THE UCHIHA ASCENSION

When someone is truly devoted to something, time seems to pass much faster.

Since the first real battle, two months have flown by in the blink of an eye.

During this time, through countless battles and under the guidance of Nobu Uchiha, Kiyo Uchiha's progress has been undeniable.

According to Uchiha Shin, Kiyo Uchiha's physical abilities are now comparable to that of a newly graduated Genin. Since Genin primarily rely on physical skills, Uchiha Shin believes that Kiyo has reached a level close to theirs.

Well… to be precise, before Kiyo completely exhausts his stamina, he can defend against an attack from a newly graduated Genin.

As for landing an attack on his opponent? That's a different story…

Still, if an opponent collapses from exhaustion during a fight, does that count as a victory? After all, they both fall in the end.

Uchiha Shin insists that the result is the same—it's still a win.

Unfortunately, after three months of intense special training, without the aid of a medicinal bath, Kiyo Uchiha cannot push his body too hard. As a result, his physical growth has slowed.

Even so, Kiyo is satisfied. In these three months of clan training, he has completely transformed and now possesses the combat strength of a true Genin.

Of course, this isn't something worth boasting about. Even Uchiha Shin rarely mentions it to others, fearing that the conversation might shift toward Uchiha battle tactics.

At some point, Shin attempted to change Kiyo's situation, but after many failed attempts, he looked into Kiyo's past. Upon understanding his history, Shin chose to stop pushing the matter.

"Well… In time, he'll find his own way forward."

Now that morning special training is no longer required, Kiyo feels more at ease. The training had been so intense that even he struggled to endure it. If not for the medicinal baths, he might have suffered lasting injuries.

This only proves how powerful the Uchiha clan's medicinal formula is. It heals severe muscle damage while ensuring no negative effects on growth, making it a testament to the clan's deep heritage, dating back to the Warring States period.

Even without special training, Kiyo does not slack off. After breakfast, he begins his warm-up routine.

Being well-versed in medical scrolls, Kiyo has developed an exercise regimen that maximizes efficiency without harming his body or hindering his development.

Once he completes his basic training, Kiyo moves on to his real focus.

Though he successfully extracted chakra over two months ago, his training left no time for deeper research. Now, with free time, he can finally study it properly.

Kiyo has always been fascinated by chakra. Now that he's free, he eagerly begins his research.

First, he concentrates his chakra into his fist and throws a punch.

A sharp "whoosh" cuts through the air.

Satisfied, Kiyo recalls what Shin taught him: chakra enhances the body, improving both attack and defense.

In battle, Kiyo has already mastered basic chakra reinforcement—redirecting chakra to his arms when blocking, to his legs when dodging, and so on.

He has also experimented with channeling chakra to various parts of his body, hoping to discover a way to nourish and strengthen it permanently.

Unfortunately, all attempts have failed.

If such a method existed, surely someone in the ninja world would have discovered it by now.

Through his research, Kiyo concludes that while chakra can temporarily enhance the body's attack and defense, it does not provide lasting physical improvement.

Still, this realization leaves him uneasy.

"Is there truly no way to strengthen the body while refining chakra? No, there must be a way. Otherwise, even if I reach the power of the Sage of Six Paths, my body will still eventually decay. Even if I become like him, with an immortal soul, my physical body will be lost."

From his past life's knowledge of novels, Kiyo knows that losing the body is an incomplete form of evolution. He suspects it might even prevent further ascension.

Chakra, however, holds strange properties.

Since his first attempt at chakra refinement, his body instinctively remembers the correct ratio of spiritual and physical energy, automatically forming chakra whenever he trains.

According to Uchiha records, once a person successfully refines chakra, a small amount remains in the body, acting like a "chakra seed." As long as spiritual and physical energy are supplied, the seed regenerates chakra on its own.

Kiyo accepts this principle.

Suddenly, something comes to mind. He slaps his forehead and rushes upstairs to the storage room.

This room contains his parents' belongings—mostly ninja tools and his father's notes.

In the past, Kiyo rarely touched these items, believing they were beyond his current understanding. What use were ninja tools to someone who hadn't even refined chakra? The clan's library had been a far better resource.

But now, things are different. With chakra at his disposal, these relics are finally of use.

After searching for a while, he finds a few worn pieces of paper.

Chakra test strips.

These are tools used to determine a ninja's chakra nature.

Most ninjas have a single chakra affinity, while geniuses may possess two or more.

Chakra nature is innate, determining which elemental ninjutsu one can learn more easily. The more chakra affinities a ninja has, the greater their potential.

The test paper reacts differently based on chakra nature:

Wind – splits in half

Lightning – crumples

Earth – breaks apart

Water – dampens

Fire – ignites

If a person has multiple affinities, different sections of the paper will display different reactions.

Kiyo recalls stumbling upon these test strips when sorting through his parents' belongings long ago.

He hadn't thought much of them at the time, but now that he's refining chakra, he finally understands their importance.

Taking a deep breath, Kiyo pours his chakra into the strip.

A moment later, the results appear—half of the paper bursts into flames, while the remaining half is both damp and crumbling.

This confirms Kiyo possesses three chakra natures: fire, water, and earth, with fire being the most dominant.

His heart races with excitement.

"Three chakra natures… This isn't bad, right? In all of Konoha, only the Third Hokage and Orochimaru surpass me in this regard. Maybe Jiraiya as well, but I'm not certain."

With three chakra affinities, learning ninjutsu will be significantly easier in the future.

Staring at the test strip, Kiyo's mind races.

Then, suddenly, caution takes over.

Glancing around to ensure no one is watching, he destroys the strip and heads downstairs.

"From now on, I'll only reveal that I have fire affinity… at most, I'll mention earth as well."

Having decided to remain in the shadows, Kiyo knows he must hide his true potential. Even the smallest slip-up could expose him.