CHAPTER 26

c26 - Mediocre

In the end, Yuuji did not agree.

Helping Kazue cultivate was not the right priority. More than training, Yuuji was more interested in studying her body.

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In the Basement of the Uchiha Clan Compound

"It's really a well-built place. Perfect for running experiments and research."

Yuuji's lips curled into a faint smile as he pressed Kazue onto the examination table. He extracted several vials of blood and prepared his equipment in a single fluid motion.

Kazue, still wearing her usual composed expression, let out a dry chuckle. "Yuuji-san, your expression looks serious… Did my body mutate as well, just like those parasites?"

Dressed in a white coat, Yuuji adjusted his gloves and nodded slightly. "It seems you were already mentally prepared for this. If you insist on gaining power through this method, there is always a price. I don't know the full extent of your mutation yet, but from what I've observed so far… the situation is not good."

A ten-year-old child, not even eleven, already surpassing the average Genin in strength—it was an unnatural rate of growth. Given such a drastic increase in power, the cost was bound to be severe.

Yuuji carefully examined the samples under a magnifying glass, then ran a few tests using his chakra. He let out a soft sigh.

"As I expected… Your cells have already undergone serious changes. Your overall cell count is lower than that of a normal person, yet the reproduction speed is exponentially higher. However, their lifespan is significantly reduced. And more concerning…" Yuuji paused, his gaze sharpening. "There are individual cells with extreme activity levels, dividing endlessly without limit. This… is cancer."

After drawing over ten tubes of blood and closely analyzing the results, Yuuji had his confirmation.

Cancer.

The nature of Kazue's condition wasn't restricted to a single area. Every part of her body—organs, muscles, fibers, bone marrow, even her brain—had signs of aggressive cell mutations.

Kazue remained silent, her expression unreadable. "Cancer… That's a disease I've never heard of before. How long do I have?"

Her calm reaction indicated that she had already resigned herself to some kind of consequence. She had chosen this path, and she would walk it without regret.

Instead of responding immediately, Yuuji channeled a controlled amount of chakra into one of the samples. The moment his chakra made contact with the mutated cells, they reacted violently—growing at an even more rapid pace.

"The power of chakra… It only makes the situation worse," Yuuji murmured.

"If you stop exposing yourself to my power now, your body may still recover somewhat. You might be able to live another ten to twenty years."

Kazue listened, unmoving.

"But if you continue down this path… you'll burn through your life force at an alarming rate. You might not even have three years left. In the worst case, you could die within one or two."

Yuuji studied her intently.

"All this, just to maintain the illusion of being a genius? To go this far, Kazue… is it really worth it?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Do you even understand what cancer means? Even with chakra—a force that intertwines the mind and body, bending the rules of life and death—this isn't something that can be simply ignored. Cancer is not just an illness, it's an abnormality in the fundamental structure of your body."

Kazue chuckled softly, though there was no humor in her voice. "Yuuji-san, you wouldn't understand… You're a true genius. In the past few years, you've simply been awakening your natural talent."

She exhaled slowly, her fingers clenching. "But I am different. From the moment I was born, I was labeled as mediocre. That was the verdict of my own clan. My talent was unimpressive, my comprehension was average at best…"

She met Yuuji's gaze, her Sharingan glinting under the dim light. "Even the chance of me awakening the Sharingan in my lifetime was almost nonexistent."

A bitter smile played on her lips.

"Can you even imagine that feeling? In the Uchiha clan—a clan that values strength above all else—everyone has a place. Everyone has worth. But for a mediocre Uchiha? There is no place for us. No future."

Her fingers traced the edge of the examination table. "Then, one day, I found it—the place you created. I don't know what it was, but when I stepped into that area, my body responded instantly. The sheer intensity of that radiation overwhelmed me… and I realized that this was my chance."

Kazue's voice turned soft, almost wistful.

"For a whole year, I consumed everything there. Every plant, every root… and eventually, I even started eating the very soil, desperate to absorb more of that power. I could feel it changing me. When I awakened the Sharingan, I remember falling to my knees in the dead of night, crying… because I had finally grasped something beyond my mediocrity."

Her hands trembled slightly. "One year. If I could have one year where I truly shine where I can finally escape the fate of being a failure—then I would gladly give up everything, even my life."

Kazue stood up and began putting her clothes back on. She calmly combed through her long black hair—only for large clumps to fall to the ground.

Yet, she acted as if she hadn't noticed.

Her body was deteriorating. But she didn't care.

Yuuji watched her, his expression unreadable.

"…Kazue, perhaps I'll find a way to save you before it's too late." His voice was quiet, thoughtful. "I have a few theories, but don't place too much hope in them just yet."

Kazue turned back and gave him an amused look. "Yuuji-san, didn't you say before that all infected individuals are incurable?"

Yuuji exhaled. "Yes, I did say that. But if you've already defied one law of nature, perhaps there's a way to break another. If we approach this from a different angle… we may find an alternative path."

He paused.

"Chakra is unique. It is both spirit and matter—an energy that can transcend physical limitations, connecting this world to the Pure Land itself. It requires the vital energy of every living cell to be refined."

He studied the blood samples once more. "Ordinary cells have a limit to how many times they can divide before they die. But cancer cells… they have no such limit. They divide infinitely, defying the natural laws of life and death."

Yuuji's fingers tapped against the table.

"If hypothetically one could control these cancer cells instead of being consumed by them, they could be used as a near-limitless reservoir of life energy for refining chakra. Theoretically, this could grant an extended lifespan… perhaps even more than that."

In the Naruto world, ninjas rarely suffered from cancer. Was it because their chakra naturally suppressed or eliminated such conditions? Or… was there an even more absurd possibility that no one had considered?

Yuuji's gaze followed Kazue as she stepped toward the exit.

There were too many unknowns. Too many variables. The ninja profession was already one of short lifespans few ever lived beyond fifty.

But Kazue…

If she survived this…

If she mastered this…

Perhaps, like the legendary myth of the great roc, she would soar through the skies, unheard for ten years, only to shake the heavens with a single brilliant feat.