Joining the Hidden Mist

"Let's call it here for today!" Yuan Shi stopped the two of them, bringing the sparring match to an end.

Qing Si and Ling approached each other and formed the Seal of Reconciliation.

"You're quite strong, Young Master Qing Si!" Ling praised Qing Si, then put back on the mask he had removed during the fight and vanished.

"What a surprise, little Qing Si. A Jonin at nine years old! Very impressive. Bi, take little Qing Si to register right away. I'll go speak with the Third Mizukage," Yuan Shi instructed Bi beside him.

"Yes, Elder. Please follow me, Young Master Qing Si," Bi replied respectfully.

Name: Qing Si Otsutsuki

Age: 9 (born February 10, Year 19 of the Hidden Mist)

Height: 151 cm

Weight: 49 kg

Ninja Registration Number: 005666

Ninja Rank: Jonin

Mission Experience: D-rank 0 times, C-rank 0 times, B-rank 0 times, A-rank 0 times, S-rank 0 times

Chakra Attributes: Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, Earth, Yin, Yang

Bloodline Limit: Dead Bone Pulse

Having registered his information, Qing Si officially joined the Hidden Mist as Qing Si Otsutsuki. With Elder Yuan Shi vouching for him, Qing Si was directly granted the rank of Jonin. Afterward, Bi returned to Yuan Shi with Qing Si.

After lunch, Yuan Shi summoned Ling, the ANBU squad captain, once more and had him take Qing Si to report for duty at ANBU Headquarters.

Yuan Shi had already spoken with Bing, the Third Mizukage. For him, guaranteeing Qing Si's entry into the Hidden Mist and making him an ANBU member was effortless.

Qing Si had sought to join the Hidden Mist and enter the ANBU for so long without success, yet it had now been accomplished so easily with a single order from Yuan Shi.

Hidden Mist Village, ANBU Headquarters. Ling led Qing Si slowly into the barrier.

At the same time, another masked ANBU ninja approached from a different direction, followed by a boy who had just passed the ANBU examination.

The boy had a scar beneath his left eye that resembled stitching marks, along with distinctive green hair and purple eyes. On his back was a club-like weapon with a hooked tip, decorated with green flowers.

"A new generation from the Karatachi clan?" Ling's expression shifted with realization as he recognized the boy's identity.

The boy and Qing Si exchanged a glance. He felt a trace of curiosity toward Qing Si, who had joined the ANBU on the same day as him.

After arriving at the base and receiving his standard equipment, Qing Si officially became a member of the Hidden Mist ANBU.

"Young Master Qing Si, I'll be heading back first. Next comes the onboarding training for new ANBU recruits. There's no need to hide your strength," Ling hinted meaningfully.

Qing Si went aside to change into ANBU attire, put on his mask, and strap his ninja sword across his back. At that moment, the boy he had just met had already changed as well and casually came over to Qing Si.

"Since we joined the ANBU together, I think we should get to know each other."

"I'm Karatachi Yagura. What about you?" Yagura asked Qing Si energetically, extending both hands.

"Qing Si Otsutsuki." Qing Si had no dislike for the overly sociable Yagura and replied calmly.

At the same time, Qing Si extended his right hand and gave Yagura a polite handshake.

"You two really should get acquainted. For some time to come, you'll be teammates!" A calm voice sounded from the distance.

"I'm an ANBU squad captain. My codename is Feng, and I'll also be your captain from now on—provided you earn my approval. Follow me, newcomers!" Feng said to the two of them before turning toward the training grounds.

Qing Si felt no reaction inside. Ling had already hinted at this to him.

Yagura, however, was somewhat nervous. The same age as Qing Si, he had only become a Chunin at the beginning of the year. Under his clan's arrangements, he had spent several months finally reaching the ANBU's minimum requirements and passing the examination to join. But he understood that his current strength would surely put him at the bottom of the ANBU.

Unable to help himself, the nervous Yagura looked at Qing Si, wanting to know what this newly acquainted companion thought. To Yagura's disappointment, Qing Si showed no reaction at all. He was extremely calm.

After arriving at the training grounds, Feng introduced the place to the two newcomers.

"This is the fourth training ground of headquarters. There are five training grounds in total here. Training Grounds One through Three are specifically for ANBU members to practice ninjutsu, while Training Grounds Four and Five are for ANBU members to spar. I'll give you two five minutes to discuss your tactics. The two of you will face me together. If you can last more than ten minutes against me, you pass. Let me give you a piece of information in advance: I'm a Jonin who uses Wind Release and Water Release!"

Because of Yuan Shi's involvement, Qing Si's matter was classified at an extremely high level within the ANBU. Thus, Feng did not know Qing Si's strength and was merely treating him according to the normal procedure for new ANBU recruits.

Yagura's face turned pale. Two Chunin—or perhaps an Elite Chunin and a Chunin—against a battle-hardened ANBU Jonin. Even if they only had to endure for ten minutes, Yagura still felt they had no chance of winning.

"What do we do, Qing Si? We definitely can't beat him. Can you use the Hidden Mist Technique? If Captain Feng doesn't have sensory abilities, we can conceal our presence and drag things out for ten minutes." Yagura did not know Qing Si's strength. He only assumed Qing Si was like him, a Chunin at most—or perhaps an Elite Chunin.

Hearing Yagura's analysis, Qing Si's mouth twitched.

"Or do you have some secret technique that can boost your strength? I'm a Chunin right now, but I have a secret technique that can temporarily raise my strength to the level of an Elite Chunin for about two or three minutes. If you have a similar burst technique, we can work together and try to take down Captain Feng quickly." Yagura fired off words at Qing Si like a Gatling gun.

"I'm a Jonin," Qing Si said calmly, unable to endure Yagura's verbal barrage any longer.

Yagura's mouth kept moving, but then he seemed to hear some unbelievable information.

"J-J-Jonin?" Yagura's mouth fell open in shock.

"You're nine too, right? How did you train? Do you have any tricks?" After pausing for several seconds, Yagura launched another string of rapid-fire questions.

"Shut up!" Qing Si's head began to ache. He had no way to deal with a live wire like Yagura. Once they passed the assessment, Yagura would be his teammate. With someone like this around, it seemed his future days would not be boring.

"Time's up. Get ready to begin!" Feng, who had been resting with his eyes closed nearby, suddenly spoke.

Qing Si and Yagura prepared themselves, bowed to Feng, and launched their attack.

Qing Si swiftly charged toward Feng, buying time for Yagura behind him to use ninjutsu.

Wind Release: Breakthrough!

Feng used the D-rank Wind Release ninjutsu without forming hand seals. Though it was too weak to injure Qing Si, it was only meant to slow Qing Si's charge and buy Feng enough time to form the seals for his next technique.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

After finishing his hand seals, Feng used his next ninjutsu. The C-rank Wind Release already possessed tremendous power in his hands, and a fierce gale blasted toward Qing Si and Yagura behind him.