Hatake Harukaze had never felt time pass so slowly. Every minute and every second was filled with torment.
At this moment, he felt every muscle in his body trembling faintly. Steaming vapor rose continuously from his head like smoke, and his clothes were completely soaked with sweat.
After an unknown amount of time, Hatake Harukaze could no longer hold on. His body suddenly swayed, and he was about to fall.
Whoosh!
With a flicker, Uchiha Yuan appeared beside Hatake Harukaze and reached out to catch him.
"Not bad. You held on one minute and twenty-six seconds longer than yesterday. It seems your physical foundation is quite good, and the Standing Meditation Method is clearly effective."
Hatake Harukaze panted heavily, with no strength left to speak.
After resting for a while, he sprang to his feet and began sparring with Uchiha Yuan in taijutsu.
Bang, bang, bang...
Amid the fierce sounds of collision, Uchiha Yuan stood motionless, repeatedly swinging his right hand and easily blocking Hatake Harukaze's attacks.
After dozens of exchanges, Hatake Harukaze failed to dodge in time and took a kick to the face from Uchiha Yuan, sending him flying hard.
He covered his nose and climbed up from the ground in a sorry state, blood pouring from his nose.
"Yuan, that kick was way too heavy."
Uchiha Yuan stretched his body, and a series of crisp cracks came from his joints.
He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "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 kicking you."
Beside a stream near the Hatake Clan Land, several cleaned fish had been skewered on branches and placed beside a campfire to roast.
Uchiha Yuan sat cross-legged on a rock, holding a golden-brown grilled fish. With gentle, careful movements, he tore off pieces of fish and slowly ate them one by one.
Splash.
Water suddenly burst from the stream as Hatake Harukaze leaped out and landed on the bank.
He held a large fish over a foot long in his hand.
He skillfully scaled and gutted the fish, washed it with water, then skewered it on a branch and set it beside the fire.
Picking up an already grilled fish, Hatake Harukaze bit into it in huge mouthfuls, finishing it in the blink of an eye.
Before long, Hatake Harukaze had eaten six grilled fish in one go.
"My stomach finally doesn't feel hungry anymore."
Hatake Harukaze wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth and continued, "Yuan, after training according to the method you taught me, I feel like my appetite suddenly got much bigger."
Uchiha Yuan casually tossed aside the remaining fish bones in his hand. "You know about the Akimichi Clan's Expansion Jutsu, right?"
Hatake Harukaze nodded. "I do. They say that once they use the Expansion Jutsu, their bodies can grow enormous, and they can even transform into giants."
"Although I don't understand the Expansion Jutsu, I know one thing: to use it, the body must be strong enough to support such enlargement."
"I heard that before the Akimichi Clan cultivates the Expansion Jutsu, they have a special training method. I suspect that method continuously strengthens their bodies. That's why we see Akimichi Clan students constantly eating."
Even in a world of extraordinary powers, the law of conservation of energy still had to be followed.
"The Standing Meditation Method I taught you also continuously strengthens your body, so you'll feel hungry more easily and your appetite will begin to grow."
At those words, Hatake Harukaze's expression stiffened slightly.
Though the Hatake Clan was a small clan, it was still a Ninja Clan with a heritage stretching back many years. Only then did he realize that the Standing Meditation Method Uchiha Yuan had taught him might be extremely precious. It actually had effects similar to the secret techniques cultivated by the Akimichi Clan.
"Yuan, will the training method you taught me cause you any trouble?"
Hatake Harukaze spoke solemnly. He knew that the secret techniques of every Ninja Clan concerned their inheritance. Once leaked to others, they could even trigger fierce conflicts between clans.
Noticing Hatake Harukaze's nervous expression, Uchiha Yuan chuckled. "You don't need to worry. This Standing Meditation Method is mine and has nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan."
Then he pointed at a fish beside the fire. "That fish is about to burn."
Hatake Harukaze hurriedly turned around and picked up the grilled fish.
A moment later, all the grilled fish had gone into their stomachs.
Hatake Harukaze tossed away the fish bones in his hand and sat cross-legged on the grass. Then he said to Uchiha Yuan, "Yuan, I thought about my uncle's matter all night yesterday, but I still couldn't understand it."
"My uncle was the village's hero. The name White Fang intimidated the Ninja World. There was no reason for the village to lie and target him."
Uchiha Yuan stood up, his gaze passing over the forest toward the distant Kage Rock. He said lightly, "Perhaps it was precisely because he was the village's hero, because his prestige was too high."
Hatake Harukaze looked utterly confused, unable to understand what Uchiha Yuan meant.
Seeing his expression, Uchiha Yuan said no more. He merely patted Hatake Harukaze on the shoulder. "White Fang's matter is already in the past. If you can't figure it out, don't dwell on it."
Hatake Harukaze shook his head. "No, I have to understand it."
After leaving the Hatake Clan Land, Uchiha Yuan passed through a bustling street in the center of the village and spotted a lonely figure.
It was Kakashi.
He looked as though he had just returned from outside the village.
"Hey, Kakashi."
Suddenly, a girl's voice rang out.
At a roadside snack stall near the street, two girls were waving at Kakashi.
One of the girls was charming, with a pair of beautiful red eyes. The other was delicate and quiet. She smiled at Kakashi. "Kakashi, long time no see."
Kakashi glanced at the two girls without responding, then continued walking forward.
At that moment, a figure suddenly darted out and blocked Kakashi's path.
The one blocking Kakashi was a young man with a cigarette in his mouth and a thick beard already growing on his face.
With an unhappy expression, he grabbed Kakashi by the collar. "Hey, Kakashi, why are you ignoring Hong and the others? Isn't that incredibly rude?"
Seeing this, Kurenai Yuhi and Shizune hurriedly ran out of the snack stall and called out, "Asuma, let Kakashi go!"
Seeing Kurenai Yuhi running over, Asuma hurriedly released his grip and said somewhat flusteredly, "Hong, I just can't stand the way Kakashi is acting now."
Kurenai Yuhi shot Sarutobi Asuma a fierce glare, then looked at Kakashi together with Shizune and smiled. "Kakashi, it's rare for us to run into each other. Why don't we get together today?"
Kato Shizune also spoke up. "Kakashi, don't forget that you still have us classmates. Seeing you like this makes us sad too."
Before you continue