The other rookies' eyes widened.
As if they'd seen a ghost!
"Did you see the blue-green chakra and lightning around Keigo? I've never seen him use a jutsu like that before! With this jutsu... he seems even stronger!"
"Of course! Didn't you see who Keigo's fighting? It's Lord Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin!"
"Just how has this guy been training all these years? He's become terrifying!"
The rookies were too shocked to speak.
There was no way they could ever compete with him!
On the battlefield.
Keigo Uchiha's eyes flickered with a radiant gleam.
No good. I still lack experience. I can fend off Orochimaru's attacks, but it'll be difficult to completely overpower him. Still... I have Storm Cutter!
And... one more ultimate move!
In theory, with those two jutsu, defeating Orochimaru shouldn't be a problem.
Both Storm Cutter and the jutsu he was holding back had reached S-rank, after all. But now he'd also realized the true extent of his strength!
He was a Quasi-Kage, just like Orochimaru!
Looking at Orochimaru across from him, Keigo thought it over. It would be better not to use his ultimate moves.
After all, this wasn't a fight to the death.
Besides... if he actually defeated Orochimaru and seriously injured him, where would that leave Orochimaru's pride?
There were plenty of onlookers around. If word got out, would Cold Lord Orochimaru ever be able to show his face again?
Thinking of how he'd still have to work with Orochimaru in the future, Keigo decided to do him a favor.
So he dispelled Storm Armor, let his body tremble, and pretended to be out of chakra. "As expected, that used up too much chakra. I'm running low... What terrible timing."
He gave a rueful smile, as if he'd recognized the gap between their strengths. "Sorry, Lord Orochimaru. I lose."
"I've run out of chakra, so I can't keep fighting."
He wore a bitter smile, pretending to feel regretful.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, sweat beading on his forehead, couldn't help but sigh with relief when he heard Keigo's words.
"Your strength is already comparable to an Elite Jonin. I can hardly believe a twelve-year-old boy could be this powerful."
Orochimaru praised him. "Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Storm Release, and absolute control over the flow of battle... Keigo, you'll shine in the Shinobi World one day!"
"From now on, all three of you are my students."
He smiled.
He'd have to be a fool not to take on a student like this.
He disliked having students because they were a hassle.
But with a student like Keigo Uchiha, he could just leave Hyuga Ruri and Inuzuka Mi to Keigo!
"But we haven't gotten the bells yet," Hyuga Ruri complained. "And you only tested Keigo Uchiha's strength. You haven't tested ours! Right, Mi? You should treat us fairly, too!"
Her pretty face was full of dissatisfaction.
Why was she being treated differently?
She wanted to fight, too!
Inuzuka Mi's pretty face flushed, her lashes fluttering. "I'm not insisting on a match. I just want... to pass."
Her blushing face turned toward Keigo Uchiha.
"Hmph! No matter what, I want to fight. I don't want to be handed a passing grade, and I definitely won't take advantage of someone!"
As she spoke,
she shot Keigo Uchiha an unhappy look.
Keigo Uchiha... had actually gotten that strong!
Three years!
For a whole three years, nobody at the Ninja Academy had known. That guy... was way too sneaky!
He'd clearly been afraid she'd surpass him!
The rookies around them were dumbfounded.
"Th-this is Keigo's strength now? He's already as strong as an Elite Jonin! In three years, he went from student to Elite Jonin. What have we been doing all this time?"
"Exactly! Why is Keigo so amazing?"
"I'm done for. I feel like I might never catch up with Keigo in my whole life."
"Keigo, why are you so strong?"
The rookies were on the verge of tears.
They'd worked hard, too.
So why did it feel like... they were falling farther and farther behind Keigo?
Keigo Uchiha chuckled and said calmly, "It's really nothing special. I'm just a little more talented and a little more hardworking. That's all."
At once,
the rookies' eyes turned red with envy!
He was obviously bragging!
Keigo Uchiha remained composed. Of course, the real reason wasn't that simple.
