The Next Plan

After Ayako set Qiancao down, she said to him, "Massage your eyes for a bit."

When Wuming saw Qiancao sitting on the ground rubbing his eyes, she couldn't help going over and gently massaging them for him.

When it came to experience using the Mangekyō Sharingan, Wuming was far more experienced than Qiancao, and she knew much more professional techniques for relieving eye strain.

Whether it was a placebo effect or her massage technique, Qiancao soon recovered from the soreness in his eyes.

I can't keep getting dizzy like this, Qiancao thought. Once I'm strong enough, I'll find a way to upgrade to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan first.

While Wuming massaged his eyes, Senju Arashi discussed the matter with Ayako.

"That was incredible just now." Senju Arashi gestured animatedly as she described the experience to Ayako. "It was like fighting a smaller version of myself."

Ayako stood where she was and pondered for a moment before asking Senju Arashi, "From what you've described, Qiancao's Mangekyō Sharingan seems like an enhanced version of the ordinary Sharingan's copying ability. Could you sense the difference?"

Senju Arashi thought it over carefully, then seemed to remember something and clapped her hands. "It felt like Qiancao wasn't Qiancao, but me."

Seeing the puzzled look on Ayako's face, Senju Arashi continued explaining, "Ordinary Uchiha ninja may copy my techniques, but they use them of their own accord."

"But Qiancao was different. Thinking back on it, every move he used was something I had imagined in my mind—moves that could counter my own."

Ayako spoke slowly. "The way you put it reminds me of a miraculous technique from legend called 'Spirit Possession,' which lets someone borrow another person's power to fight."

Senju Arashi hurriedly said, "Exactly! That's what it felt like. As a beginner, Qiancao shouldn't have been able to spot some of the openings in my movements, but he handled everything effortlessly just now."

"Later, I deliberately used some moves I normally wouldn't, and he could tell they weren't worth copying. He still chose the most reasonable way to respond. It was downright uncanny."

By then, Wuming had finished massaging Qiancao's eyes. The two women went over to him and watched as he opened them.

Qiancao asked his teacher, "So, Master, how did I do?"

Ayako smiled and nodded in approval. "For a beginner, you did great, Qiancao. But I still have a few questions for you. I hope you don't mind answering them."

Since his teacher had put it that way, Qiancao knew she was probably asking about the secrets of his Sharingan.

"Ask me anything, Master. I don't mind," Qiancao replied.

"What special effects did your Mangekyō Sharingan have just now?" Ayako asked him. "Arashi said it was like fighting an opponent who was exactly like her."

Qiancao explained his Mangekyō's ability to his teacher, then summed up, "I think my deepest wish to become a master was what made the Mangekyō copy all of Miss Arashi's abilities."

"By the end, I didn't even need to control my body. The Sharingan automatically made me fight."

Ayako bit her finger and continued, "Can you still let Arashi possess you now?"

Qiancao closed his eyes and focused. He felt as if he had drifted into a space as vast as the universe.

After looking around, Qiancao saw two translucent figures floating nearby: Uchiha Keisuke and Senju Arashi.

As he drew closer to the two figures, Qiancao even felt that he could access all their memories and battle experience.

After returning from that faraway state, Qiancao told everyone what he had discovered. Senju Arashi immediately cried out, "Don't go looking through other people's memories!"

Ayako pondered for a while longer, then said to Qiancao, "I know how to train you now."

As she spoke, she somehow produced another sheet of paper and wrote down a training plan for Qiancao:

1. Train his basic ninja skills, such as Taijutsu and the use of various ninja tools, under Wuming's supervision;

2. Teach him various ninjutsu, with Uzumaki Ayako personally in charge;

3. Have him fight various experts and use his Sharingan to copy their combat experience.

After writing the plan, Ayako explained to Qiancao, "Although you briefly gained the power to fight Arashi by using your Mangekyō just now, you still lacked flexibility."

"Unless you master and integrate the abilities you've copied, you'll never reach the pinnacle."

"It's like an ordinary person with a powerful ninja tool. The tool alone gives them considerable strength, but they still can't match a ninja who knows how to use it well."

Qiancao agreed, nodding repeatedly.

"As for basic Taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu..." Ayako continued. "Although your Uchiha Clan relies heavily on the Sharingan in battle, the Sharingan still puts a strain on your body."

"So it's best not to rely on the Sharingan if you can help it." Wuming, standing nearby, nodded repeatedly. She had no fondness for her own Sharingan.

Qiancao thought the plan made sense, so everyone settled on a training program for him and began supervising him as he carried it out.

Meanwhile, at the Naka Shrine in Uchiha territory, Uchiha Eiki was reporting to the clan head, Uchiha Gaku, and Uchiha Naoto about their attempt to intercept Qiancao.

"No one told me that the damn Seiichiro would be escorting Qiancao," Eiki complained to the two of them. "He was such a pain, insisting on fighting me."

"Then we ran into that crazy woman, Uzumaki Ayako, halfway through. I had to use Amaterasu to stop that lunatic Seiichiro." Uchiha Eiki poured out his grievances to the two of them.

Uchiha Gaku listened with a frown. When Eiki finished, he looked toward Naoto, his meaning clear: What do you think we should do?

Naoto still looked confident. This time, at his instruction, they had sent only three people to retrieve Qiancao, and he had always intended to let them go.

He had even deliberately sent Ryuji and Sawa, hoping to make Qiancao set aside his grudge over his parents for the time being so they could leave each other in peace.

But Uchiha Gaku was still uneasy. He asked for confirmation again. "Are you sure their Sharingan will destroy itself as soon as it leaves their bodies?"

"Don't worry," Naoto said. "I wouldn't have let them leave without making all the necessary arrangements. Qiancao and Wuming have boundless potential. Only if they're free to grow outside can they bear the richest fruit."

Uchiha Gaku didn't say anything aloud, but thought to himself, The Land of Whirlpools... I've heard some people in the Land of Water have had a problem with it for a long time. Is there a weakness here we can exploit?