Qianyu Drew Blood

On the way home from the Hokage Building, the streets were more crowded than usual. The Forehead Protectors of shinobi from various countries glinted in the sunlight, and the air was thick with a tense excitement.

Qianyu followed behind Tsunade, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. Suddenly, his eyes stopped on several figures wearing Grass Village Forehead Protectors at the street corner.

More precisely, they stopped on one red-haired girl among them.

The girl looked about their age. She wore round glasses and had a timid expression, keeping close behind two tall male Grass Ninja. Her arms, exposed beneath her short sleeves, were covered in clear bite marks. Some were even still bleeding, stark against her fair skin.

Karin.

Qianyu's steps faltered slightly. Tsunade noticed and followed his gaze. When she saw the marks on the girl's arms, her brows knitted together, and a flash of anger crossed her eyes.

"Those wounds..." she murmured, her voice edged with displeasure. "They're human bite marks. They're using that girl as a walking medicine pack."

Her trained eye as a medical ninja immediately understood what the bite marks meant. It was an especially barbaric way to exploit the Uzumaki Clan's constitution: biting someone to quickly restore chakra and heal injuries. For the person being bitten, it was no different from being bled and tormented over and over.

Qianyu nodded, keeping his voice just as low. "She must be an orphan of the Uzumaki Clan who ended up in Grass Village."

Tsunade's fingers clenched until they cracked, a vein throbbing faintly at her temple. She couldn't stand seeing the weak bullied, especially when someone's medical potential was being exploited to abuse them. But she also knew this wasn't a street fight between thugs. It involved shinobi from another country and diplomatic relations.

"Grass Village may be a small nation, but interfering in another country's internal affairs without warning—or even taking a ninja from another village—could become an international issue and bring trouble to Konoha." Tsunade's voice held restrained fury and helplessness. "Especially now, during the Chunin Exams, when every country is watching."

She took a deep breath and forced herself to look away. "Remember what she looks like and her chakra signature. After the exams... we'll find a way."

Qianyu took one last, deep look at Karin. The girl seemed to sense his gaze. She lowered her head in alarm, drew her arms behind her back, and hurried to catch up with her companions, disappearing into the crowd at the street corner.

"Let's go." Tsunade's voice had returned to normal, but the chill in her eyes remained.

A few days later, on the day of the Chunin Exams' first round, the written test was underway.

Qianyu didn't go to watch. Instead, he went straight to the second exam's venue—the outskirts of Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death.

A massive wire fence enclosed a vast stretch of primeval forest. A crowd had already gathered outside, mostly Konoha Ninja assigned to security and support.

"Well, if it isn't Qianyu!"

A lively female voice rang out. Mitaraishi Anko, the proctor for the second exam, came striding over with a bamboo skewer in her mouth. She wore a trench coat over a fishnet outfit, and though her Forehead Protector covered the Heaven Curse Mark on the back of her neck, it did nothing to dampen her flamboyant air.

"Anko," Qianyu greeted her with a smile. Over the past few years, thanks to Tsunade, he'd spent time with quite a few of Konoha's Jonin. Anko was straightforward and had always looked out for him, Tsunade's student.

"I heard you got to skip straight to the second round. Not bad, kid!" Anko clapped him on the shoulder. "So, how are you feeling? Nervous? The Forest of Death isn't a joke. People really do die in there, you know~"

Her threat was playful, but the seriousness in her eyes was unmistakable.

The other Jonin on guard duty nodded to Qianyu as well. These days, everyone in Konoha's High Command and the Jonin ranks knew that Tsunade was the designated Fifth Hokage. As her only direct disciple, Qianyu's standing had naturally risen. Besides, the strength and potential he'd shown were impressive in their own right.

"Anko, are the scrolls ready?" Qianyu asked.

"Ready ages ago!" Anko pulled a cloth bag from her coat. It contained dozens of small scrolls. "Half Heaven Scrolls and half Earth Scrolls, handed out at random. Go on, pick one."

