Training and the First Mission

The impact of rescuing Hinata Hyuga was much lighter than Uchiha Ling had expected. Perhaps his Uchiha identity had served as a deterrent, or perhaps those two upperclassmen had never amounted to much in the first place. The matter did not cause much of a stir. It only became a brief topic of conversation in class before it was quickly replaced by new gossip.

That suited him perfectly.

He threw all his energy into training. His daily life became a simple triangle: school, the training ground at the edge of the clan district, and his little house.

Before dawn, when the sky was still dark, he was already at the small training ground.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The shuriken struck the wooden bull's-eye twenty meters away with precision, making dull thudding sounds. Thanks to [Basic Shuriken Throwing Technique (Proficient)], he barely needed to adapt. The moment he made a throw, he had already reached a level of stability and accuracy that ordinary people would need years of hard work to achieve. He even began trying to throw multiple shuriken at once and to use rebounds off trees for the basic concept of curved attacks.

His taijutsu training focused on the advantages brought by [Basic Physical Enhancement]. The increases in speed, strength, and endurance were real. He repeatedly practiced sprints, shuttle runs, and basic fist-and-kick routines, working hard to fully turn the data bestowed by the system into his body's instincts.

Most important of all were chakra extraction, his study of [Basic Sharingan Control Technique], and his visualization of [Asauchi].

Because of the dual improvement of body and spirit, his chakra extraction efficiency multiplied. He could feel the energy in his dantian—his chakra core—steadily increasing every day. Though the total amount was still limited, its purity and his control far surpassed those of his peers.

At night, it was his unshakable "visualization" time.

His consciousness sank into that dark space, facing the ancient Asauchi. He no longer rushed to "communicate" with it, but instead, as the system had suggested, treated it as the best "whetstone for the soul." He tried to slowly extend his spiritual power—yin-release chakra—toward it, wrapping it around the blade and sensing that cold touch and faint pulse.

The process was extremely draining. He often could not last even half an hour before feeling mentally exhausted. But every time he withdrew from visualization, he could clearly feel his spirit becoming more condensed, and his microscopic control over chakra—especially his delicate perception of the meridians around his eyes—also became more effortless.

Under this high-intensity spiritual tempering, the knowledge of [Basic Sharingan Control Technique] was rapidly digested, absorbed, and put into practice. He could even vaguely feel that something deep within both eyes was being nourished and nurtured. Though it was still far too early for it to break out of its shell, the path was already clear.

Time passed in fulfillment—or rather, in the fulfillment Uchiha Ling deliberately created. Several weeks later, Iruka announced the class's first team practice mission: a D-rank mission to clean up the accumulated trash downstream of the small river on the east side of the village.

For a group of six- or seven-year-old children, rather than a mission, it was more like an outing. The children chattered excitedly and, under Iruka's lead, arrived at the mission location.

Dead branches, fallen leaves, and bits of household trash washed in by the river were scattered along both banks, and the smell was not pleasant. Iruka divided the whole class into several groups and assigned areas.

By coincidence—or rather, under Uchiha Ling's conscious adjustment of his position—he ended up in the same group as Hinata Hyuga and another ordinary civilian student named Kento. Kento was a lively and cheerful boy who admired Uchiha Ling, the classmate who had "dared to stand up to upperclassmen," and they soon became familiar with each other.

"Ling, look, there seems to be a big branch stuck over there!" Kento shouted, pointing at a spot on the riverbank.

"Mm. Let's go deal with it." Uchiha Ling nodded, then very naturally looked at Hinata beside him, who seemed a little at a loss. "Hinata, could I trouble you to help clear the lighter debris here? Leave the heavy stuff to us."

His tone as he assigned the task was calm and natural, neither commanding nor overly protective, making it easy for Hinata to accept.

"O-okay." Hinata answered softly, picked up the small rake that had been distributed, and began earnestly clearing the fallen leaves on the ground.

Uchiha Ling and Kento walked toward the riverbank blocked by branches and debris. The current formed a small whirlpool there, and quite a bit of trash had piled up.

[Ding! Sign-in target detected: Hinata Hyuga.]

[Interaction level: Cooperation.]

[Sign-in reward being issued...]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Physical Enhancement Agent x2! (Temporarily increases speed by 10%, lasts 10 minutes)]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: 50 system points!]

The reward was average, but better than nothing. The key point was that a "cooperative" relationship had been established.

The cleanup was not easy, especially that thick branch lodged in place. It took both of them working together to drag it out. Uchiha Ling deliberately controlled his strength, showing a level of taijutsu slightly better than an ordinary student's, but not so astonishing as to be excessive.

During the process, he would occasionally look toward Hinata. The girl worked very seriously, fine beads of sweat seeping from her fair forehead and glimmering faintly in the sunlight. She seemed to notice Ling's gaze. Whenever she occasionally raised her head and their eyes met, she would immediately lower her head as if startled, her ears faintly red, though her hands never stopped moving.

A subtle atmosphere of working in coordination spread through the three-person group.

Just then, an accident happened.

While Hinata was clearing fallen leaves below a slope, her foot slipped!

"Ah!" She let out a short cry of alarm, her body losing balance as she fell toward the river below the slope!

