The Entrance Exam

After Qingyun and Minato Namikaze entered the Ninja Academy, they saw a dense crowd being led into orderly groups by the many Ninja Teachers.

The two of them found a Ninja Teacher with their forms in hand and were then led into one of the groups.

Time passed. At around nine in the morning, a stern-faced Ninja Teacher with a scar on his face and a Chunin uniform stepped onto the platform and announced, "Today is the entrance exam. See the field over there? The rules are simple: run ten laps around it. The last hundred finishers will be eliminated, and the remaining ninety-odd students will be divided into three groups. The first thirty will be in Class A, the middle thirty in Class B, and the last thirty or so in Class C. Begin."

At his words, everyone rushed madly toward the field. Qingyun and Minato Namikaze ran among the crowd at an unhurried pace.

"Big brother, why aren't we running faster?"

Minato Namikaze looked at Qingyun in confusion. With their abilities, they could easily take first place, so why was Qingyun hiding what he could do?

"Minato, go ahead and run faster! Don't worry about me. I'll finish in the top thirty and be in your class."

Qingyun did not explain why he was holding back, merely giving Minato Namikaze those instructions.

Although Minato Namikaze was puzzled, he knew Qingyun had his own ideas. He said no more and sped up on his own, soon reaching the front of the pack.

Qingyun, meanwhile, continued at an unhurried pace, showing no intention of speeding up.

He did this because he did not want to stand out too much. If he did, he would inevitably draw the attention of both the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha leadership, bringing endless trouble down on himself.

The world of Naruto was far too dangerous. Even setting aside what might happen if Danzo noticed him, what would he do if the Uchiha leadership discovered his talent and demanded that he return to the clan?

Refusing would inevitably offend the Uchiha leadership. Yet as an Uchiha clansman, he would not be trusted if he tried to join the Hokage's faction directly, either. He needed the right opportunity to reveal his abilities to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If he returned, the Uchiha were destined to be wiped out. He had no intention of putting all that effort into changing their fate. Besides, he felt no attachment to the Uchiha clan. Even Minato Namikaze, whom he had only just met, mattered more to Qingyun than the Uchiha did. He had no obligation to help them.

Thus, Qingyun could only hold back, showing some talent without performing so well that he drew attention.

When the time was right, he would let Hiruzen Sarutobi alone learn of his talent. Then he would only need to find a way to win Hiruzen Sarutobi over, and Hiruzen Sarutobi would take care of everything else for him.

Once he was strong enough to protect himself, he could do whatever he wanted. Even defecting from the village and becoming a rogue Ninja would not matter.

Gathering his wandering thoughts, Qingyun watched the children around him running with all their might. He smiled and kept jogging.

Yet despite his seemingly slow pace, Qingyun overtook one child after another and soon entered the top thirty. At that point, he slowed down and maintained a steady pace.

Watching the high-spirited Minato Namikaze running in first place, Qingyun smiled. Minato Namikaze still had a child's temperament and loved to show off. Perhaps that was exactly why Jiraiya would take notice of him and accept him as a student!

Before long, the ten laps were over. Without a flushed face or a hint of breathlessness, Qingyun stood behind the twenty-nine people ahead of him. An instructor approached, looked at the thirty of them, and nodded in satisfaction. "All right, you thirty will be the students of Class A. I'm your homeroom teacher, and I'll be teaching you for the next five years. My name is Iruka Umino. You can call me Teacher Iruka.

"You're dismissed. Classes begin in three days."

Beaming with joy, everyone greeted Teacher Iruka before dispersing.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the mission. You have received the Primordial Chaos Technique and a Minor Restoration Pill. Next mission unlocked: Make Your Mark. Completion rewards: one Basic Swordsmanship manual and one Azure Edge Sword."

Hearing the system's voice, Qingyun smiled faintly. He was about to take Minato Namikaze back with him and claim the Primordial Chaos Technique and the Minor Restoration Pill when two children wearing Uchiha clan clothing blocked his path.

"Huh? Aren't you that useless brat who practices those sluggish punches every day? I never thought you'd come to the Ninja Academy."

"If you know what's good for you, withdraw from the Ninja Academy and go back to the clan. Don't come out here making a fool of yourself and ruining the Uchiha's reputation."

Qingyun looked at the two arrogant Uchiha clansmen. From his memories, he learned that they were Uchiha Yungang and Uchiha Yunshan, the sons of Uchiha Daiyu, a trusted subordinate of the Uchiha's fourth elder.

They usually threw their father's influence around, bullying the weak and cowering before the strong. They often picked on ordinary Uchiha clansmen, and Qingyun had suffered at their hands before as well.