Qianyu reached into the bag and took out a scroll. It felt cool to the touch, and a simple sealing mark had been carved into it.

"Heaven Scroll," Anko said, glancing at the mark on its seal. "Lucky you. All right, there's still a while before the exam starts. You can wait here or go sit in the rest area over there."

"I'll train here for a bit." Qianyu walked to a relatively quiet patch of shade by the fence, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to focus.

The concentration of Natural Energy in the Forest of Death was even higher than he'd expected. Or perhaps the forest itself resonated with Natural Energy in some way.

Qianyu sensed a large group of people approaching.

Countless faint chakra signatures shone like stars. Most were dim, Genin-level lights, mixed with feelings of caution, tension, and excitement. A few stood out, emanating unusual, chilling, violent, or sinister auras.

One of them... Qianyu's senses brushed against a point deep within the forest, and he paused.

The chakra there was incredibly subtle, almost blending into the forest's shadows. If he hadn't mastered Perfect Sage Mode, which had greatly enhanced his ability to sense Natural Energy and chakra, he might not have noticed it at all.

Orochimaru... he really was already inside.

Qianyu calmly withdrew his senses and continued meditating. About an hour later, a commotion rose from the gate in the fence.

Anko returned, followed by a dense crowd of Genin examinees. The first round's written test had cut their numbers down, but there were still nearly a hundred of them. Konoha's young generation was among them.

"Qianyu!"

Ino was the first to spot him beneath the tree. Her eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around him without a care for what the other examinees thought.

"I missed you so much! You've been training forever!" She buried her face against his chest, her muffled voice full of hurt and longing.

"Sorry, training took a while." Qianyu gently ruffled her blond hair. When he looked up, Naruto, Sasuke... and all the other familiar faces had gathered around.

"Qianyu! You're taking the exam too!" Naruto waved his arms excitedly. "See? See? I knew I hadn't been seeing things at the test hall earlier! You really did get to go straight to the second round! That's so unfair!"

"Dead-last, Qianyu's been stronger than a Chunin for ages. He's only taking the exam to go through the motions." Sasuke folded his arms and spoke calmly, though his gaze held a rare warmth as he looked at Qianyu.

"Qianyu, it's been a long time." Hinata greeted him softly, her cheeks faintly red.

Neji simply nodded to Qianyu, his expression steady. But Qianyu could see the sharpness buried in his eyes and the resolve that had grown stronger than before.

Qianyu led them to a corner a little farther from the crowd, his expression turning serious.

"Listen. The Forest of Death isn't a training exercise. The wild animals, venomous insects, traps, and... other examinees can all be deadly." His eyes moved over each young face. "The rules are simple: get both the Heaven and Earth Scrolls and reach the Central Tower within the time limit. But anything can happen along the way."

He paused, took more than ten small cylindrical Signal Flares from his ninja pouch, and handed them out to his Konoha comrades.

"These are custom-made Signal Flares. If you're in a life-or-death situation you really can't handle, pull the fuse at the bottom. It'll launch a special chakra flare high into the sky. I'll be able to sense it, and any Konoha Jonin nearby probably will too. But remember—"

Qianyu's voice grew firmer. "Don't use it unless you're truly out of options. The flare will give away your position. It could attract even more enemies, and it might also get you disqualified. It's a last resort."

"Wow! This is great!" Naruto treasured his Signal Flare, carefully putting it away.

"Thank you, Qianyu!" Sakura and the others accepted theirs with equal care.

Nearby, examinees from other villages saw what was happening, and someone immediately shouted in protest:

"Proctor! The Konoha examinees are handing out extra equipment among themselves! That's cheating!"

"Yeah! We demand fair treatment!"

Anko picked at her ear and gave the protesting examinees a lazy glance before raising her voice. "What are you shouting about? Signal Flares are ninja tools, just like Kunai and Shuriken. The exam rules forbid stealing scrolls and fighting each other to the point of causing serious injury. They don't say you can't bring your own ninja tools."

