Rin: I Was Here First

Although the Byakugan is something that can't be done in the open, Qingyu can use it secretly without anyone noticing.

Orochimaru, seeing that the outcome was decided, clapped twice.

"Hehe, Qingyu won."

His tone was calm and indifferent, clearly unsurprised by the result.

Hyuga Ginka got up from the ground, her white pupils filled with disbelief.

She looked down at her dusty robes, then looked up at the expressionless black-haired boy opposite her.

She thought that mastering the Sixty-Four Palms would be enough to make her proud among her peers, but in front of this genin who was several years younger than her, she couldn't even Genin a single move.

That pride, like a burst bubble, vanished without a trace in an instant.

This stark contrast caused Hyuga Ginka's beautiful face to flush bright red.

Qingyu walked towards her.

Hyuga Ginka instinctively took a half step back, thinking that Qingyu was going to finish her off, but Qingyu simply reached out her hand.

"I used a bit too much force in that kick, but I only went all out of respect for my opponent."

Qingyu said.

Because of her special ability, Qingyu can immediately initiate a samurai duel regardless of whether the opponent is male or female.

He has always been a ninja who respects both men and women.

Hyuga Ginka looked at the hand in front of her, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and grasped it.

Respect for the opponent leads to giving your all?

She felt there was something odd about Qingyu's words.

"Now that the sparring is over, let's go, it's on me."

"Lord Orochimaru."

Qingyu suddenly spoke.

"I hope Kakashi and Ginka can come. The Will of Fire knows no strength. Since we are all comrades, we should share the food. I can treat you if there's any left over."

Orochimaru paused for a moment, his golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

"Heh heh, Qingyu- kun is really... interesting."

He didn't directly comment on the statement, but gestured for the three to follow.

Kakashi silently gave Qingyu a thumbs up for her Will of Fire in his heart.

Hyuga Ginka's expression was somewhat complicated.

Even though she was the one who spoke rudely first, Qingyu took the initiative to help her up and even invited her to have dinner together.

Qingyu suddenly slowed down and walked side by side with Hyuga Ginka.

"Senior Ginka, you can spar with me more often in the future. Your Gentle Fist is very powerful, and I would like to see more of the Hyuga Clan's martial arts."

Hyuga Ginka was taken aback by being addressed as "Ginka- senpai".

However, since Qingyu had offered her a way out, she wasn't ungrateful. "... Okay."

Qingyu remained calm, but was already planning her next move.

The current three-person squad configuration is not fixed, and the squads may be reorganized and redistributed if war breaks out in the future.

Before that, he needed to get the Byakugan roll as soon as possible.

Hyuga Ginka has already lost a C-Rank Trait. If she can trigger it again and reach 100% Purity, the Byakugan will be officially unlocked.

In the following period, the news that Qingyu and Kakashi had graduated early spread throughout the campus.

In the corridors and along the playground, students could be heard discussing Qingyu and Kakashi everywhere.

Obito sat alone on a wooden stake by the edge of the playground, his yellow goggles pushed up above his forehead, his legs dangling in the air.

He didn't join any of the discussions because every time Qingyu was mentioned, someone would also bring him up.

He believed he lacked the talent of the Uchiha Clan, even falling short of Qingyu -blood. The label of "underdog" would likely stay with him for the rest of his life.

"Obito, are you alright?"

Rin Nohara's voice came from behind.

I'm fine.

Obito shook his head.

"Today, Professor Umino talked about the advanced applications of the 'Substitution Technique,' and I made an extra set of notes. Here, take a look."

Obito took the notebook, looked down at the neat handwriting, and felt a lump in his throat.

"Lin, why are you so good to me?"

"Because Obito worked very hard. Although his scores in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu weren't very good, his Taijutsu improved a lot, and he was very serious in every sparring session. His overall score was actually steadily rising."

Rin Nohara smiled gently.

Something shimmered and sparkled beneath Obito's goggles.

"Lin, thank you... thank you for always watching over me."

Just the thought that Rin Nohara's gaze was still fixed on him gave Obito an inexhaustible source of motivation.

One day, he will awaken the Sharingan and make everyone look at him with new eyes.

"Obito, do you care about Rin that much?"

Yūhi Kurenai appeared behind the two of them at some point, her red eyes filled with a mischievous smile.

Obito was so startled he almost fell off the wooden stake. He frantically stuffed his notebook into his bag, his face turning bright red.

"I... I... I'm going to practice Shuriken!"

After saying that, he disappeared in a flash.

Rin Nohara looked in the direction Obito had run off into.

"Obito... lived with his grandmother since he was a child. His parents passed away very early. He cared so much about what others thought of him because he really craved recognition."

Yūhi Kurenai nodded thoughtfully, not quite understanding.

She only has one relative by her side, but she's nothing like Obito.

Then Yūhi Kurenai asked, "Rin, who do you think you'll be assigned to a team with after graduation?"

Rin Nohara shook her head.

"That depends on the Lord Hokage's plans."

"I wish I could be in the same team as Qingyu."

Yūhi Kurenai's tone was light and cheerful, carrying a hint of girlish longing.

"His Genjutsu magic is highly skilled, and he has extensive combat experience. You're sure to learn a lot from him."

Rin Nohara froze for a moment as she organized her notes.

Were Hong and Qingyu really that close before?

Rin Nohara was puzzled.

She remembered that Qingyu first met Kakashi, and then she met Qingyu.

I only became familiar with Yūhi Kurenai later on.

So, clearly... she was the one who arrived first.

Rin Nohara thought of this for no apparent reason, and felt a little disappointed.

Actually, she also wanted to be on the same team as Qingyu.

Konoha Street.

Madara Uchiha's Wood Clone has successfully entered Konoha.

"Lord Madara, you're finally back in Konoha."

To extend the lifespan of the Wood Clone, White Zetsu parasitized Madara's Wood Clone, continuously supplying Chakra.

"Snort."

Madara Uchiha glanced at the bustling streets of Konoha and shook his head.

Such comfort will only turn into incompetence when war comes.

Madara Uchiha shook his head.

"However, it's not bad. I didn't have their conditions back then, so at least I can have some safety net."

Madara Uchiha of ninja villages.

However, this scope is still too small.

Only "Infinite Tsukuyomi" can bring eternal peace.

Madara Uchiha immediately inquired about Qingyu's whereabouts.

White Zetsu communicated telepathically with its other White Zetsu Clone and soon learned of Qingyu's location.

"The Training Ground, huh? I might as well go check it out. I'm... Senju Dongjian now."

Madara Uchiha was curious, so he followed the direction indicated by White Zetsu.

He made some adjustments to his appearance.

The Hashirama symbolizes the pillars that support the house.

A house can have many pillars.

The main beam of a house is called the "dong" (栋), which is the only main beam in a house and is even more crucial than the pillars.

Hashirama, you don't even have a name, yet you exude such presence!

I can already throw the stone to the other side!

Madara Uchiha thought to himself.

White Zetsu, on the other hand, thought that Madara Uchiha had a rather perverse sense of humor. Sometimes when Madara was bored, he would talk to Hashirama about what Hashirama's expression would be if he saw his own face on his chest.

The result was that the name was...