Nohara Rin's Reward

Konohagakure.

A rare overcast and rainy day.

Qingye walked into the courtyard and looked up at the sky, thick with clouds, his spirits lifting.

He had finally waited for it!

He had been wanting to try completing the S-rank Ninjutsu, Lightning Style: Kirin, for a while now, but this Ninjutsu required the creation of prerequisite atmospheric conditions.

Under normal weather conditions, he would have to artificially create a large amount of water vapor using Fire Style or Explosive Tags. This would either consume Chakra or cost money.

With his current Chakra reserves, which were still in the repayment period, he couldn't afford such waste.

But if he waited for an overcast and rainy day and directly borrowed the naturally formed atmospheric conditions, it would definitely be much more convenient.

He had finally waited for it.

Qingye brought the Lightning Blade: Fang, a gift from Raiga Kurosuki, and left home. After a moment's hesitation, he chose to leave the village.

The commotion caused by the Kirin technique was quite significant.

Practicing within Konohagakure would be too conspicuous.

After completing the exit registration, he followed the flow of the Naka River north. After traveling dozens of miles, Qingye stopped in a place where the dark clouds were thickest.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

A fire dragon soared into the sky, its scorching heat drawing the moisture from the surrounding air upwards. As the fire dragon shot into the dark clouds, the previously calm overcast sky immediately became agitated!

Large areas of dark clouds in the sky collided and compressed, and silvery-white lightning flickered within the cloud layers.

Zzzt!

Qingye quickly formed a hand seal, raised his right hand, and gathered Lightning Style Chakra in his palm.

The lightning in his hand and the lightning brewing in the high-altitude thunderclouds established a subtle connection, as if he could control the lightning in the sky from the ground!

"This power... it's really hard to control!"

Qingye clicked his tongue.

This S-rank Ninjutsu, which Uchiha Sasuke in the original timeline had specifically prepared to defeat Uchiha Itachi, and which had even forced the latter to use Susanoo for defense, was naturally not easy to master.

Crack!

Lightning flashed!

During his attempt, a moment of carelessness caused a small amount of the lightning, which felt like it was being held in his palm, to spill out. A bolt of lightning instantly struck the water of the Naka River below.

The lightning scattered across the river's surface.

The rapid, extreme heat caused a burst of steam to rise from the spot where the river was struck.

Boom!

A sudden explosion!

"Huh?"

Qingye looked down and saw that an explosion had inexplicably occurred where the lightning had struck the Naka River. He could still see residual flames as he looked.

What was going on?

Wait!

This wasn't the first time he had encountered this, was it?

He seemed to have encountered it during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, but Kitsuchi had arrived later, and he hadn't had a chance to think about it carefully.

Why would lightning striking a river cause an explosion?

A guess popped into his mind. Qingye slightly moved his raised right hand, intending to try something.

He pulled with his hand, and a bolt of lightning struck from the sky!

It also struck the river, but this time, there was no explosion as Qingye had expected.

"What exactly is going on?" Qingye frowned inwardly.

He had originally thought it was a chemical reaction from the lightning striking the water, electrolyzing the water into hydrogen and oxygen. Then, the hydrogen and oxygen ignited and exploded under the high temperature triggered by the lightning.

But why couldn't he replicate it?

Was his hypothesis wrong?

But he had just experienced it, and there was also the incident during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. It had happened twice.

Even if both were coincidences, there had to be a principle behind such coincidences, right?

Unable to figure it out for a moment, Qingye thought for a bit, bit his finger, and formed a hand seal.

Bang!

"Meow?"

Nine Lives poked its head out.

Why did you summon this cat?

"Nine Lives, go find a book for me..."

After giving the order, he sent Nine Lives back, with the Ninja Cat delivery to arrive later.

"Electrolysis of water experiment..."

"Where are my conditions lacking? Cathode and anode... Hmm? It needs direct current?"

Qingye pondered.

How to do this?

After thinking for a moment, he took out a scroll from his ninja tool pouch, opened it, and retrieved the two Lightning Blades, Fang.

He picked up one and pointed it towards the thunderclouds in the sky, tugging. This time, Qingye changed his approach. Under the Lightning Blade's pull, continuous lightning struck down!

Lightning flashed and scattered across the water's surface. After adjusting several times, some gas seemed to rise and emerge from the water.

Splash--

A sudden burst of flame flashed on the water's surface!

"It didn't explode?"

The electrolysis of water was successful, and it seemed hydrogen and oxygen were produced, but the explosion he had hoped for didn't occur... What condition was still missing?

"I'll focus on Kirin for now."

Qingye sighed.

At least he would complete this large-scale, powerful ninjutsu first, and then slowly figure out how to create the previous explosion during the process.

If he could truly replicate it stably, it might become another very useful ninjutsu.

Time passed day by day.

During this period, the overall war situation in Konohagakure had stabilized. However, there were rumors that conflicts were escalating again on the Kirigakure front.

Nohara Rin walked through the Uchiha compound, carrying a bag. She had just visited Obito's grave to lay flowers.

Gathering her courage, she stopped a passerby and asked. It wasn't as intimidating as she had imagined. After getting the answer she wanted, Nohara Rin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked them.

"The people of the Uchiha clan really aren't that difficult to get along with..."

Nohara Rin patted her chest, feeling relieved.

That was true. Whether it was Obito or Qingye, neither of them were difficult people to get along with... The rumors in the village about the Uchiha clan were indeed just rumors.

Following the direction she had asked about earlier, she arrived at Qingye's doorstep and gently knocked.

A short while later.

"Rin? What brings you here?"

Qingye seemed slightly surprised.

"Um, I, I made something. I don't know if you'll like it, Qingye."

Nohara Rin tried to encourage herself inwardly, but her movements were still a bit flustered. She fumbled to take out a bento box from her bag. When she opened it, it was filled with strawberry daifuku.

Qingye blinked, not understanding what was going on.

"Is this because I saved you before? But didn't you already thank me, Rin?"

"How can that be enough? That was a life-saving favor!"

Nohara Rin's attitude was very serious, but she spoke with some embarrassment: "However, I really couldn't think of anything else to give you as thanks, so I could only make some sweets... I hope you don't dislike them."

Her voice grew quieter towards the end, sounding rather guilty.

He had saved her from an Iwagakure Jonin, but she could only offer these things in return.

As an orphan, she really had nothing else to offer.

"Why would I dislike them?"

Qingye smiled, took the bento box, picked one up, and tasted it. The soft, chewy texture and the sweet and sour flavors mixed in his mouth. "Mmm, the taste is simply perfect! Did you make it yourself, Rin? That's amazing!"

Nohara Rin breathed a sigh of relief, her smile sweet. "If you like it, Qingye, I can make more and bring some to you in the future."

"Mhm, mhm, come in."

Qingye put away the bento box and brought Nohara Rin into his home.

With a flicker of his consciousness, he suddenly felt a sense of being spied upon. He went outside to check, scanning the area carefully, but found no one.

Was it his imagination?

No, he couldn't think that way!

But who would be watching him?

This was the Uchiha compound; no one in the clan would be this bored... So, was it someone from Hiruzen Sarutobi or Shimura Danzō?

Between the two, the latter was more likely.

Or perhaps...

A White Zetsu?