Hatake Seiko had never felt time pass so slowly. Every minute and every second felt like torture.
At this moment, his muscles trembled uncontrollably. Steam rose faintly from his body like mist, and his clothes were completely soaked with sweat.
After an unknown period of time, Hatake Seiko could no longer endure it. His body swayed, and he was about to collapse.
Swish!
Uchiha Gen's figure flickered as he appeared beside Hatake Seiko, steadying him with one hand.
"Not bad," Gen said calmly. "You held on for one minute and twenty-six seconds longer than yesterday. That means your physical foundation is solid, and standing meditation is starting to show results."
Hatake Seiko panted heavily, too exhausted to reply.
After resting briefly, he forced himself upright and began sparring with Uchiha Gen in taijutsu.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Amid the sharp exchanges, Uchiha Gen remained rooted in place, his right hand moving with effortless precision as he blocked every strike.
After dozens of attacks, Hatake Seiko failed to react in time. Uchiha Gen seized the opening and landed a clean kick to his face, sending him flying.
Hatake Seiko rolled across the ground and scrambled back to his feet, clutching his nose as blood streamed down.
"Gen-kun," he complained weakly, "that kick was way too heavy."
Uchiha Gen stretched, his joints cracking softly. He raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly.
"Sorry. Taking hits is also an important part of taijutsu training. Besides, the opening you exposed just now was far too obvious. I couldn't help myself."
---
By a small stream near the Hatake clan grounds, several cleaned fish were skewered on wooden branches and roasted over a bonfire.
Uchiha Gen sat cross-legged on a rock, holding a golden-brown fish. He carefully tore off small pieces and ate at an unhurried pace.
Splash.
Water suddenly burst upward as Hatake Seiko leapt from the stream onto the bank. In his hands was a large fish, over a foot long.
He quickly scaled and gutted it, rinsed it clean, and skewered it beside the fire. Then he grabbed a finished fish and devoured it in seconds.
One fish became two.
Two became four.
By the time he stopped, six roasted fish were gone.
"My stomach finally feels full," Hatake Seiko said, wiping grease from the corner of his mouth. "Gen-kun, ever since I started training the way you taught me, my appetite has gone crazy."
Uchiha Gen casually tossed aside the fish bones in his hand.
"You know about the Akimichi Clan's Partial Expansion Jutsu, right?"
Hatake Seiko nodded. "Of course. They can enlarge parts of their bodies—sometimes even becoming giants."
"I don't understand their technique in detail," Gen continued, "but one thing is certain: the body has to be strong enough to support that kind of expansion."
"It's said that before Akimichi learn their secret techniques, they undergo special physical training. That's why they're always eating."
The shinobi world, no matter how extraordinary, still obeyed the law of energy consumption.
"The standing meditation I taught you works the same way. It continuously strengthens your body. Naturally, it also increases how much energy you need—so you get hungry faster."
Hatake Seiko froze.
Although the Hatake Clan was small, it still had a long shinobi legacy. He immediately realized how valuable this method was—something with effects similar to an Akimichi clan cultivation technique was no small matter.
"Gen-kun," he asked seriously, "will teaching me this cause you any trouble?"
Gen chuckled when he saw Seiko's anxious expression.
"Relax. That method has nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan. It's my own."
He then pointed toward the fire. "That fish is about to burn."
Hatake Seiko hurriedly turned around and pulled it off the flames.
Soon, every roasted fish was gone.
Sitting cross-legged on the grass, Hatake Seiko stared at the ground and finally spoke.
"Gen-kun… I've been thinking about my uncle all night. I just can't understand it."
"My uncle was a hero of the Village. The White Fang's name shook the entire shinobi world. There's no reason for the Village to treat him that way."
Uchiha Gen stood up and gazed toward the distant Hokage Rock.
"Perhaps," he said quietly, "it was precisely because he was a hero—and his prestige was too great."
Hatake Seiko looked at him, confused.
Seeing his expression, Gen said no more. He only placed a hand on Seiko's shoulder.
"Senior White Fang's story is already in the past. If you can't understand it, don't force yourself."
Hatake Seiko shook his head firmly. "No. I have to understand."
---
After leaving the Hatake clan grounds, Uchiha Gen passed through a busy street near the center of the village.
That was when he noticed a familiar, solitary figure walking ahead.
Hatake Kakashi.
He looked like he had just returned from a mission.
"Hey, Kakashi!"
A girl's voice suddenly called out.
Near a roadside snack stall, two girls waved at him.
One had striking red eyes and a confident, charming expression—Yūhi Kurenai. The other was gentle and quiet, her smile warm—Shizune.
"Kakashi-kun," Kurenai said with a smile, "long time no see."
Kakashi glanced at them briefly, said nothing, and continued walking.
Suddenly, someone stepped into his path.
It was Sarutobi Asuma, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips, a rough beard already shadowing his face.
He grabbed Kakashi by the collar, irritation clear in his eyes.
"Hey, Kakashi. Ignoring them like that is rude, you know."
"Asuma!" Kurenai and Shizune rushed out of the shop at once.
"Let go of him!"
Asuma released Kakashi immediately, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"I just… don't like the way he's been acting lately."
Kurenai shot him a sharp glare before turning back to Kakashi, her expression softening.
"Kakashi, it's rare for us to run into each other. Why don't we spend some time together today?"
Shizune nodded gently. "You're not alone, Kakashi-kun. We're still your classmates. Seeing you like this… it worries us."
Kakashi stood silently, his single visible eye unreadable.
---
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