Chapter 8: Training

"Wait a moment, Mika-san, can you bring back some books on human muscle structure and medical knowledge for me when you return?" I asked just before she went out the door.

"Bringing back some books is no problem. But Toshiro, you need to make more friends too..." For a four-year-old child, Uchiha Mika was not surprised to see such a thirst for knowledge.

After two months of getting to know him, she discovered that this child of her elder sister was unusually mature and precocious compared to his peers. He possessed qualities that were incredibly rare for a child: diligence, earnestness, and self-discipline, which filled her with both comfort and concern for Uchiha Toshiro's development. Hence, she hoped he would spend more time interacting and playing with children his age.

Frowning, he was unwilling to play with those little kids. But seeing Uchiha Mika's insistent expression, he nodded reluctantly, agreeing.

"Then it's a promise! A man must keep his word."

"Mm!"

Confirming that Uchiha Toshiro was not just brushing her off, Mika smiled with satisfaction, "Alright then, I'm heading out now. Also, the items you specifically ordered will be delivered in three days."

Watching Uchiha Mika leave, Uchiha Toshiro returned to the study. He pulled out a thick book from the bookshelf titled "Detailed Analysis of Chakra," authored by Senju Tobirama, and intended to use it to pass the time.

Two lifetimes combined, it was his first encounter with training. He believed that understanding chakra, the most critical element in becoming a ninja, was necessary.

Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, was renowned for his research on chakra. Reflecting on how he developed various jutsus and forbidden techniques, nearly half of which targeted the Uchiha, even the proud Uchiha had to acknowledge his extraordinary talent.

Sitting on the veranda outside, Uchiha Toshiro cradled the book, sometimes reading intently, sometimes looking up at the drifting clouds, occasionally admiring the courtyard's scenery.

"Well! This kind of life isn't too bad. Though training is a bit tiring," he thought. However, considering the upcoming Third Shinobi World War, the Nine-Tails incident, the Uchiha massacre, the later Sky Ninja invasion, Pain's no-man-standing siege, and the hidden bosses like Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Madara, and Black Zetsu, he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

"Knowing too much is not always a good thing." Perhaps being an ordinary ninja wouldn't be so bad. Speaking of which, Uchiha Obito should still be just a little kid now. Should he eliminate him in advance?

"Uh, better not. Without Uchiha Obito, there might be another Uchiha Obito. And if Madara gets his eyes on him instead, what then? Hmm... better not cause more trouble."

Thinking of Uchiha Madara hiding somewhere with that aged face, Uchiha Toshiro felt a shiver run down his spine. As the saying goes, "Better him than me." Obito, good luck to you.

After reading the book for nearly two hours, he put it away and walked towards the building on the left side of the house. Opening the door, he entered a spacious and empty dojo with a floor fully made of hardwood and a punching bag suspended in the middle. This place was very suitable for a child of his age to train in taijutsu, and he guessed that the original owner's father must have spent much time practicing here in his youth.

A four-year-old's punches were not heavy, but each attack was executed with immense seriousness. Swinging his arms, lifting his legs, retracting his fists, kicking—all done with precision and effort, practicing each move as taught by an adult, standard and meticulous.

Though he had no previous training experience, he understood that a great building starts from the ground up. Ambitions could only be realized through personal effort. Knowing that a strong body is the foundation of everything, he diligently followed his workout plan.

For nearly two months, his training plan proceeded methodically. Every morning at dawn, he would wake up for a run, beginning with a jog and gradually increasing the pace. This was followed by push-ups, sit-ups, frog jumps, chin-ups, and other exercises, taking approximately an hour, before having breakfast.

After breakfast, he rested or read for two hours, followed by basic taijutsu training, a break, or practicing hand signs. After lunch, he took a one-hour nap, practiced kenjutsu and shuriken throwing for one hour in the afternoon, then hand signs again, and finally meditated to refine chakra for one hour before bed.

His daily training time was roughly three hours (excluding chakra refinement since it involved sitting still). The rest of the time was spent reading or wandering around.

Even if he aspired to immediately become a Jonin, or even a Kage-level ninja, his physical age of four severely limited his training and progress.

This life, though somewhat monotonous, was also somewhat inevitable. The world of "Naruto" had not achieved technological maturity. In the current year, Konoha's 36th year, inventions like refrigerators, microwaves, and televisions hadn't emerged yet.

Hmm, televisions might exist, but they were mostly used for surveillance. Many entertainment activities were lacking, even for adults whose nightlife was relatively dull, let alone children.

Regarding ninjutsu training, Uchiha Toshiro was not in a hurry. Konoha hadn't reached a point where he needed to fight. His plan was to focus on physical strength and endurance training until he entered the Ninja Academy. Secondary priorities included chakra volume and control. Of course, kenjutsu, hand signs, and shuriken throwing could not be neglected either.

Setting a personal goal is essential as it provides direction and motivation to forge ahead.

"Okay! First, set a small goal for myself—becoming a Jonin and surviving the Third Shinobi World War." As for becoming a Kage-level ninja, awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan, preventing the clan's tragedy, and defeating the masterminds behind the scenes—these could be considered but would depend on the circumstances.

It wasn't that he didn't want to set an ambitious goal. The problem was that he wasn't confident in awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan. After all, the conditions for unlocking it weren't suitable, and as a person with modern moral views, he couldn't commit acts like Indra did. Moreover, as an only child without siblings, the chances of obtaining the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan were nil. 

As for transplanting Hashirama's cells, he wasn't keen on it. Who would want another person's face growing on their body, even if it was the First Hokage's?

(The end of this chapter)