Three Things Had Plenty of Support

The two Sunagakure shinobi immediately turned to respond. Nakamura pressed both hands to the ground, and a platform of earth rose up, lifting Qingyu higher.

Then Qingyu did three things:

These three things had plenty of support, and few people opposed them.

First, he threw three ordinary shuriken at the ground between the two Kirigakure shinobi and the wounded. It wasn't an attack, but a warning to make them stop.

Second, he flung two specially made shuriken into the air, one infused with fire nature and the other with water nature. They collided, creating another Steam Explosion. This time, it covered a much wider area, and white mist instantly shrouded half the battlefield.

Third, he tossed a small scroll toward Nara Shikamaru and shouted, "Catch! Reinforcements will be here soon!"

There was nothing in the scroll. It was empty, but the Kirigakure and Sunagakure shinobi didn't know that.

"Damn it! Konoha reinforcements?"

"Retreat! Pull back!"

Kirikage Squad: Do teammates actually exist?!

Amid the confusion, the Sunagakure and Kirigakure squads quickly withdrew from the battlefield and disappeared into the forest.

As the white mist cleared, only the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Team Qingyu, who had just landed, remained in the clearing.

Nara Shikamaru picked up the empty scroll and looked it over. Then he raised his eyes to Qingyu, his expression complicated. "Thanks... But there aren't actually any reinforcements, are there?"

Qingyu smiled. "The scroll's real. It has medical bandages and clotting medicine inside. Do you need them?"

Shikamaru stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled too. "Yeah, we do... Thanks."

After some basic first aid, they all rested for a while.

Shikamaru asked directly, "What's your objective?"

Qingyu hesitated.

According to Tobirama's analysis, they should keep their distance to prevent the other side from turning on them.

Tobirama: Are you crazy? You weren't the one who beat up Ino-Shika-Cho, so why are you helping them?!

Qingyu: But I'm a good person!

Izuna: So being a good person means you deserve to have a gun pointed at you?!

Qingyu: ...The main problem is that there are no phones. Otherwise, I'd record everything while I'm being a good person!

As the saying went, when poor, one should cultivate oneself; when prosperous...

Inside the Uchiha Teahouse, the Qingyu from his previous life was advising everyone.

When you had money, you could eat, drink, and do whatever you wanted. There was only one thing you absolutely shouldn't do.

And that was good deeds...

According to Izuna, Ino-Shika-Cho were trustworthy—at least more trustworthy than the Sunagakure and Kirigakure shinobi.

After all, Ino-Shika-Cho were the Hokage's preferred choice.

Their reputation was far better than that of the other two moral wastelands.

"We need the Heaven Scroll," Qingyu finally decided to tell the truth.

"What about you?"

"The Earth Scroll." Shikamaru took a scroll from his vest and held it up.

"How convenient."

The air turned tense in an instant.

Yamada and Nakamura instinctively took fighting stances. Yamada muttered under his breath, "Captain, are we going to have to fight now?"

Nakamura whispered, "I hope they don't turn the tables on us..."

Qingyu: ?

Three against one, and we get turned on? Do you even know how to play?!

Ino guarded Choji. Only Shikamaru and Qingyu remained relatively calm.

"Want to fight?" Shikamaru asked, but made no move to form Hand Seals.

"If we fight, you'd be at a disadvantage," Qingyu said honestly.

"Choji's injured, Ino's used up a lot of chakra, and you still have some strength left. But you should have figured out my techniques during that last fight."

"You're in the same position," Shikamaru said.

"That Steam Explosion was impressive, but it must have taken a lot out of you, right? And..."

He looked into Qingyu's eyes. "You've been avoiding killing anyone this whole time. From beginning to end, you've only used disruption and intimidation."

Qingyu's heart jolted.

Was this guy really that observant?

Wait, don't tell me he's about to guess what I'll say next.

Shikamaru: Your next words are...

"So," Shikamaru put the scroll away.

"I have a proposal."

"What proposal?"

"We work together for now. You help us reach the Central Tower, and in exchange, once we get there, we'll give you the Earth Scroll. Then you'll have a complete set."

"Why help us?"

"Because you helped us just now," Shikamaru said with a shrug.

