Chapter 7: Chakra

Uzuki Yugao had been honing her swordsmanship skills under her parents' guidance since her school days, showcasing considerable talent in the art.

Now, she was determined to prove to her new teacher that she was a capable ninja.

Uchiha Natsu, without further pursuit, turned to face Uzuki Yugao, positioning Kunai in front of him and waiting for her attack.

Having assessed her defensive abilities, it was now time to evaluate her offensive capabilities.

In all honesty, for a freshly graduated ninja to exhibit such proficiency in taijutsu was commendable. Uchiha Natsu could see the hard work she had put in.

Moreover, her talent was promising, and her cautious demeanor was intriguing to Uchiha Natsu.

Uzuki Yugao held the knife in both hands, took a deep breath, and pushed the chakra in her body to its limit.

Bending her body, she swiftly rushed towards Uchiha Natsu, her blade creating swift afterimages.

"Shua, Shua, Shua..."

Although Uzuki Yugao's sword was swift, Uchiha Natsu's evasion was even swifter, effortlessly avoiding more than ten consecutive strikes.

Even without Sharingan, the shadow clone could easily decipher this level of attack.

After dodging numerous times, Uchiha Natsu raised his Kunai, producing countless afterimages as he effortlessly blocked Uzuki Yugao's onslaught.

The clash of weapons resulted in sparks flying, creating a tense yet fluid exchange.

Finally, when Uchiha Natsu sensed that Uzuki Yugao had reached her limit, he suddenly lifted his Kunai, colliding with the back of her sword.

Uzuki Yugao felt an immense force, causing her to release her grip on the samurai sword.

With a whoosh, the sword pierced through a large tree, embedding itself deeply into the trunk.

The thick tree trunk was penetrated, leaving behind a gaping hole.

"I concede, senior," Uzuki Yugao admitted, withdrawing her gaze and lowering her head. The disappointment from earlier had vanished, replaced by a trace of joy.

From this brief encounter, it was evident that Uchiha Natsu was highly skilled in taijutsu. His strength and speed were formidable, especially considering that he had used only half of his power by employing a shadow clone.

Now, Uzuki Yugao's only concern was whether her performance met the standards.

If Uchiha Natsu suggested her return to the ninja school, Uzuki Yugao would have no objections. However, she yearned to stay on this formidable Chunin team and had no desire to go back for further studies.

Under Uzuki Yugao's watchful eyes, the "Uchiha Natsu" in front of her transformed into a cloud of smoke and disappeared.

"This was the Shadow Clone Technique?" Uzuki Yugao was astonished.

If the entity she had fought was always a shadow clone, it meant that Teacher Natsu had only utilized half of his strength in the previous skirmish.

How formidable would his actual body be?

Uzuki Yugao couldn't help but recall Uchiha Natsu's earlier words: "Hearing is delusion, but seeing is not necessarily believing."

The rumored incompetence of Uchiha Natsu seemed not only untrue but the complete opposite.

After dispelling the shadow clone, Uchiha Natsu's main body executed the Body Flicker Technique, instantly appearing before Uzuki Yugao.

Lowering his head slightly, he observed the girl in front of him, a head shorter than himself.

Uzuki Yugao involuntarily lowered her head, feeling a bit nervous. Her plain hands subconsciously clutched the corners of her clothes, as if awaiting the judgment of fate.

After a moment of contemplation, Uchiha Natsu made a decision and smiled at her serious expression. "You are qualified."

"Huh," Uzuki Yugao breathed a sigh of relief, joy nearly overflowing, and her body relaxed accordingly.

Following this, Uchiha Natsu spoke seriously, "Starting today, you are a true ninja. My time is limited, so I'll guide you in practicing both ninjutsu and Kenjutsu during missions."

"Moreover, the missions will be frequent, involving combat in every instance. Be mentally prepared."

Uzuki Yugao's expression turned serious, and she immediately stood up straight, her eyes unwavering.

Uchiha Natsu got the response he needed, nodded, and added, "Visit the mission center tomorrow morning. If you have any regrets during this period, feel free to inform me at any time."

With that said, Uzuki Yugao was unlikely to change her mind.

After completing the matter with Uzuki Yugao, the sun had already set, and Uchiha Natsu returned home.

After dinner and completing household chores, Natsu Uchiha created a shadow clone to lie on the bed while he ascended to the roof, lying on the tiles and gazing up at the starry sky.

Leaving the corpse disposal class was a positive development.

His access to advanced ninjutsu was restricted, and the rewards for recovering ordinary corpses were merely improvements to physical fitness.

Thus, the search for rare corpses became imperative, with more than four years remaining. During this time, he needed to surpass Obito in strength to ensure survival during the impending night of genocide.

Initially, Uchiha Natsu believed he had to be ten times stronger than Obito for a 99% chance of success. He envisioned effortlessly defeating Obito and retrieving his precious corpse.

However, with the body recovery system non-functional, Uchiha Natsu's mindset has shifted over the past three years.

In four years, being slightly stronger than Obito was sufficient. He no longer aimed for outright victory but desired a subtle edge.

This realization led to the consideration of his chakra. Could it be comparable to Naruto's?

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Yet, Uchiha Natsu refrained from immediate testing.

In Konoha Village, he strived to conceal his strength, avoiding the watchful eyes of Danzo.

Even Sharingan was rarely employed, never displayed in front of outsiders. The power of Sharingan was only utilized during private training sessions.

The only exposed jutsu were the Shadow Clone Technique and the hiding-like-a-Mole jutsu.

Testing his chakra had to wait until tomorrow's mission.

With these musings, sleepiness overcame him. Uchiha Natsu returned to the house, executed the hide-like-a-mole jutsu in his heart, and entered the "no door" basement he had constructed, lying down on the bed and gradually drifting into slumber.