THE UCHIHA ASCENSION

Since Uchiha Kiyo's chakra control training had also entered the right track, his problems in the two most important aspects—chakra reserves and chakra control—had been resolved.

A month passed quickly.

Uchiha Kiyo followed his training regimen diligently every day.

During his time at the ninja academy, Uchiha Kiyo focused on studying. Well… at least, he dedicated himself to learning the basics of medical ninjutsu and the foundations of sealing techniques, which he had borrowed from the Uchiha clan's reference room.

At the same time, he continued his chakra control training. Over the past month, he had improved significantly, now able to control three small spheres simultaneously, performing more complex maneuvers.

His health recovery technique development was also progressing steadily. While he called it "development," it was essentially the process of training his ability to control more spiritual energy at once and refining the conversion of chakra into physical energy.

In this one month, Uchiha Kiyo's chakra reserves had also increased to 4.7 cards.

Aside from that, he trained his body diligently.

After school, he spent an hour every day at the Uchiha training grounds working on his shuriken and kunai techniques. His accuracy had improved remarkably—he could now hit moving targets with precision. Recently, he had also begun practicing throwing multiple kunai at once.

His taijutsu progress, however, was less pronounced. His overall physical abilities had improved slightly, but the gains were not as rapid as his chakra development. Unfortunately, without a source of income, he couldn't invest in additional resources for training. His only option was to continue at this pace or wait another year or two until his body matured enough for more rigorous physical conditioning.

Besides, didn't the academy schedule physical conditioning classes for students in six months? By then, his body would have developed further, allowing him to engage in more intense exercises without stunting his growth.

All in all, this past month had been incredibly productive, and his strength had grown significantly.

Now, if he were to face a newly graduated Genin, Uchiha Kiyo could confidently say:

"I can take them down."

---

As usual, Uchiha Kiyo arrived at the classroom, took his seat, and pulled out the Sealing Techniques: Fundamentals textbook—er… well, it wasn't exactly his; he had borrowed it.

Just then, a thought struck him, and he muttered to himself.

"Does the academy have a reference library? I haven't checked it out yet… Actually, why not today? I'll see if there's any material not available in the Uchiha archives. Though, I doubt it."

He had little expectation of finding anything new. The Uchiha clan's records were extensive, so he was merely curious.

However, upon entering the reference room and browsing through the medical ninjutsu section, Uchiha Kiyo quickly realized he had been mistaken.

The Uchiha reference room—or at least the first floor—was open to the public. Anyone could borrow books by paying a fee. Uchiha clan members, of course, enjoyed privileges, allowing them to borrow materials for free. However, since these were publicly accessible materials, they contained only introductory knowledge, with very few resources that delved into advanced techniques.

In fact, his borrowed sealing technique textbook was among the most valuable texts available on the first floor, detailing the core principles required for mastering sealing techniques. While it lacked actual sealing formulas, it covered theoretical foundations comprehensively.

The ninja academy's reference room, however, was different.

It was not open to the public. Only academy students could enter, and borrowing books required approval from their homeroom teacher.

As a result, the material here was quite different from what was found in the Uchiha clan's library.

The ninja training section contained various insights, including chakra control tips, foundational genjutsu and taijutsu principles, and even basic D-rank ninjutsu—slightly more advanced than the Academy's standard curriculum.

There was also a medical ninjutsu section, where Kiyo discovered something interesting: Hemostasis Jutsu, a D-rank healing technique considered the entry-level skill for medical-nin ninjutsu.

Sealing techniques, however, were absent. These were considered advanced knowledge, and the available information barely matched the introductory content from his borrowed book.

---

In reality, the Uchiha clan's reference materials were far more valuable than he had previously thought. Even the book he had borrowed cost 1,000 ryo for Uchiha members, while outsiders would have to pay over a million ryo to access it.

The ninja academy's reference room, on the other hand, served as a hidden benefit for hardworking students.

Only those who were dedicated, disciplined, and capable would eventually discover the reference room's existence. Even then, teachers would evaluate their academic performance before granting access to these materials, ensuring that only serious students benefited from this knowledge.

Perhaps, this was Konoha's way of rewarding promising students.

Uchiha Kiyo browsed through the medical ninjutsu section, absorbing knowledge with enthusiasm.

"Have you picked something yet?"

Just as Kiyo was deeply focused, a voice spoke behind him—Naoki Uemura, his homeroom teacher.

Startled, Kiyo turned around.

"Sensei? Why are you here? Isn't class about to start?"

Uemura-sensei had actually been preparing for class in his office when the library manager informed him of Kiyo's visit. Curious, he came over to check.

As a teacher, Uemura Naoki had always been conflicted about Uchiha Kiyo. The boy barely paid attention in class, yet somehow still grasped the lessons. Since his academic performance was solid, Uemura chose to let him be, though he did conduct occasional spot checks.

If Kiyo wanted to borrow academic materials, Uemura had no objections. In fact, after receiving orders from the Third Hokage, he was well aware that Kiyo was a unique case among the Uchiha—one who showed genuine interest in medical ninjutsu.

From the Third Hokage's perspective, Kiyo had the potential to inherit the Will of Fire.

After hearing Uemura's explanation, Uchiha Kiyo sighed.

"As expected, Konoha truly is the most powerful ninja village. Even in an academy library, there's a system to encourage excellence."

Since Uemura had arrived, Kiyo made his selection—"The Basics of Konoha Medical Ninjutsu."

Uemura glanced at the book and was impressed.

This text was compiled under Tsunade's leadership by multiple Konoha medical-nin in recent years, making it the most comprehensive beginner's guide to medical ninjutsu.

Uemura had expected Kiyo to pick the Hemostasis Jutsu guide, but his choice showed remarkable foresight—he understood the value of a strong foundation.

In truth, Kiyo was already capable of learning Hemostasis Jutsu, but with his limited chakra, he could only practice it once per day. This would interfere with his other training, so he chose to strengthen his fundamentals first.

With his selection registered, Kiyo returned to the classroom, now carrying the medical ninjutsu basics book.

Nawaki was already at his desk. Seeing Kiyo with a book, he grinned mischievously.

"Yo, Kiyo! What took you so long? Wait… were you reading in the bathroom?!"

Uchiha Kiyo rolled his eyes at Nawaki's antics.

"What bathroom?! I went to the reference room to borrow this."

He handed the book to Nawaki, who glanced at the cover. Seeing "Medical Ninjutsu", he instantly lost interest—until he noticed Tsunade's signature.

Nawaki visibly flinched.

Kiyo raised an eyebrow. "Wait… are you afraid of your own sister?"

Nawaki shuddered, recalling traumatizing memories of being beaten, healed, and beaten again whenever Tsunade wanted to test her techniques.

Kiyo smirked. "Wow. And here I thought you were fearless."

Nawaki groaned. "You don't understand, man… She's a demon."