Young Years: Jonin Qingyue

When I had just fought Kakashi, my memory cut off at the moment I used Water God Style to block the kunai falling from the sky.

I had no memory of what happened afterward. I only remembered being completely focused at the time...

From what Hill said, I must have been so focused on winning that I achieved a state free of distracting thoughts. My Battle Aura strengthened, allowing me to successfully use Silent Sword.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, my Battle Aura and swordsmanship broke through in one go. Sword God Style had finally broken past its bottleneck, advancing from intermediate to advanced.

"That's enough. The winner is Qingyue!"

I had been holding that pose for ages before the referee finally announced the end of the match.

With a glance from the corner of my eye, I saw that Sakumo and the Third Hokage still wore shocked expressions in the stands. That was hardly surprising.

Even I hadn't expected this outcome. I had planned to drag things out a little and temper my Water God Style swordsmanship along the way, but Silent Sword had instantly defeated him. Who was I supposed to complain to?

After sheathing my ninja sword, I saw the disappointed look on Kakashi's face.

Although the result of the match wasn't the point, and he could be promoted to Jonin as long as his performance met the standard, he had still been defeated in such a baffling manner. Of course he wouldn't accept it.

With Kakashi's temperament, he wouldn't give up over this, but it would definitely deal him quite a blow.

Still, I believed he would pull himself together soon enough. His true strength would only become apparent later.

Besides, Kakashi was a ninja while I was a swordsman. It would be strange if a full-damage assassin could burst down a bruiser warrior in a head-on fight.

Akali flanking from behind and one-shotting an ulted Guy with one combo? Had you been drinking?

The exams were all over. Although the final results hadn't been fully confirmed yet, my promotion was basically in the bag.

To celebrate Kakashi and me successfully becoming Chunin, Sakumo decided to pay out of pocket and treat us to a huge barbecue feast.

As for the restaurant, it was naturally an Akimichi Clan chain barbecue restaurant.

As the sun set, I held Rin's little hand and strolled through Konoha's streets, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

"I never thought you'd already pass the Chunin Ninja Exams, Qingyue. You're amazing. We haven't even graduated yet, but you and Kakashi are already so far ahead of us."

A hint of loneliness seemed to be written across Rin's face. She wasn't someone competitive by nature, but watching people her own age steadily pull farther ahead still stirred complicated feelings in her heart.

And Obito was much more straightforward. When he learned that we had definitely passed the Chunin Ninja Exams, his face turned pale with anger as he flailed about, loudly expressing his unwillingness to accept it.

"You'll both graduate soon and take the Chunin Ninja Exams too. Don't worry, Rin. Your talent lies in medical ninjutsu. Compared to those of us fighting on the front lines, people like you in the rear are even more important."

Logistical support was of paramount importance. Supply camps, transport routes, and medical units—if even one of them was destroyed, the frontline fighters would be put at a disadvantage.

"Mm. So I'll definitely study hard. No matter what injuries you get, Qingyue, I want to be able to heal them!"

"Then I'll be counting on you, Rin."

At the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, Sakumo, Kakashi, and Might Guy had already arrived.

It was worth mentioning that not long ago, Might Guy had also passed a special graduation exam and become a Genin. His teammates were Genma Shiranui and Ebisu.

"Yo, Hatake the Cool Young Master!"

"How do you come up with so many weird nicknames?"

"You wouldn't understand, White-Haired Scarecrow. Nicknames make us seem closer."

"I..."

People from another world were truly pathetic. Even when his emotions flared up, he couldn't manage to curse a few times. That had to feel awful.

"Come to think of it, where's Obito? Hatake Little Yellow Book, where's Obito?"

"Who knows!"

That might have gone a little too far. Kakashi was still unconvinced after losing to me during the day, and now I was provoking him like this...

Whatever. Tsunderes were made to be teased! It was fun, and I loved it!

After waiting for over ten minutes without seeing Obito, and with the customer traffic growing heavier, we had no choice but to hurry inside and claim a table.

"Welcome! Brother Sakumo, what would you like today?"

The male waiter was especially burly. One glance at him on the street was enough to tell that he belonged to the Akimichi Clan.

"Bring us plenty of your signature meat first. Make it the highest quality, and bring some drinks too."

"Sure thing. Want to try some of our new items? Grilled skewers that are ready to eat without cooking them yourself."

"Mm, bring plenty of those too. Make sure the quality is good."

"Sure thing!"

Before long, the table was covered with a dazzling spread of food. After putting half the raw meat onto the grill, the cooked skewers arrived to satisfy our first wave of cravings.

"All right, dig in. I'm treating today, so don't hold back!"

Seeing Sakumo's open, cheerful smile, I suddenly wanted to mess with him. So I leaned close to Rin's ear and whispered.

"Ah, this barbecue really smells good, doesn't it, Rin?"

"Yeah. I remember Qingyue, you once ate enough for five or six people by yourself. Today you can finally eat as much as you want."

After hearing our conversation, Sakumo's face finally darkened.

"Please show some mercy, haha..."

Someone as smooth and sociable as Sakumo had surely treated his colleagues to plenty of meals and drinks. Having a high reputation among Jonin took more than just strength.

Which meant Sakumo's private stash might not have been all that well-funded.

"I'm kidding, big bro. I only eat a little more than an ordinary person. I was just teasing you."

"You brat, Qingyue, you're pretty mischievous. But even if you really can eat that much, it's fine. Your big brother can still afford this much!"

With my repeated cries of "big bro," Sakumo had finally accepted the title himself.

