Swoosh—swoosh—
With faint sounds of air being sliced, six shuriken shot out from Qingming's hand, cutting through the air before striking the target with precision.
Proficiency +3!
This was a technique Qingming had only recently discovered: throwing multiple shuriken or kunai at once. As long as they hit the target, they granted additional proficiency.
Thanks to this method, in less than two hours, his Ninja Tool Throwing had already reached Lv.0 (96/100).
From here, he only needed a couple more successful attempts to break through.
Swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—
Several more shuriken flew out.
Proficiency +2!
Proficiency +3!
Ninja Tool Throwing: Lv.0 (96/100) → Lv.1 (1/200)!
At the moment of breakthrough, Qingming felt as though a thin barrier had been pierced. A new understanding of the skill surfaced in his mind.
He had experienced similar sensations before when gaining proficiency—but never this clearly.
With a casual motion, he picked up a kunai and tossed it.
Even without much effort, it struck the target.
So this is what it feels like to truly get started…
Curious, he threw all the kunai and shuriken he had been using.
Just like before, every single one hit the target.
He opened the panel again to check his progress—only for the smile on his face to fade.
Despite landing multiple hits in succession, his proficiency had barely increased.
Is this the limit of Level 1… or something else?
Qingming frowned and immediately began testing.
About half an hour later, he finally stopped.
After dozens of trials, he had identified two main reasons for the slow growth.
First, his predecessor's skill level had already reached roughly this stage. The inherited memories and experience could no longer provide additional assistance.
Naturally, this caused his growth rate to slow down.
Second, his earlier practice had been too casual.
At Level 1, simply hitting the target was no longer enough. To gain meaningful proficiency, he had to strike the bullseye—specifically on a ten-meter target.
Anything less was inefficient.
Of all the throws he had made earlier, only one had actually hit the center. The rest landed outside the bullseye.
That explained why his proficiency had barely increased.
From this, Qingming realized something important: the proficiency panel could not be exploited.
If he wanted to grow stronger, he had to put in real effort. The panel merely quantified that effort—it didn't replace it.
Still, that was more than enough.
Many people give up not because they're unwilling to work hard, but because they see no results from their efforts.
As long as progress was visible—even in small increments—most people would persevere.
Qingming believed the same applied to himself.
Shaking off his thoughts, he refocused on training.
Hitting a ten-meter target wasn't difficult for him anymore—but striking the bullseye consistently was another matter.
It required full concentration—and even then, success wasn't guaranteed.
Time passed.
Kunai flew from his hand one after another. Most missed the mark. Fewer than ten percent hit the target, and even fewer struck the center.
Still, his proficiency slowly, steadily increased.
Before he realized it, it was time to head home.
Amid the surrounding noise, Qingming opened his panel once more.
---
Name: Uchiha Qingming
Age: 10
Constitution: 5
Spirit: 7
Chakra: 21 (131)
Bloodline: Sharingan · Unawakened (51/100)
Skills:
Chakra Refinement Technique: Lv.0 (8/100)
Clone Technique: Lv.0 (46/100)
Basic Taijutsu: Lv.0 (35/100)
Ninja Tool Throwing: Lv.1 (29/200)
---
After half an afternoon of practice, his Ninja Tool Throwing had gained another 28 points of proficiency.
To sustain this level of training, he had also spent over 20 chakra points just to maintain his physical stamina.
Even an iron body wouldn't last otherwise.
Fortunately, it was worth it.
At this rate, he would reach Lv.2 in less than a week.
By then, his skill with ninja tools would rival students who had trained at the academy for six years.
That alone would significantly improve his chances of survival after graduation.
Still, relying solely on Ninja Tool Throwing wasn't enough.
His Basic Taijutsu and the Three Basic Techniques also needed to keep pace.
There was no urgency for taijutsu—thanks to his predecessor's foundation, he could reach entry level soon and build from there.
As for the Three Basic Techniques…
After the weekly exam in three days, he would begin practicing the Substitution Technique and the Transformation Technique.
Though not particularly powerful against stronger opponents, they were still effective against those at a similar level.
Before graduation, he needed to master all three techniques—preferably raising them to Level 2 or even Level 3.
Only then would he feel even a semblance of safety.
---
Lost in thought, Qingming continued walking until he reached home.
After eating a simple meal to fill his stomach, he immediately resumed training.
First, he refined chakra for two hours. Once his reserves were full, he switched to practicing the Clone Technique.
After exhausting his chakra, he resumed the Chakra Refinement Technique for another two hours, restoring around 100 points before continuing again.
He repeated this cycle twice.
By then, night had fully fallen, and his body was at its limit.
Only then did he allow himself to rest.
---
When he woke up, it was a new day.
School. Training. Repetition.
The cycle continued.
---
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Qingming had just returned home when a knock sounded at the door.
Knock, knock, knock—
He frowned slightly.
Since arriving in this world, he had had little contact with anyone beyond classmates and teachers.
Who would come looking for him?
Still, he opened the door.
As for danger?
This was the heart of Konoha. The name Uchiha alone was enough to deter most troublemakers.
Unless it was internal conflict, he was completely safe here.
Creak—
The door opened.
Standing outside was a ninja wearing a standard Konoha jōnin uniform.
"Qingming?" the man asked.
"…Yes," Qingming replied, confused. "That's me. And you are?"
"My name is Uchiha Osamu. I'm here to deliver the pension issued by the village."
At those words, Qingming quickly sorted through his inherited memories. A trace of sadness appeared naturally on his face.
Seeing this, Osamu continued without suspicion.
"In addition, the clan will provide you with 10,000 taels each month for living expenses—until you become a Genin."
As he spoke, he handed over a thick envelope.
"Thank you," Qingming said softly, lowering his head as he accepted it.
The envelope felt heavy in his hands.
And for a moment, so did everything else.
___________________________
You can read +100 advanced chapters in my patreon:
Patreon.com/Kakarot17