The stars in the night sky looked like countless pearls embedded in a black velvet canopy.
Uchiha Tunan left Naka Shrine, but instead of heading straight home, he went to the training grounds.
The Instant Body Flicker Technique was extremely difficult to master. After all, it combined ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu; an ordinary genius could not learn it.
Uchiha Tunan estimated that it would take him a long time.
He might even need to eat a few more rations before his talent reached the required standard.
In comparison, Beast Devour was much simpler.
After all, Uchiha Tunan had stacked the spiritual power of several people. He was already a true genius.
He immediately opened his Sharingan and swept his gaze over the surroundings.
After confirming that no one was nearby, Uchiha Tunan took out a scroll from his ninja tool pouch and opened it.
His Three Tomoe spun rapidly as he quickly memorized the knowledge recorded on the scroll.
Half an hour later, Uchiha Tunan, having committed it all to memory, put the scroll away.
He activated Mirror Heaven and Earth Turning, controlling the white doves hidden in various places to fly over.
"Coo, coo~"
Flocks of white doves landed one after another on Uchiha Tunan and on the ground before him.
Uchiha Tunan immediately bit his finger, letting blood flow freely.
Under his control, the doves took turns drinking Uchiha Tunan's blood.
Once they had all finished drinking, Uchiha Tunan rapidly formed hand seals with both hands.
Secret Technique: Beast Devour had two sets of hand seals.
One was used to modify ninja beasts, while the other was used in battle to drive them berserk.
The seals Uchiha Tunan was forming now were the modification seals.
There were more than two hundred modification seals, cumbersome and complex.
"Whoosh~"
After completing the final seal, Uchiha Tunan immediately reached out and slapped the ground.
Secret Technique: Beast Devour.
A powerful surge of Chakra erupted and poured into the surrounding white doves.
The appearances of those doves began changing at a visible rate.
As their bodies swelled, their feathers changed from white to vivid red.
Their soft beaks gradually curved, resembling the fangs of wild beasts, and under the modification of Chakra, they became hard.
Time passed bit by bit. The doves' bodies continued expanding, while their feathers darkened from red to nearly black.
They looked like another breed of crow.
By then, more than half of Uchiha Tunan's Chakra had been consumed.
However, this initial modification had to be completed in one go, or all previous efforts would be wasted.
Uchiha Tunan remained expressionless as he relentlessly squeezed the Chakra from his body.
Ten minutes later, the doves completed their transformation.
They now resembled black hawks, especially their hooked beaks that gleamed with a black metallic luster.
One glance was enough to make anyone feel an extreme sense of danger.
Their entire bodies radiated the aura of savage beasts.
Uchiha Tunan stopped the technique, let out a long breath, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
The doves immediately reverted to their original appearances at a visible rate.
Looking at these docile white doves, no one would have imagined their previous savage forms.
A trace of humanity showed in their eyes as they affectionately kept rubbing against Uchiha Tunan.
Uchiha Tunan could clearly feel that his connection with these doves had deepened.
Moreover, he was continuously channeling Chakra into them every moment, strengthening their bodies.
Of course, the Chakra consumption did not exceed Uchiha Tunan's recovery rate.
The corner of Uchiha Tunan's lips curled into a strange smile. He scratched one dove's neck with a finger and said:
"Next time I get the chance, I'll let you have some meat."
The next day, Uchiha Tunan got up, washed up, and cooked himself a bowl of plain porridge.
After putting on his forehead protector and packing his ninja tools, he headed toward the Hokage Building on time.
When he reached the entrance of the Hokage Building, he found Namikaze Minato and Kakashi had already been waiting for a long time.
Uchiha Tunan bowed apologetically. "Sorry for the wait."
Namikaze Minato scratched his head and gave a foolish grin.
"It's fine, it's fine. There's still some time before our appointed time. We just arrived early."
Uchiha Tunan nodded calmly. Seeing that neither of them intended to move, he asked in confusion, "Aren't we going in now?"
Namikaze Minato seemed to recall something unpleasant. His expression stiffened slightly as he said guiltily, "Let's wait a little longer."
The three of them waited for a full hour before they saw Kushina jogging over.
Kushina carried a white plastic bag, with three lunch boxes inside.
With one hand on her hip, Kushina lifted the plastic bag with the other. "You definitely haven't eaten breakfast, right? I specially prepared breakfast for you."
Namikaze Minato looked at the sky and sighed in relief. "Thank you so much."
Yet he showed no intention of reaching for a lunch box.
Mainly because Namikaze Minato knew what Kushina's cooking was like.
In short, only four words could describe it: hard to put into words...
Kushina first took out a lunch box from the plastic bag and handed it to Uchiha Tunan.
"Here, Tunan. I made this especially for you. I remember you like light food."
Uchiha Tunan did not reach out to take it. He simply stared blankly at the lunch box in Kushina's hand.
Only after several breaths did he slowly raise his head and look at Kushina.
The instant their eyes met, the Hypnotic Genjutsu in Uchiha Tunan's mind activated on its own.
Uchiha Tunan's eyes seemed to become a little more crystalline, and the way he looked at Kushina gradually became attached...
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Kushina felt that Uchiha Tunan's gaze was strange.
Remembering what Kurama had told her yesterday about Uchiha Tunan harboring malicious thoughts toward her, she unconsciously swallowed.
What on earth does this brat think about every day? He doesn't want to kill me, does he?
Uchiha Tunan pursed his lips and pushed the lunch box back.
Then, with both hands on his knees, he bowed deeply to Kushina.
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Kushina.
But I already ate this morning, so I can't eat anymore."
Kushina froze at his words. The corners of her mouth twitched as she forced a smile. "Uh... all right."
But inwardly, she was roaring.
Damn it! I got up early to make you breakfast, and you won't even try a bite!
If not for how pitiful you are, I'd really let you taste my fists.
Namikaze Minato naturally saw that Kushina was on the verge of exploding, so he did not dare provoke her further.
"Haha, it's getting late. Let's go in and collect our mission first."
After saying that, he hurriedly grabbed Kakashi with one hand and Uchiha Tunan with the other, pulling them into the Hokage Building.
After the three left, Kushina stomped hard and hurled the plastic bag viciously toward a nearby trash can.
"I'm so mad!"
Kushina put both hands on her hips, took a deep breath, and called out inwardly at the same time.
"Kurama, did that brat have malicious thoughts toward me again just now?"
"No."
"No? At least he knows what's good for him."
"It felt very strange.
Not only did he suddenly no longer harbor malicious thoughts toward you, he seemed to have tremendous goodwill toward you instead.
More goodwill than Minato has toward you.
And that goodwill resembled the feelings a human child has for his mother."
Kushina froze slightly, dumbfounded.
"No way. Could it be because I gave him breakfast?"
"Perhaps. Human thoughts are too complicated. They change at any moment."
In the Tailed Beast space, Kurama closed his eyes after speaking.
In reality, the corners of Kushina's lips lifted slightly, confidence shining in her eyes.
"Looks like children really do like me when I'm gentle."
Suddenly, Kushina's eyes widened as she cried out, "The breakfast I made!"
She immediately dashed toward the trash can, frightening away two stray dogs that were eating there, their tails tucked between their legs.
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