Qingyu: Don't Use a Knife to Comfort My Neck

Qingyu looked up.

On the railing at the top of the tower, someone had appeared at some point.

On the utility pole, someone else was crouching.

The truth remained hidden in the darkness.

One had silver hair, a mask, and dead-fish eyes—Kakashi Hatake.

The other had black hair, a stern expression, and the Uchiha crest—Itachi Uchiha.

Qingyu's heart skipped a beat.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Shikamaru said, surprised. "And... Itachi-senpai?"

"Ah, just dropping by to take a look," Kakashi said lazily, though his eyes were fixed on Qingyu.

"We saw the fight just now. Very impressive tactics, especially that Steam Technique... did you create it yourself?"

Qingyu bit the bullet and nodded. "Yes."

"A combination of Fire Release and Water Release..." Kakashi mused. "Interesting."

As for Itachi, his gaze rested on Qingyu. There was no emotion in those black eyes, yet they made Qingyu feel a chill, as if he were being thoroughly seen through.

"Uchiha Qingyu," Itachi spoke, his voice calm.

"I remember you. Third from the bottom in theory, last in practicals."

"It... it is me." Qingyu's palms broke into a sweat.

I beg you! Please don't remember me!

"But your performance just now didn't look like that of someone in last place," Itachi continued. "Explain."

The air froze.

Qingyu's brain raced, while two voices argued in his head:

Izuna: Just say you had a sudden epiphany! The potential of the Uchiha is meant to be triggered by pressure!

Tobirama: He needs a more logical explanation! His current situation cannot withstand close scrutiny!

Kakashi suddenly interjected, his tone light: "Itachi, don't scare the kid too much. He's only twelve."

"Don't be nervous. It's just a routine inquiry. Any examinee who shows abnormal performance during the Chunin Exams needs to be recorded."

"I..." Qingyu gritted his teeth, deciding to take a gamble. "I have a Bloodline Disease."

"Bloodline Disease?" Itachi frowned slightly.

"A recessive hereditary condition in my family," Qingyu said, sticking to the backstory he had fabricated.

"It usually suppresses my chakra and mental energy, but in high-pressure environments, like when my life is in danger, the symptoms temporarily subside, allowing me to display... my true level."

Silence.

After a long while, Itachi nodded. "I see. The Uchiha have indeed had similar medical records."

Qingyu breathed a secret sigh of relief: A clan where everyone is mentally unstable is quite authoritative; they have every kind of illness.

The three elements of the Uchiha: beautiful, strong, and tragic.

Those who are ugly or bizarre are not Uchiha!

Those who are weak or haven't awakened the Sharingan are not Uchiha!

Those with happy families and lives without worry are not Uchiha!

The Uchiha clan is actually just a massive beauty pageant!

But Itachi's next sentence made his heart jump back into his throat: "However, the shurikenjutsu you used just now... it was a variation of the Uchiha Style, wasn't it? Who taught you?"

"Self... self-taught," Qingyu said. "I read it in some ancient texts from the family library."

"Ancient texts, you say..." Itachi's gaze was profound. "Those books usually only have borrowing privileges for clan members at the Chunin level or above."

"But I recall," Kakashi suddenly interjected, flipping through a small notebook.

"Qingyu's parents were Special Jonin before they passed. Their clearance should have been sufficient. After they died, their estate, including the rights to their book collection, was inherited. Theoretically, Qingyu has the clearance."

Itachi looked at Kakashi. "You checked?"

"As one of the proctors for this exam, I've reviewed the basic files of all the examinees." Kakashi closed the notebook.

"Alright, questions are over. You can go in now. The exam isn't over yet; this was just the first stage."

The tower doors opened completely.

The six of them entered one after another.

As they brushed past each other, Itachi whispered: "Be careful, Qingyu. Within the clan... someone is watching you."

Qingyu stiffened, but he didn't dare look back.

It's over.