The riverbank slope was not steep, but it was covered with slippery moss. The river was not deep, but falling in would still inevitably leave her hurt and disheveled.

"Hinata!" Kento cried out in alarm.

Uchiha Ling, who was closer, narrowed his eyes. His enhanced speed and reaction instantly erupted! Almost by instinct, he stepped forward and charged, his body leaving an afterimage. In the instant before Hinata was about to fall into the water, he wrapped one arm around her waist, while his other hand swiftly grabbed the trunk of a small tree beside the slope, stabilizing both their bodies.

The movement was clean and efficient, as if he had rehearsed it countless times.

The girl's light, soft body crashed into his arms, carrying a faint fragrance like newly blooming cherry blossoms. Uchiha Ling could feel her body instantly stiffen, and her rapid heartbeat came through the thin training clothes.

"A-are you all right, Hinata?" Uchiha Ling steadied his breathing and asked softly. At the same time, he released the arm around her, supported her until she stood steady, and kept just the right distance.

Hinata's cheeks were as red as ripe apples, and even her neck was tinged pink. She lowered her head, nervously twisting her hands in front of her chest. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's, with a trace of lingering fear. "I-I'm fine... thank you, L-Ling-kun..."

For the first time, she had called his name. Though she had added an honorific, it was already a leap from "Uchiha" to "Ling-kun."

[Ding! Sign-in target detected: Hinata Hyuga.]

[Interaction level: Rescue (second time).]

[Sign-in reward being issued...]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: White Eye Chakra Resonance Technique (Beginner)!]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: 80 system points!]

A brand-new, more complex and profound stream of knowledge surged into his mind. It was a technique that used his own chakra to briefly resonate with the Hyuga clan's unique White Eye chakra, thereby allowing him, under certain conditions—provided the other party did not resist—to share their White Eye vision!

This reward... could be called a divine skill! It had unparalleled value in scouting and tactical coordination!

More importantly, this "rescue" had clearly gone deeper than the previous "helping her out" in the classroom. The interaction level seemed to have risen in an implicit way.

"As long as you're fine. It's slippery here, so be careful." Uchiha Ling suppressed the excitement in his heart, his tone still gentle. He noticed that Hinata seemed to have twisted her ankle, and there was a slight limp when she walked.

A thought moved in his mind. The [Fairy Tail Healing Magic (Beginner)] he had just obtained could come in handy.

"You seem to have twisted your ankle. I happen to know a little simple treatment. May I?" he asked.

Hinata raised her head in surprise, a trace of doubt in her white eyes, but when she saw Ling's clear and earnest gaze, she still nodded lightly.

Uchiha Ling had her sit on a clean stone. He squatted down, stretched out his palm, and held it above her slightly reddened ankle.

He concentrated, mobilizing the gentle chakra inside his body and guiding it according to the healing magic formula. A faint green glow carrying the aura of life emerged in his palm, like warm sunlight, enveloping Hinata's ankle.

Hinata only felt a warm current seep into her skin. The ankle that had been stinging slightly was instantly replaced by comfort, and the redness and swelling subsided at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"S-so amazing..." She could not help but exclaim softly. When she looked at Uchiha Ling, besides gratitude, there was a little more curiosity in her gaze... and a trace of admiration so faint it was almost imperceptible.

"It's just a small trick." Uchiha Ling withdrew his hand and smiled. His first time using healing magic had gone even better than he had expected.

This scene naturally fell into the eyes of Iruka and the other classmates who had rushed over after hearing the noise.

"What happened? Is everything all right?" Iruka asked with concern.

"It's fine now, Iruka-sensei." Uchiha Ling stood up and explained calmly, "Hinata slipped by accident and twisted her ankle. I've already given it some simple treatment."

Iruka checked Hinata's ankle and found that it was indeed fine. He could not help but glance at Uchiha Ling in surprise. The ability to quickly heal a minor sprain like this did not seem like something a new student at the Ninja Academy should have. This orphan of the Uchiha clan seemed somewhat special.

"As long as everything's fine. Everyone, keep working, and be careful!" Iruka did not press further. He clapped his hands and reminded the other students.

The mission continued. But after this little incident, Uchiha Ling could feel that Hinata's gaze landed on him noticeably more often. In that gaze, the initial fear and distance had lessened, replaced by trust and closeness.

When the sun set and the mission ended, the team returned to school. As the crowd dispersed, Hinata mustered her courage, quickly walked up to Uchiha Ling, and stuffed something into his hand.

"Ling-kun... thank you so much for today!" After saying that, without waiting for Ling to respond, she blushed and ran away quickly.

Uchiha Ling opened his palm. It was a fruit candy carefully wrapped in colored paper.

He looked at the girl's retreating back, then lowered his head to look at the candy in his palm, still carrying her body warmth. A sincere, gentle smile appeared on his face.

He carefully put the candy away.

From the first team mission, what he gained was not only system rewards and a possible improved evaluation from Iruka-sensei. More importantly, the seed called "bond" had already been quietly planted and had begun to take root and sprout.

His ninja path seemed to be steadily moving in a hopeful direction utterly different from the original story.

(End of Chapter 3)