Chapter 30: Days in Akatsuki

Hyuga Yuto reached out and took the clothes hanging on the hook, feeling them with a frown.

—The damned weather in Amegakure, the clothes had been washed for two days, but they were still damp.

Although he didn't possess fire release, as a ninja, drying clothes was a simple matter. If all else failed, he could perform a full set of Gentle Fist in front of the wet clothes, and the wind from his fists would dry them.

But Hyuga Yuto was rather old-fashioned in some aspects. Even after transmigrating to the Naruto world, he still believed that "clothes must be air-dried naturally."

Having no other choice, Hyuga Yuto hung the clothes back and changed into a windbreaker—blue-black, high-collared, the current uniform of the Akatsuki organization.

"I'll wear these more often for the time being... It's indeed a bit flamboyant to swagger around Amegakure in Konoha-style clothing."

He pushed the door open and exited his room, just bumping into Takeda Seigen next door.

"Hyuga-kun." Takeda Seigen glanced at him. "These clothes really suit you. As expected, handsome guys look good in anything..."

Hyuga Yuto smiled. "Takeda-san, please arrange for someone to send me a few more sets of clothes. I train every day and need to change and wash them daily."

"Ah? We should have dry vents here. That's the wind from fire release flowing through the pipes."

"I prefer natural air-drying... Please, Takeda-san."

"Alright." Takeda Seigen shrugged. The Akatsuki organization wouldn't be stingy with a few sets of clothes. "Hyuga-kun, don't think I'm nagging, but under this humid climate, naturally air-dried clothes might get moldy... Oh, you can ask Kaoru for some seeds and put them in your clothes, so they won't have a strange smell."

Takeda Seigen was the current fourth-in-command of the Akatsuki organization. Unlike the top three leaders, he had a "mother hen" vibe, chattering endlessly once he started talking.

"Asano Kaoru, that fellow, loves collecting seeds. Even after a battle, lying on the ground dying, if she sees a beautiful flower bud, she'll pick it up and take it home to make a seed specimen..."

Hyuga Yuto smiled and took out a yellow seed. "You and Asano-san think alike. She gave me a jar the other day. It's very useful for removing odors."

"Oh? Haha, you see, I've known Kaoru for many years. We have a great understanding, whether in battle or anything else. This is the camaraderie forged between partners in life and death, hahaha..."

"Just partners?" Hyuga Yuto suddenly felt mischievous and started teasing the honest man. "Actually, I've wanted to say this for a long time... You and Asano-san are actually a good match. It's the first time I've seen a female subordinate who dares to pinch her superior's waist. You two are actually a couple, secretly dating, right?"

"Eh, eh, eh... Don't talk nonsense, don't let people misunderstand." Takeda Seigen, the dignified fourth-in-command of the Akatsuki organization, a veteran Jonin who had experienced all sorts of storms, actually blushed. He looked left and right, then fled as if escaping, muttering as he left, "What couple, what secret dating... Really, it doesn't sound interesting at all... Hmph!"

Watching Takeda Seigen's flustered retreat, Hyuga Yuto shook his head and continued walking forward.

To be honest, most men and women in the Naruto world were quite innocent. Love was a lifetime commitment, and there was basically no such thing as changing affections.

He expertly passed through various pipes and secret rooms, arriving at a spacious training ground.

In the center of the training ground, a young man with red hair sat cross-legged, his head lowered, as still as a lake.

Hyuga Yuto took a deep breath and stretched his hands.

Today was his tenth day in Amegakure.

Uzumaki Nagato was a man of his word and very responsible. He said he would help Hyuga Yuto develop new ninjutsu, and he really did it meticulously and with all his might, spending most of the day sparring with Hyuga Yuto and researching ninjutsu.

Of course, this was also related to Nagato's status in the Akatsuki organization. Yahiko was the leader on the surface, Konan was responsible for logistics and intelligence, and Nagato was not responsible for specific affairs, only appearing during battles. He usually had nothing to do except training.

"I'm coming, Nagato..."

Hyuga Yuto murmured softly, his body tensing up.

A shallow pit instantly appeared in the steel beneath his feet.

Roar—

A thunderous roar echoed through the training ground as the Branch Family teenager instantly dashed to Uzumaki Nagato's side.

He raised his right hand, but it wasn't the familiar Gentle Fist stance.

An "armor" the size of a human head enveloped Hyuga Yuto's right hand, like flowing water and a swirling wind. This armor resembled a beast's mouth, with chilling fangs where it corresponded to Yuto's fingers.

—Lion's Fang Bite!

Hyuga Yuto slammed his hand towards Nagato's chest. A sharp explosion boomed. The power of this strike was enough to shatter a boulder the size of a house!

Uzumaki Nagato's half-closed eyes suddenly opened.

Deep purple eyes with rippling circles, mysterious, powerful, and aloof.

Hum—

Hyuga Yuto's "Lion's Fang" stopped just fifteen centimeters away from Uzumaki Nagato's skin. He was blocked by a tremendous repulsive force, unable to advance even half an inch.

Bang! Nagato gently clapped his hands together, and Hyuga Yuto was blasted away, crashing directly into a wall fifty meters away. Dust and debris flew everywhere, steel bars and concrete were all broken, and the Branch Family teenager was embedded in the wall, gasping for air.

"Very good, Yuto-kun." Uzumaki Nagato stood up and walked to Hyuga Yuto, his voice full of praise. "You held on for 0.4 seconds longer, which is an improvement from yesterday. I understand why Tsunade-hime took you as her disciple... Yuto-kun, you are a person with great talent, and you will become a remarkable ninja one day."

"The way you said that... People who don't know might think you're being sarcastic."

"No, Yuto-kun, 0.4 seconds of progress is really excellent."

Nagato pulled Hyuga Yuto up and carefully examined his palm, sighing, "An extremely offensive ninjutsu, but unfortunately it puts a great strain on the body. Look, your muscles are already torn."

"It's okay, I know medical ninjutsu, and my teacher and I will improve this jutsu in the end to reduce the damage it does to the body. What I need to do now is to maximize its power."

"Good, since Tsunade-hime will be finishing it off, we can be unrestrained now and increase its power as much as possible." Nagato nodded. "Then let's continue... Your [Lion's Fang Bite], the main structure is Gentle Fist, monstrous strength, and chakra release. The chakra armor borrows from wind release and water release. This is an extremely ingenious idea. Fluidity is power, and raging water and wind are no different from steel."

"But I think this jutsu hasn't reached perfection yet."

"We can learn from the principles of wind release and water release, so why not try adding more elements?"

"I thought about it a lot last night, Yuto-kun. Today, let's try adding the concept of earth release."

"Look, this is Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm. We can imitate this way of manipulating chakra..."