The sky had just started to brighten, turning a pale, fish-belly white.
Kiyoshi quickly got out of bed, washed up, and ate some bread.
If possible, he would prefer to eat a Military Ration Pill to save trouble.
In fact, Military Ration Pills taste quite good.
The perception that Military Ration Pills taste bad stems from the special ones Sakura made, which are not to be compared with the regular commercially available ones.
This would save the time wasted on starting a fire, cooking, and washing dishes.
Unfortunately, Military Ration Pills were not cheap, so they weren't something Kiyoshi could eat daily.
Kiyoshi went to his usual training spot and began his practice.
About an hour later.
A voice finally sounded in Kiyoshi's mind.
[You have acquired the Trait: Water Walker (White)]."
[Trait: Water Walker (White).]
[Achievement Requirement: Walk on the water's surface with both feet, as if walking on flat ground.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: In special terrains, your skill in chakra control is more proficient, and your chakra "endurance" is more sustained than ordinary people, increasing by 5% on the original basis.]
[Note: Can be upgraded later.]
[Upgrade Route One: Integrate with "Tree Climber (White)" to upgrade to "Serious Foundation Builder (White)."]
[Upgrade Route Two: Integrate with "Tree Climber (White)" and "Three Basic Jutsu (White)" to upgrade to "Solid Foundation (Green)"]
"Two routes?" Kiyoshi looked at the panel.
Whenever he had free time, Kiyoshi would go to the river near the Third Training Ground to practice.
With his already strong talent and the [Muscle Memory] Trait helping him internalize things quickly, Kiyoshi learned rapidly.
Of course, this was on calm water.
If he wanted to perform Water Surface Walking while fighting, he would need more practice.
Some Chūnin, when suddenly moving onto the water during a battlefield situation, still have to hurriedly perform hand signs to refine chakra and stabilize themselves on the surface.
This tests a ninja's understanding of the "hand signs."
Almost all ninjutsu depend on "hand signs."
This is because to release a ninjutsu, one must first "refine" the chakra, then "control" the chakra to form the technique, and finally release it.
The function of the "hand signs" is actually to help the ninja quickly "refine" and "control" the spiritual energy and physical energy into chakra, not merely to speed up the process of making the signs.
From the first data book, the Rin no Sho, to the last one, the Jin no Sho, released at the end of Shippūden, the official data books underwent many revisions.
Evaluations for a ninja's "potential" and "luck" were included in earlier books but were removed in later ones.
However, the eight ninja abilities remained throughout.
This shows the importance of "hand signs" to a ninja.
This is also why virtually every ninjutsu that requires no hand signs is of a high rank.
"I'll choose the latter one."
Kiyoshi decided not to upgrade yet.
Upgrading now would only result in a new White Trait.
But if he waited a bit longer and acquired the Three Basic Jutsu Trait, he could synthesize a Green Trait!
Learning the Three Basic Jutsu wouldn't take too long. Through Tree Climbing and Water Surface Walking, Kiyoshi's "hand sign" ability had already improved significantly, even without the Trait's extra bonus.
After a moment of thought, Kiyoshi continued his practice.
Now that he had acquired the Water Surface Walking Trait, the next step was to formally practice the Three Basic Jutsu.
A while ago, Kiyoshi had learned the Rope Escape Technique and the Hiding in the Surface Technique from Rin Nohara.
Both are basic E-rank ninjutsu.
The Rope Escape Technique is one of the first ninjutsu taught at the Ninja Academy.
Afterward, Rin Nohara taught Kiyoshi the key points of the Clone Technique, one of the Three Basic Jutsu, which now only awaited practice.
After practicing for a while, the Trait panel displayed a notification.
[You have acquired the Trait: Three Basic Jutsu (White)]."
[Trait: Three Basic Jutsu (White).]
[Achievement Requirement: Learn "Clone Technique," "Transformation Technique," and "Substitution Technique."]
[Progress: (1%).]
[Effect: Your understanding of the Three Basic Jutsu surpasses that of ordinary people, and the effects will be 5% better than average.]
[Note: Can be upgraded later.]
"Not bad."
Kiyoshi continued to perform the hand signs for the Clone Technique, constantly refining chakra to release the ninjutsu.
The effects of his Three Basic Jutsu would be 5% better than other ninjas.
If he continued to upgrade, would his Transformation Technique become indistinguishable from the real thing?
Generally, the Transformation Technique is easily seen through by sensor type ninjas.
According to the Jin no Sho's assessment, White Zetsu's Transformation Technique was the most difficult to spot among all ninjas.
Other than Naruto's Malice Sensing, it was extremely difficult to distinguish the real person.
The faint morning light cast shadows in the forest. Birds on the branches curiously watched the figure beneath the tree trunk.
"Huh, there's someone here?"
Natsu Hyūga noticed a figure who seemed to be training.
"Isn't that Kiyoshi Uchiha from our class?"
Natsu Hyūga's short, dark green hair swayed gently in the wind. About fifty meters ahead, a person wearing an Uchiha robe was performing hand signs.
"Ignore him. Let's continue looking for a place to practice the Byakugan," said Tetsu Hyūga, who was beside Natsu.
Every member of the Hyūga clan possesses a pair of white eyes.
However, to awaken the Byakugan, meaning to be able to use the power within the eyes, still requires extensive training.
"Mmm."
Natsu Hyūga nodded and averted her gaze.
The Byakugan possesses the ability to see long distances, allowing the user to view objects up to one kilometer away. This distance can increase with training.
However, this ability is not suitable for training within the village or the clan compound, as it risks invading others' privacy.
This is a very offensive thing to do and can easily be spotted by ninjas with strong sensory abilities.
Most importantly, the relationship between the Hyūga and Uchiha is delicate, so it is best to limit contact.
The two walked away together.
Kiyoshi frowned slightly, feeling the gaze on him.
He looked back and saw the two figures had just turned and left.
"Natsu Hyūga and Tetsu Hyūga..."
Both were minor characters in the original work.
Natsu Hyūga belonged to the Hyūga Branch Family and was Hanabi Hyūga's future attendant.
"Never mind."
Kiyoshi shook his head and continued his training.
***
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Kiyoshi had completely adapted to life at the Ninja Academy.
Late autumn was getting colder, approaching the final season of the year.
Kiyoshi's house.
"I've finally mastered it."
A faint current flowed slowly within Kiyoshi's body.
The current spread beneath his skin, continuously stimulating his cells.
Kiyoshi looked at himself in the mirror.
His physique had moved past the "skinny" category, and the initial contours of muscles now filled out his sturdy frame.
Perhaps due to the influence of the Yotsuki clan's talent, Kiyoshi's development speed was faster than that of an average Uchiha.
He looked taller.
"If I keep this up, I might end up looking like a Hidden Cloud ninja."
Kiyoshi shook his head and stepped away from the mirror.
His skin tone was not dark, it was closer to the white skin tone of some Hidden Cloud people.
However, he had black hair, not blonde.
"I have fully mastered the Clone Technique, and the Substitution Technique is halfway complete."
Kiyoshi opened the Three Basic Jutsu Trait panel for a glance.