Three Months of Training

Qingyun sustained minor injuries, while Minato took a heavy punch from Qingyun and was hurt much more badly. Still, Minato was broad-minded and didn't blame Qingyun.

"Qingyun? I'll remember you. You're a great opponent, and I hope we can become good teammates someday." Minato looked at Qingyun and held out his hand.

Seeing how polite the future Hokage was and how much respect he showed him, Qingyun naturally didn't refuse the Fourth Hokage's kind gesture.

"You're amazing too. That Shuriken Shadow Clone technique, attacking without discrimination, wiped out all my Shadow Clones." Qingyun couldn't help but marvel.

"Your Taijutsu is terrifying. I never expected your punches to be so powerful. And what shocked me most was that you could take my Shuriken head-on. Are you really all right?"

"I'm fine. Maybe it's my Kekkei Genkai? It makes my whole body hard. In other words, I'm impervious to blades and spears." Qingyun smiled and answered honestly.

Qingyun and Minato hit it off. Qingyun was an orphan, but Minato didn't look down on him because of it; he opened his heart to Qingyun.

Minato even decided on the spot to delay his graduation from the Ninja Academy so he could form a team with Qingyun.

"Huh? That means you'll become a ninja later. Are you sure you don't mind?" Qingyun asked, a little embarrassed.

"It's fine, don't worry. I want to be your teammate. I'd already applied for early graduation, but now that I've met you, I think school will be a lot more interesting!" Minato said warmly.

"All right! Then you'll have to look out for me!" Qingyun smiled. He didn't mind spending time with Minato.

Minato was not only broad-minded and friendly, but also pure-hearted. At the moment, he seemed to be the only person worthy of becoming Qingyun's friend.

Qingyun then went home. As soon as he left Konoha Hospital, two figures appeared beside Minato's bed.

"Minato, how was he? Is this little boy named Qingyun any good?" the Lord Third asked with a smile.

"Of course. He may be young, but his abilities are astonishing," Minato Namikaze answered honestly.

"That's right. The boy is incredible. To be able to use Shadow Clones at such a young age shows terrifying talent. And he's so skilled with them—he must practice a lot."

"Moreover, his understanding of the current situation far surpasses that of other children his age. A child like that is truly rare."

"Lord Lord Third, you mean..." Ikkaku-sensei asked excitedly. After all, he was the one who had discovered the boy.

"Keep an eye on him after he enrolls. Once he graduates from the Ninja Academy, I'll arrange for someone to train him."

The speaker was, of course, the Lord Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was known as the Shinobi Hero. His strength was extraordinary, and his ninjutsu and Taijutsu were both terrifying. In the first part of Naruto, he was considered the "strongest."

At that moment, Qingyun had no idea that all he'd wanted was to complete the system's mission, yet he'd ended up attracting the attention of Konoha High Command.

"What about Minato?" Ikkaku asked, looking over at him.

"Minato? He's an absolute genius too. Once he graduates from the Ninja Academy, I'll arrange for someone to teach him as well! Minato, don't lose heart. You'll have to work even harder." The Lord Third gave him a stern reminder.

"I understand!" Minato nodded gratefully, and the Lord Third soon left.

Meanwhile, Qingyun was just as busy when he got home.

"If Shadow Clones are a training cheat, then what if I use them to practice Armament Haki? Could I get twice the results for half the effort?"

"Could I use Shadow Clones to practice Water Walking too? That should work, right?" Qingyun began training hard again.

When he was so exhausted that he couldn't go on, his Shadow Clone disappeared, and all its fatigue and experience poured into his mind like a spring.

Qingyun had gained a great deal.

He was so tired that he finally fell into a deep, groggy sleep.

The next day, Qingyun remembered that he was now a student at the Konoha Ninja Academy, so he hurried over.

He soon reached the classroom that had been assigned to him in advance. The teachers and most of the students were delighted to see him, since nearly everyone had watched the fight the day before.

Beating the strongest student at the Ninja Academy meant that Qingyun was now the strongest. No one could dislike such an adorable little boy, especially one so young who was already the strongest.

"Welcome, Qingyun. We're glad to have you studying at the Ninja Academy. All right, take that seat over there." The teacher led Qingyun to the top students' section. His deskmate was, naturally, Minato Namikaze.

"Qingyun! Let's work hard together! I'll stay here until you graduate! I believe you'll graduate early!" Minato liked Qingyun so much that he said it without thinking.

"All right, I'll do my best." Qingyun didn't say much more. Minato understood the feeling of finding a worthy rival, just as he did.

The Ninja Academy didn't have first and second grades. The teachers generally taught students of different ages together, and the curriculum consisted of two things: theory and practice.

The practical lessons covered basic ninjutsu, the three basic techniques—Substitution, Transformation, and Clone—as well as dispelling genjutsu and Taijutsu training.

The theory lessons were more complicated. They included things like how far away you had to be from an Explosive Tag to avoid getting caught in the blast, the rules of ninja survival, and ninja history.

In short, whether theory or practice, everything was very basic. Still, Qingyun was quite interested in all of it. He didn't neglect his studies in other areas just because he was the strongest.

Just like that, three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Over those three months, Qingyun easily mastered the Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique, and Clone Technique. His chakra reserves also increased, and he practiced Water Walking every day.

By now, when it came to controlling chakra, Qingyun was better than not only his peers but perhaps even ordinary Chunins.

He also trained hard in Armament Haki. By now, he could skillfully coat any part of his body with it. In other words, when an attack was about to hit, Qingyun could use Armament Haki to protect himself.

On top of that, Qingyun fought Minato Namikaze almost every day. Qingyun won more often than he lost, but sometimes he couldn't keep going because of his chakra reserves.

Later on, though, Qingyun could win with ease by relying on Haki, showing how much his strength had improved.

Of course, Minato's strength had improved noticeably too! Qingyun had taught him how to use Haki, and Minato had promised to repay him someday with an awesome ninjutsu!