A week passed in the blink of an eye.
The Uchiha clan's special training had produced remarkable results.
First—
Both Rin and Shinichi had completed water-walking training.
Though still a bit unsteady, they could now cross the rushing Naka River on foot.
That alone was impressive.
The river was wide and turbulent—
If they could walk across it, then running freely on calm water would be easy.
Their chakra control had improved dramatically.
And not just in one area—
But across the board.
Rin, in particular, showed the most obvious growth.
After Yoru's reminder, she tried using basic medical ninjutsu again—
Hemostasis, Healing, and Wound Disinfection.
This time—
They worked smoothly.
No more instability.
Encouraged, she even attempted a higher-level technique—
The Mystical Palm Technique.
Clumsy, unsteady—
But it worked.
Rin jumped with joy, unable to contain her excitement.
"I did it!"
Yoru nodded.
"Continue strengthening your chakra control."
"You'll master it soon."
Rin beamed.
"I will!"
Yoru's tone remained calm.
"Once you master the Mystical Palm Technique, your responsibilities change."
"It's no longer just battlefield first aid."
"You'll need real medical knowledge."
"Rin, how's your progress in medical studies?"
"…I'm not very good at that yet…"
"You must understand—"
"This technique affects internal organs, nerves, even chakra pathways."
"One mistake…"
"And healing becomes permanent damage."
Rin's eyes filled with determination.
"I'll study harder!"
"My advice—don't self-study blindly."
"There's no rush."
"Once you're proficient, go to the hospital."
"Find any medical ninja over thirty and demonstrate your ability."
"Someone will naturally take you in as a student."
"…Understood. Thank you!"
Yoru then looked at the third member of the team—
Shinichi.
The invisible one.
And for once—
He hesitated.
Rin was a civilian ninja—
But she had chosen the right path.
Under Tsunade's influence, Konoha's medical system was the strongest among the Five Great Nations.
Even stronger than all others combined.
Medical ninja were in high demand.
Anyone willing to pursue that path—
Was given resources, training, even access to advanced techniques.
But Shinichi—
Was just a pure combat-type civilian ninja.
And in that category—
He was at a disadvantage.
He only knew six basic E-rank jutsu.
Against ordinary people, that was overwhelming.
Against other ninja—
He stood no chance.
Yoru could guide his training—
That was fine.
But teaching him jutsu?
Absolutely not.
That crossed a line.
A line enforced by both the ninja clans—
And the Hokage's faction.
Break it—
And the consequences would be severe.
Unlike the era of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju—
The current system was different.
The Third Hokage's faction controlled the distribution of jutsu.
It was how they maintained power.
Let knowledge spread freely—
And that foundation would collapse.
If a clan did it—
They'd be treated as political enemies.
If an individual did it—
They might simply disappear.
Yoru understood all of this.
And yet—
He couldn't help but feel it was wrong.
The world had already changed.
The age of bloodline monopolies should have ended.
Some had already adapted—
Like the Sarutobi clan.
They openly taught jutsu.
Talented individuals could even join them.
In just fifteen years—
Their numbers had tripled.
Because talent kept flowing in.
Meanwhile—
Other clans clung stubbornly to tradition.
Driving talent away.
Yoru thought about it sometimes.
If he were clan head—
He would do the same.
Even go further.
Break the bloodline barrier.
Let the Uchiha fully merge with the village.
Let anyone who awakened the Sharingan reclaim the name.
At that point—
To eliminate the Uchiha—
You'd have to eliminate half the village.
But…
That path required sacrifice.
Massive sacrifice.
Internal purges.
Decades of resistance.
And in the end—
The one who succeeded would bear all the blame.
Just like a certain man who carried the burden of the world for centuries.
Yoru shook his head slightly.
"…What a shame."
The clan—
A missed opportunity.
Shinichi—
Another.
Talent wasted.
He smiled faintly.
"You're doing well."
"Your training results are solid."
"From here on, focus on missions."
"Accumulate merit."
"Exchange it for suitable jutsu."
"Work hard."
Shinichi bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your guidance, Yoru-sama."
Behind them—
Obito, carrying a hundred kilograms of weight, was doing squats.
He suddenly shouted:
"Hey, Yoru!"
"What about me?!"
"My special training—just this physical stuff?!"
"This is supposed to be my training!"
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