Orochimaru Vomits Blood!

The other Rookies widened their eyes.

It was as if they had seen a ghost!

"Did you see the cyan-blue mist and the thunderbolts around Keigo? I've never seen him use this kind of ninjutsu before! Under its influence... Keigo seems even more powerful!"

"Of course, didn't you see? The one fighting Keigo right now is Lord Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin!"

"This guy... how on earth has he been training all these years to become so terrifying?"

The Rookies were too shocked to speak.

This, damn it, was simply not something they could contend with!

On the battlefield.

Keigo Uchiha's eyes flickered, glowing with intensity.

No, my experience is still lacking. Although I can block Orochimaru's attacks, absolute suppression is still difficult. However... I still have Storm Cutter!

And... one ultimate move!

With these two ninjutsu, theoretically, defeating Orochimaru shouldn't be a problem.

Because whether it was Storm Cutter or the ninjutsu he had kept in reserve, both had already reached the level of S-rank ninjutsu. But now, he had also come to realize his own strength!

He was at the Quasi-Kage level, just like Orochimaru!

Looking at Orochimaru across from him, Keigo thought it over and decided it was better not to unleash his ultimate move.

After all, this wasn't a life-or-death struggle.

And... if he actually defeated Orochimaru and left him severely injured... where would Orochimaru's face be left?

There were quite a few onlookers around; if word got out, how could the Cold Lord Orochimaru ever show his face again?

Thinking about how he would have to get along with Orochimaru in the future, Keigo decided to give him some face.

Thus, he dispersed the Storm Armor mode, his body shuddering as he feigned a lack of chakra and said, "As expected, the chakra consumption is too high. Is my chakra running low? It really isn't a good time for this..."

He gave a helpless, bitter smile, as if realizing the gap in their strength, "I apologize, Teacher Orochimaru, I have lost."

"I have no chakra left in my body now; it is insufficient to sustain my combat."

His face was twisted in a bitter smile, feigning deep regret.

On the other side, Orochimaru, who had beads of sweat on his forehead, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing Keigo's words.

"Your strength is already comparable to an Elite Jonin. I truly cannot believe that a twelve-year-old boy possesses such terrifying power."

Orochimaru praised, "Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Storm Release, and absolute control over the rhythm of battle—Keigo, you will shine brilliantly in the ninja world of the future!"

"From this moment on, all three of you are my disciples."

He smiled.

To not accept such disciples would be truly foolish.

He disliked taking on disciples because it was troublesome.

But with a disciple like Keigo Uchiha, he could simply dump Hyuga Ruri and Inuzuka Mi onto him!

"But we haven't snatched the bells yet."

Hyuga Ruri said with dissatisfaction, "And you only tested Keigo Uchiha's strength; you haven't tested ours! Isn't that right, Mi? We want to be treated fairly too!"

Her pretty face was full of discontent.

Why should she be treated differently?

She wanted to fight too!

Inuzuka Mi's pretty face flushed, her eyelashes trembling, "I don't necessarily have to spar. I just... as long as I can pass, that's fine."

She looked at Keigo Uchiha with a shy, blushing face.

"Hmph, regardless, I want to spar. I don't want to be given a passing qualification like this, and I certainly won't take advantage of someone!"

As she spoke.

She cast a dissatisfied glance at Keigo Uchiha.

This guy, Keigo Uchiha... he had actually become so powerful!

Three years!

For three whole years, no one in the entire Ninja Academy had known. This guy... he was too insidious!

He was clearly just afraid that they would surpass him!

The surrounding Rookies were all dumbfounded.

"Is... is this Keigo's current strength? He has actually reached the level of an Elite Jonin. In three years, he went from a student to an Elite Jonin, but what have we been doing for these three years?"

"Exactly, why is Keigo so strong?"

"It's over, I feel like I might never catch up to Keigo in my entire life."

"Keigo, why on earth are you so strong!"

The rookies were all on the verge of tears.

They were clearly working just as hard.

So why did it feel like... the distance between them and Keigo was only growing?

Keigo Uchiha chuckled softly and said with indifference, "Actually, it isn't that difficult. It's just a matter of having a bit more talent and putting in a bit more effort, that's all."

