Setting Off

"Huff, huff."

Around three in the afternoon, Uchiha Sou plopped onto the ground, ending his grueling training session.

It was at this moment that a notification appeared in his field of vision.

[Ninjutsu · Substitution Technique experience +1]

[Ninjutsu · Substitution Technique (B): Level 10 (MAX) (Upgradeable)]

"Finally."

Looking at this prompt, Uchiha Sou couldn't help but feel a bit emotional; he had finally maxed out the experience for his B-rank Substitution Technique!

Grinding a Substitution Technique from E-rank to B-rank was already a terrifying feat, but the technique was undeniably useful.

Especially when dealing with his "dog father" teaching him through physical means, or when facing Mist ninja and debating the pros and cons with them, the value of this technique was truly no less than the Body Flicker Technique!

"Besides, I suppose I'm the first person to grind an E-rank ninjutsu to this extent, right?"

Uchiha Sou felt exhausted; the constant usage of the Substitution Technique for training was quite a heavy drain for a thirteen-year-old.

Sometimes he wondered if he was bringing shame to the profession of transmigrators.

In his memories, he had read plenty about transmigrators graduating at five, reaching Kage-level by eight, and being able to beat Uchiha Madara to a pulp by thirteen.

Some even reached the point of tearing through the universe to strike at the Otsutsuki lair at that age.

Compared to those transmigrators, Uchiha Sou's current level could hardly be described as anything but shameful.

Perhaps his only advantage was that, with the help of this system, he could continue to grow without limitations.

"At least as far as those low-level skills are concerned, it seems I can break through the limits and grow continuously."

Uchiha Sou had no idea how far the Sharingan could actually grow; after all, its baseline upon awakening was C-rank.

After he had grinded it all the way to A-rank, his eyes had already evolved into the three-tomoe state.

If he followed his standard understanding, A-rank should be followed by S, which would correspond to the Mangekyo, and SSS would likely correspond to the Rinnegan, right?

"What's above SSS? Could it be SSR?"

As Uchiha Sou pondered this, he opened his panel and chose to upgrade the Substitution Technique.

[Skill Proficiency System activated]

[Chakra Refining Technique (B): Level 10 (998/1000)]

[Dojutsu · Sharingan (A): Level 3 (200/300)]

[Taijutsu · Uchiha Style (C): Level 9 (100/900)]

[Ninjutsu · Body Flicker Technique (A): Level 3 (50/300)]

[Ninjutsu · Substitution Technique (A): Level 1 (1/100)]

[Omitted.]

Looking at the Substitution Technique that had now become A-rank, a hint of excitement couldn't help but appear on his face.

The effects brought about by breaking through and upgrading such low-level techniques were incredible; for instance, the effect of this Substitution Technique was quite exaggerated.

Normal use of the Substitution Technique usually had a slight delay, and if one wasn't proficient enough, it still required hand seals.

Most importantly, the Substitution Technique generally had restrictions on distance and mass for the objects being swapped.

But for Uchiha Sou, this was no longer an issue; he had already broken through those heavy restrictions back at B-rank.

And now that it had reached A-rank, the effects would likely be even better!

However, he didn't have the opportunity to test it right now, as time was too tight. Fortunately, skill upgrades provided a relative amount of "usage experience" directly into his mind.

He knew how to perform it and had a general idea of the effects, but he would only see the intuitive results in actual combat.

After tidying up slightly, he quickly ran to the camp entrance; he hadn't forgotten that he had a mission to depart for today.

When he arrived at the destination, Might Guy and Shiranui Genma were already waiting there.

Shiranui Genma was sitting there with a senbon in his mouth, lost in thought, while Might Guy was doing one-handed push-ups on the spot. When he saw Uchiha Sou arrive, he immediately jumped up.

"So, you're here." Might Guy was as energetic as ever, shouting, "We're all set and ready to go at any time!"

"Hey, hey, hey, he's our captain now; I think you should change how you address him."

Might Guy's loud behavior naturally caught the attention of Shiranui Genma, who shook his head helplessly and spoke up.

"Even if we're classmates, there are rules to follow when executing a mission. We should be calling him Captain now."

"Actually, it doesn't matter; it's just a title."

Uchiha Sou shook his head with a smile, his expression then turning somewhat serious.

"But before we set off, I still have to ask: are you both ready? After all, this mission is extremely dangerous."

"Don't worry, Captain So!" No sooner had Uchiha Sou finished speaking than Might Guy clenched his fists: "I've been ready for a long time!"

"Although I'd like to deny it, I'm ready too," Shiranui Genma said with some resignation.

Anyone would likely feel helpless about this kind of situation; after all, one careless move could lead to a major disaster. Perhaps only the carefree Might Guy would be this excited.

However, as a Konoha ninja, Shiranui Genma felt duty-bound; after all, Konoha was their home.

"In that case, let's move out."

Uchiha Sou nodded, then turned and set off immediately. Seeing this, Might Guy and Shiranui Genma followed without hesitation.

The Konoha camp was not particularly far from the area controlled by Kirigakure, and because the Land of Whirlpools was vast, even if Kirigakure committed all their forces, it would be impossible to guard every inch of the country.

Therefore, Uchiha Sou and his team still had plenty of opportunities to bypass the patrol units and enter the territory controlled by Kirigakure.

The three of them were quite cautious along the way; since Konoha could send people into Kirigakure-controlled territory, Kirigakure could naturally do the same to Konoha-controlled areas.

If they were to accidentally run into the enemy, it would be fine if they could win, but if they couldn't, it would truly be a case of "the late emperor's cause unfinished, only to die in the stable."

Their luck was decent, and they did not encounter any enemies along the way.

By dusk, they found a cave to get some rest, as they would officially be entering Kirigakure-controlled territory tomorrow, barring any surprises.

"Captain, how do you plan to handle this mission?"

Sitting in the pitch-black cave, Shiranui Genma leaned against the stone wall with a senbon dangling from his mouth, asking with curiosity.

They were already very close to the Kirigakure-controlled area, so they dared not light a fire. Fortunately, they were all ninjas and the weather wasn't too cold, so they didn't mind.

"I haven't decided on the specifics yet, but I'm afraid this mission won't be easy," Uchiha Sou said, glancing at Might Guy, who was standing guard outside, before answering.

"Yeah, the most lethal and troublesome part is that, according to the mission briefing, those targets are really far apart."

Shiranui Genma said, his voice sounding somewhat drained as he chewed on his senbon.

"Even if we want to strike those locations, it will take a lot of time to travel between them, and we have no idea what the situation is like in the rear, since we have no contact with the other squads."

One must maintain a certain level of radio silence in enemy territory, and at the same time, one cannot know the status of other teams.

After all, if you were captured and couldn't withstand the "great memory recovery technique," you might end up exposing the intelligence of other squads, which would truly be a case of "dying together."

Uchiha Sou understood this situation and felt a bit helpless himself, but his helplessness did not last long before his eyes suddenly lit up.

Because an interesting idea had just surfaced in his mind.