Chapter 42

She already qualified for binding.

Xunjing planned to find an opportunity to bind both her and Minato.

As long as he could ensure they would not reveal his secrets, he could give them the Life-Nourishing Art, Haki training methods, and Sea King meat.

That would help them grow stronger faster.

"Hmm? Really?"

Kushina froze for a moment, worry creeping onto her face. "Will training in Taijutsu be really exhausting?"

"Uh... it's not too bad."

Xunjing paused, then smiled reassuringly. "Relax. I have a special method that'll spare you a lot of suffering. Just trust me."

With Sea King meat as a foundation and the Life-Nourishing Art to help, conditioning the body really was not that difficult.

"Mm, I trust you."

Kushina nodded and looked up at Xunjing. The instant their eyes met, she hurriedly looked away, her cheeks burning.

Her heart pounded as she muttered inwardly, How is he so good-looking...?

Before anyone had brought it out into the open, she had never even thought of him that way.

But after Uzumaki Mito's words yesterday, everything felt different.

Still, she did not dislike the change.

Minato happened to witness the entire exchange.

He felt as though something had lodged in his chest.

Kushina... has fallen for Xunjing, hasn't she?

Minato silently acknowledged that fact.

For a moment, a jumble of emotions filled his heart.

My first love is over before it even began?

Strangely, he did not resent Xunjing for it.

He had seen it clearly just now: Kushina had been the one to approach him.

Xunjing seemed not to have realized yet that Kushina's feelings for him had long since gone beyond friendship.

"Minato, perfect timing! We were just talking about training!"

Noticing Minato's arrival, Xunjing raised a hand and waved him over.

But he soon noticed that Minato looked a little down.

Quick on the uptake, he glanced at the blushing Kushina beside him and more or less understood.

He discreetly checked Minato's favorability toward him.

It had not dropped. It was still eighty-four.

Tsk... Minato is way too big-hearted, isn't he? Now I feel a little guilty.

Maybe I should stop putting it off and find a chance to bind him and Kushina together?

Xunjing considered it privately.

Putting himself in Minato's shoes, he knew he could not remain so free of misplaced resentment if someone else won over the person he liked.

Minato quickly composed himself too, doing his best to suppress his disappointment.

Since Kushina had already made her choice, there was no point in clinging to her.

He walked over and asked, "What do you have planned?"

Xunjing immediately replied, "I'll make a Shadow Clone first and have him go with you to find a suitable training spot. Somewhere secluded."

"My original body will take Kushina to see Lady Mito and explain our plan to use Shadow Clones to study Sealing Arts with her."

"Once we're done, Kushina and I will meet up with you. Then we'll work out a training plan together and get started."

"Oh, and before we leave, we'll each leave a Shadow Clone at school. Any problems with that?"

"No problem."

Minato shook his head. "I practiced some more after I got home yesterday. My Shadow Clone is very stable now."

"Good. Let's find somewhere out of the way to leave our clones, then slip out."

With that, Xunjing beckoned Minato and Kushina out of the classroom.

The three turned into a deserted corner, each created a Shadow Clone, and sent them off to class.

Their original bodies quietly left the school.

On the way, Xunjing created another clone and sent him ahead with Minato to find a secret base.

He and Kushina headed to the Senju Clan compound.

After meeting Uzumaki Mito, Xunjing explained why they had come.

"Study Sealing Arts with Shadow Clones?"

Uzumaki Mito did not agree right away. Instead, she asked, "You need to understand that Sealing Arts require very precise chakra control. You can't afford to be careless when practicing them. Are you sure you can manage?"

"I can."

Xunjing nodded confidently. "Actually, I have a pretty good memory. I memorized all the Sealing Arts materials you gave me some time ago."

"These past few days, I've made time to practice every day, or had my Shadow Clones help me practice. I've already built up a foundation."

"I've mastered at least a dozen basic Sealing Arts by now."

"If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate right here."

Without waiting for Uzumaki Mito's response, he formed a hand seal, bent down, and slapped the ground.

A Soundproof Barrier Sealing Technique took shape instantly.

He followed it with the Detection-Isolation Barrier, the Four-Series Lamp Technique, the Fire-Sealing Seal, and several others.

Uzumaki Mito and Kushina stared, wide-eyed.

"You really do keep surprising me, child."

Uzumaki Mito studied Xunjing for a long while before speaking with a complicated expression. "Your talent for Sealing Arts is extraordinary too."

After some thought, she finally nodded. "Very well. I'll grant your request."

"From now on, you may send a Shadow Clone here to study Sealing Arts."

She knew perfectly well that even if she did not teach him herself, with Xunjing's abilities, he would catch up to her in just a few years.

This child's talent for Sealing Arts was even greater than hers had been at his age.

Since she had already decided to build goodwill with him, she might as well give him a little more.

Perhaps it would bring an unexpected reward in the future.

"Thank you, Lady Mito!"

Xunjing immediately thanked Uzumaki Mito with delight.

"Thank you, Grandma! Hehe!"

Kushina hurriedly thanked her too.

Uzumaki Mito glanced at her with a smile. "I said Xunjing passed. I never said you did."

"Huh?"

Kushina's smile froze.

Then she quickly sidled over and began massaging Uzumaki Mito's shoulders, pleading sweetly, "Please say yes!"

Kushina lifted her chin, a stubborn note in her voice. "I want to train with Xuanqi and get stronger too!"

Uzumaki Mito chuckled and spoke unhurriedly. "I can agree to that. But starting today, you must meet the standards I set for your Sealing Arts studies every day. If you fail, I can revoke your permission to study with a Shadow Clone at any time. Understood?"

In truth, she worried that Kushina would spread herself too thin and fail to gain a thorough understanding of Sealing Arts.

For this child-a prospective jinchuriki and a member of the Uzumaki Clan-Sealing Arts were the skills that would keep her alive.

Although things now suggested that Kushina probably would not become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in the end, her training still could not be neglected in the slightest.

That was not just to satisfy the Third Generation and his crowd, but also to protect Kushina herself.

For now, at least, the title of prospective jinchuriki would make the village value her more and offer her some protection.

Of course, how genuine that protection was remained questionable.

Kushina gritted her teeth, looking somewhat troubled, but finally nodded. "All right, I promise!"

Uzumaki Mito waved a hand and smiled. "Then it's settled. Leave your Shadow Clones here to study with me, and you can go."

"Yes!"

Xunjing and Kushina exchanged a look, each created a Shadow Clone, and turned to leave.

Just then, Uzumaki Mito stopped Xunjing and cautioned him, "Little Xunjing, your chakra and vitality are far below Kushina's. Don't make too many Shadow Clones. Creating several at once won't do your development any good. Remember that."

Xunjing knew that the elderly woman genuinely had his best interests at heart. He promptly bowed and answered earnestly, "I'll remember. I'll make sure not to overdo it."

If he had not been eating Sea King meat at every meal to replenish his nutrients and nourish his body, with the Life-Nourishing Art supporting him as well, he would never have dared push himself like this.

After all, he still had a Shadow Clone in the Pirate World studying medicine under Dr. Kureha.

Counting the one at school, the one here, and the one accompanying Minato, that made four Shadow Clones at once, all maintained long-term. The strain was already considerable.