"Ah!"
A sharp, pained scream pierced the air, echoing through the dense foliage of the Forest of Death. The sound came from a third figure, hidden skillfully in the shadows, who had attempted to ambush Qingshui and Kushina alongside two other Waterfall Village shinobi.
Qingshui had already anticipated their presence. With the swiftness of a seasoned ninja, he threw a kunai wrapped in an explosive tag, striking the third ninja before she could react. The explosion erupted with a resounding bang, exposing the figure entirely. She was the only female in the group, a Waterfall Village kunoichi named Rin Matsuno, and the damage from the explosive tag had left her right leg mangled and bleeding profusely.
She collapsed to the ground, utterly immobile. The ambush had ended in a single, decisive strike from Qingshui. The three Waterfall shinobi who had plotted this ambush now lay either unconscious or severely injured.
"Damn it! Do whatever you want with us!"
The male ninja, who had clearly been the leader of the trio, glared at Qingshui with unyielding defiance. Despite their failure, he refused to bow in fear.
Qingshui studied him carefully. He didn't recognize the three Waterfall shinobi; outside of the name Kakuzu—who would one day become notorious as a member of the Akatsuki—he had no previous knowledge of Takigakure's current ninjas. For Qingshui, they were simply minor obstacles in his path.
After a brief pause, Qingshui spoke, his tone calm and professional. "I am a medical ninja. If you don't mind, I can treat your injuries."
The three Waterfall shinobi froze.
Wait, he's offering to treat us?
We tried to ambush him, and he's helping us instead?
And he's strong… yet a medical ninja?
Qingshui's eyes drifted toward the female ninja, Rin, whose leg was in the worst condition. "If she isn't treated soon, she might suffer permanent damage, potentially ruining her future as a ninja," he added.
At his words, the leader of the Waterfall trio, Kenju Okubo, hesitated no longer. "Alright… treat her. Please, help her."
Qingshui smiled faintly. He took a step forward, unguarded, and began his work. Kenju couldn't help but whisper, half in admiration, half in disbelief, "You're completely unguarded like this. Aren't you afraid we might attack?"
"No," Qingshui replied simply. "Because you are too weak."
Kushina, standing nearby, could not contain her laughter at the bluntness of his remark. She quickly covered her mouth, realizing it might seem rude, but she could not suppress the mirth bubbling up inside her.
The Waterfall shinobi fell silent, reflecting quietly on the truth of his statement. Their strength was indeed below average for Genin, a fact they knew all too well. Takigakure, once a powerful ninja village—home to one of the strongest ninjas outside the Five Great Shinobi Countries—had long since declined in prominence. The village had suffered greatly after Kakuzu defected, using the forbidden Jiongu technique to steal the hearts of the village elders, weakening Takigakure irreparably.
Now, with the title of strongest minor village claimed by Amegakure under the leadership of Hanzo the Salamander, Takigakure's glory days were a memory. Passing the first stage of the Chunin Exam had been a stroke of luck for these three. Desperate to make a mark, they had decided to ambush unsuspecting teams near the Central Tower. Rin, with her area-of-effect Genjutsu, was the key to their plan. They had hoped to leverage her abilities to secure a passage to the next round and bring honor to their struggling village.
Unfortunately for them, the plan backfired spectacularly. Qingshui and Kushina were more than they had anticipated.
Kenju Okubo, the leader, lowered his head and remained silent for a moment, watching Qingshui. Sensing the tension, Qingshui grinned and said gently, "Just kidding. Don't take it to heart."
He then continued, his voice calm but firm. "Actually, what I meant to say was—friendship first, exam second. After all, this is just a Chunin Exam. If you don't pass this time, there will be other chances. There's no need to act like enemies over it."
It was a small lie, though Qingshui didn't mind. The truth was simpler: he wanted the system rewards and had no interest in spending the next five days trapped inside the Central Tower doing nothing.
He knelt beside Rin, checking her wounds carefully. With precise movements, he cleaned, disinfected, and wrapped her injured leg. His hands moved with the expertise of a professional, careful to avoid causing additional pain while ensuring a full recovery.
[Completed treatment on Matsuno Rin. Reward: One White Orb.]
[Congratulations! 10 Chakra points obtained.]
Next, Qingshui treated the two remaining shinobi. The process was straightforward, as their injuries were minor in comparison, yet he still applied the same level of meticulous care.
[Completed treatment on Hoshino Yuto. Reward: One White Orb.]
[Congratulations! 10 Chakra points obtained.]
[Completed treatment on Kenju Okubo. Reward: One White Orb.]
[Congratulations! 10 Chakra points obtained.]
In total, Qingshui had gained thirty Chakra points—a significant boost and well worth the effort.
Kenju Okubo, now fully recovered, stared at Qingshui with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for treating us despite what we did. Here—please take our team's Heaven Scroll."
The three Waterfall shinobi had reached this point purely by chance, and survival was already an accomplishment. They understood their limitations; they had little chance of stealing scrolls from other teams in the future. Offering their scroll now was not only practical but also a gesture of sincere respect.
Qingshui accepted the scroll without hesitation. Kenju Okubo and his team then voluntarily approached the examiners in the Central Tower and requested to withdraw from the exam. The rules permitted this, and their withdrawal was approved.
It was no surprise that the second stage of the Chunin Exam had the highest rate of voluntary withdrawal. Unlike the first stage, which was a written test, or the final stage, which consisted of individual battles, the second stage was a brutal test of survival and combat skill. Many first-time Genin had underestimated the challenge, and their exit was both wise and understandable.
As Kushina started walking toward the Central Tower, Qingshui suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Kushina, this second stage is far too dangerous for many participants. I want to help those who get injured. I can do my part and assist them."
This justification was exactly what he had planned to use before the exam began. As a medical ninja, he had every right to aid those in need, and the system would reward him for it.
"I'll send a Shadow Clone with you into the Central Tower," he continued, handing over the collected Heaven and Earth scrolls to Kushina. "My main body will remain here to treat injured shinobi and collect system rewards."
Kushina blinked, uncertain. "Is that… really allowed?"
Qingshui nodded confidently. "No one has ever attempted this before, but the rules don't forbid it. As long as I return before the exam ends, I can still pass."
Even Kushina, who had been skeptical of his methods in the past, could not deny the logic. Qingshui had found a loophole in the system, a way to both participate and maximize his rewards. It was audacious—but effective.
As the two prepared to enter the Central Tower, the Forest of Death remained tense and quiet, the perfect stage for Qingshui's unique combination of medical skill and tactical genius. Though others were fighting for survival or victory, he moved with precision, a healer in the shadows, reshaping the flow of the exam without shedding a drop of blood.
In this moment, friendship had truly come before competition, and the exam itself had become secondary. Qingshui's actions would ripple through the Chunin Exam, leaving a mark on all who witnessed his unique approach: the power of mercy, strategy, and the clever use of the system's rules.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)