Steal the Bells!

"What—what's going on!?" Senju Yoshihime was stunned. She had never expected Qingyun to counter her move so directly.

Minato, standing off to the side, was stunned too. He had thought Qingyun might retreat and use Great Fireball, or use Armament Haki to face Yoshihime head-on. He hadn't expected Qingyun to have Lightning Release as well.

"You don't stand a chance, Yoshihime. Even after beating me, a Chunin, you were still hiding your strength. Once I unleash my true power, even an elite Jonin might not be able to beat me."

That was what Qingyun said, but Senju Yoshihime didn't believe him. She clasped her hands together again and shouted, "As if I'd believe that nonsense! Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

Qingyun's face went pale. Wasn't that the First's signature technique? Was this Yoshihime really about to defy heaven? Was this tiny little girl going to turn all of Konoha upside down?

But Qingyun quickly realized he'd jumped to conclusions. Yoshihime hadn't used Deep Forest Emergence in its true form. She'd used a scaled-down version.

"Ha, if that's all you've got, Yoshihime, then you've lost." Qingyun smiled faintly, then vanished with a swish.

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The next second, Qingyun had appeared behind Yoshihime. He rested a hand on her shoulder and said, "Electric Discharge!"

Immediately, electricity crackled across Qingyun's body. It wasn't especially powerful, but it was enough to leave Yoshihime completely numb.

"Thump!" Yoshihime was about to collapse to the ground, but Qingyun rushed forward and caught her.

"You—you're so strong. I'm no match for you." Yoshihime finally acknowledged Qingyun's strength.

"Qingyun, why were you able to appear beside Yoshihime in an instant, even while she was using Deep Forest Emergence?" Minato Namikaze asked curiously.

"Ha, it's a secret!" Qingyun had spent the entire previous afternoon practicing, and he'd finally learned the Flying Thunder God Formula. Once he sensed the formula, he could teleport straight to it.

Normally, Qingyun shouldn't have mastered Flying Thunder God so quickly. But it was easy for him to pinpoint someone, since he could see through their chakra.

After leaving the Flying Thunder God Formula on Yoshihime's clothes, Qingyun had teleported straight to her and defeated her with ease.

If I hadn't learned Flying Thunder God yesterday, I might not have won so easily. This girl's abilities are almost absurd. If she grows up, she'll definitely be incredibly powerful, Qingyun thought.

After their match, Yoshihime had much more respect for Qingyun. Qingyun, for his part, didn't act smug. Instead, he carefully helped her recover completely.

At noon, Qingyun treated Minato and Yoshihime to a meal. After they'd rested, they finally arrived at the training ground, where a ninja was already waiting for them.

The man had white hair, a tall, straight figure, and an intensely sharp presence. He looked like a strong fighter. Qingyun noticed that although his chakra reserves weren't large, his chakra was exceptionally pure.

"Teacher White Fang!" Qingyun immediately recognized him. The man had already taken Qingyun as his student, so Qingyun was naturally very respectful.

Hatake Sakumo got straight to the point. He took out a bell and tucked it into his belt pouch.

"You could be sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat your training at any moment. You have only one objective: take this bell. Your time limit is until sunset."

"Anyone who fails to get a bell can go straight back to the Ninja Academy and retake the exam," White Fang said, stern and cold.

"What!?" Minato and Yoshihime were both incredulous. They were Konoha's brightest young talents. There was no way they could go back for remedial training right after graduating.

Qingyun, however, remained calm.

Has Konoha really been using the same old routine for decades? It's always about stealing bells. Can't they make us steal something else? Having lived two lives and being thoroughly familiar with Naruto's story, Qingyun knew that no one would be eliminated before sunset. This battle was simply meant to forge so-called "bonds."

Simply put, the idea was for them to get to know one another, grow closer, and improve their teamwork in battle by competing for the bell.

"Understood." Qingyun nodded. His composure pleased White Fang, though he didn't let it show.

"Teacher, are you serious? There's only one bell! We've only just graduated, and you're one of the village's most important figures!" Yoshihime immediately tried to talk him out of it.

But Hatake Sakumo remained unmoved.

"The three of you must come at me with the intention of killing me. Otherwise, don't even think about taking my bell." White Fang spoke bluntly, then added, "Begin!"

Then he tossed the bell into the air.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Creation! I'll hold the teacher down. You two figure out how to grab the bell!" Yoshihime said at once.

"It won't be that easy!" White Fang said expressionlessly. He drew a sword from his back and began cutting through the vines with it.

Countless vines sprouted from the earth, almost wrapping around White Fang. But with every swing of his sword, he cut them all down.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!" Minato used his signature move, sending countless shuriken flying toward White Fang.

Faced with both the vines and so many shuriken, White Fang remained unruffled. He swung the White Fang in his hand, effortlessly neutralizing every threat.

Qingyun forced down his shock and rushed toward White Fang at full speed.

Qingyun hadn't planned on taking the bell outright. That was far too unrealistic. His goal was to land a heavy blow on White Fang, then go for the bell once they'd fought for a while.

"Armament Haki!" Qingyun activated Armament Haki and threw a punch. It was enhanced not only by Armament Haki Hardening but also by a hint of Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Strength.

"Boom!" Qingyun's fist slammed into White Fang. But then, in a shocking turn of events, White Fang raised his sword with one hand and stopped Qingyun's entire body with nothing but the blade.

"Your strength is impressive. This black substance seems to protect you from injury. It's quite useful, but your way of applying your strength is wrong." As soon as White Fang finished speaking, he slashed at Qingyun at incredible speed.

Qingyun was stunned. He'd thought he was already invincible, but he hadn't expected White Fang's sword to be this fast. It was as if White Fang didn't even need to think before attacking.

"Armament Haki Hardening!" Qingyun used Armament Haki Hardening to withstand White Fang's attack once more. But White Fang's strength wasn't limited to his swordsmanship.