There was only one line in that document.
"Bloodline pollution assessment: Failed. Qualification for Chunin Examination revoked."
Ri Xiangling folded it four times, stuffed it into his jacket pocket, and walked out of the Presbyterian Council Hall. The light in the corridor is white, as white as the blank space in the deepest part of Bai's eyes. He had walked this corridor for fifteen years—every time he passed by, he thought he belonged in the room at the other end of the corridor.
It turns out he never belonged.
Someone was waiting for him outside. It was Hinata Jin who was in the same class, half a head taller than him, and his Byakugan's perception was three times stronger than his. Ren didn't say anything, just glanced at him, then lowered his head and got out of the way.
This hurts more than any words can say.
Ling didn't go back to the dormitory or go find anyone. He walked alone to the easternmost cliff of Konoha, sat down, unfolded the paper that had been folded four times, held it in the wind, and read it again.
"Bloodline pollution."
His eye roll was genuine. His chakra is real. The sweat he shed, the cocoons he made, and every failure he endured in the past fifteen years were all real.
But the line says he's unqualified, so he's unqualified.
Ling let go of the paper. The wind swept it away, rolled it over the cliff, and disappeared into the dusk. He watched it disappear, and suddenly felt something move in his chest - not sadness, not anger.
More like something very ancient has finally decided to wake up.
