"Hey, Sakura!" Ino grabbed her friend's small hand. "I think... I think I like him! What should I do?"
"Huh?" Sakura was startled. Was this love at first sight?
Ino's face was red: "What if I confess to him?"
"No way!" Sakura immediately refused.
"Why not?"
"It's just no way!"
Ino suddenly gave her a knowing smile: "Sakura, you don't like him too, do you?"
"Nonsense!" Sakura blushed. "You're so young! How would you even know what 'like' means?"
"It doesn't matter! I'll figure it out when I'm older!"
Putting aside the argument of the two young girls, let's look at another corner, the home of the Hyūga Clan, another of Konoha's great families.
This clan was divided into the Main House and the Branch House. Children born into the Branch House were marked with a seal of ultimate servitude on their foreheads, allowing the Main House to control their lives and, most importantly, suppressing the power of their Byakugan. When a Branch House member died, the seal ensured their Byakugan disappeared. A truly tragic situation!
Next to Hiashi Hyūga was a small child, looking barely three years old. She watched the duel in the Arena nervously, her small fists clenching repeatedly.
"Hinata, have you fallen in love with the ninja profession?" Hiashi Hyūga asked, stroking his daughter's small head.
"Mhm! He's so cool!" Hinata pointed at Lin Feng, her face beaming with excitement: "When I grow up, I want to be a ninja as strong as him!"
"Heh heh, then you'll have to work hard!"
"Mhm!" Hinata nodded confidently, her gaze fixed on Lin Feng leaping around the arena floor.
"I wonder if he'd be willing to be my teacher?" Hinata thought, her face flushing as she shyly played with her fingers.
Lin Feng, while parrying Guy's attacks, glanced around at the audience. Seeing that he had achieved his desired effect, he decided not to waste any more time!
Over the past few years, Lin Feng's control over Chakra had reached an exceptional level. Guy's strength was only close to Jōnin level; winning was effortless for him!
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
The center of the fiercely contested arena was instantly engulfed in a thick water mist.
Only a few people in the audience could still see the action inside: the Third Hokage, Hiashi Hyūga, Neji Hyūga, Itachi Uchiha, and Fugaku Uchiha.
Oh, and Kakashi, who was still in the rest area reading Icha Icha Paradise.
When the dense mist finally cleared, only Guy remained, lying motionless on the ground. Lin Feng had vanished without a trace!
"Heh heh, this boy is truly something! He will likely surpass Kage level someday!" The Third Hokage smiled, looking at Kushina. "You truly can't tell me his origin?"
"Don't press me!" Kushina shook her head. "We hold no ill will toward Konoha, I promise. If you still don't believe us, we can leave right now."
The Third Hokage quickly waved his hands: "No, no! I trust you. I've been observant these past few years. It's just that I'm very curious: what is the identity of such a genius, and why did you come to Konoha? Is it truly just to find a place to live? That, I simply cannot believe!" Seeing Kushina's face darken, the Third Hokage continued: "However, as I said, I trust you! But that doesn't mean the elders will feel the same way. It would be best if you didn't cause any more trouble, or this old man won't be able to hold them back, heh heh!"
The Third Hokage was indeed a good leader. With his deliberate assistance, the Elder Council hadn't offered much resistance to this genius settling in Konoha.
However, much to their disappointment, Lin Feng refused to become a Konoha ninja, stating his reason was that: his strength was insufficient!
What a ridiculous thing to say!
Still, the Third Hokage couldn't force him.
Time marched on, pushed forward by fate. Lin Feng ignored the Third Hokage's constant invitations, training his body by day and cultivating his powers by night!
He constantly "cultivated" with Haku's mother!
This balance of work and rest gave him a new understanding of Chakra!
However, this peaceful life was shattered by the arrival of a group of ANBU!
"You... what did you say?" Lin Feng yelled in astonishment inside the Hokage's office, looking in disbelief at the other person present—the Third Hokage!
"You... why didn't you say so earlier!" Lin Feng slammed his hand down on the table.
The Third Hokage spoke with palpable helplessness: "This matter must remain strictly between the two of us! You must not leak it to a third party! Itachi Uchiha is depending on you!"
"Damn it!" Lin Feng cursed. "That's countless lives! Are your Konoha higher-ups really that reckless? Itachi Uchiha! He's only 13 years old!"
At the age of 13, Itachi was tasked by Konoha's leadership to annihilate his clan before leaving the village to join the Akatsuki organization!
The long-standing hostility and widening gap between the Uchiha clan and Konoha had led to the clan's planned coup. Konoha's leaders had no choice but to harden their hearts and order the extermination of the entire clan!
Itachi, who had witnessed the devastation of war since childhood, possessed a heart that yearned for peace. At this moment, he faced a choice between peace and his loved ones. Ultimately, he chose to bear the pain, selecting peace by killing his family.
Thinking of a 13-year-old boy who could sacrifice his own clan for a greater cause, Lin Feng couldn't help but admire him!
However, the survival of the Uchiha clan was not his primary concern!
He was thinking of Mikoto Uchiha—that gentle and kind beautiful woman!
If she were to perish just like that, it would be a tragedy!
Lin Feng, who already planned to seduce her, naturally wouldn't let her die!
"Old man, listen up! I'm going over there now! Whoever I save, you have to keep it a secret! I agree to become a Konoha ninja, but you must keep my mission a secret!" Leaving that statement, Lin Feng suddenly vanished before the Hokage's eyes!
"That jutsu... is it the Water Liquefaction Technique? How is it... I still can't see through it?" The Third Hokage stared blankly at the lingering water mist.
However, compared to this mystery, the order that forced him to approve the extermination of the Uchiha clan was far more painful!
But for the sake of Konoha, he felt he had no other choice!
"I hope that child can bring new hope to Konoha!" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed heavily, looking toward the Uchiha clan district.