CHAPTER 51

Konoha, the Seventh Training Ground.

The place where the Third Squad trained.

Uchiha Kiyo was performing unusual movements. To an uninformed observer, he might have looked awkward or clumsy. However, a more careful look revealed a deliberate rhythm—at times steady like an ox, at times fierce like a wolf, and at other times powerful like a bear.

With each movement, the chakra within Uchiha Kiyo's body circulated to specific areas, stimulating his muscles and accelerating his recovery, subtly reinforcing his physical capabilities.

Despite the odd appearance of these movements, Uchiha Kiyo made no attempt to conceal them. From the early stages of development to his current practice, he trained openly. After all, the essence of this technique wasn't just the physical motions—it was the Self-Cultivation Technique. Even if another ninja attempted to mimic the exercises, they wouldn't achieve the same results without mastering the underlying chakra control principles.

This openness was also a calculated move. Now that he had Orochimaru as a mentor, Uchiha Kiyo had more confidence in his position. In the past, he would have been far more cautious.

No matter how effective this technique became, as long as Orochimaru remained his teacher, the village leadership wouldn't forcefully demand it. Even though Orochimaru hadn't yet reached his peak, he was already a formidable jōnin at only twenty-two years old and one of the Hokage's personal students. Few within Konoha would willingly antagonize him.

By the time the full benefits of Body Forging Technique became evident in a few years, Orochimaru would have grown even stronger. Even if this training method turned out to be revolutionary, the higher-ups would be wary of making an enemy out of him. After all, among the three students of the Third Hokage, Orochimaru was the one with the cleanest reputation, untainted by Danzō's influence. He was still a prime candidate to become Hokage.

As for the Uchiha Clan, Kiyo wasn't naïve enough to rely on their protection. If the technique proved too valuable, some elders might be tempted to claim it for themselves. He was willing to contribute to his clan, but on his terms, not through coercion.

There was also the question of whether others could even learn it. The Self-Cultivation Technique had strict requirements and was extremely difficult to master. If someone outside of his unique training approach tried to replicate it, their results would likely be inferior.

Orochimaru had, of course, taken note of Uchiha Kiyo's training. While other ninjas dismissed his odd movements as clumsy, Orochimaru observed carefully, analyzing the principles behind them.

"You're mimicking the movements of different animals to develop specific muscle groups… Each creature has its own strengths, and by combining them, you create a comprehensive training method."

As someone deeply interested in bodily modifications and scientific advancements, Orochimaru was intrigued by Uchiha Kiyo's method. His own Soft Physique Modification was already in its early stages, allowing him to manipulate his body's shape at will. This ability granted him both offensive and defensive advantages, making it an invaluable technique.

Now, watching Uchiha Kiyo, he saw potential in a different approach—one that enhanced natural physical capabilities rather than altering the body itself. Orochimaru found this promising. This student was beginning to reflect his own ideals.

If Uchiha Kiyo had known what was going through Orochimaru's mind, he would have scoffed. I'm improving my physical fitness, not transforming into a snake-human hybrid.

After another week of refining his technique, Uchiha Kiyo had smoothed out his movements and optimized the sequence of transitions. The Body Forging Technique was steadily evolving.

After completing his daily session, he took a moment to assess his progress.

While he could feel his body becoming stronger, the improvement wasn't drastic. It was subtle—perhaps an illusion, or perhaps a real but gradual enhancement.

"Compared to traditional training, this method is clearly superior, but the rate of improvement is still too slow. Even if I keep this up for years, I might eventually reach jōnin level, but that's not enough. This won't get me anywhere near Six Paths-level power."

Although he was pleased with his progress, Uchiha Kiyo wasn't satisfied. He wanted to find ways to accelerate his growth even further.

"Weight training is useful for standard exercises and physical conditioning, but it doesn't seem to enhance Body Forging Technique as much. The strain is only focused on specific areas, like my legs where the weights are attached."

He glanced at the weights strapped to his legs, contemplating ways to improve his efficiency.

"The problem with weight training is that it's uneven. If I add weights to my wrists and torso, I should be able to get a more balanced effect… But specialized equipment like weighted vests and arm guards are expensive and difficult to make. Even in Konoha, only a few artisans could craft something like that."

And if someone could make it, the price would likely be astronomical.

Given his current financial situation, Uchiha Kiyo had to abandon that idea for now.

"Maybe I don't need physical weights at all. If the goal is to create resistance, I could find another way to increase the difficulty of my movements. What if I use chakra to artificially create resistance?"

A thought struck him. Wasn't there something like this in Dragon Ball?

Gravity training!

Of course, he wasn't going to build a gravity chamber, but the core principle could be applied in other ways.

"Are there any ninjutsu that increase gravity? The Added Weight Rock Technique from Iwagakure should be capable of that…"

His eyes narrowed as he recalled the details.

"But that jutsu is exclusive to Iwagakure, and they guard it closely. It's not like I can just pick it up from a scroll in Konoha's archives."

He frowned, realizing that obtaining such a technique would be nearly impossible in the short term.

"Are there any alternatives? If I can't use the Added Weight Rock Technique, what about other ninjutsu?"

He ran through his mental catalog of techniques.

"What about Hardening Jutsu? If I harden my body, it might restrict my movements enough to simulate resistance training. That could be an option."

Then another thought occurred to him.

"It doesn't have to be ninjutsu. The sealing arts are the most versatile and powerful techniques in the ninja world. There must be some kind of sealing technique that can increase gravity or create resistance."

There was no mention of such a seal in the original manga, but that didn't mean it didn't exist. Konoha's sealing techniques were highly advanced, and Orochimaru had access to a vast number of them.

"I'll ask Orochimaru about it. If anyone in Konoha has something like that, it's him."

Now that he had a clear direction, Uchiha Kiyo didn't rush to experiment. The Body Forging Technique was still very taxing, and he had just finished a session. His body needed time to recover before testing anything new.

"Aside from physical training, I can't neglect my other studies. My research on the Earth Wall Jutsu is almost complete. Compared to the standard defensive technique, I'm trying to optimize the chakra flow within the wall to improve its durability while reducing its cost."

He then considered another area of his training.

"And swordsmanship… should I start practicing it seriously?"