Early the next morning.
The first thing Yechen did when he woke up was check himself. Only after sensing the increase in his strength did he confirm that last night had not been a dream.
Then he turned his attention to his energy, which was now full. He clearly remembered passing out last night only after his energy had hit rock bottom, yet it had completely recovered overnight.
The Chakra Refinement Technique he had practiced before could never have produced such results. He marveled at how damn amazing this cultivation technique was.
Still, Yechen did not continue practicing. Instead, he got up to wash and take a cold shower. He had school today, and if he needed his energy for something, being drained would be a real hassle.
Cultivation could wait until tonight.
He had considered taking a few days off, but that would draw attention.
Taking leave a few days ago would have been perfectly normal, but with so much time having passed since the incident, doing it now would look deliberate.
So, wanting to keep a low profile, Yechen decided to attend school.
If he slipped up a little, he could explain it away as the result of the sudden upheaval in his life.
Having made up his mind, Yechen hurried through washing, grabbed some pastries, and ate as he walked.
The Uchiha Clan was still a core force in the village. Unlike after the Third Shinobi World War, when they would be ostracized and relocated to a remote area, they currently lived in the village center, not far from the Ninja Academy.
So Yechen strolled to school as usual, without appearing to be in any hurry.
Once he arrived, he headed toward his classroom. Some people greeted him along the way, and he merely nodded in response.
That was how his predecessor had always acted, so it would not arouse suspicion. The Uchiha were aloof by nature, looked down on the weak, and usually wore cold expressions.
As long as Yechen acted that way, he could not go wrong.
Ring, ring, ring...!
A little over ten minutes later, the bell rang for class.
Just then, a Chunin who looked about twenty-their homeroom teacher-pushed open the door and entered the classroom.
According to his predecessor's memories, their homeroom teacher was named Sugiki Keitai. Like most teachers at the academy, he treated all his students more or less equally.
Thus, Yechen received no special treatment despite being a member of the Uchiha Clan.
Just then, Sugiki Keitai glanced his way, and Yechen's heart immediately began racing.
Had he noticed something?
Fortunately, the teacher did not linger on him and began the lesson.
Yechen could not take in a word Sugiki Keitai said from the podium. All he could think about was why the teacher had looked at him just now, and why his gaze had seemed so strange.
Yechen was certain that his homeroom teacher's glance had not been accidental. He had been deliberately observing him.
That left Yechen feeling uneasy, but he soon calmed himself.
Unless he searches my memories, there's no way he can discover my secret. I'd better be more careful from now on.
Keep a low profile and lie low. That's the way to go!
Only when the bell rang did Yechen snap out of his thoughts. Before he knew it, class was over.
Sugiki Keitai glanced at the dazed Yechen, shook his head, and left the classroom.
As Yechen's homeroom teacher, he naturally knew what had happened to Yechen's family.
He wanted to counsel Yechen and keep him from going astray or doing anything harmful. That was also what the Konoha High Command wanted.
He had intended to speak with Yechen much earlier, but an Uchiha ninja had approached him and advised him not to interfere in the Uchiha Clan's affairs.
The Uchiha Clan's objective was simple: they wanted to see whether Yechen could awaken his powers on his own.
To the Uchiha Clan, an ordinary clan member's life or death hardly mattered. If he awakened the Sharingan, however, that would be a tremendous gain.
But so many days had passed without Yechen awakening the Sharingan that the Uchiha ninja had lost patience. Seeing no troubling behavior from Yechen, Sugiki Keitai had also abandoned the idea of counseling him.
Yechen knew none of this. He had assumed his homeroom teacher's gaze meant he was keeping an eye on him, which had made him quite nervous!
Soon, the entire morning had passed.
At the Ninja Academy, mornings were devoted to theoretical lessons, while afternoons consisted mostly of practical training.
Yechen had already thought of a way to handle the afternoon's practical lessons: coast whenever he could. If he failed to graduate, all the better. Then he would not have to go to the battlefield.
Of course, that was merely Yechen's wishful thinking. No matter how poorly he performed, he could not escape being sent to the battlefield. After all, he belonged to the Uchiha Clan.
If they did not target him, who else would they target?
That afternoon, on the training grounds.
Sugiki Keitai looked over the forty-odd students in his class and said,
"Next, I'll divide you into pairs. You'll fight each other, and until I tell you to stop, you must not stop. Even if you lose, you must get back up and keep fighting. Does everyone understand?"
At his words, all the students began murmuring among themselves.
In previous practical lessons, they had fought one pair at a time, with their homeroom teacher watching over them and offering comments and analysis.
Now, however, they were being told to fight simultaneously and keep going even after losing. Nothing like this had happened before.
Yechen frowned. He could sense an urgency. Yes, urgency.
Previously, this sort of training would have been reserved for fifth- and sixth-year students. Now their class was being made to train this way too. It seemed the rumors were true: their year would graduate early and be sent into battle.
Still, that was only natural. In peacetime, the village would devote itself to nurturing the next generation. Now it was wartime, and the front lines urgently needed manpower, so their time at school would naturally be shortened.
Under the usual schedule, graduation was still a month away. This could not help but fill Yechen with a sense of urgency.
He needed to activate his Sharingan as soon as possible. Only then would he have a chance of surviving on the battlefield.
"Quiet!"
Sugiki Keitai barked from the front, even using chakra to intimidate the students into silence.
"Next, the students whose names I call will step forward."
"Hanada Jindao."
At his words, a burly student stepped out of the crowd.
"Takahashi Matsu."
Another student stepped forward.
"You two are a pair."
"Yes, sir."
Hanada Jindao and Takahashi Matsu stood together and waited quietly.
Sugiki Keitai continued calling names. "Yamanaka Iko, Tanaka Hana, you two are a pair."
"Yes, sir."
As he called out name after name, the entire class was divided into more than twenty pairs.
Yechen was no exception. His partner was a civilian ninja named Saito Mu, whose strength was only slightly greater than his predecessor's. They were practically evenly matched.
Perhaps Sugiki Keitai had arranged this deliberately, keeping stronger students from facing weaker ones, since such matches would not reveal their true combat abilities.
Looking at the boy of about ten before him, Yechen knew his predecessor would certainly have lost. In terms of combat experience, his predecessor could not have come close.
But Yechen was different now. His strength had soared, and he could win this match with ease.
(Saito Mu, combat power: 0.8, rank: unranked. You only need one finger to crush him.)
Yechen had not expected a function that let him check his opponent's combat power. It genuinely surprised him.
"Uchiha Yechen, what's with that look? Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you're an Uchiha!"
Thinking Yechen was looking down on him, Saito Mu instantly flew into a rage.
Yechen did not voice his thoughts, but he felt rather wronged. Sure, I'm an Uchiha, but I've never looked down on anyone. This is all the system's fault. If it had a special ability, it should have shown me beforehand.
Just then, Sugiki Keitai's voice rang out.
"No weapons are allowed in these fights. Does everyone understand? Begin..."