Uchiha Shurikenjutsu

As long as one has graduated from the ninja academy and become an official ninja, they are eligible to participate in the gatherings, which are said to discuss matters concerning the future of the Uchiha clan.

"Those outsiders lately are truly annoying, spreading rumors about us Uchiha everywhere."

Uchiha Tekka reached out to touch the white dove on Shimizu's shoulder, but Shimizu dodged, leaving him to awkwardly rub his nose.

"Shimizu, the ninja beast you're raising is quite shy."

"Coo-coo!"

The white dove flew up to perch on top of Shimizu's head, seemingly unwilling to have any more contact with the foolish-looking Uchiha Tekka.

"There's no need to pay attention to the rumors from outsiders; just focus on doing what you're supposed to do," Shimizu said quietly.

Wherever he went, he was met with strange looks.

The Konoha Military Police Force was a job that easily offended people, so it was quite normal to have rifts with other ninja clans.

The seeds of hatred were sown this way, and with Danzo fanning the flames, the Uchiha's current situation would become increasingly precarious.

"Right, let's have a shuriken throwing contest. I can throw six at once and hit the target now!" Uchiha Tekka's eyebrows twitched with confidence, and the black mole in the center of his forehead wobbled along with them.

"Oh."

Shimizu nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries with Uchiha Tekka, and then left.

He still had to go back to train.

In the backyard of Shimizu's house.

Clack, clack, clack!

A series of sounds from kunai striking targets echoed through the courtyard.

The white dove was eating a chicken leg from a plate, standing on the table and curiously watching Shimizu train in the yard.

Perhaps because it was a ninja beast, it also possessed chakra within its body.

Unlike other animals without intelligence, the white dove could eat food other than grains and beans, such as meat.

Its digestive system could quickly break down meat, turning it into chakra that circulated within its body.

Compared to humans, this amount of chakra was too minuscule to even release a ninjutsu.

It could only be used to briefly condense chakra to strengthen its physical body, and the white dove was no exception.

Shimizu's intended role for the white dove was intelligence gathering.

Since there was no one worth gathering intelligence on yet, the white dove spent its days idling at Shimizu's house.

"Coo."

The white dove pecked off a small piece of meat and swallowed it.

Its pupils reflected Shimizu's figure.

Shimizu closed his eyes, bent his knees, and leaped up from the ground.

While in mid-air, he stretched his body to the left and right.

Eleven silver glints flew toward the six targets in the yard.

Clack, clack, clack!

As Shimizu landed, crisp sounds rang out all around.

The targets hanging on the cedar trees were all struck in the bullseye by the kunai, without exception.

Each target was filled with seven kunai, densely packed within the bullseye area.

Shimizu had thrown a total of forty-two kunai, and every single one had hit its mark.

This was the Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu.

The ninja academy only taught the most basic shuriken throwing techniques; to advance, one had to rely on their own clan.

Every Uchiha ninja could browse the Uchiha ninjutsu library.

The levels of ninjutsu available were opened sequentially based on one's contributions to the Uchiha.

Students at the ninja academy could browse E to C-rank ninjutsu.

However, they could only choose one at a time, and they had to prove they had mastered it before moving on to the next.

These restrictions were in place to prevent reckless Uchiha from misusing these techniques and to stop arrogant ninjas from attempting to practice ninjutsu beyond their control, which could lead to self-injury.

Some clansmen were overly ambitious, choosing C-rank ninjutsu right from the start and wasting a long time trying to learn them.

Those who chose to start with lower-level ninjutsu would have mastered several techniques in the same amount of time.

Of course, a ninja's energy is limited; the higher the proficiency and the deeper the understanding of a ninjutsu, the greater the power it releases.

Therefore, most ninjas chose to specialize in a few suitable ninjutsu, valuing quality over quantity.

What Shimizu was practicing now was the Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu, which every Uchiha who entered the academy learned.

The advanced progression of the Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu is the Manipulated Shuriken Technique.

By tying highly durable and elastic rubber strings to kunai, one can launch them to strike a target and subsequently retract them.

"It's much stronger than it was a while ago."

Shimizu mused.

Perhaps he could go and select a ninjutsu, and find some time to test his chakra nature.

He would also purchase a D-rank medical ninjutsu scroll to avoid being investigated by those with ulterior motives.

The Uchiha clan was born with an affinity for fire and favored the use of Fire Release, so discovering one's other chakra natures relied entirely on proactive testing.

It had been over twenty days since he first obtained the simulator.

Relying solely on his own diligent study and practice, his limit had been hitting the target with seven kunai at once.

Itachi, who possessed natural talent, could throw eight kunai to hit the target at the age of five.

Itachi entered the academy at six, so at five, he hadn't even undergone systematic training yet.

If he continued along the original path, it would be difficult for Shimizu to surpass Itachi in a short amount of time.

The paths to strength that could be improved through effort were limited to a few types.

High-level ninjutsu, Sage Mode, the Eight Inner Gates, conducting scientific research and transplants, or developing a kekkei genkai.

Each of these required a massive accumulation of time; by the time Shimizu truly honed a powerful ninjutsu, Itachi's blade would have already been plunged into his kidneys.

Time was too tight; this was a problem that could not be ignored.

Now that he possessed the simulator, things were different, and he had already made great progress in taijutsu alone.

Every additional kunai that hit the bullseye represented an increase in comprehensive physical fitness, including neural reaction speed, dynamic visual acuity, and bodily coordination.

Shimizu collected the kunai one by one, preparing to begin his next round of training.

He wanted to test what would happen if he activated his Sharingan.

The sky gradually darkened, and the stars began to shine.

Fine beads of sweat covered Shimizu's forehead; he did not want to slack off for even a moment. The simulator could only grant him abilities, but how he utilized those abilities still depended on himself.

A week later.

The streets of Konoha.

Ninjas and civilians bustled along the level thoroughfare.

Throughout this week, Shimizu had been avoiding Kurenai Yuhi.

He was terrified of over-stimulating her and causing her to complain to her father.

That would ruin his reputation.

Whenever he had free time, he would go to see Nonou Yakushi.

Well-versed in social graces, Shimizu never arrived empty-handed.

He would always bring some small gift, like an apple or a banana.

The quantity was small—just one at a time—but it was enough to show his sincerity.

"Is that Minato Namikaze?"

As he neared the Konoha Hospital, Shimizu caught sight of a figure.

With spiky yellow hair, long bangs framing his face, and handsome features, he carried a gentle air. He wore a military-green flak jacket, and the blue high collar of his outfit was visible at his neck.

Minato Namikaze was conversing with another ninja, a stout man with brown skin.

Signs of combat were clearly visible on his person, and he looked travel-worn.

"No wonder I haven't seen Minato Namikaze for the past month; it turns out he was out on a mission."

Shimizu understood.