"And I can tell that you and your team... aren't ordinary. Rather than spend the rest of the way worrying you might ambush us, we might as well become allies."

Qingyu quickly consulted the two experts in his head.

Tobirama: "It's risky. They might go back on their word once they reach the Central Tower."

Izuna: "But that Nara kid... has an honest look in his eyes. And working together really is more efficient than watching each other's backs."

Tobirama: "We need some kind of binding condition. An oath? A contract? Or..."

Izuna: "The Uchiha Sharingan can plant a genjutsu through eye contact, but you haven't awakened yours yet..."

"We'll work together," Qingyu said at last.

"But I want to change the terms: once we reach the Central Tower, we'll exchange scrolls and enter together. That way, neither side can go back on their word."

Shikamaru thought it over, then nodded. "Deal."

"What if we go back on our word?" Shikamaru suddenly asked, the corners of his mouth lifting.

Qingyu smiled. "Then it'll prove I was wrong about you... But I believe you won't."

Shikamaru: Uchiha Qingyu... You...

And so, a strange six-person temporary squad was formed.

Just like a three-man squad that somehow had four members, or the Heisei Three Heroes who somehow had four members.

A six-person squad actually had eight!

The rest of the journey went more smoothly than they could have imagined.

With Shikamaru's tactical mind, Qingyu's scouting ability (and that of the two experts in his head), and the combat strength of Yamada and Nakamura, they avoided every major clash. They encountered only two squads that tried to ambush them, and both were easily driven off.

During a rest along the way, Shikamaru sat down beside Qingyu.

"That Steam Explosion technique of yours," Shikamaru asked.

"How did you do it? By using Fire Release and Water Release at the same time?"

"Just a little trick," Qingyu said vaguely.

"A special application of nature transformation."

"It's not ordinary nature transformation," Shikamaru said, watching him closely.

"When ordinary Fire Release and Water Release collide, either the fire evaporates the water or the water puts out the fire. Yours... reached some kind of balance, like you calculated it deliberately."

If you'd been put through the wringer by veterans of Fire and Water Release separately, you'd probably learn it quickly too.

Qingyu's heart tightened. This guy was too sharp.

Are you some kind of sensitive chicken?

"Got lucky," he finally said.

"Is that so?" Shikamaru smiled and didn't press him. Instead, he said, "But your fighting style... is unusual. One moment, you fight like an aggressive Uchiha; the next, you have the steady approach of the Senju. It's contradictory, but effective."

Qingyu didn't know how to respond.

One slow-motion move with your left hand, then your right...

"My father once told me," Shikamaru said, looking into the depths of the forest.

"The strongest shinobi aren't the ones who only know one style. They're the ones who can blend different styles into something of their own. You... have a bit of that."

Man, brother, don't make it look like you're giving me that look. Look at me, will you?!

I'm going to faint from all this Konoha brotherhood!

And your dad actually has such insight, beyond playing shogi with you and being henpecked?

Shikaku: Don't get too hung up on stereotypes!

After saying that, he stood up and went to check Choji's injuries.

Qingyu sat where he was, mulling over those words.

For once, the two experts in his head didn't argue.

After a long while, Izuna said, "That Nara kid... has a good eye."

Tobirama: "He has tactical instincts beyond his years, too. This era still has some excellent talent."

Izuna: "Hmph."

Tobirama: "Hmph."

Qingyu smiled.

Maybe he really could forge a different path?

A path with the Uchiha's fire, the Senju's water, and a style all his own.

As the saying went, Fire Release dealt heavy damage, while Water Release dealt high damage!

I'll just hide in the Kirikage and use Flying Thunder God to cleave Jiuan vertically...

Up ahead, the silhouette of the Central Tower was already faintly visible. This journey was finally about to come to an end, at least for now. But there were still strange things about this world.

Qingyu still had no idea what was going on. Just how had all these Uchiha survived Itachi Uchiha's "New Year's greetings"? That alone was weird enough!

But this world really was strange.

In the original story, at this point in time, the Uchiha were so eager to see the Second that the entire clan went to meet him face-to-face.

Itachi Uchiha: Happy New Year! Everyone gets one Sharingan trial card!!!

Three, two, one... Link up!!!

Uchiha (waving their arms around): Aah!!!! Aah!!! Second!!! Second!!!