The vast ruins had fallen eerily silent. Everyone stared at Qin Yu in unison.
"No!" Qin Yu said with a perfectly straight face, talking nonsense.
"No?" Inubou rolled his eyes. "You've been hiding your strength pretty well, kid."
"Let me tell you something in confidence. Uzuki made a bet with us that if you learned Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he'd set you and Yugao up on a date."
"You're all fourteen or fifteen now. It's about time you settled down and started a family."
Qin Yu nearly spat up blood.
According to Inubou, he'd just been sold off—and had even helped count the money.
Inside the cave, Uzuki Yugao handed the Flying Thunder God Kunai to Uzuki Cangwu.
"Dad, according to the Third Raikage's description, once you bring the Flying Thunder God Kunai there, all you have to do is activate the formula on it. Then Minato can sense the coordinates and teleport over," Uzuki Yugao said urgently.
"The Cloud Ninja army is on its way. According to the intelligence, the AB Duo may be leading them in person. Against enemies like these, only Minato can stand up to them."
As she spoke, Uzuki Yugao unrolled the scroll that would activate the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
"Yugao, there's no need." Uzuki Cangwu reached out to stop her and gave a bitter smile. "You're already too late."
"Dad, what are you talking about? We made it in time, didn't we?" Uzuki Yugao said anxiously.
"This time, the Cloud Ninja army has more than a hundred men. A is one half of the AB Duo, and the Third Raikage has named him as his successor. We can't hold them off if they attack. There's no time to lose—we need to activate it now."
"Yugao, there really is no need." Uzuki Cangwu patted the back of her hand. "Qin Yu has already driven them off."
"No, I should say he killed them."
Even Uzuki Cangwu couldn't help showing a trace of awe as he said this.
Uzuki Yugao froze, then asked urgently, "Dad, what exactly happened? You said the person who dealt with the Cloud Ninja was that Qin Yu?"
"He did it all by himself?"
"Yes, he did it all by himself." Uzuki Cangwu's voice trembled a little as he recalled the battle.
"If you'd seen it with your own eyes, you'd feel the same way I do."
"He faced the entire Cloud Ninja army alone, harnessed the power of heavenly thunder, and used the S-Class Lightning Style: Kirin to kill over a hundred Cloud Ninja in a single strike."
"He used powerful ocular techniques, summoned a Bloody Asura, unleashed black flames that couldn't be extinguished, and cast a powerful genjutsu that subdued the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki in an instant..."
Uzuki Yugao was stunned. It was the first time she'd ever seen her father act like a child.
He was praising a boy so highly.
But as Uzuki Cangwu described the battle, vague images of it formed in Uzuki Yugao's mind as well.
"Dad, based on what you've told me, Qin Yu has been hiding his strength so well. Could he be a genius the Uchiha Clan has kept hidden?" Uzuki Yugao said gravely. "With strength like that, he could probably compete for the Hokage's position."
"Oh, and when A left, he said that next time they fought, he'd be there as the Raikage." Uzuki Cangwu said excitedly. "He even called Qin Yu the Bloody Asura."
Uzuki Yugao's expression changed, too.
She'd certainly heard of the Cloud Ninja's AB Duo.
A was the next Raikage's designated successor.
Now Qin Yu had earned such high praise—and the recognition of the next Raikage.
It would be ridiculous to say he wasn't qualified to become Hokage.
"By the way, Yugao, there's something I'd like to discuss with you." Uzuki Cangwu rubbed his hands together, looking embarrassed.
Uzuki Yugao furrowed her brows. "Dad, you were so excited just now. You didn't do something behind my back, did you?"
"Ahem. Yugao, don't put it like that. I just think Qin Yu is a fine young man, so I was planning to set you two up on a date," Uzuki Cangwu said with a cough.
"Dad, you sold me out!" Uzuki Yugao's face turned livid.
She'd never imagined that the moment she saw Uzuki Cangwu, he'd make a decision like this for her on the battlefield.
She'd been sold off—and had even helped count the money.
"Yugao, don't get so worked up. You saw that Hayate brat. When his life was on the line, he abandoned you and ran off alone. But Qin Yu is different. When the Cloud Ninja attacked, he stood against them by himself. Anyone who isn't blind can tell who's better." Uzuki Cangwu's face darkened with anger.
The thought that Yugao might have met anyone other than Qin Yu this time—and would likely have been doomed—filled him with fury.
"Move! Let me through! I need to see Yugao!" Gekko Hayate's voice rang out from outside the cave.
"Yugao, I'll go deal with him. Don't get involved with him again." Uzuki Cangwu's expression darkened as he started to rise.
"Dad, let me go. This is my business." Uzuki Yugao reached out to stop him, then headed straight out of the cave.
Gekko Hayate's shouting had clearly drawn the attention of everyone nearby.
"Move! I need to see Yugao! I have something to explain to her!" Gekko Hayate shouted anxiously.
Unfortunately, no matter how much he yelled, the two Konoha Ninja standing guard outside the cave remained unmoved.
"Gekko Hayate, stop making a scene here," Inubou advised sternly. "This is a restricted area. You're a Chunin, and you can't just enter without permission. Step aside and stop getting in everyone's way."
"Uncle Inubou, who am I getting in the way of? I just want to explain things to Yugao. I was desperate to save her, so I meant to come back with reinforcements." Gekko Hayate hurriedly turned to look behind him.
And there, right before his eyes, stood someone he hadn't expected.
"You're blocking me." Qin Yu stretched and said, "It's dark already. I'm going back to get some proper rest. Remember to tell me when dinner's ready."
"Qin Yu, don't worry. We'd never leave you out." The two Konoha Ninja who'd been unmoved a moment ago quickly broke into ingratiating smiles.
Watching this, Gekko Hayate was stunned.
"Uncle Inubou, didn't you say this cave was restricted and Chunin couldn't enter freely? Why can he?" Gekko Hayate asked urgently.
At this, the Konoha Ninja present immediately grew displeased.
Inubou was no exception. He gave Gekko Hayate a cold look and said, "Gekko Hayate, sometimes you need to know when to stop. If Qin Yu counts as a Chunin, then there probably aren't any Hokage in this world anymore."
"Exactly. You're a coward who's afraid to die. If you weren't a fellow Konoha Ninja—and if Gekko Kuro Yoru weren't one of the Eight Colors of Konoha—we'd never let someone like you in."
"Gekko Hayate, if I were you, I'd stay quietly to the side instead of making a fool of myself."
Gekko Hayate was stunned.
All this time, thanks to Gekko Kuro Yoru's influence and his Kekkei Genkai,
he'd always been regarded as a genius.
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