THE UCHIHA ASCENSION

Uchiha Kiyo had little interest in the samurai's body-strengthening techniques. What truly intrigued him was the secret behind their extended lifespan.

"Yes, it's a system that can be cultivated to the Kage level. I've never paid much attention to the samurai's training before, but now I see it clearly—the samurai have declined, overshadowed by the fast-paced development of the ninja system."

On his way home, Uchiha Kiyo reflected on his discoveries. Compared to when he had first left, he now felt significantly lighter, as though a burden had been lifted.

Finally sensing a breakthrough, Uchiha Kiyo was determined not to let it slip away. He carefully analyzed which aspect of the samurai's system led to the body's nurturing and an increase in lifespan.

"Samurai… I've never considered them before. What is the essence of their power? Is it the so-called 'qi'? That's possible, but what exactly is this qi? It can't just appear out of nowhere, right?"

As he delved deeper into his thoughts, Uchiha Kiyo formulated a concept of qi. But where did it originate?

Just as chakra is a fusion of physical and spiritual energy, qi must also have a source. Could it be physical energy?

Wait… Physical energy!

"That's right! Samurai make progress through intense physical training. It makes sense that physical energy plays a role."

With this realization, Uchiha Kiyo felt he had found the right path.

"I studied physical energy before, but I never examined its direct effects on the body. I was careless."

He chuckled bitterly at his own oversight.

However, another thought struck him—physical energy was inherently uncontrollable. Even during his research, he could only sense it, never manipulate it directly.

Did that mean the only way to cultivate qi was through the samurai's methods?

No, there had to be other ways. He would have to experiment. Progress would come with time.

Setting the matter aside for now, Uchiha Kiyo felt his mind growing weary. He decided it was best to rest and continue his research tomorrow. With that, he returned home, ate dinner, practiced his hand seals for two hours, applied ointment to his muscles, and went to sleep.

---

The next morning, Uchiha Kiyo awoke feeling refreshed. Remembering his breakthrough from the previous day, a smile played on his lips.

"Ah, what a beautiful day to start fresh."

Perhaps solving that mental hurdle had lifted his spirits, as his mood remained light.

During his morning exercises, he also pondered how to harness physical energy to nurture his body.

However, when it was time for his hand seal training, he pushed those thoughts aside to focus entirely on his research.

"My studies on hand seals are finally on the right track. But I still lack enough ninjutsu knowledge to fully understand the significance of each sequence. No need to rush—I'll just commit to an hour of practice daily."

His focus today was on one-handed seals. Unlike two-handed seals, which were the norm, mastering one-handed seals would give him a significant advantage.

"One-handed seals… If I can get this right, I'll have a major edge in combat."

To make time for this, he reduced his usual hand seal training to an hour, leaving room for other exercises.

Since his intense training period had ended, Uchiha Kiyo hadn't practiced kunai throwing for over half a month. Now was the time to resume.

After three months of dedicated training, he could consistently hit a stationary target. If the target moved, his accuracy dropped, but his foundation was solid. With steady practice, his skills would improve quickly.

However, since he had decided to shorten his hand seal study time today, he opted to skip kunai training this once.

Instead, he dedicated the extra time to attempting one-handed seals, hoping to develop a viable technique.

Uchiha Kiyo had his own theories regarding one-handed seals.

"Hand seals are just a way to channel chakra. If I can develop a set of one-handed seals that achieve the same effect as two-handed seals, I'll be able to perform jutsu with one hand."

The real challenge was to condense these techniques into the most efficient system possible.

However, Uchiha Kiyo wasn't concerned with mastering every possible one-handed seal.

For one, that would be an incredibly time-consuming task with low practical value.

Secondly, he only needed to develop one-handed seals for a few commonly used jutsu. That alone would be a valuable skill.

More importantly, he was far more interested in the concept of jutsu that required no hand seals at all.

He theorized that one-handed seals would naturally require more complex movements than two-handed ones. Unless he needed to free up a hand in combat or take an opponent by surprise, they weren't strictly necessary.

"The study of one-handed seals shouldn't take up too much time. At this stage, it's just an experiment. Once I've mastered more ninjutsu, I'll refine the one-handed seals for my most essential techniques."

With that decision, Uchiha Kiyo broke down the twelve standard hand seals and attempted to replicate them with a single hand, carefully recording how his chakra responded to each attempt.

After about an hour of research, he had made some progress, but it was still just the beginning.

Satisfied with his initial findings, he left for the reference library to continue his studies.

Upon reaching the library, he bowed respectfully to the elder at the entrance before stepping inside. The elder gave him a curious look but said nothing.

Uchiha Kiyo had no idea why the elder had reacted that way, but he didn't dwell on it. His priority was research.

Instead of looking for more information on the samurai, he directed his attention to medical ninjutsu.

Since he had already determined the general concept of the samurai's longevity, what he now needed was a method to actively control his body's energy. The samurai system, which functioned passively, wouldn't help much in this regard.

From what he had gathered, samurai unknowingly cultivated their physical energy through sheer training without understanding the process. They had never deliberately studied how it worked. That meant they couldn't offer him the insights he needed.

Medical ninjutsu, on the other hand, might provide the missing piece.

Even though he couldn't access actual medical jutsu scrolls, there was still useful theoretical knowledge available.

Uchiha Kiyo recalled something he had read somewhere—possibly in a doujin—stating that ultimate Yin Release corresponded to spiritual energy, while ultimate Yang Release was tied to physical energy.

He wasn't sure if that was true, but it was worth investigating.

Medical ninjutsu worked by stimulating the body's cells, accelerating healing at the cost of expending cellular potential. That fact alone hinted at a deeper connection between healing and physical energy.

"Ninjutsu itself doesn't directly heal. It stimulates cells, triggering regeneration. But how does that work?

Cells divide to repair the wound, but freshly formed cells are weak. Especially in large wounds, the new tissue is far inferior to the battle-hardened body of a ninja. How do medical ninjas address this weakness? Surely they don't just leave it to the ninja's natural training?"

Could it be physical energy?

Perhaps the newly generated cells rapidly accumulated physical energy, allowing them to toughen up in a short time. Even if the effect wasn't perfect, it could at least accelerate recovery without forcing a ninja to retrain their body from scratch.

Uchiha Kiyo continued piecing things together as he searched through medical texts.

Finally, he found what he was looking for.

"The Fundamentals of Medical Ninjutsu… written by a Senju? What?"

Seeing the author's name, he was momentarily stunned but quickly understood.

"This must be a war trophy from the Warring States era. Given how often the Uchiha and Senju clashed, it's not surprising that some of their scrolls ended up in our possession."

Shaking off his surprise, Uchiha Kiyo focused on studying the text.

Meanwhile, the elder at the door, Uchiha Yu, watched him thoughtfully. Noticing the book in his hands, he gave a relieved smile.

"So, yesterday's interest in samurai training was just a passing curiosity? Good.

Studying medical ninjutsu is far more worthwhile. The Uchiha clan has never produced a truly great medical ninja. If this boy succeeds, he could fill a major gap in our family's abilities."