Qingyu felt a chill run down his spine.

I'm begging you, just don't start shouting "Only by believing in this can we reach the future..." and then chase me down with a blade!

I'm not some greenhorn, and I didn't slice your melon...

Requesting a tutorial on how to get Konoha to treat me better.

Inside the tower was a spacious hall.

Many teams had already arrived, some sitting and others standing; most were injured, and the atmosphere was heavy.

On the raised platform directly ahead, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the center, flanked by the jonin instructors of each team.

"Team 7, Team 10, and... Team Qingyu," the Third's voice was gentle.

"Congratulations on passing the first exam. Now, hand over your scrolls, go to the side to rest, and wait for the instructions for the second stage."

As Qingyu handed over his scroll, he could feel several gazes landing on him—some curious, some scrutinizing, some wary.

He kept his head down, walked to a corner of the rest area, and sat down.

Yamada leaned in and whispered, "Captain, those two seniors from earlier... they were terrifying. My legs have gone soft."

Nakamura nodded, "Me too... especially that Uchiha. His eyes felt like they were trying to see right through me."

Qingyu replied, "Don't worry, they won't do anything to you two..."

You two: one, you aren't Uchiha, and two, you aren't Rin. Just put your hearts at ease.

In his mind, the two big shots finally began to review the crisis that had just passed.

"That Itachi Uchiha..." Izuna's voice was uncharacteristically serious.

"His eyes... they aren't simple. Although he is young, he already possesses the temperament of a powerhouse."

Qingyu: It would be even better if he didn't chase me down to comfort my neck with a blade.

"Kakashi Hatake as well," Tobirama said.

"His chakra control is excellent, his combat experience is rich, and... he was helping you out of that situation earlier."

Qingyu: Are you sure it's good control? Are you sure it isn't just because he doesn't have enough chakra?

"Helping me?" Qingyu was puzzled; this body had never had any connection to Kakashi.

"If he hadn't mentioned the clearance regarding your parents, Itachi's interrogation wouldn't have ended so easily," Tobirama analyzed.

"Why would he help you? Coincidence? Or..."

"Or did he discover something?" Qingyu's heart sank.

"The probability is low," Tobirama said, "but if you continue to display abnormal abilities, you will be targeted sooner or later. From today on, you must be more careful."

Izuna snorted, "But you cannot hide your talent too much either. In the ninja world, lacking strength is the original sin. You must show it when the time is right, as long as you grasp the degree."

"So," Qingyu gave a bitter smile, "should I keep a low profile or a high one?"

"On the premise of keeping your life," the two said in unison, "become as strong as possible."

Qingyu: "..."

At this moment, the hall doors opened again, and several more teams entered one after another.

One of them was the Sunagakure team led by Gaara.

As soon as Gaara walked in, the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop by several degrees.

The gourd on his back radiated a faint, lingering killing intent, causing many examinees to instinctively back away.

His gaze swept across the room and finally settled on Qingyu.

The sand inside the gourd vibrated slightly, as if responding to some ancient call.

Qingyu's heart skipped a beat.

"The jinchuriki companion of that yellow-haired brat," Izuna said, "he is looking at you."

"He isn't looking at you," Tobirama corrected.

"He is sensing the chakra on your body. Our existence, while hidden, might have a faint resonance with energy bodies of the same level."

Gaara stared at Qingyu for a few seconds, then shifted his gaze, walked to a distant corner, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest.

But Qingyu knew he had been noticed.

Over the next hour, teams arrived one after another.

Some were at full strength, some had lost members, and some were down to only one person.

By the deadline, of the original twenty-six teams, only thirteen had passed the first stage.

Half had been eliminated.

The Third Hokage stood up, and the hall fell silent.

"First, congratulations to everyone present," the Third said.

"You have proven your basic qualities as ninjas: survival, reconnaissance, and tactics. But the Chunin Exams are not over yet."