Compared to Marxism or Scientific Socialism, the Will of Fire felt shallow by comparison.
At its core, the Will of Fire was nothing more than glorified collectivism and self-sacrifice. A rhetorical flourish here or there didn't make it any more profound. To someone like Uchiha Aozora, a former university student with a modern education, it simply felt… underwhelming. Which was why he couldn't understand his brother's way of thinking.
He liked Konoha's ramen. He appreciated the scenery. He was even willing to contribute to the village in small ways. But to demand anything more from him—Uchiha Aozora could only offer one response: sorry, not happening.
His brother's unwavering beliefs left him feeling helpless.
As a transmigrator, Aozora didn't remember every last detail of the Naruto storyline, but he did recall the tragedy involving the "Two Uchihas."
In the anime, his older brother, Uchiha Shisui, would eventually be betrayed by his superior, Danzō. He would lose one of his Mangekyō Sharingan, and in utter despair, entrust the remaining eye to Uchiha Itachi before leaping to his death.
And Aozora, being Shisui's only younger brother? If Shisui was doomed to be torn to pieces, his own fate couldn't be much better.
Over the years, he'd tried countless ways to steer Shisui off that path.
Whether through logical arguments or the sarcastic taunts like today, nothing could extinguish the raging flame of his brother's "Will of Fire."
The Nine-Tails' rampage had already happened, and the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha was widening. His brother's death wasn't far off. For the first time, Aozora felt a real sense of urgency.
The manga never specified exactly when Shisui died, but the only clue was that Itachi had already joined the Anbu by then.
Since Itachi would have needed to be at least a Chūnin to qualify, he was probably around ten at the time.
Right now, however, Itachi had just turned six and was about to enter the academy.
Doing the math, Aozora figured he had four, maybe five years left.
"Four years… can I reach Kage-level strength in that time?"
In the Uchiha Massacre, even elite jōnin were little more than cannon fodder. Only those with Kage-level power had a chance to make a difference.
Truthfully, even that might not be enough. After all, the massacre had far too many players behind the scenes. Danzō might be the public scapegoat, but Uchiha Obito had a hand in it too. Even the role of the Third Hokage remained suspiciously unclear.
To truly control the situation, he would need power beyond that of a Kage—he would need to be at least Super Kage-level.
But for now, he wasn't aiming to change the world. He just wanted to save himself and his brother. For that, regular Kage-level should suffice.
"Still… reaching Kage-level in just four years is going to be tough."
He let out a quiet sigh.
Though a pureblooded Uchiha, Aozora was already twelve and had yet to awaken the Sharingan. Advancing to the Mangekyō Sharingan, and reaching Kage-level through it, was essentially out of the question.
What's worse, awakening the Mangekyō required immense emotional trauma—usually the death of a loved one. In the manga, almost every case involved the loss of someone close.
By that logic, the only way Aozora could awaken the Mangekyō would be through Shisui's death.
But that was precisely what he was trying to prevent.
Trying to awaken the Mangekyō to save Shisui was a paradox—a path that led nowhere.
"Luckily… I came into this world with a cheat."
The moment that thought surfaced, Aozora felt an inexplicable lightness in his body.
Like many transmigrators, he had a golden finger—his own personal hack.
It was a single page. A blank sheet of parchment that had somehow embedded itself in his spiritual sea.
The first time he successfully refined chakra, he felt it. The page stirred in his mind and greedily absorbed all the chakra he had just generated.
At first, Aozora thought there was some ancient "grandpa" hiding within, waiting to leech off his energy. But just as he was about to panic, the page returned all the chakra it had absorbed.
Then, four golden words appeared upon its surface:
Dao-yin Qi Refinement.
As he focused on the phrase, a mysterious sensation overtook him.
It felt like enlightenment. In his mind's ear, he could hear an old Daoist sage patiently explaining the ancient method of internal cultivation and breathing control.
When he finally snapped out of it, he immediately began practicing the technique.
To his surprise, the Dao-yin method was incredibly similar to the chakra refinement techniques taught in the academy. Nearly identical, in fact—save for a few crucial differences.
Unlike standard chakra refining, which started by combining spiritual and physical energies, the Dao-yin method added an earlier stage: "guiding" energy through the body.
At their core, both systems transformed the body's internal energy into something usable. Whether you called it "Qi" or "Chakra," the result was the same—spiritual and physical energies fused into one.
But where the academy's method jumped straight into energy extraction, the Dao-yin approach took its time, conditioning the body first.
That made all the difference.
Even the most refined technique couldn't guarantee zero risk. Every chakra mistake came with the chance of injuring either body or spirit.
The Dao-yin method, on the other hand, used slow, rhythmic breathing to guide energy through the body. This regulated flow allowed one to gradually strengthen their physical foundation—training the body to become a vessel worthy of immense power.
Only when that foundation was solid, when the body and spirit had both matured, would the Daoist practice true Qi refinement.
By contrast, ninja had no such luxury. The shinobi world was dangerous and chaotic. Training was rushed, desperate. Many young prodigies gained immense power early on—but at the cost of their future. Their bodies paid the price.
Understanding this, Aozora hid the fact that he had already learned to refine chakra at the age of five. Instead, he spent those years using Dao-yin to quietly circulate his latent energy throughout his body, strengthening himself without drawing attention.
Thanks to this, he matured faster than his peers. His skin became clearer, his features more striking. But more importantly, under that perfect skin, his bones and meridians had grown tougher than steel.
Still, he didn't flaunt it.
He had no intention of being a "genius." The Uchiha clan didn't need another Shisui. Neither did Konoha.
By the start of this year, Aozora finally felt it—his foundation was complete. His body wasn't fully matured yet, but his mental strength was solid, and he had enough control to safely begin Qi refinement—essentially, chakra refinement.
Although he'd only been refining chakra for a few months, he already felt no weaker than his classmates. Soon, his chakra reserves would begin to grow at a pace none of them could keep up with.
"If I can master my chakra in four years, I might reach Kage-level. All I'm missing now… are skills."
It was time to start learning jutsu. And he was eager to see what surprises the Heavenly Scripture had in store for him.
As he focused his mind on the page, new characters surfaced:
Dao-yin(Guiding Breath) Qi Refinement, False Form, Clone, Weapon Control.
Aozora's anticipation for his future as a ninja began to rise.
The scripture didn't hand him brand-new knowledge. Instead, it reorganized and refined what he already knew, optimizing it into enhanced abilities.
A silent, adaptive guide. A treasure beyond measure.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!