Chapter 43

Seeing that he had some sense of his limits, Uzumaki Mito said no more and waved them away.

Once Xunjing and Kushina left, the elderly woman began teaching the two Shadow Clones Sealing Arts.

Naturally, she left the advanced material alone at first and started with the very basics.

Although Xunjing had already studied the books himself, he still listened attentively.

His Shadow Clones could not use his Heaven Rewards Hard Work talent in real time, but his own comprehension was good, and he learned quickly.

Once the clones brought their experience and insights back to his original body, he could dispel them and immediately trigger Heaven Rewards Hard Work, reaping another round of gains.

It might not be as effective as attending the lesson in person, but it still amounted to sneaking in some extra tutoring.

After leaving Uzumaki Mito's place, Xunjing and Kushina headed straight toward the South Kaga River.

Near the South Kaga River, Uchiha Xunjing and Kushina walked side by side.

Xunjing suddenly stopped. Something seemed to explode in his mind, and information flooded in all at once.

Kushina tilted her head at him. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Xunjing waved a hand and smiled. "Minato's Shadow Clone dispersed and sent back its information. He found our base. Follow me."

Calling out to her, he dashed ahead.

They ran over a thousand meters, passed through a stretch of woods, and followed the riverbank downstream before finally stopping in a forest clearing.

The clearing was small, surrounded by trees, with just the right amount of sunlight filtering down from above.

Someone stood in the distance, his golden hair particularly striking in the sunlight.

Xunjing raised a hand and called out, "Hey, Minato! We're here!"

The blond boy raised his hand too, replying with a smile, "You made it! What do you think of this place?"

Then he added, "So... how are we going to train?"

Minato honestly had no idea what to expect. He came from an ordinary family and knew next to nothing about training. Everything he had learned so far had come from school.

Xunjing walked over and patted his shoulder. "We'll start with chakra control, hand seals, and the Basic Body Technique."

"Ninjutsu can wait. Once you have a solid foundation, you'll learn everything faster."

Minato blinked. "I understand hand seals, but is the Basic Body Technique the routine we learn at school? And how do we train chakra control?"

"The school routine?" Xunjing shook his head. "That isn't enough. I mean the taijutsu training method I put together, distilled from the clan's basic taijutsu training methods. The kids in both the preschool class and the advanced class at the Uchiha Clan Academy are practicing it now."

He stepped back twice to give himself room. "Talking won't help much. I'll demonstrate it once. Watch carefully and remember it. You'll be practicing it afterward too."

With that, Xunjing began.

He lowered his body into a steady horse stance, then threw a punch.

His movements were slow, but each one was precise. His waist, legs, and shoulders worked in perfect coordination, like a tightly twisted rope suddenly uncoiling, sending power from the soles of his feet all the way into his fist.

He had been practicing this every day lately, and his Basic Body Technique was nearing great accomplishment.

The method he had described was actually something he had devised himself, combining his experience with the clan's various basic taijutsu training methods and incorporating some of the Six Powers training approaches.

Of course, his Heaven Rewards Hard Work talent had helped a little too.

Minato and Kushina stood still, watching without blinking.

They committed every move and every form to memory.

Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina both nodded in agreement. Clearly, their memory and comprehension were quite good. With Xunjing explaining so slowly and demonstrating in such detail, they would have had to have something wrong with their brains not to remember it.

"Good. Now show me once, and I'll point out anything you get wrong." Xunjing nodded in satisfaction and gestured for them to begin.

"No problem!"

The two of them began going through the motions.

Naturally, they had not truly mastered it yet. Remembering the movements was one thing; actually performing them was another matter entirely.

Fortunately, Xunjing had plenty of patience. He created a Shadow Clone to stay with them and guide their practice, correcting their movements again and again until they got the hang of it. Meanwhile, he stepped aside to work on his own training.

At this stage, he still relied mainly on the Basic Body Technique and the Life-Nourishing Art to train his body. The Life-Nourishing Art worked best when paired with Sea King meat, Nutritional Potions, or Nutrient Pills. Of course, the Nutrient Pills he took were not the same as those the Uchiha Pharmacy had started selling today. His batch was of the highest purity. Aside from a small amount of medicinal herbs blended in, ninety percent consisted of concentrated Sea King meat essence. Each pill was equivalent to a pound of Sea King meat, making them convenient and hassle-free.

[You practiced the Basic Body Technique. Basic Body Technique proficiency +6.]

[You...]

Only after completing ten rounds in one go, when his body was noticeably aching and exhausted, did Xunjing stop and toss a Nutrient Pill into his mouth. Soon, warmth slowly spread from his stomach through his limbs and every part of his body. The aches and fatigue faded bit by bit in that warm current, though clearing them away completely would take about half an hour.

Xunjing dispelled the Shadow Clone guiding Minato and Kushina, then walked over and saw that both had already grasped the basics.

He nodded, satisfaction in his voice. "Not bad. You both have good comprehension and a solid physical foundation. For the next few months, spend an hour or two every morning and afternoon practicing this Basic Body Tempering Technique. Just focus on building a strong physique."

"What?" Minato barely reacted, but Kushina's face fell on the spot.

Panting heavily and utterly exhausted, she cried out in protest, "Every day? An hour or two in both the morning and afternoon? You might as well kill me now!"

Worn out by the physical training, Minato could not help complaining, "Isn't this body training way too torturous? Isn't there some shortcut?"

Before Xunjing could respond, Minato smiled and spoke up first. "How could there be any shortcuts to strengthening your body? I'm already incredibly grateful that Xunjing is willing to teach us such a precious foundational method. Someone from an ordinary background like me never would have dared dream of receiving a legacy like this!"

As he spoke, his gratitude toward Xunjing deepened. His favorability shot up another two points, reaching eighty-six.

Kushina rolled her eyes at that.

This sissy is way too stubborn. Can't he tell I'm just venting?

She turned and looked at Xunjing pleadingly.

Xunjing considered it for a moment. "Uh... actually, there is a way."

"What?" Minato and Kushina's eyes widened in astonishment.

"There really is?" Kushina lunged over and hugged Xunjing's arm, her voice syrupy sweet.

Minato, on the other hand, had already calmed down. He had made up his mind long ago and completely snuffed out his feelings for Kushina. Right now, all he wanted was to focus on becoming stronger.

Xunjing nodded but did not rush to explain. First, he swept the area with his sensory ability, confirming that no one was watching them within several hundred meters and that there were no suspicious people or animals.

Then he bent down, formed a hand seal, and slapped the ground. A barrier instantly expanded, enclosing the three of them and the area for several dozen meters around them.

Once that was done, he looked seriously at Minato and Kushina. "But this method doesn't come free. You need to trust me enough. It involves a secret of mine. If you agree, you'll gain tremendous benefits afterward, but you'll also be subject to certain restrictions from me. Do you really want to try?"

He paused, then added, "If you're unwilling, just forget this ever happened and keep training properly, step by step."

Xunjing knew it was time to settle the matter of the contracts. Both of their favorability scores were high enough.

Minato would be fine. His comprehension and perseverance were both good, and he could grit his teeth through the grueling basic training. Kushina, however, probably lacked that patience. She had yet to suffer any real hardship and had no idea how important strength truly was.

"No objections from me!" Kushina raised her hand without a second thought.