Kekkei Genkai users naturally had more chakra than ordinary ninja.
And he had two Kekkei Genkai, so he was naturally stronger!
On top of that, as a transmigrator, his soul was stronger than an ordinary person's—at least twice as strong—which further increased his chakra reserves!
"My chakra reserves are at the Elite Jonin level now, but my actual strength... is already comparable to a Quasi-Kage!"
Keigo Uchiha chuckled.
He estimated his own strength.
But this wasn't his limit yet.
Once he turned twelve, his true growth spurt would begin. This body... would unleash its full potential!
I need to work even harder...
"Fine, then. I'll test your strength," Orochimaru said, looking at Hyuga Ruri's determined expression. He considered it, then shrugged indifferently.
He had only a tenth of his chakra left, but dealing with Hyuga Ruri shouldn't be a problem. Surely not everyone was as monstrous as Keigo Uchiha, right?
Hyuga Ruri's strength was probably Chunin at best, wasn't it?
With that in mind,
he instinctively used Taijutsu, the most chakra-efficient approach.
"Lord Orochimaru, you're underestimating me!"
Hyuga Ruri's pretty face was defiant,
full of anger and indignation.
Why had he been so serious and focused when facing Keigo Uchiha, but so half-hearted with her?
She was annoyed!
"Eight Trigrams: God Vacuum Attack!"
Hyuga Ruri cried out and unleashed her ultimate move without hesitation.
"I was saving this jutsu for Keigo Uchiha. Since you look down on me so much, Teacher, I'll show you what I can do!"
In an instant,
she suddenly thrust out her palms!
A terrifying force and pressure burst from her hands!
Orochimaru's leisurely, relaxed attack twisted abruptly. He was blasted dozens of meters away, flying like a meteor before crashing into a distant tree, his whole body trembling.
Orochimaru: "..."
What... had he done wrong?
"Oh no! Oh no! Lord Orochimaru's been defeated?!"
Akimichi Lie clutched his head, unable to believe it.
"No way! Lord Orochimaru is one of the Sannin. How could Ruri defeat him?"
Yuhi Kixia's beautiful eyes widened in shock.
But she still couldn't believe it.
"Holy crap! Why is Lord Orochimaru... coughing up blood?!"
Senju Nawaki shrieked.
All the rookies went wild, falling into chaos.
All the rookies fell into chaos.
Hyuga Ruri stared in astonishment, her mouth hanging open. "How... could this happen? Was that move really that powerful?"
Keigo Uchiha passed by her and said in a hollow voice, "I've always held back against you all these years. We're classmates, after all, and I've taught you plenty of ways to get stronger."
"And this is how you repay me?"
What the hell!
He'd expected Hyuga Ruri to be holding something back.
But he'd never imagined that she'd awakened some of the Tenseigan's abilities!
Wasn't this basically a weaker version of Otsutsuki Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack?
That was a Six Paths-level jutsu!
Even in its weakened form, its power was at least A-rank, and it would only get stronger as her Tenseigan grew stronger.
Under normal circumstances, Orochimaru wouldn't have been hurt. But this time, he hadn't been prepared at all!
"We should get Orochimaru to the hospital first. He'll probably need a few days to recover."
Keigo Uchiha couldn't help rubbing his forehead.
With his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he could clearly see that Orochimaru had broken three ribs.
"I only learned it because you taught me! If you hadn't guided me to study the Byakugan, how could I have mastered such a terrifying jutsu? When you get down to it, Keigo Uchiha, you're the real culprit!"
Hyuga Ruri's pretty face flushed red.
In the blink of an eye, she'd found the perfect excuse.
Keigo Uchiha rolled his eyes, too lazy to say more.
So it was his fault for helping her get stronger?
"Are the students who just graduated from Konoha already this strong?"
"How could this happen?"
Orochimaru, questioning his entire life, was carried to the hospital on a stretcher by Keigo Uchiha and Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Even after they arrived at the hospital, he kept muttering.
