Testing

After giving Qiancao a thorough lecture on the rooftop of the Sealing Tower, Ayako decided it was time to eat.

Everyone retraced their steps to the second floor of the Sealing Tower, where several elderly women had already prepared the meal.

As usual, it consisted mostly of seafood. Qiancao finally understood the plight of people by the sea, who were so poor they could only eat giant river crabs.

During the meal, Ayako outlined the plan for the coming days: they would rest for one night, then begin ninja training first thing the next morning.

Once they had eaten their fill, Qiancao and Wuming each returned to their rooms, while Senju Arashi stayed on the second floor to have a private chat with Ayako.

After taking a hot bath, Qiancao lay on the neat bed and gazed at the bright moon outside the window. The surroundings were so comfortable that he found it hard to fall asleep.

Unable to sleep, Qiancao got out of bed and went to knock on the door of Wuming's room next door.

After a short wait, Wuming's door opened a crack, and Qiancao saw one of her wide eyes peering through it.

When she saw that it was Qiancao, Wuming opened the door all the way and welcomed him inside.

"Did you need something?" Wuming asked. As soon as Qiancao entered, she hurried to close the door. She didn't know why, but she didn't want anyone to see him coming into her room.

Qiancao looked around. Wuming had just taken a bath too, and she had changed into a white robe much like Ayako's. Her long, slightly damp hair spilled down her back, giving her a very different air from the usually aloof Uchiha girl.

Unable to resist, Qiancao took Wuming by the hand and sat with her on the bed. Grinning, he teased her, "What, I can't come visit you unless I have a reason?"

Wuming blushed. She had been sitting in her room, wondering whether Qiancao was thinking about her. Before she could come to any conclusion, someone knocked at the door.

When she realized it was Qiancao, she was delighted and let him in without a second thought. Only after he had entered did she inexplicably start to feel nervous.

Seeing Wuming keep her head down and say nothing, Qiancao spoke first. "Have you been happy lately?"

Wuming lowered her head and fidgeted, but finally found the courage to say, "As long as you're by my side, I... I'm always happy."

Looking at the girl who trusted him so completely, Qiancao didn't know what to say. He couldn't help lifting her chin and kissing her on the lips.

As their lips met, Qiancao could clearly hear their heartbeats. A powerful sense of contentment welled up inside him.

After a long while, they parted. Wuming's face was redder than an apple. She didn't quite understand the meaning of what they had just done, but she felt a connection with Qiancao, as if their hearts had become one. All the worry and uncertainty she had felt over the past few days vanished.

Qiancao made no further move. He simply held Wuming and said softly, "I can't sleep alone in my room. Could I stay here and sleep with you?"

Wuming didn't answer. She simply buried her little face in Qiancao's chest, and before long, they both fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Senju Arashi stepped out of her room. The day before, she and Ayako had agreed that during the few days she would be staying in the Land of Whirlpools, they would train Qiancao together.

She sat in the third-floor hall, watching Qiancao's door and waiting for him to come out. To her surprise, he emerged from the room next door instead—Wuming's.

Young people really do grow up fast these days, she thought, then greeted him. "Good morning, Mr. Uchiha!"

Qiancao hadn't expected Senju Arashi to be waiting for him, and he replied awkwardly, "Good morning, Miss Senju."

Senju Arashi didn't think anything of it. In her eyes, Qiancao was still just a kid.

"Let's go to the dojo next door!" Senju Arashi stood and stretched, showing off her exaggerated curves to full effect. "Your teacher should already be waiting there."

Qiancao had no reason to refuse. Wuming hurried out of her room to join them, and the three left the Sealing Tower and headed to a huge circular dojo nearby, about the size of a soccer field.

They took off their shoes at the entrance and walked inside. The wooden floor was spotless, gleaming as though it could reflect everyone's image.

Uzumaki Ayako sat kneeling in the middle of the dojo, meditating with her eyes closed. A beam of early morning sunlight fell across her face, giving her an air of sacred calm.

Today, Ayako wore a simple, loose white robe without a single unnecessary ornament. It only served to highlight her astonishing beauty.

As if sensing Qiancao's arrival, Ayako slowly opened her eyes and greeted them with a nod. "You're here. At least you're not late."

Qiancao followed his teacher's example and knelt in front of her. "Good morning, Master. What do you have planned for today's training?"

Ayako took a sheet of white paper from a nearby box and handed it to Qiancao. "There's no rush to start training. First, let's test which chakra nature transformations you're suited for."

Qiancao took the sheet from his teacher. Ayako went on to ask, "Do you know what chakra nature transformation is?"

Qiancao already knew about chakra natures. Before his teacher could explain, he poured his chakra into the Chakra Induction Paper in his hand.

The paper reacted to chakra. It was made from a special kind of tree.

The paper in Qiancao's hand first crumpled into a ball, then suddenly caught fire and turned to ash at his fingertips.

Ayako assumed Qiancao had learned about nature transformations from the Uchiha Clan. Without giving it much thought, she remarked, "As expected of the Uchiha Clan. You have two chakra natures."

Senju Arashi chuckled and patted Qiancao on the shoulder. "Looks like we have something in common. We both have two nature transformations."

Ayako carefully gathered the ashes from the paper and put them in a pouch. Then she turned to Qiancao. "Now that I know your nature transformations, I'll find some ninjutsu that suits you to practice."

After speaking, Ayako took a scroll and a brush from a nearby bag. She unrolled the scroll and wrote and drew on it for a while.

The pattern Ayako drew looked familiar to Qiancao, but before he could remember where he had seen it, she completed a series of complex Hand Seals.

The black characters on the scroll held their shape as they flew into the air, shooting straight toward Qiancao's stomach.

Only then did Qiancao remember that it looked much like the scroll Shiri had used to suppress his seal when he left the Uchiha Clan.

Sure enough, once all the characters had adhered to Qiancao's stomach, he felt the chakra seal that had been restraining him loosen considerably.

Ayako explained, "This is the Evil Sealing Method. It can temporarily suppress Qiancao's seal. Qiancao, don't hold back. Spar with Arashi using all your strength!"