Naka Shrine

After the merchant left, the familiar training ground remained. Sasuke sent two shadow clones to handle the food and drinks while he continued his intense, unfinished physical training.

The Shadow Clone Technique was not something the original body had mastered; Sasuke had found this ninjutsu in the study at home. Besides the Shadow Clone Technique, it also contained other basic Uchiha fire-style ninjutsu and throwing techniques, such as the Great Fireball Technique, Big Fireball Technique, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Shuriken Manipulation Technique, and the Windmill Triple Blade.

The Shadow Clone Technique, a B-rank ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage, was widely circulated throughout the ninja world. In truth, it was not difficult to learn—one could even say it was easier than the basic Clone Technique. The Clone Technique required a certain level of chakra control and three hand seals: Ram, Snake, and Tiger.

However, the Shadow Clone Technique required minimal chakra control, and there was only one hand seal: the "Rat" seal (index and middle fingers joined, hands crossed in a cross shape). The forbidden Multi Shadow Clone Technique, which surpassed the standard version, functioned the same way.

In the original story, even with the interference of the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto mastered the Multi Shadow Clone Technique after only a short time. After obtaining the scroll, Sasuke had mastered it after just one read-through.

However, he was currently nowhere near the level of the Naruto from eight years later, who could summon hundreds of shadow clones at once for training. His body had not even reached puberty yet, so he could only sustain three or four shadow clones at most.

Aside from the two shadow clones he had just sent to handle supplies, there were two more shadow clones several hundred meters outside the training ground, continuously practicing chakra control by climbing trees.

Since he had decided on his initial path, Sasuke would follow it with perseverance.

Physical training was meant to increase his physical energy, while chakra control training was intended to develop precise and subtle control.

Both were not only a strengthening of his foundation but also a way to lay a solid groundwork for learning medical ninjutsu in the future.

A ninja with good physical fitness might not necessarily become an excellent medical ninja, but an excellent medical ninja must possess a powerful physique—take Sakura or Tsunade, for example.

This logic held true in his past life as well; there were the peerless talents of the Nanshan mountains, and in ancient times, Hua Tuo created the Five Animals Frolics, while mythology spoke of Shennong tasting the hundred herbs.

Immersed in his training, time passed quickly.

Soon, the morning's physical training was completely finished.

Sasuke dispelled the four shadow clones. Waves of information flooded his mind, and beyond the exhaustion in his body, he felt a moment of dizziness. Only after silently digesting the information from the clones did he walk to the side to grab a towel and wipe off his sweat, while also cleaning the small wounds caused by his training.

As Sasuke applied medicine to the red, swollen, and peeling skin on his arms, he pondered his recent discoveries.

Comparing his memories, he realized that during this week of training, his speed in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and theoretical study was significantly faster than the original body's. His talent had improved considerably.

Furthermore, his chakra refinement speed had increased, his chakra flowed more smoothly through his meridians, and he could mobilize it much faster.

Was this the credit of the Sharingan, or perhaps the credit of spiritual energy?

His spiritual energy was undoubtedly much stronger than the original body's. Chakra was formed by the fusion of spiritual energy and physical energy.

The Uzumaki and Senju clans, with their powerful physical energy, were characterized by vast chakra reserves and strong self-healing abilities, which was clearly reflected in the original story.

If so, for the Uchiha clan, who possessed powerful spiritual energy, it stood to reason that their chakra circulation was faster and their brain's learning capacity was higher. There was a reason why most of the Uchiha clan were geniuses.

Sasuke speculated silently, his thoughts turning to the aspect of chakra control.

Chakra control ability seemed to have little to do with physical or spiritual energy; it appeared to be a personal talent.

The Yang Release lineage had Senju Hashirama and Tsunade, who were proficient in high-level medical ninjutsu, while the Yin Release lineage had masters of micro-manipulation like Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Itachi, who could perform incredible feats with chakra.

From this perspective, Haruno Sakura was indeed a genius in terms of chakra control.

In the original story's Land of Waves mission, Haruno Sakura mastered the tree-climbing technique instantly, while the original body and Naruto took nearly a day to learn it.

He had spent over half a day, which seemed faster than the original body, but Sasuke knew he couldn't judge it so simply.

The original body had over four years of ninja training more than he did at that time.

Yet, he possessed over a decade more of an adult's experience and mindset than the original body.

The advantages of both sides could not cancel each other out, making it difficult to judge whether his current talent for chakra control was better or worse than the original's.

He could not abandon these two months of chakra control training, but after school started, he would find an opportunity to ask Haruno Sakura if she could provide him with some help.

Much of the knowledge in this world did not align with his past life's experiences and expertise; he could not judge things based on common sense from his previous life.

"In a group of three, there must be a teacher among them."

"Be eager to learn and not ashamed to ask questions."

These pearls of wisdom, passed down for thousands of years, must have their own unique value.

In his past life, friends said he was sharp-minded and thoughtful, but he was never called arrogant; at most, they said his tongue was a bit sharp.

After leaving the training ground, Sasuke walked alone through the empty streets of the Uchiha district, heading toward the eastern end. That was where the Uchiha clan's mother river—the Naka River—flowed.

After a week of scavenging, Sasuke had sold everything in the Uchiha compound that could be sold. This trip to the Naka River was not to continue scavenging; he already had enough money.

He went to the Naka River to see if he could find any scrolls on ninjutsu training. Aside from the ninjutsu scroll in the study that had been helpful, everything else he found in the other houses was, without exception, basic material like ninja theory or the Three Body Technique.

Arriving at the upper reaches of the Naka River, a shrine with Uchiha-style architecture appeared before him.

"The main hall of the Naka River Shrine. Under the seventh tatami mat from the right is our clan's meeting place. It records the ocular techniques of the Uchiha clan and the reason for the Uchiha's existence..."

Following what Uchiha Itachi had said before he fell unconscious, Sasuke opened the hidden door and followed the secret passage down to the basement.

After walking through the passage for a while, a room of about five hundred square meters appeared before him.

He saw the Uchiha Gunbai crest printed on both sides of the room, and in the center stood a stone tablet half a person's height, with a black tomoe pattern on it.

The Six Paths Stone Tablet, is it?

Seeing this tablet, Sasuke thought to himself.

The tablet was grayish-white and devoid of any text, appearing to have nothing mysterious about it, but Sasuke knew it had been left behind by the Sage of Six Paths and had been tampered with by Black Zetsu.