"Are all the new generation in Konoha this monstrous...?"
He was questioning his whole life!
He was a Quasi-Kage, after all!
"Lord Orochimaru, not every student is like the ones you have in mind. We're... still very ordinary."
The other rookies fell silent.
They were on the verge of tears.
By comparison, they felt like garbage!
"Then we'll take our leave. From now on, we'll train by ourselves in Forest No. 8 every day while we wait for Teacher to recover."
After Keigo Uchiha finished speaking, he said goodbye and left with the two girls.
The other rookies were taken away by their teachers as well.
This was just too crushing!
The Jonin extras were especially shaken. One of them was so scared his legs were trembling.
What the hell... Keigo Uchiha was already stronger than him, wasn't he?
"Keigo Uchiha, why did I learn that jutsu after my eyes started hurting during this period?" Hyuga Ruri called out, unable to help speaking as she looked at Keigo Uchiha's sharply defined jawline.
This guy... was always so mysterious.
Not only had he become an Elite Jonin, he also knew the Hyuga Clan's eyes inside and out.
The biggest reason she'd gotten so strong was Keigo Uchiha!
And the exhilaration of getting stronger filled her with excitement!
"The Uchiha Clan's eyes can grow stronger through training. Naturally, the Hyuga Clan's eyes can do the same. It proves that your ocular power has grown stronger."
Keigo Uchiha's gaze shifted as he glanced at Hyuga Ruri, his tone calm.
"A twelve-year-old Special Jonin is already incredibly strong. What more could you want?"
He raised an eyebrow.
Then he couldn't help sighing.
This girl really was never satisfied!
"You've got some nerve saying that! You're already an Elite Jonin, while I'm still a Special Jonin. You're the one who's awful!"
Hyuga Ruri bristled!
She was completely beside herself.
"Now I understand. Lord Orochimaru was already low on chakra, so that's why I managed to defeat him in the end! But really... it was because you'd already used up all his stamina and chakra!"
Hyuga Ruri wrinkled her nose. "You actually managed to threaten Lord Orochimaru!"
Try searching for the book title. If you can't find it, try searching for the author; perhaps it was simply renamed!
"Looks like I underestimated you after all!"
Keigo Uchiha's eyes flickered.
His expression was as calm as still water, but a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
Could this haughty young lady really have figured that out?
Could awakening the Tenseigan also make someone smarter?
His expression turned strange, and he watched her with interest.
"Your strength is already impressive. The best thing to do now is keep refining and developing your eyes. Next, we need to think about how Mi-chan can get stronger."
Keigo Uchiha's gaze fell on Inuzuka Mi's delicate, pretty face.
Hyuga Ruri fell silent, too.
When it came to important matters, she knew what deserved priority.
She already had the strength of a Special Jonin. With more control over her abilities and experience under her belt, becoming a Jonin wouldn't be a problem.
Inuzuka Mi, on the other hand, was still a Chunin.
"I... I want to be someone Keigo-kun can rely on, too!"
Inuzuka Mi clenched her delicate hands.
She looked into Keigo Uchiha's dark eyes, her pretty face resolute.
She didn't just want to be Keigo Uchiha's teammate. She wanted to become someone he could rely on!
"Of course, Mi-chan. You've already done very well. But next, I'll find a way for you to get stronger—a way... to make you one of the strongest."
Keigo Uchiha narrowed his eyes, light glimmering in them.
The easiest way to become stronger...
Was to make a contract with a Summoning Animal.
But the Uchiha Clan didn't have any particularly powerful Summoning Animals.
Otherwise, Uchiha Itachi and Shisui Uchiha wouldn't have raised crows themselves, and Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't have made a contract with an ordinary ninja beast like a hawk.
"Mi-chan, you like cats."
And as luck would have it... one of the Tailed Beasts was a cat, wasn't it?
The Two-Tails Matatabi of Kumogakure.
It seemed like a perfect match for Mi-chan.
