"Maybe. I didn't really notice." Fujiwara Chiya naturally wasn't going to tell her that his training technique had dramatically improved his physical constitution and mental energy, putting him far beyond ordinary people.
If he refined chakra like an ordinary ninja,
at just six years old, he might not have a whole Kakashi's worth of chakra, but half of one would be easy.
If he entered Sage Mode, his chakra would increase at least tenfold.
And that was only because he was young and his training technique was still at a low level. In the future, his growth would be geometric. (P.S.: One Kakashi = the amount of chakra possessed by a single Kamui Kakashi.)
"Of course there is! You used to be a little shorter than me, but now you're taller." Izumi said it in an exaggerated tone. Only then did Fujiwara Chiya finally see what Uchiha Izumi was carrying: two lunchboxes.
Noticing Fujiwara Chiya's gaze, Izumi's pretty face flushed again. She tightened her grip on the lunchbox bag and looked away with a touch of pride. "Don't get the wrong idea. I just happened to make an extra lunch this morning. It's not like I was worried you wouldn't have anything to eat."
"Then, thanks." Fujiwara Chiya felt a little warmth in his heart. He really had forgotten to prepare lunch, and the school didn't provide it.
"Mm." Izumi nodded emphatically, a delighted smile spreading across her face. "Come on, then. Let's go to the classroom together."
Soon, the two of them arrived at the classroom.
Chiya pushed open the classroom door and saw that nearly every seat inside was taken.
Their arrival didn't cause much of a stir, since most people in the room had their eyes fixed on Uchiha Itachi, who had arrived before them.
Here and there, he could hear girls letting out deliberately hushed cries of surprise.
"Wow, Uchiha Itachi is so cool!"
"Right? I heard he's the head of the Uchiha Clan's son, too."
Girls in the Naruto world matured early. Just look at Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura, the "when there's trouble, call Naruto; when there isn't, it's Sasuke" girl. The two had once been as close as sisters, but their friendship sank without a trace as soon as they both set their sights on Uchiha Sasuke.
Listening to the girls around him, Fujiwara Chiya's mouth twitched. He couldn't help thinking, These girls are way too lovestruck.
Uchiha Izumi, standing beside him, thought he was envious of Uchiha Itachi and tried to comfort him. "Um... I think you're even more handsome than Itachi, Chiya."
Recalling the way Fujiwara Chiya had fearlessly saved her a month earlier, Uchiha Izumi's cheeks reddened slightly.
"Let's find seats first." Fujiwara Chiya complained inwardly. That's a pretty terrible way to comfort someone.
"It's them." Uchiha Itachi spotted Fujiwara Chiya and Uchiha Izumi. He wondered whether to go over and greet them, but hesitated and ultimately stayed put. He wasn't good at expressing his feelings, and he wasn't close enough to either of them to strike up a conversation.
Before long, the teacher arrived. He was a plump Chunin with a mustache. Without wasting time, he wrote his name on the blackboard, introduced himself, then had the students introduce themselves one by one.
For a while, the entire classroom was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Only after everyone had introduced themselves did the teacher have people hand out the textbooks.
Modern History of Konoha Will of Fire A Detailed Guide to Chakra Refinement Three Body Technique Basic Taijutsu Training Methods Ninja Tool Throwing: From Beginner to Master—and several other books, including texts on the humanities, geography, and mathematics.
These textbooks would accompany every student through the next six years at the Ninja Academy—unless they graduated early, of course.
As a seasoned Hokage aficionado, Fujiwara Chiya first casually flipped through Modern History of Konoha. One glance was enough to make his mouth twitch.
The First's pacification of the warring states and founding of the village was glossed over. The Second Hokage's role in ending the First Shinobi World War received barely a mention. The Uchiha Clan and Senju Clan joining forces to establish Konoha wasn't mentioned at all.
Only the Fourth Hokage, who had recently sacrificed himself for Konoha, was given a little space—barely a page, and that had clearly been added at the last minute.
Everything else was about how great the "strongest Hokage of all time," the Third Hokage, was: the Professor of Ninjutsu, the Shinobi Hero, and how he had turned the tide in the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, leading Konoha out of hardship and to victory.
It was practically a shameless exercise in blowing his own trumpet.
Of course, despite how shameless it was, it worked remarkably well. Nearly all the civilian students who read it looked as if their eyeballs were about to fall out from sheer admiration.
Uchiha Itachi in particular, who had never lacked access to ninja knowledge, was practically unable to put down Will of Fire and Modern History of Konoha. He read Will of Fire with his eyes practically glowing.
From that moment on, Uchiha Itachi began viewing everything around him through the so-called "Hokage mindset."
He began to develop an oppositional attitude toward his own clan.
When it came to the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha,
he only ever thought that the Uchiha Clan's arrogance was beyond saving.
He ignored everything the Konoha High Command had done to the Uchiha.
Later, he gradually experienced more and learned more. Before his soul ascended, he even confessed his remorse to Sasuke.
But it was too late. The Uchiha Clan had already been all but wiped out.
All Fujiwara Chiya could say was that toxic textbooks harmed people.
If Fujiwara Chiya hadn't come from another world, he might really have believed that old man.
Likewise, after he'd skimmed through Will of Fire, that brainwashing book was casually tossed aside.
Compared with the history that had been deliberately exaggerated or even rewritten, he was far more interested in ninja knowledge like A Detailed Guide to Chakra Refinement, Three Body Technique, Basic Taijutsu Training Methods, and Ninja Tool Throwing: From Beginner to Master.
Before long, noon arrived. Fujiwara Chiya and Uchiha Izumi met up on the rooftop to eat together.
After lunch, Fujiwara Chiya polished off every last bite, then shamelessly asked the little rich girl of the Uchiha Clan for some ninjutsu.
"Ninjutsu?" Uchiha Izumi set down her lunchbox and asked in confusion. "Didn't the teacher explain the Three Body Technique to us this morning?"
"It's too simple." Fujiwara Chiya circulated his training technique and sensed the area around them. After confirming that nobody was watching, he made a boastful declaration and demonstrated each of the Three Body Techniques for Izumi.
Ever since he began practicing the Heavenly Steel Art, he'd been able to learn low-level ninjutsu like the Three Body Technique almost as soon as he saw it. He could even perform it with ordinary chakra, without relying on his training technique.
What's more, he'd made a surprising discovery. After performing the Three Body Technique once using the ordinary chakra refinement method, he could activate his training technique, enter Sage Mode, and follow the chakra pathways of the Three Body Technique to perform it without using Hand Seals.
The discovery excited him.
Wouldn't that mean that he, Fujiwara Chiya, could be like the First and Uchiha Madara—clap his hands and get whatever he wanted?
First: "Madara, do you use Hand Seals?"
Uchiha Madara smiled. "I don't use Hand Seals, Hashirama. Do you?"
The First shook his head. "Don't we just clap our hands and get whatever we want? Who even uses Hand Seals?"
Kisame, Zabuza, and Kakashi: "We're already crying in the bathroom."
Before you continue