"Do your best, Shino," Shin said softly to the boy standing beside him.
Shino gave a small nod and stepped forward. From the other side, Kiba shouted words of encouragement, his voice loud and full of energy.
Opposite Shino, a boy with pineapple-shaped hair named Shikamaru also walked out from his group. He looked completely uninterested, his expression slack and bored. Shin didn't know much about him only that he loved sleeping. It was exactly what Shikamaru had said during his introduction on the first day of school: his hobby was sleeping.
Shikamaru always hung around with a plump boy named Akimichi Choji.
The Nara clan… isn't that one of the secret technique families too? Shin mused silently.
"Form the seal of confrontation," Iruka instructed once the two boys had taken their places.
Shino and Shikamaru exchanged the traditional pre-duel gesture.
"Please go easy on me."
Shino struck first, dashing straight toward Shikamaru with surprising speed.
"What a drag..." Shikamaru sighed as he shifted into a defensive stance, his tone utterly devoid of enthusiasm. "I really don't want to fight, but if I lose too easily, I'll get stuck with weekend make-up classes. What a pain."
He blocked Shino's straight punch with his forearms and countered the low kick with his knee. The two exchanged quick probes, then leapt apart simultaneously to reset the distance.
Hard to get a read on him, Shino thought, narrowing his eyes.
Let's try again.
Not much power... Shikamaru quickly made his assessment. He's probably more about speed and technique.
Once more, Shino closed the distance, his fists clenched as he charged. They clashed at close range, their limbs striking with practiced force. Shikamaru stood firm, absorbing Shino's blows without giving ground.
Thud!
Another punch met resistance. Shino clicked his tongue inwardly. He yanked his hand back and pivoted to the left, shifting his weight. With a swift turn, he whipped out a roundhouse kick aimed at Shikamaru's side.
Shikamaru blocked with a bent elbow and immediately raised his knee for an upward strike.
There was a dull thump. Pain flared through Shino's shin. Before he could recover, Shikamaru grabbed his leg with both hands and pushed upward.
His balance shattered, Shino fell hard onto his back.
Ignoring the pain, he immediately rolled backward and tried to rise. But the ache in his right leg made it difficult to stabilize his weight shifted entirely to his left side.
"Shino's in trouble," Shin murmured, watching his classmate stumble.
"What should we do?" Kiba sounded genuinely worried.
Shin already knew the outcome was almost certain. The gap between their taijutsu skills was clear if it wasn't, the fight wouldn't have turned so one-sided so quickly.
Seeing his opponent falter, Shikamaru made his first aggressive move. Shino hurriedly raised his guard.
Shikamaru darted in. He swung a wide right hook at Shino's face, the blow fast and heavy.
Shino's instincts screamed at him to dodge. He leaned back, his head tilting just as the fist whooshed past, close enough to feel the wind from it.
Crap! Shino's heart jolted. His already unsteady stance collapsed under the backward motion.
Exactly as he feared.
Shikamaru retracted his right fist and delivered a light jab with his left, disrupting Shino's balance further. Then, his left foot swept behind Shino's leg.
Shino's body flew backward, completely airborne. Before he could hit the ground, Shikamaru grabbed him by the collar and slammed him down.
Dazed, Shino blinked up at the hand raised above his face Shikamaru's palm, poised like a blade, hovered just a centimeter from his forehead.
"Winner: Nara Shikamaru."
…
Lying on the ground, Shino stared up, momentarily stunned. It wasn't until Shikamaru formed the seal of reconciliation that he blinked back into focus.
"You alright?" Shikamaru asked, surprisingly considerate.
"I'm fine." Shino returned the seal, and with Shikamaru's help, got back to his feet.
He stood still for a moment, brushing the dust off his uniform.
"Thanks for the match," they said to each other politely.
"Shino, your taijutsu is barely passable," Iruka commented, checking his clipboard. "You'll need to put in more work during practice."
"Yes, sir."
"As for you, Shikamaru your performance was decent. But if you keep slacking off, Shino's going to surpass you sooner or later."
"Yeah, yeah…" Shikamaru replied with a yawn.
"I said, listen when I'm talking to you!" Iruka snapped.
"Yes, sir! Thank you for your hard work!" Shikamaru instantly bowed with exaggerated politeness.
"…This kid, honestly." Iruka sighed, massaging his forehead.
The two boys rejoined the class.
"Alright, next match"
"You okay, Shino?" Shin asked as he returned.
"I'm fine," Shino replied with a shake of his head. "I just lost. That's all."
"It's alright, Shino. Next time we have taijutsu training, I'll help you get revenge," Kiba said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
"You think you can beat him?" Shin asked.
"What? You're doubting me now?" Kiba bared his teeth, clearly offended.
Shin gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing. The look said everything.
Kiba fumed.
"In a sparring match, Kiba might actually be stronger," Shino offered diplomatically.
