Bang!
With a deep thud, two figures were blasted apart, both sliding backward across the training ground.
In midair, Senju Gen flipped once and landed lightly on his feet. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked toward Hatake Haruka—he hadn't expected the other boy's punch to contain two layers of force.
When he had blocked the first surge of power, the second burst instantly followed, shaking his entire body and setting his blood roiling.
After using chakra to dispel the residual force within him, Senju Gen's expression grew solemn. "Haruka-kun," he said gravely, "I didn't think you'd be this strong. I'll have to use my full power from here on."
After the last chakra-capacity test, Sarutobi Retsu had re-evaluated Hatake Haruka's overall strength, ranking him third in their class. Out of more than three hundred students in the year, he sat somewhere around fortieth place—above average, but not outstanding.
Because of that, Senju Gen hadn't regarded Haruka as a serious opponent at first.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Senju Gen stamped the ground and leapt up, his hands flashing through a rapid sequence of seals. A surging torrent of water burst forth, sweeping straight toward Haruka.
Watching from the sidelines, Uchiha Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly—as expected of the Senju clan. The chakra Gen had just unleashed was nearly three times that of an ordinary student.
"Earth Release: Earth-Flow Wall!"
Haruka slammed his palms onto the ground, raising a sturdy wall of earth that intercepted the crashing wave.
But just then, he sensed a gust of wind behind him. He spun around just in time to see Gen flying in with a fierce kick.
Haruka met it with a counterpunch—but to his surprise, Gen's body vanished upon impact.
Damn, a clone!
Before Haruka could react, a pair of hands shot up from beneath him, seizing his ankles. In the next instant, he was yanked into the ground, buried up to his neck.
Headhunter Jutsu… Haruka frowned.
Senju Gen emerged from the soil ahead, smiling confidently. "Haruka, you've lost."
"The fight isn't over yet."
At Haruka's words, Gen froze—then the light above him dimmed. He looked up to see another Haruka dropping down with a sweeping kick.
A shadow clone!
Gen kicked off the ground, sliding back just in time to evade the strike. His hands blurred into seals, and he exhaled sharply.
"Wind Release: Gale Breakthrough!"
A roaring gust blew apart Haruka's shadow clone, but the real Haruka used the distraction to break free from the earth and lunge forward.
The two boys clashed once again, their figures weaving and flickering across the training field in a flurry of blows.
Moments later, the sound of impact suddenly ceased—then one figure was sent flying backward.
It was Senju Gen.
He landed hard, staggering a step before regaining his balance. Then he felt a cool pressure at his neck—a shuriken, pressed gently against his skin.
"I've lost," Gen admitted, his expression complicated. He hadn't imagined losing to Hatake Haruka.
Haruka withdrew his weapon and said seriously, "Gen, I hope you'll remember your promise."
"Don't worry. I won't breathe a word of what happened today."
Then Gen glanced toward Uchiha Yuan. "Haruka, how does your strength compare to En's?"
Admiration flickered in Haruka's eyes. "En-kun is much, much stronger than I am. He's the most gifted person I've ever met. I only got this far under his guidance."
Gen's eyes widened in disbelief.
Just then, Uchiha Yuan approached. Gen gave him a strained smile. "En… could you show me your power? I want to see just how far apart we are."
The two locked eyes for nearly two minutes. Then En spoke softly, "Gen, don't let me down. Live up to the trust I've placed in you."
Gen straightened, his tone solemn. "En, Haruka—you have my word. I'll keep your secret, no matter what happens."
"Gen—brace yourself."
En's voice was calm, but a heartbeat later, his chakra erupted.
In an instant, it was as if flames had soared skyward and storms had exploded around them. A terrifying wave of chakra surged from Uchiha Yuan, shaking the very air.
What terrifying power…!
That was Gen's first thought. It felt as if he'd been plunged deep beneath the ocean, his lungs crushed by the sheer pressure.
The space around them rippled and warped—the isolation barrier trembling under the onslaught of En's chakra.
Fortunately, the surge lasted only a heartbeat before En calmly drew it back in.
Gen stared at him, disbelief and fear mixing in his eyes. "S-such… such overwhelming chakra…"
If his body hadn't been so tense, he might have thought he'd imagined it.
"En," Gen finally said hoarsely, "you're the top student in our entire year—no, even many chūnin wouldn't have chakra that strong!"
Then, puzzled, he asked, "With such power, why hide it?"
En smiled faintly. "Because it's meaningless."
"How could it be meaningless? If you revealed your strength, the village would recognize your talent. You'd surpass even Kakashi-senpai's reputation!"
Gen, you don't understand the darkness within the village…
En didn't reply. Instead, he released the shadow clone maintaining the barrier, dispersing it with a faint shimmer.
"Gen, let's leave it at that for today."
As En and Haruka walked off into the distance, Gen's expression shifted between confusion and resolve.
"En," he murmured, "I don't understand why you hide your strength… but I'll be watching you. I only hope you'll never turn against the village."
Though he still harbored doubts, the fact that an Uchiha had trusted a Senju enough to share such a secret filled Gen's heart with a strange sense of warmth.
Hatake Compound
After their sparring session, Haruka asked quietly, "En-kun, aren't you worried that Senju Gen might leak your secret?"
En fell silent for a moment before answering, "Of course I'm worried—but I'm gambling."
"Gambling?" Haruka tilted his head.
"Yes. If he breaks his word and exposes my strength, the only consequence is that I'll be on the village's radar sooner. My clan will back me—I'll just appear in the open a bit earlier than planned."
"But if he keeps his promise, then there's a real chance he'll become our ally."
"You really think he will?"
En's eyes shone with quiet confidence. "He will. Because as long as Senju Gen wants to grow stronger—wants to revive the Senju clan—he won't be able to resist."
Back in the Uchiha Compound, En carried a small box of three-color dango as he walked along a forest path toward home.
From ahead came the sharp clang of metal striking metal.
He turned toward the sound. It came from the clearing where Uchiha Itachi usually practiced his shuriken techniques.
There, under the canopy, two figures moved in swift, fluid arcs—one was Itachi, and the other was Uchiha Shisui.
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