Ch.40 Akatsuki!

Evening.

In a secluded training ground.

Clang! Clang!

Amid the sharp clashing of metal, the two fighters retreated.

Panting heavily, Haku said, "Phew... Shinji, y-you've progressed so quickly!"

In just a few weeks, Haku had witnessed Uchiha Shinji grow from a novice in taijutsu into someone who even Haku had to take seriously during sparring.

Coupled with the ever-rising fame of Sasuke lately, Haku deeply admired how the Uchiha clan, as a thousand-year-old powerhouse in the shinobi world, produced such extraordinarily talented individuals. Their talent was truly awe-inspiring.

"Is your ranking in taijutsu really only in the twenties?" Uchiha Shinji asked, still catching his breath.

Haku was like a spring— the more pressure Uchiha Shinji applied, the stronger Haku became. If Uchiha Shinji eased up, Haku's performance would be more mediocre. Despite going all out this time, Uchiha Shinji still couldn't gain the upper hand in taijutsu.

"I didn't do well in the last exam," Haku replied, embarrassed, and added, "Let's take a break!"

Uchiha Shinji nodded and walked to the bench on the side of the training ground, picking up a towel to wipe off his sweat.

Haku approached and asked, "Uchiha Shinji, have you been competing with Neji and Sasuke in mastering the Shadow Clone Jutsu recently?"

Feigning casualness, Uchiha Shinji replied, "I didn't expect even you to have heard about it."

Haku smiled and said, "This has already spread around the class. Everyone's guessing who among you will master the Shadow Clone Jutsu first!"

Uchiha Shinji asked, "Oh? Who do they think will win?"

Looking at Uchiha Shinji, Haku answered, "Tenten and the others believe Neji will win. Princess Shion and I think you will. Many others believe Sasuke will win. After all, the three of you are rare geniuses. No one dares to make a definitive guess about who will come out on top!"

Uchiha Shinji fell silent for a moment, then said, "I might lose. I've been practicing the Shadow Clone Jutsu for days, but I still haven't made any progress."

Haku quickly reassured him, "Shinji, the Shadow Clone Jutsu is a B-rank jutsu. It's not something we academy students are expected to master. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Besides, I've heard that Neji and Sasuke haven't made much progress either."

Uchiha Shinji shook his head and fell into silence once more.

Of course, he knew that the Shadow Clone Jutsu wasn't easy to master, as it involved splitting and shaping chakra.

Without a sufficient amount of chakra, there was no point in even attempting it!

This was why Naruto struggled with most jutsu but mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, an advanced form of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, almost instantly.

Uchiha Shinji had only managed to learn it quickly because of the chakra boost he had received from the Hidden Leaf's gifts, doubling his chakra reserves and surpassing those of his peers.

Sasuke and Neji were only seven or eight years old. Their bodies hadn't fully developed. No matter how talented they were, without enough chakra reserves, mastering the Shadow Clone Jutsu in a short time was impossible.

So, not mastering it was the norm. Not everyone could be like Uchiha Itachi, after all.

As night began to fall, Haku suggested, "Uchiha Shinji, let's head back. The academy resumes classes tomorrow!"

"Alright."

Uchiha Shinji nodded in agreement.

Just then, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the training ground.

"Who's there?"

Both Uchiha Shinji and Haku turned toward the figure.

However, as soon as Uchiha Shinji's gaze met the mysterious figure's, his body suddenly weakened, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Haku, now alarmed, tightly gripped a kunai: "Stop right there! Who are you?!"

The mysterious figure stepped out of the shadows.

Silver-white moonlight illuminated his figure, revealing a black cloak adorned with red clouds. A mask covered his face, with sharp eyes visible through its holes.

"You..."

Haku was momentarily stunned by the figure's intimidating presence but didn't flee. Instead, he resolutely stood between the unconscious Uchiha Shinji and the intruder.

The mysterious man coldly observed Haku and said, "There's no need to panic. You haven't forgotten what happened here the night of the fireworks festival, have you?"

Haku was startled: "Was it you who helped me that night?"

"Indeed."

"What do you want? Why did you help me?"

Haku was genuinely panicked now. The fact that this person knew his deepest secret left him breathless.

The mysterious man didn't respond immediately. Instead, his gaze shifted toward the unconscious Uchiha Shinji.

Haku quickly moved to block the man's line of sight: "He has nothing to do with this!"

The man's tone turned playful: "Oh? It seems you care about him?"

"I already told you, my affairs have nothing to do with anyone else. I just don't want to drag others down!" Haku paused before showing a look of resignation. "If you want to report me to the village, then go ahead!"

"The village?" The mysterious man chuckled softly. "As a spy sent by the Hidden Mist to infiltrate the Hidden Leaf, it seems your sense of loyalty is somewhat misplaced."

Haku was taken aback.

He had spoken the words "the village" without thinking. But wasn't his village supposed to be the Hidden Leaf?

The mysterious man continued, "Don't worry, I have no interest in reporting you. I've merely taken a liking to your talents."

"My talents?"

Haku was confused.

The Hidden Leaf was full of young geniuses—Uchiha Shinji, lying unconscious, was one of them. Haku couldn't understand why the mysterious man had chosen him.

The man glanced at Uchiha Shinji on the ground and sneered, "You're far stronger than this piece of trash."

Haku's face darkened: "He is not trash!"

The mysterious man didn't dwell on this but instead continued, "Now, I'm giving you two choices: Join my organization, or die! Of course, if you make the wrong choice, he'll die too!"

Haku realized he had no real choice, so he asked, "What exactly do you want me to do?"

The man replied calmly, "You don't need to feel pressured right now. If, in the future, I ask you to do something that goes against your principles, you can refuse then."

Haku thought for a moment.

At this point, his secret was in the hands of the mysterious man, who clearly had the power to knock out a Uchiha with ease. Going against him now would only lead to his own death—and potentially harm Uchiha Shinji as well.

After weighing his options, he nodded. "Alright."

The mysterious man said, "When the organization has a task for you, I'll notify you."

"Understood."

Haku responded helplessly.

The man then spoke more sternly, "You are forbidden from telling anyone about the organization! Remember, not a word to anyone, including your Hidden Mist contacts! If you do, the organization will punish you severely, and that includes anyone you care about."

Haku replied, "As long as your demands aren't excessive, I'm willing to keep this secret."

The man's tone softened. "In time, you'll find that accepting my invitation isn't as bad as you think."

Haku sighed and asked, "What is this organization?"

The man answered with one word: "Akatsuki."