In the blink of an eye, the morning passed.
Generally, classes at the Ninja Academy consisted of theoretical lessons in the morning and practical training in the afternoon.
Thanks to his adult mindset and memories from his previous life, Qingming managed to keep up with the morning lectures without much difficulty.
As for the afternoon practical sessions—
As long as the Three Basic Techniques weren't tested, he could get by.
According to his memories, those techniques were only examined about once a week. The rest of the time was spent on combat training and the use of ninja tools.
The last test had been three days ago, so he didn't need to worry about exposing himself anytime soon.
And as for the next one—
Four days would be enough for him to learn the Clone Technique.
With that as a foundation, passing the assessment wouldn't be an issue.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was afternoon.
---
On the training field, Sugimu Ichitō looked at the thirty-odd students before him and spoke in a stern tone:
"Next, I will divide you into groups. You will fight each other. You are not allowed to stop unless I give the order. Even if you fall, you must get back up and continue fighting. Do you understand?"
The students immediately erupted into chatter.
In the past, sparring had been conducted in turns, with Sugimu Ichitō supervising, offering commentary and analysis.
But now, not only were they all required to fight simultaneously, they weren't even allowed to withdraw.
This had never happened before.
Qingming didn't know what the others thought—but he sensed something different.
Urgency.
That was the only word for it.
Logically, this kind of training should only begin in the fifth or even sixth year. Yet they were being subjected to it now.
Clearly, the curriculum had been pushed forward.
Considering the current state of the ninja world, it wasn't hard to guess why.
The Academy was preparing them for early graduation.
In times of peace, a six-year program was reasonable.
But in times of war, the front lines demanded manpower—and education would naturally be shortened.
If I remember correctly… Konoha's graduation exams are held between October 7th and 10th.
Three days later, the results would be submitted to the higher-ups, and after the Hokage's approval, they would be officially recorded on October 15th.
And today was September 3rd.
In other words—
At the earliest, he would be forced to graduate in just over a month.
A sense of urgency rose in Qingming's chest.
"Silence!"
Sugimu Ichitō's voice cut through the noise instantly.
"Next, I'll call your names."
"Hanada Kunta."
A sturdy boy stepped forward.
"Hirai Matsu."
Another student followed.
"You two will form a group."
"Yes, Sensei!"
They stood side by side and responded in unison.
Sugimu Ichitō nodded and continued:
"Yamahana. Aoki Ryūko."
One name after another, and soon the class was divided into more than a dozen pairs.
Qingming was no exception.
His opponent was a civilian student named Morimura Tetsu—someone with decent talent, roughly on par with Qingming's predecessor.
But that was the previous Qingming.
The current him had no confidence in winning.
Even if his opponent was just a ten-year-old child, Qingming couldn't match his combat experience.
After all, his previous life hadn't exactly included ninja training.
Fortunately, his adult mindset allowed him to remain calm.
Soon, Sugimu Ichitō spoke again:
"Remember—no weapons allowed in this round."
Qingming let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Even though training kunai weren't sharpened, getting hit in a vital spot wouldn't be pleasant.
Besides, he needed experience—not unnecessary injuries.
He wasn't a masochist.
That said—
Qingming was fully prepared to take a beating.
Let's just hope it's not for nothing, he thought.
With that, he opened his status panel and took a glance.
If his guess was correct, by the end of today, he would gain a new skill.
"Prepare… form the Seal of Opposition!"
Qingming and Morimura Tetsu both raised their right hands and formed the seal.
"Begin!"
The moment the command fell, Morimura Tetsu charged forward, his right fist aiming straight for Qingming's face.
Despite being mentally prepared, Qingming was still caught off guard by the speed.
However—
Whether it was instinct from his body or residual memory from his predecessor, he reacted at the last moment, dodging to the side.
Almost simultaneously, he counterattacked, throwing a punch toward Tetsu's face.
Bang!
Tetsu raised his arm and blocked the strike.
As they passed each other, Tetsu pivoted on his left foot, twisting his body sharply and sweeping his right leg toward Qingming's head.
Damn—this kid is ruthless!
Qingming inwardly cursed as he felt the wind whip past his ear.
But he understood—
This was the reality of ninja combat.
Cruel to oneself. Cruel to the enemy.
Every fight was a dance on the edge of a blade.
This was only the beginning.
Once weapons were allowed, things would become far more dangerous.
If he wanted to survive in this chaotic world, he had to adapt—fast.
Otherwise, even with his so-called "system," he would amount to nothing.
With that thought, Qingming pushed aside all distractions and focused entirely on the fight.
He began absorbing his predecessor's combat instincts at the fastest possible pace.
---
Time passed.
The training ground remained filled with constant fighting, punctuated by cries of pain.
Yet no matter how loud the screams, Sugimu Ichitō never called for a stop.
Qingming was knocked down again and again.
At first, he managed to hold his own briefly, thanks to lingering memories.
But his movements were stiff—predictable.
It didn't take long for Tetsu to find openings.
And when he did—
He showed no mercy.
By the time training finally ended, Qingming's body was covered in bruises.
---
"Hiss…"
Rubbing his swollen eye, Qingming walked down the street.
Surprisingly, he felt no resentment.
If anything—
He was grateful.
The reason was simple.
A new skill had appeared on his panel:
Basic Taijutsu.
"Panel."
With a thought, a translucent blue screen appeared before him:
---
Name: Uchiha Qingming
Age: 10
Constitution: 5
Spirit: 7
Chakra: 6 (127)
Bloodline: Sharingan (Unawakened) (51/100)
Skills:
Chakra Refinement Technique: Lv.0 (2/100)
Clone Technique: Lv.0 (19/100)
Basic Taijutsu: Lv.0 (35/100)
---
It was clear—
After just one session, his Basic Taijutsu had already reached Lv.0 (35/100), surpassing the Clone Technique and becoming his fastest-progressing skill.
By his estimation, his predecessor's proficiency had only been at the early Lv.1 stage.
In other words—
After just two or three more sessions like this, he would completely assimilate all of his predecessor's experience in this area.
And that rapid progress?
It was all thanks to Morimura Tetsu's relentless attacks—forcing him to respond with everything he had.
Given that…
How could he possibly resent him?
___________________________
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