New Mission

Wuming's adorable phase lasted only half a day before she reverted to her indifferent, lukewarm attitude toward Qiancao.

However, Wuming no longer complained when Qiancao focused on his training.

She would simply sit to the side with a silly grin, watching Qiancao in deep meditation, then glancing at her own small feet, before smiling even more sweetly.

When sleeping at night, Wuming would hold onto Qiancao with a tighter grip, sometimes even pressing her entire body against his.

Although he was exhausted, Wuming's body was small and soft, making her very comfortable to hold; Qiancao could consider himself tired but happy.

Despite the harsh environment of the dark dungeon, the two supported each other, making their days feel warm and pleasant rather than unbearable.

Uchiha Naoto was surprised to discover that Wuming, who had once been extremely resistant to combat, was now actively seeking out enemies, all just to return to the cell—to the home she envisioned—as quickly as possible.

This discovery raised Qiancao's standing in his mind.

Uchiha Naoto began to carefully consider whether he should treat Qiancao as a disposable tool to enhance Wuming's power, or cultivate him as a long-term means of controlling her.

There were many interesting secrets within Qiancao, and he was well worth the effort of cultivation.

But the Uchiha had killed his parents; if he were to be raised, would he eventually become an enemy of the Uchiha clan?

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Thanks to Wuming's outstanding performance, this conflict between the Uchiha and the Senju ended with the Uchiha clan's victory.

When Qiancao had first transmigrated, the two ninja clans had been hired by the Takeda and Imagawa daimyos respectively to fight over the territory of Tanzaku Castle.

Now that the outcome was decided, Wuming no longer needed to leave the cell frequently for battle.

With all the Uchiha clansmen busy with the aftermath of the war, Wuming and Qiancao finally enjoyed some rare leisure time.

After this period of training, Qiancao was already able to skillfully control the chakra in his body; even without the seal being lifted, he could walk vertically on the walls.

Next, under Wuming's guidance, Qiancao mastered twelve basic hand seals.

At the same time, he learned the classic introductory ninjutsu of the Uchiha: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.

Standing in the cell facing the wall, Qiancao performed the hand seals rapidly: "Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger!"

In his heart, he shouted with full-blown middle-school syndrome: "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The moment the seals were completed, Qiancao took a deep breath and exhaled with all his might!

Unfortunately, the raging inferno he had envisioned did not appear; only a weak, pathetic little flame drifted out—if he were back in his previous life, he could have used it to light a cigarette.

Exhausted, Qiancao collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. This was his one hundred and twenty-fourth attempt in the last five days; although there was some progress, it was still all thunder and no rain.

Recovering slightly, Qiancao asked Wuming, who was beside him, "Is there something wrong with my hand seals?"

Wuming did not answer directly. Instead, her hands flew as she performed the same set of seals and blew toward the brazier in the cell.

A flame as thick as a bowl erupted from Wuming's small mouth, completely reigniting the brazier that had been about to go out, and the temperature in the cell rose significantly.

Although Wuming didn't answer his question, Qiancao already understood what she meant.

"No choice, if you're bad, you just have to practice more." Qiancao understood that ninjas in times of war were often very precocious; compared to them, he was still a flower in a greenhouse.

At his age, they had already experienced countless life-and-death trials.

Not to mention, Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi might have already been Jonin by his age.

However, Qiancao didn't feel discouraged. As long as he kept working hard, who knew? Maybe one day he would awaken some incredible bloodline and surpass those geniuses in one fell swoop.

Still, after this period of training, Qiancao hadn't come away empty-handed.

At the very least, his sensory abilities had improved significantly. He could clearly perceive that the cell was located deep underground and that countless Uchiha clansmen were patrolling everywhere, day and night.

Without breaking the seals on Wuming and himself, escaping directly from the cell was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

He could only seize the opportunity to escape while out on missions.

He didn't know when such an opportunity would arrive, so the only plan for now was to start by strengthening himself, training diligently, and waiting quietly for the right moment.

Another morning came, and Qiancao was shirtless, lying on the straw in the cell, doing push-ups to train his stamina.

Wuming sat on his back, acting as a weight while counting for him: "One hundred and sixty-six, one hundred and sixty-seven!"

Just then, a familiar man's voice came from outside the door: "I didn't expect a guy like you to be so diligent."

Qiancao, head down and focused on his training, didn't see the man's face. He felt he had heard the voice before, but couldn't recall the name.

He straightened his back and tapped Wuming's thigh to signal her to get off.

Once Wuming left his back, Qiancao looked up to see Uchiha Keisuke, the man who had shoved him that day.

"What are you here for?"

Qiancao took the towel Wuming handed him—though it was just a strip of cloth he had torn from his own jacket—and asked while wiping his sweat.

Seeing Qiancao's guarded expression, Keisuke looked incredibly apologetic and bowed at a ninety-degree angle: "Don't be so guarded! I hit you that day, but Wuming has already taught me a harsh lesson."

"I had to lie in bed for a whole month just to get my injuries healed!"

This was the first time Qiancao had heard of this, so when he handed the towel back to Wuming, he patted her small hand to show his gratitude.

Wuming wanted to laugh but held it back, putting on an indifferent expression as she addressed Keisuke outside the door: "You were the one who started it."

"That's why I'm reflecting on it now, isn't it?" Keisuke said, nodding and bowing, a completely different person from the one he had been a month ago. "I'll be counting on you in the future!"

At this moment, Uchiha Hiri also arrived at the cell. She glanced at Keisuke with a complex expression; she didn't know what had gotten into him either.

Uchiha Keisuke was a highly skilled elite ninja among the younger generation of the clan, but his personality was far too abrasive. He looked down on clansmen weaker than himself and always preferred to fight alone during missions, casting the safety of his teammates aside.

Because of this, he was ill-suited to lead a ninja squad, which was why he had been relegated to the prison to oversee the transport of Wuming to and from the battlefield.

That day, Keisuke had launched an unprovoked attack on Wuming, only to be defeated after Uchiha Naoto intervened, leaving him bedridden with severe injuries.

In the past, Keisuke would have likely sought out Wuming for a rematch the moment he recovered.

Unexpectedly, Keisuke seemed like a changed man, taking the initiative to go to Lord Naoto to admit his faults.

Seeing his sincere attitude, Uchiha Naoto entrusted him with a new mission.

Though he had expected the arrogant and prideful man to refuse, Keisuke agreed without hesitation.

The two of them had come to the prison today specifically to announce this new assignment.

With that thought in mind, Shiri spoke to the two in the cell: "Lord Naoto has given us a new mission. Starting today, the two of you will be temporarily joining us to carry out tasks in the field."