Seeing Senju Gen grimace, Hatake Seiko immediately broke into a bright smile.
He knew exactly what Senju Gen was experiencing right now—he had suffered through the same thing countless times while sparring with Uchiha Gen.
Through repeated beatings, Hatake Seiko had discovered that Uchiha Gen possessed an almost terrifying understanding of the human body, paired with an exquisite mastery of force application.
The shifting use of burst force, penetrating force, and vibrating force had subjected him to every kind of soreness and numbness imaginable—painful, yet strangely exhilarating.
It was through these experiences that Hatake Seiko came to truly understand just how profound taijutsu could be when used correctly.
Taijutsu wasn't just brute force—it was art.
"Senju Gen," Hatake Seiko said, his smile fading as his expression turned sharp, "what do you mean by secretly following us and attacking Gen-kun?"
Senju Gen replied calmly, "I only wanted a proper match with Uchiha Gen."
His gaze shifted to Uchiha Gen, eyes blazing with unmistakable battle intent.
"So it's true," he continued. "You really are strong."
From the very beginning, Senju Gen had paid attention to the only Uchiha in their class.
But over the years, Uchiha Gen's performance had disappointed him. His grades were average, his showing in class unremarkable.
During one-on-one sparring sessions, his matches often dragged on for dozens of exchanges, and his strength consistently hovered around the middle tier of the class.
Gradually, Senju Gen stopped paying attention to him, instead focusing on Hyūga Kagami—another heir of a prestigious clan—and the elite students from the other seven classes.
What drew his attention back, however, was Uehara Yu's match against Uchiha Gen.
The taijutsu Uchiha Gen displayed in that fight had stunned him—especially the moment Gen used his hand like a blade and left a shallow cut on Uehara Yu's throat.
That level of precision required terrifying control over one's strength.
When Hyūga Kagami challenged Uchiha Gen, Senju Gen had been secretly thrilled.
He knew Kagami's strength well; based on his own assessment, it would take him roughly forty exchanges to defeat him.
Yet Uchiha Gen had ended the match in fewer than ten rounds.
At that moment, Senju Gen's suppressed battle intent could no longer be contained.
Uchiha Gen straightened, no longer hiding behind his usual reserved demeanor. His eyes gleamed with sharp, piercing light as he stared directly at Senju Gen.
"I have always been the strongest."
The moment their gazes met, Senju Gen felt a sharp sting in his eyes and instinctively looked away.
He was shocked.
Why did the Uchiha who had seemed so ordinary at the Academy now feel so overwhelmingly dangerous?
Grinning, Senju Gen leapt down from the tree and landed lightly in front of them.
"Whether you're the strongest or not," he said, eyes burning, "we'll find out after we fight."
"Then let's do it here," Uchiha Gen replied.
"Fine."
Senju Gen agreed without hesitation.
Though he didn't understand why Uchiha Gen had suddenly changed his mind, the roaring battle intent in his heart drowned out all doubt.
Just then, Hatake Seiko stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Uchiha Gen.
"Wait," he said. "Senju Gen, your opponent is me. If you want to fight Gen-kun, you'll have to defeat me first."
After speaking, he glanced back at Uchiha Gen.
Their eyes met.
Then Uchiha Gen turned back to Senju Gen.
"Seiko's words are my words."
Senju Gen looked at Hatake Seiko for a moment, then smiled.
"The Hatake clan once produced the White Fang of Konoha," he said. "And now there's Hatake Kakashi. Very well—let me experience your strength first, Seiko-kun."
The two stepped apart and formed the standard sparring hand sign, facing each other.
Uchiha Gen stood to the side and formed a single hand seal.
In silence, four shadow clones leapt out behind him, spreading out to surround the area and form a perimeter.
Shadow Clones… no—Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Senju Gen's eyes narrowed in surprise.
And without a sound… His chakra control is frighteningly precise.
As one of the few remaining heirs of the Senju clan, Senju Gen had received elite training from a young age. While his raw strength might not yet rival that of a chūnin, his observation and analytical skills far surpassed those of his peers.
And Uchiha Gen kept revealing high-level techniques without even trying.
It only made Senju Gen want to fight him even more.
When Naruto used the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, it was always a flashy spectacle—but that was because his chakra control was crude, relying entirely on overwhelming quantity.
Naruto didn't need finesse.
But true mastery was different.
During the final battle between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, it was Hashirama's Wood Release clone that deceived Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and delivered the decisive blow.
If Hashirama's chakra control had been sloppy, such deception would have been impossible.
After forming their stances, Hatake Seiko spoke.
"Before we start, Gen, I want you to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"You won't tell anyone about what happens here today."
"…Alright."
"I want you to swear it in the honor of the Senju clan."
Senju Gen stared at him in disbelief, then glanced at Uchiha Gen.
This was just a spar between classmates—why such seriousness?
After a brief pause, he nodded.
"Fine. I swear on the honor of the Senju clan that I won't speak of today's events."
The moment the oath was made, both fighters tensed.
"Start!" Uchiha Gen shouted.
Senju Gen moved instantly, his body retreating like an arrow loose from a bow.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive sphere of compressed water surged forward.
Hatake Seiko leapt into the air to evade it—
"Water Release: Water Bullet Barrage!"
More than a dozen water bullets blasted forward like cannon fire.
Hatake Seiko flicked his wrist. A shuriken appeared in his hand.
A cold flash cut through the air as he split three water bullets with a single slash. His body twisted and flowed like a serpent, weaving through the remaining attacks.
In the blink of an eye, he burst through the barrage.
Senju Gen had just landed when a sharp gust hit his face—
Hatake Seiko was already upon him, shuriken thrust forward.
Senju Gen raised a palm, deflecting Hatake Seiko's arm and stopping the strike. He shifted sideways, slipping past the blade, then stepped in and drove a fist forward.
Watching from nearby, Uchiha Gen nodded slightly.
Solid movement. His taijutsu really is strong.
Facing the incoming punch, Hatake Seiko didn't dodge—
He threw his own fist forward.
---
Visit patreon.com/MexxyWave to get access to 30+ chapters