Taking Stock of His Assets

Under the dim light, Kyohaku Uchiha leaned on his cane and began the first—and final—thorough inventory of this "new home." The air was thick with dust and a silence steeped in loss. He needed to know exactly what he possessed, and what he could rely on to establish himself in this world.

He made his way directly toward the small wooden box where his mother had kept important belongings. The key still lay quietly beneath the vase on the dining table; that habit had not changed. Upon opening the box, the first thing he touched was a dark blue bankbook. He flipped it open and saw the account holder's name: "Keita Uchiha." The final balance was clearly printed beneath it: "200,450 ryo." These were the family's savings accumulated over many years, a considerably larger sum—but it was frozen in the bank. He tried to recall the withdrawal procedure. It seemed to require the account holder's seal or proof of identity. For a five-year-old child, that would be extremely difficult, and would most likely alert the clan. Don't touch it for now, but remember that this money exists. He returned the bankbook to the bottom of the box.

In one corner of the wooden box was a smaller cloth pouch containing scattered coins and low-denomination bills. Altogether, they amounted to a few thousand ryo—small change for everyday groceries and rice. He took those out as well and placed them together with the one hundred thousand ryo. This was all the liquid cash he could freely use at the moment.

With that done, he slowly made his way on his cane toward his father's small study. The furnishings were simple, yet they carried all of this family's dreams of becoming ninja. There were not many books on the shelves, and only a few unsharpened training shuriken and kunai remained on a small weapon rack. His target was the drawer his father had often used.

The drawer was unlocked. It made a faint scraping sound as he pulled it open. Several scrolls and a notebook were neatly arranged inside.

He first picked up the topmost scroll, Detailed Guide to Chakra Refinement Technique. Its edges had been worn smooth and shiny, showing how often its previous owner had read it. Inside, aside from the standard material, the blank spaces were filled with his father's notes and insights, written in a fine hand—"Calming the mind is the first hurdle," "Feel the flow of energy within your body like a stream," "Use spiritual energy to guide physical energy, not force it"... The handwriting gradually changed from slightly immature to steadily composed, recording a ninja's thoughts as he grew.

Below it was <Ninja Academy Basics: Three-Body Technique Applications>. The key points of the Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, and Transformation Technique were listed one by one. His father had added many observations of his own, especially techniques for finely distributing chakra during transitions between jutsu, as well as common mistakes that led to chakra waste or jutsu failure.

Beneath that were two ninjutsu scrolls: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu and Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. "C-rank" was marked along their sides. The Fireball Jutsu scroll had been read the most. His father had even drawn a simple diagram of chakra pathway flow in the margins, with detailed notes on the key points of each hand seal in the sequence—Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. In particular, he had noted the subtle control of chakra transformation during the Boar seal, along with a warning: "Never unleash chakra too fiercely. Greed for speed and power will only injure yourself."

There was also Genjutsu: This Place Is Not Here Technique. It had relatively fewer notes, but still contained scattered thoughts on how to guide another person's perception more naturally.

Finally, there was a not-too-thick notebook bound from ordinary paper. Its cover bore no title and looked utterly plain. Kyohaku picked it up and opened it. Inside was his father Keita Uchiha's somewhat messy yet passionate handwriting, accompanied by many sketches and analyses. This was no advanced ninjutsu scroll. It was the accumulated insights and summaries, gathered over years, of a Chunin who had awakened a One-Tomoe Sharingan—his shuriken throwing techniques, close-quarters kunai combat applications, and physical training. It recorded in detail different angles, methods of exerting force, wrist movements, analyses of wind direction and speed, as well as many practical taijutsu tricks and ideas for combinations.

He gently stroked the notebook. His fingertips could feel the texture of the paper and the ink strokes poured out with such care. This was even more precious than the C-rank ninjutsu scrolls. It was the distilled core experience of a ninja who had kept his feet on the ground and struggled upward step by step—a true treasure for building a solid foundation and improving steadily.

He carefully gathered the scrolls and notebook together, placing them separately from the money. Money was the foundation for staying alive, while this knowledge was the key to gaining strength and making "completion" possible.

Leaning on his cane, he looked around the house. The material inventory was complete.

Available funds: 100,000 ryo in cash + several thousand ryo in small change. (Approximately 105,000 ryo total.)

Frozen assets: 200,000 ryo in the bankbook. (Need to find a way to access it.)

Core assets: Father's chakra refinement technique, basic Three-Body Technique, two C-rank Fire Style techniques, one C-rank Genjutsu scroll, and their accompanying notes. Father's personal training insights—shuriken and taijutsu notes.

Physical condition: Disabled right foot, limited mobility.

External environment: Both parents dead, an Uchiha orphan, with the shadow of war not yet dispersed.

Advantages: Vast spiritual power and extraordinary perception from the fusion of two lifetimes' souls; anatomical knowledge from his previous life as a forensic doctor, logical analysis, and a mindset so calm it bordered on cruelty.

Kyohaku Uchiha took a deep breath. The dim light outlined his young yet unusually calm profile.

"Inventory complete," he murmured, as though making a formal report. "Capital is limited, but I'm not empty-handed. Next comes figuring out how to use these assets to maximize my chances of survival and growth." His gaze swept over the scrolls again, lingering especially on that plain notebook of insights.

The first step, perhaps, should begin with the basics—finding another place to live, far from the Uchiha Clan, especially the neighbors of this body's former owner.