This familiar scene made the people around grit their teeth in frustration. It happened again!
"If you weren't just two little kids, I would've dealt with you already!"
When I arrived at the classroom, the news about the Uchiha clan's extermination was already all over the big screen.
All the students were talking about it.
To them, the Uchiha clan was the strongest in Konoha. Now that they were gone, how could they not talk about it?
"You're here?" Kaito had just greeted Hinata when Shikamaru spoke from behind.
"Yeah."
"What do you think about the Uchiha clan?"
Hearing Shikamaru bring it up, Kaito rolled his eyes. "What can I say? Just keep your eyes open and watch."
"You—! Alright, you're right. It's not something we can get involved in." Shikamaru sighed, going back to his usual lazy demeanor.
The noisy classroom gradually quieted down when Iruka arrived.
The morning passed with Iruka going on and on with his usual lectures.
At noon, Kaito ate the lunch Hinata and Ino had prepared for him.
After that, he took the two of them to a quiet, secluded spot.
"Kaito, what's up? Why'd you bring us out here?" Ino asked, confused.
"Yeah," Hinata added, her head tilted slightly.
"You've heard about the Uchiha clan. Got any thoughts on it?"
"Thoughts? Didn't you say earlier it had nothing to do with us?" Ino looked at him strangely. "You already mentioned it this morning."
Hinata just shook her head. As the Hyuga clan's heiress, she was used to intense daily training and hadn't had time to dwell on it.
Kaito rubbed his forehead. "Alright, forget it." Seeing their puzzled expressions, he didn't bother explaining further.
"You two will start training with me. The clones will cover for us at the academy."
With that, Kaito quickly formed hand seals and created three shadow clones.
Ino and Hinata stood stunned.
"These clones will take our places at school from now on."
"Understood!" the shadow clones said in unison.
Kaito grabbed Ino and Hinata, one in each arm, and leapt away.
They landed in a forest behind the Hokage Rock.
Kaito put them down and looked at them seriously. "If you've got questions, now's the time."
"That jutsu earlier—was that a clone technique?" Ino asked first.
"No, it was a shadow clone," Hinata said softly. "Each one had a physical body—it must've been a shadow clone."
"Shadow clone? That's a B-rank jutsu!" Ino exclaimed.
She trusted Hinata's judgment—Byakugan users were precise about these things.
"You! When did you learn how to use shadow clones? And why didn't you tell us?" Ino frowned.
"I've known it for a few days. You just never asked." Kaito smiled.
"I brought you here because you'll be training with me from now on."
Kaito's expression grew serious. He scanned the two girls—Hinata looked fine, but his eyes lingered on Ino.
"Ugh… training?" Ino groaned, visibly deflated.
"Yes, training! No slacking off!" Kaito shot her a look.
Then, after a moment, he added more calmly, "The Uchiha clan was wiped out because they weren't strong enough. If someone like Uchiha Madara were still around, do you think this would've happened?"
"Ninja life is dangerous. If you're not strong, you can die out there. I don't want anything to happen to you two once you graduate."
"You know what happened last night. Two powerful shinobi—both likely at Kage level—fought inside the Uchiha compound."
"Now think about it. If either of those two had targeted your clans, what would you have done?"
Kaito's serious gaze darted between the girls.
Neither of them answered. They knew their families didn't have anyone close to Kage level.
If a Kage-level enemy decided to wipe them out, there'd be nothing they could do.
"Do you get it now? In this world, power is everything. If you reach the level of a Kage, would you still be afraid?" Kaito's voice was calm but firm.
"I understand now, Kaito. I'll train with you," Ino said, her cheeks flushed with determination.
"Hinata, what about you?" he asked.
"I'll do whatever you say, Kaito," Hinata replied softly but seriously.
"Good. From now on, this is our secret training ground. You can't tell anyone about it."
Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. He'd finally convinced them.
"Let's get started. Ino, you'll train in Taijutsu every morning. In the afternoon, practice your clan's secret techniques."
"Huh? Why Taijutsu? Can't I just focus on our clan's jutsu?"
"Do you know how chakra is formed?"
"Of course! It's generated from the 130 trillion cells in the human body…" Ino began confidently.
"Exactly. Chakra is a blend of two forces—physical energy from the body, and spiritual energy from the mind."
"I want you to train your body first. A strong body lets you extract more chakra."
"As for your clan's secret techniques—they rely on Yin Release."
This was the first time either of them had heard of Yin and Yang Release. Their curious expressions showed it.
Kaito hesitated a moment, then decided to explain.
"Ninja chakra doesn't just consist of the five basic natures—Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning…"
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