The Theory-Practice Cycle and the Absence of Teaching
Two months had passed since Uchiha Sora entered the Shinobi Academy. At four years old, he was the youngest student, giving him an aura of precociousness. However, his time at the Academy, under the tutelage of Gintoki Sarutobi, was exclusively dedicated to theoretical fundamentals: history, geography of the nations, and the complex science behind chakra manipulation.
"Chakra, young ones, is the union of physical energy obtained from the billions of cells in the body and spiritual energy obtained from consciousness and will," Gintoki Sarutobi explained, with an academic air and a measured tone.
For most five and six-year-olds, these were abstract concepts. For Sora, with his INT (28), it was redundant information. The true value of the Academy was its legitimation: it was the place where a precocious Uchiha should be.
Sora took meticulous notes, absorbing every detail to avoid raising suspicion about his lack of interest. The System did not grant him EXP for attending, but it did for self-study based on the class information.
MAIN STATUS
Name: Uchiha Sora
Level: 2 (Inactive Genin)
EXP: 1200 / 3000
Title: Witness of the Apocalypse
His ENDURANCE (END) of $3.1$ had become his greatest physical asset, allowing him to maintain a brutal secret training that no other four-year-old, not even "prodigies," could endure.
"If Gintoki-sensei only teaches us theory, there is no justification for my progress. I need to master the Great Fireball Jutsu (Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu) without raising suspicion," was Sora's constant self-command.
Training with the Uchiha Scroll
The scroll containing the details of the Great Fireball Jutsu technique was the treasure Sora had "borrowed" from the Uchiha library. The INT (28) had been sufficient for the theory and the sequence of the six seals (Serpent, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger) to be etched into his memory.
The challenge was purely physical and related to chakra control.
Every night, after his parents, Hitomi and Kenshin, went to bed, Sora would slip out to the dry well at his grandfather's house. It was the deepest and most isolated spot in the backyard, ideal for muffling the roar and containing the heat.
Sora dedicated entire weeks to practicing the hand seals, a fine motor skill exercise that his four-year-old body found exhausting.
"Faster. The transition between Boar and Horse must be fluid. There's no room for failure," Sora demanded of himself, his small fingers forcing themselves into the complex positions.
[Hand Seal Training (Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu): Progress 15%]
The practice of the seals, due to their complexity and repetition, was registered by the System as incremental increases in AGILITY and STRENGTH.
When the sequence was fluid, the moment of truth arrived: channeling the chakra. He positioned himself in front of the well, performed the six seals, and concentrated the Fire Element energy.
"Katon..."
The result was, predictably, an overwhelming failure. Instead of a fireball, a small puff of smoke and a spark went out before reaching the mouth of the well.
Sora fell to his knees, the pain of chakra burn running through his body.
ATTRIBUTES
Chakra: 10 / 1000 (Exhausted 90 of his 100 reserve)
Endurance (END): 3.1 (Allows survival, but recovery is slow due to extreme chakra demand)
"A 100 reserve is a joke. Rank C release needs a base of 200 to 300 to be efficient. My END saved me from total collapse, but I need to increase my chakra pool before trying again. Wall Walking is the only way," Sora concluded.
Chakra Sense: The Invisible Shield
The spark's failure was not the biggest risk that night; it was the possible detection. The Uchiha Clan and Konoha were under constant surveillance.
This is where Chakra Sense (Level 1) became the System's most valuable tool.
Minutes after the chakra burn, Sora's Chakra Sense activated, sending an alarm chill through him.
[Sensory Alert:] Jōnin Level Chakra source detected. Fast and direct movement, direction: Uchiha District Periphery.
Sora froze. He immediately shut down his residual chakra and crawled back to his room. It was an agent, probably from Root, reacting to the heat release and the chakra pulse.
From that night on, Sora's Chakra Sense became constant training. He used it passively, like a low-power radar, to map the flow of energy around his home.
He learned the patterns: the chakra density of the Uchiha and the subtle, almost invisible, footprint of surveillance agents. If he sensed an unknown chakra pulse approaching the "impact zone" of his training, he immediately stopped.
This constant and prolonged use of the sensory radar was a mental exercise that the System rewarded:
[Passive Use of Chakra Sense (4 Hours Daily):]
EXP Gain: 40
Updated Attributes: (INT) 28.2 $\rightarrow$ 28.3
The Flame of Triumph and the Level Advancement
Two more months of combined training passed. In the Academy, Sora maintained his mask. In secret, he doubled his Wall Walking and seal practice, using the END (3.1) to increase the intensity.
His silent effort finally paid off.
Congratulations! The User has exceeded the EXP requirement.
Level: 2 (Inactive Genin) $\rightarrow$ Level: 3 (Inactive Genin)
Chakra: 195 / 1000 $\rightarrow$ 240 / 1000 (Significant increase in base capacity).
With 240 chakra, the Great Fireball release was now viable.
That night, under the new moon, Sora returned to the well. The seal sequence was perfect and fast. He concentrated his abundant energy, feeling the pressure in his chest and throat.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu"
This time, the technique manifested. A fireball the size of a human head emerged with a deafening roar, illuminating the yard and casting gigantic shadows. The chakra release was 100 points, almost half of his reserve. The heat was brutal.
Sora felt exhausted, but the sensation of power was intoxicating. He had mastered his first Jutsu.
JUTSU MASTERED
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Rank C): Mastery 1 (Base Level).
EXP Gain for Mastery: 500
Quickly, he used his Chakra Sense. Alert! A Jōnin Level chakra source was moving rapidly toward the compound from the south sector. The Fire chakra pulse had been detected again.
Sora did not hesitate. He ran, put away the scroll, and got into bed, his heart pounding wildly, pretending to sleep deeply. His secret had been barely kept. Now he had his first weapon.
ESTIMATED COUNTDOWN
4 Years, 218 Days, 18 Hours.