Chapter 36

Uchiha Yan could not help laughing at her expression. "You're way too nervous. If I said it's fine, then it's fine."

Kushina rolled her eyes. "You think I wanted this? Those Anbu people are such a pain!"

"Right—"

Uchiha Yan suddenly thought of something and asked curiously, "Weren't you still studying at the Ninja Academy? How come I haven't seen you attend classes lately?"

Kushina was only a little over eleven years old, still some distance away from twelve.

"I haven't graduated."

Kushina nodded, then shook her head. "But there's no need for me to go anymore. The village wouldn't assign me to a Genin team to carry out missions anyway."

A trace of disappointment flashed through her eyes as she said this.

She knew very well that from the day she became the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, Konoha's higher-ups had treated her as a weapon. They had never regarded her as an ordinary person.

Uchiha Yan saw her mood and reached out to pat her head. "Don't be sad. Put simply, it's because your strength isn't enough, so others can manipulate you."

"From now on, train properly with me and strive to raise your strength to the point where even the Third Hokage and the others won't dare look down on you."

"When that time comes, even if they're unwilling, they'll have to do things our way. What do you think?"

He felt a little sorry for this girl.

After thinking it over, he decided he should give her more in return.

After all, she had asked for whatever she wanted, and her heart had long since been placed with him.

Being too charming really is troublesome.

Uchiha Yan secretly congratulated himself in his heart.

"That's right!"

Kushina's eyes lit up, and she rallied herself again. "Then let's work hard together. Once we're strong enough, we'll flip over the Third Hokage and the others' table, smash up the Hokage Office to vent our anger, and force them to set me free!"

As she spoke, she clenched her fist and waved it with an adorably fierce expression.

At that moment, the desire to become stronger began burning wildly in her heart.

Seeing her cheer up again, Uchiha Yan's lips curved slightly. "Finally, you're spirited again. I'll give you a method for cultivating spiritual power. It'll help your strength rise faster and will also be useful for suppressing the Nine-Tails. I'll also give you a set of basic body-tempering exercises."

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out, pulled Kushina in front of him, and pressed his forehead directly against hers.

Kushina was still dazed, her face flushing, when a massive amount of information flooded into her mind—two complete cultivation methods.

He had also added a special seal to them, preventing Kushina from revealing the contents of these two techniques to anyone.

He had figured out this seal himself while studying various barrier techniques. He had not even taught it to Kushina. With it, not only would she be unable to speak about them, but others would also be unable to steal them through genjutsu or a mental invasion.

After finishing, Uchiha Yan released her and sat back in his original spot.

Kushina stood stunned for a long while, slowly digesting the things in her mind. Her eyes widened further and further. "This is... this is way too amazing, isn't it? Are there really cultivation methods like these in the world?"

She turned to stare at Uchiha Yan. "You came up with all of this yourself?"

It was no wonder she was surprised. The methods in these two techniques were completely different from anything circulating in the Ninja World. Spiritual power could actually be steadily increased in this way, while the methods for strengthening the body were absurdly simple. It was practically unbelievable.

"Yeah." Uchiha Yan smiled. "I made them myself. Don't tell anyone."

"I'd like to, but didn't you already put a seal on them? Hmph!" Kushina puffed out her cheeks and glared at him unhappily. "You actually kept a sealing technique from me instead of teaching it to me? That's too much!"

Before he could explain, however, her anger faded on its own and was replaced by an understanding expression. "But this is good, too. I was worried I might let something slip because I can't keep my mouth shut. Having this safeguard is reassuring."

She understood it clearly.

The sealing techniques Uchiha Yan had taught her were already no fewer than the ones she knew herself, and every one of them was stronger than what she possessed.

Besides, even if he had not taught her, with all the scrolls Tsunade had given him, he could still study them thoroughly on his own.

And now there were two more heaven-defying techniques.

By that reckoning, she was the one benefiting in every way.

Her heart was filled with warmth.

She knew very well that Yan had done all this to help her grow faster and gain her freedom one day sooner.

Meeting Yan was the most fortunate thing that had happened to her in her entire life.

"Yan, thank you so much!"

Kushina shouted toward Uchiha Yan. She suddenly stood up, leaned over, and quickly kissed him on the cheek.

Afterward, she immediately shrank back into her original spot, lowered her head, and raised a sealing book in front of her face. She did not dare look at him at all.

"This girl."

Seeing her reaction, Uchiha Yan could not help shaking his head with a laugh.

"Right, I have this for you, too. Body-Tempering Pills. Use them with the Basic Body-Tempering Technique, and the effects can double."

With that, he took out a Sealing Scroll and handed it to Kushina.

"Use this large bottle for now. Come find me when you run out."

"Mm, thank you."

That day, Uchiha Yan thought it over, found a free moment, and used spiritual transmission to pass the Soul Refinement Art and Basic Body-Tempering Technique on to Tsunade as well.

Naturally, he added a seal to them too, so she could not reveal them.

He had always remembered those who had shown him kindness.

Tsunade had taught him all her most closely guarded ninjutsu and secret techniques and had continued protecting him. He was not an ungrateful wretch.

He had to give her the repayment she deserved.

Besides, Tsunade becoming stronger would not hurt him either.

Half a day later.

Still in Kushina's house.

[You studied the sealing technique, Adamantine Sealing Chains, in depth, comprehended many of its mysteries, and boldly improved it, ultimately creating Adamantine Sealing Chains: Modified.]

[Adamantine Sealing Chains: Modified]: No longer restricted by the Uzumaki Clan bloodline. Anyone can learn and use it, but its attack power is only half that of the original.

"Still not enough?"

Uchiha Yan stared at the result, his brows drawing together slightly. He lowered his head and looked at the short section of golden chakra chains that had emerged from his palm, muttering to himself, "As expected, only the Uzumaki Clan's powerful vitality can bring out this technique's full suppressive power against Tailed Beasts."

"Huh?"

Kushina curiously leaned over. Looking at the golden chains in his palm, she wore an astonished expression. "Didn't you succeed? Its power isn't as good as the original? That can't be right. When I saw you use it just now, it didn't seem any weaker than mine!"

Uchiha Yan withdrew the chains and explained with a smile, "That's because my own vitality is strong enough. What I used was already at the original's level, so it looked no different."

"But if someone else used it, they would have neither the Uzumaki bloodline nor vitality as abundant as mine. Its power would be greatly reduced."

Still, at least he had broken through the deadlock that said the technique could not be cultivated without the Uzumaki bloodline.

"That's already amazing!"

Kushina shook her head speechlessly. "Other people couldn't create Adamantine Sealing Chains that anyone can use!"

"Your vitality is way too ridiculous. It's practically equal to mine. Are you sure you're really not from the Uzumaki clan or the Senju clan?"

Uchiha Yan gave her a wave. Kushina was not the first person to ask him that.

"I'm just a special case. I'll tell you later. I'm really not from the Uzumaki or Senju clans."

"But once I've thoroughly studied the secrets in your blood, it might not be impossible for me to cultivate an Uzumaki Sage Body through acquired effort. Hehe!"

Uchiha Yan smiled brightly.

"Then wouldn't you count as half an Uzumaki clansman? I'll be waiting to see it! Hee-hee!"

Kushina's eyes sparkled.

The Uzumaki Clan had long since disappeared, but if she could work with Yan to create a new Uzumaki clan, she thought that would be incredibly exciting.