I Jumped Down From the Hokage Rock

After three hours of grueling study, Qile finally gained a rough understanding of the bamboo scroll he had painstakingly retrieved from the secret chamber, thanks to Yeling's patient assistance.

Not only that, but to better study and preserve the precious information within, Qile even had Yeling help him transcribe the contents of the bamboo scroll.

This way, he could return the original scroll intact without any worries tomorrow.

When night completely shrouded the earth and all was silent, Qile lay quietly on his comfortable bed, carefully examining the sword technique he had compiled based on his notes by the light of the moon, which was as clear as water.

As it turned out, this was a record of the Genji Clan, an ancient samurai family that had once controlled the Land of Fire for a period of time.

According to the scroll, the Genji Clan once held supreme power in the Land of Fire, but for reasons unknown, they were later overthrown by other factions. However, these past ups and downs were not the most critical matters for Qile at this moment.

What truly stirred his heart was the reason the Genji Clan relied on to rule the Land of Fire at that time—a set of sword techniques created by the Genji Clan themselves.

If one were to simply compare sword skills, it would be difficult to assert whether ninjas or samurai were superior. However, to a certain extent, ninjas were indeed not as orthodox or disciplined as samurai.

Ultimately, samurai relied on the blades in their hands for their entire lives, and their sword techniques, passed down and honed through generations, had long since reached the pinnacle of perfection.

In contrast, what ninjas learned was complex and diverse; although some were proficient in various weapon techniques, most ninjas ultimately relied on ninjutsu as their foundation.

Even the later renowned Hatake Sakumo was only proficient in the art of individual assassination, which he had cultivated to the peak of perfection.

However, when it came to truly large-scale destructive means, one had to count on those large-scale ninjutsu with astonishing power.

Furthermore, if one were to simply compare the sword technique foundations of various ninja clans, which clan would dare to pat their chest and guarantee that their foundation could surpass that of a professional samurai?

Once he mastered these basic sword techniques of the Genji Clan, he could completely explore and create a set of sword techniques unique to himself based on his own characteristics and experience.

After all, he still had an entire Chidori Stream waiting for him to develop.

Amidst these fantasies full of infinite possibilities, Qile's thoughts gradually drifted away, and finally, filled with anticipation, he sank into a deep sleep.

The next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Qile was still immersed in his dreams, as if he had just closed his eyes, when he heard a gentle call reach his ears: "Young Master Qile! It is time for you to get up and practice hand seals!" This voice came from Yeling.

Qile opened his eyes groggily, looked at Yeling in front of him, and muttered: "How do I feel like I just fell asleep..."

Despite this, he forced himself to perk up and quickly got up to wash as per his usual habit. After finishing, he walked straight to the courtyard, ready to begin the day's practice—hand seals.

When Qile stepped into the courtyard, he saw at a glance that Madara was already sitting on that stone stool. Qile hurried forward and respectfully greeted Madara: "Good morning, Clan Leader!"

Then, he adjusted his posture, placed his hands in front of his chest, spread his feet slightly to shoulder width, took a deep breath, and officially began the practice of hand seals.

However, it was only after a while that Kagami appeared in the courtyard. He wore a smug smile on his face, as bright as the warm spring sun, making it clear to anyone that he was in a good mood.

This was understandable; he must have been praised and commended by his father after taking the scroll home last night.

The morning hours always seemed exceptionally quiet; apart from the occasional bird chirping and the slight sounds made by Qile and Kagami during their hand seal practice, there were no other noisy sounds.

After a morning of hand seal practice, Qile finally completed the time required for the day. By now, he was covered in sweat, and his fingers were sore. After a short rest, the group enjoyed breakfast together.

After eating, Qile could no longer suppress his restless heart. After greeting Madara, he couldn't wait to pull Kagami along, while calling for Yeling to follow, and then bolted out of the clan grounds like a wild horse off its leash.

"Qile, Qile, slow down! There's no need to be in such a hurry!" Kagami, who was being dragged along in a wild dash, tried his best to keep up with Qile's pace while turning his head to look at the surprised gazes of the clansmen on both sides of the street, feeling his cheeks turn bright red as if they had been roasted by fire.

However, at this moment, Qile, who was only thinking about getting out quickly, could no longer care about Kagami's shouts or the eyes of the people around him.

He was like a wild horse off its leash, releasing his inner excitement and impatience to the fullest, with no time to care about anything else.

Of course, once they actually ran out of the clan grounds, they would have to rely on Kagami or Yeling to lead the way.

Because Qile really couldn't understand what was going on with Konoha, to be able to build the roads in the village so intricately and windingly like a maze.

Every time he walked on the road, it made people feel dizzy and unable to distinguish east, west, north, or south.

Behind Hokage Rock

"It's been almost half a month, yet I haven't seen that guy Qile! Could it be that his elders at home don't allow him to train with us?" Danzō stood on the high Hokage Rock, looking into the distance toward the direction of the Uchiha Clan, muttering to himself with a frown.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was standing to the side, shrugged indifferently upon hearing this, and replied in a slightly bored tone: "Oh, I'm not too sure about that. But it is a bit strange; when I went home and asked my father earlier, even he couldn't say who Qile's elders were."

To be honest, deep down, both of them quite liked hanging out with Qile, the little brat from the Uchiha Clan. After all, Qile was easygoing and didn't have the airs of the Uchiha Clan, and if they really made a mistake, with Qile around, everyone would have to weigh the consequences.

Of course, it would be even more perfect if Qile didn't talk about topics related to the upper echelons of the village from time to time.

Just as the two of them finished speaking, a man and a woman suddenly approached them quickly.

The two looked full of curiosity, and the woman among them spoke up: "Danzō, you don't seem quite right! Back then, didn't you tell Yan and me to stay as far away from those Uchiha clansmen as possible? But looking at you now, you seem to be looking forward to seeing this Qile you speak of!"

"What?" Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Danzō shouted back directly: "How is that possible? Even if I, Shimura Danzō, jumped off this Hokage Rock, I would never want to do anything with any Uchiha..."

But before he could finish his sentence, Qile's voice came from behind them, "Hey! You're all here."