"See! Shino gets it," Kiba said, beaming.
"But you still wouldn't walk away unscathed," Shino added.
"Tch. You won't know until I try," Kiba said, lifting his chin confidently.
Shino just shook his head, letting it go.
In the center of the training ground, two less notable classmates were currently exchanging blows. Their taijutsu was average at best, but they still put on a spirited fight.
Eventually, a winner emerged it was the one with slightly better stamina.
"Next match…" Iruka flipped through his roster after the two boys stepped aside.
"Takemiya Shin."
Huh? Me? Shin blinked in surprise.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
The field went quiet.
Shin turned to look at Sasuke. Their eyes met Sasuke's gaze sharp, alert, brimming with anticipation.
"Whoa, you're up against that smug Sasuke?" Kiba said with excitement. "You gotta beat him, Shin!"
"This might be the top two in the class going head-to-head," Shino observed.
"And what about me?" Kiba grumbled.
"Can you throw shuriken better than Sasuke?" Shino asked.
Kiba: "…"
"Do you score higher than Shin in theory?" Shino continued.
Kiba: "…"
"There are only three classes so far," Shino concluded calmly.
Kiba huffed and looked away.
Shin smiled, watching their banter, then stepped out of the line.
Sasuke was already waiting, his eyes bright with competitive fire.
That guy's always ahead of me with shuriken. But in taijutsu? Not a chance, Shin thought.
His skills weren't something honed over just a few months at this academy. Even if his body was still that of a child, his technique and experience far exceeded everyone here everyone except maybe Iruka.
Though Iruka was a Chūnin, Shin wasn't sure what that really meant. He hadn't seen him fight, so he had no basis for comparison.
Besides, in his previous life, hand-to-hand combat wasn't exactly his primary style either…
"Form the seal of confrontation."
"Let's have a good match."
Shin and Sasuke bowed and exchanged the proper gesture.
"Go, Sasuke-kun! You can do it!"
"Shin, beat him!"
"Let's go, Sasuke!"
"Shin is so cool!"
Squeals and cheers erupted from behind them swooning girls for Sasuke, while most of the boys rooted for Shin.
Sasuke took his stance, eyes sharp, brows furrowed. He looked serious and excited.
Shin mirrored him, lowering his center of gravity into a guarded posture. But he had no intention of making the first move.
Looks like Sasuke's thinking the same. Neither of them moved, locked in a silent standoff.
"What are they doing?" Kiba asked after a moment, puzzled.
"Neither wants to go first," Shino answered.
Just as he finished speaking, Sasuke could no longer hold back he dashed forward.
You are tasked with translating my own novel from it's original chinese language to English. The novel is rich in cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and unique stylistic elements. Be assured that this novel is my own. Your goals are:
1.Maintain the Author's Voice: Preserve the original tone, style, and emotional depth of the text, ensuring that the translation feels authentic to the author's intent.
2.Cultural Nuances: Identify and adapt cultural references, idioms, and traditions to make them relatable to English-speaking readers while retaining their original significance.
3.Engaging and Accessible Language: Use clear, engaging language that captures the reader's interest without compromising the original meaning.
4.Contextual Understanding: Consider the historical and social context of the novel to provide accurate interpretations of characters' motivations and actions.
5.Feedback and Revision: After completing the initial translation, seek feedback from native speakers of both languages to refine the text and enhance clarity.
6.Precision and Consistency: Maintains the integrity of the source text by ensuring accurate and consistent translation of key terms, names, and narrative details throughout the entire text, preserving the essence and flow of the story.
7.Sophisticated Cultural Adaptation: Skillfully interprets culturally nuanced expressions and concepts, translating them into English equivalents that resonate with readers while staying true to the original meaning and context.
8.Enhanced Readability: Seamlessly restructures complex and dense Chinese prose into fluid, natural English that retains the intent and clarity of the original, ensuring the translated work reads as if it were originally written in English.
9.Emotional and Tonal Fidelity: Captures and preserves the emotional intensity and subtleties of the original text, ensuring that pivotal scenes and character interactions evoke the same depth and resonance for English readers.
10.Literary Device Adaptation: Carefully adapts or maintains literary elements like symbolism, metaphors, and idiomatic expressions, ensuring they carry the same narrative and thematic impact in English as they do in Chinese, while offering creative solutions when direct translations are insufficient.
Name Sensitivity and Accuracy: Approach names with a deep understanding of their linguistic, cultural, and symbolic significance in the original text. Analyze each name carefully to determine whether it should be translated phonetically, adapted for meaning, or preserved in its original form. Ensure that translated names remain consistent and contextually appropriate throughout the text, reflecting characters' backgrounds, relationships, and the cultural nuances embedded in their identities.
Remove all Em dash!
Please correct the name of the character
Start with the following text, focusing on the elements above: