Tsunade's Sour Mood

"No hand seals?"

Kushina froze for a moment, then nodded lightly. "Grandma Mito said that once you truly master Adamantine Sealing Chains to the utmost level, you really don't need hand seals. Chakra can directly transform into chains."

She pursed her little lips. "I'm still far from that..."

"You're only seven. Being able to learn it already makes you a genius!"

Wuye took her hand and sat down with her at the edge of the training ground. "We can study it together. Maybe we can simplify it?"

"Oh, right, you know Adamantine Sealing Chains too!"

Kushina brightened. "What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything!"

Such an innocent girl, such burning affection...

"Kushina, use Adamantine Sealing Chains again and let me watch. Slower this time," Wuye said.

"Okay."

Kushina nodded, stepped back, and began forming hand seals.

Through Wuye's analytical vision, he could clearly "see" Kushina's chakra flowing through the pathways in her body as she formed the seals. With every seal, the chakra used to perform Adamantine Sealing Chains underwent a transformation.

"How does this transformation happen? Because of the hand seals, or..."

Wuye observed carefully.

Then he discovered that the chakra transformations during the hand seals followed a sequence.

Kushina's spiritual energy fluctuated first. Only then did her chakra transform, gradually becoming distinct from the rest of the chakra in her body. Finally, at the instant it burst out of her body, it became chakra chains.

"Wuye, did you see it clearly?"

Kushina put her hands behind her back and spun around in a little circle.

"I can more or less guess what the hand seals are for. Use it once more for me," Wuye said.

"Mm."

Kushina nodded and did it again.

Wuye finally confirmed his judgment. "Hand seals are actually used to control spiritual energy, and spiritual energy can transform chakra multiple times, preparing it into the form needed before a ninjutsu is cast..."

"Then theoretically, as long as we can completely control spiritual energy, we won't need to form any hand seals."

He closed his eyes, and the spiritual energy within him began to flow.

But the difficulty was obvious. People had very weak control over something as intangible as spiritual energy.

Extracting chakra counted as the simplest kind of control, but casting ninjutsu required extremely precise control over spiritual energy.

Other than a handful of heaven-blessed geniuses, few people could reduce the number of hand seals, much less do without them altogether.

"Reducing the number of hand seals means using fewer seals to achieve the same mobilization of spiritual energy."

"And casting without hand seals means relying entirely on your own will to control spiritual energy."

Wuye rubbed the back of his head, feeling a slight headache coming on.

"I can only analyze the principle. I can't improve my own control over spiritual energy—I don't have that kind of talent!"

In other words, he first had to teach Kushina how to cast Adamantine Sealing Chains without hand seals. Only then could he replicate it himself.

"Kushina, come here. Let me explain the principles behind casting without hand seals..."

He casually took Kushina's hand and began explaining in detail...

"That little brat actually managed to analyze the principles behind ninjutsu hand seals..."

At the corner of the corridor, Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, watching the training ground.

There, the boy held the girl's hand as he whispered something to her.

The sun shone brightly, spilling over them as if coating them in a layer of golden radiance.

Childhood sweethearts, innocent young love...

A strange discomfort suddenly rose in Tsunade's heart.

"He can't learn anything I teach him, but he can see through the essence of Kushina's secret art at a glance?!"

She knew this mindset was wrong, but that inexplicable sourness kept welling up in wave after wave.

She couldn't hold it back. It left her feeling damp and miserable.

"After doing something so excessive to me last night, he's acting as if nothing happened and getting all lovey-dovey with Kushina?!"

Jealousy blinded people. Tsunade's broad perspective, generosity, and boldness all suddenly vanished without a trace.

"You two..."

She did not even know how she had walked out. By the time she realized it, she was already standing before Wuye and Kushina with her hands on her hips.

"Tsunade?"

Kushina looked up.

"Mm, I heard you were here, so I came to take a look."

She casually made up an excuse, but her gaze drifted toward Wuye of its own accord, only to find his eyes fixed brightly on her.

His gaze moved from her face to her chest, then from her chest to her thighs...

He had not done anything, yet Tsunade felt as if that gaze had substance, making her body burn everywhere it passed.

"Bastard! How dare he stare at me like that! Does this guy have no shame at all?! After doing something so excessive to me!"

Tsunade roared inwardly, itching to punch Wuye straight in the face.

But with Kushina there for comparison, if she really punched him, would that make him like Kushina even more and dislike...

Aaaah!

Why am I having such bizarre thoughts?!

Watching Tsunade's expression shift endlessly through shades of green, red, white, and black, Wuye could not help wanting to laugh.

But considering his own life, he did his best to restrain himself.

"Good morning, Teacher," he greeted her solemnly. "Did you rest well last night?"

Last night... rested... well...

Tsunade nearly turned and fled again.

"Huh?" A question mark seemed to pop up over Kushina's little head. "You two?"

Wuye nodded. "Mm, Lady Tsunade is my teacher now."

"Oh..."

Kushina's little face suddenly dimmed.

Nawaki had a teacher, Minato had a teacher, and now even Wuye had a teacher...

Wuye noticed her expression and scratched his head.

"Teacher, how about taking Kushina as your disciple too?" he suddenly asked.

"No."

The answer almost flew out of Tsunade's mouth. Only afterward did she shake her head and say, "Leaving aside the fact that I can already be considered her distant older sister, so there's no need to add a master-disciple title, the more important thing is that Uzumaki Sealing Arts can hardly be taught by anyone. Other than Grandma's guidance when she was alive, Kushina can only rely on herself to comprehend it."

"I see..." Wuye turned around and squeezed Kushina's little hand. "It's okay. I can understand your sealing arts, so I'll help you."

"That's right!"

Kushina immediately cheered up. "Just like earlier, you can see through the essence of it, and you have such good ideas. With you helping me, I'll definitely master the clan's sealing arts faster!"

Tsunade's face darkened when she heard that. "So you only can't comprehend the ninjutsu I teach you?"

Wuye: "..."

"Wuye, Wuye, will you come to the shrine with me?"

Kushina suddenly grabbed Wuye's hand and shook it back and forth. "Come with me to the Uzumaki clan shrine."

"Is it appropriate for me to go to the Uzumaki Clan shrine?" Wuye scratched his head.

"It is, it is!" Kushina said repeatedly.

As she spoke, she pulled Wuye to his feet.

But before she could take him away, Tsunade suddenly stepped in front of her expressionlessly. "Kushina, I still need to take him training. Go by yourself today."

Without waiting for Kushina's reply, she snatched Wuye's arm and vanished with a whoosh using the Body Flicker Technique.

Kushina: "???"

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