Encountering the Legendary Sannin

BOOM!

Like a thunderclap, the lightning erupted, rendering all defenses pale and powerless.

The immense impact sent Uchiha Seki flying backward like a cannonball.

With a dull thud, he slammed into a large tree, snapping it clean in half.

The sudden outburst, combined with the sight of Uchiha Qin Yu bathed in crackling lightning, caused the expressions of the two remaining lackeys to shift violently.

Without a second thought, they drew their kunai and lunged, aiming directly for Qin Yu's chest.

Yet, facing this, Qin Yu remained as indifferent as if he hadn't noticed them at all.

CLANG!

The moment the two blackened kunai struck his chest, the wild lightning dancing across his skin sent them ricocheting away.

"What... what kind of monster is this!"

The two lackeys turned pale. As they took a step back, massive fists rapidly filled their vision.

BANG!

Both figures were sent flying like cannonballs.

They slammed into two large trees.

Blood sprayed as they collapsed to the ground, unable to even crawl away.

"This is too strong..." Itachi Uchiha stood frozen, his face filled with disbelief.

He had heard from Fugaku about the changes in his cousin.

However, in Itachi Uchiha's estimation, such changes would at most reach the level of a Jonin or an Elite Jonin.

When he saw Uchiha Seki and the other two lackeys appear, he had even considered stepping in to intervene.

He never imagined that Qin Yu would resolve a fight against an Elite Jonin like Uchiha Seki with a single move.

"Are you hurt?" Qin Yu ruffled the hair of the still-dazed Uzuki Yugao.

"If you're injured, I can treat you."

Back at the base, Uchiha Qin Yu hadn't missed the chance to have Shizune instruct him in medical ninjutsu.

Now, his Mystical Palm Technique and Chakra Scalpel were both maxed out.

"I'm fine, it's just that the lunch box I brought for you got ruined," Uzuki Yugao said, looking dejected.

"Let's go, we're going to Ichiraku Ramen," Qin Yu said with a helpless shake of his head.

"Is... is that okay?" Uzuki Yugao froze, her cheeks flushing crimson.

In her eyes, this was no different from a date.

"And the kid over there, if you don't mind..." Qin Yu looked toward the bewildered Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi was only a little over six years old right now; he wouldn't graduate from the Ninja Academy until he was seven.

Thus, he had only awakened a single tomoe, and his strength was barely a notch above a Chunin.

"Is this your younger brother, Itachi Uchiha?" Uzuki Yugao, who had clearly heard of this little genius, spoke up quickly.

"I certainly don't mind. Itachi is so cute!" Uzuki Yugao pinched Itachi Uchiha's cheek.

If people in the future knew that the God Itachi had been treated this way, one could only wonder what their expressions would be.

"I... I actually don't have to go," Itachi Uchiha said, snapping out of his daze.

"Don't you want to know how deep your brother's secrets go?" Uzuki Yugao said with a playful smile. "If we team up, maybe we can squeeze his secrets out of him."

"Besides, don't you want to know how he managed to repel the Cloud Ninja and Mist Ninja all by himself?"

Hearing this, Itachi Uchiha hesitated for a moment before biting his lip and agreeing.

"Let's go." Qin Yu rolled his eyes helplessly and turned to lead the way.

Along the way, having a young beauty like Uzuki Yugao by his side drew quite a bit of attention.

Especially when people saw Uzuki Yugao walking with someone from the Uchiha Clan, their faces showed varying degrees of disgust.

Qin Yu didn't take any of this to heart, though he hadn't expected the hostility in Konoha toward the Uchiha Clan to be so deep.

"Welcome!" A girl of about twelve or thirteen walked out.

"Ayame, greet the guests and have them sit. I'll finish the noodles and serve them shortly," the voice of Otsutsuki Teuchi called out from the kitchen.

"I'll have a chashu ramen," Qin Yu said, sitting down casually.

This was the legendary Ichiraku Ramen, jokingly called by fans the most mysterious shop in Konoha—a place that would never fall even if the village itself did.

Some even fantasized that the true identity of Old Man Teuchi was the most mysterious Otsutsuki Teuchi hiding within Konoha.

"I want chashu too!" Uzuki Yugao chimed in urgently.

In her eyes, only by eating the same thing as Qin Yu could this truly be called a date.

"I'll have the same," Itachi Uchiha said helplessly.

However, the two of them quickly entered into their conversation.

When Uzuki Yugao mentioned Uchiha Qin Yu unleashing Lightning Style: Kirin to instantly kill over a hundred Cloud Ninja, the look Itachi Uchiha gave Uchiha Qin Yu clearly held a hint of shock and awe.

"Teuchi, give me a bowl of chashu ramen," a voice tinged with fatigue came from outside the door.

Uchiha Qin Yu raised an eyebrow as he saw a man with a head of silver hair and a massive scroll strapped to his back sit down beside him.

"Lord Jiraiya, I didn't expect you to return at such a critical juncture." Teuchi walked out from the kitchen, a trace of joy appearing on his face.

Teuchi was an ordinary merchant in Konoha and only knew the general situation of the war.

However, with three major battlefields opening simultaneously, who wouldn't be worried?

As a figure who rose to fame during the Second Shinobi World War, Jiraiya served as a source of reassurance for Konoha.

"Teuchi, you're still the same as ever." Jiraiya snapped his chopsticks apart, looked at the appetizers Ayame had brought over at Teuchi's signal, and shook his head. "I only returned this time to report intelligence to the Third, and I'll be leaving again very soon."

"The war will be decided soon!"

Teuchi's expression changed, and he quickly made a gesture for Jiraiya to be quiet. "Lord Jiraiya, there are juniors here; you really shouldn't speak so freely about such intelligence."

"And don't drink any alcohol this time. Last time, Lord Jiraiya, you spilled so much classified information that if the Hokage hadn't arrived in time, I would have become a criminal."

Teuchi took the sake away from Jiraiya's table.

"Fine, it's true that it's not appropriate to drink upon returning this time." Jiraiya surprisingly didn't argue with Teuchi, instead turning his gaze toward Uchiha Qin Yu.

Teuchi was no fool; he instantly sensed the situation and retreated to the kitchen with Ayame.

"The ramen will be ready in ten minutes."

"Understood." Jiraiya knew this was Teuchi's way of giving them space.

Looking at the young man before him who seemed to have recognized him from the start, Jiraiya let out a soft sigh.

"I never expected that Minato would have me rush back just for a brat like you."

"I heard you single-handedly repelled the Cloud Ninja and Mist Ninja. Such strength is already infinitely close to Kage-level. Looking across all of Konoha, there are very few who could defeat you."

Uzuki Yugao and Itachi Uchiha tactfully remained silent.

Seeing one of the legendary Legendary Sannin give such an evaluation of Uchiha Qin Yu, their hearts were filled with shock.