Instantly.

The rookies' eyes turned red with jealousy!

This was clearly just him showing off!

Keigo Uchiha's expression remained calm; the reason, of course, was not that simple.

The chakra of a ninja with a Kekkei Genkai was inherently higher than that of an average ninja.

Moreover, he possessed two bloodlines, so he was naturally even stronger!

On top of that, as a transmigrator, his soul was at least twice as strong as an ordinary person's, which further amplified his chakra reserves!

"My current chakra level is that of an Elite Jonin, but my strength... is already comparable to a Quasi-Kage powerhouse!"

Keigo Uchiha chuckled.

He assessed his own strength.

But this was not his limit.

After he turned twelve, his true period of explosive growth would begin; this body... would unleash its full potential!

He still needed... to work even harder!

"Fine, then I shall test your strength."

Orochimaru looked at the earnest Ruri Hyuga, thought for a moment, and shrugged dismissively.

Although he only had one-tenth of his chakra left, dealing with Ruri Hyuga shouldn't be a problem; after all, not everyone could be a freak like Keigo Uchiha, right?

Ruri Hyuga's strength should be at the level of a Chunin at most, right?

Thinking of this.

He instinctively used taijutsu, as it was the most chakra-efficient method.

"Teacher Orochimaru, you underestimate me!"

Ruri Hyuga's pretty face was stubborn!

She was full of dissatisfaction and resentment.

Why was he so serious and focused when facing Keigo Uchiha, yet so perfunctory when facing her?

She was annoyed!

"Eight Trigrams: God Vacuum Attack!"

Ruri Hyuga let out a sharp cry and unleashed her ultimate move without hesitation.

"This was originally a jutsu I reserved for Keigo Uchiha. Since Teacher looks down on me so much, then let me show you my true power!"

In an instant.

She slammed her palms forward!

A terrifying pressure and attack erupted from between her palms!

Orochimaru's leisurely, relaxed offensive suddenly twisted; he was sent flying dozens of meters away, turning into a shooting star that crashed into a distant tree, his entire body trembling.

Orochimaru: "..."

What... exactly did he do wrong?

"Oh no, oh no! Lord Orochimaru has actually been defeated?"

Lie Akimichi clutched his head, his face full of disbelief.

"No way? This is Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. How could he be defeated by Ruri?"

Kixia Yuhi's beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

But she still couldn't believe it.

"Holy crap! Why is Lord Orochimaru... coughing up blood?!"

Nawaki Senju shrieked.

All the rookies went crazy, descending into chaos.

All the rookies were in a complete panic.

Ruri Hyuga opened her mouth in shock, "How... could this happen? Is the power of this move really that great?"

Keigo Uchiha walked past her and said faintly, "All these years, I have always gone easy on you. We have some camaraderie as classmates, and I've guided you on many ways to become stronger over the years."

"Is this how you repay me?"

What the hell!

Although he had considered that Hyuga Ruri must have kept some cards up her sleeve.

He never imagined that she would actually awaken a portion of the Tenseigan's abilities!

Wasn't that essentially a weakened version of Otsutsuki Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack?

That was a Six Paths-level ninjutsu!

Even a weakened version would have a base power of at least A-rank, and it would only grow stronger as the Tenseigan matured.

Under normal circumstances, Orochimaru would certainly not have been injured, but this time, he had been caught completely off guard!

"Let's just get Orochimaru to the hospital; he... is probably going to need a few days of recovery."

Keigo Uchiha couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Through his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he could clearly see that Orochimaru had broken three ribs.

"Isn't that because of your guidance? If you hadn't led me to delve into the Byakugan, how could I have mastered such a terrifying ninjutsu? When it comes down to it, Keigo Uchiha, you are the real culprit!"

Hyuga Ruri's pretty face flushed red.

In the blink of an eye, she had found the perfect excuse.

Keigo Uchiha rolled his eyes, too lazy to say anything more.

Helping you become stronger has now become my fault.

"Have the students who just graduated from Konoha... already become this strong?"

"How could this be?"

Orochimaru, questioning his entire existence, was carried on a stretcher by Keigo Uchiha and Sarutobi Shinnosuke toward the hospital.

