An Inexperienced "Jonin"

In the late summer of Konoha's forty-sixth year, several months had passed since his body fusion was fully completed. Kyohaku Uchiha's life had changed dramatically. Leveraging Orochimaru's influence and citing a desire to "focus on advanced medical research," he smoothly resigned from his position as an intern medical ninja at Konoha Hospital. From then on, his public identity vanished completely. He went fully underground, becoming Orochimaru's full-time laboratory assistant and immersing himself in an ocean of forbidden knowledge.

However, increased power without the ability to control it was like a tree without roots. Kyohaku understood this better than anyone. Possessing jonin-level chakra, a healthy body, an evolved Sharingan, and the Mayfly Technique did not mean he could immediately become a qualified jonin. He lacked the most crucial things—real combat experience and the instinct to integrate all his abilities and apply them in life-or-death battles.

Thus, outside the laboratory, he devoted every remaining moment to almost brutal self-training. He chose Training Ground Forty-Four, also known as the Forest of Death, on the outskirts of the village and far from crowds. With its complex terrain and prowling beasts, it was the perfect place for covert, high-intensity training.

At dawn or deep in the night, a pale figure would silently slip into the depths of the Forest of Death like a ghost.

He began adapting to this entirely new body. First came pure speed and strength. He sprinted at full speed through the gnarled trees, moving so quickly that he nearly left afterimages. His powerful legs erupted with astonishing jumping force, allowing him to race up vertical trunks and onto the canopy with ease. Every terrain obstacle that had once troubled him now felt like level ground.

With the Sharingan's enhancement, his dynamic vision and neural reaction speed became terrifying. Standing in a forest clearing, he let startled flocks of birds burst from their nests. The tomoe in his pupils spun rapidly as he clearly captured, analyzed, and predicted the trajectory of every bird, every falling leaf, even every tiny speck of dust stirred into the air. He threw dozens of shuriken at once, each one precisely grazing the tip of a bird's wing or piercing a specific falling leaf. Not one missed.

He practiced the basic Three-Body Technique to the utmost limit. His clones were no longer illusory images, but highly realistic duplicates capable of creating a degree of tangible interference. The timing of his Substitution Technique was exceedingly tricky, often completing the exchange at the very instant an attack struck. The wooden log left behind could even mimic the effects of being wounded through residual chakra. His Transformation Technique could instantly imitate the surrounding environment, achieving an effect close to optical camouflage.

His Fire Release techniques were no longer limited to the Fireball Jutsu and Phoenix Flower Jutsu left behind by his father. Through Orochimaru's collection of books, he learned more B-rank and even A-rank Fire Release techniques, such as the more concentrated Dragon Flame Jutsu and the wider-range Ash Pile Burning. His vast chakra supported repeated practice until every hand seal became muscle memory and every variation in chakra form was entirely under his control.

Thanks to the earth-nature affinity brought by the White Zetsu Cells, he even began to dabble in Earth Release. Though he was far less proficient with it than with Fire Release, he could already skillfully use basic techniques like Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall and Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique, further expanding his tactical options.

Sharingan Genjutsu became a weapon he focused on honing. He did not need elaborate visual guidance. Sometimes, a mere meeting of eyes, coupled with his powerful spiritual energy, was enough to leave a ferocious beast charging from the forest stunned or confused. He constantly experimented with combining Genjutsu and the Body Flicker Technique, creating visual deception before launching silent ambushes.

As for the Body Flicker Technique, it was one of the core focuses of his training. Combined with the newly acquired Mayfly Technique, which allowed him to travel through the earth, his movements became bizarre and unpredictable. At times, he flickered at high speed through the woods, leaving behind streaks of afterimages. At others, he instantly sank underground and silently emerged from an entirely unexpected direction to launch a fatal strike. His use of the Body Flicker Technique had begun to acquire something of a "ghostly" quality.

Day after day, the quiet depths of the Forest of Death echoed with the explosions of ninjutsu, the whistles of shuriken cutting through the air, and the wind raised by high-speed movement. Tirelessly, he tempered himself, breaking down, combining, and refining every ability in an attempt to forge them into an efficient, lethal combat system uniquely his own.

He was like a race car driver with a top-tier engine and chassis who had only just gotten his license. He needed relentless practice to master this power.

Naturally, none of this escaped Orochimaru's notice. From time to time, he would silently appear at the edge of the training ground, observing Kyohaku's progress like a hidden venomous snake.

"Not bad firepower, but the chakra flow through the third branch of your meridians could be smoother. That would reduce your hand seal time by 0.3 seconds." The hoarse voice would suddenly emerge from the shadows, pointing out minute flaws that even Kyohaku himself had failed to notice.

Or, "Your Genjutsu relies too heavily on vision. Try transmitting chakra through sound or environmental vibrations. It will give you wider coverage."

Orochimaru's guidance was always precise and incisive, directly striking at the heart of the problem. He was pleased to see Kyohaku grow; it proved that his investment—whether in knowledge or resources—was yielding substantial returns.

After several months of high-intensity training, Kyohaku Uchiha's strength had undergone a tremendous transformation. He truly possessed jonin-level chakra, physical abilities far surpassing those of ordinary jonin—thanks to the enhancement of the White Zetsu Cells—an evolved Sharingan, mastery of multi-element ninjutsu, and bizarre movement techniques.

Yet he was still a "jonin" who had never truly carried out a ninja mission, never experienced a life-or-death battle, and never been tempered on a battlefield. His combat style still carried an obvious laboratory flavor—precise, efficient, and relentlessly pursuing the optimal solution, yet lacking the savagery, intuition, and adaptability forged through blood and fire.

He was a meticulously forged, incomparably sharp sword that had yet to truly taste blood.

Standing at the center of the Forest of Death, Kyohaku slowly calmed the chakra surging through his body. His pale skin looked even more eerie beneath the moonlight. His nearly Three-Tomoe Sharingan swept across the devastated surroundings he had ruined through training, calmly assessing his progress and shortcomings.

The power was already there. What he needed next was a true battlefield where he could test his blade...