The next day.
Yemu had barely woken up when he felt something squirming under his covers.
"Hey, hey~"
"Surprise!!"
Qingxue Uchiha opened her eyes, warm breath spilling from her lips as she lay sprawled on top of Yemu.
"What the hell!!"
"It's first thing in the morning, and you're acting like some female ghost. Are you trying to suck out my yang energy?"
Looking thoroughly unimpressed, Yemu shoved Qingxue Uchiha off him.
"You're the ghost."
"And if I really tried sucking out your yang energy, you'd complain about that too~"
Qingxue Uchiha straightened her clothes with a reproachful look. Her black pajamas draped over her ample chest, and her fair skin carried a flush of excitement.
"We'll get to that later."
Hearing his choice of words-which could also carry a much dirtier meaning-Qingxue's eyes visibly lit up with even more excitement.
Yemu walked over to the mirror by the wardrobe. Seeing all the black panties, his face darkened. "Didn't I tell you to keep our clothes separate?"
"You just have to put yours with mine, don't you?"
"Oh? I get it. You want a worn pair to put over your head, right?" Qingxue Uchiha looked as though she'd figured it all out. As she spoke, she extended a long, fair leg and started to take off the pair she was wearing.
"Get lost! Are you a pervert?"
Yemu Hyuga couldn't help retorting.
Qingxue Uchiha pinched the hem of her clothes and put on a pitiful expression.
"I'm only a pervert for you." She blinked her large eyes. "Is that not allowed?"
Yemu Hyuga was left speechless. He simply told Qingxue Uchiha to hurry up and get dressed so they could leave for the Chunin Exams.
"Back at school again, huh?"
Yemu Hyuga and the two girls arrived at the Ninja Academy gates with their Chunin Exams application forms.
Along the way, quite a few female ninja paused in a slight daze when they saw Yemu.
By now, half of Yemu's hair had turned white.
He had no reason to hide it, either.
The mixture of black and white lent him a peculiar charm.
Walking down the familiar corridor, Yemu almost saw echoes of the past.
A few years ago, they had walked side by side like this too, inseparable.
At the thought, Yemu couldn't help patting Qingxue and Hinata on their heads.
"Don't embarrass your teacher in the combat tests later, okay?" Yemu Hyuga teased casually.
"Don't worry, Yemu. I'll do my best." Hinata Hyuga's little face reddened, her expression earnest.
Qingxue Uchiha wore a proud look on her pretty face and gave a soft huff. "Hmph~ I'm strong, you know. Stop acting like I need you to protect me all the time."
At the entrance to the Main Building.
Before Yemu even reached it, he noticed a Genjutsu Barrier set up ahead.
"Enough. Stop this pointless farce. We're going to the third floor."
Sasuke Uchiha's cold, arrogant voice came from up ahead.
"Oh? You actually noticed it was genjutsu?"
The two examiners disguised as students looked amused.
"Hm?"
"He's here!!"
Sasuke Uchiha had been about to challenge them, but the moment he spotted Yemu Hyuga coming from the far end of the corridor, he stopped.
"Morning, Sasuke. Have your injuries healed?"
Yemu Hyuga sounded quite concerned.
Sasuke Uchiha's face stiffened, and he turned away haughtily. "Hmph~ I don't need your concern. I won't hold back the next time we fight!"
"And me! Naruto Uzumaki!! I'm really strong now too!!"
Naruto Uzumaki raised his hand beside Sasuke Uchiha, hoping Yemu Hyuga would notice him as well.
"Naruto, huh?"
"I'm looking forward to fighting you too."
Yemu Hyuga didn't ignore Naruto like everyone else.
Naruto had his cheat ability, Talk no Jutsu, after all.
With the Nine-Tails as his power bank on top of that, his strength would probably skyrocket once he hit his stride.
"Yemu, long time no see. How have you been?"
Neji Hyuga appeared in the distance with his teammates, Rock Lee and Tenten.
Although he and Yemu had been in the same graduating class.
Under the Hokage's arrangements, he had still been assigned to Might Guy's squad.
And with his impressive strength, Neji had earned Rock Lee and Tenten's respect.
Rock Lee and Tenten noticed that Neji, who was normally so quiet, was actually smiling.
Their mouths fell open, and for a while, neither could process it.
Who could possibly make the aloof Neji take the initiative to say hello?
They immediately turned their attention toward Yemu.
"Is that the monster Neji talks about? He's pretty handsome."
Tenten's eyes flickered.
Still, it only stirred her heart for a moment. She had no further thoughts about it.
After all, Yemu already had two pretty girls by his side.
Whoosh!!
Unlike Tenten.
Rock Lee blushed and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Yemu.
The sheer speed of his Body Flicker Technique made Sasuke Uchiha's eyes twitch.
He hadn't expected this ninja in green to be so capable.
Sasuke Uchiha had thought the bowl-cut guy was just a joke.
"Holy crap, is that bushy-browed ninja really that fast?" Naruto Uzumaki said beside Sakura Haruno.
He was trying his hardest to make his presence known.
Unfortunately, Sakura Haruno's eyes remained fixed on Sasuke Uchiha.
"Hello, my name is Rock Lee. You're Qingxue Uchiha, right?"
Qingxue Uchiha's gaze was cold, and she answered with a simple "Mm."
Seeing the excitement on Rock Lee's face, Qingxue Uchiha could more or less guess what he was about to say.
In her previous life, she had received quite a few confessions too, so she had experience with this sort of thing.
"Please go out with me! I'll protect you until the day I die!" Rock Lee gave her a thumbs-up, flashing a mouthful of bright white teeth.
"Sorry, no."
Qingxue Uchiha shook her head indifferently.
"Huh?"
Rock Lee let out a startled cry.
In an instant, he felt as though the sky had fallen.
He had finally fallen for someone, only to lose so utterly??
It hurt. It hurt so much!!
Not far away.
Neji Hyuga's pupils trembled as he watched Rock Lee.
What was Rock Lee doing?
Did he have a death wish?
"Rock Lee, what are you trying to do?"
Neji Hyuga hurried over to Rock Lee.
"Neji, she rejected my confession."
"Boo-hoo, ┭┮﹏┭┮~"
Hot tears streamed down Rock Lee's face, as though all the color had drained from his life.
Neji patted Rock Lee's shoulder. "This isn't just a failed confession. You're courting death!!"
"Courting death? What do you mean, Neji? It's bad enough that you won't comfort me, but now you're mocking me too?" Rock Lee cried even harder.
Tenten walked over as well. Seeing Rock Lee sobbing his heart out, she felt sorry for him. "Yeah, Neji. At least try to comfort him."
Neji Hyuga shook his head. "Qingxue lives with my buddy. Get it?"
"Yemu, my teammate doesn't know any better. I hope you don't mind."
Yemu Hyuga waved it off. "It's fine. The truly strong aren't shackled by their feelings."
"Right, Rock Lee?"
Yemu had only meant it as a polite remark.
Who knew that hearing those words would instantly ignite Rock Lee's fighting spirit? "Yemu, you're right."
"Burn, my youth!!"
Rock Lee immediately ran outside.
"Yemu, my friend, I'm looking forward to facing you in the exams." After saying goodbye, Neji prepared to go console Rock Lee.
He also needed to tell Rock Lee just how terrifyingly powerful that walking cheat, Yemu, really was.
Otherwise, that hotheaded fool.
Might do something rash and shatter his own confidence.
"See you later, then. Bye~"
Tenten waved goodbye as well.
After giving Yemu a few more glances, she followed Neji out of sight.
Qingxue Uchiha
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