Jonin Qingyue

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

As for what happened afterward, those memories were gone. I only remembered being completely focused at the time...

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

Taking that opportunity, both my Battle Aura and swordsmanship broke through in one go. Sword God Style finally overcame its bottleneck and advanced from intermediate to advanced.

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

I had maintained this pose for ages before the referee finally announced the end of the match.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Sakumo and the Third's faces in the stands still held looks of shock. That was understandable.

Even I had not expected this outcome. I had wanted to drag things out a little and use the chance to hone my Water God Style swordsmanship, but Silent Sword had instantly killed him. Who was I supposed to complain to about that?

After lowering my ninja sword and sheathing it, I saw the disappointed expression on Kakashi's face.

Although the result of the match was not the goal, and he could be promoted to Jonin as long as his performance met the standard, he had still been defeated so inexplicably. Of course he would not be convinced.

With Kakashi's temperament, he would not give up over this, but he would definitely suffer quite a blow.

Still, I believed he would recover soon enough. His true strength would only show itself later.

Besides, Kakashi was a ninja, while I was a swordsman. It would be strange if a full-damage assassin in a head-on fight could one-shot a bruiser fighter with a single combo.

Akko one-shot a Kai who had activated his ultimate from behind? Have you been drinking?

The exams were all over. Though the final results had not been completely confirmed, my promotion was basically guaranteed.

To celebrate Kakashi and me successfully becoming Chunin, Sakumo decided to pay out of his own pocket and treat us to a big barbecue meal.

As for the restaurant, naturally it was one of the Akimichi Clan's chain barbecue restaurants.

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

"I really didn't expect you to pass the Chunin exams already, Qingyue. You're amazing. We haven't even graduated yet, but you and Kakashi are already so far ahead of us."

A trace of loneliness seemed written across Rin's face. She was not someone competitive by nature, but seeing people her own age constantly pull further ahead would always stir some emotions in her heart.

Obito was much more straightforward. When he learned that we had definitely passed the Chunin exams, his face turned pale with anger as he flailed around, expressing his indignation.

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

Logistical support was of utmost importance. Supply camps, transport routes, and medical units—losing any one of them would put the frontline soldiers at a disadvantage.

"Mm, so I'll definitely study hard. No matter what injuries Qingyue suffers, I'll be able to heal them!"

"Then I'll be counting on you when the time comes, 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 Cool Kid!"

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

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

"I..."

People from another world were truly pitiful. When emotions flared up, they could not even curse properly. What suffering.

"Speaking of which, where's Obito? Hatake Little Yellow Book, where is Obito?"

"Who knows!"

That might have been a bit too much. Kakashi was already unconvinced because he had lost to me during the day, and now I was provoking him like this...

Whatever. Tsunderes existed to be teased! It was fun, and I loved doing it!

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

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

The male waiter was exceptionally burly. Anyone could tell at a glance on the street that he belonged to the Akimichi Clan.

"Bring us plenty of your signature meat first. The best quality. And get us some drinks."

"Sure thing. Want to try some new items? Grilled skewers that are ready to eat, no need to cook them yourselves."

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

"Sure thing!"

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

"All right, dig in. It's my treat 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 amazing, doesn't it, Rin?"

"Yeah. I remember Qingyue, you once ate enough food for five or six people by yourself. Today you can finally eat to your heart's content."

After overhearing the two of us, Sakumo's expression finally darkened.

"Please show mercy, haha..."

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

Which meant Sakumo's private stash of money might not be all that plentiful.

"Just kidding, big brother. I only eat a tiny bit more than an ordinary person. I was just teasing you."

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

With me calling him big brother again and again, Sakumo had finally accepted the title himself.

Just as planned. Later, even if I made Kakashi call me uncle—or even godfather—the seniority would make perfect sense.

By the time we were halfway through the 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 vacant eyes and limp body, one might have thought he had been indulging himself too excessively lately.

According to Obito, he had left home an hour ago, but along the way, he had consecutively run into six old ladies who needed help.

How should I put this? It was truly absurd.

If you said Konoha had lots of elderly people, I had spent an entire day walking through Konoha's streets without running into many.

But if you said Konoha had few elderly people, Obito could encounter six old ladies in one hour, and every single one of them had some sort of problem.

"All right, we've eaten about enough. First, congratulations to Qingyue and Kakashi. Starting today, you are officially Chunin." Sakumo took two gift boxes from behind his back. He first took one out and handed it to Kakashi. "This is for you, Kakashi. This ninja sword has been with me for over a decade, and today I officially pass it on to you. And 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 for carrying a ninja sword.

It was entirely black, with two openings in the side pieces where a sword sheath could be inserted. Connected below was a strap that tied around the thigh, and several short blades could be hidden there as well.

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

That included pretending to swing my sword as I rushed forward, then taking the opportunity to launch a hidden blade in a surprise attack.

Unfortunately, it had not worked. Sakumo blocked it with a short blade when it was inches away, though he did praise me for it.

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

That was why the gift was such a specially designed belt. During battle, I could wear a cloak to hide my thighs, then unexpectedly use all sorts of strange North God Style techniques.

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

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

"As long as you like them."

Next came Might Guy's gifts. Mm... Kakashi got a matching set of his signature bodysuit, while I received a thank-you letter with rather ugly handwriting and bandages.

Mm, lots and lots of bandages.

They were much better than the bodysuit. Those 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 of camellias was for me, while the other was made of yellow carnations.

Others might not understand the difference at all, but in my previous life, I had once happened to attend an exchange event about the language of flowers.

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

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

The other one had very different brown stitching. Rin had probably made it herself, and my name was even embroidered inside the lid.

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

At first glance, the gifts she gave Kakashi and me looked the same, but after thinking about it carefully, anyone could understand.

Rin still liked me. Hehe.

Finally, there was Obito's gift. For Kakashi... it was a pair of green goggles, which would probably be permanently sealed away by him.

And my gift...

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

The Chunin congratulations came to an end. Time flew by, and the ninth year since I came to this world arrived—Konoha Year 46.

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

Their other teammate was still Kakashi. The reason was that over the course of that year, I had worked with Sakumo many times to complete high-difficulty missions, and was specially promoted to Jonin, forming a two-man team with Sakumo.

The youngest Jonin in history—this title helped me make quite a few friends, and I had also become acquainted with Minato, whose Yellow Flash title had begun to gain some renown.

There was one year until my tenth birthday, one year until the full outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War, and one year until I truly stepped onto the battlefield.

--

There were four years left until the first turning point.

Meanwhile, deep underground, an elderly man with pale hair and almost no life left in his face was conversing with a mass of black creature.

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

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

"Nagato has come into contact with Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Three Ninja. But I judge it to be positive contact. His strength has improved, and he has become more accustomed to controlling the Rinnegan."

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

Though the old man looked close to death, his imposing presence had not diminished in the slightest, making others fear him at a glance.

"Dragon, I'll leave the rest to you, my only brother in whom I can truly confide."

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

"So much time has passed. From the first time I met you before fighting Hashirama until now, you really haven't changed at all. It's like you have an immortal body—you haven't aged a day."

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

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