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Chapter 80: Liumu's True Abilities
Konoha, Year 46.
The village was unusually quiet that day. Remnants of snow lay uncleared, piled high on either side of the roads. Street vendors hawked their wares with vigor, their calls blending harmoniously with the distant, lively clamor of the Ninja Academy.
Liumu's House.
"Let me wash those."
Haku took the pile of travel-worn clothes from Liumu's hands and placed them in a basin. As she fetched water, she asked, "What would you like for dinner tonight? We can go shopping later."
Liumu smiled and nodded. "Sure."
"You seem preoccupied," Haku noted, her light blue eyes reflecting a hint of concern as she watched his distant expression.
Liumu just smiled again, his gaze drifting toward the direction of the Academy. He murmured softly, almost to himself, "From now on… everything can still be changed."
Inside the Ninja Academy.
"Obito!"
Nohara Rin had the unfortunate Uchiha by the ear, dragging him to the classroom doorway. "You're planning another prank for the teacher? Putting the chalk eraser on the door again?"
Obito winced, a pained grin on his face. "We're graduating soon! I just want to leave a lasting impression!"
"Is that the impression you want to leave?" Rin shot back, exasperated.
Just then, Might Guy appeared, hefting a full bucket of water, which he promptly shoved into Obito's free hand. "With this bucket of water, the teacher will definitely remember you forever! A true test of youth!" Guy declared with a sparkling thumbs-up.
Rin: "..." "Guy! Don't encourage him!" She angrily snatched both the eraser and the bucket away from the two boys.
Graduation was imminent. The final exams were in less than three days.
Liumu's return at this time served two purposes. First, to complete the system's mission to attain the rank of Special Jonin. Second, because the Third Great Shinobi War loomed ever closer; the minor border skirmishes between nations had begun to escalate in frequency and scale.
Over the past three years, the Third Hokage had summoned Jiraiya back to the village multiple times. But the trio had often been in remote deserts or vast, uninhabited grasslands, places where even messenger hawks struggled to find them. By the time they received the messages, Jiraiya would concoct a variety of creative excuses to delay his return. It could be said he'd lost a fair amount of hair just brainstorming plausible reasons to dodge the Third's summons.
"Same as previous years, the graduation exam will test your proficiency in the basic Three Techniques: Transformation, Clone, and Substitution. Please practice diligently over the next two days. I wish you all the best of luck in achieving excellent results."
The Chunin instructor offered his sincere wishes from the podium.
Meanwhile, Guy and his usual circle of friends huddled together, deep in discussion.
"Have you heard? Among the Jonin-sensei assigned to lead new teams this year is Minato-sensei, the 'Yellow Flash'!"
"Really? How do you know?"
"Didn't you see the notice posted at the school gate this morning?"
Obito leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head. "I heard he's been running a special ops team under the Third Hokage. For him to suddenly become a regular Jonin instructor… I'm not sure I'd want to be on his team. Someone that strong must be super strict."
Guy laughed. "As if you get to choose!"
"I want to be on Minato-sensei's team," Rin said, clutching her textbook with hopeful eyes. "I bet he could teach us so much."
"Don't get your hopes up," Yūhi Kurenai interjected, frowning slightly as she squeezed into the group. "The teams my father leads are always swamped with D-ranks. Catching cats, helping villagers carry water… Last time his team was on a 'lost dog' mission, one of them got bitten and needed four or five stitches."
The group: "..."
"In short, being a Genin… isn't that glamorous," Kurenai concluded, administering a dose of reality.
"How lucky Liumu and Kakashi are," Obito sighed, a flicker of envy in his eyes. "They didn't have to deal with all this nonsense after graduating and becoming Genin."
Becoming a ninja was everyone's dream, but the reality for fresh Genin was often a litany of trivial chores. It wasn't until promotion to Chunin—whether entering ANBU or being assigned to a specialized village post—that a ninja's duties felt more meaningful.
What was the point of catching cats and walking dogs? The pay couldn't even buy a decent bag of dango.
"Oh, right!" Kurenai suddenly remembered, turning to the group. "Obito mentioned Liumu earlier. My dad said the village is planning to appoint Liumu as one of our graduation exam proctors this time."
Obito: "..." "Huh? Aren't the proctors always the Academy teachers? And what appointment? Don't tell me he's getting promoted to Jonin?"
Obito found it hard to believe. Liumu's rise had been meteoric enough. While his classmates were still graduating, he and Kakashi were already Chunin. Another promotion? Would the village even accept that?
"I'm not sure either," Kurenai admitted with a shrug. "That's just what my dad grumbled about when he was scolding me last time. Who knows."
Guy, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly perked up at the mention of Liumu's name. His eyes ignited with passionate flames.
"Teng!" He sprang from his seat. "You said Liumu will be a proctor? That means he must be back in the village these last couple of days!"
Before anyone could react, Guy had slung his backpack over his shoulder, shoved his way through the crowd, and in a move that defied classroom etiquette, vaulted straight out the third-floor window.
"Guy! What are you doing?!" Rin cried out.
A green blur was already disappearing into the distance, leaving only Guy's excited shout hanging in the air: "I'm going to Liumu's house to see if he's back!"
"Oh no…" Rin and the others exchanged knowing looks. The familiar, competitive fervor was back.
Whenever Liumu was away, Guy's intense rivalry was directed solely at Kakashi. But hearing Liumu was back triggered this immediate, burning need to challenge him. Liumu wasn't like Kakashi, who treated their contests with a detached, half-serious air. Guy's wins and losses against Kakashi were a point of great pride for him, stories he recounted with gusto.
But facing Liumu was different.
"How about… we go watch?" Obito suggested tentatively, a competitive spark lighting in his own eyes.
His rivalry wasn't limited to Kakashi. Since Liumu had graduated and been promoted alongside Kakashi, Obito had secretly measured himself against the bald prodigy as well. Liumu's true strength had always been an enigma; their previous spars at the Academy had been mere playfights. After years of training under Jiraiya of the Sannin, Liumu had to be on another level.
Most of their classmates shared Obito's curiosity. If Guy—arguably the strongest in their class—went to test Liumu, they might finally get a glimpse of his real power.
"Let's go then! Liumu's house is pretty far from the Academy," Kurenai urged, already packing her bag.
With a shared sense of anticipation, the group of soon-to-graduate students streamed out of the classroom, making a beeline for Liumu's home.
(End of Chapter)
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