Standing Above the Heavens

Konoha, Hokage Building.

The weather today was exceptionally fine; under the sun, the entire Konoha felt warm and pleasant.

"Third Hokage, please ensure you restrain Elder Danzo. I will treat this matter as if it never happened, but I must insist that you guarantee there will not be a next time!"

Fugaku Uchiha had arrived at the Hokage Building early this morning to "file a complaint" with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Assassinating a clan member within the compound of any ninja clan was something no clan in Konoha could tolerate.

The nature of this incident was even more egregious than the theft of a family's secret ninjutsu.

"Chuanhe is also a member of our clan, and I hope the Third Hokage understands this."

Fugaku's tone remained respectful, but his words carried an undercurrent of dissatisfaction.

"This matter was Danzo's fault; I have already ordered him to be placed under temporary house arrest. Please rest assured, Clan Leader Fugaku, this was merely a misunderstanding."

Inside the smoke-filled Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke to Fugaku with a hint of apology.

After seeing Fugaku off, the Third Hokage looked at the intelligence report in his hands.

Chuanhe, a war orphan from the Land of Fire.

Born during the Second Shinobi World War. Born in the 30th year of Konoha, the same age as his wife, Yuki Uchiha.

Because he possessed a talent for chakra, he was recommended by a Konoha Jonin (deceased) to enter the Ninja Academy.

After six years of study at the academy, he chose to become a medical ninja, a role newly proposed by Tsunade.

By the time he graduated, the Third Shinobi World War had broken out.

He formed a squad with his wife, Yuki Uchiha, and [***] (deceased). They carried out missions under the leadership of a Chunin (deceased).

He primarily used self-made ninja tools for long-range support and was responsible for the squad's sensory duties, medical care, and logistics.

Hiruzen Sarutobi already knew what happened afterward. As Hokage, he did not have the energy to keep track of the detailed intelligence of every ninja in the village.

Looking at this report, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt slightly relieved; at least it was not the worst-case scenario.

If a spy from another village had truly managed to infiltrate to this extent, the Uchiha clan would have perished long ago.

However, a spy? Heh, that actually gave him a good idea.

Evening, the sun was setting over an unknown sea.

Hui had come here through that strange Rubik's Cube to practice material manipulation.

According to Chuanhe, this was everyone's true "strength."

A gentleman is adept at utilizing external objects.

The greatest difference between humans and animals is the ability to use tools.

The first way ninjas amplify this ability is through chakra.

The second is the bloodline of the Otsutsuki clan, or perhaps the bloodline of the God Tree?

Chakra and bloodlines are like tools for ninjas, granting them the ability to better manipulate matter.

Regardless, training this material manipulation ability is like enhancing a character's base stats; strengthening it enhances all other abilities.

As Hui slowly flew in the sky, he sensed a problem.

With his current level of control, he could only achieve this speed, which, for a ninja, was no different from being a stationary target.

Was there any way to move rapidly through the sky?

Looking at the sea beneath him, Hui found inspiration.

He performed hand seals to release the Water Ball Technique, using his material manipulation to place the mass of water beneath his feet.

Hui took a deep breath and stomped down hard.

It worked!

He had indeed achieved a double jump.

After multiple attempts with hand seals, this was what Hui concluded.

"If I could release Water Style without hand seals, it would seem to have an effect similar to being on the ground."

Recalling everything that had just happened, Hui suddenly realized a problem. He had controlled a ninjutsu that had already been released?

Hui remembered the scene where his father forcibly interfered with the opponent's chakra in front of Elder Setsuna.

If one does not seek precise control of chakra, using this method to interfere is indeed simple and brutal.

But Hui could not do it yet; the essence of chakra was too minute. With his current ability, he could not reach that level.

However...

Hui looked at his right hand, where materialized chakra appeared. The dense chakra radiated a faint blue light.

If it were this level of chakra concentration, Hui could still manage to do something similar.

He began by following the logic of ninjutsu release, yet he controlled this mass of chakra as a singular, unified whole.

There was no need to worry about precision or power, for all he required was a point of leverage; any ninjutsu construct of a certain degree would suffice.

The chakra in his hands roughly took the form of a pool of water, yet it contained a small amount of sand, with faint flames burning upon its surface.

Hm, does this method relate to one's own affinities? Fortunately, he possessed both of the two most suitable attributes.

Regardless, the idea had been realized; since this technique was based on Water Release, he might as well call it Wave Treading.

Hui shuttled back and forth in the sky, looking as if he were walking upon the air itself.

However, with every step, bursts of fire erupted beneath his feet, accompanied by the generation of a light haze.

It was as if every step Hui took birthed a small, burning cloud.

Against the backdrop of the sea, still illuminated by the lingering glow of the setting sun, it appeared somewhat dazzling.

Though it was a bit conspicuous, there was no helping it; this was the limit of what he could achieve for now.

Hui gazed into the distance; in the past, his mind had been occupied by all manner of trivialities.

Suddenly unburdened, he found himself with a different perspective.

Never before had Hui observed the world with such meticulous care.

In the distance, the setting sun was half-submerged in the horizon, its remaining radiance spilling across the ocean.

The crests of the waves shimmered with a fractured, golden light.

The clouds where the sky met the sea seemed to contain a mass of burning flames.

Both sky and water were "scorched" a deep crimson by this light.

Hui felt an inexplicable stirring within him.

He looked up at the sky, where scattered stars were slowly beginning to appear.

What did the scenery look like from even higher above?

Hui then flew toward the cloud layer, practicing the Wave Treading he had just developed along the way.

Looking at the world beneath his feet, Hui felt an indescribable emotion; it was as if he had broken free from some kind of shackle.

So, the planet was this beautiful.

He looked at the sea below, then at the horizon faintly visible in the distance.

Why did ninjas insist on war? If the earth were truly so crowded, one only needed to look down from the sky to see a different world.

Hui seemed to understand a little why his mother detested slaughter.

There were so many stars in the sky; everyone could join hands and march toward a new beginning.

The fact that the Otsutsuki clan and his father did not originate from this planet gave Hui such inspiration.

Hui felt as though he had glimpsed a way to realize his mother's dream, yet it felt like a reflection in water—no matter how he tried, he could not grasp it.

Watching the sun finally disappear below the distant horizon, Hui was suddenly jolted back to reality.

The world below had plunged into darkness, and the cold wind from the heavens brought with it a bone-chilling frost.

Let time slowly teach me; one day, I will know the answer.

Hui ended his training for the day and returned home.

Listening to Hui excitedly describe the new technique he had developed, Chuanhe was left dumbfounded.

He truly had not anticipated this kind of application; his own son was more outstanding than he could have imagined.

Perhaps you will surpass me before long, Chuanhe thought to himself.

Hui, however, was somewhat puzzled; if that wasn't what his father meant, then how did he solve the problem of being a sitting duck in the sky?

Space Leap?

Without a Shortcut, that technique had a clear casting delay.

If he tried to dodge like that in the sky, he would have died a hundred times over.

"As for that, I'll keep you in suspense for a little while; I'll tell you when we get to your third lesson this weekend," Chuanhe said with a hint of mystery.

The third lesson? Hui recalled that his father had previously mentioned that dimensions were supposed to be the third lesson.

Was the third lesson now about light?

Could light allow him to move faster?

Today, not only had he exhausted his chakra, but his mind and body were also utterly drained.

Carrying these questions with him, Hui drifted into a deep sleep.

Tomorrow was the final day; he would have his answer soon enough.