"Sun-Moon Phantom Slash!"
Gekko Kuro Yoru roared, gripping the branch tightly in both hands and channeling chakra into it.
He spun around and thrust it straight at Qin Yu!
The moment he attacked, light and shadow burst forth, filling the air with countless afterimages and creating an inexplicable sense of oppression.
"Sun-Moon Blood Wheel Slash!"
Qin Yu showed no fear. The Sun-Moon Phantom Slash was both real and illusory; the best way to deal with it was to overpower it head-on.
The instant he channeled chakra into the branch, it blazed with dazzling light. In the next moment, he swung it straight at Gekko Kuro Yoru.
With a single slash, it became a full-moon-shaped blade of chakra, cleaving down through the countless afterimages.
Boom!
The two attacks collided with a deafening crash. As the shock waves rolled back, Gekko Kuro Yoru staggered backward.
Staring at Qin Yu, Gekko Kuro Yoru looked utterly incredulous.
"Dad, what he used really was the Dance of the Crescent Moon..." Gekko Hayate asked urgently.
"Fool! You're a direct descendant of the Uzuki Family. How can you not recognize it?" Gekko Kuro Yoru snapped. "When we get back, you'd better train harder, or you'll bring shame on our clan."
"It's fine. I'll be going now." Qin Yu tossed aside the broken half of the branch in his hand.
Their fight just now had mainly been a test.
Besides, to perform the true Dance of the Crescent Moon sword technique, he still needed a good Chakra Blade.
Only a blade with strong chakra conductivity could gather chakra more effectively and allow its nature to change, enhancing the power of the sword technique.
The Land of Iron in the Ninja World was one such place.
Its people had chakra, but rather than develop what were known as ninjutsu, they focused on learning how to infuse chakra into sword techniques.
Mifune of the Land of Iron had honed his swordsmanship until it could rival that of a Kage.
However, after one war after another, many of the so-called samurai had been eliminated.
Moreover, when faced with conflicts between the great nations, the Land of Iron had always maintained its neutrality.
As a result, the number of samurai dwindled, and there were fewer opportunities for their exquisite sword techniques to be passed down.
"Go on ahead. I still want to give Hayate some pointers." Gekko Kuro Yoru didn't try to keep him any longer.
The talent Qin Yu had just displayed already far exceeded his expectations.
Whether or not he had mastered the essence of the Dance of the Crescent Moon, his astonishing ability to learn made him worth betting on.
Only now did he understand why Minato Namikaze, Uzuki Cangwu, and the others thought so highly of Qin Yu.
They were even willing to offend Danzo, that formidable schemer.
"Senior Gekko, are you all right?" Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared.
His sudden arrival startled Gekko Kuro Yoru, who had been lost in thought. He quickly shook his head. "Minato, I'm fine. I was just exchanging pointers with Qin Yu."
"Dad, was that really just exchanging pointers? You even taught him the Dance of the Crescent Moon..." Gekko Hayate couldn't help grumbling.
Still, Gekko Hayate couldn't be blamed for calling him out.
Very few people could learn Konoha's Dance of the Crescent Moon in the first place.
Gekko Hayate was one of its most outstanding practitioners, hailed as a little prodigy.
Now this monster, Qin Yu, had appeared out of nowhere. His supposed prodigy status would probably be reduced to a supporting role in an instant.
"Watch your mouth!" Gekko Kuro Yoru glared at him.
Minato Namikaze smiled and shook his head. "Senior Gekko, don't be too hard on Hayate. Your bet was actually the right one."
Gekko Kuro Yoru couldn't help freezing. "Minato, do you also think Uchiha Qin Yu will achieve great things in the future?"
"No, that's not what I think." Minato Namikaze shook his head.
Gekko Kuro Yoru was taken aback. Just as he began to think he'd bet on the wrong horse, Minato Namikaze spoke again.
"I think Uchiha Qin Yu hasn't shown his true strength."
"Minato, what are you saying?" Gekko Kuro Yoru was shocked.
According to the intelligence he had received, Uchiha Qin Yu had single-handedly defeated the Cloud Ninja and Mist Ninja.
He had even driven back the AB Duo and earned the recognition of Kumogakure's next Raikage.
For any ninja, that would have been an immense honor.
Yet now Minato Namikaze was telling him Qin Yu had been holding back...
The difference was almost too much to believe.
"Right now, I can only hope Danzo doesn't do anything foolish. Otherwise, Konoha may soon face a formidable enemy," Minato Namikaze said, his eyes glinting.
At dawn, Qin Yu and his three companions left the outpost.
Since Shizune was the only medical ninja there, she couldn't leave with Qin Yu.
However, with Gekko Kuro Yoru, one of the Eight Colors of Konoha, and dozens of newly arrived ninja bolstering its defenses, the outpost had become one or two levels more secure.
If anything went wrong, it could hold out until Minato Namikaze arrived to help.
In a sense, Minato Namikaze, who knew the Flying Thunder God Technique, was a mobile support force.
Uzuki Yugao had originally planned to stay at the outpost and support Uzuki Cangwu.
Unfortunately, Uzuki Cangwu clearly had his own reasons for keeping her there.
It wasn't just because he'd lost the bet; he also saw Qin Yu's enormous potential.
The Uzuki Family already held little standing in Konoha.
If Qin Yu really came to power one day and became an important figure in Konoha, then Uzuki Yugao, as his woman, would rise in status too.
Even if things never went that far, Uchiha Qin Yu had already displayed tremendous strength in these two battles, along with a fiercely protective nature.
As Qin Yu's woman, Uzuki Yugao would never be mistreated or looked down on.
With Uzuki Cangwu thinking this way, the ninja at the outpost who had daughters all began planning to promote them to Qin Yu.
The previous night, they had nearly knocked Qin Feng's door off its hinges.
So, as soon as dawn broke, Qin Yu hurriedly packed his things and left early.
As Uzuki Cangwu saw him off, he slung an arm around Qin Yu's shoulder and gave him a knowing look.
His expression made it seem as though he couldn't wait for Qin Yu and Uzuki Yugao to get up to something on the way, so they could return to the village with the deed already done.
Qin Yu couldn't help muttering to himself about how early people matured in the Naruto world.
Still, looking at the twelve- or thirteen-year-old Uzuki Yugao, her figure had clearly already begun to develop.
Inside Konoha!
In the spacious Hokage's office, the Third Hokage's face was somewhat grim as he looked at Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. He said gravely, "Danzo broke our agreement and issued an order on his own, telling Yamanaka Tatsuya to challenge Uchiha Qin Yu."
"Sarutobi, did you get a report from Minato? What happened?" Mitokado Homura asked in a solemn voice.
"Yamanaka Tatsuya is under Danzo's command. His strength has long since reached Elite Jonin level, and he's skilled in binding techniques. Did Uchiha Qin Yu suffer any losses?"
Utatane Koharu wore a rare smile and nodded. "That boy was hiding his strength too well. If this opportunity lets us knock him down a peg, it might not be a bad thing."
Before you continue