The Uchiha training grounds could no longer meet Ryū’s needs.
After several months of relentless cultivation, the proficiency bar for Wind Style: Great Breakthrough was climbing at a pace visible to the naked eye.
It felt like watching a corporate KPI bar advance automatically every day—absurdly satisfying.
The standard training grounds were too cramped; he couldn’t fully unleash his power there.
As a result, Ryū began making frequent trips to the desolate river valley outside the Village.
The terrain was wide and open, littered with jagged rocks, and the roaring river conveniently drowned out most Ninjutsu sounds—an ideal place to train.
“Hoo… hoo…” Ryū braced his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
His chakra reserves were nearly drained, and every muscle in his body screamed in protest.
But after only a short rest, he straightened again and formed hand seals.
“Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!” A violent gust condensed in front of him, forming a visible white current of compressed air.
It surged forward, sweeping up sand and stones as it howled toward a half-person-tall rock in the distance.
Boom!
The rock trembled.
A few weathered flakes were stripped from its surface—and that was all.
Ryū frowned slightly.
The power was still lacking.
His offensive options were far too limited.
The max-level Three Basic Jutsu were geared toward survival and harassment.
The Body Flicker Technique was purely a mobility skill.
The only real attack he had was this C-rank Wind Style—but its power was barely enough to deal with cannon fodder.
If he wanted to survive the coming Third Shinobi World War, this level of strength was nowhere near enough.
Again!
He clenched his teeth and forced out the last trace of chakra in his body.
Just as he was about to form hand seals once more, a familiar mechanical prompt echoed in his mind.
Ding!
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough leveled up!
Lv.5 (2001 / 5000) It happened.
Ryū’s eyes sharpened as he immediately summoned his status panel.
— Name: Kazama Ryū Age: 8 Physique: 7 Spirit: 9 Chakra: 310 / 521 Skills: Chakra Extraction Technique: Lv.2 (115 / 600) Clone Technique: Lv.3 (MAX) Transformation Technique: Lv.3 (MAX) Substitution Technique: Lv.3 (MAX) Basic Taijutsu: Lv.5 (MAX) Body Flicker Technique: Lv.3 (123 / 1000) Ninja Tool Throwing: Lv.3 (88 / 1000) Chakra Control: Lv.3 (150 / 1000) Wind Style: Great Breakthrough: Lv.5 (2001 / 5000) — The improvement to his physique came from the so-called “youth training” sessions with Might Guy.
The increase in total chakra was the result of steadily leveling his Chakra Extraction Technique.
Ryū dismissed the panel.
The sensation of using Wind Style: Great Breakthrough felt… different now.
He looked once more at the massive boulder ahead, his gaze completely changed.
Taking a deep breath, his hands completed the seals—twice as fast as before.
“Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!” The roaring wind looked no different from earlier.
Yet Ryū could clearly feel it.
Something hidden within the gale— something incomparably sharp, incomparably lethal.
The wind struck the boulder again.
There was no explosion.
Only a harsh chi-chi sound that made one’s teeth ache.
When the storm faded, the once-smooth surface of the boulder was now covered in countless deep gashes.
They crisscrossed densely, as if hundreds of knives had carved it simultaneously.
“Is this… a Wind Blade?” Ryū stepped forward and brushed his fingers across the clean, razor-sharp cuts.
This was the power of proficiency.
To reach this stage in such a short time… His offensive capabilities were finally no longer lacking.
— Uchiha Training Ground No.
7.
“Kazama Ryū, you’re late again!” Uchiha Nao stood with her arms crossed, irritation written clearly on her face.
She still wore that familiar air of arrogance, but Ryū could catch something else in her dark eyes today— urgency.
She wanted to fight.
Wanted to prove herself by defeating him.
“Sorry.
Got held up on the way,” Ryū said, loosening his wrists.
“Let’s begin.” Nao stopped wasting words.
She had already waited long enough.
“This time, I’ll make you regret it!” Her hands flew through seals, her breathing quickening.
“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!” A fireball far larger than before erupted from her mouth, surging forward with the intent to incinerate everything in its path.
She had clearly trained hard—the power was at least thirty percent greater than last time.
Unfortunately, her opponent was no longer the Ryū she remembered.
Ryū didn’t dodge.
He calmly raised his hand and formed seals.
“Wind Style: Great Breakthrough.” There was no overwhelming pressure—just a violent updraft bursting from the ground.
The next moment, a scene etched itself forever into Uchiha Nao’s memory.
The instant the massive fireball touched the wind, it was annihilated.
Not dispersed.
Shredded.
Countless invisible wind blades spun wildly within the gale, tearing the flames apart like paper fed into a grinder.
The fragmented fire was caught by the storm and hurled backward.
A scorching heat wave rushed toward her.
For the first time, Nao’s expression changed.
She leapt back in panic, a few scorched strands of hair drifting down beside her ear.
The training ground was left in complete disarray.
Ryū, meanwhile, stood exactly where he had been—calm, composed, as though he had done nothing of consequence.
Nao stared at him blankly.
Her mouth opened, wanting to speak, but no sound came.
What was this feeling?
Shock?
Unwillingness?
No.
It was awe—an emotion that, for the first time, took root within the proud heart of an Uchiha.
— In the shadows of the surrounding forest, an ANBU wearing a raccoon mask silently recorded everything.
“Target: Kazama Ryū.
C-rank Wind Style Ninjutsu exhibiting advanced nature transformation effects.
Estimated power level… at least B-rank.” His figure melted back into the shadows.
— Inside the Hokage’s office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused mid-motion, pipe hovering in his hand as he read the report.
Smoke curled around his weathered face, obscuring his expression.
After a long moment, he exhaled slowly.
“To raise a common C-rank Ninjutsu to B-rank power…” “The last one to do that was Minato.” The image of a golden-haired youth—unstoppable on the battlefield through the Flying Thunder God Technique—surfaced in his mind.
“This child’s talent isn’t in learning Ninjutsu…” “…but in deconstructing and optimizing them.” A faint smile formed.
“Truly remarkable.”