Refined Night Training, Secret Investigation Begins

At four in the morning, the early autumn wind carried the cold, damp chill of the riverbank waters, but it could not affect Uchiha Hara training beneath the surface.

He sat cross-legged atop a massive rock, his eyes closed. Within his mind, a koi carp had already begun to take skeletal form. This was a visualization practice he had only just begun, yet it showed considerable potential.

Hara found that visualizing the carp at the bottom of the Naka River with the aid of "oxygen tank" mode was unexpectedly effective.

The underwater environment blocked out most external disturbances, while the gentle embrace of the current made it easier to calm his mind.

Uchiha Hara's spiritual power seemed to be washed by a trickling stream, slowly but steadily gathering and becoming purer.

The existence of the Demon Refining Pot gave him an unprecedentedly clear path toward becoming stronger.

But training was not something accomplished in a day, especially the accumulation of spiritual power, which had to proceed step by step.

And the body's exhaustion had its limits after all.

At around four in the morning, overwhelming drowsiness rolled over him like a tide. The slight mental exhilaration could not completely offset his body's instinctive craving for rest. He had no choice but to end his training, drag his soaking body home, take a quick shower, and collapse into bed.

At eight in the morning, his internal clock woke him up.

He rubbed his slightly sore eyes, but a clear sense of fatigue still lingered.

Although the visualization method benefited his mind, it clearly could not yet completely replace deep sleep.

Out of habit, he summoned his panel and checked his growth since last night:

[Individual Status Panel]

Essence: 1.106 (1.104 before last night's training, natural growth +0.01)

Vitality: 1.1055 ((1.106 + 1.105) / 2 ≈ 1.1055)

Spirit: 1.105 (1.103 before last night's training, natural growth +0.01, slight improvement from visualization)

[Talents]

Enhanced Perception (White)

Enhanced Stamina (Green)

Cat's Coordination (Green)

Steel Bones and Iron Muscles (Blue)

Skin Color Change (Green)

[Chakra Attributes]

Fire, Earth

[Skills]

Tai Chi

Uchiha Style Swordsmanship

Leaf Style Taijutsu

Kunai Throwing

Shuriken Throwing

[Ninjutsu]

Fireball Jutsu

Looking at the numbers on the panel, Uchiha Hara quickly calculated in his mind:

"Right now, the Blood Essence and Soul Essence from each small animal—fish or rats—can provide an increase of 0.001 in Essence or Spirit. A human, like Kiryu Daiki, can provide a massive increase of 0.1. I naturally gain around 0.001 Essence and Spirit every day."

"If I take two Blood Essences and two Soul Essences from fish every day, along with natural growth, both my Essence and Spirit can increase by 0.001 × 3 = 0.003 per day."

"Over a month, that becomes 0.003 × 30 = 0.09."

"Add the huge one-time gain from refining Kiryu Daiki, 0.1... Within one month, my Essence and Spirit attributes can increase by nearly twenty percent! From around 1.0 to 1.19!"

That growth rate was downright terrifying!

After all, the Ninja World had no cultivation methods that could strengthen the body's and spirit's foundations from the ground up. There were not even internal arts capable of increasing a person's basic attributes.

In the Ninja World, a person's physique and spirit either grew naturally or relied on their innate bloodline to cheat the system.

But at the pace of natural growth, it might take one or two years to increase by twenty percent!

Yet Uchiha Hara only needed one month!

The Demon Refining Pot, combined with his planning, formed a perfect positive cycle.

Besides, Uchiha Hara felt that this growth rate had yet to reach its theoretical limit.

It took him nine hours to digest one Blood Essence, but if he used Tai Chi to aid digestion, that time could be reduced to four hours. In other words, he could consume up to six Blood Essences a day.

Including natural growth, he could gain 0.007 per day, which would become 0.021 in a month!

Without refining humans, his growth rate could still reach twenty percent!

"I need to make better use of my time. Even if I can't manage six Blood Essences a day, I need to be able to consume at least five!"

"As for Soul Essence, since Tai Chi can speed up Blood Essence digestion, the visualization method might also be able to speed up Soul Essence digestion!"

During the morning theory class, the teacher explained "Chakra Nature and Basic Hand Seals."

The material had long since become second nature to Uchiha Hara.

As he listened to the repeated points from the podium and looked at the clear progress bars on his panel, a powerful wave of drowsiness struck again.

"Since I'll be training at night, I can't waste daytime class hours listening to things I already know..." A flash of inspiration struck him, and he recalled the classic move of countless predecessors who had crossed over—cultivate at night, catch up on sleep during the day!

But on second thought, wasn't that the optimal solution?

The Ninja Academy curriculum posed no challenge to him. Rather than waste time listening to lectures, he might as well conserve his strength and train at full force at night.

Besides, with his current status as a "dead last," sleeping in class actually suited his persona better and would be less likely to arouse suspicion.

Thus, he very naturally adjusted his posture, propped his head on his arm, faced the wall, and soon began breathing evenly and softly as he entered "classroom nap" mode.

During the afternoon practical class, Asuma Sarutobi still did not come to provoke him. He only occasionally looked toward Uchiha Hara and Kurenai Yuhi with an unreadable, complicated expression.

Had he given up? Or was he brewing an even bigger scheme?

It couldn't be that he often saw Uchiha Hara with Kurenai Yuhi and had therefore given up on Kurenai Yuhi, could it?