Qingyun glanced at them, walked around them with an indifferent expression, and headed toward Minato Namikaze.

But his attitude enraged them. Uchiha Yungang and Uchiha Yunshan darted to his sides and each threw a punch at him.

Qingyun's gaze sharpened. He raised his hands and caught both fists, then used Tai Chi Force to deflect their attacks. With a sweep of his hands, he changed the direction of their punches, sending each toward the other.

Caught off guard, Uchiha Yungang and Uchiha Yunshan took each other's punches head-on and stared at one another in bewilderment.

"Brother, why did you hit me?"

"Little brother, why did you attack me?"

They questioned each other in unison.

A trace of contempt flashed through Qingyun's eyes. Ignoring them, he walked straight toward Minato Namikaze, who was surrounded by his classmates.

Only after Qingyun had gone far away did they come to their senses. Furious, they decided to settle the score with him once classes began.

"Minato, let's go."

Reaching the edge of the crowd, Qingyun called out loudly.

Hearing Qingyun's voice, Minato Namikaze scratched the back of his head and told everyone with a sheepish grin, "Everyone, my big brother's calling me. Let's get together again when classes start!"

"Wow, Minato has such a lovely smile! I really like him!"

"Yes, exactly! His smile is so warm. I feel like my heart's melting."

"Hmph, so what if he came first in the entrance exam? Being a ninja takes more than running fast. Once I learn ninjutsu, I'll definitely put him in his place!"

The Class A students around them chattered among themselves, while the girls gazed at Minato Namikaze with lovestruck expressions.

Hearing their chatter, Qingyun sighed. "This really is the world of Naruto. They're only six, and they already know how to fight over someone's affection."

He shook his head, ignored the gazes directed at him, and led Minato Namikaze out of the Ninja Academy.

After returning to the Forest of Death, Qingyun checked the nearby traps and found that several pheasants had already been caught. He smiled and told Minato Namikaze to prepare water and cook rice, while he went into the forest to gather some mushrooms and other ingredients.

Working together with their tasks divided, they soon prepared a pot of chicken soup and two beggar's chickens.

"Mmm, I'm so happy. Your cooking is delicious, big brother. I want to eat it for the rest of my life."

"All right, all right, go wash the dishes. Keep watch for me afterward. I have something important to do and can't be disturbed. Understand?"

Qingyun interrupted the blissful Minato Namikaze and gave him a stern reminder.

Being disturbed was the last thing one wanted when cultivating internal energy. Qingyun needed a quiet environment, and at the moment, Minato Namikaze was naturally the best person to stand guard for him.

Seeing Qingyun's serious expression, Minato Namikaze did not dare take it lightly and solemnly agreed!

After washing the dishes, Minato Namikaze stood guard outside Qingyun's door, his eyes wide as he scanned their surroundings.

Inside the Wooden House, Qingyun closed his eyes and examined the information on the Primordial Chaos Technique that the system had transmitted to him.

The Primordial Chaos Technique, one of the Huashan Nine Arts, was the most suitable art for building a foundation.

Having practiced Tai Chi Fist for three years, Qingyun had already developed a trace of Internal Force. Thus, he skipped the step of sensing his energy and followed the Primordial Chaos Technique's circulation route through the twelve primary meridians throughout his body.

After completing twelve full cycles, Qingyun slowly opened his eyes, delight flashing within them. The Primordial Chaos Technique truly lived up to its reputation as an internal cultivation method. This first session alone had doubled his Internal Force.

Qingyun took the Minor Restoration Pill out of the system shop and swallowed it in one gulp. It dissolved upon entering his mouth and flowed down his throat. A tremendous surge of Internal Force erupted, battering his meridians at random.

Qingyun shuddered. Not daring to be careless, he hurriedly circulated the Primordial Chaos Technique.

However, Qingyun had far too little Internal Force of his own and could only refine the energy released by the Minor Restoration Pill bit by bit. Soon, he could no longer keep up, and thin trickles of blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.

Qingyun cursed the system under his breath. It hadn't even given him an instruction manual. Was it trying to get him killed?

Just as Qingyun found himself at a loss, the Two-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes suddenly activated on its own.

At once, a powerful suction absorbed the Internal Force in his body. Qingyun felt a trace of coolness flash through his eyes, followed by a swelling sensation. Then an even purer stream of Internal Force flowed from his eyes into his meridians.

This stream of Internal Force seemed remarkably gentle, however. Rather than rampaging through him, it flowed quietly through his meridians.