Maybe... he should capture it for her?
That seemed like a good idea.
After all, the Tailed Beast Matatabi was a cat, wasn't it?
"We really do keep crossing paths with Kumogakure. But... I like to keep milking the same person!"
The sun set and rose again.
The three of them continued training in Forest No. 8.
During that time, Uzumaki Kushina came by to congratulate him on graduating from the Ninja Academy. She and Inuzuka Mi became close friends, but she and Hyuga Ruri couldn't stand each other. They were practically on the verge of a fight.
"You annoying woman! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"
Hyuga Ruri lifted her chin, her pretty face cool and aloof, and looked down at Uzumaki Kushina.
A year older, Hyuga Ruri was a little taller than Uzumaki Kushina.
But Uzumaki Kushina's big-sister aura was even more imposing than Hyuga Ruri's.
"I've never wanted to fight you! You're the one who's sharp-tongued, haughty, and always looking for trouble!"
Uzumaki Kushina refused to back down.
So what if she was Hyuga Tenjin's granddaughter?
She was the princess of the Land of Whirlpools!
"If you want to fight, I'm happy to oblige!"
She flexed her fists and grinned, her bright smile utterly fearless.
Under the sunlight,
her red hair seemed to blaze with fighting spirit.
"Anyone who dares to say anything bad about Keigo is my enemy, Uzumaki Kushina's! I don't care if you're Hyuga Tenjin's granddaughter or anyone else!"
Uzumaki Kushina wasn't about to indulge Hyuga Ruri.
Hyuga Ruri was nearly fuming!
That girl... was infuriating!
Ring, ring!
Suddenly,
the Ninja Academy bell rang. Uzumaki Kushina's pretty face grew flustered, and she hurried toward the academy.
"Hmph! If I didn't have to go to class at the Ninja Academy, I wouldn't let you get away with this!"
Uzumaki Kushina tossed out a threat, then turned to Keigo Uchiha and smiled brightly. "Keigo, I'm off! I'll come visit you again when I can!"
"Take it slow and be careful. Next time, I'll teach you the Shadow Clone Technique, so you won't have to rush off like this."
Keigo Uchiha smiled helplessly.
"What's the Ninja Academy got to do with anything?"
Hyuga Ruri shouted after Uzumaki Kushina, "If you've got the guts, come fight me! And you think you can challenge me when you're scared of the Ninja Academy?"
She looked thoroughly pleased with herself.
Then she seemed to think of something and shouted after Uzumaki Kushina, "I'm the one who beat the Sannin badly enough to put them in the hospital!"
"Enough!"
Keigo Uchiha spoke sharply.
He looked behind Hyuga Ruri as if trying to stop something.
Hyuga Ruri's pretty face instantly filled with anger.
"Oh, so that's how it is, Keigo Uchiha? You're betraying our friendship as classmates and taking an outsider's side against me!"
Then she continued shouting after Uzumaki Kushina, "If you come and provoke me again, I won't let you off, just like Teacher Orochimaru—"
"What won't you let her off for, little Ruri?"
"Just like me in what way?"
Hyuga Ruri hadn't finished speaking when
a hoarse voice sounded from behind her.
Hyuga Ruri's body stiffened.
She turned around with a pale face and saw Orochimaru's smiling, pallid face. She wilted at once. "I'm sorry, Teacher Orochimaru... I didn't mean it."
Hyuga Ruri lowered her head, looking like a plant hit by frost.
She might have been haughty, but she still respected her teachers.
"See? I tried to stop you just now."
As Hyuga Ruri looked at him as if to ask why he hadn't told her, Keigo Uchiha shrugged helplessly. "But you wouldn't listen to reason."
His lips curled up, amusement filling his eyes.
When it came down to it,
Uzumaki Kushina and Hyuga Ruri were both just little girls.
They'd only been bickering. They hadn't actually come to blows.
"Honestly, all of your abilities have already exceeded my expectations, so... I don't have much left to teach you."
