THE UCHIHA ASCENSION

Uchiha Kiyo was well aware of the dangers of chakra. Excessive refinement damages body cells, shortening a ninja's lifespan. Since his first attempt at chakra refinement, Kiyo had never fully refined his chakra.

However, this approach wasn't sustainable. If he failed to find a solution, his chakra growth would stagnate. Without improving his chakra reserves, even learning ninjutsu would become a never-ending struggle—sooner or later, he'd hit a dead end.

Anxious, Kiyo spent five to six hours daily in the Uchiha clan's archive, searching for inspiration.

But this wasn't something one could find easily. Left with no choice, he calmed his mind and focused on his daily routine.

Just like that, half a month passed.

In ten days, the ninja academy would begin, yet Kiyo felt indifferent.

Over the past two weeks, his hand-seal speed had doubled. Now capable of performing two seals per second, he had finally reached the minimum standard for learning ninjutsu.

As previously mentioned, casting ninjutsu required chakra movement within the body, demanding a specific speed in forming hand seals. If one seal faded before the next was completed, the technique would fail.

Moreover, Uchiha Kiyo's current speed was purely in terms of hand movement.

Without incorporating chakra control, he could only manage two seals per second. When chakra manipulation was added, rhythm became crucial. It wasn't as simple as squeezing in three seals within two seconds.

In the original series, Uchiha Itachi could execute six seals per second—even during combat, while actively channeling chakra.

That's why Itachi's speed was so formidable. After all, if sheer hand speed was the only requirement, anyone could achieve six seals per second with enough practice. The real challenge was synchronizing that speed with chakra flow.

Ultimately, mastering ninjutsu required understanding how chakra circulated throughout the body and ensuring it aligned with the rapid execution of six seals per second.

Once seals were formed, chakra flow followed a fixed speed, though a ninja could manipulate it. Increasing hand-seal speed naturally demanded an equal improvement in chakra circulation.

Even with proper technique, the process remained complex, requiring relentless practice.

Kiyo could only progress step by step.

Recording the chakra flow associated with each seal, he had finally found his rhythm. He had already completed a study of how the twelve basic hand seals influenced chakra in the lower abdomen, and he had begun researching their effects on other body parts.

However, due to his genetic limitations, his chakra reserves weren't particularly impressive. This restricted how much research he could conduct each day.

And so, the issue circled back to chakra.

Throughout history, chakra had always been the primary factor limiting a ninja's growth. Time was not on Kiyo's side.

He decided that if he failed to find a solution within three months, he would abandon his current approach and refine chakra as much as possible.

After all, the ninja world was full of bizarre techniques. Worst case, he could find a way to transfer his consciousness to a new body, use Edo Tensei to reincarnate himself, and start over.

Of course, for that to work, he first had to be strong enough to set such a plan in motion.

After another unsuccessful attempt at solving the chakra deficiency issue, Kiyo sighed, recorded his findings, and paused his research.

Once he had regained his focus, he stood up and headed to the clan's archive.

As he walked, he kept replaying his struggles in his mind, troubled by his lack of progress.

"Three months… Can I really find a way to use chakra to nourish my body? Ugh… Have I been going about this all wrong?"

He frowned, sighed, and muttered to himself. Thankfully, with his head lowered and few pedestrians around, no one saw his troubled expression—otherwise, they might have thought he had lost his mind.

Upon reaching the archive, he greeted the elderly guardian at the entrance before stepping inside.

It wasn't that he thought of the old man as some wise sage.

However, the man wasn't an ordinary guard either.

Every Uchiha who had visited the archive knew that the elder at the door was no simple figure.

Uchiha Yu, once an elite jōnin, had now retired and served as the Uchiha clan's foreign affairs elder.

After all, only someone truly capable could be entrusted with guarding such an important place.

Yu raised his head, recognizing Kiyo immediately.

He had watched the boy frequent the archive since childhood. A studious one, no doubt. But recently, Yu had heard things from Uchiha Shin and felt a twinge of pity for the boy's situation.

"This is something he must overcome on his own," Yu thought. "Sigh… A diligent young man with potential. If only…"

However, if Kiyo could truly surpass this hurdle, his future would be limitless.

Watching the boy disappear into the archive, Yu made a silent assessment.

Of course, Kiyo had no idea.

Nor did he realize that his quiet determination had led others to overthink his actions. The human mind, after all, had a way of filling in the blanks.

Kiyo walked straight to the medical section.

The Uchiha were proud and arrogant, but they weren't careless. Their archive was meticulously organized.

The largest section contained information on the Sharingan—restricted to Uchiha clan members only.

Next was the illusion (genjutsu) section, followed by fire-style (katon) techniques. Other areas contained information on various jutsu, medical ninjutsu, and sealing techniques.

Recently, Kiyo had been focused on medical texts, hoping to discover a way to use chakra to strengthen the body.

Over the past four years, he had also spent time in the sealing techniques section. Uchiha Yu, the archive's guardian, had naturally taken note.

However, Yu never interfered. He didn't dictate how clan members pursued their training. And given that Kiyo had shown an interest in this knowledge from a young age, perhaps he had genuine talent in these areas.

Having an accomplished medical-nin or a sealing expert in the clan would be a valuable asset.

In fact, considering Kiyo's circumstances, medical ninjutsu might be a wise choice.

Yu closed his eyes again, returning to his silent watch.

Time passed as Kiyo studied.

He put down Basics of Ninja Body Conditioning and scanned the bookshelf. A title caught his eye—Samurai Body Forging Techniques.

"Huh? Why is there a samurai book here?"

Curious, he picked it up, puzzled as to why his ninja clan had bothered preserving it.

"Maybe someone obtained it by accident and left it here," he thought.

Initially, Kiyo intended to put the book back. But then, he reconsidered.

Had he been too narrow-minded? He had only ever studied ninja methods for improving physical fitness. Why not explore other approaches?

With this thought, he opened Samurai Body Forging Techniques and began reading.

Two hours passed in an instant.

Now, Kiyo was engrossed in a samurai's biography.

His eyes narrowed—this particular samurai had lived to 120 years old. Inspiration struck.

A 120-year lifespan was virtually unheard of in the ninja world. Even Uchiha Madara, who extended his life with the Gedo Statue, had only lived to around eighty or ninety.

Upon deeper examination, Kiyo found that this samurai had no special diet, no miraculous medicines. The key difference? He avoided excessive battles and took care of his body.

"No hidden injuries?" Kiyo muttered.

His gaze drifted as his thoughts raced.

Suddenly, he snapped out of it and searched for more samurai biographies.

His suspicions were confirmed—any samurai who had avoided severe injuries or received proper treatment had an extended lifespan.

"The human lifespan in this world, even without chakra, rarely reaches 100 years…"

Excitement surged through him.

Five minutes later, he forced himself to calm down, controlling his emotions with deep, steady breaths.

He picked up Samurai Body Forging Techniques once more. Had he overlooked something? He needed to review it carefully.

Before he knew it, night had fallen.

At Yu's urging, Kiyo hurriedly apologized, returned the book to its place, and left the archive.

Yu, watching him leave, picked up the book.

"This kid… what's he planning?"

After a moment, he sighed.

"If he truly follows the way of the samurai… what a shame."