"Continue."
Qingming steadied his thoughts and pushed aside unnecessary distractions. Raising his hands, he began once again to practice the Clone Technique.
However, the moment he formed the hand seal, his expression stiffened.
The chakra in his body… was completely depleted.
He opened the panel to confirm.
As expected—empty.
Letting out a quiet breath, Qingming recalled the memories he had just sorted through. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and focused inward.
Slowly, he guided his awareness deep into his body.
He began extracting physical energy from his cells—
then carefully blended it with spiritual energy.
The two merged, transformed—
and became chakra.
Thread by thread, it flowed into his chakra pathways, gradually filling them.
---
One hour later…
Qingming opened his eyes.
"Panel."
With a thought, the interface appeared before him:
[Name: Uchiha Qingming
Age: 10
Constitution: 5
Spirit: 7
Chakra: 2 → 52 (125 → 126)
Bloodline: Sharingan (Unawakened) (51/100)
Skills:
Chakra Refinement Technique: lv0 (1/100)
Clone Technique: lv0 (6/100)]
Just like the Clone Technique, a new skill had appeared after he personally refined chakra.
Chakra Refinement Technique.
At level 0, it could restore about 50 chakra per hour—and even increase his maximum chakra slightly.
And more importantly—
it gained proficiency with use.
That meant growth.
Steady, reliable growth.
Qingming's lips curled faintly.
He might not match geniuses now—
but in the long run?
That was no longer certain.
Without wasting time, he closed his eyes again and resumed refining chakra.
---
Another hour passed…
When Qingming opened his eyes again, he immediately sensed the difference.
His chakra was nearly full.
He stopped.
Not because he didn't want to continue—
but because he couldn't.
Chakra wasn't infinite.
Refining it consumed both physical and mental energy.
And his mind was already strained.
First from absorbing memories.
Then from analyzing his situation.
Then from testing the panel.
Continuing now would only reduce efficiency.
Worse, it could exhaust him completely.
Better to stop.
---
"But I can't waste this chakra…"
Murmuring to himself, Qingming forced his tired body to move again.
He raised his hands.
Formed seals.
Tried the Clone Technique.
Again.
And again.
---
A few minutes later—
his chakra was gone.
Five attempts.
Five failures.
No surprise.
Even talented ninja students needed years to master the basic techniques.
And he?
An outsider.
Even with memory assistance—
success wouldn't come that easily.
Still…
his eyes shifted to the panel.
He was already close.
Very close.
Only one thing was holding him back:
Chakra quantity.
And that—
wasn't something that could be improved overnight.
He wasn't a prodigy.
At his age, this amount of chakra was already decent.
Step by step.
That was the only path.
---
He glanced at the moon outside the window.
Then shook his head, letting go of further thoughts.
After washing up, he returned to bed.
Soon—
soft breathing filled the room.
---
Outside the window…
At some unknown moment—
a figure appeared.
Scarlet eyes glowed faintly in the dark.
A three-tomoe Sharingan.
A member of the Uchiha Clan stood silently, observing Qingming.
For a long moment—
he watched.
Then—
he vanished without a sound.
---
The next morning
Qingming woke early.
The first thing he did—
was check the panel.
[Name: Uchiha Qingming
Age: 10
Constitution: 5
Spirit: 7
Chakra: 37 (127)
Bloodline: Sharingan (Unawakened) (51/100)
Skills:
Chakra Refinement Technique: lv0 (2/100)
Clone Technique: lv0 (19/100)]
It wasn't a dream.
He let out a slow breath.
Then focused on chakra.
Even without active refinement—
his body had recovered over 30 points overnight.
Natural regeneration.
Good.
He didn't spend it immediately.
He still had school.
Better to stay prepared.
---
He briefly considered skipping classes—
to fully absorb his predecessor's abilities.
But quickly dismissed the idea.
Too risky.
Avoiding school would draw attention.
Going, however—
would let him mask any abnormalities as emotional instability.
Much safer.
Decision made.
---
He got ready quickly, ate something simple, and left.
The Konohagakure village was still intact, and the Uchiha Clan district remained in a central location.
The Ninja Academy wasn't far.
He arrived soon.
---
Following memory, he found his classroom.
Some students greeted him.
He responded with simple nods.
Luckily—
his predecessor had been quiet and aloof.
Perfect cover.
---
Ding—
The bell rang.
A young teacher entered.
Sugimu Ito.
From memory, Qingming knew:
He treated students fairly.
No bias.
That was good.
Or so he thought—
until the teacher glanced at him.
Not casually.
Carefully.
Qingming's heart tightened.
But the gaze didn't linger.
Class began.
---
Qingming didn't hear a word.
His mind kept replaying that look.
Did he notice something?
---
Ding—
The bell rang again.
Class over.
He hadn't realized time had passed.
Sugimu Ito glanced at him again—
shook his head slightly—
and left.
---
Qingming didn't know:
The teacher already knew about his parents' death.
All teachers did.
It was information provided by the village leadership—
to help them monitor students.
Prevent instability.
---
Originally—
Sugimu Ito planned to guide him.
But…
the Uchiha Clan had intervened.
No guidance.
No interference.
They wanted to observe.
Would grief awaken his Sharingan?
If yes—worth it.
If not—
expendable.
---
Sugimu Ito understood.
And chose silence.
---
Qingming, unaware of all this, sat quietly—
still uneasy.
But after thinking it through—
he relaxed slightly.
"No hostility… probably just concern."
He exhaled slowly.
For now—
he was safe.