Ninja Bro Traits?

"First group: Hatake Kakashi versus Might Guy."

The moment Might Guy heard that, he seemed to ignite, rushing straight toward Kakashi.

"Kakashi, my rival of destiny! The day has finally come!"

His green jumpsuit gleamed in the sunlight, and beneath his thick brows were two rows of dazzlingly white teeth.

Kakashi looked at Might Guy's already well-developed muscles, then thought of Obito's earlier bluster and nodded slightly.

Although he wasn't Qingyu, Might Guy was still decent.

Compared to someone all flash and no substance like Obito, a physique built through Might Guy's daily training was clearly the real deal.

In terms of strength and stamina alone, Kakashi was even slightly inferior to Might Guy.

Likewise, Kakashi's swordsmanship, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu were beyond Might Guy's reach.

"Mm."

The two walked into the sparring area and faced each other.

Umino Shika called out several more pairs of names, and the clang of Kunai began ringing out across the training field.

"The final group."

Umino Shika's gaze fell on the last line of the roster.

"Qingyu versus Uchiha Tekka."

Uchiha Tekka stepped out from the line.

The previous evening, Uchiha Yashiro had specifically summoned him to the training grounds in the clan compound and told him to display the bearing of the Uchiha Clan. He could not end up as dead last like Obito.

Qingyu and Uchiha Tekka entered the sparring area marked by white lines and took their positions facing each other.

The other groups on the field had also taken their places, and the air was filled with the peculiar tension of an exam.

Uchiha Tekka studied Qingyu before him, his eyes carrying a scrutinizing look.

"Come on."

Uchiha Tekka spoke calmly.

Qingyu's grades in class were indeed quite good.

But doing well in practice did not mean he would truly perform well in battle.

"I suppose it would be more appropriate to call you Senju Qingyu."

Uchiha Tekka said.

Qingyu's father had turned his back on the Uchiha Clan back then and chosen to marry a woman from the Senju Clan.

In Uchiha Tekka's eyes, that made him a traitor.

And Qingyu was naturally the son of a traitor.

Calling him Senju Qingyu was already being polite.

If they had not been at the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Tekka would have had far nastier names for him.

Qingyu's expression did not change. He merely corrected him.

"No. I don't have a surname now."

After the Senju Clan disbanded, its members scattered in all directions. Quite a few went to teach at the Ninja Academy, blending into every corner of Konoha.

But from that day onward, no one could call themselves Senju anymore.

The Senju surname had become history.

"Hmph."

Uchiha Tekka snorted and did not continue dwelling on the subject.

He raised his right hand and formed the Seal of Confrontation with one hand.

"Don't mistake me for the other civilians."

There was a warning in Uchiha Tekka's voice.

"I know Ninjutsu."

Qingyu formed the Seal of Confrontation with one hand as well, then lowered his arm.

"Is that so? So do I."

Qingyu nodded.

At the edge of the field, Yūhi Kurenai's gaze moved back and forth between the two. She could not help asking quietly,

"Who will win?"

She was asking Shizune.

Shizune stood beside her, watching Qingyu as well.

"Qingyu is much stronger than he looks."

Shizune said.

At Tsunade's home, she had seen Qingyu practicing Water Release Ninjutsu and knew he was actually very capable in that regard.

It was just that Qingyu had never shown it at the Ninja Academy.

Yūhi Kurenai glanced at Shizune in surprise.

She had always thought Qingyu was already flashy enough with his excellent grades. Was he actually hiding his strength too?

Sarutobi Asuma pulled his hood over his head, shoved both hands into his pockets, and even wore a mask in imitation of Kakashi.

Since it was the day of the monthly exam, Sarutobi Asuma had decided to dress a little more stylishly.

After hearing Yūhi Kurenai and Shizune's conversation, Sarutobi Asuma somehow drifted over. He crossed his arms over his chest, and after hearing Shizune's words, put on an expression as though he had seen through everything.

"That's true, but Qingyu may have done well on written tests before. In actual combat, he might not be stronger than Uchiha Tekka."

He deliberately adjusted the volume of his voice so that Yūhi Kurenai beside him could hear.

"You might not know this, but besides their academy lessons, the Uchiha Clan also sends its younger members hunting in the wild. That's real combat experience with real blades. Written skill and actual combat are completely different things."

After speaking, Sarutobi Asuma deliberately glanced at Yūhi Kurenai from the corner of his eye, hoping for some response from the goddess.

Ordinary people would not know information like that.

He was the Hokage's son, after all. His sources of information were far better than those of ordinary students.

While everyone else thought good written grades meant genuine strength, only he could make such a distinctive judgment. It was just so...

To his surprise, Yūhi Kurenai shook her head.

"Shizune lives with Qingyu every day, so she definitely knows the real situation better."

Sarutobi Asuma's expression froze.

He instinctively wanted to explain himself, but he was afraid that saying too much would make the goddess think he was arguing and lower her opinion of him.

That would not be worth it.

He could only close his mouth and swallow the rest of his words.

[Collectible trait detected: E-rank trait]

[E-rank trait: Class Bro]

[Effect: Greater mental resilience than others. Increases Genjutsu resistance by 10%.]

"Bro?"

Qingyu turned to look back.

He had heard Sarutobi Asuma whispering just now as well.

Perhaps because he had grown stronger recently, his hearing had become sharper too.

"Could this Bro be Asuma?"

Qingyu's expression turned strange.

A bro was basically a spirited young punk, not much different from a delinquent.

Thinking about it carefully, the young Asuma could probably only count as a bit of a bro. His bro factor was not very high.

Everyone else followed the usual path of becoming ninjas in Konoha. Only Sarutobi Asuma openly defied Sarutobi Hiruzen and even went off to become the daimyo's ninja.

Of course, the mature Asuma who had weathered the years was indeed different from his younger self and had become quite a reliable ninja.

Qingyu then withdrew his gaze.

The trait that increased Genjutsu resistance was pretty good.

Qingyu was just curious whether, if he kept stacking it, he could withstand the Infinite Tsukuyomi head-on.

"You're still daring to lose focus while fighting me?"

Seeing Qingyu looking around, Uchiha Tekka felt displeased.

This guy was completely looking down on him!

"Before we begin, let me say one last thing."

Uchiha Tekka assumed an attacking stance.

"The Uchiha are Konoha's number one clan!"

Before his words had even faded, his right hand flicked.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three Shuriken shot out.

This was not basic throwing practice.

This was Uchiha Style Shurikenjutsu, honed through the Uchiha Clan's hunting training.

Uchiha Tekka had calculated the landing point of every Shuriken. If Qingyu's reaction was even slightly slow, he would not be able to dodge them.

Yet they were completely useless against Qingyu.

Body Flicker Technique!

Qingyu's figure flashed, and he dodged them.

Uchiha Tekka frowned.

The next moment, he used the Body Flicker Technique as well.

Uchiha Tekka left an afterimage where he stood and appeared before Qingyu.

Uchiha Tekka chose close combat immediately, preventing Qingyu from keeping his distance.

He was betting that Qingyu would not activate his Sharingan right away.

The Sharingan placed a heavy burden on its user. Even members of the Uchiha Clan could not activate it whenever they pleased.

Chakra consumption and eye fatigue were both factors that had to be considered.

Therefore, he concluded that Qingyu would only use his Sharingan at the most critical moment.

And what he had to do was end this battle quickly before Qingyu opened his eyes.