Uchiha Gen lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily as sweat trickled down his hair and soaked into the earth beneath him.
Is this the true strength of my teacher?
No wonder the name "Konoha's White Fang" strikes fear into so many hearts.
Closing his eyes, Uchiha Gen allowed his thoughts to sink inward. Countless fragments of swordplay and killing intent replayed in his mind—every movement, every stance from his clash with Hatake Sakumo unfolding again and again.
Time passed in silence.
When Uchiha Gen finally opened his eyes, his gaze was razor-sharp. A fierce Saber Intent surged forth, so condensed it seemed to form a tangible blade of light that shot outward.
High above, a sudden gust swept through the forest canopy, scattering leaves in every direction.
Uchiha Gen was already moving.
His figure darted through the dense foliage, landing lightly on a tree branch before springing off again. He moved from tree to tree as though running on flat ground, his speed increasing with every step.
Suddenly, his expression shifted.
He halted atop a branch and instantly suppressed his chakra completely, blending himself into the surrounding leaves.
A chilling presence crept into his senses.
Moments later, a figure entered his field of vision.
Orochimaru.
Uchiha Gen's pupils contracted. At once, a question surfaced in his mind.
Why would Orochimaru be in the Forest of Death?
Orochimaru walked through the forest below. His pace appeared leisurely, yet with every step he covered an astonishing distance.
Uchiha Gen watched him warily as Orochimaru passed beneath the massive tree he was hiding in and continued deeper into the forest.
As Orochimaru's figure faded into the shadows, a thought struck Uchiha Gen.
Could it be that Orochimaru has already begun pursuing immortality… and that his hidden laboratory is somewhere within the Forest of Death?
With that realization, Uchiha Gen finally understood why Orochimaru had once maintained a seemingly submissive attitude during the competition for the Hokage position.
It wasn't a resignation.
It was indifference.
He already had a greater ambition.
Suddenly, Uchiha Gen raised his hand sharply and clenched his fingers.
Several leaves shot forward like blades.
In the next instant, multiple brightly colored venomous snakes dropped from nearby branches, each one pinned through the head by a leaf.
Uchiha Gen's brow furrowed as he examined the corpses, unease settling in his chest.
This is bad… Orochimaru noticed me.
Without hesitation, Uchiha Gen leapt from the tree and plunged straight into the ground, fleeing via Earth Release.
Barely a second after he vanished, the belly of one of the snake corpses began to swell.
A small white snake slithered out from within, its body splitting open as a figure emerged.
Orochimaru.
He surveyed his surroundings calmly, a playful smile curving his lips.
"Interesting," Orochimaru murmured. "To think a child could render my snakes unable to sense his presence."
He then reached down and plucked the leaf from a snake's head. Examining its soft texture, he chuckled.
"Hahaha… how fascinating. An Uchiha clan member harboring such potential at this age."
At that moment, a small white snake poked its head out from Orochimaru's collar and hissed softly into his ear.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
"Oh?" His smile widened. "This little one is becoming more intriguing by the second."
---
Outside Konoha's walls, Uchiha Gen emerged from underground, his breathing steady but his expression grave.
Even after suppressing my chakra to the limit, Orochimaru still noticed something…
As expected, the great figures of the shinobi world are not to be underestimated.
Still, he probably didn't realize it was me.
Casting one last glance toward the distant Forest of Death, Uchiha Gen leapt over the wall and disappeared into the village.
---
Ninja Academy
The final class of the day had ended.
Uchiha Gen packed his bag and left the classroom alongside Hatake Seiko.
After exiting the school gate, the two stopped in a secluded alley.
Before long, Senju Gen arrived from the opposite direction.
"Gen, Seiko—over here," Senju Gen called out.
He approached with three skewers of takoyaki in hand.
Uchiha Gen and Hatake Seiko each took one, and the three continued walking through the alley while eating.
Ever since his fight with Uchiha Gen, Senju Gen had firmly attached himself to them.
Every day after school, he followed them to the Hatake clan grounds, watching their training from the sidelines.
A few days later, he tried to challenge Uchiha Gen directly. After being refused, he shamelessly joined in during their sparring sessions instead.
In the end, Uchiha Gen had no choice but to allow him to participate—with one condition.
If Senju Gen wanted to fight him, he first had to defeat Hatake Seiko.
"Gen," Senju Gen said excitedly, "I recently learned a new ninjutsu—advanced Water Release. Water Bullet… and even Water Dragon Bullet!"
Hatake Seiko laughed. "Water Dragon Bullet is a B-rank ninjutsu. With your chakra reserves, even if you pull it off, the power won't be impressive."
Senju Gen snorted. "We'll see if you still dare to take it head-on later."
Before Seiko could reply, a loud commotion erupted ahead.
The three hurried forward and arrived at a barren clearing littered with sand, stones, and stacked timber.
A group of Hyūga clan Academy students stood there, more than a dozen of them surrounding three others in the center.
Among the surrounding students was their classmate—Hyūga Kagami.
"Hyūga Kagami, I finally caught you," a haughty Hyūga youth sneered as he stepped forward. "Let's see how you escape today."
Kagami frowned. "Hinata Hiroto, what do you want?"
Hinata Hiroto's face twisted with anger. "Your branch family trash actually lost to that Uchiha Gen."
He pointed accusingly.
"He's just an outsider! Because of your loss, people mocked our clan—and me!"
"This is my personal matter," Kagami replied coldly. "It has nothing to do with the clan. And besides… Uchiha Gen is strong."
"Hahaha! What a joke," Hinata Hiroto scoffed. "How strong can an outsider be? His only skill is Taijutsu."
He sneered. "Our Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist is the strongest Taijutsu there is."
Disgust flashed across his face as he waved his hand.
"Hyūga Kagami, you turned me into a laughingstock. Today, I'm going to teach you a lesson."
At his signal, several Hyūga youths lunged forward.
Kagami and his two companions fought back immediately.
However, they were hopelessly outnumbered. His companions were quickly knocked aside, and multiple attacks converged on Kagami at once.
"Kagami's strength seems to have improved again," Uchiha Gen remarked calmly as he observed from afar.
Hatake Seiko hesitated. "Gen-kun… aren't we going to step in?"
Beside them, Senju Gen was already itching to rush forward.
Uchiha Gen shook his head slightly.
"Not yet," he said. "Don't underestimate Kagami."
---
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