Two Stars Meet for the First Time

"Next, Uchiha Ling."

The order quickly reached Uchiha Ling, who walked to the center of the examination area unhurriedly. Teacher Aoki Ken watched him, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

"Begin," Aoki Ken said. Uchiha Ling took a deep breath and quickly formed hand seals, his movements fluid and practiced.

In an instant, his body seemed to merge with the surrounding environment as he completed the Transformation Technique, taking on the appearance of the examiner, mimicking even his demeanor with uncanny accuracy.

Next, he performed the Clone Technique, and several identical Uchiha Lings appeared in the examination area, each striking a combat pose.

Finally, he executed the Substitution Technique, vanishing from his spot in a flash and reappearing on the other side of the arena.

A flash of surprise crossed Aoki Ken's eyes; he remembered that during the last test, Uchiha Ling's level had been far below what it was now.

"Uchiha Ling, you've improved quite a bit. It seems you haven't slacked off this semester. Now, let's see how your Shuriken Throwing is," Aoki Ken encouraged.

Uchiha Ling nodded, took a shuriken from his ninja tool pouch, and set his stance.

His eyes focused on the distant target, and with a flick of his wrist, the shuriken flew out like a shooting star, striking the bullseye with precision.

He then retrieved more shuriken, this time increasing his speed, sending them flying one after another like a dense rain toward the target.

Every single shuriken landed firmly around the bullseye, forming a perfect circle.

The surrounding examinees were shocked, and whispers broke out one after another.

"When did he become so strong?"

"Yeah, this strength is like he's a completely different person compared to before."

These emotions of surprise and admiration were instantly captured by Uchiha Ling's Emotion System, and the system prompt rang in his mind:

[Collected Surprise emotion value +60, Admiration emotion value +50]

Soon, the first two tests were completed, and everyone had drawn their lots to begin the final one-on-one combat test.

"Group 3, Namikaze Minato versus Uchiha Ling!" Teacher Aoki Ken announced the schedule, and the two immediately stepped onto the ring.

"Uchiha Ling was at the bottom of the class last test; won't he lose to Namikaze Minato in no time?"

"I just saw Uchiha Ling's performance in the first two tests improve a lot; maybe he can actually trade blows with Minato!"

"Namikaze Minato has held the top spot for a long time; Uchiha Ling is definitely no match for him."

The students below the stage whispered among themselves upon hearing that the two had been paired together.

After stepping onto the stage, the two performed the Seal of Confrontation. "Please go easy on me, classmate Uchiha Ling," Minato said with a gentle smile and a nod.

Beneath his feet, however, chakra had already condensed, and his figure suddenly blurred as he launched the Body Flicker Technique to charge forward.

Ling's pupils constricted; the Uchiha Style Body Technique at the proficient level, enhanced by the system, took effect instantly.

He dodged the leg sweep from Minato almost by instinct, barely avoiding the blow.

Before he could steady himself, Minato's fist was already before him. Ling crossed his arms to block, the immense force pushing him back two steps and leaving his palms numb.

[Absorbed Namikaze Minato's Surprise emotion value +15]

[Cumulative exclamation emotion value from onlookers +60]

"To dodge my Body Flicker surprise attack, your reactions are fast."

Minato withdrew his fist, his tone becoming more serious as he launched the Body Flicker Technique again. This time, the trajectory was even trickier, aiming straight for Ling's back.

Ling did not take it head-on but quickly formed seals: "Snake-Boar-Horse-Rabbit-Sheep! Substitution Technique!"

He left behind a log that was kicked in half, while his own figure appeared to Minato's left, his fist wreathed in chakra swinging toward his side.

Minato reacted with extreme speed, side-stepping while grabbing Ling's wrist with a backhand. The two instantly fell into close-quarters combat—fists colliding, legs interweaving, and ripples of chakra exploding between them.

"Such strong taijutsu!" Hyuga Hiashi, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists. "Even the dead-last of the Uchiha clan has this level of skill!"

During the struggle, Ling suddenly exerted force, broke free from Minato's grip, and leaped backward to create distance, his hands forming seals rapidly: "Sheep-Snake-Tiger! Clone Technique!"