Plan successful. Later, even if I made Kakashi call me uncle—or even godfather—the generation gap would be perfectly reasonable.

By the time we were halfway through our meal, Obito finally dragged his exhausted body into the barbecue restaurant.

"Why does it feel like there are way too many old ladies in our village..."

Looking at Obito's unfocused eyes and limp body, anyone might have thought he had recently overindulged himself.

From what Obito said, he had left home an hour ago, only to run into six old ladies in a row who needed help along the way.

How should I put it? It was truly absurd.

If Konoha had so many elderly people, then why hadn't I encountered more than a few after walking around Konoha's streets all day?

But if Konoha had few elderly people, how could Obito run into six old ladies in one hour, all of whom happened to be in trouble?

"All right, we're about done eating. First, congratulations to Qingyue and Kakashi. Starting today, you're officially Chunin." Sakumo took two gift boxes out from behind his back. He first took one and handed it to Kakashi. "This is for you, Kakashi. This ninja sword has been with me for over ten years, and today I'm officially passing it on to you. As for Qingyue, your ninja sword was given to you by your father, so I'll give you something else."

Inside the gift box handed to me was a belt designed to carry a ninja sword.

It was entirely black. Two loops on the side allowed a sword sheath to be inserted, while a strap extended downward to tie around the thigh. Several short blades could also be hidden there.

During missions, I had sparred with Hatake and used him to test whether North God Style techniques would work.

That included pretending to swing my sword as I advanced, then taking the chance to launch a surprise attack with a hidden blade.

Unfortunately, it hadn't succeeded. Sakumo blocked it with a short blade when it was just inches away, though he had praised me for it.

Under the same circumstances, few Jonin could have blocked it. In all of Konoha, including the Hokage, perhaps only seven people could take it.

That was why the gift was a specially designed belt like this. In battle, I could conceal my thigh beneath a cloak and unexpectedly use all kinds of strange North God Style techniques.

"Thank you, Father. I'll treasure this ninja sword."

"Thank you, Brother Sakumo. This belt really suits me."

"I'm glad you like them."

Next came Might Guy's gift. Hmm... Kakashi received a matching green jumpsuit, while I received a thank-you letter with rather ugly handwriting, along with bandages.

Mm, lots and lots of bandages.

They were much better than the jumpsuit. These bandages might come in handy someday.

"Kakashi, Qingyue, congratulations on passing the Chunin Ninja Exams!"

Rin first took out two bouquets and handed one each to Kakashi and me. One bouquet was camellias for me, while the other was yellow carnations.

Other people might not understand the difference at all, but by chance in my previous life, I had attended an exchange meeting about the language of flowers.

Besides the bouquets, Rin gave each of us a medical kit.

One of them was black and even had a brand logo on it. It looked like she had bought it outside and organized it herself. That medical kit was for Kakashi.

The other had very different brown stitching. Rin might have made it herself, and when I opened the lid, my name was printed on the inside.

"Thank you, Rin. I'll treasure it."

At first glance, the gifts Rin gave Kakashi and me looked the same, but on closer thought, it was obvious.

Rin still liked me. Hehe.

Finally came Obito's gifts. The one for Kakashi... was a pair of green goggles, which would probably be permanently sealed away by its recipient.

And my gift...

It was much better than the goggles: a brand-new bottle of eye drops, though it was the same kind Obito used all the time.

The Chunin celebration came to an end. Time flew by, and it became my ninth year in this world—Konoha Year 46.

Rin and Obito finally graduated from the Ninja Academy as well. As expected, Minato became their Jonin instructor.

The other team member was still Kakashi. The reason was that, over the course of that year, I had worked with Sakumo on many high-difficulty missions and received a special promotion to Jonin, forming a two-man team with him.

The title of youngest Jonin in history helped me make quite a few friends, and I had also become casual acquaintances with Minato, whose Yellow Flash title was beginning to gain some renown.

There was one year left until I turned ten, one year until the Third Shinobi World War fully erupted, and one year until I truly set foot on the battlefield.

There were four years left until the first turning point.

Meanwhile, deep underground, an elderly man with pale hair and barely any life left in his face was speaking with a black creature.

"Lord Madara, a Uchiha pawn has already been selected. Unfortunately, something went wrong with the original first choice, making her difficult to control directly. But there is no need to worry about that with the other one."

"Is that so... Though she's a girl, her aptitude is quite good. Let her 'die' in the coming war, together with her dearest sister. How is Nagato doing? Nothing has gone wrong with the Rinnegan, has it?"

"Nagato has come into contact with Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin. But I judge it to be positive contact. His strength has improved, and he has adapted better to controlling the Rinnegan."

"Hmph. That man's village occasionally does good things for me too."

Though the old man looked as if he were on the verge of death, his imposing aura had not diminished in the slightest, inspiring fear in anyone who saw him.

"Dragon, I'll leave the rest to you, my only true brother."

Beside Madara stood a tall man with silver hair and golden dragon-like pupils.

"So much time has passed. From the first time I met you before your battle with Hashirama until now, you really haven't changed at all. It's like you're immortal—you haven't aged even a bit."

"Madara, I told you that I don't agree with your Moon's Eye Plan. And your plan is too cruel to that girl."

"No, you will help me. This world is beyond saving. If we want to achieve peace, this is the only way in the end: let everyone enter a world of illusion and fulfill their own dreams. There will be no more conflict. That girl... even if I did nothing, she would still be destined for a sorrowful and pitiful end. That is simply how this twisted world is. Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can save everyone, and I will be the savior who saves them all."