"Keiji-kun is from the Uchiha clan, isn't he? You haven't learned any ninjutsu yet?"
Nohara Rin asked with curiosity.
Keiji might be from the Land of Lightning, but he still carries the Uchiha name.
The Uchiha were one of Konoha's great clans, entrusted with exclusive authority over the village's Police Force. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the aristocracy of the Hidden Leaf.
"It's not like anyone in the Uchiha can just learn ninjutsu whenever they want,"
Obito interjected, hurrying over the moment he saw Rin talking to Keiji after class.
"To prevent clan members from abusing techniques or developing delusions of grandeur, learning ninjutsu requires the approval of senior members in charge."
Obito explained matter-of-factly.
Otherwise, wouldn't everyone just go straight for the most powerful jutsu?
"I see…"
Rin nodded, her short hair swaying gently. A few strands brushed over the violet markings on her cheeks.
As a girl born to a civilian family, she didn't know much about such matters.
"That's why, Rin-san… would you be willing to teach me?"
Keiji spoke up, his obsidian eyes locking onto hers.
Her image reflected clearly in his pupils. Perhaps because autumn was nearing, she wore thicker clothes than before.
Rin had value—learning from her meant getting stronger, faster.
After all, she was a prodigy in medical ninjutsu. The fact that she could already use the Mystic Palm Technique as a Chunin said it all.
And the Mystic Palm? That's an A-rank jutsu.
A-rank! That's just one step below S-rank in terms of difficulty—and medical ninjutsu tends to be even harder to master than offensive jutsu.
It requires an incredibly fine level of chakra control—even the slightest misstep could spell disaster.
The fact that Rin had learned it already was clear evidence of her innate talent. A-rank medical techniques aren't taught lightly.
It was Tsunade who, during the Second Shinobi World War, proposed integrating medical-nin into team operations and pioneered a formal training system for them.
Only a few years had passed since the war ended. Much of that system was still being refined.
Rin's gift had clearly been recognized by the Konoha Medical Corps—only that could explain her early access to such advanced techniques.
Had she lived longer, she may well have risen to the heights of Tsunade or Sakura as a legendary medic-ninja.
"Hmm… I suppose I could."
Rin thought for a moment, then nodded with a smile.
"But in school, we're only allowed to use E-rank jutsu. That's all I can show you right now."
"Then I'll be counting on you, Rin-san."
Keiji gave a slight smile. "You're a big help."
"It's nothing, we're classmates after all."
Rin shook her head.
Off to the side, Obito suddenly felt like he'd shot himself in the foot.
If he'd known, he wouldn't have said anything to Rin!
"Rin, teach me too!"
Obito blurted, not wanting Rin to focus all her attention on Keiji.
But the class bell rang before he could press the issue, and he was forced to return to his seat.
Staring at the clutter of writing on the blackboard, Obito spun his pen between his fingers, already daydreaming.
"Heh, just wait until Rin trains me too. I'll blow that smug Kakashi away!"
Obito drifted into a sweet fantasy, his gaze shifting between Kakashi and Rin every so often.
Keiji, on the other hand, quietly returned to his book.
The information in it was basic—yet still incredibly valuable.
Within the Uchiha, he was always… an outsider.
Would anyone bother to guide him? And even if they did, to what extent?
All of it was uncertain.
Keiji didn't dare pin his hopes on some fantasy where a powerful Uchiha elite suddenly took an interest in tutoring him.
He understood his place all too well.
A half-blood Uchiha... taken in by the clan.
The only reason they even paid attention to him was likely out of fear that there might be others like him.
And with only a single Sharingan awakened, some might simply see him as foreign garbage from the Land of Lightning.
Keiji didn't approach Rin randomly—he chose her deliberately.
There was another prodigy in their class: Hatake Kakashi.
Keiji glanced toward the front row, where a pale-haired boy sat wearing a black mask.
But Kakashi wasn't nearly as approachable as Rin.
Soon, the death of the famed White Fang of Konoha would strike hard. It would push Kakashi into cold detachment, numbness—and he'd eventually apply for early graduation.
The way of the shinobi as disposable tools would manifest in Kakashi most vividly.
Keiji paused for a moment, then continued studying.
Ultimately, becoming stronger was the only path forward.
The day passed quickly.
Keiji was beginning to adapt to this new life.
At the ninja academy, the curriculum was roughly divided into five major areas:
Theory – Including ninjutsu, hand seals, and foundational knowledge in math and physics
Physical Training – Covering conditioning and basic taijutsu
History – Focusing on the legacy of Konoha and the broader shinobi world
Fieldcraft – Teaching espionage, assassination, encryption, and intelligence gathering. Female students also received kunoichi-specific training.
Combat Practice – Simulated ninja duels and real-world application of skills
And yet, one crucial element was missing:
Ideology and morality.
The academy existed for one reason: to produce ninja. It did not awaken or cultivate independent thought in its students.
The clearest example? The Daimyō.
In a world where a single person could obliterate mountains and rivers, it was still the civilian aristocracy that held political power.
Even in Boruto, when Naruto had become the Seventh Hokage, he was still subject to the Daimyō's control. Even if funding to Konoha was cut, he could do nothing but silently endure it.
"Thinking about this now… is still too far ahead."
Keiji muttered to himself, glancing around the now-empty classroom.
He was the only one left.
He brought up a semi-transparent panel floating in front of him—completely invisible to anyone else.
Today's lessons had focused heavily on history and culture—probably to accommodate his transfer.
[Trait: Reading Absorption (White)]
[Requirement: Read 10 articles and complete detailed notes]
[Progress: 50%]
[Effect: Slightly increases the speed at which you absorb written information. Comprehension is 10% faster than average.]
[Note: Can evolve with further development]
Keiji looked at the second panel:
[Trait: Foundational Memory (White)]
[Requirement: Memorize 5 selected biographies of key shinobi figures]
[Progress: 40%]
[Effect: Slight improvement to short-term memory. Words and phrases are memorized 5% more efficiently than average.]
[Note: Can evolve with further development]
"These'll definitely help with the academic courses,"
Keiji mused.
These were just the beginning—white-tier traits were likely the lowest and most easily acquired.
All the ones he had so far carried the tag "can evolve." That probably meant he'd be able to upgrade them once certain conditions were met.
"Foundational Memory" and "Reading Absorption" were perfect for his current needs. If he wanted to become a medical-nin, he'd have to commit an overwhelming amount of knowledge to memory.
"Keiji-kun?"
Just as he was about to close the panel and pack up, a voice called out from the door.
"You're still here?"
Rin peeked her head in from the hallway, eyes wide with curiosity.