Three clones appeared instantly, lunging at Minato from the left, right, and rear.

Minato's eyes narrowed; he tapped his feet and activated the Body Flicker Technique again, weaving flexibly between the clones and precisely avoiding every attack.

[Absorbed Namikaze Minato's Admiration emotion value +20]

"Your control of the Clone Technique is steady, but—"

Minato suddenly stopped behind one of the clones, his palm pressing lightly on its shoulder. "Your clones have weaker chakra fluctuations than the original."

The clone dissipated instantly. Ling felt a chill, and the remaining two clones suddenly turned, throwing kunai at Minato simultaneously.

Minato dodged to the side, only to find that Ling's original body had circled behind him, his knee driving toward his back!

Minato's pupils shrank as he lunged forward, simultaneously turning to hook his leg around Ling's ankle.

Ling lost his balance but used the momentum to roll, grabbing Minato's arm in a reversal. Both fell to the ground, and in the end, Ling's elbow rested against Minato's chest, while Minato's hand stopped near Ling's neck.

The entire arena went silent; no one had expected that Uchiha Ling, who was the bottom of the class in the last test, could actually fight the class leader Namikaze Minato to a draw.

Teacher Aoki Ken walked onto the ring, looked at the two locked in a stalemate, and announced loudly: "This match, Uchiha Ling and Namikaze Minato are tied!"

The crowd below erupted into chaos.

[Collected Hyuga Hiashi's Surprise +30]

[Collected Akimichi Choza's Surprise +30]

[Collected Surprised Onlooker Students +90]

Minato was the first to release his hand, stand up, and extend it to Ling, saying with a smile, "Classmate Uchiha Ling, you've improved so much. This match was very exciting."

Uchiha Ling also shook Minato's hand, using the grip to stand up, and replied, "You're very strong too. If my taijutsu hadn't improved recently, I would have lost very quickly."

[Collected Namikaze Minato's Approval Emotion Value +30]

Uchiha Ling checked his system and found he had received 503 emotion points, which was enough to redeem the C-rank Ninjutsu Gift Pack (Proficient).

Without a second thought, he redeemed it.

After all, as a member of the Uchiha clan, Fire Style ninjutsu was their signature.

Moreover, there was no need to explain the origin of the Fire Style ninjutsu externally; everyone knew that almost every Uchiha household had some collection of Fire Style ninjutsu.

[Successfully Redeemed C-rank Fire Style Ninjutsu Gift Pack]

"Panel," Uchiha Ling silently recited in his mind.

[Host: Uchiha Ling]

[Age: 10]

[Bloodline: Single Tomoe Sharingan]

[Overall Combat Power Assessment: Genin Level (You have now evolved into a qualified cannon fodder)]

[Mastered Skills: Three Body Techniques (Proficient), Uchiha Style Body Technique (Proficient), Shuriken Throwing Technique (Proficient), Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique (Proficient), Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (Proficient), Fire Style: Fire Dragon Technique (Proficient)]

[Emotion Points: 3]

Opening the system store again, Uchiha Ling began to see what other items he wanted to buy.

[Body Flicker Technique (Mastered): 500 Emotion Points]

[Single Tomoe Sharingan → Double Tomoe Sharingan: 2000 Emotion Points]

[Chakra Control (Mastered): 1000 Emotion Points]

After browsing for a long time, Uchiha Ling added these three items to his shopping cart.

After the test, Namikaze Minato said to Uchiha Ling, "Classmate Uchiha Ling, you've made such great progress this time! You must have put in a lot of effort in private!"

"Yes!"

Uchiha Ling pretended to recall, "This is all the sweat and effort I've put in!"

[Collected Namikaze Minato's Admiration +15]

"How about we train together at Konoha Training Ground 3 during the holidays!" Minato invited enthusiastically.

Uchiha Ling thought for a moment, "Sure, but I might not be free every day. I also feel that my practical combat training is insufficient."

Although he lacked nothing in terms of ninjutsu and kekkei genkai redeemed through the system, practical combat still required self-training.

It was like having the best sword, but a person who didn't know how to use a sword couldn't wield it effectively.

