Ukibe couldn’t believe it at first. As a Nara, logical thinking was practically written into his DNA. He knew about Yukito's incredible martial prowess—but that was hardly enough reason for him to excel at paperwork. Everyone has something they’re a genius at. Nobody is proficient in everything.

  ?Anyone who reaches higher level of strength is usually a training freak—obsessed with becoming stronger. They don’t normally study anything that doesn’t help with that goal. Neither mathematics nor political science or management offers much in that regard.

  Ukibe started reading the paper Yukito had given him. There wasn’t a single question he left unanswered or got wrong. A hundred percent. Monster!

  Minato, and especially Kushina, were watching with the same wide eyes. Minato, ever intelligent, wasn’t too flustered—but the questions still bugged him. He couldn’t finish everything in under an hour. And Kushina? She couldn’t get anything! She wasn’t even sure she’d pass the exam. How come Yukito wasn’t even worked up in the slightest?

  Yukito turned to Kushina, read her thoughts written all over her face, and gave her a smug, proud smirk. Showing off! Kushina barely managed to suppress her urge to punch Yukito’s smug face ft.Ukibe told Yukito to rest and return in about three hours. He was mentally excited to the point of bursting. A monster emerged who was a genius at everything! He had to report this to both the cn head and the Hokage.

  With nothing else to do, Yukito began leaping across rooftops until he nded beside the Naka River. He decided to train here untill going back.

  It wasn’t long before Minato finished his paper as well. Seeing Yukito finish before him ignited a competitive urge. Ukibe rubbed his temples, looking at the completed papers in front of him. As an inheritor of the Will of Fire, he was overjoyed. New talents emerging was a good sign for every ninja vilge, even more for Konoha who valued camaraderie and companionship over everything.

  ?Yukito was walking on water with dozens of shadow clones, all while keeping Sage Mode active. He intended to use his mental capacity to the fullest. Even though he could amass senjutsu chakra without being overwhelmed by nature, it wasn’t easy for his mind to manage both absorption and other functions. As a transmigrator, his higher soul quality was barely enough to keep up.

  ?Yukito had long since discovered that the soul isn’t what keeps people alive—nor is it some “true self.” It’s the spiritual embodiment of one’s being. Neither body nor soul defines life on its own. It’s their fusion and bance that keeps life going.

  ?Just like the body, the soul can be strengthened with repeated practice—much like how mastering one type of math improves one’s overall arithmetic skills. This enlightenment came from his previous life. He had noticed that the more people relied on advanced body-centered technology, the more their soul strength deteriorated. The result was a rise in depression, various mental illnesses, and an ever-growing number of suicides each year.

  ?A sense of unease pulled Yukito from his nostalgia. He realized he’d already crossed the river. He now stood in front of the Forest of Death—Training Ground 44. It was a venue where aspiring ninja faced survival tests. Yukito recalled the unforgettable Chunin Exam scenes that had taken pce here—or were *to be* held in the future.

  ?With his senses heightened by Sage Mode, he noticed movement inside the forest. Yukito frowned.

  ?Training Ground 44 wasn’t sealed off or forbidden. It was open to all, albeit marked with a danger sign. But due to its exotic flora and fauna, it was dangerous even for an average chunin. (Let's not talk about young Naruto. With his plot armour, it was no dangerous pce.)

  In the end, Yukito decided to step in. He had survival training in his previous life. So with some familiarity, he should be fine. He deactivated Sage Mode; he was nearing his limit. As for the senjutsu chakra still brimming inside him, he formed hand seals:

  'Multi shadow clone jutsu!'

  ?With a sound like a series of drum strikes, a puff of smoke erupted around him. As it cleared, hundreds of identical Yukitos appeared.

  ?"Is this the current limit?"

  ?And to crify, this wasn’t the version of the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu from the Scroll of Sealing in the Hokage’s office. It was his own creation, developed using his knowledge of Naruto from his past life. Still under development, it wasn’t perfectly efficient.

  ??Without wasting time, every clone performed hand seals.

  '?Light Style: Refraction!'

  ??Each Yukito turned invisible. The technique used a chakra yer to refract light, making them transparent. It was his own creation, ninja world had different view towards light and seeing. Though simir to genjutsu, it was fundamentally different. This way, ordinary shinobi wouldn’t be able to see him.

  ?Yukito moved forward. His clones began spreading through the forest. It wasn’t long before Yukito found traces of someone hiding.

  ?

  ?Seven trees and a rge boulder with several bushes—it was a natural hiding spot. Clear signs showed the bushes had been cut, and someone had been living there. There were fire remnants too. Someone had definitely been staying there—until recently.

  ?Yukito couldn’t find any tracks. Whoever had camped here had to be a ninja. With no other leads, Yukito cpped his hands.

  ?“Senjutsu: Absorption Cloak!”

  ?His robe wove in the air without wind. His hair fluttered upward unnaturally. Two tufts of his hair stuck straight up, resembling horns from the chakra surging within. A glowing ring encircled each of his pupils. His sensory range expanded by leaps and bounds.1 I was reading too much chinese novels recently, now their idioms are coming out of my hands [>~<].

  ?It didn’t take long to pick up a trail. Every ninja uses chakra under their feet to move swift and stealthy. That chakra lingers briefly and can be sensed with advanced reconnaissance techniques: Byakugan (Hyuga), Kagura Mind’s Eye (Uzumaki), ninja hounds' smelling(Inuzuka), chakra detecting insects(Aburame), tailed beast perception, etc. Each Sage Mode also has a sensory capability rivaling those.???Yukito remembered how Madara Uchiha, empowered with Hashirama’s sage chakra, sensed Tobirama’s teleporting sneak attack and blocked it in canon. Yukito wasn’t at that level yet, but his sensory range and efficiency should at least rival canon Karin Uzumaki’s.??He began the pursuit. He followed the signature untill reaching the civilian marketpce. Unfortunately he lost the trail there. Despite being called "civilian," many shinobi came here to shop for daily needs. It was impossible to track one specific chakra signature among so many.??With time running out, Yukito decided to return and complete the graduation exam. On the way back, he started thinking about the major events in the vilge during this time, based on his canon knowledge.

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  I used how I view souls in this chapter. Let me know your beliefs and thoughts over this topic.