Akatsuki!

Evening.

At a secluded training ground.

Clang, clang!

With a sharp clash of metal, the two fighters broke apart.

Haku panted as he spoke. "Phew... Shinji, you've improved so fast!"

In just a few short weeks, he had watched Shinji grow from a Taijutsu novice into someone who could make even him fight seriously.

And then there was Sasuke, who had been making an even bigger splash lately.

Haku couldn't help but marvel at how the Uchiha Clan truly was a thousand-year-old family of the Shinobi World. The talent of its members was simply astonishing.

"Haku, are you really only ranked somewhere in the twenties for Taijutsu in our class?"

Shinji was panting, too.

Haku was like a spring: the more pressure Shinji put on him, the stronger Haku became. When Shinji eased up, Haku's performance was more ordinary.

Shinji had gone all out this time, yet he still hadn't gained the slightest advantage in Taijutsu.

"I didn't do well on the last exam." Haku gave an awkward smile, then said, "Let's take a break!"

Shinji nodded, walked over to the bench beside the training ground, and picked up a towel to wipe away his sweat.

Haku came over. "Shinji, I heard you've been competing with Neji and Sasuke to master the 'Shadow Clone Technique.' Is that true?"

Shinji feigned nonchalance. "I didn't expect even you to have heard about it."

Haku smiled. "Everyone in class has been talking about it for ages. They're all guessing which of you will master the 'Shadow Clone Technique' first!"

Shinji asked, "Oh? Then who do they think will win?"

Haku looked at Shinji. "Tenten and the others think Neji will win. Shion and I think you will, Shinji. Quite a few people think Sasuke will win, too. All three of you are rare geniuses, after all. No one dares to say for certain who'll come out on top!"

Shinji fell silent for a moment, then said, "I might lose. I've been practicing the 'Shadow Clone Technique' for days, but I still haven't made any progress."

Haku hurried to reassure him. "Shinji, the 'Shadow Clone Technique' is a B-rank jutsu. It's not something Ninja Academy students like us are expected to master. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Besides, I heard Neji and Sasuke haven't made much progress yet, either."

Shinji shook his head and fell silent again.

He knew, of course, that the 'Shadow Clone Technique' wasn't easy to master. It involved dividing and shaping Chakra.

If you didn't have enough Chakra, there was no point even trying!

That was why Naruto struggled to learn other jutsu, but mastered the 'Multiple Shadow Clone Technique,' an advanced version of the 'Shadow Clone Technique,' as soon as he tried it.

Shinji had only learned it so quickly because the gift he had received from the Shinobi World had doubled his Chakra, giving him more than most people his age.

Sasuke and Neji were only seven or eight years old.

Their bodies weren't fully developed yet. No matter how talented they were, without enough Chakra, mastering the 'Shadow Clone Technique' in a short time was easier said than done.

So it was normal not to be able to learn it. It wasn't as if everyone was Itachi Uchiha.

As night fell, Haku suggested, "Shinji, let's head back. Classes resume at the Ninja Academy tomorrow!"

"Sure!"

Shinji nodded.

Just then, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows and walked toward the training ground.

"Who's there?"

Shinji and Haku both looked over.

But the instant Shinji's gaze met the stranger's, his body went limp. He fell to the ground and passed out.

Haku was shocked. He quickly gripped his Kunai. "Stop! Who are you?"

The mysterious figure stepped out of the shadows.

Silver moonlight fell over him, revealing a black cloak patterned with red clouds. A mask covered his face, and a pair of sharp eyes peered through its holes.

"You..."

The sight of the stranger's getup stunned Haku, but he didn't try to run. Instead, he resolutely stood in front of the unconscious Shinji.

The mysterious man regarded Haku impassively. "You don't need to be nervous. You haven't forgotten what happened here on the night of the Fireworks Festival, have you?"

Haku gasped. "You were the one who helped me that night?"

"That's right!"

"What do you want? Why did you help me?"

Haku was truly panicking now. The man knew his biggest secret, and Haku felt as if he could barely breathe.

The mysterious man didn't answer right away. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Shinji, who lay unconscious on the ground.

Haku quickly stepped in front of him, blocking the man's view. "This has nothing to do with him!"

The mysterious man's tone was teasing. "Oh? You seem to care about him a lot."

"I told you, my business has nothing to do with anyone else. I just don't want to drag other people into this!" Haku paused, his expression turning resigned. "If you want to report me to the village, go ahead."

"The village?" The mysterious man chuckled. "As a Kirigakure spy planted in Konoha, it seems you've got your loyalties mixed up."

Haku froze for a moment.

He had said "the village" without even thinking. But shouldn't his village have been Kirigakure?

The mysterious man said, "Don't worry. I have no interest in reporting you. I'm only interested in your talents!"

"My talents?"

Haku was confused.

Konoha was full of young geniuses. Shinji, lying on the ground, was one of them. Haku couldn't understand why the mysterious man had chosen him.

The mysterious man glanced at Shinji on the ground and smiled. "You're much better than that useless brat."

Haku's expression turned cold. "He's not useless!"

The mysterious man didn't argue the point. He continued, "You have two choices: join my organization, or die! Of course, if you make the wrong choice, he'll die, too!"

Haku knew he had no real choice, so he demanded, "What exactly do you want me to do for you?"

The mysterious man remained unhurried. "You don't need to worry about that now. If I ever ask you to do something that goes against your principles, you can refuse when the time comes."

Haku considered it.

The man had leverage over him. And he had made Shinji, a member of the Uchiha Clan, pass out with a single glance. He was clearly powerful.

If Haku turned against him now, not only would he die, but Shinji would be dragged into it, too.

After weighing his options, Haku nodded. "All right."

The mysterious man said, "I'll notify you when the organization has a mission for you."

"Understood!"

Haku replied reluctantly.

The mysterious man's voice grew stern. "You must not tell anyone anything about the organization. Remember, anyone—including your contacts in Kirigakure! If you reveal anything, the organization will punish you in the harshest way, along with everyone you care about."

Haku replied, "As long as you don't ask me to do anything unreasonable, I'll keep your secret!"

The mysterious man's tone softened. "You'll realize in time that accepting my invitation wasn't a bad thing for you."

Haku sighed. "What's the name of our organization?"

"Akatsuki!"