"You did well. You didn't disgrace the Uchiha Clan. Those bastards from the Shimura family deserved a harsh lesson."
These were the words Uchiha Nan said to Uchiha Gen before leaving. The group arrived swiftly and departed just as quickly.
The small forest soon returned to silence. After that, Uchiha Shisui also bid farewell and left.
Back in the classroom, Uchiha Gen noticed Hyūga Kagami walking over to Hatake Seiko.
His ears twitched slightly as their conversation reached him.
"Seiko, if you encounter any trouble in the future, you can tell me. Aside from the Uchiha, the prestige of the Hyūga Clan can also ensure that you won't be bullied again."
Hatake Seiko looked puzzled.
"Kagami, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Hyūga Kagami replied calmly, "Didn't Uchiha Gen get into a conflict with Shimura Ken from the sixth grade because of you?"
"Yes… thanks to Gen's help. Otherwise, I would have suffered even worse humiliation from them."
As he spoke, Hatake Seiko's expression darkened.
"I'm still too weak. But Kagami, how did you know about this?"
"I heard it from a cousin of mine in the sixth grade," Hyūga Kagami said. "The matter has already spread among the Academy students. Someone saw Uchiha Gen defeat Shimura Ken's entire group by himself."
After a brief pause, he added,
"And Shimura Ken's elder brother—Shimura Nozomi—has already taken people to ambush him."
Hatake Seiko's face paled. He stood up abruptly.
"I need to find Sarutobi-sensei—!"
Before he could move, the classroom door slid open.
Uchiha Gen walked in.
"Gen! You're alright!" Hatake Seiko said in relief.
"Kagami said Shimura Ken's elder brother went looking for you."
Uchiha Gen smiled faintly.
"What could possibly happen to me? Don't forget—I'm an Uchiha."
"In Konoha," he continued calmly, "not many people are foolish enough to provoke one."
Hyūga Kagami stepped forward, his tone turning cold.
"But you don't represent the Uchiha Clan as a whole. At most, you're an outer-family member."
Uchiha Gen was completely unfazed. He glanced at Kagami indifferently.
"The Uchiha are different from the Hyūga," he said evenly.
"There is no distinction between Main Family and Branch Family."
"Everyone knows that the lives and deaths of the Hyūga Branch Family are controlled by the Main Family's cursed seal. They exist as tools."
"Both clans may be prestigious," Gen continued, his eyes sharp,
"but on this point alone, the Hyūga Clan will never measure up to the Uchiha."
The veins on Hyūga Kagami's temples bulged.
"That's enough!" he snapped.
"It's not your place to comment on the affairs of the Hyūga Clan!"
Uchiha Gen merely smiled.
"Kagami, strength is my foundation. I don't care about my clan status at all."
"I am confident that anyone who dares provoke me will understand what pain truly is."
For a brief moment, Uchiha Gen's gaze sharpened—so sharp that Hyūga Kagami instinctively looked away.
With a cold snort, Kagami turned and returned to his seat.
Hatake Seiko lowered his head apologetically.
"Gen… I'm really sorry for dragging you into trouble because of me."
Uchiha Gen waved his hand dismissively.
"Seiko, there's no need to apologize."
"Even without Kakashi-senpai's bowl of ramen," he added with a small smile,
"since I encountered it, I wouldn't have stood by and done nothing."
"Besides, I believe that if it were Kagami—or any other student—they would have stepped in as well."
From his seat, Hyūga Kagami listened quietly.
Hearing those words, his expression froze for a moment… then gradually softened.
After School
Uchiha Gen once again brought Hatake Seiko to the open training ground of the Hatake clan.
He continued guiding Seiko in basic stance training, breathing control, and the circulation of chakra throughout the body.
However, Seiko was clearly distracted today. He couldn't maintain his stance for long.
Seeing Seiko's posture slacken, Uchiha Gen picked up a branch and struck his arm.
"Seiko!" Gen shouted sternly.
"Tense your body. Focus your mind!"
Seiko immediately corrected his stance. A red welt appeared on his forearm.
Uchiha Gen stood before him and spoke calmly but firmly.
"Do you think you've caused me trouble?"
"Don't answer. Just listen."
"Helping you was my own choice—and I don't regret it."
"If you truly feel guilty," he continued,
"then cultivate more diligently."
"Train seriously. Grow stronger."
"Perhaps one day… I'll need your help."
Hatake Seiko's eyes lit up instantly. His expression became resolute, and his breathing gradually stabilized.
Seeing Seiko enter a focused state, Uchiha Gen stepped aside. His gaze wandered casually—yet several times, it lingered on Kakashi's house nearby.
Today, he felt no prying eyes. No cold aura distinct from the living.
Yet his intuition told him the truth.
Sakumo Hatake was watching.
After encountering Sakumo Hatake's lingering soul before, a bold idea had begun forming in Uchiha Gen's mind.
He wanted Sakumo Hatake to become his teacher.
Uchiha Gen understood his own shortcomings clearly.
Though his taijutsu appeared powerful, he knew its foundation lay in his heightened spiritual perception and strengthened body—gifts refined through his cultivation of Sage Arts.
If the human body were a machine, then his cultivation had upgraded his "hardware."
His perception and reaction speed far surpassed that of ordinary people.
To him, most taijutsu exchanges appeared almost like slow motion.
But his technique—the "program"—was incomplete.
His body had immense potential, yet his taijutsu lacked refined structure and efficiency.
As for ninjutsu, Gen needed more than just knowing how to perform a technique—
He needed to understand why it worked.
Neither the Uchiha Clan nor the Ninja Academy could provide that depth of understanding.
Although his knowledge from a previous life gave him insight into chakra structures and theory, many questions remained unanswered.
He needed guidance.
Someone truly proficient in ninjutsu.
Yet with his current status, he wasn't valued within the clan, and he had no one he could openly seek out.
Sakumo Hatake—Konoha's White Fang—was renowned for his peerless kenjutsu.
But the fact that Kakashi could later create techniques like Chidori and Raikiri spoke volumes about the depth of the Hatake clan's teachings.
More importantly…
Sakumo Hatake was now a lingering soul, bound by regret.
No one but Uchiha Gen could see him.
This meant Gen could conceal his growth—without fear of exposure.
To Uchiha Gen, Sakumo Hatake was the perfect solution to his current predicament.
Now, the only question was—
How should he approach Sakumo Hatake?
And—
How could he make the White Fang willing to teach him?
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