Chapter 16: Seiji, Victorious
"Uchiha Seiji actually won?"
"He's... really strong."
"Wait, no, the bet doesn't count. That was an unexpected outcome..."
After a brief silence, chatter erupted even louder. Some students had placed bets on whether Seiji or Obito would win.
"Hey, don't try to weasel out of it!"
"Fine, I'll give you my stash of adult magazines."
...
Defeating the class dunce wasn't supposed to be impressive. But what truly shocked everyone was that a newcomer who had only recently learned to refine chakra—a total beginner by ninja standards—had defeated a trained student.
It raised a bigger question: how could someone with just a few days of training surpass those who had been training for years?
From that moment, the class labeled Seiji with a new title:
Taijutsu prodigy.
What was even more terrifying was the rumor that Uchiha Seiji had already awakened the Sharingan at his age. Combined with the Uchiha clan's famous affinity for Fire Release techniques, it was anyone's guess if Seiji might also be a genius in other areas.
"Didn't expect him to be this good," Sarutobi Asuma muttered.
"Mm," Yūhi Kurenai nodded, her crimson eyes fixed on Seiji. Her long, curly black hair fluttered gently in the wind, brushing against her pale cheeks.
"I wonder what his genjutsu is like..." she murmured.
"Huh? What was that?" Asuma didn't catch her words.
"Nothing." Kurenai shook her head lightly.
"Alright, Obito, don't be discouraged. Just keep working hard," said the instructor as he checked Obito for injuries. Aside from some scrapes, it was nothing serious.
"Hmph, I just didn't perform well today!" Obito snapped, more frustrated by the fact that he had embarrassed himself in front of Rin.
"You did your best, Obito. Don't be too hard on yourself," Rin said gently.
Her comforting words quickly brought a goofy grin back to Obito's face.
"What a waste. Seiji really should train taijutsu with me!" Might Guy lamented with exaggerated sorrow.
"If he joined me for the training of youth, the results would be spectacular!"
"No. Training with you would ruin him," Kakashi deadpanned, shuddering at the thought of an Uchiha in a green jumpsuit and bowl haircut.
"Uchiha Seiji... I'll keep an eye on him," Kakashi thought quietly.
He had long grown weary of the petty squabbles and competitions at the academy. The desire to graduate early was growing stronger by the day.
As the son of the famed White Fang of the Leaf, his time here felt wasted.
He remembered when he was four—before even enrolling at the academy—he could already perform Earth Release: Mud Wave. He'd even won a ninjutsu competition and received a silver kunai as a prize.
"If Uchiha Seiji could graduate early too, being teamed with him wouldn't be so bad."
Back in the crowd, Seiji handled the sudden attention with quiet politeness.
His thoughts were elsewhere.
The technique Lightning Release: Iron Body was working.
He could feel his development accelerating.
During the fight with Obito, Seiji had noticed his body felt significantly more agile than the day before.
Lightning Release: Iron Body worked by directing lightning chakra into the muscle fibers just beneath the skin, stimulating them through specific chakra frequencies. The current activated fast-twitch muscle fibers, triggering rapid protein synthesis and muscle growth.
Compared to traditional training, the results were noticeably better.
The drawback? It didn't strengthen internal organs or bones—at most, it toughened the skin and provided some minor defense.
But for now, that was more than enough.
Seiji hadn't fully mastered the technique yet. He'd only begun experimenting with it by following the scroll's guidance to stimulate localized muscle groups.
Once he achieved full control, his physique would grow stronger at an even faster rate.
While the instructor called for the next sparring match, Seiji stayed in the background, quietly continuing to guide his lightning chakra through his body using Iron Body.
If someone had used the Byakugan to observe him, they would've seen faint currents of electricity pulsing out from his chakra network—radiating and spreading slowly.
Bit by bit, Seiji was growing stronger.
He could now easily defeat the version of himself from just a month ago—when he first arrived in Konoha.
...
**Dusk.**
Several figures still lingered at Training Ground Three.
Near a small river at the edge of the field—
"Today, we're learning to walk on water," Rin said to Seiji, explaining the key technique.
Kakashi and Obito were there too.
Obito crossed his arms and deliberately kept his distance from Seiji, inching closer to Rin's side.
Behind his black mask, Kakashi's expression remained blank as he quietly listened to Rin's explanation. He already knew everything she was talking about.
The reason he kept coming to this training ground day after day wasn't to learn—it was to observe Seiji.
Because Seiji was improving. Every single day.
And sometimes, constant improvement was the truest form of talent.
Hard work often led to plateaus. Progress, ironically, could be rarer than effort.
"This is harder than tree climbing... Let's see how Seiji handles it," Kakashi thought, his eyes drifting toward the Uchiha boy.
Tree climbing only required gathering chakra at a specific body part and maintaining a steady amount. Since the tree was stationary, the main goal was simply adhesion—one of the most fundamental ninja skills: controlling how much chakra to emit.
But walking on water was a different beast.
It required a continuous and precisely balanced chakra output from the soles of the feet to stay afloat. Too much or too little, and you'd sink.
It wasn't just about output—it was about sustaining it over time, a true test of chakra control and stamina.
"Ninjas often need to refine and manipulate chakra while moving," Rin explained seriously. "In those moments, it's even harder to maintain stable control. That's why laying a solid foundation is so important."
Her voice was calm and focused, the kind of tone that showed she actually paid attention in class and took everything to heart.
"Oh... so that's how it works." Obito blinked in realization.
He'd always been one to zone out during lectures, but now he realized how much theory Rin had just dropped—things he didn't even know.
He glanced sideways at Kakashi.
Still expressionless.
Clearly, he knew it all too.
Then he looked at Seiji—who seemed to be deep in thought.
Crap.
Don't tell me I'm the only one here who didn't get it?!
Panic bubbled up in Obito's chest. He silently vowed to study hard and catch up as soon as he got home.
"I'll demonstrate first," Rin said.
She slipped off her shoes, stepping barefoot onto the gently flowing stream. Tiny ripples spread outward with each step she took, her movement graceful and steady.
"Going barefoot makes it easier," she added. "Without shoes, it's simpler to gather chakra directly under your feet. With shoes on, you'd have to account for the thickness and how well the material conducts chakra."
"Got it."
Seiji stepped forward, taking off his Uchiha cloak and revealing a simple long-sleeved shirt underneath. Forming a hand seal, he gathered chakra, then began attempting to stand atop the water's surface.
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