"Partner?"
Sho U was a bit curious. Given Young Ai's status and strength, anyone he recognized and called a "partner" was definitely no ordinary person.
He suddenly remembered something and flashed a smile.
"Right, right, right, let's go. He should be at the Seventh Training Ground in the back right now."
Without taking no for an answer, Young Ai pulled Sho U along toward the training area at the back of the Village.
Most of the training grounds in the Hidden Cloud Village were built against the mountains. The Seventh Training Ground was located in a relatively secluded mountain hollow, with flat ground and jagged boulders surrounding it as natural barriers and training props.
Before they even got close, they heard a rhythmic striking sound coming from the training ground, accompanied by the dull thuds of fists and feet hitting rock.
It was a youth who looked quite a bit younger than Young Ai. He had dark skin and a tall, sturdy build for a boy his age. He had short dark hair and lightning-bolt markings on his cheeks, similar to Young Ai's but lighter in color.
He was shirtless, with smooth yet explosive muscle lines. His movements were swift and powerful, with every punch and kick carrying a sharp whistling sound as they struck a specially made metal post, producing muffled thuds.
Unlike Ai's wide-open and incomparably fierce style, this youth's movements were more agile and varied, carrying a unique sense of rhythm.
As if sensing the gaze of the newcomers, the boy training in the field paused his movements, stopped, and turned around.
His gaze first landed on Young Ai, and a bright, even slightly silly smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Hello, Big Brother~."
At this time, Killer Bee didn't really know how to rap yet, but his voice already had a slightly strange quality to it.
Uchiha Shao Yu: "..."
Young Ai, however, was used to it. He even rubbed his temples with a bit of a headache and scolded with a laugh.
"Bee! How many times have I told you? Speak properly! Stop with those weird tones. Come here, let me introduce you to a big shot."
The young Killer Bee didn't get upset at Ai's scolding. He ran over with a chuckle, his gaze curiously turning toward Uchiha Shao Yu.
When he saw Sho U's deep, calm eyes and felt the aura that, while restrained, made him instinctively feel an invisible pressure, the grin on Killer Bee's face retracted slightly, replaced by a trace of inquiry.
"Big Brother, this is...? A newcomer, an expert senior? Sharp eyes, extraordinary aura! Friend or foe, tell me quick! Ya-ho!"
Killer Bee still couldn't help but ask in his newly budding RAP style.
"This is Elder Uchiha Shao Yu! Our Village's newly appointed elder. He's incredibly strong; even the old man admires him."
Young Ai gave Killer Bee a frustrated smack on the back of the head.
"Greet him properly!"
"El... Elder?!"
Killer Bee was clearly startled, staring at Sho U with wide eyes.
But then he realized he seemed to have heard about it a while ago.
"Elder Uchiha, meeting for the first time, Killer Bee is here, heart full of respect, Big Brother's partner, future looks bright, please take care of me, ya-ho!"
After speaking, he clenched his right fist over his left chest and performed a standard Hidden Cloud salute, which looked a bit comical combined with his previous words.
Uchiha Shao Yu looked at the youth before him—who had not yet become the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, was in the budding stage of his RAP hobby, and had a flighty personality but clear eyes—feeling a bit surprised but also finding it amusing.
Is this Young Ai's partner, one half of the future "AB Combo"?
As expected... very distinctive.
He didn't mind the other's strange way of speaking, nodding slightly with a peaceful tone.
"No need for formalities, Killer Bee. Ai often mentions you, saying you're a hardworking and talented Ninja. To be Ai's partner, you must be extraordinary."
"Really? Big Brother really praises me often? Yay! Awesome! Hard work pays off, finally! Big Brother's recognition, Elder's high regard! The future is bright, ya-ho!"
He danced with joy, starting to rhyme again.
Young Ai facepalmed helplessly on the side, but there was a smile in his eyes.
He turned to Sho U and explained.
"Elder Sho U, don't mind him. Bee has this problem. I don't know where he picked up these weird tones lately, but he's been muttering them all day."
"But he really works hard at training. His Taijutsu and Kenjutsu foundations are very solid; he's among the top of our generation."