She paused, the corner of her mouth curling in a teasing smile. "If you're jealous, bring your own. I'm sure you have some. And if using them gets more people trying to steal your scrolls, that's not my problem."

The protesting examinees were left speechless. The Jonin accompanying the other villages frowned, but they said nothing. The rules did indeed make no clear mention of it, and arguing further would only make them look foolish.

Soon, the scrolls had all been handed out. Anko stood on the platform and announced the rules and time limit. Then she grinned.

"Well then... the second round of the Chunin Exams starts now! I hope you... have fun!"

The moment she finished speaking, nearly a hundred figures shot through the various entrances and quickly vanished into the dense, gloomy forest.

Qianyu unhurriedly entered the Forest of Death through the entrance he'd chosen. Before going in, he carefully scanned the remaining examinees once more, trying to identify anyone who might be Orochimaru in disguise. But Orochimaru had clearly hidden himself well. At least on the surface, there was no sign of him.

The moment Qianyu stepped into the forest, the light dimmed abruptly. Towering trees blotted out the sky. A thick layer of humus covered the ground, and the air was heavy with the scent of vegetation and a faint animal musk. Natural Energy was unusually active here, almost... wild.

Qianyu didn't hurry deeper into the forest. Instead, he strolled slowly along a faint trail. His task was simple: wait.

Wait for Naruto and the others to run into danger they couldn't handle and launch a Signal Flare—or wait for the snake to show himself.

After wandering for about half an hour, Qianyu passed through a clearing tangled with vines. Three figures emerged from behind the trees and blocked his path.

They wore Hidden Rain Forehead Protectors and dark raincoats. Their faces showed open malice. The leader was a lanky man with a sinister gaze. To his left stood a stocky fellow, playing with a Kunai in his hand. On the right was a female ninja with a scarred face.

"Daring to wander around the Forest of Death all alone?" The lanky Rain Ninja scoffed, looking Qianyu up and down. "You've got guts, little Konoha brat. Hand over your scroll and we'll let you live."

Oh?

Qianyu raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. They weren't going straight for the kill. In the shinobi world, that practically counted as mercy.

He blinked and put on an expression of just the right amount of uncertainty and fear. Slowly, he pulled out the Heaven Scroll and handed it over.

"Y-you'll really let me go if I give you the scroll?"

The stocky Rain Ninja snatched the scroll and eagerly unfurled it. When they saw the clear "Heaven" seal in the center, all three of them lit up.

"Heaven Scroll!" The stocky Rain Ninja grinned and held up the Earth Scroll in his hand. "Now we've got both! Hahaha! I can't believe we finished the mission right after entering! Konoha shinobi really are hothouse flowers, useless in a fight!"

The lanky Rain Ninja relaxed too. His gaze turned mocking and cruel as he looked at Qianyu. "You can die now, brat."

Qianyu took half a step back, his face showing anger and alarm at being deceived. "Y-you said you wouldn't kill me if I gave you the scroll!"

"Naive little brat." The scarred female ninja shook her head scornfully. "We're shinobi. We do whatever it takes and leave no survivors. That's our creed. Blame yourself for being so stupid."

Before she'd finished speaking, the three had already surrounded Qianyu in a triangular formation. Even against a boy who looked terrified out of his wits, they didn't let their teamwork slip.

The lanky man feinted from the front, the stocky ninja waited to strike from the flank, and the woman slipped into the shadows, ready to ambush him. Standard three-person squad tactics.

Qianyu let out a soft sigh.

It was faint, but for some reason, the three Rain Ninja felt a chill.

"I gave you a chance to live. You chose not to take it."

In the next moment, the fingers of Qianyu's hand at his side twitched almost imperceptibly.

The lanky Rain Ninja's vicious grin froze on his face. The ground beneath him suddenly burst open without warning! Several thick, gray-brown vines erupted from the earth like living serpents, wrapping around his legs, waist, arms, and torso at incredible speed!

"What?!"