Orochimaru habitually took the three of them on a mission.
It was, without a doubt, a D-rank mission.
[D-rank mission: Help Fushang Cunya find the cat in his home.]
[Mission reward: 1,000 ryo.]
It was a simple cat-finding mission.
Orochimaru had come up through missions like this himself.
Four hours later, they completed the mission.
After turning it in, the three of them split the 1,000-ryo reward. Orochimaru had no interest in taking any of it.
"Taking missions is too much trouble, Teacher. I've decided I won't take them on these kinds of jobs anymore. For students with their talent, they're a complete waste of time. Besides, I have something important to do now."
Orochimaru looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, seated in his chair, and spoke with a serious expression.
He had experiments to conduct.
How could he waste his time on trivial matters like these?
Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback. "You're not going to take any more missions?"
It was a tradition passed down through generations!
But when he looked at Orochimaru's pale, handsome face, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "All right, all right. It's fine if you don't take missions for now, but you'll have to complete a C-rank mission sometime within the next year."
He couldn't help it.
What could he do when this was a disciple he'd raised from childhood?
He'd spoiled the boy ever since he was little.
So he might as well keep spoiling him.
It wasn't just Hyuga Ruri and Inuzuka Mi who were stunned. Even Keigo Uchiha was dumbfounded!
Damn!
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't even dote on Sarutobi Shinnosuke this much, did he?
This was downright coddling!
"Understood. I'll take my leave, then."
Orochimaru led the three of them away.
"You three are far too strong to need to take on missions like that, and my time is limited, too."
He spoke calmly.
He acted as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
A Quasi-Kage taking on D-rank missions? What a joke!
"Hey, Keigo, you're here to take on missions, too?"
Just then, they ran into the Ino-Shika-Cho trio at the entrance.
All three looked completely drained, as if they were about to collapse on the ground.
"Why is it always catching cats and dogs or doing chores? I'm about to die of exhaustion! I want to become a ninja, not a servant!"
Yamanaka Asagao looked ready to cry.
Dust had dirtied her beautiful blond hair.
"Keigo, you're sick of it, too, right?"
Before Keigo Uchiha could answer, Hyuga Ruri gave a haughty little snort. "That's only you. Don't lump us in with you. We don't need to take missions anymore!"
"Teacher Orochimaru's already put in a request for us. There's no need for us to take D-rank missions anymore!"
As she spoke,
her pretty face was full of pride.
Ino-Shika-Cho: "..."
Did you have to rub it in so much?
"Dad, can we ask not to take D-rank missions anymore, too? Can we do C-rank missions instead?!"
Akimichi Lie was about to cry.
He could feel how unfairly different their lives were. It wasn't fair!
The flesh on Torifu Akimichi's chubby face twitched. After a long silence, he snapped, "Get lost! Train properly! Don't give me that nonsense!"
The new Ino-Shika-Cho trio felt like crying, but could only keep suffering through their missions.
Hyuga Ruri's mood improved at once!
Keigo Uchiha: "..."
"I didn't know you had this kind of mean streak."
"I learned it from you, didn't I?"
Hyuga Ruri retorted,
her pretty face brimming with smugness.
The group soon left the Hokage Building.
Orochimaru glanced at Keigo Uchiha, then at Hyuga Ruri and Inuzuka Mi, and spoke as they walked. "The three of you have all exceeded my expectations."
"Keigo, your strength has reached the level of an Elite Jonin. You can teach the other two without any problem."
"So, you can train on your own from now on. Ruri, Ami, if either of you has any questions, just ask Keigo."
Before long,
he'd arranged their training plans.
"As for me... I'm free to go do my own thing."
As he spoke,
Orochimaru smiled.
This really was a wonderful feeling.
Having such a powerful disciple was a good thing!
He could even take over as their instructor!
Keigo Uchiha: "..."
Hyuga Ruri: "..."
Inuzuka Mi: "..."
Wasn't this obviously just him shirking his responsibilities?
Before you continue