Ninja Academy Begins (Please Bookmark)

Another ten days passed.

Having found a direction for solving the lifespan problem, Uchiha Kiyoshi felt much more at ease. Over the past ten days, he had spent an hour each day in the small courtyard studying hand seals.

Uchiha Kiyoshi did not hide his research into hand seals. He openly formed seals over and over in the courtyard, then recorded the results. There were no major movements involved anyway, and his family's small courtyard gave him enough room.

This did not arouse any suspicion. After all, many ninjas took notes while practicing hand seals; Uchiha Kiyoshi was merely more frequent about it.

Afterward, Uchiha Kiyoshi went to the training ground from the special training period and practiced kunai throwing for one or two hours.

This training ground had originally been prepared for the younger generation undergoing special training. Although the special training had ended, no other ninjas came here to train besides the members of that class. Until next year's special training began, Uchiha Kiyoshi and the others could continue training here. Compared with the official training grounds, this place was much smaller, but it had all the necessary equipment and was more than sufficient for Uchiha Kiyoshi's training.

After practicing kunai throwing, Uchiha Kiyoshi continued practicing Taijutsu at the training ground.

In the afternoons, he went to the Archives to look for information.

Of course, after finding a direction, Uchiha Kiyoshi returned to his usual routine. He spent half his time continuing to search for materials on Medical Ninjutsu, while using the rest to study Sealing Jutsu Basics.

Unfortunately, after ten days, Uchiha Kiyoshi still had not found a way to control Physical Energy, and his heart grew more anxious.

Today was the day the Ninja Academy opened.

The Ninja Academy had been established by the Second Hokage, intended to provide civilians with a path to becoming ninjas. In addition, every major ninja clan sent its younger members there to study.

Because the Ninja Academy was entirely under the Hokage's control, during their schooling, through all kinds of indoctrination, whether they were civilian ninjas or clan ninjas, they would come to revere the Will of Fire and become a force belonging to the Hokage's faction.

This was also one of the Hokage's methods for controlling the ninja clans.

But theory was ultimately just theory. Clan ninjas grew up within their clans. Although they were influenced by the Ninja Academy, aside from a small few, most clan ninjas had a strong sense of identification with the village but still placed clan interests first when it came to major matters.

After all, many of a clan ninja's advantages were granted by the clan. The Ninja Academy did not provide them with much convenience in terms of resources.

Thinking of indoctrination, Uchiha Kiyoshi thought of a certain traitor again. Such an intelligent person—how could he fail to understand? Why insist on being someone else's weapon?

"Ah! Perhaps I just don't understand the world of geniuses.

And Uchiha Shisui was actually on the clan's side. He was just too naive. How did he end up teaching such an anti-clan fellow?"

Uchiha Kiyoshi rubbed his brow and sighed.

"No wonder that in my previous life, the Uchiha Clan's basic impression on people was that they were a bunch of lunatics...

The Uchiha Clan wasn't like that. Only after experiencing it firsthand did Uchiha Kiyoshi realize that many clan members were normal people with emotions of their own.

Only those 'geniuses' who improved rapidly from a young age, perhaps affected by the Sharingan too early, seemed like lunatics."

Thus, Uchiha Kiyoshi had rather conflicted views about the Sharingan.

The awakening and advancement of the Sharingan required intense mental changes, which already impacted a ninja's mind. The effects brought by the Sharingan awakening or advancing further intensified that impact, making it easy for someone to suffer a mental breakdown.

Ninjas who had been tempered over time and possessed mature minds could barely endure it. But those geniuses were different.

No matter how intelligent they were, they could not escape immaturity of mind. They had experienced too little, and no matter how precocious they were, they would be influenced without realizing it.

Thus, it formed a paradox: the earlier one awakened the Sharingan and the faster it evolved, the greater a genius one was. Yet awakening the Sharingan too early could also lead to mental problems.

Therefore, regardless of his talent with the Sharingan, Uchiha Kiyoshi would not awaken it too early. Without knowing exactly how the Sharingan's effects arose, he would not take the risk. Only when he could completely control it would Uchiha Kiyoshi consider awakening it.

In Uchiha Kiyoshi's mind, the most ideal process of awakening the Sharingan was none other than Uchiha Madara's.

Uchiha Madara himself possessed tremendous talent and improved rapidly. Furthermore, he had not awakened the Sharingan particularly early, but at around eight years old. At that time, Madara's strength had already reached Chunin level, and the power brought by the Sharingan did not exceed his control.

Moreover, Uchiha Madara had not relied too heavily on the Sharingan. His own Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were both excellent. Throughout his growth, the Sharingan's power had always remained under Uchiha Madara's control.

This was also why, in Uchiha Madara's generation, the upper limit of power across the entire Ninja World reached a new peak.

Black Zetsu had chosen Uchiha Madara rather than the other reincarnations of Indra because he valued this point as well. Only an Indra reincarnation who truly controlled his own strength had the greatest hope of awakening the Rinnegan.

It could be said that Uchiha Madara's development was exemplary. Unlike Sasuke, who had lived in hatred since childhood, possessed an immature mind, and became absurdly arrogant at the slightest provocation.