If this were Earth, that might actually have been possible. But this was Naruto, and the people here had strange ways of thinking. Uchiha Hara truly did not dare let down his guard.

After school, he immediately went home and threw himself into intense training.

First, he consumed a Blood Essence, then began practicing Tai Chi.

Two hours of Tai Chi regulated his blood and vitality, accelerated the digestion of the Blood Essence he had just consumed, and further healed the hidden injuries in his body.

In truth, Uchiha Hara did not know whether he still had any hidden injuries.

A few days ago, certain spots on his body had still hurt intensely whenever he practiced, but the pain had disappeared over the past two days.

Next came two hours of Uchiha Style Swordsmanship practice.

Uchiha Style Swordsmanship had techniques that could take lives within inches, as well as bold, sweeping techniques meant to crush enemies head-on.

Within the limited space of the living room, he could practice the former style freely enough, but whenever he tried the latter, he felt increasingly constrained.

Many techniques requiring broad movements, twists, turns, and leaps could not be performed at all.

"I need to renovate this place..." He looked at the three-bedroom apartment his parents had left behind. Plenty of rooms were empty anyway.

"I might as well knock down the non-load-bearing walls between the master bedroom, second bedroom, and living room, then make a spacious training room."

Yes, he would get it done tomorrow!

After dinner, he formed hand seals again.

"Summoning Technique!"

Kuromai appeared amid a cloud of smoke and lazily stretched. "Meow~ Hara, what good thing are you calling this great master over for this time?"

Uchiha Hara did not get straight to the point. Instead, he first asked solemnly, "Kuromai, I want to confirm something. What exactly is the nature of our partnership? Or rather, how deep is the bond between us?"

Kuromai licked his paw, and a hint of seriousness flashed through his emerald-like eyes. "Meow~ The summoning contract connects us. I'm your only ninja cat, and you're my only partner. We prosper together and suffer together. Simply put, we're grasshoppers tied to the same rope, meow~ So if you need something, just say it. No need to be polite."

Those were simply the rules of this world. Most summoned beast clans were bound to individuals, not clans or villages.

Even if their contractor defected from the village, summoned beasts had never refused to follow.

Having received a positive answer, Uchiha Hara relaxed.

Though even if he had not been reassured, there was nothing he could do. Other than Kuromai, he had no one else he could use.

He lowered his voice, his expression grave. "Good. Then I need you to investigate two people: Uchiha Osamu and his father, Uchiha Amano, the man responsible for distributing compensation payments."

Kuromai tilted his head. "Investigate them? What exactly should I investigate, meow?"

"Find out where they live, their daily schedules, and whether they have any fixed routes!" Uchiha Hara's gaze sharpened. "Also, I need you to check the accounts."

"Check every record of compensation payments that passed through his hands. See how many others besides me have had their payments withheld, delayed, or even fraudulently claimed. If there are ledgers, files, or secret rooms, search them all."

"You can infiltrate the Uchiha Osamu father-and-son residence, the Clan Affairs Hall, and the finance office. As for how, you're a ninja cat, so you should have your own methods. But remember, leave no traces and do not get discovered. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately."

Kuromai nodded knowingly, a sly smile appearing on his feline face. "Meow~ Understood. Infiltration, reconnaissance, finding evidence—those are exactly what us ninja cats are best at! Leave it to this great master! But I can't work for nothing, right? How many fish are you offering this time?"

"One hundred fish!" Uchiha Hara understood well that information could not be obtained without bait. "If you find the compensation money they hid, once I get it, we can split it fifty-fifty!"

"Deal!" Kuromai meowed. Before the sound of his voice had even faded, his body flickered and vanished as though it had melted into the shadows.

Uchiha Hara watched the direction in which Kuromai had disappeared, his gaze deep.

The original owner's parents had died on the battlefield and should have received first-class compensation. Yet for years, they had received only the lowest amount, leaving them in poverty until they eventually died from illness and weakness.

Uchiha Hara did not know whether he had awakened memories of a past life or been reborn by possessing another body, but either way, avenging the original owner was only natural.

Not only would he kill the people who had withheld the compensation payments, he would also take back the money they had embezzled.

Cabbage and tofu could fill one's stomach and provide enough nutrition, but if one could eat meat, who would willingly settle for cabbage and tofu?

Even the little general Quan had said that meat could fill your stomach just the same.

Besides, he was a ninja. In the future, he would need to buy Explosive Tags, shuriken, kunai, long blades, and even chakra weapons.

Those things were either expensive or used in massive quantities. Not one of them came without a cost.

At that moment, Uchiha Hara suddenly wanted a Kekkei Genkai very badly: Ice Release.

Because with Ice Release, kunai, shuriken, blades, swords, and the like could all be shaped from ice. Just imagine how much money that would save!

Paper Release would also be nice, since it could create Explosive Tags.

Ice Release only saved money, but Explosive Tags were practically printing money.

Looking at it that way, Paper Release was stronger.

Unfortunately, there was only one person in the entire Ninja World who could use Paper Release: Konan. Refine Sister Konan?

He truly could not bear to do that.

Then Ice Release it was. There should have been quite a few Ice Release ninja from the Hidden Mist Village during the Third Shinobi World War. As an Uchiha, he would inevitably visit the Hidden Mist front someday, so opportunities to obtain the corpses of Ice Release ninja should not be scarce.