Training

Konoha Year 36, March 15, night.

Fugaku had been practicing ninjutsu at the training ground and was getting ready to head home. As he passed the Third Training Ground, he heard noises coming from inside. Curious, he went to take a look—and saw...

Akaseki, who had practiced ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu with him that afternoon, training by himself at the training ground.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Akaseki quickly formed hand seals, then spat out a huge fireball two or three meters in diameter...

The Uchiha Clan had scrolls for many Fire Release Ninjutsu, including the Great Fireball Technique—that is, they could learn them on their own.

But Fugaku knew that Akaseki hadn't mastered any Fire Release Ninjutsu before. He had copied the Great Fireball Technique from Fugaku earlier that day.

Seeing him still practicing, Fugaku couldn't help but marvel at how much harder Akaseki worked than he'd imagined...

After seeing Akaseki's fundamentals, Fugaku had assumed he was an average clan member in both talent and diligence, and that the unreasonable nature of the Sharingan's awakening was the only reason Akaseki had awakened it.

But now it seemed Fugaku had been wrong about his diligence alone!

His talent for dojutsu might also be better than Fugaku had imagined.

Wasn't it normal to practice a newly learned technique?

It wasn't that simple...

Ninjutsu copied with the Sharingan was different from ninjutsu learned through normal practice. Every time it was used, the Sharingan had to be active, and using a copied technique consumed extra dojutsu power.

That meant it took even more out of the user in battle, and greatly limited how much a Sharingan user could practice copied techniques.

Without practice, a copied technique could only be "mastered" to a limited degree, with a low ceiling...

The problem was that the Sharingan's awakening and the increase in its dojutsu power made little sense. It was different from other Kekkei Genkai.

Although having more chakra made it easier for the Sharingan to advance, emotional stimulation was still the key. Chakra only played a supporting role, no matter how much of it one had.

Some Jonin in the clan still had only a Single-Tomoe Sharingan. Their limited dojutsu power couldn't sustain effective practice of B-rank ninjutsu!

Even with plenty of chakra, Fugaku could only raise the techniques he had genuinely practiced to a high level. His dojutsu power limited how often he could practice copied techniques.

Fugaku figured that Akaseki had only just awakened his Sharingan, so his dojutsu power must be in short supply. His chakra was probably low, too. Surely both had run dry while he copied those ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu that afternoon...

Yet here he was, still practicing a C-rank technique by himself. He must be working incredibly hard, and his dojutsu power was recovering faster than Fugaku had expected!

Seeing this, Fugaku didn't disturb Akaseki. He simply thought much better of him.

Akaseki, meanwhile, had no idea Fugaku had come by.

The reason he was training ninjutsu by himself here went back to when he first tried out the [Immersive Short-Drama Experience Platform]...

During his first one-hour trial, Akaseki had received the GG reward "fully restore physical stamina and training injuries." Of course, he hadn't wasted the opportunity. He pushed himself to his limits again and practiced his Taijutsu movements thoroughly—and his learning efficiency did seem to improve.

Once he was completely exhausted, Akaseki tried another hour...

But this time, the GG reward was different. It was a [Wangjie Eye Protector]. Using it fully restored his dojutsu power and healed the strain caused by using his eyes!

The increase in dojutsu power he'd gained while enduring the plot's torment had improved the quality of his Sharingan—in other words, it had raised his maximum. This time, his dojutsu power had simply been refilled...

So, not wanting to waste the opportunity, Akaseki went to the training ground beside Konoha and started practicing ninjutsu. With his dojutsu power restored, he could train with his Sharingan active again!

As for chakra...

It recovered much faster than dojutsu power in the first place.

After using up all the dojutsu power he'd recovered, Akaseki sat cross-legged again and began to "immerse" himself...

The third time, his dojutsu power increased... and he got another "Eye Protector" trial. So Akaseki practiced ninjutsu for a while longer, becoming more proficient with the copied techniques and more accustomed to the feeling of his dojutsu power running dry. Uchiha generally didn't train this way, since exhausting their dojutsu power could damage their eyes!

The fourth time, his dojutsu power increased... The "GG" reward was a "Massage Device" that restored his body. After recovering, Akaseki practiced the first five sets of movements again, until he was completely exhausted.

The fifth time, his dojutsu power increased... and then something new appeared!

[Wangjie Posture Corrector: supports the shoulders and back, elevates your presence, straightens your posture by an inch, and boosts your aura tenfold. Rebuilds muscle memory and preserves an upright stance. Scientifically guides your posture. Health starts with the little things...]

"Hm? Wangjie again... Is this a series? Could it be... this whole short drama is part of the same series?" Akaseki wondered.

[Product trial in progress...]

Akaseki couldn't tell much from the GG's description and wasn't sure what it was. But once the trial began, he immediately felt the effect!

Krrk, krrk—

"Ow... What's going on?" Akaseki suddenly felt an invisible force restraining him!

Moving took more effort than usual!

"Is this one a punishment?" Akaseki found that even moving normally had become difficult.

[Wangjie Posture Corrector. Movement requires more effort while in use, but physical activity will not cause bodily injury. Trial period: one hour.]

Akaseki gradually understood what it did...

It was like an invisible weighted vest that applied resistance evenly across his body, helping him train while preventing injuries. During the trial, he could push himself through extreme workouts without restraint!

With every movement now more difficult, it was also easier to train his Taijutsu reflexes under extreme conditions.

Normally, this kind of extreme training would cause injuries to accumulate, eventually leading to permanent damage.

But now Akaseki could go all out...

After wringing out the last of his newly restored stamina, Akaseki forced himself into the "immersion" state again.

Akaseki realized that the GG rewards from this drama all seemed to belong to the "Wangjie" series. They weren't as outrageous as granting him Lightning Style chakra transformation, but they could still greatly improve his training efficiency.

And so Akaseki fell into a cycle of "training, immersing for an hour, training..."

Only...

He couldn't choose what to train. He hadn't spotted any pattern to the rewards yet, so he could only train accordingly with whatever he received.

Akaseki wasn't worried about it getting too late for two reasons. For one, although "immersion" tormented his mind, it was essentially a state of mental rest and recovery; for another... this was the Third Training Ground!

When Akaseki arrived, he saw that the ground had already been reserved for the following day. He figured Jonin Jiraiya had booked it, which was why he'd chosen to train here...

That way, even if he "immersed" himself here or fell asleep, he wouldn't have to worry about being late the next day.