At the Ninja Academy bulletin board.
Everyone had arrived at the bulletin board early in the morning, eager to see yesterday's match results.
Taiichi also came over, but before he could check for himself, the excited Might Guy blurted out his result.
"Taiichi, congratulations! You came in fourth."
"Oh? What about you, Guy? And who got first place?"
"Hehe!" Guy scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. "I came in third. Kakashi got first, and Asuma got second."
"As expected. Kakashi really was the strongest in our class at this point. But Guy, if it was just Taijutsu, you actually didn't get second?"
"Ah, I guess Asuma is stronger. He is the Hokage's son, after all."
As they chatted, everyone entered the classroom and waited for Teacher Yamada to arrive.
They did not have to wait long before Teacher Yamada walked in, and the classroom quieted down.
"I imagine everyone has checked their results. Overall, you all performed well and showed your true abilities."
"This match was meant to let everyone understand where they stood in the class. Those ranked high should maintain their positions, while those ranked low should work twice as hard."
Just as Teacher Yamada was about to launch into a lengthy speech, a shout of "Reporting in!" interrupted him.
Everyone in the classroom turned toward the sound and saw Obito standing awkwardly at the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. On my way to school, I saw an elderly woman who had fallen down. I helped her back home before rushing here, so I ended up late."
"Uchiha Obito!" A roar rang out from the classroom and echoed into the distance. The entire academy had probably heard it.
"Last time, you were catching a cat! The time before that, you helped a child find their mother! Before that, you found a cane for an old man! I won't even mention the times before those!" Teacher Yamada continued roaring.
"Since the school term began, what day have you not been late?!"
"I'm sorry, Teacher." Obito knew he had gone too far, but whenever he saw someone in trouble, he could not stop himself from helping. It was hard for him to restrain himself.
Perhaps that was why Obito either remained oblivious or shot straight up to the Mangekyo once he awakened. The deepest love brewed the strongest power.
"Go back to your seat." Teacher Yamada calmed himself. He knew Obito was telling the truth. He had even followed Obito before because of this and discovered that he really had been helping others.
Still, the bad habit of being late every day was truly infuriating.
"Next, we'll practice the Three Body Technique." Teacher Yamada had originally had plenty more to say, but he was no longer in the mood. He hastily assigned everyone their task and let them practice on their own.
The Three Body Technique had been taught before, but everyone's abilities were still limited at this stage. First, their Ninjutsu proficiency was insufficient; second, they did not have enough Chakra. Even though the Three Body Technique consumed very little Chakra, first-year students could only use it a few times, let alone practice it repeatedly. That was why the academy arranged time for the children to practice as much as possible at school.
Of course, that did not include people like Taiichi and Kakashi. Some had already learned it through their clan inheritance, while Taiichi's Chakra Quantity had reached the minimum level of a Genin even in his normal state. Besides, he had taught himself the Three Body Technique before the academy had even covered it.
The day passed uneventfully. Taiichi did not train with his friends today. Instead, he came alone to the riverbank to try learning the other Ninjutsu recorded on the scroll his parents had left behind.
First, he sensed the flow of Chakra within his body. Then, he slowly formed hand seals, recalling the notes his father had left on the scroll and imagining a flame burning in his chest.
Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Yin.
When he completed the final Yin seal, the flame in his chest burst from his mouth. This was Fire Style: Flame Bullet.
Yet on his first attempt, he only spat out a tiny spark.
Taiichi's face darkened. That was far too discouraging. As he wallowed in self-pity, he had no idea that producing even a tiny spark on his first try would have astonished countless people. Of course, the panel did not lie.
[Congratulations, you have learned Fire Style: Flame Bullet Lv1 (0/100)] [Congratulations, you have learned Fire Nature Transformation Lv1 (0/100)] [You practiced Fire Style: Flame Bullet. Experience +1, Fire Nature Transformation +1] [You focused on practicing Fire Style: Flame Bullet. Genin profession experience +1]
Looking at the panel, he realized he had learned it after all. Its power was simply too weak. Next came constant practice.
