THE UCHIHA ASCENSION

After Uchiha Kiyo returned home, the first thing he did was take out the medicated bath he had received for the month, prepare hot water, and soak in it.

Only ten days remained in the month, yet Uchihasuke still provided the usual monthly quantity, meaning that during the last ten days of the break, Uchiha Kiyo could consume the medicine and train daily.

In the future, he could also increase the intensity of his training. A medicated bath every three days was enough to eliminate the strain on his body.

---

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, six months had gone by. It was now the day the Ninja Academy resumed.

Name: Uchiha Kiyo (Age: 7)

Chakra: 12.7 cards / 12.7 cards (Potential: 14.6 cards)

Chakra Attributes: Slightly awakened

Ninjutsu: Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu, Hemostasis

Secret Arts: Self-Recovery

Other Skills: Sealing Techniques (Basic Barrier Formation)

In just half a year, Uchiha Kiyo's chakra had increased to over 12 cards. With improved chakra control, he was now able to use Hemostasis Jutsu twice. His proficiency in the Three Basic Jutsu had reached a level where they could be used effortlessly, much like a genin. His strength had indeed reached the level of a lower-ranked shinobi.

However, as someone who always acted cautiously, Uchiha Kiyo had no intention of graduating early—that was a foolish decision in his eyes. What was the point of rushing to graduate? Wasn't steady growth and proper development the best approach?

Graduating too soon would significantly shorten his training time, and since he hadn't hit a growth bottleneck yet, he needed all the time possible to develop.

Moreover, what were the benefits of early graduation? The Ninja World was growing more unstable, and countless enemies, including those from Amegakure, were lurking, waiting for an opportunity. Graduating before the age of seven would only paint a target on his back.

At this stage, the most important thing was stability—no unnecessary risks.

---

For the past six months, Uchiha Kiyo had continued to battle wild beasts in the forests behind Konoha, significantly improving his taijutsu. He even developed a movement technique to enhance his evasion skills. When combined with chakra, his dodging abilities became particularly effective.

The Uchiha Clan had also provided him with a basic sealing technique—a barrier formation jutsu. Though it wasn't particularly advanced, it served as an introductory step toward mastering more complex sealing arts. The best part? This technique didn't consume one of his official ninjutsu selections from the clan—it was given as a freebie. Naturally, Uchiha Kiyo happily accepted it. He had already mastered the sealing technique over six months, but since he hadn't found a use for it yet, he never demonstrated it to anyone.

---

The Ninja Academy had officially started. To avoid the crowd at the gates, Uchiha Kiyo left home early, hoping to enter before the wave of new students arrived.

Upon arriving, he noticed that only a few first-year students had checked in—just two or three. Presenting his student ID, he was quickly allowed inside.

He had just stepped in and hadn't even reached the second-year building when he was stopped.

A shy-looking blond-haired boy stood in front of him, scratching his head awkwardly. The moment Uchiha Kiyo saw him, a name popped into his mind.

"Minato Namikaze."

Curious, Uchiha Kiyo asked, "Do you need something?"

The little blond boy hesitated for a moment, then responded, "Uh… my name is Minato Namikaze. I'm a new student. Do you know where the first-year building is, big brother?"

Now, Uchiha Kiyo was certain—this was none other than the future Fourth Hokage, the man who would single-handedly lead Konoha to victory in the Third Great Ninja War.

What surprised him most was how polite Namikaze Minato was, even as a child.

After pointing him in the right direction, Uchiha Kiyo added, "My name is Uchiha Kiyo. If you need anything in the future, you can ask me. I'm in the front building—Second Year, Class 1."

Minato quickly bowed, "Thank you so much, Brother Kiyo!"

Seeing Minato's bright, cheerful smile, Uchiha Kiyo couldn't help but sigh.

"A born leader. Even at this age, his presence is magnetic. His smile alone puts people at ease."

However, Uchiha Kiyo also knew that getting too close to Minato too soon might be counterproductive. There would be time in the future to build a connection—slowly but surely.

"The future Fourth Hokage… The man who perfected the Flying Thunder God technique, earning the title of Yellow Flash."

Many believed that Tobirama Senju was the true master of the Flying Thunder God, but in reality, the technique had only been roughly developed in his time. Due to his limited knowledge and the constraints of his era, the jutsu was never fully perfected. Minato Namikaze, however, would take it to new heights, refining it into a truly lethal technique.

With his other self-created jutsu, Rasengan, Minato would leave an unshakable mark on the history of the ninja world.

Had he not died so young, there was no telling how far he could have gone.

That's right—Minato's death was self-sacrifice, not necessity. Could someone of his caliber truly not seal the Nine-Tails without resorting to the Reaper Death Seal? Impossible. He chose to follow Kushina Uzumaki into death out of love.

A shinobi of his level, still in his twenties, could have become another Six Paths-level ninja, much like Might Guy's potential in the Eight Gates. Had he continued growing, he might have been one of the strongest shinobi in history.

It was no surprise that Jiraiya, long before meeting Nagato, believed Minato was the Child of Prophecy.

"If there truly is a 'chosen one' in the ninja world, it's Minato Namikaze—not Naruto Uzumaki."

Even Naruto's incredible destiny was only possible because of Minato's influence. His father's legacy protected him, allowing him to flourish.

Throughout the ninja world's long history, only two reincarnations of Asura had successfully reached their full potential: Hashirama Senju and Naruto Uzumaki.

How did Hashirama become so powerful? He was born as the young leader of the Senju Clan, the strongest clan of the Warring States Era.

However, his rise came at a great cost—his clan's luck ran dry, leading to their eventual downfall. Even Tsunade, his granddaughter, inherited the Senju's misfortune, suffering tremendous losses throughout her life.

Naruto Uzumaki also paid a price—his birth led to the death of Minato, the true son of fate.

Of course, all of this was just speculation on Uchiha Kiyo's part. Whether fate and luck truly existed in the ninja world was unknown.

One thing, however, was clear: Minato Namikaze was special. Building a relationship with him was a wise move.

For now, Uchiha Kiyo continued his rigorous training, occasionally interacting with Minato. However, as time passed, Minato became busier with his own progress.

Thanks to the medicated baths from the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Kiyo's physical training remained on track, and before he knew it, three years had passed.