Kushina Uzumaki

"Hmph, Fugaku, in this old man's opinion, you should let him gain experience at Konoha Hospital for a few years before returning him to the Konoha Military Police Force."

Elder Setsuna's cloudy eyes narrowed into mere slits.

It was impossible to tell whether he was opening or closing them.

"Elder Setsuna, I have my own plans."

Uchiha Fugaku glanced at the old man beside him and continued to watch the battle unfolding below.

Qingshui's figure darted across the arena, leaving Uchiha Taro unable to find a foothold and afraid to attack blindly, lest he reveal a fatal opening.

"Found you."

Although Uchiha Taro sensed a gust of wind coming from his side, he threw three kunai and stomped his feet hard, intending to launch a ninjutsu at Qingshui while in mid-air.

"Fire Style: Great Fire..."

Uchiha Taro's hands moved in a rapid blur of seals, chakra surging to his throat. Just as he was about to exhale the searing heat, a voice sounded from the ground, faster than his own.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

BOOM!

It was Qingshui's voice. He spat out a fireball, his speed in forming the seals significantly faster than Uchiha Taro's.

Uchiha Taro was caught completely off guard by the sudden appearance of the fireball.

Because Qingshui had been dodging the entire time and had only just graduated, Uchiha Taro had never once considered that Qingshui might also know this ninjutsu.

He hurriedly released his half-formed Fire Style, and the two massive fireballs collided.

The powerful shockwave disrupted Uchiha Taro's balance, sending him crashing heavily to the ground.

A single kunai whistled past his hair at the same moment, embedding itself into the earth.

"You lost."

Qingshui said calmly.

Had his kunai been thrown just a fraction off, it would have cost Uchiha Taro his life.

Uchiha Taro realized that Qingshui had held back, and his expression darkened. He forced a smile.

"It seems I have been lax in my training."

Uchiha Taro brushed himself off and stood up.

As a Chunin, losing to Qingshui, a Genin, was indeed embarrassing.

But his ninja way was one of perseverance.

If he couldn't win this time, he would simply challenge him again next time.

Unfortunately, he did not know that Qingshui's strength was rising in a straight line.

The current result was already Qingshui intentionally going easy; if Qingshui had been serious, he would have taken down Uchiha Taro in the very first exchange.

"Uchiha Shimizu wins!"

The referee in charge was a middle-aged Uchiha who was completely bald.

"Uchiha Shimizu's combat strength is actually this high?"

"I remember he's only nine or ten years old, and he can already perform the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."

The surrounding clansmen erupted into a frenzy.

A Chunin losing to a Genin—this dramatic scene instantly sparked a wave of discussion.

"Qingshui, you guy, when did you learn the Great Fireball Technique?"

Uchiha Tekka, watching from afar, let out a wail. He had been planning to spar with Qingshui to win some pocket money.

Now that Qingshui knew the Great Fireball Technique, going to him would just be asking for humiliation.

"Actually, I know it too."

Uchiha Inabi patted Tekka on the shoulder.

He was a few years older than Qingshui and Tekka, giving him a few more years to study ninjutsu.

"Does that mean I'm the only dead weight left?"

"Regrettably, yes."

"..."

Qingshui and Uchiha Taro left the arena and stood in the spectator area.

The referee began calling the names for the next group, and Uchiha Fugaku walked up behind Qingshui.

"Qingshui, you have great talent for combat, but I hope you can prioritize the bigger picture."

Uchiha Fugaku spoke to Qingshui with earnest gravity.

As the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, his sources of intelligence were vast.

He had learned that Qingshui had been studying many high-level ninjutsu under Nonō, demonstrating extraordinary talent.

If Qingshui continued to study, in time, the Uchiha would gain a deeper understanding of their own Kekkei Genkai, and the clan as a whole would rise.

Fugaku did not know much about medical ninjutsu, but he had heard of a technique called cloning.

Unfortunately, this technique was highly inhumane, and very few people had mastered it.

If he could get Qingshui to clone the clan members' Sharingan, they could awaken the Kekkei Genkai en masse, just like the Hyuga Clan, and no longer be constrained by the Sharingan.

"Yes, Lord Fugaku."

Qingshui smiled, his expression earnest.

Uchiha Fugaku exchanged a few more words with Qingshui before taking his leave.

Qingshui's smile gradually faded; how could he possibly abandon combat ninjutsu for the sake of medical ninjutsu?

He studied medicine solely to become stronger, and incidentally, to avoid the front lines and carve out time to improve his own strength.

Once I reach Chunin, Fugaku will force me to research the Sharingan. Could it be that he is so impatient for me to learn medical ninjutsu because he wants to prevent his own blindness?

Qingshui tapped his fingers against the railing of the spectator area, watching the Uchiha fighting on the field, and fell into deep thought.

Everything had its pros and cons; Qingshui had chosen medical ninjutsu to buy himself more time.

But it had also shown Fugaku his usefulness, allowing him to pressure Qingshui with the "greater good" of the Uchiha.

For now, there was still a gap between Qingshui and Uchiha Fugaku, and it was not yet time to flip the table.

A person's chakra would rise as they grew, only beginning to decline after passing their prime.

As one's proficiency in ninjutsu increased, so did their mastery, which in turn amplified the power of the techniques.

Many of the ninjutsu Qingshui currently knew were merely learned; he was still far from being able to use them in a true life-or-death struggle against veteran ninjas who had seen countless battles.

Most importantly, Qingshui could not be certain whether Fugaku possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Whether Fugaku learned about the blindness from the stone tablet, or if he had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and reached that conclusion based on his own failing eyesight, remained a mystery.

"Forget it."

Qingshui shook his head. He already possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and would awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan sooner or later; there was no need to rush.

In the afternoon.

At the entrance of the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

Mikoto Uchiha held the hand of her close friend, Kushina Uzumaki, as they picked out beautiful potted plants.

"Mikoto, why does it feel like your complexion has improved quite a bit?"

Kushina looked at Mikoto in confusion, noting that her face looked much healthier than the pale appearance she usually had.

"It's Qingshui, Uchiha Shimizu. He helped me regulate my body."

"Qingshui..."

A look of recollection flashed in Kushina's eyes. She remembered seeing a young boy treating someone at the Konoha Hospital, and she seemed to recall the name was Qingshui.

"Ah, look, that's Qingshui."

Mikoto happened to glance to the left and spotted Qingshui walking alone down the street, so she hurriedly waved at him.

"Qingshui, do you need anything? Big sister will buy it for you."

Qingshui looked toward the sound and discovered it was Mikoto.

Standing beside Mikoto was a red-haired woman with a hair clip on her forehead.

Her white coat featured the Uzumaki clan crest on the shoulders, and she wore short, chainmail-like shorts that revealed her smooth thighs, which paired with her long boots to create a unique and striking look.