Even after arriving at the hospital, he kept muttering to himself.

"Is the new generation of Konoha all this monstrous..."

He was having a crisis of faith!

He was a Quasi-Kage level powerhouse!

"Lord Orochimaru, not all students are the kind of students you're thinking of; we... are actually quite ordinary."

The other Rookies fell silent.

They wanted to cry but had no tears.

By comparison, they felt like trash!

"Then we shall take our leave. From now on, we will train on our own in Forest No. 8 while waiting for our teacher to recover."

After Keigo Uchiha finished speaking, he took the two girls and departed.

The remaining Rookies were also quickly dragged away by their respective teachers.

This was just too demoralizing!

Especially that background Jonin, whose legs were trembling in fear.

This... this guy Keigo Uchiha... is he already stronger than me?

"Keigo Uchiha, why is it that after my eyes started hurting during this period, I was able to master that kind of ninjutsu?!"

Hyuga Ruri shouted sharply, unable to stop herself from staring at Keigo Uchiha's sharp, angular jawline.

This guy... is always so mysterious.

Not only has he already become an Elite Jonin.

But he even understands the eyes of the Hyuga Clan so thoroughly.

The biggest reason she could become this strong now was Keigo Uchiha!

And this thrill of becoming stronger made her incredibly excited!

"The eyes of the Uchiha Clan can become stronger through training, so naturally, the eyes of the Hyuga Clan can as well. This is proof that your ocular power is increasing."

Keigo Uchiha's gaze shifted, and he glanced at Hyuga Ruri indifferently.

"A twelve-year-old Special Jonin is already very powerful; what else are you dissatisfied with?"

He raised an eyebrow.

He couldn't help but sigh.

This girl really is never satisfied!

"You have the nerve to say that? You're already an Elite Jonin, while I'm still a Special Jonin. You hateful guy!"

Hyuga Ruri was bristling with indignation!

She felt completely miserable.

"I've finally figured it out now. Actually, Lord Orochimaru was already low on chakra, which is why I was able to defeat him in the end! But in reality... it's because you had already exhausted all of Lord Orochimaru's stamina and chakra beforehand!"

Hyuga Ruri wrinkled her delicate nose. "You guy, to think you could actually pose a threat to Lord Orochimaru!"

"It seems I still underestimated you!"

Keigo Uchiha's eyes flickered slightly.

His face remained as calm as an ancient well, yet a trace of surprise appeared in his gaze.

Could this tsundere young lady actually think this far ahead?

Could it be that the awakening process of the Tenseigan also involves an increase in IQ?

His expression turned strange, filled with intrigue.

"Now that your strength is no longer weak, continuing to consolidate and develop your eyes is the best path forward. Next, we need to consider how Mi-chan can grow stronger."

Keigo Uchiha's gaze landed on the delicate, pretty face of Inuzuka Mi.

Hyuga Ruri fell silent as well.

When it came to important matters, she knew how to prioritize.

She already possessed the strength of a Special Jonin, and as she gained more control over her abilities and accumulated experience, becoming a Jonin would be no problem at all.

However, Inuzuka Mi was still a Chunin.

"I... I also want to become a force by Keigo-kun's side!"

Inuzuka Mi clenched her soft hands tightly.

Looking into Keigo Uchiha's deep, dark eyes, her pretty face was filled with determination.

She didn't just want to be Keigo Uchiha's teammate; she wanted to become someone Keigo-kun could rely on!

"Of course, Mi-chan, you have already done very well, but next, I will find a way for you to grow stronger—a method... that will make you a supreme powerhouse."

Keigo Uchiha narrowed his eyes, a glimmer of light flowing within them.

The simplest way to become stronger.

Is to form a contract with a Summoning Beast.

However, the Uchiha Clan did not possess any particularly powerful Summoning Beasts.

Otherwise, Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha wouldn't have raised crows themselves, and Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't have had to settle for contracting a common ninja hawk.

"Mi-chan, you like cats."

And as it happens... among the Tailed Beasts... there seems to be a cat, doesn't there?

The Two-Tails Matatabi from Kumogakure.

It seems to be a perfect match for Mi-chan.

