Sharingan Evolution: Proficiency's Path

"Qingming, have you really learned it?"

Ancient River did not show much reaction to Qingming's response, but Ryoji couldn't keep calm.

Although he had long known that he and Qingming had a certain gap in learning ability, his youthful spirit made him unwilling to fall behind.

Before, when Ancient River taught Qingming the Body Flicker Technique, he hadn't avoided Ryoji.

Thus, Ryoji had followed along to learn it as well.

Over the past few days, he had practiced hard and finally grasped some of the techniques. While he might not be able to use it in intense combat, he could still perform it flawlessly in everyday situations.

While this couldn't exactly be considered "mastery" of the technique, it was enough to make Ryoji feel proud.

He had thought that Qingming's progress would be similar to his own; at most, Qingming might be a little ahead. But the reality was that they were worlds apart.

Having been companions for several months, Ryoji had gained a certain understanding of Qingming's way of speaking and acting—he might deliberately downplay his strength, but he would never exaggerate.

In other words, Qingming's claim of having "learned" it meant that his actual level was certainly far beyond that.

This left Ryoji feeling quite complex, filled with negative emotions.

Noticing the shift in Ryoji's mood, Qingming could only guess at the reason.

However, he didn't feel the need to comfort him, as it was simply a matter of fact.

Not wanting to linger on this topic, Qingming asked, "What about Shizuko? Is she still not here?"

Traditionally, during gatherings, Mizutani Shizuko was always the first to arrive.

Now, glancing at the time, it was already nearing the final moments for assembly, yet she still hadn't shown up.

This surprised Qingming.

"Could something have happened?" he wondered.

"I don't know," Ryoji replied weakly.

As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the village entrance, just in time to see Shizuko rushing over.

He waved and called out, "Shizuko, over here!"

Hearing his call, Mizutani Shizuko quickly turned her head. Upon seeing them, she managed a weak smile and hurried over.

"Shizuko, why are you so late today? Did something happen?"

Without waiting for Shizuko to get close, Ryoji asked.

In response, Shizuko shook her head, forcing another strained smile. "It's nothing, I just woke up late."

"Oh, really?"

Ryoji thoughtfully stroked his chin and said seriously, "Then you should set an alarm clock. That way, you won't oversleep, just like I do."

Watching Ryoji ramble on, Qingming couldn't tell if he was genuinely carefree or intentionally trying to ease Shizuko's pressure.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Shizuko's late arrival was not simply due to oversleeping.

The redness at the corners of her eyes indicated that she had likely been crying not long ago.

Considering that they were about to head to the battlefield, it was easy to guess she had just said goodbye to her family.

This deeply reminded Qingming that this was a real world.

In this place, war was war; it wouldn't become acceptable just because of a few slogans.

Ninjas were also human—they had their own emotions, families, friends, and lives. Once they died, it affected a lot of people.

Thus, many were fearful of war, but they were bound by rules and beliefs, forced to accept it.

Sigh! This truly is a twisted world!

With a quiet sigh, Qingming decided not to think too much and patiently waited for the team to set off.

Time ticked by.

After the team was fully assembled, the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—appeared before everyone.

What followed was a stirring speech.

One couldn't deny that his words were quite stirring; after a single speech, the young lower ninjas felt inspired and eager to jump into battle.

Even Mizutani Shizuko, who had been feeling down, showed a hint of a smile after hearing his words.

Only the Jonin maintained serious expressions throughout, seemingly unaffected by his words.

But it made sense; those who could become Jonin had fought through mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. Their willpower was unshakeable, and a few words wouldn't sway them.

To motivate them, one would either need to tie them to real benefits or appeal to a greater cause; otherwise, why would they listen to mere rhetoric?

Just because you're the Hokage?

After all, the Hokage was still someone chosen by everyone!

Uh… Maybe, probably!

Qingming shook his head, no longer pondering, as these matters felt distant from him and he didn't wish to get involved.

In the end, the ninja world was still one where strength ruled; as long as one had enough power, they could talk with their fists, even if they didn't understand much.

If someone displeased you, just take them down with a punch—why complicate things?

A few minutes later,

After the speech ended, the team began to move out.

Qingming roughly counted; there were about thirty Jonin, along with around sixty to seventy Special Jonin accompanying them.

As for the Chunin and Genin, when combined, they numbered over three hundred—almost four hundred in total.

Such a large group naturally couldn't move quickly.

Moreover, with dozens of supply carts,

It took a full two weeks for them to finally leave the Land of Fire and enter the battlefield in the Land of Rain.

As soon as they entered the Land of Rain, they were greeted by continuous light rain.

Often, they wouldn't see the sun for days on end.

Consequently, their progress slowed even further.

Another week passed.

They reached a gorge; passing through this gorge, a few dozen miles ahead lay the main base of Konoha in the Land of Rain.

Their destination was there, and the several dozen carts filled with supplies were also meant for that location.

Qingming looked at the deep gorge ahead, his brow twitching.

Such terrain was undeniably suitable for ambushes, and even a battlefield novice like him understood this.

Qingming couldn't believe that the Jonin wouldn't notice this.

Then why are we taking this route?

Other than having no choice, Qingming couldn't think of another reason.

This implied that the situation for Konoha in the Land of Rain was far less optimistic than he had imagined, otherwise, they wouldn't have preserved such a supply route.

Fortunately, the Jonin from Konoha were not incompetent; before entering the gorge, they had slowed the pace of the team.

They also dispatched several squads to scout ahead and search the cliffs on both sides for any enemy ambushes.

Time ticked by as the team progressed slowly.

Suddenly, a huge explosion sounded from a distant rock face, and a red fireball could be faintly seen rising.

"It's an explosive tag! There's an ambush!"

Someone in the team shouted, causing chaos among the crowd.

Fortunately, the Jonin acted swiftly, calming the panic.

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