Bang!
Amid a dull collision, two figures were sent flying backward.
Senju Gen flipped backward in midair, then landed lightly on the ground.
He looked at Hatake Harukaze in shock. He had never expected two bursts of force to erupt from his opponent's fist.
After blocking the first burst, the second drilled into him, instantly jolting his entire body and churning his blood and Chakra.
After using Chakra to dispel Hatake Harukaze's second burst of force, Senju Gen's expression turned grave. "Harukaze, I never expected you to be this strong. Next, I'll be going all out."
After the previous Chakra intensity test, Sarutobi Retsu had raised Hatake Harukaze's overall strength assessment to third in the class.
Among the more than three hundred students in the entire grade, he ranked around fortieth, placing him in the upper-middle range.
Thus, Senju Gen had not regarded Hatake Harukaze as an opponent at first.
Water Release: Wild Water Wave.
Senju Gen pushed off the ground and leaped into the air, his hands rapidly forming a string of hand seals.
A surging torrent immediately appeared and swept toward Hatake Harukaze.
Seeing this, Uchiha Yuan could not help but sigh inwardly. As expected of the Senju Clan—Senju Gen's Chakra burst just now was nearly three times that of the other ordinary students at the Ninja Academy.
Earth Release: Earth Wall.
Hatake Harukaze summoned an earthen wall, blocking the rushing torrent.
However, at that moment, Hatake Harukaze sensed a gust of wind coming from behind him. He hurriedly turned around and saw Senju Gen flying toward him with a kick.
Hatake Harukaze immediately met it with a punch, but to his surprise, Senju Gen suddenly dispersed after being struck.
Damn, it was the Clone Technique.
Hatake Harukaze was instantly startled. Then he felt his feet being seized fiercely.
The next second, he was dragged into the earth, leaving only his head above the ground.
It was the Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. Hatake Harukaze frowned.
Then Senju Gen appeared before Hatake Harukaze.
"Harukaze, you lost." Senju Gen smiled.
"The battle isn't over yet."
Hearing Hatake Harukaze's words, Senju Gen was startled. Then the light above him suddenly dimmed, and another Hatake Harukaze came sweeping down with a horizontal kick.
Shadow Clone!
Senju Gen kicked off the ground and slid backward, dodging the fierce kick. At the same time, his hands rapidly formed seals, and he opened his mouth to spit out a powerful blast of air.
Wind Release: Breakthrough.
Hatake Harukaze's Shadow Clone was scattered by the fierce wind, but he took the chance to break free and leap out before pouncing toward Senju Gen.
The next moment, the two became entangled, their figures shifting, spinning, and flashing rapidly.
Before long, the sounds of blows and collisions abruptly ceased. Then a figure was sent flying backward.
It was Senju Gen.
After Senju Gen landed, he staggered back a step before steadying himself. Then he felt a chill at his neck as a Shuriken pressed against it.
"I lost."
Senju Gen spoke with a complicated expression. He had never expected to lose to Hatake Harukaze.
Hatake Harukaze put away the Shuriken and said seriously, "Gen, I hope you remember your promise."
Senju Gen said, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about what happened today."
Then he glanced at Uchiha Yuan and asked, "Harukaze, how does your strength compare to Yuan's?"
Reverence appeared in Hatake Harukaze's eyes. "Yuan is far, far stronger than I am. He is the most talented person I have ever met. I only attained my current strength through cultivating under his guidance."
Senju Gen was greatly shocked upon hearing this.
At that moment, Uchiha Yuan walked over. Senju Gen gave him a bitter smile. "Yuan, can you show me your strength? I want to see the gap between us."
Uchiha Yuan met Senju Gen's gaze for about two minutes before slowly saying, "Gen, I hope you won't disappoint me and will prove worthy of the trust I have placed in you."
Senju Gen immediately became solemn. "Yuan, Harukaze, don't worry. No matter what happens, I will never break my promise to you."
"Gen, watch closely."
Uchiha Yuan warned him first, then suddenly released his Chakra.
In an instant, it was like blazing flames soaring into the sky and a violent storm suddenly rising. An immense Chakra erupted explosively from Uchiha Yuan's body.
Terrifying!
That was Senju Gen's first impression. At that moment, he felt as though he were submerged in the deep sea, his body filled with suffocating pressure.
Countless transparent ripples and distortions appeared in the surrounding air. The isolation barrier had become unstable under the impact of Uchiha Yuan's Chakra.
Fortunately, that powerful Chakra appeared for only a brief instant before Uchiha Yuan withdrew it.
Senju Gen stared at Uchiha Yuan in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock and fear.
"S-so... powerful... Chakra."
Senju Gen stammered. If not for his body remaining tense and unable to relax, he would have almost thought the Chakra he had just sensed was an illusion.
"Yuan, you're the top student in our grade. No—even ordinary Chunin probably don't possess Chakra as powerful as yours," Senju Gen said.
Then he asked in confusion, "Yuan, why hide your strength when you're this powerful?"
Uchiha Yuan smiled and looked at Senju Gen. "Because there is no point."
"How could there be no point? Once you reveal your exceptional talent and strength, you will draw the village's attention. By then, your reputation as a genius will probably far surpass Kakashi-senpai's."
Gen, you don't understand the village's darkness.
Uchiha Yuan said nothing. Instead, he released the Shadow Clone and removed the isolation barrier.
"Gen, let's part ways here."
Watching Uchiha Yuan and Hatake Harukaze gradually walk away, Senju Gen's expression shifted repeatedly. In the end, he muttered, "Yuan, I don't understand why you're hiding your strength, but I'll keep watching you. I hope you won't do anything that harms the village."
Senju Gen was suspicious of the fact that Uchiha Yuan had concealed such astonishingly powerful Chakra.
But the fact that he, an Uchiha, was willing to trust a Senju like him and reveal such an enormous secret also moved Senju Gen deeply.
Hatake Clan Land.
After another round of sparring, Hatake Harukaze asked, "Yuan, aren't you worried Senju Gen will reveal your strength?"
Uchiha Yuan was silent for a moment before saying, "I am worried, but I'm gambling."
Hatake Harukaze looked puzzled. "Gambling?"
"Yes. If he breaks his promise and reveals my strength, my only loss will be being exposed to the village.
But I have the Uchiha Clan behind me. The clan will definitely support me. It will merely mean stepping into the spotlight earlier."
"But if he keeps his promise, then there is a good chance he will become our companion."
"Will he?"
Uchiha Yuan said confidently, "He will. As long as Senju Gen wants to become stronger and wants to revive the Senju Clan, he definitely will."
After returning to the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Yuan carried a box of Three-Colored Dumplings as he walked along the path home.
As he passed through the woods within the compound, several rapid clangs of metal rang out.
Uchiha Yuan followed the sound with his gaze. It was where Uchiha Itachi practiced Shuriken.
In a clearing deep within the woods, two figures were darting and flipping through the air, constantly changing positions.
One of them was Uchiha Itachi, while the other was Uchiha Shisui.
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