"Wood Release?! Run—"

The stocky Rain Ninja hadn't even finished shouting when the trunk of the tree beside him split open. More vines shot out like snakes, lifting his whole body into the air! The scarred female ninja reacted fastest, leaping back as her hands began forming Hand Seals. But the ground and surrounding trees seemed to come alive. Countless fine roots and branches grew wildly and intertwined, sealing off every avenue of escape!

"No—!!"

"Help—"

Crack, crack, squelch—

The sickening sound of bones breaking and flesh being crushed rang out briefly and clearly through the silent forest. The three screams abruptly ceased.

The vines slowly loosened and withdrew into the ground and tree trunks. All that remained were three twisted, mangled heaps of flesh, barely recognizable as human, and dark red fluid soaking into the earth.

The heavy stench of blood spread through the air.

Qianyu stood motionless. He looked down at his hands, then at the three corpses. His face showed no emotion.

A few seconds later, he suddenly bent over.

"Urgh—!!!"

His stomach churned, and the food he'd eaten that morning came up with the stomach acid. He braced himself against a tree and kept retching until his stomach was empty, leaving nothing but a burning sourness.

He'd spent eighteen years in peace in his previous life, and although his thirteen years in this life had brought some hardships, he'd spent most of them under Konoha's protection... This was the first time he'd taken someone's life with his own hands. It wasn't practice or an illusion. They had been living people, and now they were pulp before his eyes.

Rationally, he understood that this was a shinobi world where it was kill or be killed. They had tried to kill him first, and his retaliation was justified. But his physical and emotional reactions were completely beyond his control. The sight of the blood and flesh flying, the sound of bones breaking, the overwhelming stench of blood... It burned itself into his retinas and nostrils like a brand.

"Little Dried Fish..."

Abin's voice came from nearby, unusually tentative. He emerged from the shadow of a tree and walked up beside Qianyu. Looking at the vomit and the corpses farther away, he showed confusion in his bead-like eyes.

"Are you... not feeling well? Is it because you killed them?" Abin tilted his head and asked earnestly. "But they tried to kill you first. If you didn't kill them, they would've killed you. Isn't it that simple?"

Qianyu wiped his mouth with his sleeve and straightened up, his face a little pale. He looked at Abin.

"I know, Abin." His voice was hoarse. "I know it was necessary. But... it feels different. Watching other people fight and kill is one thing. Doing it myself is completely different."

Abin blinked, trying hard to understand. "Is it because of... feelings? Do humans have special 'feelings' when one of their own dies? White Zetsu are born to fight and carry out missions. Eliminating a target is like... like cleaning away a rotten mushroom. It doesn't feel like anything special."

He thought for a moment, then added, "But the way you threw up, Little Dried Fish, reminds me of the time I ate a piece of moldy wood and threw up too. It felt awful. Do you want some water?"

Qianyu couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth at the peculiar attempt to comfort him, though his smile was strained. He took out his water flask, rinsed his mouth, then drank a few swallows of water to wash away the sourness in his throat.

"I'm all right now, Abin." He took a deep breath, drawing in the forest's cool, damp air, mixed with the scents of blood and plants. "I just need to... get used to it."

That was right. He needed to get used to it. In this world, a soft heart and hesitation would only get him and the people he cared about killed sooner. He had chosen this path. He wanted to become stronger, take control of his fate, protect certain people, and change certain things. Getting blood on his hands was unavoidable.

Still, this first hurdle had been harder to cross than he'd imagined.

"Their scrolls..." Abin pointed toward the corpses.

Qianyu nodded and walked over, forcing down his nausea as he searched through the lanky Rain Ninja's torn clothes. Before long, he found two scrolls—his own Heaven Scroll and the Rain Ninja squad's original Earth Scroll.

The mission was complete.

He put away both scrolls and took one last look at the three remains. The Forest of Death's ecosystem would soon break them down into nutrients. Perhaps in a few days, all that would be left here would be a few patches of slightly darker soil.