Three Years

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Minato Namikaze graduated early at the age of ten.

After training under Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze had clashed with Chiyu several times during combat drills at the Ninja Academy.

Minato Namikaze fought Chiyu using the speed he had honed through special training.

But every time, Minato Namikaze lost to Chiyu.

Still, Minato Namikaze's rate of growth astonished Chiyu.

With every clash against Minato Namikaze, his speed was far greater than it had been the previous time.

But Chiyu was growing as well. Now that Thunder Breathing Full Sword Form was his only means of support, Chiyu was also undergoing speed training to make himself even faster.

After Minato Namikaze graduated early and became a Genin, he continued training under Jiraiya. Chiyu had not seen Minato Namikaze for two years.

Although Chiyu had the strength to graduate early, he had not applied to do so.

First, Chiyu felt there was no need to apply early. Unlike Minato Namikaze, he would not have a famous teacher to guide him after graduating early.

It was currently peacetime. Even if he graduated early, as a Genin, he could only carry out D-rank missions in the village.

Though there was no longer any open abuse directed at Chiyu in the village, people still despised him from the bottom of their hearts.

Chiyu did not want to do D-rank missions like searching for pets or picking up trash either. They paid little and were troublesome.

Rather than waste time on that, he might as well train longer.

After Tsunade returned to Konoha that day, she stayed for two days. After visiting Mito Uzumaki, she left again with Shizune.

Although Kushina Uzumaki saw Tsunade again at Mito Uzumaki's residence, she did not speak to her. Because of the incident where Chiyu had helped her, Kushina Uzumaki still held some resentment toward Tsunade.

Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze had left Konoha to train, and Tsunade had also left Konoha. Of the Legendary Sannin, only Orochimaru remained in Konoha now.

Chiyu had also met Mito Uzumaki.

As the wife of Konoha's First Hokage, Chiyu believed that Mito Uzumaki was definitely part of the Hokage faction.

So Chiyu remained somewhat wary of Mito Uzumaki.

But Mito Uzumaki's attitude toward him left Chiyu somewhat confused.

Because she seemed overly enthusiastic.

Kushina Uzumaki was now studying the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu under Mito Uzumaki.

The fact that Chiyu had awakened the Sharingan had not been publicized.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had Jiraiya and Tsunade keep the matter secret.

Because if the Uchiha Clan learned that Chiyu had awakened the Sharingan, they would definitely come looking for him.

They might make Chiyu return to the Uchiha Clan, or they might come into conflict with him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi now intended to nurture Chiyu, so naturally, he could not let him return to the Uchiha Clan. Besides, it was not yet time to act against the Uchiha Clan. If a conflict broke out between them, he would have no way to protect Chiyu openly.

Therefore, concealing the Sharingan was the best option. Once Chiyu grew strong enough, it would be too late for the Uchiha Clan to do anything.

Chiyu was happy with that arrangement as well. He could not be bothered to deal with those arrogant Uchiha Clan members who looked down on him.

Over these three years, Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, Might Guy, and the others had also been born one after another.

Judging by the fact that Kakashi Hatake would go to war at the age of five,

there were at most two years of peace left before the world entered a cold war period, perhaps even less.

Because Kushina Uzumaki would be kidnapped by three Kumogakure ninja.

This would happen when Kushina Uzumaki became a Genin, though the exact timing was unclear.

But once the kidnapping incident occurred, localized conflicts should begin erupting across the ninja world.

Kushina Uzumaki was now twelve years old. In six years, when she came of age, she would replace Mito Uzumaki as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

And Mito Uzumaki would die.

Chiyu did not have much time left.

There were at most two years of peace remaining, while Kushina Uzumaki had only six years left before becoming the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

But the only way to rapidly increase his strength was on the battlefield.

Chiyu now made full use of his nights, putting himself through harsh training.

And the results were quite good.

Every member of the Uzumaki Clan, distant blood relatives of the Senju Clan, possessed a vast amount of Chakra.

As someone with half the Senju Clan's bloodline, the amount of Chakra in Chiyu's body had also multiplied.

Before Kushina Uzumaki became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Chiyu had to obtain enough Witness Points while raising his strength as much as possible.

Over these three years, Chiyu had gained 50 Witness Points.

Because Chiyu had witnessed Might Guy's birth.

At the time, Chiyu had strained some muscles from training too hard, so he wanted to go to the Ninja Hospital to buy some medicine for his injuries.

At the Ninja Hospital, he happened to hear someone calling for Might Duy.

Out of curiosity about the ruthless man who had killed four of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen by himself, Chiyu secretly followed them to take a look.

And because of that, Chiyu happened to witness Might Guy's birth and gained 50 Witness Points.

However, Chiyu could not witness the births of the others.

They were all from ninja clans, and Chiyu simply had no access to them.

The sky was dim at this moment.

Chiyu was still training at Konoha's training ground.

Chiyu spent 10 Witness Points to exchange for another Longsword. Without using Chakra, he relied purely on his own strength to practice swinging his blade at a wooden post.

Sweat dripped from Chiyu's cheeks onto the ground.

Suddenly,

a hoarse voice sounded behind Chiyu.

"You really are hardworking."

A chill shot from Chiyu's spine straight to the top of his head. Someone had approached from behind him, yet he had not sensed them at all.

Chiyu immediately turned around, and his pupils contracted.

Pale skin, purple eyeshadow, magatama-shaped earrings, and vertical pupils like a snake's.

Orochimaru, one of the three Legendary Sannin whom Chiyu had never met.

Chiyu immediately composed himself, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru crossed his arms and slowly walked over to Chiyu. "I have observed you for many days. At such a young age, you have mastered such powerful Nintaijutsu and awakened the Sharingan as well. You truly are worthy of being a descendant of the Uchiha Clan and Senju Clan."

Chiyu raised his head and looked at Orochimaru without the slightest fear. "Lord Orochimaru has been observing me for many days?"

Orochimaru wore a smile, but in Chiyu's eyes, it felt more like a cold sneer. "The old man seems quite taken with you. He wanted me to take you as my disciple. I had no intention of accepting a disciple, since taking one in would mean having to divide my attention to teach them. But now, I have become interested in you.

"Chiyu, I feel that we are the same kind of person. We disguise ourselves and let others see only the side we want them to see.

"Do not deny it. The look that occasionally slips from your eyes cannot deceive anyone. But I rather like that gaze of yours, like a snake ready to choose someone and devour them at any moment."

Chiyu felt his scalp go numb. He had not expected that Orochimaru had come here because he wanted to take him as a disciple.