
"Your sister is strong."
"Yes, she is."
Isui heard the proud smirk in his voice.
Iwabee dislodged from the wall and slid into a fighting stance. He stood sideways and held his staff with both hands, pointing at Isui.
"Listen here, Isui, compared to me, Toma and his lackey are only little fish with no real talent or dignity in the shinobi way, the pathway reserved for the truly strongest." Iwabee's voice had hit the high note at the last part of the sentence.
"Tell your friends to remember that or..."
"Or, what?" Isui cut him off.
Until that, Isui somewhat agreed with what the elder boy had said, but Iwabee seemed to have talked himself into a rage and started to mix up some things in his mind, revealing his problems to Isui. The yellow flags that had made the teachers not pass him.
Not breaking eye contact with the elder boy, Isui mulled over what he had observed.
Iwabee had developed somewhat of a boss complex. He saw himself above the students of the ninja academy.
Strenghwise, he might be, but he intended to drag his friends into whatever shit he was in. He planned to make his new classmates pay for the shame Iwabee felt for his failure. He had watched Saradas fight and concluded that he could beat the one twin, but now he wanted to beat the other.
Iwabee wanted to make an example out of Isui.
Isui wanted to beat this guy up. He slit into stance and glared at Iwabee, challenging him.
No Sharingan, a feminine voice echoed in his head.
Iwabee said nothing, but his body tensed up. His stature resembled a boulder.
No one spoke.
There was the sound of water sloshing through the pipes in the wall.
The light above them flickered.
Isuis eyes pinned onto the staff.
Compared to Iwabee, he was weaponless.
Isui's mouth twisted. He should have insisted on a fight with bare hands. Now it was too late.
Iwabee's eyes lit up further as he saw the twitch. His grip hardened on the metal as if to mock and scare him.
Iwabee drew out the start of the fight. It proved that the boy had battle experience and good combat sense.
A mental attack.
The mental attack was fruitless against Isui, who used the time to think.
He needed to take advantage of Iwabee's reliance on the staff. It was a complicated task that required creativity.
So?
What would Boruto do?
A memory flashed in front of his eyes. To Isui's surprise, it had not his brother in it.
It happened two weeks ago. Isui finally managed to press his mother into more training after he had analyzed and copied two shinobi walking up the wall of a shop. At least, he tried to because his mother, who was with him, had spoiled the fun and slapped her hand over his eyes. A home, she scolded him again, and after an argument, his mother for once resigned and promised Isui to train him properly.
After an afternoon of training, he jumped through the trees like a squirrel when he landed on a young branch that could not hold his weight. Stiff with shock, he flopped straight into his mother's chest. He felt the vibrations of her laughter in her chest as she laid him over her shoulder like a newborn that needed to burb. His face felt hot.
"The secret is to focus all the sticky chakra on one point and swing with the branch for a second before jumping again," she said.
Iwabee attacked, swinging his staff at him.
Isui rushed charka down his legs and jumped. Midflight, he molded the energy on the soles of his feet. The toes curled into the material of his sandals. He focused on the charka in the front of his foot, imagining little circles where his tiptoes were, and stuck himself onto the thin body of the staff.
Every bit of Iwabee's attention got sucked in by two pitch-black holes. His facial features widened. Isui's image vanished from the wet reflection of Iwabee's eyes.
Iwabee's eyelashes fluttered.
The picture of a knife piercing his throat flashed through him as two fingers seared the hairs on his neck.
"You lost."
A chill runs down his body.
He jerked, wiping his head around to look at the boy behind him, before clenching his teeth as his right leg met resistance, causing him to stumble onto his knees. His vision was blurry as his brain tried to keep up with the situation. His hands made contact with the smooth surface of the flooring. Then he felt the cool metal of his staff pressed against his neck.
Iwabee's vision cleared in that instance.
He had lost.
He could not believe it.
Isui stood, the fancy metal staff in hand, behind his opponent. Despite his victory, his face still held a stern expression since the matter was not over.
"I do not care about your little games. But should you decide to unload your frustration on my sister or my friends again, then be prepared for a serious counterattack on my part. Understood?"
Isui watched as Iwabee nodded. He lifted the staff from his neck and treaded it between the kneeing boy's arms, letting it go after one of Iwabee's hands gripped it. He still looked away from Isui.
"Good, now that we concluded our squabble. I am looking forward to our joint training."
As the words left Isui's mouth, Iwabbe looked up in astonishment. He stood up, facing the black-haired boy.
"What?"
Isui gave him a small smile. His face was now completely relaxed.
"I mean it. Grudges hold no meaning to me. See you tomorrow."
With that, Isui left his stunned classmate standing in the hallway.
"Thank you for the papers, Isui."
"No problem, ba-san."
Isui smiled up at his aunt's face. He turned and left, having fulfilled his task.
He had walked down the street, intending to go home, when suddenly he came face to face with Boruto. Isui raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
Before he could end his question, Boruto dematerialized into smoke. A letter swayed where his brother stood just a second ago.
Isui fished it out of the air and opened it.
In the envelope was a note and a few yen. Puzzled about the money, Isui unfolded the paper.
"Hey Isui,
something weird happened to me, and I meant very weird. You know about the train. Denki Kaminarimon was resposible for it. But here is the twist. I saw an ominous aura around him and knew it controlled him because he could not remember anything when I woke him up. The energy vanished from him. Keep your eyes open for me, okay? I keep the letter short because I do not know if Ka-chan spies on me.
Boruto."
Isui stared at the letter in disbelief. He shook the onslaught of questions out of his head. It would be pointless to overthink the situation now. He had to trust Boruto, but what's with the money?
Isui turned the paper.
"Please get me some burgers. I am starving."
Isui's eyes burned holes into the paper.
That Idiot.
Playing detective was one thing, but Boruto conveniently had forgotten to give him a plan he could use to bypass fast food under his aunt's eyes.
Well.
Brother or not, it meant that Boruto would have to starve.
Poor guy.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
LiaSophia
LiaSophia Fun Fact:
Isui has an endearing love-hate relationship with his mother's chest.
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