After making some adjustments, Houka spent his mornings refining Chakra, his afternoons practicing Hand Seals, and his evenings training his body. His daily training schedule was packed, leaving no room for anything else.
As for the people secretly watching him, he paid them no mind. As long as he didn't reveal his Sharingan, he believed that training like this wouldn't be enough to attract the attention of any real big shots.
And that was exactly what happened. After Uchiha Yamano, the captain of the Police Force, had someone watch Houka for a week, he recalled the surveillants and labeled Houka a diligent Uchiha with limited talent, who would be worth cultivating if he managed to awaken his Sharingan.
Half a month passed in this monotonous routine, and at last, Houka's training began to pay off.
Snake–Goat–Monkey–Pig–Horse–Tiger!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!!!"
Houka opened his mouth and spat out a huge, scorching ball of flame. It was twice as large as before, and its heat was astounding. Its destructive power was even more terrifying.
"My Hand Seal speed is down to one per second. I've finally made some progress!"
His weights had increased again, too. He now wore three-kilogram weights on his feet and two-kilogram weights on his hands.
In turn, his daily consumption of meat had been steadily increasing, and the money Yakushi Nonō had lent him was gradually running out.
As for Uchiha Obito, that guy had only stuck with it for two days before he couldn't take it anymore. Then he went scampering off to Rin to get his good-person card.
Houka tried to talk him out of it several times, but Uchiha Obito remained as stubborn as ever, so Houka had no choice but to give up.
"Hmm, my Chakra reserves are just about at Genin level. I should be qualified to learn Medical Ninjutsu!"
Houka rubbed his hands together, eager to get started. He decided to visit Yakushi Nonō, both to borrow money and to learn Medical Ninjutsu.
Konoha Hospital stood in the center of Konoha, some distance from the Uchiha Clan Compound. Houka changed into clothes without the Uchiha Clan Crest and headed out.
As it happened, this was the first time Houka had ever left the Uchiha Clan Compound on his own.
The village outside was much livelier than the Uchiha Clan Compound. Most of the people passing by wore smiles, and their laughter and chatter somehow lifted Houka's spirits.
On his way to Konoha Hospital, Houka spotted several Uchiha Ninja in Police Force uniforms patrolling the street. Their eyes were cold, and they looked at everyone as if they were spies.
Houka shook his head slightly. No wonder the Police Force had a bad reputation in Konoha in the original story. With patrol officers like these, how could it have been otherwise?
Houka soon arrived at Konoha Hospital. There were even more people here, with many patients coming and going accompanied by their families. The pleasant smell of disinfectant hung in the air.
Houka entered the hospital, asked where Yakushi Nonō's office was, and went to find her.
The Second Shinobi World War had just ended, so the Medical Ninja in Konoha had some breathing room. When Houka arrived, Yakushi Nonō happened to be sitting at her desk, deep in thought.
"Miss Yakushi." Houka knocked on the door, a bashful blush appearing on his young face.
In both of his lives, this was the first time Houka had ever gone to someone's home to borrow money.
"Hmm?" Yakushi Nonō looked up and froze. Then a gentle smile appeared on her face. "It's Houka. What is it? Are you here to pay me back?"
Houka rubbed his hands together awkwardly. "Miss Yakushi, you guessed wrong. Try again."
"..." Yakushi Nonō blinked twice, then said with an amused, helpless smile, "Could it be that you're here to borrow money?"
"Miss Yakushi, you're so clever." Houka complimented her.
Yakushi Nonō shook her head with a rueful smile. "Yes, yes. You little rascal!"
Seeing that she didn't look angry, Houka immediately pressed his advantage. "Miss Yakushi, you're a Medical Ninja. Could you teach me Medical Ninjutsu?"
"You want to learn Medical Ninjutsu?" Yakushi Nonō asked curiously. "You're only six. Why do you want to learn it?"
"That way, if I get hurt, I can treat myself and won't have to come to the hospital." Houka answered earnestly. Seven parts of what he said were true and three parts were false, but to Yakushi Nonō, coming from a six-year-old, it sounded like the unvarnished truth.
"Learning Medical Ninjutsu isn't simple. Your Chakra has to reach a certain level, and you need to be able to control it precisely. Those are the two prerequisites. Of course, if you don't have the talent, you won't learn it even if you meet both." Yakushi Nonō smiled. "Are you sure you want to learn?"
"Mm. I want to!" Houka nodded earnestly.
"Good. Then let's test your Chakra reserves." Yakushi Nonō came over and rested a hand on his shoulder.
In an instant, Houka felt a clear stream flowing from her gentle hand. It circled once through the pathways in his body before slipping away.
Yakushi Nonō's eyes widened slightly. "Not bad, Houka. Your Chakra reserves just about meet the standard."
Considering that this child was only six, his training must have been very hard. Yakushi Nonō ruffled Houka's hair, then tested his Chakra control.
"Have you learned to climb trees and walk on water?"
"Of course. I learned ages ago!" Houka patted his chest, trying hard to act more like Uchiha Obito. After all, a six-year-old couldn't seem too mature.
"Then try walking up this wall."
There were naturally no trees in the office for Houka to climb, but there was a wall.
Houka walked up to a wall and took a deep breath. Chakra instantly covered the soles of his feet, and he began walking upward step by step. His body was parallel to the ground, as if he had escaped gravity.
Yakushi Nonō's eyes lit up. She nodded. "All right, Houka, come down. Your Chakra control passes, too."
"Then can I learn Medical Ninjutsu?" Houka jumped down and asked excitedly.
"That depends on whether you have the talent!" Yakushi Nonō replied with a smile.
Although she was one of Danzo's subordinates in Root, no order forbade her from teaching Medical Ninjutsu to others. Besides, she liked children, and she had no direct feud with the Uchiha Clan, so she had no objection to teaching Houka Medical Ninjutsu.
"Channel your Chakra into your right hand, like this." Chakra gathered in Yakushi Nonō's right hand, glowing a beautiful pale blue.
Houka followed her example, directing the Chakra inside his body into his right hand. Before long, his hand began to glow, too.
"Medical Ninjutsu uses Chakra to stimulate cells and heal a patient's wounds. By changing its form, it can also be used to detoxify or attack."
As Yakushi Nonō explained the basics of Medical Ninjutsu, she watched the Chakra glow around Houka's right hand, her eyes shining faintly.
Endurance mattered a great deal in Medical Ninjutsu.
It was just like a doctor in the operating room: if you got tired after standing for half an hour, you wouldn't even get the chance to hold a scalpel!
It was the same for Medical Ninja. Houka kept the Chakra glow in his right hand going for ten minutes before Yakushi Nonō finally smiled and told him to stop.
By then, Houka's face was deathly pale. Continuously releasing Chakra while precisely controlling it to keep it in his right hand without letting any leak out had been a major test for him, but fortunately, it seemed he had passed.
"Congratulations, Houka. You've passed the first round of testing." Yakushi Nonō smiled warmly.
"Wait, that was only the first round?!" Houka was practically in tears.
Weren't you supposed to be the gentle, kind, virtuous, considerate, warmhearted, generous, understanding big sister type?!
Before you continue