"Phantom Tiger… Teacher, why don't you ask him?"
Genya's lips curved into a subtle smile as he thought to himself. He already knew there was some connection between Uchiha Shisui and Kurenai. It seemed that Kurenai still couldn't quite let go of Shisui.
"You should know… it was he who asked me to take you as my student back then. At the time, I just wanted to look after you. I didn't expect you to be so strong—you hardly needed my guidance at all!" Kurenai didn't hide anything, explaining briefly how the two had first met.
She fell into a slight reverie and even told Genya about how Uchiha Shisui had taught her genjutsu, her words carrying a trace of nostalgia.
"You're right, Teacher. Phantom Tiger really is an Uchiha!" Genya nodded with a smile, confirming Kurenai's guess. His grin seemed to hold a playful edge, as if he enjoyed keeping a secret.
Seeing Genya nod, Kurenai's eyes flickered with urgency. She quickly asked, "Who? Which member of the Uchiha clan is it?"
Her tone was clearly excited. The desire to uncover the truth was evident—over the years, she had been curious about Hanto's true identity. The mystery had been like a thorn in her heart, impossible to forget.
"No, he's not in the clan. Teacher, don't even guess—you'd never figure it out!" Genya shook his head, a teasing expression playing on his face.
Interesting… it seemed there really was a hidden story between Kurenai and Shisui.
"Not in the Uchiha clan? Then… who is Phantom Tiger?" Kurenai frowned, confusion written all over her face. Her heart was full of frustration. Who could he really be?
"Yes. Teacher, don't guess. He's not part of the Uchiha clan," Genya nodded with a smile, then added, "But maybe he'll show up during the Chuunin Exams. You can ask him yourself then."
His words carried a hint of mystery, deliberately teasing Kurenai.
Shisui had been presumed dead years ago. No one could have imagined that Genya had saved him—and trained him to become Phantom Tiger of Atsukara.
If Kurenai tried to guess, she wouldn't be able to.
"He'll appear at the Chuunin Exams?" Kurenai's eyes lit up like a sudden spark in the darkness.
A wave of anticipation rose in her chest, and she had already made up her mind: when the time came, she would uncover Phantom Tiger's identity and personally remove his mask.
"Maybe," Genya nodded.
Kurenai's eyes turned serious as she looked at Genya and said solemnly, "What are you planning to do during the Chunin Exams? People from several villages will gather in Konoha. If you make a move, you could be in danger!"
She knew very well how important and complicated the Chunin Exams were. With ninjas from different villages converging, the situation could easily become dangerous. She feared that Genya and Phantom Tiger might face trouble at such a critical time.
"We just want to reveal some truths. There won't be any danger," Genya said, looking up at the sky, his tone calm and quiet.
His gaze was deep and distant, as if he could see through the clouds.
After a while, he continued, "All truths will naturally be revealed when the time comes. Otherwise, some rats hiding in the shadows will continue to shine in the light."
As he spoke, Genya's expression grew serious. Determination shone in his eyes—some truths were meant to be uncovered.
Kurenai listened and became serious as well. She looked at Genya, unsure what to say.
She could feel the conviction in his words and could only sigh, saying nothing.
Genya didn't continue speaking. He stepped forward and walked to the front of the group.
Those behind him instinctively quickened their pace, trying to catch up.
Among them, the one struggling the most was Tazuna, the master bridge-builder. He pushed up his glasses, a puzzled look on his face.
He had thought that Kurenai, their mentor, was the leader of the team. But now it seemed that the true leader of this squad was Uchiha Genya, which left him stunned.
Looking back on the journey so far, Genya had always led them forward, solving any problems that arose.
It was certainly unusual.
Of course, Genya sometimes appeared a little arrogant or relaxed when handling matters, but he had never made a real mistake.
At first, Tazuna still thought about this, but as the team pressed forward quickly, his stamina couldn't keep up. His mind gradually stopped questioning things, focusing only on moving ahead.
By the end, he was panting at the back, too exhausted to think about anything else.
And so, they continued for several more days, getting closer and closer to the Land of Waves.
On this day, the team moved along a narrow path in the forest.
The surroundings were quiet and deep, with sunlight filtering through the dense branches, forming scattered patches of light.
Occasional breezes rustled through the leaves, adding a subtle feeling to the calm.
Suddenly, Genya's pace slowed. Kurenai and Hinata hurried to catch up. Seeing Genya slow down, Hinata couldn't help but ask, "Genya, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"
She had always stayed close to him, paying careful attention to his every move.
Although Genya had only slowed slightly, she keenly sensed that he had noticed something amiss.
"Take a good look around!" Genya didn't explain directly, but urged Hinata to observe for herself.
A hint of caution showed in his eyes.
By now, ever since her eyes had begun evolving, Hinata's chakra had been rising at a frenzied pace.
The Byakugan seemed like a lock on her genes. Now that it was evolving, her body and physical strength were rapidly improving.
Hinata's current strength had easily reached the level of a Jonin, and if she used the Byakugan, her combat power would be even greater.
The key was that this evolution was far from over. No one could predict how far Hinata would grow in the future.
Indeed, in the ninja world, bloodlines accounted for a large part of a person's potential to become strong.
Following Genya's instructions, Hinata blinked. The deep blue glow in her pupils deepened, like a bottomless lake.
She scanned the path ahead. It was a rugged trail, likely wet from recent rain, with several puddles scattered along the way.
Puddles? Hinata frowned.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Her gaze sharpened. With the insight of the Byakugan, she realized that hidden within the puddles were several ninjas using special techniques to conceal themselves.
They were hidden with incredible skill. Without the Byakugan, they would have been impossible to detect.
"Genya… under the water—" Hinata tried to warn him after making the discovery.
Genya immediately stopped Hinata from continuing and whispered softly in her ear, "Leave these few to you and Shino. Don't let me down."
His voice was low and firm, full of trust in Hinata and Shino.
"Uh?" Hinata was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Genya to give her and Shino this task.
But soon, excitement flickered in her eyes, and she nodded firmly, "I will."
****
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