Naruto: Evolution

Swish

While Gen, Azora, and Momo were chatting animatedly, time passed without them noticing. The conversation flowed naturally until the agreed time for the meeting finally arrived.

Suddenly, a faint sound in the air announced the arrival of someone. In an instant, a figure appeared in the training field with a swift movement.

They positioned themselves right in front of the three.

"Sensei Hayato!" x2

Azora and Momo shouted, immediately stopping their conversation.

Both hurried to bow as a sign of respect, while Gen, for his part, observed the newcomer attentively.

He was a man of approximately thirty years, with an upright posture and a serene demeanor. His appearance was common, without particularly striking features, but in his dark eyes, the experience of a veteran ninja could be perceived.

Like many other ninjas from Konoha, he wore the village headband tied to his forehead.

From Azora and Momo's reaction, it was quickly deduced that he was Hayato Sarutobi, the captain of their squad and the team leader.

"Nice to meet you, Sensei Hayato. I'm Gen Uchiha, the new member of the team."

Taking a step forward, Gen adopted a cordial expression and gave a slight bow.

Captain Hayato briefly studied him with an evaluating gaze before responding with a smile.

"So you're Gen… Welcome. But there's no need for you to call me sensei like Azora and Momo do. You are a disciple of Orochimaru-sama, so just call me captain from now on."

After greeting Azora and Momo with a nod, he refocused on Gen with the same attitude.

"Understood, Captain Hayato!" Gen responded without hesitation, immediately adapting to the request.

Hayato nodded approvingly before continuing:

"There's no need for explanations. You already know why we're here. First, let's officially welcome Gen to our team."

"Welcome, Gen!" Azora exclaimed enthusiastically, clapping energetically.

"Welcome to the team," Momo said with a sincere smile.

"Please, it is an honor for me to be part of this team."

Gen bowed slightly and returned a smile.

After the brief welcoming ceremony, Hayato took the floor.

"Now that Gen has joined our team, I think it's fair that we formally introduce ourselves. I'll start, then Azora, then Momo, and lastly, Gen."

The three nodded without objections.

"I'm Hayato Sarutobi, I'm thirty-one years old. My specialties are Fire Style and Taijutsu. As for food…"

"I'm Azora Hyūga, I'm thirteen years old. I specialize in Hyūga Taijutsu and sensory jutsus…"

"I'm Momo Inuzuka, I'm also thirteen years old, and I specialize in my clan's secret techniques. Oh, and in tracking!..."

After the three quickly introduced themselves, it was Gen's turn. He smiled and, following the same structure as the others, introduced himself:

"I'm Gen Uchiha, I'm nine years old, and my specialties are Fire Style and Taijutsu…"

The moment he mentioned his age, Azora and Momo exchanged a quick look of astonishment.

"Nine…?" Momo murmured, her eyes slightly widened.

Azora frowned, not out of annoyance, but out of genuine surprise. It wasn't that she had a problem with Gen, but the age difference was no small matter. Four years didn't seem like much, but in this world, they marked a huge difference in experience and physical development. Cases like Kakashi's, who had graduated as a child prodigy, were rare… but working as a team with someone four years younger did feel unusual.

However, they said nothing, as it was evident that Gen was not an ordinary child.

Hayato, for his part, smiled with interest. "It seems you and I have quite a bit in common. We both specialize in Fire Style and Taijutsu. I'm sure we'll be able to exchange techniques in the future."

Gen laughed and waved his hands. "Captain Hayato, don't make me look bad. You're a Jōnin, I'm just starting out. I'd better prepare to learn from you."

Hayato chuckled lightly before looking at the three with seriousness.

"Well, now that we know each other, let's move on to the main matter."

Saying this, he turned his attention to Gen and continued.

"Gen, since you've just joined the team, we need to understand your abilities so we can work better together in the future. Ideally, we should measure your strength in combat. How about you fight against Azora and Momo?"

Gen nodded without a second thought. "That's fine by me, I have no objections."

"I don't have a problem with that either," Azora said, crossing his arms. "Let me be the first to fight Gen."

However, Hayato shook his head and raised a hand to stop him.

"I wasn't referring to one-on-one fights. You two will fight together against Gen."

"Me and Azora together?!" Momo shouted in surprise, blinking a few times.

Azora also widened his eyes in disbelief but then frowned, considering the situation.

"That's right," Hayato confirmed. "You may not yet fully understand Gen's strength, but you should know that, even though he just graduated from the academy, his level is already comparable to that of a Chūnin. In fact, he has defeated an elite Chūnin in combat."

!

As a member of the Sarutobi clan and the team leader, Hayato had access to detailed information about his squad—far more than Azora and Momo imagined.

He knew perfectly well that Orochimaru had tested Gen and that he had managed to defeat an opponent far superior in rank. Precisely for that reason, he considered it fairest for both of them to fight together against him.

Azora and Momo, as part of Hayato's team, were considered prodigies among the Genin of their generation. However, their talent did not compare to that of true geniuses like Gen or Kakashi. Despite having spent a year on missions after their graduation, their power level barely reached that of an elite Genin.

Even fighting together, victory against Gen was unlikely, but at least this way, they would have a better chance to evaluate his abilities and understand the difference between them.

"What…? He defeated an elite Chūnin?" Momo was completely incredulous, her eyes widening as she looked at Gen in total shock.

________

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