A Sudden Change

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Day after day, Qile never missed a chance to secretly learn from the others.

Though it looked like he was "secretly learning," both Senju Tobirama and the members of F5 knew perfectly well that Qile was there.

The five of them seemed to share an unspoken understanding, and no one exposed what appeared to be a secret.

In this atmosphere, Qile learned a great deal about ninjutsu from Senju Tobirama, and every lesson left him amazed.

Of course, what delighted him most was learning Tobirama's self-created Shadow Clone Technique and his advanced version of the Body Flicker Technique.

First, the Shadow Clone Technique. Its remarkable feature was that it could instantly create a clone almost indistinguishable from the original.

Not only did the clone look the same, but its memories and accumulated experience could also be transferred back to the original without loss. However, it was important to remember that any pain the clone felt would likewise be transmitted to the original, in full.

As for the advanced version of the Body Flicker Technique, it was called an advanced version because Tobirama had cleverly combined the ordinary Body Flicker Technique with Explosive Tags.

That way, when using the Body Flicker Technique to move, the user could also detonate the Explosive Tag left behind, inflicting unexpected damage on the enemy.

Another thing worth mentioning was Tobirama's astonishing fondness for Explosive Tags.

After observing him for a while, Qile was surprised to discover that apart from Water Release and his exquisite Kenjutsu, Tobirama's most frequently used attack was none other than Explosive Tags.

Qile wasn't the only one puzzled by this curious habit. F5 were just as curious.

However, when someone asked Tobirama why, his answer was simple: they could kill an opponent in the most straightforward way without using much of his own chakra. Why wouldn't he take advantage of that?

Just then, Tobirama suddenly called out, "All right, that's enough for today. Don't forget to complete the training I assigned!" As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud bang, and Tobirama vanished in a puff of smoke.

Everyone looked closely and saw that it had only been a Shadow Clone.

At the sight, Koharu wiped the sweat from her forehead and muttered, somewhat reproachfully, "Honestly, why does Teacher Tobirama always use Shadow Clones?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen reassured her, "Teacher Tobirama has a lot of responsibilities. We should be grateful that he can spare the time to send a clone to supervise our training." As he spoke, he turned toward the large tree where Qile was hiding and called loudly, "Qile! You can stop hiding. Teacher Tobirama's already gone. Come on out!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Qile grumbled as he wriggled and crawled out of the rather narrow hollow in the tree.

Maybe the hollow he'd dug was too narrow, or maybe he'd grown a little over the past few months. Either way, it took him quite a while to get his head and half his body out.

By the time he finally managed to crawl out of the tree hollow, he was covered in grime and looked thoroughly disheveled.

Seeing him like that, Koharu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She came over and gently brushed the wood shavings off him, teasing, "Just look at you—you're like a filthy little monkey. Couldn't you just listen openly? I don't believe for a second that Teacher Tobirama didn't notice you hiding here and eavesdropping."

Qile merely shrugged at Koharu's teasing, unconcerned, and didn't bother answering.

Seeing this, Koharu pursed her lips and let it go. Instead, she looked around.

Then she turned back, curiosity all over her face, and asked Qile, "Huh? How come Yeling isn't with you today?"

At the mention of Yeling, Qile sighed, scratched his head, and explained with a helpless look, "Ugh, don't ask! The clan has this stupid rule that once you turn three, you have to attend lessons in the clan. I'm not the least bit interested in that stuff. It's torture. So I begged Yeling for days, and she used the Substitution Technique to go in my place."

At first, Qile had been quite interested in the lessons held by the clan.

He'd thought the Uchiha had designed classes specifically for their own people, tailored to the clan's needs and characteristics.

But things hadn't gone as he'd hoped. After just two days of lessons, he was completely disappointed.

Every day, an elderly Uchiha who could barely keep his eyes open would lecture them on the glorious history of the Uchiha Clan.

The long, dull stories always made him incredibly sleepy, as if weights were pressing down on his eyelids. Every time, he'd listen in a daze, yawning nonstop.

Unable to endure it any longer, Qile begged Yeling again and again until she finally agreed to attend the lessons in his place.

As Koharu listened to Qile, her expression, which had been tinged with amusement, suddenly changed. She grabbed him and swept him into her arms, then rolled rapidly to one side.

Almost the instant they left their spot, a gleaming Kunai plunged into the ground where Qile and Koharu had been standing. It sank several inches deep, a testament to the thrower's strength.

"Watch out! We've got an enemy!" The moment Sarutobi Hiruzen sensed danger, he drew a Kunai from his ninja tool pouch without hesitation and gripped it tightly. Danzo did the same.

Torifu Akimichi and Mitokado Homura reacted just as swiftly. They moved into position in a flash, surrounding Koharu and Qile and forming a solid defensive line to shield them.

"Heh! Not bad. You reacted fast." As a low chuckle sounded, a middle-aged man of slight build slowly emerged from deep within the woods.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the intruder, furrowed his brow, and called out, "Who are you? Why did you attack us?"

The man only smiled and shook his head. "Five of Senju Tobirama's students, plus a little Uchiha brat. This is quite a haul."