Qiuxia noticed Jiraiya and Kakashi behind him the moment they started following. However, he didn't care. On the surface, his identity was merely that of an Uchiha orphan who had lost both parents and had no desire to attend the Ninja Academy; there was nothing for them to find.
Besides, the Uchiha compound wasn't far. By the time they finished wondering where he was going, he would already be back home.
Qiuxia soon reached the Uchiha gates. Seeing several clansmen in the guard booth, he waved a greeting. "Shuilong, Hu, Dazhu you guys are on duty early. I thought the shift change wasn't until noon?"
"Ah, little Qiuxia! Been to Ichiraku Ramen again? Their noodles are good, but you can't just eat ramen all the time. You should try some other places."
Qiuxia smiled. "I'll think about other places once I'm tired of Ichiraku. So, why the early shift?"
"Those other three had something to take care of, so we took over for them."
"Well, don't let me keep you. I'm heading home!" Qiuxia waved and stepped into the Uchiha compound.
Jiraiya and Kakashi, who had been trailing him, stopped once they saw him enter. The tension between the Uchiha and Konoha was currently at a breaking point. Although Uchiha Obito had no love for his own kin and had even killed two of them,
he was still an Uchiha. In the past, Konoha had implemented various measures against the clan, and even now, the Anbu were secretly monitoring them, though the surveillance had been scaled back significantly.
The current situation between the village and the Uchiha was like a powder keg; one spark would trigger an immediate explosion. Jiraiya had no intention of being the one to light the fuse.
"So that kid is an Uchiha. No wonder he speaks like that. I imagine he was influenced by his parents," Jiraiya mused.
"Lord Jiraiya, that might not be the case," Kakashi said, his expression turning serious as he recalled something. "I didn't remember earlier, but it's coming back to me now. Uchiha Qiuxia's parents died a year ago during a mission. According to their teammates, the situation was unique, and their bodies were destroyed during the battle."
"So there's more to the story?" Jiraiya asked.
Kakashi thought for a moment. "Perhaps. The reason I know about him is that Shisui's last public act before his mysterious disappearance was to notify several children, including Qiuxia, to enroll in the Ninja Academy."
"After Uchiha Shisui went missing, Konoha conducted a secret investigation into everyone he might have contacted, including Qiuxia. I learned about his parents' situation then. Although it was riddled with suspicion, we had other priorities, so the investigation was dropped."
Jiraiya fell silent for a long time. "So the reason the boy hates being a ninja and why he made those comments is because of his parents? He thinks Konoha sold them out as cannon fodder, so he hates ninjas and the Will of Fire."
"It's a possibility," Kakashi nodded.
In any other period, a ninja or a student who openly hated the Will of Fire would be detained for re-education and a background check. If it were a civilian, they would be investigated in secret and given a stern lecture once it was confirmed they weren't a spy.
But Qiuxia was an Uchiha. In these tense times, if they dared to seize him, chaos would ensue. Right now, if even a single Uchiha went missing be it a child or an elder it would be blamed on Konoha. Thus, no matter how much they disliked Qiuxia's rhetoric, they had to endure it.
Returning to his courtyard, Qiuxia resumed his usual cultivation, tempering his Divine Soul while simultaneously opening all the Acupoints in his body.
Thanks to the feedback from his Sharingan evolving into the Rinnegan, combined with the support of the Star Scripture, his Divine Soul had long since reached perfection. Nevertheless,
he continued to polish his Three Souls and Seven Po. Previously, only his Dantian could store Mana, which meant his power had a natural limit. But now that his Dantian and every Acupoint in his body could store energy, he was in no hurry to break through to become a Celestial Master.
Beyond tempering his souls, Qiuxia had another idea: could he transfer a portion of his Three Souls and Seven Po to form ten Yin Spirits?
First ten Yin Spirits, then ten Yang Spirits, and finally ten Primordial Spirits. Although the possibility was slim, it was worth an experiment.
Despite the idea, he didn't act immediately. His primary goal was to open every Acupoint and fill them with Mana to reach his absolute limit. If he experimented now and something went wrong, he might lose the ability to open further Acupoints. By finishing the process first, he wouldn't have to worry even if complications arose during his breakthrough.
Looking around his courtyard, he saw rows of various vegetables and a flock of free-range chickens. The chickens bore his Talismans, which restricted them to eating only grass seeds and insects found on the plants, ensuring they never touched the vegetables themselves.
Because Star Power descended upon the courtyard every day during his cultivation, the vegetables grew exceptionally well. His tomatoes were as large as basketballs, and they tasted as good as they looked.
Just as the vegetables benefited from his presence, so did the chickens. Two months ago, he had only bought three roosters and six hens; now, there were dozens of them. His yard was packed. Even if Qiuxia never stepped foot outside again, he could live off the bounty of his garden for months, if not longer.
After cultivating for a full day and night, Qiuxia returned to Ichiraku Ramen at his usual time the next day. He had just finished ordering with Ayame when he saw Jiraiya walk through the door.
"Aha, little friend, we meet again!"
Qiuxia looked at Jiraiya with a blank expression. "You're looking for me specifically, aren't you?"
"What makes you say that?" Jiraiya blinked, taken aback.
"Because of what I said yesterday. I assume you went back and did a full background check on my family. You certainly have the power to do so."
Jiraiya looked at him intently. "You recognize me?"
"In Konoha, excluding the elderly, there are only four people with white hair: Tobirama Senju, Konoha's White Fang, Jiraiya, and Kakashi. Tobirama and the White Fang have already kicked the bucket. Kakashi is a one-eyed freak. That leaves you. The wretched, perverted aura radiating from your very core tells me exactly who you are. You're the Pervy Toad of the Sannin of Vice, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya's face instantly turned green. He shouted at Qiuxia, "You brat, make yourself clear! What do you mean 'wretched aura'? What 'Sannin of Vice'? What 'Pervy Toad'!?"
"Am I wrong?" Qiuxia replied calmly. "Go to any bathhouse in Konoha and shout that Jiraiya is coming. See if the people inside don't scramble to get dressed and come out to beat you. That wretched temperament you developed from peeping has seeped into your very soul."
"Nonsense! I, Jiraiya, am not that kind of person! And I don't 'peep,' I call it 'doing research!'" Jiraiya argued desperately.
"Whatever you say. They say the highest level of lying is believing your own lies. That's probably why your wretched aura is so strong."
"I..." Jiraiya forced himself to stay his hand, fighting the urge to pummel the boy. He gritted his teeth and looked at Qiuxia. "Setting that aside for a moment... what's this about the Sannin of Vice? We are the Legendary Sannin. Why did you add 'Vice'?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Qiuxia scoffed. "We don't even need to talk about you, the pervert. Then there's Tsunade, the legendary Big Fat Sheep who has never won a bet in her life. Finally, there's Orochimaru the snake player.
His methods are poisonous, he uses poison, and his heart is poison. So, calling you the Sannin of Vice Porn, Gambling, and Poison is there anything wrong with that?"
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