SWNOVELXO Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Targeted by Orochimaru.
"Uchiha? You're actually from the Uchiha clan?"
Orochimaru looked surprised. That messy hair, neither black nor purple, didn't seem very Uchiha-like...
"Yes!" Ryun replied with a smile.
"Why were you fighting?" Orochimaru asked with interest.
"Over some trivial matters. We were just defending ourselves." Ryun didn't want to explain too much, as these things were indeed insignificant to Orochimaru.
His answer caught Orochimaru slightly off guard.
"Heh... 'Trivial matters,' you say? 'Just defending ourselves'..."
"Uchiha Ryun, was it? You... are interesting. I'll remember you."
Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, narrowing his eyes as he examined Ryun closely. Finally, he patted Ryun's shoulder lightly and walked away.
Only after Orochimaru's figure had completely disappeared did Ryun snap out of his daze. Unconsciously, his back was already drenched in cold sweat.
Being targeted by Orochimaru wasn't a good thing. Even if the snake wasn't venomous yet, it was still a cold-blooded creature.
Looking at the dimming sky, Ryun sighed and ran all the way home.
If he didn't return by this time, Asuka would probably worry again.
When he turned a corner, panting heavily, he saw Asuka waiting for him at the door once more.
After being scolded by his mother, Ryun finally sat down at the dinner table.
"Running around all day, playing recklessly. Now you're too tired to even eat, aren't you?"
Seeing Ryun's lack of appetite, Asuka couldn't help but scold him again.
"Go take a bath first, then sit by the door to relax before eating."
"O-okay..." Ryun hurriedly escaped the table.
The cool water washed away most of his fatigue. Looking at his red and swollen limbs, Ryun sighed softly.
"My physical condition is still too weak..."
His foundation was poor. Even with chakra enhancing his body, he couldn't avoid injuries or the accompanying pain.
Fighting seven Uchiha at once hadn't been easy.
The original owner of this body was lazy and disliked exercise. A few days of training couldn't significantly improve his physical condition.
Building a strong body required long-term effort—there was no shortcut.
After dinner, Ryun didn't train as usual. His sore muscles from the fight made further exercise unwise.
Sitting at his desk, he focused on finishing his homework.
Once his assignments were done, he listed most of the major events from the original Naruto series in Chinese characters.
"Since Orochimaru hasn't left for the Land of Rain yet, the Second Shinobi World War hasn't officially begun."
Hanzo the Salamander hadn't formally declared war on the Land of Fire, but Ryun guessed it would happen within the next year or so.
The timeline of the Second War was only vaguely mentioned in the original series. Ryun had only watched the anime and hadn't researched supplementary materials, making precise predictions difficult.
Of course, he held a healthy fear of shinobi wars. Avoiding them would be ideal.
What happened elsewhere didn't concern him, as long as Konoha didn't send child soldiers to the front lines...
He just wanted to survive peacefully until the end. With his current happy life, he had no complaints.
The next morning.
Ryun resumed his daily training routine.
It was the weekend, so he had no classes. He decided to increase his training intensity slightly.
During his morning run, he didn't meet Might Dai until dawn. Ryun seized the opportunity to ask for advice on physical training methods.
"Haha, Ryun, physical training is simple. Just work on whatever part of your body is weak. The key is ensuring smooth blood circulation..."
"My training philosophy is: Exercise until your whole body feels sore. Too little won't strengthen you, and too much will exhaust you."
As they did push-ups together, Might Dai shared his training experience.
They were at Konoha's public training grounds, an open space with plenty of basic fitness equipment.
"Dai, you must be very knowledgeable about taijutsu, right? Could you teach me sometime?" Ryun couldn't resist asking.
"Taijutsu? Don't laugh, but I only know the basics..."
Might Dai's reply shocked Ryun.
'What? If Might Dai only knows the basics of taijutsu, who in the shinobi world could claim to be an expert?'
"Don't joke around, Dai..."
"I'm serious!"
Might Dai explained earnestly, "The only true masters of taijutsu in the shinobi world are the Hyūga clan."
"Those of us who follow the hard fist style only scratch the surface of taijutsu..."
"Most hard fist practitioners focus solely on speed and strength, neglecting technique, perception, and reaction time."
"Only the Hyūga can be called true taijutsu masters."
"They have both speed and strength. Their Byakugan grants perception, their Gentle Fist provides technique, and their natural flexibility ensures excellent reflexes..."
Might Dai praised the Hyūga clan highly, firmly believing they were the true experts of taijutsu.
Hearing this, Ryun understood why Might Dai claimed only the Hyūga truly understood taijutsu.
Of course, understanding was one thing—strength was another.
As someone who had watched Naruto, Ryun knew mastery didn't guarantee superiority. Specialization was key.
Many shinobi excelled in taijutsu, including Might Dai and his son, Tsunade (a strength-based fighter), and the Third and Fourth Raikage (speed-based fighters).
They specialized and achieved greatness, surpassing the Hyūga in combat effectiveness.
The Might family combined speed and strength, with the Eight Gates further enhancing these traits, earning them legendary status.
"Ryun, I think the speed-based path suits you. Speed generates power, and as an Uchiha, your visual perception is already strong..."
Might Dai offered his advice.
"A speed-based shinobi? Can I do it?" Ryun murmured.
"Yes! If you want it, you can!"
Might Dai spoke firmly. Ryun was the hardest-working academy student he'd ever met. Such a person could achieve anything.
Might Dai believed effort trumped talent—a philosophy he later instilled in his son, Might Guy.
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