Mito Uzumaki

Because Uchiha Gen held the top spot by a landslide, the entirety of Class A had suffered under his shadow for a long time.

If one were to ask who in Class A had the best hope of defeating Uchiha Gen, it would only be Minato Namikaze; as for the others, they didn't believe they stood a chance.

"Get ready, the sparring begins!"

As the words left Ino Sarutobi's lips, the figures of Uchiha Gen and Minato Namikaze moved simultaneously.

One evaded, one pursued; both moved with extreme swiftness.

Watching the two on the field chasing and fleeing as if playing a game, Ino Sarutobi silently marked two perfect scores on the grade sheet.

This was not the first time these two had acted this way.

It was fine at first; Minato Namikaze was a very well-behaved child who would actively respond to his arrangements even if he already knew the material.

Everything changed the moment Uchiha Gen remarked that simple sparring was too boring...

His perfect student had "fallen" because of it!

"Gen, class is over."

As the dismissal bell rang, Minato Namikaze walked to Uchiha Gen's side and gave him a gentle nudge.

"Let's go."

Opening his eyes, a flicker of golden light shimmering within his pupils, Uchiha Gen stood up, stretched his body slightly, and turned to walk toward the classroom door.

Over the past year, perhaps due to the unique constitution of humans in the ninja world, Uchiha Gen's cultivation of his life force had improved rapidly.

By now, Uchiha Gen could practice while walking, sitting, or lying down; although it couldn't compare to focused Qi cultivation, it had greatly increased the efficiency of his Qi refinement.

By the banks of the Naka River.

Over the past year, this place had become the exclusive training ground for Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Gen. Although Uchiha Gen had his own private training field, he still preferred practicing by the river.

After all, the scenery was better here.

However, today, there was one extra person.

A woman in white robes with red hair stood quietly by the riverbank, silently watching the slow-flowing water. In her hand, she held a smooth pebble.

"Huh? Gen, is that a member of your clan?"

Seeing the woman by the river, Minato Namikaze asked curiously, looking at the frowning Uchiha Gen beside him.

Red hair... how beautiful. Weren't most of the Uchiha clan members black-haired?

"No. Let's go, let's head to my training field. This place is occupied by someone else today, so let's not disturb them."

Looking at the red-haired woman ahead, Uchiha Gen shook his head slightly and turned to leave.

In this era, with this attire, the woman's identity was far too easy to guess.

"Stay. This is where you train, isn't it? If anyone is doing the disturbing, it would be me."

Before Uchiha Gen could turn away, the woman standing by the riverbank spoke up suddenly.

Her voice was gentle, yet carried an indescribable majesty. This majesty was not off-putting; in fact, it felt approachable, much like... a very kind elder.

"There is no need, Lady Mito. Our training is quite noisy, we wouldn't want to disturb you."

Uchiha Gen shook his head slightly and spoke respectfully.

He was joking—the person before him was arguably the strongest in the ninja world, aside from that old schemer underground. He had no interest in lingering with someone of her caliber.

Furthermore, he was an Uchiha, and the person before him had taken the name Senju after marrying Hashirama Senju.

The Senju and the Uchiha were natural rivals.

"Lady Mito? Hm?!!?! Greetings, Lady Mito!"

At this moment, Minato Namikaze also realized the identity of the person before them and immediately bowed respectfully.

"What? You don't want to spend time with an old woman like me? As for the noise, I'm actually quite interested in chatting with you two. When one gets old, one tends to enjoy the liveliness."

Seeming not to hear the rejection in Uchiha Gen's words, Mito Uzumaki smiled softly and spoke in a gentle tone.

With that, Uchiha Gen had no choice but to bite the bullet and sit to the side. Seeing this, Minato Namikaze immediately sat down right next to Uchiha Gen.

"I have heard of you two—exceptionally talented children. The future of Konoha looks quite bright."

Seeing this, Mito Uzumaki smiled lightly and sat down not far from Uchiha Gen.

Mito Uzumaki's movement nearly caused Ganghuo Uchiha, who was hiding in the shadows, to have a panic attack, but a wave of oppressive, tyrannical pressure pinned him in place, making him unable to move.

"Lady Mito is too kind. There are many in Konoha more talented than us; we cannot be called the future of Konoha."

Compared to Ganghuo Uchiha's agitation, Uchiha Gen was remarkably calm.

Although Mito Uzumaki now carried the Senju name, it was impossible for her to harbor any ill intent toward him. His desire to leave earlier was simply because he didn't want to interact with this elder.

The reason was simple: he couldn't outplay this woman.

"Do you know how to skip stones?"

Facing Uchiha Gen's reply, Mito Uzumaki didn't seem to mind; she merely raised her hand, brandished the smooth pebble in her palm, and smiled at Uchiha Gen.

"..."

Looking at the smooth pebble in Mito Uzumaki's hand, a strange feeling stirred in Uchiha Gen's heart.

No way? Big Pillar, just how many people did you bring to play this crappy game?

"Like this."

Regardless of whether Uchiha Gen answered, Mito Uzumaki raised her hand and flicked it, sending the smooth pebble shooting toward the river, and then...

Plop.

It landed in the water with a sound.

"..."

"..."

For a moment, the atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.

"Now then, little brother, this old woman is feeling a bit thirsty. Could you help me fetch some water? Hot would be best, though there is no rush."

In the end, it was Mito Uzumaki who broke the silence. Looking past Uchiha Gen, she gazed gently at Minato Namikaze and spoke in a soft voice.

"Ah? Right, I'll go at once."

Minato Namikaze, who had been keeping his head down counting the blades of grass in front of him, was startled by Mito Uzumaki's words. He glanced at Uchiha Gen, and only after seeing Uchiha Gen give a slight nod did he stand up, bow to Mito Uzumaki, and turn to leave.

"I wonder what your intention is in seeking me out, Lady Mito."

Once Minato Namikaze's figure had completely vanished, Uchiha Gen turned his head to look at Mito Uzumaki and spoke softly.

He... completely failed to understand what Mito Uzumaki was trying to do.

Yet, the disparity in their power prevented him from making any untoward reactions; this feeling was very unpleasant.

"Within the Uzumaki Clan, some are born with an ability known as the Mind's Eye of the Kagura. This ability allows one to perceive the truest form of a person's chakra."