Ling didn't pay attention to Shisui's situation anymore; after all, a lamb already in hand didn't require too much more investment.
Ling had initially thought that this morning would again be a boring Ninjutsu theory class, so she directly took out a book on the basic principles of Sealing Technique she had borrowed from the Konoha Library and started reading.
As a Shadow Clone with personality, how could she just read whatever the main body told her to? She wasn't interested in Medical Ninjutsu anyway, so she'd let Clone Number Two, who frequented the library, read it.
She believed that Sealing Technique was more useful than Medical Ninjutsu. One had to know that in the Fourth Great Shinobi War, the only things that could cause damage were Taijutsu, Senjutsu, and Sealing Technique.
For Senjutsu, the main body practiced the State of Forgetfulness at night, and once the Chakra volume was sufficient, it could meet the cultivation requirements.
As for Taijutsu, for Ling, her Fast Heavy Blade style was already taking shape; it just needed more combat experience and refinement in the future.
And in terms of Sealing Technique, it was up to her, the most diligent Clone Number One, to solve it. Although the basic runes of Sealing Technique were very obscure, they couldn't stump Ling, who was a top student.
The homeroom teacher, Nakamura Hirohiko, saw Ling buried in her book, not listening to the lecture, and wasn't surprised. This was because neither he nor other teachers had ever asked Ling a question from a textbook that she couldn't answer.
So, he was used to Ling reading other material during class, turning a blind eye. After all, the Third Hokage didn't care, so what did he have to fear?
Nakamura Hirohiko reported Ling's performance to the Third Hokage every day, something Hiruzen Sarutobi, that old geezer, had personally requested.
To see through a person, one needed continuous observation; a person couldn't pretend forever. He needed to confirm whether Ling was truly as she appeared.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi had clearly miscalculated, because Ling had shown her true nature from the very beginning. She herself knew it was impossible to pretend forever.
Otherwise, if Ling were particularly hypocritical or had malicious intent, how could she have maintained a good relationship with Uzumaki Kushina, that human malice detection machine?
Although the Nine-Tailed wouldn't actively warn Uzumaki Kushina, as a Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, combined with Kagura Mind's Eye, Uzumaki Kushina naturally possessed this ability and wouldn't befriend people with impure motives.
Ling had always treated people with sincerity; it was just that sometimes what seemed like her pretense was actually her true self.
Human nature is inherently complex. My changeable personality doesn't mean my intentions are impure, does it? If possible, Ling also wanted to be the successor to the fire will.
Starting one's own business is nothing compared to inheriting directly. Ling also looked forward to seeing the expression of the inherently evil Senju Tobirama when he saw an inherently evil Uchiha brat usurping the Hokage position during the Fourth Great Shinobi War.
It would definitely be spectacular, but this was just Ling's imagination; Senju Tobirama still had some magnanimity.
"Alright, this morning, we have a practical combat class, which will be held with Class A of the second year."
Nakamura Hirohiko also felt that it was a bit too early for practical combat so soon after enrollment, but this was the will of the Third Hokage, so he had no choice.
In reality, Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to see if the Konoha Ninja Academy was truly up to par.
With the Third Shinobi World War imminent, these Ninja Academy students would inevitably graduate early. Giving them some intensity was also to give them more chances to survive.
Ling naturally didn't know about her nominal teacher's plans. At this moment, she was contemplating the combination principles of Sealing Technique runes.
Sealing Technique was indeed very interesting, somewhat out of place with the current Ninja system. It was quite similar to the methods of those shrine maidens and priests.
In fact, before Ōtsutsuki Kaguya descended upon this world, it should have, in theory, developed towards the direction of Yokai and shrine maidens.
Unfortunately, it was twisted by the God Tree. The former spiritual power cultivation system has now evolved into Senjutsu.
And these spiritual power cultivators, observing all things in heaven and earth, and gods and ghosts, created these characters imbued with power.
And these powerful pictorial runes have now evolved into the current Sealing Technique runes.
Otherwise, how could something relying on the Chakra system seal the Chakra Progenitor?
Senjutsu and Sealing Technique should both be legacies left by ancient spiritual power cultivators, which allowed them to transcend the Chakra system and seal the Chakra Progenitor.
Therefore, the Chakra system itself has problems. When facing an existence of higher rank, it will be completely suppressed; the Rinnegan's ability to absorb Chakra is no joke.
The Ninja system, having developed to this point, besides the legacies of Senjutsu and Sealing Technique, probably only the Four Gates of the Eight Gates, some Space Ninjutsu, and self-activating Dojutsu are still useful.
Recalling her wandering thoughts, Ling had already followed the large group to the training ground, where the homeroom teacher and students of Class A of the second year were also waiting.
"Teacher Nakamura, I hear your class has quite a few geniuses. It seems you're sure to get that Outstanding Teacher title this year."
A cold young man with a black eye patch greeted Nakamura Hirohiko with a fake smile. He seemed to be the teacher of Class A of the second year.
"Teacher Aburame, you flatter me. Don't you have students from the Hyuga Main Family and the Ino–Shika–Chō families in your class?"
Nakamura Hirohiko was too lazy to deal with this person. One of them was a retired Anbu teacher arranged by the Hokage, and the other was from Root, arranged by Danzo.
Who didn't know who? Weren't they all selecting talent for the people behind them?
Aburame Rizon was just a Taijutsu teacher, not a homeroom teacher, because Danzo couldn't manage it; Hiruzen Sarutobi had already allowed the maximum by letting him arrange one teacher.
"Since everyone is here, let's just draw lots and arrange it. Those with the same number will spar."
Nakamura Hirohiko took out two cardboard boxes and had the students from both classes go and pick numbers.
Although Ling was at the back of the line, she still picked an early number, 9.
Because Nakamura Hirohiko and Aburame Rizon had arranged for one person to supervise four pairs of little brats sparring, Ling was in the next round.
So, she could only watch these little brats begin their simple and crude Taijutsu battles.
Some didn't even have a set style, just flailing their arms wildly, which made Ling a bit bored.
In fact, the second-year students generally had a physical advantage over the first-year students, and their average performance was better.
In the total of eight pairs of matches, five of the winners were from the second year, though in Ling's eyes, they were all quite weak.
It was Ling's turn next. She and four other students stepped out, but those who knew Ling's strength didn't cheer for her, such as Shisui and Gekkō Hayate.
Ling's opponent was just a boy from a civilian family. Although he looked stronger than Ling, and he himself was very confident, it was because Ling wasn't wearing clothes with the Uchiha Clan crest.
In fact, Ling considered herself more a member of the Yagyu Clan, because her mother had married Irming Yagyu, rather than Irming Yagyu marrying into her family.
It was just that those old geezers from the Uchiha Clan had forcibly added her to the Uchiha Clan's family registry, branding her with the Uchiha Clan label.
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