Escape from Konoha.

The person who was assigned to Shiraishi's group was not Ayane, but another classmate, Ruri.

A genius girl from the Uchiha clan, a prestigious family in Konoha, who is on par with the Hyuga clan.

In practical classes, the shuriken used by the students are made of wood, and the sharp parts have been ground off, making the edges smooth. Even if they hit a person, they will only feel pain and will not be in danger of death.

"How boring, using such a toy to compete."

The Uchiha girl standing next to Shiraishi glanced at the two boys of the same age fighting in the arena with an arrogant look on her face, revealing obvious contempt.

"Um, Ruri, isn't it a bit inappropriate to say that? We're still first-year students."

Shiraishi hesitated for a moment, then quietly reminded Ruri not to provoke public anger.

For most students, starting with proper shuriken and kunai can easily lead to bloodshed.

"You'd better worry about yourself more than anyone else. I won't hold back when you're on the field."

Shiraishi gave an awkward smile and said nothing more.

Time flew by, and it was Shiraishi's group's turn to perform.

Chapter Five: The Genius Girl

Shiraishi and Ruri walked into the arena according to the rules, having prepared wooden shuriken and kunai in their ninja tool bags beforehand. These were toy weapons with their sharp points ground off, making them very low-damage.

Shiroishi and Ruri stood facing each other, first solemnly forming a seal of opposition with each other.

"start."

The homeroom teacher, Fujimura Taiga, saw the two of them in place and shouted loudly.

Before Shiraishi could even react, Ruri, standing opposite him, swiftly pulled out several wooden shuriken from her ninja tool pouch. Slicing through the air, the shuriken flew rapidly toward Shiraishi's body, all aimed precisely at his vital points.

Shiroshi was slightly startled and rolled to the side. Although he looked disheveled, he managed to dodge Ruri's first attack.

Just as he was about to regain his balance, Liuli had already disappeared from his sight. A strong gust of wind swept from behind, and Baishi turned around to see only a leg shadow. The toe of the foot struck him squarely in the chest, sending him flying.

They were defeated instantly.

"Sigh, I thought I could hold out a little longer, but Ruri-san is really strong..."

Shiraishi clutched his chest, stood up from the ground, looking as if he had used all his strength to get up, and his face immediately showed a bitter and unwilling expression.

Liuli didn't respond to Baishi's disappointed expression. She just glanced at Baishi's face a few times, then raised her chin, tossed her long black hair, and arrogantly left the venue.

"That's genius. But don't be discouraged, Shiraishi. You are the most hardworking student I've ever seen. You will definitely become an amazing ninja in the future."

Fujimura Taiga really liked students like Shiraishi who listened attentively in class and loved reading. Fearing that Shiraishi would be discouraged by his quick defeat in this practical battle, he came up and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm fine, Fujimura-sensei."

"That's good. Go and get some rest. Don't think too much."

Seeing the slight disappointment on Shiraishi's face, Fujimura Taiga did not expose him.

In his view, Shiraishi's hard work to improve himself must have been unimaginable to outsiders, and the fact that he was easily defeated in two moves in actual combat must have been a huge blow to him.

However, facing such an outstanding genius as Ruri, Fujimura Taiga knew that it was already remarkable that Shiraishi could withstand even one move.

In his eyes, Ruri's strength was no different from that of the village's genin.

It was only natural that Shiraishi would lose so quickly.

Time passed by little by little, and the day was over. After quickly finishing dinner, Baishi returned to the wooded clearing behind the school as usual, where he used the wooden stakes to practice his cultivation.

Shiraishi's speed was extremely fast, and judging from the degree of impact between his limbs and the wooden stake, the power of each of Shiraishi's strikes was not to be underestimated.

Shiraishi's expression remained calm, and his breathing was steady. While striking the wooden stake, he also adjusted the rhythm of his breathing, so as to conserve his stamina and increase the duration of his continuous combat while maintaining considerable speed and power.

Just as Baishi was immersed in this selfless cultivation, a sharp sound of air being cut suddenly came to his ears. A kunai flew through the air, causing Baishi to react quickly and jump backward to avoid being injured by the suddenly appearing kunai.

Shiraishi frowned and looked into the depths of the woods.

It was already past eight o'clock in the evening, and only the moonlight could faintly illuminate the dark parts of the woods, so that nothing could be seen at all.

A short figure emerged from the shadows, long black hair dancing lightly in the evening breeze, dark pupils exceptionally bright, and a sharp gaze sweeping over, making Shiraishi's nerves tighten.

This girl was Shiraishi's classmate, Uchiha Ruri.

Then, Shiraishi scratched his head, forcing a relaxed smile, and said:

"It's you, Ruri-kun. What are you doing here so late? To be honest, I was a little upset about being easily defeated by you during the day, so I came here..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liuli coldly interrupted, "Fight me with all your might."

"Huh? All my strength? During the day, that's my all-out effort..."

