[Entry: Muscle Memory (White)]Achievement Requirements: Repeat a tedious training until a subconscious habit is formed.Progress: Completed.Effect: After repeated movements, your muscles adapt and perform them reflexively.→ Muscle memory is 10% better than the average person.→ Incorrect muscle memory cannot currently be erased.Note: Can be advanced later.
As the chakra flowed steadily through his system, Qingsi felt his body responding. He took three more steps upward and finally reached the treetop.
The forest canopy was a sea of green, rustling in the breeze, birds chirping now and then. The sunlight filtering through the leaves danced on his skin.
"It seems any repetitive training process can trigger these entries,"Qingsi thought to himself."And my talent isn't bad either."
The Uchiha clan was known for producing elite shinobi, and he carried that blood in his veins. His aptitude couldn't be far behind.
This tree, after all, was far shorter than the one Team 7 would train on years from now. Reaching the top didn't take much effort.
"Keiji, have you done this kind of training in the Land of Lightning before?"Rin called up to him.
"No."Qingsi descended from the treetop and exhaled softly.
Despite his calm appearance, the muscle fatigue was real. Being an adult soul gave him more focus than a child like Obito, but it also meant deeper energy consumption.
His entire body ached.
Then came another familiar chime.
[Entry: Tree Climber (White)]Achievement Requirements: Walk up a tree using both feet and chakra control.Progress: Completed.Effect: In terrain-based movement, chakra control becomes more proficient. Chakra consumption for tree walking is reduced by 10%.Note: Can be advanced later.
Qingsi blinked in surprise.
"Even this qualifies for an entry…"he thought.
This deepened his understanding of the entry panel. Until now, entries like Muscle Memory, Reading Absorption, and Basic Memory had been linked only to internal habits. But now, external actions—like mastering tree climbing—also counted.
"I wonder... if I graduate early or become top of my class, will that unlock new entries or upgrades?"he speculated.
But he quickly shook off the thought.
His current identity was already too conspicuous. Standing out even more could attract dangerous attention. He needed strength first—only then could he reveal his talents.
"No way! You're hiding something!"Obito exclaimed, wide-eyed. He couldn't believe that Seiji had surpassed him so easily.
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you,"Qingsi said coolly.
He had no intention of trying to win over Obito—someone whose love, once broken, would drive him to destroy the world.
Qingsi understood Obito well: obsessive, extreme, and dangerously impulsive. The boy who once idolized his friends would one day betray them all.
Naruto had been orphaned because of Obito.
Even after receiving kindness from Minato and Kushina, Obito had still...
Qingsi didn't want to get involved.
"Obito, that's enough,"Rin cut in gently. She could sense Obito's hostility, but wasn't sure how to defuse it."It's getting late—we should head back."
"Okay. See you tomorrow, Nohara Rin-san."Qingsi gave her a polite nod and walked away toward the village.
Rin stared after him, a thoughtful look on her face.
"He's nothing like the rumors about the Land of Lightning…"
Qingsi left a good impression. He wasn't as hot-headed as Obito, nor as cold and aloof as Kakashi. He was... balanced.
"Hey, Rin," Obito muttered, still staring,"Don't you think his chakra feels… cold?"
"Chakra doesn't always define a person,"she replied simply.
On the way home
The streets of Konoha bustled with life.
Qingsi observed the vibrant village. The Land of Fire's geography and Konoha's central location made the environment temperate and ideal—far more comfortable than the rugged, storm-lashed peaks of the Land of Lightning.
"Life here is much easier,"he admitted inwardly.
But comfort could dull the edge of a shinobi. He couldn't afford that luxury.
The looming shadow of the Third Great Ninja War pressed down on him like a mountain. Once he graduated, he would be drafted. That was inevitable.
If he wanted to survive, he needed power—fast.
Bump.
Suddenly, someone brushed hard against his shoulder.
"Sorry."
The pedestrian moved quickly past him and disappeared into the crowd.
"It's fine,"Qingsi said flatly and kept walking, though his hand subtly clenched around something now in his palm.
He quickened his pace.
"The second time…"he muttered.
Another spy.
It had to be someone from Kumogakure.
Spying was the lifeblood of the shinobi world. Each village had spies embedded in the others—an endless loop of infiltration and exposure.
Nanga Shrine
Fugaku rubbed his temples as the Uchiha council meeting ended. The other clan members filed out silently, leaving only Mikoto behind.
"Root has started making their move,"Fugaku said, his voice low."If Qingsi proves innocent, we must be cautious nonetheless."
Mikoto stood silently, her expression composed. Her green flak jacket contrasted her Yamato Nadeshiko features, giving her a calm yet capable air.
"Don't worry, Fugaku."She nodded."I understand."
If Qingsi was a spy, his fate was sealed.If not—then he needed to be anchored to the clan.He needed a bond.A reason to stand with the Uchiha.
Back at home
Qingsi didn't inspect the object immediately. He slipped it into the side pouch of his pants and continued with his routine.
He took out his books from the academy and resumed studying, his expression as calm as ever.
The entries Reading Absorption and Basic Memory were close to completion.
Eventually, the soreness in his limbs faded.
"This recovery speed…"Qingsi narrowed his eyes.
It wasn't just the Uchiha bloodline.
"This must be the physical talent of the Yeyue clan."
The Yeyue, known for their resilience and raw strength, were forged in the mountains of the Land of Lightning.
According to the Book of Formations, the mountainous region of the Land of Lightning was originally the Yeyue clan's domain.
Now, that strength flowed in his veins—Uchiha precision combined with Yeyue stamina.
A rare fusion.
A dangerous one.
And soon, it would be tested.