💎 WEEKLY POWER GOALS 💎
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⏰ Resets Monday!
Three years flickered by.
Minato Namikaze graduated early. Age ten.
After receiving training from Jiraiya, he'd clashed with Qianyu numerous times in the Academy's sparring sessions. Minato, pushing his honed speed to the limit every time. But every time? Minato lost.
Yet the rate of his growth shocked Qianyu. Each encounter, the blond's speed was a blur beyond the last. A tangible leap forward.
But Qianyu wasn't standing still. Armed only with his Thunder Breathing forms, he drilled his own body relentlessly. Sprints. Dashes. Repetition until his lungs burned. His speed, too, was a weapon being sharpened.
Minato graduated, became a genin, and left with Jiraiya for further training. Qianyu hadn't seen him in two years.
As for Qianyu himself? He had the skill to graduate early. He never applied.
First, he saw no point. He wasn't like Minato, with a legendary Sannin waiting to guide him the moment he stepped out. This was peacetime. A fresh genin like him would be stuck in the village. D-rank missions. Finding lost pets. Picking up trash.
The village's open hatred had faded to a quiet disgust that clung to him like a bad smell. He had zero interest in those tedious, low-paying chores. That time was better spent training.
After that day she returned, Tsunade stayed in Konoha for two days. She visited Mito Uzumaki, then left with Shizune in tow. Kushina saw her at the Uzumaki estate but didn't speak to her. That incident with Qianyu's help… it still left a bitter taste.
Jiraiya and Minato were gone. Tsunade was gone. Of the Legendary Three, only Orochimaru remained in the village.
Qianyu had also met Mito Uzumaki. As the wife of the First Hokage, he assumed she was firmly in the Hokage's camp. He approached her with caution.
Her attitude towards him was… confusing. Unnervingly warm.
Kushina was now learning the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts under Mito's tutelage.
The fact Qianyu had awakened the Sharingan remained a secret. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, ordered Jiraiya and Tsunade to keep it quiet. If the Uchiha clan found out, they'd come for him. They might try to reclaim him. Or conflict would erupt. Hiruzen, now intent on nurturing Qianyu, couldn't allow him to be pulled back into the Uchiha fold. And it wasn't the time to move against the clan openly. If a fight broke out, he couldn't publicly shield the boy.
Secrecy was the best option. Let Qianyu grow. By the time the truth came out, it would be a fait accompli. The Uchiha could do nothing.
Qianyu was perfectly fine with this. He had no desire to deal with those arrogant Uchiha who'd always looked down on him.
In these three years, others were born. Obito Uchiha. Kakashi Hatake. Rin Nohara. Might Guy.
Based on the timeline—Kakashi on the battlefield at age five—the peace wouldn't last. Two years, maybe less. Then the cold war would begin. Or something hotter.
Because Kushina would be kidnapped by three Kumo-nin. That happened after she became a genin, though the exact timing was unclear. But once that event ignited, localized conflicts would erupt across the shinobi world.
Kushina was twelve now. In six years, she'd be an adult. She'd succeed Mito as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
And Mito Uzumaki would die.
Time was running out.
Peace: two years, tops. Kushina's fate: six years.
The fastest path to power? The battlefield.
Qianyu squeezed every drop from his nights. Brutal, relentless training.
The results spoke for themselves.
The Uzumaki, distant relatives of the Senju, were known for monstrous chakra reserves. With half that bloodline, Qianyu's own reserves had swelled exponentially.
He had to gather enough Witness Points and boost his power before Kushina's sealing. Before it was too late.
In these three years, he'd gained 50 Witness Points.
He witnessed Might Guy's birth.
He'd pulled a muscle—too much, too fast. Stupid. Went to the hospital for salves. A shout in the hospital hallway. "Might Dai!"
Curiosity got the better of him. The man who, in another life, would single-handedly dismantle four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kiri. Qianyu followed the sound, peeked into the room.
And there it was. A new life. 50 Points.
The births of others from major clans? He couldn't get close. No access.
…
The training ground was swallowed by dusk.
Qianyu was still there, moving.
He'd spent 10 Witness Points on another tachi. No chakra. Just raw, physical repetition. Swing after swing against a worn training post.
Sweat stung his eyes. Dripped from his chin. Plinked against the dirt.
A voice, dry as dead leaves, scraped the air behind him.
"Such… dedication."
—Qianyu froze.
Ice shot up his spine. Someone was right there. He hadn't sensed a thing.
He whirled.
Pale skin. Purple markings. Curled earrings. Slitted, serpentine eyes.
The one Sannin he'd never met face-to-face.
Orochimaru.
Qianyu mastered his expression in a heartbeat. He dipped into a respectful bow. "Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru paced forward, arms crossed, stopping before him. "I've been watching you. For days now. To master such a powerful taijutsu-ninjutsu hybrid so young… and to awaken the Sharingan. A fitting heir to the Uchiha and Senju bloodlines."
Qianyu met his gaze, not backing down. "You've been watching me?"
A smile played on Orochimaru's lips. To Qianyu, it looked like the cold grin of a predator. "The old man seems quite taken with you. Wanted me to take you as my student. I had no such desire. A student is a distraction. A burden."
The smile widened, all teeth. "But now… I find myself intrigued. Qianyu. I believe we are the same kind of creature. Hiding our true selves. Showing the world only the mask it wants to see."
He leaned in slightly, his voice a hiss. "Don't bother denying it. Your eyes betray you in unguarded moments. That look… like a serpent poised to strike. Waiting for the right moment to sink its fangs in. I find it… rather delightful."
Qianyu's scalp prickled. So that's why he was here. Not a chance encounter.
An offer.
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