Chapter 3: Basic Taijutsu
In the blink of an eye, the morning passed.
At the ninja academy, mornings were usually reserved for theoretical lessons, while afternoons focused on practical training.
Thanks to having an adult's mind combined with the original owner's memories, Seimei managed to just barely keep up with the morning lectures.
As for the afternoon's practical class—
As long as they didn't test the three basic techniques, he could muddle through without issue.
Regarding those techniques—
According to the original owner's memories, evaluations were held about once a week. The rest of the time focused on teaching hand-to-hand combat and the usage of ninja tools.
The last test had been three days ago, so he didn't need to worry about being exposed just yet.
As for the next one...
Four days should be enough for him to grind the Clone Technique to a basic proficiency level.
Once he had that foundation, he wouldn't have to fear the assessment.
Time quickly shifted into the afternoon.
On the training field.
Sugi Kiichirou looked down at over thirty students and said sternly, "Next, I'll divide you into groups. You'll spar with one another. Until I call for a stop, you must not quit. Even if you're defeated, you must get up and continue fighting. Understood?"
At his words, the students below immediately began to stir noisily.
And for good reason—until now, their spars had been one group at a time, with Sugi Kiichirou observing from the side, offering commentary and analysis.
But now, not only were they expected to fight simultaneously, they weren't even allowed to retreat. This had never happened before.
Seimei didn't know what others were thinking, but what he felt was urgency.
Yes—urgency.
Normally, this kind of training wouldn't begin until fifth or sixth year. The fact that they were being made to do it now clearly meant the curriculum had been accelerated.
Considering the current state of the ninja world, it wasn't hard to guess—Konoha was planning to make them graduate early.
Still, that was only logical.
During peaceful times, a six-year system was fine. But in wartime, with a desperate shortage of manpower on the front lines, school time would naturally be shortened.
'If "I" remember correctly, Konoha's graduation exams usually happen between October 7th and 10th.'
After that, the results were submitted to the higher-ups, and once approved by the Hokage, formal registration took place on October 15th.
And today was September 3rd!
In other words, in as little as one month, he would be forced to graduate.
That thought filled Seimei with a sense of pressure.
"Silence!"
Sugi Kiichirou's voice rang out from above, instantly silencing the students.
"I'll call names. When your name is called, step forward. Hanada Sundo."
A large, burly student stepped out.
"Hirai Matsu."
Another student followed.
"You two are a pair," Sugi Kiichirou said.
"Yes, sensei!"
Hanada Sundo and Hirai Matsu stood side by side and responded in unison.
"Good."
Sugi Kiichirou nodded and continued calling names. "Yamanaka Hana, Aoki Ryuko…"
One name after another, and soon the class was split into over a dozen pairs.
Seimei was no exception. He was paired with a civilian ninja named Moriki Tetsu, whose aptitude wasn't bad—comparable to the original Seimei.
But that was the original. Seimei had no confidence he could win now.
Don't be fooled by their young age—Moriki Tetsu's combat experience vastly outstripped his own. In terms of fighting, Seimei couldn't hold a candle to him.
After all, his previous life's school had never taught him how to fight.
Fortunately, the mental strength of an adult helped him stay calm.
Soon, Sugi Kiichirou's voice came again: "Remember, you're not allowed to use weapons in this fight."
Hearing that, Seimei quietly let out a breath of relief. Even though training kunai weren't sharpened, taking a hit in the right spot could still be painful.
This was a good opportunity for him to gain experience. The less he suffered, the better—he wasn't a masochist.
That's right, Seimei was already prepared to get beaten up.
'Just let it not be in vain.'
With that in mind, Seimei glanced at the panel. If his guess was right, after today, he'd have another new skill on the list.
"Get ready—form the Seal of Confrontation!"
Sugi Kiichirou's voice rang out.
Seimei and Moriki Tetsu both raised their right hands and formed the seal of opposition.
"Begin!"
As soon as the command dropped, Moriki Tetsu lunged forward, his right fist smashing straight toward Seimei's face.
Even though Seimei had mentally prepared himself, he was still caught off guard by the speed of the strike.
But whether it was the influence of the original's memories or muscle memory from the body, he instinctively reacted at the last second, tilting his body just enough to narrowly dodge the blow.
Not only that—almost at the same moment—his fist struck out reflexively, aiming for the side of Moriki Tetsu's face.
Bang!
Moriki raised his right arm and blocked the punch.
As they brushed past each other, Moriki pivoted on his left foot, twisted his waist with force, and swept his right leg toward Seimei's head.
'Damn, this kid's ruthless.'
Feeling the gust of wind against his ear, Seimei cursed inwardly.
But he understood—this was how ninja fought. Brutality toward oneself and even more so toward enemies. Every battle was a dance on a blade's edge.
And this was only the adjustment phase. Once Sugi Kiichirou allowed them to use weapons, it would be even more dangerous.
If he wanted to survive in this chaotic era, he had to adapt as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even with the proficiency panel, he'd still end up useless.
With that in mind, Seimei pushed aside his thoughts and fully focused on recalling techniques from memory and responding to the present battle, trying to absorb the original owner's combat experience as quickly as possible.
Time ticked by.
The fights on the training field never ceased, and cries of pain erupted from time to time as students were injured.
But no matter how badly they screamed, Sugi Kiichirou never called for a stop.
During this period, Seimei was knocked down multiple times.
Although he had the original memories and could hold his own for a bit, his moves were too rigid, and he was quickly exploited.
And then he got beat.
Hard.
He wasn't sure if Moriki Tetsu had a grudge against the original Seimei or what, but he showed no mercy. By the end of class, Seimei's body was covered in bruises.
"Hss—"
Rubbing his bruised eye as he walked down the street, Seimei surprisingly didn't feel much resentment. On the contrary, he was even a little grateful.
Why?
Because a new skill had appeared on his panel—Basic Taijutsu.
"Panel!"
With a thought, Seimei brought up the panel.
A faint blue light screen emerged in front of his eyes:
[Name: Uchiha Seimei
Age: 10
Constitution: 5
Spirit: 7
Chakra: 6 (127)
Bloodline: Sharingan · Unawakened (51/100)
Skills:
Chakra Refining Technique: lv0 (2/100)
Clone Technique: lv0 (19/100)
Basic Taijutsu: lv0 (35/100)]
As shown, after just one battle, his Basic Taijutsu had reached lv0 (35/100), surpassing the Clone Technique and becoming his most rapidly advancing skill.
Based on his estimate, the original Seimei's skill level was just barely at lv1.
In other words, with two or three more fights like this, Seimei would fully assimilate the original's knowledge and experience in this area.
And he owed that progress to Moriki Tetsu's merciless strikes, which had forced him to respond with everything he had.
So how could he possibly resent the guy?
(End of Chapter)