Straight Punch Thrust

The border war was raging, yet Konoha remained peaceful. There was no atmosphere of tension, as though the village had been completely unaffected by the war.

Compared with news about the war, what the villagers of Konoha cared more about at present was rebuilding their homes.

In a forest within the Uchiha clan's new settlement, Uchiha Yuan stood in a horse stance beneath a large tree, repeatedly throwing straight punches forward.

Every punch he threw was like a fierce thrust, brimming with power.

His punches flowed as smoothly as running water, possessing a unique rhythmic beauty.

The time he took to throw and retract each punch was exactly the same. Every punch was as steady as if controlled by a machine, moving back and forth without pause or the slightest difference.

At the same time, from the perspective of mental perception, one could see Natural Energy radiating five-colored light like smoke as it swirled around Uchiha Yuan.

Uchiha Yuan's mental energy sensed and merged with the surrounding Natural Energy, creating a resonance. As he threw and retracted his punches, Natural Energy continuously poured into his body.

The cultivation methods of the Ninja World could basically be divided into three categories: Taijutsu, the Chakra system, and Sage Art.

Uchiha Yuan believed that Taijutsu and Sage Art were power systems inherited from the Ninja World itself.

Cultivating Taijutsu was simple, but becoming strong was not easy.

To become a Taijutsu expert, one needed extraordinarily powerful conviction and perseverance.

Sunagakure had inherited the Seven-Day Breathing Method, but very few people could cultivate it to a profound level.

The father-and-son duo of Might Duy and Might Guy from Konoha trained their bodies like madmen in order to cultivate the Eight Inner Gates Formation. Yet the brilliance they ultimately unleashed was dazzling beyond compare.

Sage Art was the most difficult and mysterious form of cultivation, and it placed the greatest emphasis on aptitude. The process of merely entering the field eliminated countless people.

Even a genius like Orochimaru, who had studied and mastered countless ninjutsu, had never been able to cultivate Sage Art. In the end, he could only develop the Cursed Seal as a method of using Natural Energy.

The Sage Art cultivated in the three great Sage Art Sacred Grounds was its representative.

The Chakra system came from the extraterrestrial Otsutsuki Clan, yet it was the extraordinary power possessed by the greatest number of people in the Ninja World.

Chakra originated from the God Tree. The God Tree absorbed the Natural Energy of the Ninja World, grew, and then gave birth to Chakra fruits.

Later, the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, was born because of the Chakra fruit. He founded Ninshū and spread the power of Chakra. From then on, Chakra was passed down and spread through bloodlines.

Uchiha Yuan believed that the Otsutsuki Clan could be considered extraordinary beings akin to gods and demons. The people of the Ninja World who inherited the Otsutsuki bloodline had the upper limit of the Chakra they could possess determined by that inherited bloodline from birth.

Those who inherited more of the Otsutsuki bloodline could refine more Chakra. Those who inherited less could refine less.

Thus, Uchiha Yuan believed that cultivating Sage Art was the strongest path, one capable of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

His current training was precisely Sage Art cultivation.

What did cultivating Sage Art entail?

Sensing Natural Energy, absorbing Natural Energy, and refining Natural Energy.

After cultivating the secret technique Sage Art: Ultimate Evolution, he had been able to see Natural Energy. Uchiha Yuan then began considering how he should cultivate next to strengthen his combat power.

He then recalled Chairman Netero's cultivation method from when he was young in the Hunter World.

Taking inspiration from Chairman Netero's cultivation method, Uchiha Yuan began with one thousand Straight Punch Thrusts, pouring his entire mental will into every punch.

Although he was left panting heavily and collapsed to the ground after his first training session, with almost no strength remaining in his body, he smiled happily because the method worked.

The data for his Constitution had increased noticeably on his personal Attribute Panel.

Moreover, while training, he could use his mental energy as eyes to "see" Natural Energy continuously merging into every cell of his body.

Through day after day of training, Uchiha Yuan progressed from his initial one thousand punches, to two thousand, then four thousand, until he could now complete ten thousand punches.

Two hours later, the ten thousand punches were finished.

Uchiha Yuan stood perfectly still as steaming heat billowed from his body. Beads of sweat, each as large as beans, continuously dripped from his temples and fingertips.

Mixed into his sweat were traces of black, oily grime. If one sniffed carefully, one could detect a foul, fishy stench emanating from the black oil.

These were impurities being expelled from his body along with his sweat.

A moment later, his breathing returned to normal. Then his entire body shook, and a dense series of popping sounds came from within him.

After bathing in a small river nearby, Uchiha Yuan began returning home.

When he emerged from the forest, he saw two groups confronting each other in an open area nearby.

Both sides consisted of Uchiha boys. One side had more than a dozen people, while the other had only three.

However, the three boys clearly suppressed the dozen or so boys opposite them with their presence.

"Haha, Uchiha Daishi, I was wondering where you bunch of trash had gone. So you secretly ran here to train."

"But your ninja aptitude is pathetic. Even if you cultivate Taijutsu, trash will still be trash."

Among the three, the boy standing in the middle spoke with disdain and arrogance.

Opposite him, six boys had been knocked to the ground. Their faces were covered in bruises as they glared at him with unwillingness and fury.

"Uchiha Eiji, once our big brother arrives, you won't be so arrogant anymore. Our big brother will definitely teach you a harsh lesson."

Uchiha Daishi climbed to his feet, dusted off his clothes, and then spoke to the three boys opposite him.

Uchiha Eiji sneered and said disdainfully, "The big brother of trash is still trash."

However, upon hearing his words, Uchiha Daishi and the others showed no shame or anger. Instead, they looked at him mockingly.

Uchiha Eiji could not help feeling puzzled.

At that moment, his companion's frightened voice came from beside him.

"Big Brother Eiji, there's someone behind you."

Uchiha Eiji was startled!

Someone behind him?

How had he not sensed a thing?

Uchiha Eiji's figure flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared more than ten meters away.

Body Flicker Technique!

Seeing this, Uchiha Daishi and the other boys could not help showing envious expressions. Uchiha Eiji had actually already mastered this ninjutsu. As expected of a member of the clan's main branch.

Uchiha Eiji's gaze swept left and right as he tried to find the person who had appeared behind him, but he found nothing.

However, he soon noticed that the gazes of his two companions were still fixed on him in terror.

After all, Uchiha Eiji came from the clan's main branch and had been exposed to the teachings of the clan's elite shinobi from a young age.

Thus, he immediately realized that his opponent was still behind him.

The next moment, he leaped into the air and abruptly twisted his body. Then he swept one leg backward.

Bang!

Amid a dull collision, Uchiha Eiji flipped through the air and landed.

His right leg trembled slightly. He felt as though his calf had kicked an iron rod, sending waves of intense pain through it.

Uchiha Eiji endured the pain and called out, "So it was you, Uchiha Yuan!"

Opposite Uchiha Eiji, Uchiha Yuan slowly lowered his raised right hand. He had used that hand to block the other's fierce kick.