No Love Triangle Here!

Qingfeng actually felt a little nervous under the unblinking stares of the two girls.

"What are you two looking at?"

Anko urged impatiently, "Hurry up, hurry up. Do that Lightning Release thing again."

He felt like a street performer. Though there was no proof, he had already seen through everything in their eyes.

Qingfeng had temporarily given up on practicing Chidori. After several attempts, he had not only failed to learn it, but his hand had also gone somewhat numb from the electricity.

He carefully controlled Lightning Release Chakra as it flowed through his entire body. Although it felt like he was being electrocuted, Qingfeng's body was fairly tough, and he could endure this level of discomfort just fine.

Seeing Uchiha Qingfeng's current state, even Uzuki Yugao could not help crying out in alarm.

"Th-This... won't it electrocute you to death?"

Lightning flickered over Qingfeng's body from time to time. His already spiky hair now looked even more like a hedgehog's.

"This is the ultra-simplified version of Lightning Release Chakra Mode."

For now, it only covered the surface. With enough practice, it might not be impossible to increase bodily activity down to the cellular level, like the Raikage did.

Qingfeng finally understood why Kakashi, the Fourth Hokage, the Raikage, and Sasuke's hairstyles had never changed. It was all because of Lightning Release. It was not that they did not want to change their hairstyles; Lightning Release simply made it impossible.

In the end, Anko could not restrain her curiosity. She stretched out a finger and poked Qingfeng.

"Ah..."

Anko stumbled back several steps. Fortunately, this was only the simplest form of practice and did not carry much power. If it had been at the Raikage's level, Mitarashi Anko would probably have been dead by now.

"Qingfeng, you actually used Lightning Release to shock me!"

Mitarashi Anko was the very definition of a villain striking first.

Qingfeng was speechless. She had insisted on touching him to experience what Lightning Release felt like, yet she was the one turning around and accusing him.

"You knew those sparks were lightning, yet you still dared to touch them. Are you afraid you've lived too long?"

Yugao took Anko's hand and inspected it before softly offering a few comforting words.

"Qingfeng, won't you get hurt doing this?"

"I'm fine. It's not a big problem."

Although Qingfeng made it sound insignificant, his body twitched every so often, proving it was not as simple as he claimed. He was forcing his body to gradually adapt to the sensation.

Anko's finger was only slightly red and swollen, and by now it had fully recovered. Once again, she felt like she was invincible.

"Stubborn fool. You'll suffer for it sooner or later..."

For the entire afternoon, Qingfeng intermittently released Lightning Release Chakra over his body. His resistance to Lightning Release noticeably increased.

He tried using Chidori again. Although it lasted longer than before, it was still very unstable.

Mitarashi Anko and Uzuki Yugao came and went repeatedly, though he had no idea what they were busy with.

Not until the first streetlamp lit up did Qingfeng finally stop this self-torturous training.

He had not forgotten that he had promised to treat them to barbecue at noon.

After straightening his clothes a little, he looked up and unexpectedly saw the familiar girl riding a dog. This time, she was even holding one in her arms.

"Qingfeng, I have a little brother now. I'll bring him out to play sometime, but babies are so annoying."

It seemed that Inuzuka Hana, who had not left the house for so long, held quite a bit of resentment toward her newborn little brother.

Sure enough, if human cubs were not for playing with, they were completely meaningless.

"We're going to have barbecue later. Want to come with us?"

Hearing Uchiha Qingfeng's invitation, Inuzuka Hana had no intention of being polite.

"I just came out, and Qingfeng is already treating me. You really are my best friend."

Qingfeng glanced at the large dog she was riding and could not help recalling the last time Shisui Uchiha had treated them to barbecue. This dog alone ate as much as four people, and Shisui had looked rather pained at the cost. Qingfeng truly had no idea how the Inuzuka Clan could afford to feed them.

"I'm pretty poor, so maybe don't bring that big dog along."

Inuzuka Hana laughed awkwardly.

"I won't bring Black Maru this time. I'll let him go home and eat dog food. I'll only bring Hai Maru."

Upon hearing Inuzuka Hana's words, the big black dog she was riding actually made a humanlike unhappy expression, staring at Uchiha Qingfeng with resentful eyes.

There was no way Qingfeng was going soft. He simply could not afford to feed a large dog like that.

Just then, Mitarashi Anko and Uzuki Yugao returned. The two of them had kept Qingfeng's promise to treat them firmly in mind.

The three met up in front of the Ninja Academy.

Anko and Inuzuka Hana eyed each other intensely, their gazes occasionally sweeping over Qingfeng as well.

Qingfeng could only step forward to act as the mediator.

"Let me introduce you. This is my neighbor and good friend, Inuzuka Hana. She helped me out a lot when I first moved here."

"These two are Mitarashi Anko and Uzuki Yugao. They're friends too. They're both very caring, so you should get to know each other. Maybe you'll become good friends."

Both sides nodded to each other. Although Anko's side had two people, Inuzuka Hana, mounted on her big dog, firmly overwhelmed them in presence.

"Don't just stand there. Let's go now!"

Qingfeng led the three girls out of the pharmacy, then reached back to close its door.

"Huh? Why won't this door close?"

Forget it. There was no point arguing with bratty kids. Fix the window, break the door—if he fixed the door, would they tear down the whole house next?

When they reached the Inuzuka Clan residence, Inuzuka Hana brought Black Maru home and told her mother that she was going out for barbecue with Qingfeng.

When Inuzuka Hana came back out, she was only holding Hai Maru in her arms. Qingfeng suddenly realized that after just a few months apart, he had grown taller than Inuzuka Hana.

The Physical Enhancement Secret Medicine had not been wasted, nor had his daily training. Everything had paid off.

"Wow, Qingfeng, what happened to you? How did you suddenly get taller?"

She had not noticed while riding the dog, but now that they were face-to-face, Inuzuka Hana finally realized something was off.

"Probably because I've been training more lately."

Qingfeng still remembered how Hai Maru had pretended to be sick back then. Qingfeng had risked himself to go over and beat the dog up, curing its fake illness.

By the Inuzuka Clan's one-person, one-dog rule, Hai Maru should be Inuzuka Hana's personal Ninja Hound.

Still, that habit of slacking off would need to be dealt with when he got the chance.

The four of them arrived at the barbecue restaurant.

At the table for four, Anko and Yugao unexpectedly chose seats directly across from each other.

That left Qingfeng with no choice but to sit across from Inuzuka Hana.

Not sensing anything strange at all, Qingfeng sat down beside Uzuki Yugao. As for why he did not sit with Mitarashi Anko, it was mainly because she was far too likely to cause trouble.

If he sat with her, he probably would not even be able to enjoy his meal. Comparatively speaking, Uzuki Yugao would not do anything too extreme. At the very least, she would not interrupt him while he ate.

Throughout the entire meal, barely anyone said a few words. The atmosphere was somewhat subtle, but Qingfeng did not care about any of that.

He just needed to eat.

As for whatever they wanted to do, they could do it. He could not persuade them, nor could he control them.