Compared to Marxism-Leninism or scientific social thought, the Will of Fire was far too flimsy.
The Will of Fire, at its core, was nothing more than a spirit of sacrifice and collectivism. Adding a rhetorical flourish somehow made it seem sophisticated? For a university-educated mind, it was far too shallow, and Uchiha Aozora simply could not comprehend his older brother's thinking.
He liked Konoha's ramen, admired Konoha's scenery, and was willing to contribute a little to the village—but to ask him for more? Uchiha Aozora could only apologize.
His brother's stubbornness left him feeling powerless.
As a transmigrator, Uchiha Aozora was not fully aware of every major and minor event in Naruto's timeline, but he did know the deeds of the "two Uchiha."
In the anime, his older brother, Uchiha Shisui, was betrayed by his superior, Danzo, losing one of his Mangekyo Sharingan. In despair, he entrusted the remaining Mangekyo Sharingan to Uchiha Itachi before leaping off a cliff to his death.
Aozora was Shisui's only younger brother. If Shisui perished, his own fate would hardly be any better.
Over the years, he had tried countless times to help his brother escape this deadly vortex.
Yet whether presenting facts and reason or resorting to sarcasm and ridicule—as he had today—he could not extinguish the burning "Will of Fire" in his brother.
The Nine-Tails' attack had already occurred. The rift between the Uchiha and Konoha was widening, and his brother's "death" drew near. Aozora felt a pressing sense of urgency.
The exact time of Shisui's death was never specified in the manga. The only clue was that Uchiha Itachi had already joined the Anbu by that time.
Itachi had to be at least a Chunin to join the Anbu, meaning he was at least ten years old.
Now, Itachi was only six and about to enter the academy.
A simple calculation revealed that Aozora had roughly four to five years left.
"Can I reach Kage-level strength in four years?"
During the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Jonin were cannon fodder; only Kage-level individuals could intervene.
Even then, Kage-level power was no guarantee. Many were behind the Uchiha massacre—Danzo, the mastermind, was one; Uchiha Obito was involved; even the Third Hokage's role was questionable. To truly control the situation, super-Kage strength was essential.
But Aozora only wanted to save the lives of his two brothers. Kage-level strength would likely suffice.
"Besides, achieving Kage-level in four years… that's going to be tough."
He sighed.
Although he was a pure-blooded Uchiha, he was already twelve and had yet to awaken the Sharingan. Pursuing the path to Kage through the Mangekyo Sharingan was practically impossible.
Advancing the Sharingan required enduring immense negative emotions to generate the special chakra needed for the Mangekyo. In the manga, most Sharingan upgrades involved the death of a loved one. By that logic, for Aozora to awaken his own, he would have to kill Shisui.
But his goal in awakening the Mangekyo was to save Shisui.
Awakening the Mangekyo to save his brother was a paradox—an impossible path.
"Fortunately, I brought a cheat with me when I transmigrated!"
At the thought, Aozora felt a lightness in his body.
Like most transmigrators, Aozora also had a cheat code.
His cheat was a single page from a book—blank, with no text—which had somehow entered his mind.
The first time he successfully refined chakra, he felt the page in his consciousness. It acted like a black hole, instantly absorbing the chakra he had just refined.
For a moment, he thought it contained an old man who needed energy to recover. Then, the page returned the chakra in full. At the same time, four pale golden ancient characters appeared on it: "Guiding Qi Refinement."
Focusing on the four characters, a profound sensation surged through his heart.
It was as if a venerable Taoist master were explaining the method of guiding qi refinement directly into his ear.
After a while, he regained his composure.
Practicing the method, he found it was eight or nine parts identical to the chakra-refining techniques he had learned, differing only in minor details. Unlike chakra refining, Guiding Qi Refinement added a preparatory step of guidance before the actual refinement.
The essence of both methods was the same: drawing upon spiritual and physical energy within the body and transforming it into controllable energy.
The guiding method differed in its use of breathing exercises to control internal energy and train the body.
Comparing the two, Aozora began to understand why ninjas—despite possessing world-shattering power—rarely achieved longevity.
Guiding Qi Refinement was no more sophisticated than chakra refining. Its difference lay in the foundational step of guidance.
Both qi and chakra were the perfect fusion of human spirit and physical energy. Regardless of how flawless a method was, failure could never be avoided; failure inevitably harmed both mind and body.
In the early stages, Guiding Qi focused on breathing and physical training. Exhaling and regulating the breath allowed energy to circulate, replenishing deficiencies and reducing excess, forging the foundation of the Great Dao—the body. Only once the body, mind, and spirit matured would Daoists begin to absorb energy for full qi cultivation.
Chakra refining was different. In the chaotic, dangerous ninja world, there was no time for long-term cultivation. Ninjas needed quick, efficient methods. This allowed young prodigies to gain world-destroying power early—but many overdrawn their life force and damaged their foundation.
Understanding this, Aozora concealed the fact that he could already refine chakra. Since the age of five, he had used guiding techniques to circulate his overflowing energy and nourish his body.
His development far exceeded his peers. His skin glowed, and he appeared strikingly handsome. But beneath the fair skin, his meridians and bones had become remarkably resilient.
He avoided showcasing his extraordinary body. Why? The Uchiha clan did not need another Shisui. Konoha did not need another prodigy.
Earlier this year, Aozora finally felt his foundation was complete. His spirit was strong; his body, though not fully developed, would not be easily harmed by training errors. It was safe to begin practicing, or rather, refining chakra.
Though he had only started this year, his chakra reserves were already comparable to his classmates. Soon, his chakra would far surpass theirs.
"In four years, my chakra will likely reach Kage-level. All I lack are skills. Time to learn ninjutsu… let's see what surprises the Heavenly Book has in store."
As he visualized, the Heavenly Book displayed "Guiding Qi Training," "Illusion," "Clone," and "Weapon Control." Aozora couldn't help but anticipate his future ninja career.
The Heavenly Book did not provide new knowledge, but it reorganized and optimized what he had already learned, granting him entirely new skills.