42 42 Being born a Uchiha with bad eyesigh (1/2)
I was 5 years old when I notice the lack of focus on my eyesight. Up until then I was doing fine in my grades, well self-studying since I was learning my kanji and my basic Hiragana. At the same time it was my year I join the academy, thanks to my awesome dad who was a re-known Uchiha even thought he was from the far of branch. With my dad's training that he gave me I was in top physical condition, dad also assure me that I had more than enough chakra for me to be able to pass.
The day came for the exam entrance trials, I was assure that since I been train by my dad I was going to be able to pass it no problem. I even had the confidence I could maybe surpass the 5 minute record for the obstacle course. Once it was my turn, I started like lighting dodging and cruising the course with no problem. I even manage to break the record with my time of 4:55 seconds! Much too my dismay I was not the top ranker on the obstacle course. Out of nowhere this civilian kids surpass even me. I understand why Kakashi beat me, he was the clan heir for the Hatake so he was train most likely by his father who is even re-known even by the Uchiha, as the White Fang.
What I didn't get or couldn't get into my head was how Gekko, Kusei and even a girl name Gal manage to beat my record. They all had civilian backgrounds and that just didn't seat well with me. My dad and most of the family had decree to us that we were much more superior to the civilian. Heck even among the clans we were consider an Elite Clan. This totally broke me a little, I just couldn't raise my head on the way back home.
I just wish I did better, I couldn't know the results of the 2nd exam since that was mostly private and was monitored by a Hyuuga. As for the 3rd exam I was appalled, I know I did well showing my intercepted fist style of the Uchiha. I was confident that I was most likely qualified. But all that change the moment Gekko, Kusei and Asuma went up against their Chunnin who were testing them. They all were tyrannical as they defeated their proctors leaving them in shame.
One thing I noticed was that for some reason their fighting style resemble or was pretty similar to each other. It almost look like they train the same katas but with different approach. Well that was the feeling I was getting since my eyesight was not that good and each day it was getting a little more blurry. I was actually concern, well just a little but I just couldn't confront or even tell my dad about it. My dad was known for being one of the best the side branch had raised. Since my dad awaken his sharingan at the age of 10 years old.
Finally the day of the result came and there was allot of people looking at the academy board. I did manage to pass and at that it looked like I manage to enter class 1-A were the most promising students are put in. While browsing I noticed that the civilian Gekko, Kusei, and some Raido manage to get in the class. I really didn't know what to think about it. I couldn't deny they were exceptional and they deserve to be on the class, but this just show how I was lacking. Me who is from a Elite Clan being surpassed by civilians…..It only showed I was not trying hard enough and that most likely I was lax with my training. My dad might think I was good but maybe it meant that the standards of our clan had dropped quite allot over the years.
Three months passed in the academy, my eyesight has finally stopped getting worse but you could say it was at a really late stage by then. My vision was too blurry I could only see clearly up to 3 feet away after that everything became blurry. I can still walk around and stuff no problem but I missed allot of details. Face recognition was one of them; I needed to hear their voice too to figure out who they were before they could reach my 4 to 5 feet limit to see clearly.
Because of that I mostly looked like I was in a bad mood but actually I was squinting even during class since I wanted to see the board clearly. I even chose one of the front seats near the teacher, If I didn't understand something from the board, well everything went to the drain. I was to prideful to even ask the teacher. That was one of the reasons my grades were not that good, my dad didn't notice since he just thought that I didn't like studying, and he actually worried more about results than paper work.
I notice that the top students of the class always talk together allot in class or hang together after school to do activities I didn't know but was curious. I dig a little and discovered that they actually were in a type of private club that Asuma started to train on the way of the sword. They call themselves as the Sword Club members, and the thing about it is that everyone who was on it, were the top students of the class! I needed to join that club, I really never thought about using a sword since, only Anbu use them. It was rare for any other ninja using anything else apart from shurinkens and Kunais.
That didn't matter as I wanted to get stronger, I wanted to make my dad proud and also show the main branch that exceptional Uchiha's could come out from the side branch. Allot of the other Uchihas had been ridiculing me only because my mom was a non Uchiha. I really love my mom, sadly she didn't had good eye sight and she wear glasses. I inherited her far sighted problems but also her beautiful dark brown hair and brown eyes.
