"Wait!"
Luo Yu had just left the dueling arena when Chen Qi caught up with him.
"What do you want?" Luo Yu turned to look at Chen Qi.
Was this guy still unwilling to accept his defeat?
Surely not.
"Boss! You go to Tengyang too? Which class are you in?"
Chen Qi looked as excited as if he had spotted a peerless beauty.
His earlier look of defeat had vanished completely.
Seriously, lasting a full minute against a Mangekyō Sharingan was something worth bragging about.
Why would he be depressed?
His goal now was simple: latch on to someone powerful.
After all, ninjas with the Sharingan typically became at least Jōnin once they matured.
As for those who mastered the Mangekyō, that went without saying. They generally reached around Kage Level.
The strongest member of the Chen Family was only a Chunin, an insurmountable figure to a Common ninja.
But Luo Yu possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan!
Barring any surprises, he could become a Chunin within a few years, or even surpass that rank!
His future was bright indeed.
Now, while Luo Yu had yet to grow into his power, was the perfect time to offer him help when he needed it.
Establishing a connection with Luo Yu now could bring immeasurable benefits in the future.
"I'm in Class One. Just call me Luo Yu," Luo Yu said with a faint smile.
"You're right next door..." Chen Qi sighed softly. "I never imagined our school had a hidden master."
"Looks like I have no hope of taking first place in the assessment."
"Why does it have to be first place?" Luo Yu asked curiously. "Isn't passing the assessment enough?"
"Your family is well-off. Surely you don't need to fixate on the prizes for the top few places?"
Chen Qi shook his head. "There's something you don't know, Brother Luo."
"According to inside information, first place in this year's assessment gets a Yamato inheritance fragment."
"Those things are incredibly rare. Absorbing one gives you a chance to gain the power of Wood Release."
"Anyone who knows Wood Release knows how powerful it is."
"Our Chen Family has some influence in Jiangli City, but anywhere else, we're just a small, unknown family."
"This year's assessment is our only chance to get a Yamato inheritance fragment."
Luo Yu's eyes lit up. "First prize is a Yamato Legacy Fragment? Are you sure?"
Yamato Legacy Fragments were the materials needed to upgrade his Hashirama cells.
Even level-one Hashirama cells provided astonishing bonuses. Wouldn't another level make them even more terrifying?
It seemed he had to take first place.
"Absolutely. The Ninja Association hasn't announced the prizes yet, but the major families can get their hands on plenty of inside information."
Chen Qi proudly patted his chest.
Hearing that, Luo Yu felt a little wistful.
Sure enough, ninja families had their own intelligence networks, allowing them to obtain confidential information more quickly.
Seeing Luo Yu's interest, Chen Qi offered an invitation. "It's lunchtime anyway. Why don't we talk more at a nearby restaurant?"
Luo Yu nodded slightly.
He had essentially figured out Chen Qi's intentions.
For his part, he also wanted to establish contact with Chen Qi as a representative of the Chen Family.
If he could obtain some materials to upgrade his ninjutsu through that connection, his future path as a ninja would be much smoother.
Each harboring his own plans, the two left the dojo side by side.
Meanwhile, at Arena Seven.
The referee asked the receptionist to retrieve the recording of the match, copied it onto a USB drive, then hurried to the curator's office with it.
"Curator Jiang! Good news! Another genius ninja has appeared in Jiangli City!"
An elderly man with graying hair and a green Jōnin vest sat in the swivel chair in the curator's office. He sipped his tea and narrowed his eyes at the referee.
"A genius ninja? Tell me what you know."
He was the curator of the Jiangli Dojo.
Although his chakra reserves were only at Chunin level, his mastery of Taijutsu had earned him the rank of second-tier Special Jōnin.
There were only two Jōnin in all of Jiangli City: the curator of the Jiangli Dojo and the head of the Ninja Association's Jiangli branch.
Whenever mutant beasts attacked, they were the city's pillars of defense.
Even in ordinary times, Jōnin represented the pinnacle of fighting strength in tier-three base cities, so they commanded great respect.
"A ninja student just defeated Chen Qi at the dojo. This is a recording of their fight."
The referee took out the USB drive and plugged it into the computer in front of Curator Jiang.
A moment later, the anime swimsuit beauty on the desktop wallpaper was replaced by footage of Luo Yu fighting Chen Qi.
"I heard the Chen Family gave Chen Qi Genma Shiranui's inheritance so he could win the Yamato Legacy Fragment."
"If he managed to defeat Chen Qi, I'll have to take a good look."
Curator Jiang stared intently at the screen.
He was startled when he saw Luo Yu activate his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to evade the Senbon Rain.
"The Three-Tomoe Sharingan! Could he be from the Jun Family?"
The referee promptly added, "Probably not. I checked his records. His name is Luo Yu, and he grew up in the Orphanage."
Curator Jiang nodded slightly and continued watching.
Soon, the footage reached the moment when Luo Yu used Intangibility to evade the Senbon Rain.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan!"
At the sight of the patterns in Luo Yu's pupils, Curator Jiang sprang to his feet and slapped both hands onto the desk in excitement.
As a veteran Jōnin, he knew better than anyone what the Mangekyō Sharingan meant.
"So that ninjutsu that turned his body into a phantom was a Mangekyō ability. No wonder."
Watching the change in Luo Yu's pupils on the recording, the referee finally understood.
Then another question occurred to him. "But I don't understand how Luo Yu can use the Mangekyō so effortlessly."
"Normally, only the Jun Family, which received the Uchiha Clan's inheritance, can use the Sharingan properly."
"And only someone with the Jun Family's bloodline can merge with the inheritance of a powerful Uchiha."
"Fully mastering the Mangekyō even requires someone of at least Shadow Guard rank!"
A glimmer of understanding appeared in Curator Jiang's eyes. "Perhaps Luo Yu is the illegitimate son of some important figure in the Jun Family..."
"Whatever the case, Jiangli must spare no effort in nurturing this boy."
"Jiangli lies on the border of the Land of the Dragon. If the mutant beast army makes a major move, Jiangli will be the first to face it."
"If a powerful ninja is stationed here in the future, we'll have a better chance of victory when the mutant beast army invades."
It was a scorching noon.
In a VIP private dining room at the Jiangli Grand Hotel.
Luo Yu and Chen Qi sat across from each other, chatting as they ate.
Through Chen Qi, Luo Yu gained a new understanding of the upcoming Trainee Exam.
Among the many surrounding tier-three base cities, Jiangli had always produced an abundance of talented young ninjas.
Jiang Li had also consistently placed near the top in intercity talent competitions.
But its fortunes had declined over the past few years, and its pool of talent had gradually dwindled.
Not only had many lower-ranked cities begun overtaking it, but it was even showing signs of competing for a place at the very bottom.
To restore its former glory, the head of the Ninja Association's Jiangli branch wanted to reform the trainee assessment and ignite the competitive spirit of Jiangli's younger generation of ninjas.
That was also why competition among Jiangli's major ninja families had become so intense.
Before you continue