Only Friends, Never Enemies

"Bang!"

A dull thud of impact rang out abruptly.

A hand-blade struck directly against the neck of Gekko Hayate. Under the force of the blow, his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious to the ground.

The sudden outburst left everyone on the scene stunned into silence.

They stared at the lightning fading from the body of Uchiha Qin Yu, their faces filled with disbelief.

If, a moment ago, their speculation regarding whether Uchiha Qin Yu had mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was based solely on the one-sided claims of Gekko Hayate.

However, seeing it with their own eyes now, the significance was entirely different.

It had been less than half a day since the retreat of the Kumogakure forces.

Yet Uchiha Qin Yu had already mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, known as one of the most difficult secret techniques of Kumogakure.

What words could possibly describe such speed?

Terrifying?

A monster?

Indescribable?

More importantly, there is no harm without comparison.

Facing the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Qin Yu was still able to discipline Gekko Hayate.

This meant that in terms of speed, he was likely a cut above.

"Heh, sorry about that, Minato. No one can stop the person I intend to discipline, not even myself." Uchiha Qin Yu gave a dry laugh.

If this were the Uchiha Qin Yu of the past, facing the legendary pride of Konoha, he would have groveled like a lapdog.

But now, possessing the One-Click Max Level System, if anyone wanted him to bow?

They might as well go wash up and go to sleep.

"You speak too heavily, Uchiha Qin Yu. Your restraint is the best lesson Gekko Hayate could have received." Minato Namikaze was a ninja of the new generation's peace faction.

Moreover, he had a very close personal friendship with Fugaku, and they addressed each other as brothers in private.

He had always been deeply concerned about the issues surrounding the Uchiha Clan.

He and Fugaku both held the mindset of resolving things through peace.

Otherwise, Fugaku, who had long since awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, might have already defected from Konoha if not for his relationship with Minato Namikaze and his belief in Minato Namikaze's philosophy.

It was a pity that, counting on one's fingers, the Third Shinobi World War was already nearing its end.

A year later, after Minato Namikaze died, a series of events would erupt under the manipulation of Danzo and other high-ranking officials.

Of course, Uchiha Qin Yu did not take any of this to heart.

With the system at his side, the world was vast; where could he not find a place to hide?

If he were truly pushed to the edge, he could just toss out two or three ultimate moves and walk away, and no one would be able to stop him.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'm going back to rest. Running low on chakra is truly exhausting." Uchiha Qin Yu patted Minato Namikaze on the shoulder.

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, he walked into the Cave.

In their eyes, Minato Namikaze was an unreachable existence.

Known as the person most qualified to inherit the position of the next Hokage in Konoha, he was treated with respect in daily life, even by the older generation.

When had they ever seen someone as bold as Uchiha Qin Yu, who showed not a shred of reverence?

Watching Uchiha Qin Yu leave, Uzuki Cangwu stepped forward with a wry smile: "Lord Minato, please don't blame Uchiha Qin Yu. The fact that we could repel the Kumogakure forces and the AB Duo this time is all thanks to him."

"Besides, he is only fifteen or sixteen; he doesn't quite understand etiquette."

Compared to the twenty-something Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Qin Yu could truly be called a junior.

And compared to the long-standing, illustrious status of Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Qin Yu did indeed lack a bit of decorum.

"Senior Uzuki Cangwu, you are calling me 'Lord' again." Minato Namikaze shook his head helplessly: "Being with you all, I actually like Uchiha Qin Yu."

"However, according to my understanding, Uchiha Qin Yu was originally not a very prominent junior within the Uchiha Clan."

"When I left, Fugaku even asked me to look after Uchiha Qin Yu. It seems he was hiding his true strength."

At these words, everyone on the scene sighed with emotion.

Thinking of the Kirin that descended from the sky and the Mangekyo Sharingan, they still felt a chill running down their spines.

"Lord Minato, your status is different now; you are entitled to have us old fossils address you this way," Uzuki Cangwu said with a smile.

"However, there is one thing we must report: Uchiha Qin Yu likely has no intention of getting involved in the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, so he has been intentionally hiding his abilities."

Following Uzuki Cangwu's account, the expression of Minato Namikaze, who had been smiling warmly, turned grave.

"Senior Uzuki Cangwu, are you saying that Uchiha Qin Yu possesses powerful Lightning Release ninjutsu, a special Sharingan, and also possesses a heaven-defying talent for learning ninjutsu?" Minato Namikaze could not help but ask.

Seeing everyone on the scene nodding in unison, Minato Namikaze could no longer remain calm.

"Senior Cangwu, I'll leave Gekko Hayate to you. I'm going to see Qin Yu."

"Lord Minato, please rest assured. However, within Kumogakure, the next Raikage successor A once stated that Qin Yu has the qualifications to become the next Hokage. I hope you don't mind," Uzuki Cangwu said after a moment of hesitation.

"This time, Danzo's confidants Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune not only escaped but also leaked our Stronghold Intel to Kumogakure. If Danzo finds out that Qin Yu thwarted his subordinates, he might target Qin Yu. We hope Lord Minato can offer some assistance at a critical moment."

In the eyes of Uzuki Cangwu and the others, external enemies could be eliminated through powerful means.

But when facing internal strife, it was easy to dodge open attacks but difficult to guard against hidden ones.

"Senior Cangwu, please rest assured. I know what to do," Minato Namikaze nodded. "After a while, I'll report the situation here to the Third Hokage first."

"With the Third Hokage stepping in, Danzo will have to restrain himself a bit," Uzuki Cangwu sighed with relief.

"This matter is arranged for now. The subsequent defense will rely on everyone working together," Minato Namikaze patted Uzuki Cangwu's shoulder. "I'll go talk to Qin Yu first."

After watching Minato Namikaze leave, Uzuki Yugao could no longer hold back and said, "Dad, are you saying that once Qin Yu returns to Konoha, he might be attacked by Root?"

"What's wrong? Already worried about your little lover?" Inubou teased.

Uzuki Yugao glared. "Who's his lover? I just don't want Konoha Village to lose such a strong individual."

"Someone like that is like a comrade, an absolutely powerful backing. But if they were an enemy, they would be too terrifying," Uzuki Cangwu suddenly said.

As soon as he said this, everyone's expression changed.

As Uzuki Cangwu said, when facing an existence like Qin Yu.

The only thing they could do was to befriend him, not make him an enemy!

Even if they couldn't become friends, they could only be strangers.