The day came and made my decision to approach the son of the Hokage. I don't know if my approach was a little forceful or not but I gave him my confirmation of me being interested on joining his sword club. He gave me some papers and told me to answer the questions; it had some weird pictures on the papers. I never seen this type of tests, either way I did my best. After he saw my answers he refused my application, since the test was actually for my eyesight. He told me I needed that to be corrected first before even deciding to join. That hurt my pride allot since he was basically refusing a Uchiha to join. I had to swallow whatever pride I had and was honest to him on why I haven't yet corrected it. I really didn't want to tell my father about my problems with my eyes. But if I wanted to improve myself I needed to confront my fears.
That same day I went up to my father and told him I had problems with my eyes since I couldn't see clearly from far away. My dad had a ashamed face, I at the beginning thought it was because of my weak eyes. No, he was ashamed I didn't go to him earlier before the problem rise for worse. He told me he was not sad for me but sad for not confide to him. He understood that most likely it was related to my mother but he didn't hate her, since he loves her very much.
So after a heartfelt discussion, my dad sent me to the medical facilities and had my eyes to be check. They manage to get the some glasses with dark brim rims but I told them I wanted some googles, similar to the Uchiha Obito kid. They were more practical since they wouldn't fall off during a fight and will at the same time protect my eyes from dust or debry. Since I wanted custom googles instead it took them 3 days for them to be delivered.
Once I finally got my googles I join finally the Sword Club. Asuma was very approachable, and told me about his goals, ambitions and what the sword club could do for me. I received some sword manuals to learn and memorize since this was the foundation for my sword skills. Being in the sword club benefited me allot. Tai jutsu training was hell but totally worth the results since my speed and power jump by several folds within some months of training. My dad knowing I was doing swordsmanship taught me the Uchiha's Counter Sword style which derives from the Uchiha's intercepting fist. He also was proud and happy for me for making some friends since I was much a loner. Me being taller than most and with my thick eyebrows I kind of gave a intimidating looks.
I wanted to prove myself so I constantly challenge Gekko to sword fights. Gekko even for being a civilian was born for the sword, I could tell. I really could not beat him at all. His tai jutsu was above mine and he started sword training much earlier so I was always at disadvantage. Me pushing myself even harder to try to not shame the Uchiha name begun training even at home. My dad was proud, but my mom was concerned that I was cutting hours of my sleep. I just couldn't let civilian ninjas leaving me behind!
On one of my fights with Gekko, my emotions were sky high since constantly losing can get to you psychologically. I the pent up emotions just hit me in waves and all of the sudden I could see Gekko's moves clearly and I could even see how Gekko was distributing his chakra when certain movements that required insane speed moved. I had awakened my sharingan at last!
That day I was so happy, still the fight ended on Gekko winning since I never used sharingan before and my chakra was being drain a little more than usual. My dad said it was normal since it was my first time and exhaustion will eventually go away the more proficient I become with my eyes giving me more extended time with my sharingan usage.
Sadly, attaining sharingan didn't correct my far sightness, I still needed to use my prescription googles. Since I now had friends, well comrades I spoke to the closes one or the one I trusted the most which was Asuma. I told him about my concerns, he just told me to not worry about it since in the future he was going to learn medicine and find a way to repair my eyes. I really doubted him since is not like you can just promise or blur out such things. I didn't take it personal but I didn't found any lies on his behalf meaning he actually believes he could do it.
Asuma teach me allot about swordsmanship, especially the ones he develop. He didn't directly teach me Sword God style but challenge me to learn it by myself using my sharingan. He told me the best way to evolve such eyes most likely would be by challenging them. So I did, but my surprise Asuma invited a Hyuuga to the group. I immediately didn't like him just because of that, I know we didn't even knew each other but Uchiha's and Hyuuga's have always had a competition of kinds proclaiming to be the best eye clan in Konoha.
So now I aim at this Hyuuga known as Po, he indeed managed to caught up to the group fast, but then again their clan revolves on tai jutsu. What surprise me about him was even thought he was fat he was so nimble and flexible. Thanks to his eyes he could see any attack approach him from any angle. I was actually jealous since he didn't have any eye defects. So I constantly threw insults to the Fat Hyuuga, he responding in kind mocking me.
Over time Po grew on me as my insults now were more like a plaything and didn't actually have ill intent as on the beginning of our meeting. A thing I learn from Asuma is that a problem tends to come from one self and the way to beat them is by self-improvement. Even Asuma was not ashamed to ask for help with fire jutsus, he wanted to get really good with fire elemental control.
Since he ask I teach him what I knew since I was really good with my fire release. In the process of teaching him I also improved myself as I notice I was not being the most efficient with my chakra. What I learn from Asuma was that it was not only air that fuel fires but Oxygen some invisible particle that composes air. He even gave me a example by showing me how a candle got extinguished when a glass cup cover it, cutting the Oxygen/air from it turning the fire off.