The notification sound in his mind caused Haruto Uchiha's heart to skip a beat, and then a smile of joy spread across his face.
"As I thought... I suddenly grasped all Fire Style Ninjutsu. Is this the effect of heaven-defying comprehension?"
"This cheat is amazing!"
Haruto couldn't help but give himself a thumbs up.
However, a new problem emerged.
Although he now understood every Fire Style Ninjutsu, he realized that his current chakra reserves were insufficient to perform most of the high-level techniques. No matter how advanced the techniques in his mind were, without enough chakra, they would remain unusable.
Chakra was the foundation for all ninjutsu and taijutsu. No amount of knowledge or skill could replace that core requirement.
"So, how does one refine chakra more efficiently?"
Haruto focused on recalling information about chakra refinement. As he tried to concentrate, another notification popped up in his mind.
[Ding! You are focusing on refining chakra. Your chakra has increased by 100%!]
A warm current suddenly coursed through Haruto's body, filling him with energy. He could feel the chakra being extracted from his cells, flowing through his meridians, and gathering in his core, amplifying the amount of chakra he had.
"This... is chakra doubling instantly! Incredible!"
The increase in chakra not only boosted his energy but also made him feel physically stronger. He knew how tough it was for ordinary people to extract even a small amount of chakra. Even geniuses like Kakashi often struggled with chakra reserves, and Uchiha Itachi, despite his immense talent, always had to carefully manage his chakra.
Yet, thanks to his heaven-defying comprehension, Haruto's chakra doubled within seconds.
"Anyone who saw this would be insanely jealous!" he thought, marveling at the process.
"This is insane!" Haruto muttered to himself.
Now, with his chakra doubled and his knowledge of Fire Style Ninjutsu complete, he needed to think about his next steps.
Haruto considered his options:
First, he could abandon Konoha altogether and live as a rogue ninja, free to explore the world. However, this wasn't appealing; he had bigger goals.
Second, he could return to the front lines to continue fighting alongside the Uchiha clan. But he quickly dismissed this idea. Though his understanding of Fire Style had become unparalleled, his body was still injured, and chakra alone wouldn't heal his physical wounds. Returning to battle in his current state would likely end in him becoming cannon fodder again.
The third option seemed more reasonable: return to Konoha as a wounded soldier and recover. After healing, he could formulate a plan to change the fate of the Uchiha clan, ensuring they wouldn't face the tragic events he knew were looming.
"The Uchiha clan won't be sacrificed like this," he muttered.
"Genocide? Not if I have anything to say about it!"
His eyes flashed with determination.
With that, Haruto decided to find Konoha's medical logistics forces. Once there, he could return to the village under the pretense of being severely injured.
He began looking around the area for any clues or tracks that might lead him to the medical unit. As he squatted down to examine the ground, another notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! You have activated tracking and reconnaissance techniques. Your tracking and reconnaissance skills have been raised to the full level!]
[Full-level tracking and reconnaissance skills grant heightened perception, allowing you to detect even the smallest details and hear sounds within a wide range.]
"Full-level tracking and reconnaissance…?" Haruto wondered.
Information flooded his mind, filling him with a new understanding of his surroundings. His senses had sharpened to an extraordinary degree.
First, his vision improved dramatically. He could now see things with stunning clarity, even at a great distance. A hundred meters away, he spotted a tiny insect chewing on a tree trunk. Two hundred meters away, he saw a small centipede wriggling through some fallen leaves. His enhanced sight even allowed him to spot a bird flying above the forest, three hundred meters away.
And it wasn't just his eyesight that had improved—his hearing and sense of smell had also become far more acute. He could hear the faint flapping of that distant bird's wings as if it were right next to him. The soft sound of the centipede moving through the leaves was as clear as day. The multitude of scents in the forest—fresh leaves, damp earth, animals—were all distinctly recognizable, and he could immediately tell the direction they came from.
"This... this is incredible!" Haruto exclaimed to himself, overwhelmed by his newfound abilities.
Among the many scents in the air, Haruto soon picked up a distinct odor: blood. Coupled with the distant sounds of a struggle—cries of pain, the clashing of weapons—he realized something troubling.
"Konoha's medical logistics unit... they're under attack."
Haruto's expression turned serious. Based on what his senses were telling him, there were about five enemies, which seemed a small number to be causing such chaos among the logistics team. But if these enemies were skilled enough to overwhelm Konoha's forces, they posed a significant threat.
Without hesitation, Haruto set off in the direction of the battle.
As he moved through the forest, he felt his body growing stronger, his chakra flowing more smoothly. His sharp senses guided him effortlessly, and soon, he came across the scene of the fight.
It was just as he had sensed: five attackers—likely rogue ninjas or enemy soldiers—were wreaking havoc on Konoha's logistics and medical team. The Konoha ninjas were either injured or dead, and the attackers seemed to be closing in on the few survivors.
Haruto's heart raced. He knew that if he acted now, he could take them by surprise. He didn't have time to consider the risks. He needed to save whoever was left.
Channeling the chakra he had refined earlier, Haruto weaved signs for the Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu, one of the most basic techniques he'd mastered.
Taking a deep breath, he unleashed a massive fireball toward the enemies, catching them off guard. The sheer power of the attack forced the enemies to scatter, and those who weren't fast enough were caught in the flames.
"Who the hell is that?" one of the attackers shouted, glaring at Haruto with wide eyes.
Haruto didn't answer. His attention was already on his next move. He might not have the strength to fully defeat them all yet, but his sudden interference was enough to shift the tide of the battle.
In the confusion, a few surviving Konoha ninjas managed to retreat, taking cover while Haruto faced the enemies. The attackers, realizing that this wasn't an ordinary ninja, hesitated.
"Retreat!" one of them barked.
The enemies quickly fled, disappearing into the forest.
Haruto stood his ground, watching them go, his body tense. He knew they would regroup or send more forces eventually, but for now, the fight was over.
As the Konoha survivors gathered around him, weak but grateful, Haruto couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
"Not bad," he muttered to himself, already planning his next steps.