For a time, tiny flames kept appearing along the riverbank. The flames gradually grew larger and flew farther away. By the time his Chakra was nearly exhausted, Taiichi's Flame Bullet had become a genuine Flame Bullet. He had learned this Ninjutsu, though merely learning it was still worlds away from using it in actual combat.
After sensing the remaining Chakra in his body, Taiichi found that he did not have enough left to do anything else. He sat by the river to rest, took out the rice balls he had prepared earlier, and ate while considering his plans. Today, he would learn Flame Bullet. Tomorrow, Phoenix Sage Fire. The day after, Great Breakthrough. He would strive to learn all three Ninjutsu his parents had left behind within the next few days, so he would no longer be a blank-slate ninja.
As for Medical Ninjutsu, it was too profound and could only be learned slowly. Fortunately, he could ask Nonō for guidance in Medical Ninjutsu.
After resting, Taiichi began practicing Basic Taijutsu again.
[You practiced Basic Taijutsu. Related comprehension improved!] [Your skill Basic Taijutsu has improved. Experience +1] [You focused on practicing Basic Taijutsu. Genin profession experience +1]
[Congratulations, your Constitution +1, Strength +1, Agility +1] [Congratulations, your Genin profession level has increased] [Attribute Points +1, Skill Points +1]
Today really was a lucky day. Not only had his physical attributes improved, but his profession level had also risen by one. Looking at the panel that had changed once more, Taiichi could not help falling into thought.
Name: Taichi Matsushita Profession: Genin Lv4 (1/600) Talent: Diligence Makes Up for Mediocrity, Academic Overachiever Age: 6 Constitution: 12 Strength: 13 Agility: 12 Spirit: 19 Chakra: 365 (4800) Attribute Points: 7 Skill Points: 7 Fire Nature Transformation Lv1 (5/100) Skills: Basic Taijutsu Lv7 (753/1200), Basic Meditation Lv7 (965/1200), Chakra Refinement Technique Lv7 (142/1200), Ninja Tool Throwing Lv5 (697/800), Transformation Technique Lv4 (435/600), Clone Technique Lv5 (364/800), Substitution Technique Lv5 (425/800), Fire Style: Flame Bullet Lv1 (21/100) Evaluation: Cannon fodder slowly growing stronger was still cannon fodder
Comparing the experience gained by Nature Transformation and Flame Bullet, it was not hard to guess how difficult Nature Transformation was to train. Those five points had probably come from the insight gained from just beginning to practice Fire Style. It seemed that if he wanted to improve quickly, he still needed a reliable teacher. Learning on his own without anyone to consult was simply too difficult.
Fortunately, Taiichi knew this was only the beginning. He still had plenty of room to improve, and he had the panel. As long as he practiced, he could continue improving without running into bottlenecks. His progress might only slow down later. He would figure something out after learning everything he could currently learn.
After finishing his Taijutsu training, it was time for Basic Meditation. The place Taiichi had chosen was quiet and secluded, making it an excellent spot for meditation. As he would need to practice Ninjutsu in the future, training at home was no longer very convenient. That was why he had found this place, far from people and beside a small river. It was absolutely a great place to practice in private.
[You practiced Basic Meditation. Related comprehension improved!] [Your skill Basic Meditation has improved. Experience +1] [Your skill Chakra Refinement Technique has improved. Experience +1] [You focused on practicing Basic Meditation. Genin profession experience +1]
Seeing those notifications, Taiichi realized that practicing Basic Meditation could also improve the Chakra Refinement Technique. Thinking about it, that made sense. The Chakra Refinement Technique did seem to contain traces of meditation. No wonder both skills had improved relatively quickly recently. They actually reinforced each other.
Looking at it this way, many skills were interconnected. The simplest example was that practicing Fire Style would inevitably train and improve Fire Nature Transformation. Likewise, practicing Basic Taijutsu would benefit Ninja Tool Throwing and even the entire series of Taijutsu techniques he would learn in the future.
That made much more sense. After all, both the human body and everything a person learned formed a complete system. Improvement in one area would drive improvement in related areas as well. It was not like a machine, where strengthening one component only strengthened that component itself.
With those thoughts in mind, Taiichi finished his day of training and went to bed to rest.
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