He had lived for so many years and seen countless so-called "geniuses."
Geniuses like Kakashi were geniuses in other people's eyes.
Gifted and quick to learn, they inspired envy and jealousy.
But he had seen plenty of that kind of genius.
They were simply a little better at learning than everyone else.
Qingyu was different.
At just six years old, the boy had already broken free of conventional thinking.
He sought to survive.
And at its core, seeking survival meant seeking limitless knowledge.
That set him apart from the frogs at the bottom of a well.
"Qingyu really is a strange person."
Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and slowly licked his lips.
It was a little habit of his that appeared only when he was extremely pleased.
"But then, I'm a strange person too."
[Collectible trait detected: Serpent's Gaze]
[D-Rank Trait: Serpent's Gaze]
[Effect: You possess an exceptionally cautious nature and can quickly work out the most advantageous choice for yourself, even in chaotic situations.]
Qingyu looked at the prompt that appeared before him and felt a flicker of delight.
This trait was very practical.
It was practically a passive skill that forced him to stay calm.
Anything could happen when someone faced danger.
Even someone who was usually fearless might freeze up and go blank when confronted with life and death, overcome by instinctive fear.
That was instinct, a physical reaction that willpower alone couldn't suppress.
But with this trait, he could keep a clear head in any situation and quickly make the best decision.
For a ninja, a cool head was sometimes more important than powerful Ninjutsu.
"Since you're so interested in Ninjutsu, Qingyu, I'll teach you one more."
Orochimaru was clearly in a good mood and offered to extend the lesson.
He began forming Hand Seals, and Qingyu activated his Sharingan.
It began with the same Fire Release hand signs, but the way Orochimaru molded his chakra afterward was completely different from Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.
"Fire Style: Snake Bullet."
Orochimaru opened his mouth and spewed a stream of fire.
Unlike ordinary Fire Release, which spread out in a fan, the flame gathered into a winding, serpentine shape in midair.
The flaming snake bared fangs made of fire and shot toward the wooden target.
Boom.
The serpentine flame struck the center of the target, leaving a charred mark.
"D-rank Ninjutsu. Its defining feature is that you can control the fire's trajectory to a limited degree."
Orochimaru turned and gestured for Qingyu to give it a try.
He wanted to know whether Qingyu's talent varied slightly between chakra natures. It was important data for his research.
Qingyu closed his eyes, recalling the chakra pathway he had seen with his Sharingan. Then he opened his eyes and formed the same hand signs as Orochimaru.
Qingyu opened his mouth and spat out a stream of fire.
The flame twisted in midair, vaguely resembling a snake, but it barely traveled any distance before dwindling into a few falling sparks.
Orochimaru nodded slightly.
To manage that much on his first attempt had already far exceeded Orochimaru's expectations.
At a guess, Qingyu would master the jutsu in a day or two.
The boy was even more talented than he'd expected.
In that case, wasn't he the perfect subject for observation?
After years of research, Orochimaru had begun to suspect that the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan shared some kind of connection.
At times, they seemed to repel each other fiercely; at others, they could merge.
But Hashirama Cells were unique, completely overshadowing the cells of other Senju and those of the Uchiha.
Why didn't anyone in the Uchiha Clan possess a special trait like Hashirama Cells?
Or could the legendary Madara Uchiha have had a similar ability?
If there were Hashirama Cells, why weren't there Madara Cells?
The two had been mortal enemies, matching each other blow for blow their entire lives.
Orochimaru suspected Madara Uchiha must have had something special about him too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been nearly as strong as Hashirama Senju.
A while later, Orochimaru watched Qingyu continue practicing his Hand Seals.
He couldn't help shaking his head and chuckling.
Orochimaru only had a vague sense that there might be a deeper connection between the two. It was nothing more than his own conjecture.
After all, Madara Uchiha had been killed by Hashirama Senju decades ago. His body had apparently been secretly collected by the Second Hokage and was suspected to have been destroyed. Even Orochimaru couldn't find it, so the matter was impossible to verify.
By the time Qingyu left the research institute, it was already dark.
He walked home.
He had learned three new Ninjutsu in a single day, and with the trait he'd obtained from Orochimaru, he'd made a great haul.
When he opened the door, the living room was lit.
Tsunade had, for once, stayed in. She sat on the sofa, turning a sheathed katana over in her hands.
Hearing the door open, she looked up and set the sword down on the coffee table.
"You're back?"
"This is for you."
Qingyu changed his shoes, walked over, and picked up the katana.
The scabbard was dark brown and looked new.
He gripped the hilt and slowly drew the blade.
A cold glint flashed beneath the living-room lights.
The blade was a little long for his current build, but not too unwieldy.
"Use this until the Sword of the Thunder God arrives."
Tsunade leaned back against the sofa and crossed her legs.
"Thanks, Tsunade."
Qingyu suddenly felt that, sometimes, she really did have a conscience.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the final exams arrived.
Today was the day of the exams.
The atmosphere in the exam room was more tense than usual. Even the rowdiest students sat quietly in their seats, flipping through their notes for one last cram session.
Qingyu sat down beside Kakashi and casually asked:
"How prepared are you this time?"
"I spent a few days training with my father."
Kakashi replied.
"This time, I'll either come in first or second."
He meant that he was determined to take the top spot.
"Don't be so confident, Kakashi."
Qingyu shook his head.
He'd been going on morning runs with Might Guy lately, and they'd both been steadily increasing their training.
Thanks to his trait, the more he ran, the more energized he felt. Might Guy had been spurred on too, becoming more disciplined and ramping up his training by leaps and bounds.
If the exam only tested the use of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, Might Guy's performance would be poor.
But a real fight was another matter.
After all, everyone knew only a few Ninjutsu, and in a real fight, Taijutsu was what they used most.
"That's right, Kakashi. Don't underestimate me, my eternal rival!"
Might Guy leaned over from the side, cracking his knuckles and showing off arms thicker than those of the other kids his age.
Beneath his green, skin-tight outfit, his muscles were already beginning to take shape.
Kakashi looked at Might Guy's muscular physique, and his eyelid twitched.
He had no idea how Might Guy trained. The guy's muscles seemed to swell like a balloon.
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