Changes in Talent

Leaving the school, Gojo Yoru didn't go home. Instead, he used Body Flicker to reach the Naka River.

At this time, the Uchiha Clan hadn't yet been forced to relocate near the Naka River, so this area was sparsely populated.

Above the Naka River were cliffs and forests.

Right now, in the forested area, a black afterimage was leaping across the treetops, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Unlike other ninjas' Body Flicker, which sometimes made a slightly harsh sound, and if chakra control was poor, would send leaves flying from the branches, leaving permanent footprints on the treetops.

When this afterimage passed over those treetops, it made no sound at all, and not a single trace could be found.

Though the speed wasn't particularly fast, this level of chakra control was something even an all-rounder jonin who had mastered at least two Nature Transformations couldn't hope to match.

Without a doubt, this was a master of Body Flicker.

Thud—

After leaping through the forest for a long time, the afterimage suddenly crashed into a massive tree that would take several people to wrap their arms around, producing a heavy, dull sound. The figure stuck to it like a hanging scroll, then slowly slid down.

"Tch... Ow ow ow!"

The moment he landed, Gojo Yoru covered his already reddened face with both hands, letting out sharp hisses of pain.

If any classmates had seen this, Gojo Yoru's image would have instantly collapsed.

Rubbing his nose, which hadn't been deformed by the impact, Gojo Yoru stared at the big tree in front of him and thought to himself, "Moving through walls during combat is still too hard."

That's right—just now, Gojo Yoru had tried to use his Space-Time ability to pass through the tree, but failed.

This was also Gojo Yoru's first attempt.

Because of his astonishing growth over this period, he had inevitably become a bit arrogant.

Gojo Yoru had originally thought that Evolution had only allowed some of his cells to extract Space-Time energy.

Now it seemed that it was a comprehensive ascension.

Seven months had passed since he awakened his Space-Time Ninjutsu ability.

During these seven months, Gojo Yoru's body had undergone tremendous changes.

First was his height. At only seven years old, he had already grown to 143 centimeters.

This height was quite ordinary in Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning, where there were many black and white people.

But in Konoha and other ninja villages, he stood out among his peers like a crane among chickens.

After all, when Uzumaki Naruto graduated at twelve, his height was only 147 centimeters.

Just as his classmates said, if you didn't know, you'd think Gojo Yoru was a Sixth Grade student.

This early physical development also caused Gojo Yoru's chakra reserves to skyrocket. Already larger than an average genin's, they now probably surpassed a typical chunin's.

Though he couldn't compare to Hatake Kakashi, who could use the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu in his first year, Gojo Yoru was fully qualified to train in the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Rasengan.

However, with the surge in chakra reserves, his Space-Time chakra ratio had dropped from one-third to only one-fifth.

Secondly, whether it was his Space-Time talent or the Evolution also affecting his brain and nerves, over these six months, Gojo Yoru had clearly noticed that his talent had greatly improved—his progress was frightening.

The students and teachers at the Ninja Academy all considered Gojo Yoru a genius.

But only Gojo Yoru knew that he couldn't really be called a genius.

To be precise, he had no comparison with those once-in-a-decade or even once-in-several-decades geniuses.

Going to bed early and waking up early, with adequate nutrition, had made his chakra reserves far exceed those of his peers.

Yet in front of five-year-old Hatake Kakashi, he wasn't even worthy of carrying his sandals.

After refining chakra, Gojo Yoru began practicing tree-climbing and water-walking to improve his chakra control. He had long mastered the Three Body Techniques, and his strength crushed his peers—even Sixth Grade seniors were no match for him.

But Namikaze Minato, in just one semester, with his terrifying reaction speed, had nearly turned the tables and killed him.

As for Orochimaru, there was no need to mention him. Even the Hokage's granddaughter, Tsunade, who possessed the Senju bloodline, couldn't overshadow his brilliance.

Compared to these bloodline-limit monsters, comparing himself to bloodline geniuses was even more pointless.

If he hadn't awakened the Space-Time Bloodline, once his intelligence advantage faded, it would have been inevitable for Gojo Yoru to be left far behind by Namikaze Minato.

That was the gap in talent—something hard work alone couldn't bridge. Only cheating could rival and surpass it!

But now, Gojo Yoru was fully qualified to bear the title of "genius."

Because Gojo Yoru had discovered that his thinking had become sharper, and his reaction speed had increased.

Watching Namikaze Minato fight, or matching up with him again, Gojo Yoru no longer found it extremely difficult. He finally experienced the advantage of quick reactions.

That feeling—where the opponent's movements seemed like slow motion, while his own were fast-forwarded—was simply wonderful.

No wonder the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan made Orochimaru and Shimura Danzō so obsessed.

With this change, even training ninjutsu and chakra control became twice as effective for Gojo Yoru.

This was the reason for his arrogance!

In just half a year, Gojo Yoru's Body Flicker Technique had improved to a terrifying degree.

It was like a half-finished Rasenshuriken—once Sage Chakra was added, it could be thrown immediately.

Gojo Yoru still couldn't fuse ordinary chakra with Space-Time Chakra to perform Five Element Ninjutsu, but he could use that fusion for the Body Flicker Technique.

The Body Flicker Technique combined with Space-Time Chakra not only skyrocketed in speed but also made him like a silent ghost.

Once Gojo Yoru could cover his entire body with Space-Time Chakra during mobile combat, he would merge into space itself. His Body Flicker would then face no resistance and could penetrate any obstacle, becoming even more ghostly.

Extending further, it might no longer be a Body Flicker but true teleportation.

That was also the direction Gojo Yoru was working toward!

After easing the pain, Gojo Yoru continued leaping through the forest with his Body Flicker Technique.

Only when the setting sun's glow could no longer pierce through the leaves did Gojo Yoru flicker home.

After dinner, Gojo Yoru entered the basement carved with Incantations—likely used to block perception and clairvoyance—not to revise or supplement the "Game Guide," but to form hand seals and mobilize the Space-Time Chakra within him.

The next second, Gojo Yoru's figure slowly sank into the ground, quietly leaving Konoha.

Gojo Yoru didn't know if Sarutobi Hiruzen had already mastered the Crystal Viewing Technique or if he might coincidentally sweep his gaze over this area.

Nor did he know whether, as a civilian genius and an orphan who had lost both parents, he had already caught Shimura Danzō's attention.

To be safe, Gojo Yoru never trained advanced ninjutsu beyond the Body Flicker and C-rank Five Element Ninjutsu at home or in the village.

It wasn't that he feared being targeted by them, but that he worried they might develop a fondness for his talent and force him to graduate early.

After all, Uchiha Itachi had used the Shadow Clone Jutsu in his first year, and the school teachers, believing they had nothing left to teach him, applied for his early graduation.

Perhaps that was also one of the reasons the Uchiha Clan was destroyed.

A six-year-old child who had learned no cultural knowledge whatsoever, forced to graduate early solely because of his overwhelming strength—wasn't that just an illiterate with immense power?

No wonder he had no brains!