Another example of someone with a full hand of trump cards is Orochimaru.
Whether it's his Orochi-style Body Replacement Jutsu, various forbidden techniques involving summoning and sealing, or his vast knowledge and research capabilities, Orochimaru perfectly embodies the archetype of the genius scholar produced by the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Then there's the young girl who replenished his chakra during the Fourth Great Ninja War—Sakura.
Although she lacks a distinguished bloodline, she possesses an exceptionally high level of chakra control and mastery of medical ninjutsu from a young age. These aren't abilities gained through inherited bloodlines—they come from deep theoretical knowledge and relentless training. It's likely that, like Orochimaru, she too was a top academic during her time at the academy.
Shisui Uchiha is another example. Known as "Shisui of the Body Flicker," he earned his reputation primarily through mastery of clone techniques and the Body Flicker Jutsu—although his Sharingan's genjutsu certainly played a part.
And then there's the fight between Sasuke Uchiha and Madara. Sasuke, with less battle experience, one fewer Rinnegan, and much less chakra—especially against Madara, the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki—should have been hopelessly outmatched. On paper, Madara had every advantage.
Yet, in the actual battle, Sasuke managed to suppress Madara in brief one-on-one skirmishes, forcing the legendary Uchiha to suffer minor but telling setbacks.
To Obito, this outcome was telling. While Madara was undeniably powerful, much of his battle experience came from the Warring States period. His style was broad and forceful, but when it came to surgical precision in combat, he was no match for Sasuke—the Konoha scholar.
Sasuke's mastery of the Rinnegan's location-swapping technique likely stemmed from the foundational training in the Three Body Jutsu. That same training polished his ability to execute techniques in rapid succession, at precise moments.
From Obito's perspective, the curriculum of the Konoha Ninja Academy was not only useful—it was vital. Take Minato-sensei, for instance. Coming from a civilian background, he lacked access to high-level techniques. His only option was to repeatedly practice the Three Body Jutsu. Yet, this didn't hold him back. When he eventually encountered the Flying Raijin technique, he was able to master it quickly, becoming a deadly presence on the battlefield.
Obito couldn't help but admire Tobirama Senju's foresight. There was a reason the Three Body Jutsu was a mandatory graduation requirement. It had deep meaning.
But at the same time, Obito had to admit that Tobirama's plan was also deeply political—almost deviously so.
On the surface, the Three Body Jutsu seems basic. Most clans with powerful bloodlines wouldn't bother investing too much time into it. But for civilian-born ninjas who lacked inherited techniques or secret jutsu, mastering the basics was a lifeline.
And here's the trick—no matter how proficient one became in the Three Body Jutsu, truly powerful techniques, like those in the Scroll of Seals, were still required to rise above. But the Scroll of Seals was guarded by the Hokage lineage.
Unless you were someone like Shisui, born with a powerful bloodline, a commoner with exceptional talent had only one path forward: become a loyal supporter of the Hokage. In this way, the Hokage maintained a power balance with the noble clans of the village.
That sly old ghost, Tobirama, had it all worked out.
Now, as for the fifth path to becoming stronger—that would be Sage Mode.
Sage Mode is deeply connected to the Three Great Sage Regions. Unfortunately, Obito had little information about it. What he did understand was that achieving Sage Mode wasn't just about training; it required a unique soul and a compatible physical constitution.
For example, Orochimaru couldn't learn Sage Mode, but Kabuto could. The difference? Kabuto's soul was more complete than Orochimaru's, and his mutated bloodline made his body better suited for absorbing natural energy.
Then there's Minato-sensei. When he was alive, he was never seen using Sage Mode. But after being reincarnated via Edo Tensei, he could activate it instantly. Why? Probably because becoming a jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails enhanced both his soul and body.
Beyond these five primary methods, there's also a sixth category: external power.
Sasori's puppets, Deidara's explosive clay, Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear, and Kisame's Samehada—all of these rely, in part, on external power sources.
Of course, these external powers often overlap with the previously mentioned categories. Still, Obito found it necessary to discuss them separately.
Why? Because he had personally experienced the wrath of six hundred billion explosive tags.
Those tags were most likely created by Konan using her Paper Person of God Technique—an ability tied to her personal strength.
However, let's be honest: explosion tags can also be purchased. If someone like Kakuzu spent all his savings on them and used Tobirama's Mutual Exploding Tag technique to unleash them at once, the result would be catastrophic.
Having barely survived that barrage, Obito now believed that those six hundred billion tags might be more destructive than even Hashirama's Wood Style or Madara's Perfect Susanoo. That level of firepower was on par with Six Paths-level techniques. Even Kaguya would've had a hard time withstanding it.
If not for Kamui and Izanagi, Obito would have been vaporized.
But now, with his newly acquired Double Mangekyō Sharingan, both his transfer speed and intangibility duration had greatly improved. If Konan tried that trick again, she wouldn't succeed.
He could even use his left eye to transfer the entire explosion away.
All things considered, there were now very few things in the entire ninja world that could threaten him.
In short, every method of becoming stronger has its limits—but many of them can be stacked.
And the foundation laid at the Konoha Ninja Academy stacks perfectly with them.
In his previous life, Obito had been a dead last. Even after gaining power, he'd always relied heavily on his dōjutsu.
But this time, he would build a solid foundation.
With that in mind, Obito listened intently to the ninjutsu class, flipping open the textbook he had barely glanced at in his previous life. He carefully studied the theories and formulas printed inside.
Watching him, Rin couldn't help but smile in relief. Obito… he had really grown.
Before they knew it, the class came to an end.
"All right, that's it for this period. Everyone take a short break, then head to the outdoor training ground," the teacher announced before exiting the classroom.
The Ninja Academy wasn't just about books and theories. Half the time, students trained outdoors.
There were practical classes, shuriken throwing, survival exercises, team coordination drills, pressure resistance training, and more.
Obito naturally sought out Rin, walking with her to the training ground.
Rin squinted at him with a curious smile. "Obito, you actually opened a textbook today? Don't you usually say those are dry and boring?"
Obito's gaze was calm and resolute. "Rin, people grow. I don't want to be dead last anymore. I want to be strong enough to protect you… and that means learning everything I can."
Rin nodded, clenching her little fists with determination. "Obito, you can do it!"
…
"First-year Class A, gather and report! We're starting practical combat pairings!"
Once they reached the training ground, the teacher's voice rang out to assemble the students.
At their age, most students couldn't use powerful ninjutsu yet. These practical classes were mainly focused on taijutsu duels, sometimes enhanced with the Three Body Jutsu.
Shuriken were off-limits in combat, as they were too dangerous for kids without proper control.
In his previous life, Obito had loved practical combat. It was the only class where he could beat Kakashi, and he clung to that small victory.
But now… now he had faced Kage-level opponents. He had stared down death, battled the most powerful figures of his world.
Fighting a bunch of kids?
It was hard to find the motivation.