"Great! I'll be training at Konoha Training Ground 3 every morning at 8 AM. Classmate Uchiha Ling, you can come find me then."

Namikaze Minato happily agreed, as he rarely found opponents of equal footing at school.

The comprehensive scoring bulletin board at the Konoha Ninja Academy was several times more crowded than usual.

On the wooden bulletin board, yellowed score sheets were neatly pinned. At the very top, the names "Namikaze Minato" and "Uchiha Ling" were written side-by-side, with the words "Joint First Place" heavily circled in red ink, making them particularly striking.

Uchiha Ling, squeezed at the edge of the crowd, stood on tiptoe to see the words clearly when a hurried shove came from behind him.

Several junior students were stretching on tiptoe to get to the front of the bulletin board, shouting, "Move aside! I want to see if Senior Minato is first again!"

"It's definitely Minato, he's the civilian genius even the Third Hokage praised!"

"No, no, look at the top! There's also Uchiha Ling!"

"Uchiha Ling? Which Uchiha Ling? Is it the same one... the dead last who always dragged down the test scores before?"

"It's him! Didn't you see this morning's practical combat test? He drew with Minato! He even practiced Transformation Technique and Clone Technique better than the senior students!"

[Collected Junior Female Students' Admiration Emotion Value +75]

[Collected Surprised Onlooker Students' Emotion Value +360]

[Collected Uchiha Clan Members' Disbelief Emotion Value +155]

At this moment, Teacher Aoki Ken walked over with the score sheet.

"Uchiha Ling, you've made great progress this time, especially your adaptability in combat. It's stronger than many senior students. Joint first place is well-deserved."

The teacher's words were like a stone thrown into water, and the crowd erupted again.

"It's true! The dead last has made a comeback to become first?"

"When he was throwing shuriken, more than ten of them landed around the bullseye. I thought it was just luck!"

"No, that's not it, his taijutsu is the real deal! Look at how he held his own in close-quarters combat against Minato; the force behind his punches didn't falter in the slightest!"

Hyuga Hiashi pushed through the crowd and walked over, the previous look of disdain gone from his face as he spoke in a serious tone: "Uchiha Ling, your progress has exceeded my expectations. When you have time, we should spar in taijutsu."

The Uchiha Clan considered themselves the strongest in Konoha, but the Hyuga Clan had also been passed down since the Warring States period and likewise claimed to be the strongest in the village.

As a classmate, Uchiha Ling's test scores surpassing his own would inevitably bring about a fair amount of gossip for both the Hyuga Clan and himself.

Therefore, Hyuga Hiashi decided to face Uchiha Ling in a direct confrontation.

[Collected recognition emotion points from Hyuga Hiashi +30]

Uchiha Ling nodded with a smile, just about to say something, when two unnatural coughs sounded from outside the crowd.

Uchiha Ling looked up to see Uchiha Xiu-Huo and Uchiha Chuan standing at the entrance of the alley, arms crossed over their chests, their faces tight, yet they couldn't help but sneak glances this way.

The tips of Uchiha Xiu-Huo's ears were red, while Uchiha Chuan clutched the hem of his shirt, eyes darting away—clearly, they had heard the commotion in front of the bulletin board and learned of Uchiha Ling's results.

Uchiha Ling raised an eyebrow in their direction. Uchiha Xiu-Huo acted as if he had been burned, immediately turning his head away and tugging on Chuan's arm, lowering his voice but speaking loudly enough for Ling to hear:

"To think he could fight Namikaze Minato to a draw and tie for first place." He stole a glance at Ling before quickly lowering his head again, "It seems our judgment was shallow before; we shouldn't have called him a 'dead last'."

Chuan nodded hurriedly, but couldn't help looking back, stealing one quick glance at Uchiha Ling before being dragged away by Uchiha Xiu-Huo.

[Collected recognition and shame emotion points from Uchiha Xiu-Huo +20]

[Collected awkwardness emotion points from Uchiha Chuan +15]

Uchiha Ling watched their retreating backs, then looked down at his own name on the bulletin board, the corners of his mouth curling upward. The emotion points on the system panel continued to jump, having already accumulated to nearly one thousand.