THE UCHIHA ASCENSION

Uchiha Kiyo's chakra reserves were still far from sufficient. Even when practicing the most basic Transformation Jutsu, he could only attempt it six times before depleting his chakra.

This limitation frustrated him. No matter how much talent he had, the reality was that his chakra pool was simply too small.

After six attempts, Kiyo had managed to barely control his transformed appearance, but the finer details remained slightly off.

Even so, he wasn't discouraged. The only thing missing was proficiency. As long as he continued practicing, his mastery of the technique would naturally improve.

Since he couldn't continue training the Three Basic Jutsu, Kiyo decided to shift his focus. He retrieved the book "Introduction to Medical Ninjutsu" and started reading.

With his prior knowledge of medicine from his past life, along with the medical theory he had studied over the past few years, Kiyo already had a solid foundation. Now, all he needed was the chakra capacity and control to put it into practice.

However, when it came to chakra control, Kiyo realized he hadn't paid enough attention to it since first refining his chakra. According to the book, his control might not be up to standard yet.

To improve it, the academy recommended traditional training methods like tree climbing and water walking. But for someone with such low chakra reserves, these methods would be too inefficient. Half his chakra would be drained just from attempting them once.

Thus, Kiyo had yet to attempt them. He had some other ideas, but no way to bypass the fundamental issue of limited chakra.

Now, he truly felt the weight of this bottleneck. The only thing he could do was wait for his chakra to naturally grow.

Perhaps mastering how to control the life energy in his body would be the answer. If he could successfully cultivate it, his physical attributes would improve as well. That, in turn, would help his chakra development.

After borrowing the book, Kiyo no longer had to visit the reference room daily. Instead, after exhausting his chakra, he would dedicate time to medical ninjutsu theory.

---

The next day, Uchiha Kiyo woke up early, remembering that there was an assessment scheduled.

After preparing his own breakfast, he packed a bento for lunch and left for the academy.

"Did I forget something yesterday?" Kiyo suddenly thought.

"Ah, that's right—Nawaki Senju."

Since the Senju heir spent time around him, it would definitely draw the attention of the Third Hokage. No matter how subtle, a Uchiha forming a close connection with the eldest son of the Senju Clan would be something worth monitoring. Even if Kiyo hadn't initiated the friendship himself.

Luckily, he hadn't done anything too noticeable yet.

In the future, though, he would have to be more careful. Training techniques openly in his yard was too risky.

If someone were watching, they shouldn't be able to tell what he was up to. Secrecy was key.

Having a proper excuse would help too. Reading was a good cover.

As he walked toward the academy, Kiyo solidified his plan for concealing his abilities.

The Uchiha compound was located near the center of the village, so his home wasn't too far from the ninja academy. It took him about twenty minutes to get there.

Upon arriving at the classroom, Kiyo took his seat and thought about the upcoming test.

"So, how much should I reveal in this exam?"

This was another tricky issue.

After careful deliberation, he decided that for theory class, he wouldn't hide much. Still, he would make sure to miss a few questions on purpose to avoid drawing excessive attention.

However, when practical combat classes began, he would maintain his defensive fighting style. If he could also integrate medical ninjutsu, it would solidify his cover even more.

"Hm… I'll be the guy who specializes in defense and healing. Imagine their frustration—thinking they've won, only for me to recover mid-fight. Despair, indeed."

At that moment, Nawaki Senju entered the classroom.

He looked terrible.

His eyes were swollen, there was a bruise on his nose, and even his posture seemed off—as if his body ached all over.

Kiyo didn't need to ask what happened.

It was obvious.

Tsunade had beaten him up.

Of course, Kiyo had no intention of getting involved.

Even though he shared an interest in medical ninjutsu, he was still a Uchiha. Given Tsunade's feelings toward his clan, she wouldn't be fond of him.

Besides, colleagues in the same profession often become rivals—and that applied to the world of medical ninjutsu as well.

Sensing an awkward silence, Nawaki Senju suddenly changed the subject.

"Hey, Kiyo… what if I fail today's test? I won't get expelled, right?"

He looked genuinely concerned. The thought of failing and facing punishment seemed to terrify him.

Kiyo glanced at him before answering.

"No, this is just a placement test to gauge everyone's level. There are no consequences. Just make sure you don't fail the real exams later."

Nawaki Senju visibly relaxed, sighing in relief.

A few minutes later, their homeroom teacher, Naoki Uemura, entered the classroom and distributed the test papers.

With that, the assessment began.

---

The test wasn't difficult. Aside from the final question, everything was straightforward.

Kiyo finished early and turned in his paper ahead of time before heading outside.

He took out his book and started reading.

For Nawaki Senju, however, this was devastating.

"Wait… he's already done?! I haven't even finished half of it!"

He felt like he was betrayed.

Kiyo was his seatmate—shouldn't he have at least let him copy some answers?

"I was still debating whether I should cheat, but you didn't even give me the chance!?"

Nawaki Senju was on the verge of losing his mind.

At this moment, he finally understood.

He always thought Kiyo was just pretending to be inattentive in class—but the truth was, his seatmate was a top student.

He, on the other hand, was a failure.

"How did I end up with a genius for a seatmate!?"

Of course, Kiyo was completely unaware of Nawaki Senju's internal crisis.

Instead, he was engrossed in his medical ninjutsu book.

After some time, though, he felt like reading the same material was getting dull. Maybe it was time to check out sealing techniques next.

Unfortunately, that meant spending another 1,000 ryo—the equivalent of buying a kunai.

"I need to figure out a way to earn money. Something that doesn't interfere with my training…"

---

After forty minutes, Naoki Uemura returned to the classroom, holding the graded tests.

He distributed the result sheets, then cleared his throat.

"The highest score is 98 points, achieved by Uchiha Kiyo! Everyone should learn from him."

Nawaki Senju was shocked.

"98!?"

He looked at his own paper—40 points.

Then back at Kiyo.

This was the moment of realization.

He always thought Kiyo was a slacker, but in reality, his seatmate was a prodigy.

"Kiyo, how did you get 98 points!? You even got the hardest question right!"

Kiyo replied calmly, his tone completely casual.

"Oh, I just lost two points on a multiple-choice question."

Nawaki Senju gasped.

"That's how geniuses talk!?"