Why not... capture it for Mi-chan?

That seems like a decent choice.

After all, the Tailed Beast Matatabi is a cat, isn't it?

"Kumogakure, we really do have a connection, but... I just love picking on one person to fleece!"

The sun set and rose again.

The three of them spent the following days training in Forest No. 8.

During this time, Uzumaki Kushina came by to congratulate him on his graduation from the Ninja Academy, became fast friends with Inuzuka Mi, and immediately locked horns with Hyuga Ruri; the two of them were nearly on the verge of a brawl.

"You detestable creature, are you looking to fight me?"

Hyuga Ruri's pretty face was cold and haughty, her dark eyebrows arched as she looked down at Uzumaki Kushina.

Being a year older, Hyuga Ruri was slightly taller than Uzumaki Kushina.

Yet, Uzumaki Kushina's "big sister" aura was somehow even more imposing than Hyuga Ruri's.

"I never had any intention of fighting, but you're the one being venomous, acting tsundere, and always looking for trouble!"

Uzumaki Kushina refused to back down.

So what if she's the granddaughter of Hyuga Tenjin?

She herself was a princess of the Land of Whirlpools!

"If you want to fight, I'm more than happy to oblige!"

She clenched her fists and grinned, revealing a brilliant smile that showed no fear of battle.

Under the sunlight.

Her red hair looked like a soaring fighting spirit.

"Anyone who dares to speak ill of Keigo is an enemy of mine, Uzumaki Kushina! And I don't care if you're the granddaughter of Hyuga Tenjin or whoever else you might be!"

Uzumaki Kushina was not about to indulge Hyuga Ruri.

Hyuga Ruri was instantly about to explode with rage!

This person... is truly detestable!

Ring-a-ling!

Suddenly.

The Ninja Academy bell rang, and Uzumaki Kushina's pretty face flashed with panic as she hurried toward the Ninja Academy.

"Hmph! If it weren't for the fact that I have to get to the Ninja Academy, I would never let you off the hook!"

Uzumaki Kushina threw out a harsh threat, then looked at Keigo Uchiha and smiled brightly, "Keigo, I'm off! I'll come see you again when I have time!"

"Slow down, stay safe. Next time I'll teach you the Shadow Clone technique so you won't have to be in such a rush."

Keigo Uchiha smiled helplessly.

"What's the Ninja Academy compared to anything?"

Hyuga Ruri let out a sharp cry, shouting at Uzumaki Kushina, "If you've got the guts, come over here and fight! A woman who's even afraid of the Ninja Academy wants to challenge me?"

She wore an expression of 'I'm amazing and I'm proud of it.'

Immediately after, as if remembering something, she yelled at Uzumaki Kushina's retreating back, "I'm the one who even put a Sannin in the hospital!"

"Enough!"

Keigo Uchiha gave a soft shout.

He looked behind Hyuga Ruri, as if trying to stop something.

Hyuga Ruri's pretty face turned furious in an instant.

"Fine! Keigo Uchiha, you actually disregard our classmate friendship and help an outsider talk down to me!"

Following that, she continued shouting at Uzumaki Kushina's back, "If you dare provoke me again, I definitely won't let you off, just like Orochimaru-sensei..."

"Won't let who off, little Ruri?"

"Just like you what?"

Hyuga Ruri hadn't even finished her sentence.

A hoarse voice suddenly came from behind her.

Instantly, Hyuga Ruri's body stiffened.

She turned around with a pale face and saw Orochimaru's smiling, pale countenance. She wilted immediately, "I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sensei... I didn't mean it."

Hyuga Ruri lowered her head, looking like a frostbitten eggplant.

Although she was tsundere, she still respected her teacher.

"Did you see? I already tried to stop you just now."

Amidst Hyuga Ruri's 'why didn't you tell me' expression, Keigo Uchiha shrugged helplessly, "But you didn't appreciate my good intentions."

The corners of his mouth lifted, his eyes filled with amusement.

When it came down to it.

Whether it was Uzumaki Kushina or Hyuga Ruri, both of them were just little girls.

It was merely a spat between little girls, with no actual fighting involved.

"To be honest, your current strength has already exceeded my expectations, so... there is nothing left for me to teach you."

