The hellish training had continued for a full three days in the blink of an eye.
Uchiha Min, Uchiha Tetsu, and Uchiha Kai had gone from the endless groaning and complete physical collapse of the first day to now being able to grit their teeth and push through.
Both their willpower and their bodies had been tempered in ways they had never experienced before.
On his own side, Uchiha Shinsuke's cultivation had not paused for a single moment either.
With one hand extended and palm raised, a wild cluster of blue lightning arcs crackled and leaped furiously in his palm, compressing with a piercing shriek, and the development of the Chidori had already drawn close to stability.
Though it still fell short of a true Chidori, it had already taken on considerable power.
In addition, the combination ninjutsu "Lightning Flame Bullet" he had newly developed earlier continued to grow in power through constant attempts and refinements.
That afternoon, after taijutsu training had ended, Uchiha Min braced herself with one hand on her knee as sweat dripped from the tips of her hair, her chest heaving violently with ragged, labored breaths.
Throughout these three days of hellish training, she could clearly feel that the bottleneck which had troubled her for so long was loosening little by little.
"Min, come here."
Uchiha Shinsuke's even, detached voice reached her.
"Yes, Squad Leader!"
Min did not dare show the slightest slack and, suppressing the aching soreness in her muscles, immediately jogged over to stand before Shinsuke.
"Your progress has been fast."
Uchiha Shinsuke looked at her and, rarely, let a trace of approval show in his eyes.
"But it is still not enough."
Uchiha Shinsuke's tone shifted.
"I am going to pass on to you an advanced power-generation technique from the Uchiha-style taijutsu, one that will allow you to unleash greater strength and speed in an instant."
"Watch carefully!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Uchiha Shinsuke's stance lowered slightly and his entire presence shifted sharply!
He personally demonstrated for Min, breaking down every detail with complete clarity: the rotation of the waist and core, the generation of force through the ankle, and the instantaneous burst of chakra through specific muscle groups.
Uchiha Min's eyes went wide, staring without blinking.
She thought to herself, 'The Squad Leader is actually passing on such precious taijutsu secrets to me without holding anything back!'
This feeling of being valued, being expected of, being placed with such hope...
It felt truly wonderful!
And at that very moment!
[Ding!]
A system notification chimed in Uchiha Shinsuke's mind!
[Uchiha Min's loyalty toward the host has been detected to have reached 100% (Unconditional Devotion)!]
[Congratulations to the host! Clan member Uchiha Min's loyalty is complete and the conditions for "Potential Activation" have been met!]
[Activate "Potential Activation" for Uchiha Min?]
[Note: The first activation of the "Potential Activation" function will consume 500 Clan Honor Points.]
Uchiha Shinsuke was inwardly startled!
Min's loyalty had actually reached 100%.
Uchiha Shinsuke forcibly suppressed the excitement within him, yet his outward expression remained as still as standing water, and he continued walking Min through every point of the taijutsu technique.
Only after every last detail of the advanced power-generation technique had been fully conveyed did Uchiha Shinsuke wave his hand.
"Go off to the side and work through it yourself, and in half an hour I want to see results."
"Yes, Squad Leader!"
Min gave a firm nod and turned to walk aside, immediately beginning to practice on her own.
Uchiha Shinsuke's gaze locked onto her, and he issued an instruction to the system inwardly at once.
'System, activate Potential Activation for Uchiha Min!'
[Confirm consumption of 500 Clan Honor Points to perform "Potential Activation" on Uchiha Min?]
'Confirmed!'
Hum!
An invisible and mysterious force spread outward from Uchiha Shinsuke in an instant and enveloped Uchiha Min as she trained in her taijutsu!
Uchiha Min's body, mid-punch, gave a sudden shudder!
She felt an inexplicable warmth surge through her entire body like a current of electricity!
A brief flash of bewilderment crossed her eyes, and then that bewilderment was replaced by a clarity unlike anything she had ever felt before!
The power-generation technique that had felt somewhat obscure and difficult to grasp now opened up with sudden, complete understanding in her mind, as though she had always known it from birth!
"This... what is..."
Uchiha Min felt the surging force welling up within her body and the sudden clarity of understanding that had come over the taijutsu forms, and an expression of disbelief spread across her face.
On instinct, she attempted to execute the taijutsu combination that Uchiha Shinsuke had just passed on to her.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Her fists cut through the air with a sharp, splitting whistle!
Her movements were smoother than before by several times over and more!
Her strength and speed had risen by a full tier outright!
Many of the high-difficulty movements that had previously felt nearly impossible now came out as though by pure instinct, executed with effortless ease!
[Ding! Potential Activation for Uchiha Min successful!]
[Taijutsu aptitude greatly enhanced!]
[Chakra affinity slightly increased!]
[Physical condition comprehensively strengthened!]
The system notification chimed in Uchiha Shinsuke's mind.
"What's happening? I feel like... I feel like something suddenly clicked for me!"
Uchiha Min stared at her own hands with delighted surprise, then turned to look at Uchiha Shinsuke with a face full of bewilderment.
"Squad Leader, I..."
Uchiha Shinsuke revealed a cryptic smile.
"This is the result of your hard training."
"Your body is adapting to greater strength, and your talent is gradually being awakened."
"From today, your training intensity doubles again."
"Yes, Squad Leader!"
Though Min did not fully understand what had actually happened, she could clearly feel that she had grown stronger!
And it was a leap-and-bound kind of stronger!
All of this had to be connected to the Squad Leader!
Her trust in and admiration for Uchiha Shinsuke had at this moment reached an absolute peak beyond which there was nothing more!
On the other side of the training ground, Uchiha Tetsu and Uchiha Kai had long since noticed the change happening on Min's side.
"Min... Min she looks like... she suddenly got a whole lot stronger!"
Kai's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg inside, and he was even stumbling over his words.
Uchiha Tetsu shoved his glasses sharply up his nose and fell into deep thought.
The taijutsu combination Min had just performed was stronger by more than a full tier in strength, speed, and technical flow alike compared to just a few minutes ago!
That baffling speed of improvement was completely outside the bounds of common sense!
Could it be...
That this was the Squad Leader's doing?
Both of them, without exchanging a word, turned their eyes toward Uchiha Shinsuke, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression unhurried and calm.
Uchiha Shinsuke paid them no attention, as his consciousness was immersed in the system interface, examining Uchiha Min's completely renewed attribute data.
[Uchiha Min (post-Potential Activation)]
[Potential Value: 85 (Superior) (originally 75)]
[Loyalty: 100% (Unconditional Devotion)]
[Strength Assessment: Chunin (Taijutsu Specialist)]
[Mastered Skills: Uchiha-Style Taijutsu (Mastered), Advanced Power-Generation Technique (Acquired), Basic Fire Style (Beginner)]
The potential value had risen by a full 10 points directly, jumping from Above Average to Superior!
And the strength assessment had leaped from an ordinary genin all the way up to chunin level, a specialized chunin at that, focused entirely on taijutsu!
This "Potential Activation" function was truly beyond reason!
And this was still only the beginning!
Uchiha Shinsuke's gaze swept slowly across Uchiha Tetsu and Uchiha Kai beside him, both of whom were equally full of longing directed at him.
'As long as your loyalty can also reach 100%, you can have this too!'
Uchiha Shinsuke said to himself inwardly.
The future was something to look forward to!