Sasuke's twin sister, But Neji's first love

Out of His Shadow

It was finally the day of the final exam. Naturally, we were running behind—thanks to Kakashi-sensei. My brow twitched in irritation.

"I swear, Sensei, if we miss the exam..." I muttered through clenched teeth.

Kakashi only smiled beneath his mask and casually performed a hand sign. In a flash, we reappeared in the center of the arena where the final round of the Chunin Exams was already underway. A gust of wind burst out from our arrival, scattering leaves across the stone floor.

"Sorry we're late," Kakashi said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "You wouldn't believe the traffic."

The proctor raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "And you two are?"

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha," my brother said confidently.

"And I'm Ryuko Uchiha," I finished coolly, folding my arms as the crowd erupted into cheers at the sound of our names.

The proctor scanned his clipboard and gave a nod. "Ryuko, your match is first. Stay down here. The rest of you—head to the viewing area."

I gave a silent nod. Kakashi and Sasuke began walking away.

"Good luck, Ryuko," Kakashi said with an encouraging glance.

Sasuke smirked and gave me a knowing nod before turning and heading up the stairs.

"Akio Tsukigare, step down to the main floor!" the proctor called out.

A girl wearing a Leaf Village headband descended into the arena. Her eyes locked onto mine, narrowed with pure hostility.

"You think you're so cool with that dramatic entrance, huh?" she snapped.

I barely spared her a glance, choosing instead to inspect my nails just to get under her skin.

"HEY! I'm talking to you!" she barked, her voice sharp and strained with annoyance.

I ignored her.

"I'll kick your ass!" she shouted.

I looked up at her lazily, my expression flat. "Tch. I'd like to see you try."

The proctor raised his hand between us. "Okay! Ready... Begin!"

The moment the word left his lips, the air snapped with tension.

Akio lunged forward with a furious cry, kunai drawn, slashing through the air with brute speed. She was fast, but wild. Her strikes lacked precision.

She's relying on aggression, I thought, coolly stepping to the side. At the last second, I pivoted, and her blade sliced through empty space, barely grazing my cheek.

I brought my leg up sharply, catching her in the stomach. She gasped and stumbled backward, clutching her side.

"You're going to have to do better than that," I said, calmly lowering into the stance Kakashi had drilled into me a hundred times over.

"Cocky bitch!" she spat and surged forward again, this time disappearing in a burst of smoke—Substitution Jutsu.

From above, she descended with twin kunai aimed at my shoulders.

I didn't flinch.

Sharingan.

My eyes burned red as I activated my dōjutsu, the world slowing around me. Every movement was crystal clear.

I twisted mid-step, narrowly evading her kunai, then dropped low and swept her legs from under her with a smooth, controlled kick. She crashed to the arena floor with a thud but rolled back up, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Not bad," she growled. "But you think your stupid red eyes are gonna win this for you?"

I didn't answer.

Instead, I raised my hand, and lightning chakra crackled to life in my palm.

Sparks danced and snapped violently, lighting the space around us in flickering blue.

Her eyes widened. "What the hell is that—?!"

"Chidori," I said, my voice cold. "Let's see if you can handle this."

I lowered myself into the stance Kakashi had taught me—right foot back, left foot forward, arm extended, chakra condensing rapidly. The high-pitched shriek of a thousand birds filled the arena.

I launched forward.

The world blurred around me. The Chidori blazed in my hand as I weaved through a minefield of paper bombs, leaping over one and sliding under the next with calculated grace. Akio threw down a smoke bomb and followed with a wind-style jutsu.

I tore through it all.

She was still forming her next hand seal when I reached her, inches from her chest. Her breath caught as she raised her arms in panic.

But I veered to the side at the last moment, slamming the Chidori into the wall just beside her head.

CRACK!
The stone exploded on impact, sending shockwaves through the arena and raining debris around us. The wall behind her split with a thunderous sound, and the shock of it froze her completely.

She trembled, wide-eyed, unable to breathe.

I leaned in close, voice low as frost.
"If I wanted to kill you... you'd already be dead."

Her kunai slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground.

"I... I forfeit," she whispered, collapsing to her knees.

The proctor stepped forward, stunned. Then he raised his hand.
"Winner: Ryuko Uchiha!"

The arena erupted into thunderous applause. Some spectators stood, cheering my name. I turned my back to Akio without another word and walked calmly toward the edge of the arena, deactivating my Sharingan.

Sasuke stood in the stands with his arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. Kakashi gave me a subtle nod, his visible eye creasing in approval.

I returned the smirk and made my way to the viewing area. As I joined my team and the rest of the rookies, Naruto jumped up excitedly.

"Whoa, Ryuko, that was so cool!" he exclaimed.

I nodded in acknowledgment and turned to face Sasuke.

"You're up next. Ready to face Gaara?" I asked.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, smirking and giving a nod.

"Good luck with your match, brother. Be careful with him," I murmured as he walked away. I knew he heard me—he gave a small nod without turning around.

Something felt different after my fight.

For once, I wasn't just Sasuke's twin.

I was Ryuko Uchiha.
And I had arrived