Orochimaru habitually took the three of them to accept a mission.

Without a doubt, it was a D-rank mission.

[D-rank mission: Help Fushang Cunya find the cat in his home.]
[Mission reward: 1000 ryo.]

This was a simple cat-finding mission.

Back in the day, Orochimaru had also passed his time doing these missions.

Four hours later, the group finished the mission.

After turning in the mission and receiving the 1000 ryo reward, the three of them split it equally; Orochimaru had absolutely no desire for it.

"Taking missions is too troublesome, Sensei. I've decided not to take them on these kinds of missions anymore. Given their talent, it's a complete waste of time, and besides, I have very important matters to attend to now."

Orochimaru looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in his chair and said with a straight face.

He had experiments to conduct.

How could he waste his time on such trivial matters!?

Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned, "No more missions?"

This was a tradition passed down through generations!

But looking at Orochimaru's pale, handsome face, he couldn't help but sigh in relief, "Fine, fine. It's no problem not to take missions now, but within the next year, you must complete at least one C-rank mission."

There was no helping it.

Who else could it be but the disciple he had raised since childhood?

What could he do about a child he had spoiled since they were small?

Just keep spoiling them.

Not to mention Hyuga Ruri and Inuzuka Mi, even Keigo Uchiha was dumbfounded!

Damn it!

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't even dote on Sarutobi Shinnosuke like this, did he?

This was practically spoiling them rotten!

"Alright, then I shall take my leave."

Orochimaru led the three of them away.

"The three of you have no need to perform such missions with your current strength, and my time is limited as well."

He said indifferently.

He wore an expression that suggested it was only natural.

For Quasi-Kage level ninja to be doing D-rank missions—wasn't that just absurd!

"Eh, Keigo, are you guys here to pick up missions too?"

Just then, they suddenly ran into the Ino-Shika-Cho trio at the entrance.

The three of them looked listless, as if they might collapse to the ground at any moment.

"Why is it always catching cats, walking dogs, and cleaning up every single day? I'm exhausted to death. I want to become a ninja, not a servant!"

Yamanaka Asagao was on the verge of tears.

Her beautiful blonde hair was even stained with a bit of dust.

"Keigo, you guys must be annoyed too, right!"

Before Keigo Uchiha could answer, Hyuga Ruri beside him let out a delicate huff, "That only applies to you, it doesn't represent us. We don't need to do those missions anymore!"

"Teacher Orochimaru has already filed an application for us; there is no need to do D-rank missions anymore!"

As she spoke.

Her pretty face was full of pride.

Ino-Shika-Cho: "..."

Did they really have to compare people like this and make others want to die of frustration!

"Dad, can we also apply to stop doing D-rank missions? Can we do C-rank missions instead?!"

Akimichi Lie was about to cry.

He felt the disparity in life; he felt the unfairness!

The flesh on Torifu Akimichi's fat face trembled, and after a long silence, he said, "Get lost! Go train properly! Don't talk nonsense to me!"

The new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho were on the verge of tears, but they could only continue their miserable mission work.

Hyuga Ruri's mood suddenly became excellent!

Keigo Uchiha: "..."

"I didn't realize you had such a wicked sense of humor."

"Isn't that something I learned from you?"

Hyuga Ruri retorted.

Her pretty face was full of smugness.

The group soon walked out of the Hokage Building.

Orochimaru glanced at Keigo Uchiha, then looked at Hyuga Ruri and Inuzuka Mi, saying as he walked: "The strength of you three has already exceeded my predictions."

"Keigo, your strength has already reached the level of an Elite Jonin; teaching the other two is not a problem."

"Therefore, you can all train on your own. Ruri, Ami, if you two have any questions, you can ask Keigo directly."

Very quickly.

He had arranged the training plan for the time ahead.

"As for myself... I can finally be liberated."

As he spoke.

Orochimaru revealed a smile.

It really was quite pleasant.

Having such a powerful disciple was not bad at all!

He could even replace his teacher as the instructor!

Keigo Uchiha: "..."

Hyuga Ruri: "..."

Inuzuka Mi: "..."

This was clearly just shirking responsibility!