Chance Encounter

The spring breeze was tipsy, and the leaves rustled.

Akashi performed hand seals, casting the Transformation Jutsu. With a poof, he transformed into an outfit identical to Guy's—a green spandex suit that clung tightly to his body.

To fool Itachi, he had no choice but to humble himself.

He had even tried cross-dressing before he transmigrated, so what was a little spandex? It was just a bit tacky and slightly unflattering. As long as he didn't walk down the main street and get seen by others, it would be fine.

"How is it?"

"Good, I'll try it too!" Seeing Akashi remain unblushing in such an outfit, Itachi followed suit and performed the Transformation Jutsu.

The two of them, now entirely green, blended perfectly into the surrounding environment.

Whether it was psychological or due to reduced air resistance, they truly felt an increase in speed and power as they swung their limbs!

Itachi was once again taken aback.

Why was it that Brother Akashi could always unearth such strange things? Just how many more secrets did he have?

The more curious he became, the more he wanted to understand.

"Can you spar with me again?"

"Beat you up again? I'd be more than happy to."

With a smile, Akashi suddenly lunged forward, leaping and spinning. His unadorned leg technique whipped out in sync with the twist of his waist and hips, stirring up a gust of wind and a cloud of dust.

This move was a technique Guy had created himself: the Leaf Great Whirlwind.

In essence, it was just a sweep kick, but its speed was truly as fast as the wind, and it featured an extra kick compared to the Leaf Whirlwind.

By observing and copying it with his Sharingan, he could simulate about seventy or eighty percent of it.

Seeing this, Itachi immediately leaped into the air, retreating violently. A whistling sound tore through the air in front of him; the wind from the kick passed less than two fists away from his chest—he had nearly been struck. After Akashi's first kick missed, he landed and immediately switched legs to strike again.

The movements were continuous and swift, surging with fierce power.

To be able to do this, one had to be exceptionally skilled in leg control, with a high degree of coordination between nerves and muscles.

Akashi wasn't at Guy's level in taijutsu, but he was several notches above Itachi.

There was nowhere to dodge the second kick. Itachi was struck squarely and tumbled to the ground. His hair stood on end, and sweat streamed down his skin, dripping into the dirt.

"Huff... huff..."

With just one strike, Itachi knew there was no point in continuing.

Had he been beaten up again?

The confidence he had only recently regained was shattered once more.

At this moment, Akashi walked over and offered rare encouragement: "You've made quite a bit of progress, but you still need more training. First, wear this outfit and run fifty laps around Konoha! If you can keep this up every day, there will definitely be an unexpected surprise."

"No problem! I will make Brother Akashi look at me with new eyes."

Itachi gritted his teeth and stood up. He didn't want Akashi to look down on him. After catching his breath, he ran down the mountain in his green suit.

Spandex and cat ears—a perfect match.

Watching the retreating figure, Akashi clicked his tongue in praise: "Little brat, running so fast."

Back in the village, Itachi would probably learn the true meaning of social death.

It would be even more amusing if he ran into Guy; it would surely be the spectacle of the year.

Guy was the one person even Danzo didn't dare to recruit.

He likely feared that Guy would single-handedly warp the entire atmosphere of Root.

If Itachi were infected by that personality, who knew? Maybe his brain would get straightened out. Then, every day in the village, two people in green suits would be running laps—one shouting about facing the morning sun, the other about chasing the sunset. The image was too beautiful to imagine.

Would that break him?

Akashi shook his head. Even he couldn't predict the future; who knew?

The first step of the re-education plan was a temporary success.

At the very least, he had gained a genjutsu today—no matter how you looked at it, it was a profit.

Looking up into the distance, the sunlight illuminated the village. The Hokage Rock was bathed in gold, its towering statues solemnly guarding the facade of prosperity.

Time to go home and eat.

Akashi deactivated his Sharingan and walked toward the target range to retrieve his ninja tools.

The most important thing was to dispel the Transformation Jutsu.

Just as he finished tidying up, a rustling sound suddenly reached his ears. It wasn't loud, but it was nearby, and he heard it clearly.

Someone was there!

Akashi immediately became vigilant.

When he first arrived, he had checked the surroundings and found no signs of other activity. This person had clearly just arrived.

Intentional surveillance?

Or an accidental encounter?

In an instant, a flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind, yet the other party's footsteps drew closer, approaching without the slightest attempt at concealment.

Akashi turned abruptly and froze.

"Hyuga Shingetsu?"

"Ah, so it's you, classmate Akashi."

A crisp voice rang out; the person who had arrived was his former classmate, Hyuga Shingetsu.

She had beautiful black hair and wore a forehead protector, her pure and cute appearance tinged with a hint of prettiness, the most striking feature being those pure, flawless white pupils.

The mark of the Hyuga clan: the Byakugan.

"I didn't expect classmate Shingetsu to be in the vicinity as well," Akashi greeted her proactively.

"I came here to train. You're doing the same, right?" Hyuga Shingetsu looked at the targets and shuriken, her pearlescent eyes blinking with a cold, detached attitude.

She wore a loose gray training outfit with pant legs that ended just below the knees, leaving her snow-white calves exposed to the air.

The fine traditions of the Hyuga clan were already beginning to take shape across her chest.

Akashi scratched his head and smiled.

In class, there were always those who ranked at the top and were cited by teachers as role models for the other students; Hyuga Shingetsu was one of them.

As a member of the Hyuga branch family, her talent was exceptional. Even at such a young age, she could execute the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, had almost never tasted defeat in actual combat, and possessed comprehensive abilities that could not be underestimated.

As a member of another prestigious clan, Obito was often used as the negative example.

Akashi wasn't close with her because Hyuga Shingetsu had a rather cold personality, possessing the pride common to members of great families. She often kept to herself; while she wasn't exactly difficult to get along with, she wasn't the type to take the initiative in making friends either.

The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward for a moment.

Should I find a topic to discuss? Or should I just slip away?

"Um..."

"You don't need to say it; I will keep your secret." Before Akashi could even formulate his words, Hyuga Shingetsu spoke first, a trace of indescribable surprise even appearing on her face.

Akashi was puzzled: "What secret?"

Hyuga Shingetsu said with profound meaning: "I didn't expect that someone from the Uchiha clan would have such strange hobbies. For some perverts, being alone in a small grove wearing a bodysuit is indeed quite stimulating."

A hobby?

I must have been misunderstood, right?

Akashi was stunned and hurriedly waved his hands: "I am not a pervert."

"Everyone has their own quirks."

Hyuga Shingetsu looked cold and pretty, yet she displayed an understanding demeanor: "I get it."

You don't get anything!

But the actual situation was indeed difficult to explain clearly.

Akashi coughed twice and said: "If I told you that wearing this outfit increases attack speed, would you believe me?"

Hyuga Shingetsu shook her head decisively: "I don't."

"I don't believe it either, so I'm wearing it to test it out."

Akashi shrugged: "That's a reasonable explanation, right?"

Hyuga Shingetsu looked the boy in front of her up and down, the corners of her eyes twitching: "You Uchiha are all such strange fellows..."