I woke up at exactly six in the morning again.
By now, it felt natural—almost automatic. I slipped out of bed, padded into the bathroom, and washed up without making much noise. When I finished, I headed straight to the dining table. Breakfast was already laid out, simple and familiar—the kind of food every family in the village grew up with.
Mother was already seated.
I greeted her and sat down, quietly eating while listening to the faint sounds of the neighborhood waking up. As I chewed, I realized something again.
It had been seven days.
Seven straight mornings without Father at the table.
Mother didn't say anything about it, and neither did I. In a shinobi household, silence like this was normal. Missions didn't wait for family meals.
After breakfast, I rested briefly to let my chakra settle. Once my breathing evened out, I headed into the garden and began my training.
Leaf Concentration first.
I balanced the leaf on my forehead, steadily releasing chakra, adjusting the flow with careful precision. My control felt smoother than yesterday—less waste, fewer fluctuations. I let the technique run until my reserves dipped, then switched to hand seal drills while my chakra regenerated.
I had barely gotten ten minutes in when I sensed someone approaching.
"Keisuke!"
I opened one eye and turned.
Obito was already there.
Earlier than yesterday.
I nearly laughed to myself.
How motivated are you, really?
He stood at the edge of the garden, fists clenched, eyes bright. His posture alone screamed eagerness.
Mother appeared behind him, smiling warmly.
"He came as soon as he finished breakfast," she said. "Try not to overdo it, you two."
"We won't," I replied.
She nodded and left us alone.
Training began immediately.
I guided Obito through hand seal drills first. His fingers still fumbled, still hesitated—but there was improvement. Small, but undeniable.
"You're faster today," I told him after watching closely. "About two percent, maybe."
"R-really?!" His face lit up.
"Yeah. Your transitions are smoother. Don't rush—focus on accuracy first."
He nodded furiously and kept going.
Next was leaf concentration.
This time, I could clearly feel his chakra.
The leaf trembled… then stayed.
One second.
Then another half.
It finally fell.
"One and a half seconds," I said. "That's way better than yesterday."
Obito stared at the leaf on the ground, then clenched his fists.
"I can do more!"
"You will," I said calmly. "Just keep at it."
The reassurance worked. He trained harder, more focused than before.
While guiding him, I continued my own practice whenever my chakra regenerated. Leaf concentration, then hand seals. Over and over.
By late morning, something familiar happened.
A ripple.
A warm pulse through my body.
Level up.
Both skills reached the next threshold.
Skill Details — Morning Training
Leaf Concentration — Level 10 (Active)
Experience Until Next Level: 39.69% / 100%
Description: Allows the user to increase chakra control.
Chakra Usage: 1 Chakra per second
Passive Effect: +11% Chakra Control
Hand Seal Drill — Level 10 (Passive)
Experience Until Next Level: 48.88% / 100%
Description: Increases speed and efficiency of hand sealing.
Passive Effect: +11% Hand Seal Speed
By noon, Mother called us in for lunch.
Obito, as usual, took one bite and froze.
"This is amazing! Auntie, how do you make it taste like this every time?"
She laughed softly.
"Eat properly, Obito."
He praised every dish like it was the first time he'd ever eaten real food. I ignored him and focused on finishing my meal.
After lunch, we stood up in unison.
"We're going to the river to play," Obito said quickly.
Mother sighed but nodded. "Don't go too far. And be careful."
"We will," I said.
We headed straight to our target.
The large beehive.
Preparation was faster than ever. Two days of experience made everything efficient—dry leaves stacked, wood prepared, escape routes clear.
We lit the fire and threw it.
Chaos erupted.
Bees flooded the air.
The killing began.
Hours passed in smoke and movement. My experience notifications stacked rapidly, one after another. Obito fought beside me, surprisingly composed.
Then something unexpected emerged.
A larger presence.
The Queen Bee.
She wasn't ferocious, but she fought.
We fought back.
Together.
When it fell, a surge of experience hit me harder than anything before.
+1,000 EXP.
By the time we retreated to a tree to rest, my vision flickered repeatedly.
Level after level.
By the end of it—
I was Level 24.
[Status]
Level: 24
Experience Points: 6,329 / 13,872
Health Regeneration: 3.40 HP/s
Chakra Regeneration: 3.40 CP/s
Chakra Capacity: 2,300 / 2,300
We walked back together as the sun dipped.
At Obito's house, we waved goodbye.
"Tomorrow," he said, grinning.
"Tomorrow," I agreed.
When I got home, I went straight to wash up. During dinner, Mother asked about my day.
"We played with bees," I said.
She looked worried.
"But we were safe," I added quickly.
That eased her expression.
After dinner, I lay down, exhaustion settling deep into my bones.
As sleep claimed me, I checked my status one last time.
[Status]
Name: Uchiha Keisuke
Level: 24
Experience Points: 6,329 / 13,872
Health Regeneration: 3.40 HP/s
Chakra Regeneration: 3.40 CP/s
Chakra Capacity: 2,300 / 2,300
[Skills:]
Leaf Concentration — Level 10 (39.69%)
Hand Seal Drill — Level 10 (48.88%)