Uchiha Shao Yu nodded. He could see Killer Bee's solid foundation and abundant energy.
Although he wasn't the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki yet, his inherent potential was already impressive. No wonder the Raikage chose him to be trained as Ai's partner.
"Oh right, I almost forgot. I was about to tell you something."
Ai clapped his hands.
"I mentioned it to you before—the strength Exchange Meet for the Village's younger generation officially starts this afternoon at the Third Great Training Ground."
"Your Uchiha's Renka and Rice Fire went over early this morning to sign up. How about it? Want to go take a look? You can also get a sense of the level of our Kumogakure's younger generation."
Uchiha Shao Yu thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement. This was indeed a good opportunity to observe the strength of the Hidden Cloud's new generation and see how his own clansmen performed.
Renka and Rice Fire were both outstanding members of the clan's younger generation. Especially Renka; as Elder Setsuna's grandson, his talent and temperament were both good, and his strength had improved further after the defection.
The two of them then walked together toward the Third Great Training Ground, located on the west side of the Village and specifically used for large gatherings and drills.
Before they even got close, they could hear the clamor, cheers, and the roar of Ninjutsu collisions coming from the direction of the training ground.
Clearly, the Exchange Meet had already begun, and the atmosphere was quite heated.
Entering the training ground, they saw that the sidelines were already crowded with Kumogakure Ninja, mostly Chunin and Genin, but there were also many Jonin and representatives from various clans watching and giving instructions.
In the center of the area was a huge square arena built of solid rock with clearly drawn boundaries.
At this moment, two people were fighting fiercely on the stage. One of them had black hair and black eyes, wearing the Uchiha's signature deep blue high-collared clan outfit, which had been modified into a simple Kumogakure style.
Renka's movements were swift and sharp. In his eyes, the crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan was clearly visible—it was indeed Uchiha Renka!
His opponent was a tall, dark-skinned Kumogakure youth with wild long hair, wearing a standard Jonin vest and having a fierce gaze.
His offensive was like a storm, using the common Kumogakure combat method of combining Lightning Release and Taijutsu. Lightning flickered between his fists and feet, and the power was impressive.
The Kumogakure Ninja around the arena held their breath as they watched, occasionally letting out gasps or exclamations of praise.
"So strong."
"That Uchiha kid has such fast reactions."
"The Sharingan really lives up to its reputation; it almost predicted all of Ryu's attacks."
"Ryu is recognized as one of the strongest in our generation besides Big Brother Ai, yet he's being suppressed this hard?"
"I heard that Uchiha Renka also has Jonin strength, and those eyes... they're too much of a cheat."
Young Ai led Sho U to a spot with a better view, pointed at the long-haired Kumogakure youth on the stage, and introduced him to Sho U in a low voice.
"The one on the stage is one of our Kumogakure's outstanding younger generation named Yuzuki Ryu, a distant cousin of mine. He's very strong and has been officially promoted to Jonin for some time now. His Lightning Release and Taijutsu are quite solid, and he has a bellicose personality."
His tone carried recognition for his clan's junior, but also a hint of helplessness.
"But looking at it now... facing your Uchiha's Renka, he seems to be struggling a bit."
Uchiha Shao Yu's gaze fell on the arena.
Just as Young Ai said, the situation on the field was clear at a glance.
Although Yuzuki Ryu's offensive was fierce, possessing both speed and power, and his use of Lightning Release Chakra was quite proficient—each attack carrying the momentum of thunder—an ordinary Jonin facing this kind of rapid and heavy assault would likely have been in a frantic state long ago.
However, Uchiha Renka appeared to be handling it with ease.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan granted him dynamic vision and insight beyond ordinary people. Yuzuki Ryu's swift attack trajectories seemed to be slowed down and dismantled in his eyes.
He could always dodge or parry with minimal movement at the most appropriate timing. At the same time, his Sharingan was constantly capturing and copying the flow of the opponent's Lightning Release Chakra and their Taijutsu habits.
Although there might be a slight gap in physical fitness, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan perfectly covered for it.
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808