When comparing Uchiha Madara and Sasuke, Uchiha Kiyoshi still approved of Madara more. Whether in talent or ability, he far surpassed Sasuke.

Returning to the main topic, Uchiha Kiyoshi got up early, exercised for a while, finished breakfast, packed his lunch, and headed for the Ninja Academy.

Today was the Ninja Academy's opening day, a rather significant occasion for all of Konoha.

Along the way, Uchiha Kiyoshi occasionally saw parents taking their children to the Ninja Academy.

When he arrived at the entrance, Uchiha Kiyoshi was stunned by the sight before him. What time was it? Yet the school gate was already as bustling as a marketplace.

Fortunately, there were not many Ninja Academy students. Most of the people present were parents.

After waiting in line for ten minutes, it was Uchiha Kiyoshi's turn.

The middle-aged ninja handling registration glanced at the clan crest on Uchiha Kiyoshi's clothes, gave him a meaningful look, then spoke.

"Your enrollment certificate."

Uchiha Kiyoshi was in no hurry. He took out a certificate and handed it over.

"Hello, this is my enrollment certificate."

The middle-aged ninja seemed quite surprised by Uchiha Kiyoshi's politeness and looked him over again.

However, he found nothing unusual and continued his work.

"Name."

Uchiha Kiyoshi muttered inwardly, Isn't it written on the certificate? Still, he answered respectfully.

"Uchiha Kiyoshi."

The middle-aged ninja stamped Uchiha Kiyoshi's certificate, then looked up at him.

"All right, you may go in. You're assigned to first-year Class 1. Turn right after entering and walk straight. That building is for the first years, and Class 1 is on the first floor."

Apparently quite satisfied with Uchiha Kiyoshi's politeness, the middle-aged ninja pointed out the way for him.

Uchiha Kiyoshi thanked him, took his certificate, and entered the school.

With the directions given by the registration teacher, Uchiha Kiyoshi did not need to search for it himself. After entering, he turned right and headed straight toward the first-year building.

There were only two classrooms on the entire first floor, so Uchiha Kiyoshi easily found his classroom.

After confirming that he had not entered the wrong classroom, Uchiha Kiyoshi stepped inside.

Uchiha Kiyoshi had arrived fairly early. There were only five or six people in the classroom. Sitting in the center was a young man dressed in white, with a strip of cloth tied around his forehead. He had his head lowered as he seriously read a book, though it was unclear what he was reading.

Although he could not see the other's eyes, Uchiha Kiyoshi still recognized from the distinctive cloth around his forehead and the clan crest on his clothes that he was a ninja from the Hyuga Clan's Branch House.

His gaze swept over the room again. Near the middle by the door, a fierce-looking young man with war paint across his face was holding a puppy and teasing it. He was probably from the Inuzuka Clan. At the back was a fat boy sprawled over his desk, sleeping soundly, with an empty snack bag beside him. He was probably from the Akimichi Clan.

The remaining two had no obvious distinguishing traits and were likely civilian ninjas.

Having roughly made his judgment, Uchiha Kiyoshi walked to the back of the classroom and sat by the window in the last row.

He took out a copy of "Introduction to Medical Ninjutsu" and began reading. Uchiha Kiyoshi had borrowed it from the clan Archives. He had originally thought that materials from the Archives were not allowed to be taken out, but, uh... that was only what Uchiha Kiyoshi had believed.

It was not until Uchiha Kiyoshi brought the book to the elderly gatekeeper and said that he wanted to borrow it to read at school that he learned he could take any of the materials out as long as he paid. No wonder he had barely seen anyone in the entire Archives for so long.

"So that's how it works. Sure enough, I don't understand the world of rich people."

That had been Uchiha Kiyoshi's first reaction at the time.

Having never had any money in his pocket, Uchiha Kiyoshi had never considered that possibility. He had assumed that with so many materials in the Archives, they must be valuable enough that they could only be read there.

Reluctantly paying one thousand ryo, Uchiha Kiyoshi took "Introduction to Medical Ninjutsu" away with tears in his eyes.

Unlike the other materials, this book was packed with useful information. Uchiha Kiyoshi needed to read it for a long time, so borrowing it was relatively cost-effective.

Uchiha Yu had finally learned why this little guy always stayed here reading. He had originally thought the kid was stingy and had been freeloading inside all this time. The clan's allowance was not small. Surely he had enough money to read books? Did he have to be this stingy?

"So he didn't know books could be borrowed. I mean, how could our Uchiha Clan possibly be so stingy?"

Uchiha Kiyoshi knew nothing of Uchiha Yu's thoughts.

Honestly, one thousand ryo for a book for one month was already quite generous of the clan, but Uchiha Kiyoshi still felt terrible about spending it.

It could not be helped. A child with no source of income, living entirely off an allowance, naturally considered money extremely precious.

Besides, the money he saved was meant for buying ninja tools later. This one book had cost him a kunai. How could Uchiha Kiyoshi not feel pained?

One kunai was enough for a week of training...

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