Shiraishi stammered, as if he didn't quite understand what Ruri meant.

"I said, fight me with all your might!"

"Ruri-kun, what are you talking about...?"

Seeing Baishi feigning madness and making excuses, a hint of impatience appeared on Liuli's cold face.

He took out a kunai and held it in his hand, then without hesitation, slashed it across Shiraishi's neck.

Unlike the wooden training tools used during the day, the weapon Ruri held in her hand was a deadly weapon capable of easily slicing open Shiraishi's throat.

What's most frightening is that Ruri's attack speed is extremely fast, and Shiraishi's heart grows heavy.

The speed that Liuli was displaying at this moment was even faster than the speed she used when sparring with him during the day.

Shiraishi dared not be careless and also took out a kunai to block Ruri's attack.

Sparks flew between the kunai.

Two pairs of silent, dark eyes pierced the night air as they gazed at each other, both revealing a serious expression.

"Ruri, were you planning to kill me just now?"

"Humph!"

As always, he was cold and ruthless. His long black hair danced in the moonlight. Using his hair as cover, he thrust his kunai at Shiraishi's heart from a dangerous angle.

Shiraishi barely managed to block it, then quickly created a safe distance between himself and Ruri, his expression growing increasingly serious.

From that moment, Shiraishi knew that his speed and strength were definitely no worse than Ruri's, but Ruri had much more practical experience. Given the difference in practical experience, Shiraishi understood that his chances of winning were very low.

Fortunately, after a brief probing, Ruri did not choose to continue her attack. Instead, she gave Shiraishi a strange look, her arrogance fading, and asked:

"That's really strange. If they're so strong, why would they deliberately hide their abilities?"

This was a difficult question to answer, and Shiraishi couldn't find a suitable lie to convince Ruri, so the room suddenly fell silent.

Just as Shiraishi was racking his brains for a way to smooth things over, he heard Ruri continue:

"Alright. Now that I know you're hiding your strength, I've achieved my goal. Let's stop here."

After saying those words, Liuli left without looking back, without any hesitation.

"...She's such a strange girl."

Shiraishi muttered to himself, "She probably won't reveal that he's hiding his strength, will she?"

If that's the case, things could really get complicated.

Considering Liuli's aloof and unapproachable demeanor, she probably wouldn't be the type to meddle in other people's business.

Thinking about it this way, Shiraishi suddenly felt much more at ease.

However, the truth was seen through by a child, and even the Chunin-level homeroom teacher, Fujimura Taiga, failed to notice it. Shiraishi truly realized one thing—even a child is still a ninja, and should not be underestimated.

We must be more careful in the future.

Chapter Six: Classroom Antics and the Birth of the Big Eater Queen

Good morning, Ruri.

He greeted Liuli as usual, and Liuli turned her head, glanced at him, and nodded in response.

Shiraishi's face froze slightly. He thought that Ruri would ignore his greeting as before...

The fact that he responded to his greeting must be because his abilities have been recognized, right?

After all, Ruri said in her initial self-introduction that she didn't intend to share things with weaklings... which means that Ruri only recognizes strong people, and she probably wouldn't even bother to respond to greetings from the weak.

That's a really simple and brutal code of conduct.

"Um, about what happened last night, could you..."

Shiraishi looked a little embarrassed, but continued to talk to Ruri with a fawning smile.

Liuli glanced at Baishi and said, "I understand. I won't tell anyone and I'll keep this a secret for you. But in return, if I have any cultivation requirements, you're not allowed to refuse."

Shiraishi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Of course, I'd be happy to."

Soon, Hinata Ayane, who was sitting at the other desk, arrived. After greeting Shiraishi, she sat down and started chatting with the girl at the desk in front of her.

The school bell rang, and today's first class was a brainwashing class for pyramid schemes.

This is the spread of the so-called 'Will of Fire'.

Pulling out the book "The First Hokage and the Will of Fire," Shiraishi felt that this kind of course was pure torture for him, but he had to pretend to listen attentively.

Political correctness must be carefully disguised.

Not long after, Shiraishi felt someone poke his right arm with a finger.

Shiraishi turned his head and saw Ruri pretending to listen attentively.

Then, he looked down and saw a note with writing on it that read, "You hate this kind of class?"

Shiraishi decisively took out a slip of paper, thought for a moment, and replied to Ruri with a single sentence—

—No, I think Fujimura-sensei explained it very well. I also want to inherit the Will of Fire of the First Hokage and become a great Konoha ninja.

Liuli turned her head and glared at Baishi with dissatisfaction. She could tell at a glance that Baishi was lying to her.

—When you opened the book "The First Hokage and the Will of Fire" on the first day of school, I noticed your expression was off. You must be afraid or worried about something.

—I ate expired bread that day and had a stomachache, so I looked pale.

—That's a lie. Remember when school started, didn't I tell Ayane that my stomach hurt because I drank expired milk?