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Inside the Ninja Academy.
Today was the graduation exam.
The test subject was the Three Basic Jutsu.
For Qianyu, this was like taking candy from a baby.
Graduation exams at the Academy were notoriously simple.
Even Minato Namikaze, who graduated early, didn't have to beat a Chunin or survive a certain amount of time under one. That wasn't the test.
For early graduates like Minato, the exam covered everything: the Three Jutsu, taijutsu, shurikenjutsu… all the basics.
The point was to prove you'd mastered everything the Academy taught. That you were ready. Then you could leave.
The exam arrived quickly.
Qianyu entered the designated classroom.
The proctor was Masata Hayabusa.
Qianyu knew Hayabusa looked down on him. He couldn't be bothered to exchange pleasantries.
The moment Hayabusa announced the start, Qianyu performed the Clone, Substitution, and Transformation Jutsu.
Flawlessly. Hayabusa couldn't find a single fault.
With a grunt, the teacher stamped 'PASS' on the certificate and handed over the forehead protector.
Qianyu took it. Silently. He left the classroom without a single glance back.
Hayabusa's face twitched. Other students bowed. They thanked him for his years of teaching.
But this kid? Nothing. Just cold indifference.
"That little traitor," Hayabusa muttered under his breath. "Heartless. It galls me to let scum like that become a shinobi."
Qianyu waited outside the Academy gates. Soon, Miyuki Uzumaki emerged.
She'd already tied the forehead protector on, bright and eager.
"Qianyu! How does it look?"
She spun in a circle, the metal plate glinting.
"It looks good."
Qianyu's gaze lingered on the protector on her forehead. His feelings were a tangled mess.
Now they were official ninja. The beginning was here. The shinobi world was about to become a meat grinder. The weak would die. The strong would survive.
"It's time to go."
A voice, smooth and cold, spoke from behind him. Qianyu hadn't even sensed his approach.
He turned and bowed. "Lord Orochimaru."
Miyuki shivered. The man's pale skin. Those vertical, serpentine pupils. To her, Orochimaru looked like a poisonous snake ready to strike.
Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya, the other Sannin, seemed so normal. Why did this one have to be so… creepy?
She edged closer to Qianyu, trying to hide. But this was Qianyu's teacher. She summoned her courage.
"Lord Orochimaru…"
Orochimaru's eyes slid over her. He didn't reply.
Qianyu turned to Miyuki. "Go home, Miyuki. Remember what I said. If anything happens, ring that bell."
"I remember," she nodded.
He reached out, ruffling her red hair. "Then go. Tell Lady Mito the good news."
Miyuki understood. After this, she might not see Qianyu for a while. She took a step, looked back. Another step, another glance. Finally, she left, her steps slow with reluctance.
Qianyu watched her go, his own heart heavy. But he didn't want her under Orochimaru's gaze any longer than necessary.
Who knew what his teacher was really thinking?
Being noticed by him was never a good thing.
He turned back to the silent Sannin. "My apologies for the wait, Lord Orochimaru."
"Follow me."
They walked in silence. For a long time. Finally, they reached the forested outskirts of the village. Orochimaru led him to a hidden entrance, descending into an underground base.
Qianyu's eyes scanned the dim, damp corridors. He's already building secret labs at this point?
Orochimaru brought him to a room that served as an office. Scrolls lay open everywhere, covering the desk.
The Sannin sat. "What is your chakra nature?"
"I only know I have Lightning Release," Qianyu answered truthfully.
Orochimaru produced a strip of paper. "Chakra paper. It reveals a shinobi's affinity. Channel your chakra into it."
Qianyu took the paper. He focused.
The paper reacted. One section wrinkled. Another caught fire. A third grew damp. The final piece crumbled to dust.
Orochimaru's eyebrows rose. "Oh? Lightning, Fire, Water, and Earth. You lack only Wind for a perfect set."
He closed his eyes, thinking. Qianyu remained perfectly still, waiting.
Half an hour later, the golden eyes snapped open.
"My expertise does not lie heavily in Lightning, Fire, or Water releases. But it is sufficient to guide you."
"As for taijutsu, you practice the complete Thunder Breathing sword forms. Continue to refine them. I have nothing superior to offer you there."
"You have already grasped the shape and nature transformation of Lightning Release. Focus there. Master it. Then, gradually, learn the other three."
"Your use of the Sharingan is… unrefined. Its training must be incorporated. It is one of the Three Great Dojutsu. Even a single tomoe grants immense advantage. Its perceptive ability, when combined with your Thunder Breathing… the synergy should be significant."
"My own secret techniques require the Summoning Jutsu. You will master it."
"This will be your regimen for the foreseeable future. Do you have any objections?"
"None, Lord Orochimaru!"
"Good." Orochimaru stood. "We begin tomorrow. This is your room."
He led Qianyu to another chamber. It was sparse. A bed. A nightstand. Nothing else.
"You may go almost anywhere in this base," Orochimaru said. "Except rooms sealed with barriers. Do not enter those."
"Yes, sir."
Orochimaru left. Qianyu lay back on the bed he'd likely be using for a long, long time.
A dry smile touched his lips. Of course. This is Orochimaru.
Just listening to the plan made one thing perfectly clear.
The days ahead were going to be hellishly busy.
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