For the first time, Hatake Haru felt time crawl by so agonizingly slow—every single second was pure torment.
At this moment, every muscle in his body trembled faintly, steam rising from his head like mist. His clothes were completely soaked through with sweat.
He had no idea how long it had been before his legs finally gave out. His body swayed, and he almost collapsed.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Uchiha Yuan appeared beside him, reaching out to catch him before he fell.
"Not bad," Yuan said with a faint smile. "You lasted one minute and twenty-six seconds longer than yesterday. Seems your physical foundation is excellent—the standing-post exercise is clearly working."
Haru panted heavily, too exhausted to speak.
After resting for a while, he flipped up from the ground and began sparring with Uchiha Yuan in taijutsu.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fists and feet clashed in rapid succession. Uchiha Yuan stood firmly in place, his right hand moving fluidly to block every one of Haru's strikes with ease.
After dozens of exchanges, Haru failed to dodge in time and caught a solid kick to the face, sending him flying backward.
He clutched his nose as he scrambled up from the ground, blood gushing down his face.
"Yuan-kun, that kick was way too hard!" he groaned.
Uchiha Yuan flexed his body, the sound of popping joints echoing crisply. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled. "My apologies. Getting hit is also an essential part of taijutsu training.
"Besides, the opening you showed just now was far too tempting—I couldn't resist."
By a small creek near the Hatake clan compound, several cleaned fish were skewered on branches, roasting beside a campfire.
Uchiha Yuan sat cross-legged on a rock, holding a golden-brown grilled fish in one hand. With deft, precise movements, he tore off small pieces of the meat and slowly ate them.
Splash!
A burst of water sprayed up from the stream as Hatake Haru leapt out, landing lightly on the shore.
In his hand was a large fish nearly a foot long.
He swiftly descaled and gutted it, rinsed it clean in the creek, then skewered it and set it by the fire.
Grabbing a fish that was already cooked, Haru bit into it ravenously. Within moments, he had devoured one whole fish.
Not long after, he had eaten six in a row.
"Finally, I don't feel hungry anymore," Haru sighed, wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth. "Yuan-kun, ever since I started following your training method, my appetite's exploded."
Yuan casually tossed aside the fish bones in his hand and said, "You know the Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu, right?"
Haru nodded. "Yeah. It's said that when they use it, their bodies grow enormous—some even become giants."
"I don't understand the secret technique itself," Yuan said, "but I do know this: to support such a transformation, the body has to be tremendously strong.
"It's said the Akimichi have a special training method before they ever learn that jutsu. I suspect it's designed to constantly strengthen their bodies—that's why their clan members are always eating nonstop.
"In a world of extraordinary power, the law of conservation of energy still applies."
He smiled faintly. "The standing-post method I taught you also strengthens your body constantly. That's why you're always hungry and your appetite's growing."
Haru froze at those words.
Though the Hatake were a small clan, they had a long lineage as a ninja family. He suddenly realized that the standing-post method Yuan had taught him might be far more valuable than he'd thought—perhaps even comparable to the Akimichi clan's secret training.
"Yuan-kun… wouldn't teaching me this cause trouble for you?" Haru asked seriously. He knew that each clan guarded its techniques closely; passing one to an outsider could easily spark conflict.
Seeing Haru's anxious look, Yuan chuckled softly. "Don't worry. That method is mine—it has nothing to do with the Uchiha clan."
Then he pointed toward the fire. "That fish is about to burn."
Haru quickly turned and rescued the fish from the flames.
Moments later, the two had eaten all the remaining grilled fish.
Haru tossed away the fish bones and sat cross-legged on the grass. "Yuan-kun, I thought about my uncle all last night, but I still don't understand.
"My uncle was a hero of the village—the White Fang's name alone struck fear across the ninja world. The village wouldn't lie or target him without reason."
Uchiha Yuan stood up, gazing past the forest toward the distant Hokage Rock. His voice was calm. "Maybe because he was the village's hero. His prestige might have grown too great."
Haru looked puzzled, not quite understanding what Yuan meant.
Seeing his confusion, Yuan simply patted him on the shoulder. "What happened to the White Fang is in the past. If you can't figure it out, don't dwell on it."
Haru shook his head stubbornly. "No… I have to know the truth."
After leaving the Hatake compound, Uchiha Yuan walked through a busy street in the village center—and there, he spotted a familiar, solitary figure.
Kakashi.
He looked as though he'd just returned from a mission.
"Hey, Kakashi!"
A girl's voice suddenly called out.
Not far away, at a small food stall, two girls waved to him. One was strikingly beautiful, with a pair of captivating red eyes; the other was quiet and gentle, her smile soft.
"Kakashi-kun, it's been a while," said the gentle one.
Kakashi glanced their way but said nothing, continuing down the street.
Just then, a figure darted forward and blocked his path.
It was a young man, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, a scruffy beard shadowing his face. He grabbed Kakashi by the collar, glaring.
"Hey, Kakashi! How can you just ignore Kurenai like that? That's way too rude!"
Seeing this, Kurenai Yuhi and Shizune both rushed out from the stall.
"Asuma! Let go of Kakashi!" Kurenai shouted.
Startled by her tone, Sarutobi Asuma immediately released Kakashi and said hurriedly, "Kurenai, I just couldn't stand seeing him like this."
Kurenai shot Asuma a fierce glare, then turned to Kakashi with a smile. Shizune added softly, "Kakashi-kun, don't forget—you still have us, your classmates. Seeing you like this… it really hurts."
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