Time passed quietly.
Before anyone realized it, a month had gone by.
On this day,
Qingchuan was still practicing his most basic sword swings.
Although Itachi had informed him the day before that he wouldn't be able to come today,
Qingchuan, training alone, didn't use this time to practice Kidō.
Instead, he focused on soul perception.
There was a gaze that had been fixed on him for a long time.
Qingchuan didn't know who it was.
He only knew that the gaze was there when Itachi was around,
and it was still there when Itachi wasn't.
Moreover, it was restrained, only appearing during their training sessions.
So the answer was obvious...
Either it was Uchiha Shisui, who was preparing to mentor the younger generation,
or it was one of the Sannin who was planning to betray the village—Orochimaru.
The difference between the two was that one could be reasoned with and harbored no ill intent,
while the other...
was probably not so easy to deal with.
So Qingchuan maintained his most basic training, keeping his physical exertion to a minimum.
He pretended not to notice, but in reality, he was always prepared.
After a month of training,
his skills in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, movement, and Kidō had all improved.
Moreover, with the completion of Senbonzakura's initial release nearing halfway,
he now had some ability to fight back.
This was why he hadn't simply run away and even considered turning the tables.
The sword swings continued.
Every movement was executed with precision.
His long skirt and ponytail swayed with each motion, adding a unique charm.
In the shadows,
a small white snake watched quietly...
Yes,
Qingchuan's perception hadn't failed him.
After Itachi, or rather, because of watching Itachi, Orochimaru had finally turned his attention to him.
She was an interesting girl.
From his perspective and experience, although he had only observed her for a short time,
he had gathered a wealth of information.
He could feel it...
There was something different about the girl's sword.
The seemingly unchanging movements had subtle differences with each swing.
The power increased with every strike!
Every single time!
From the first time he accidentally discovered Itachi's secret,
to now, the girl had completed nearly ten thousand swings.
That was nearly ten thousand increases in power!
It was terrifying...
Was it due to natural talent?
The small white snake's eyes were filled with interest.
Extreme interest!
How exciting.
If the girl could continue to grow like this,
then perhaps... she would become another excellent option for a body to take over.
The snake's tongue flicked out.
Orochimaru thought of his disciple.
That disciple was chosen out of necessity, just to appease the old man.
Although chosen casually, the disciple's talent was still noteworthy.
But... that was all.
Compared to the girl before him, it was nothing.
Orochimaru even suspected that his foolish disciple wouldn't be able to withstand a single strike from this girl!
How fascinating...
Orochimaru was already thinking about how to convince the old man to take on another disciple.
Although the girl's Uchiha identity was a bit troublesome,
and it might affect his future plans...
But if he could uncover the girl's secret,
discover the source of her extraordinary abilities,
then why not?
However, there was one thing that puzzled him.
Why...
didn't this girl go to the academy?
Staying in the Uchiha compound all day made it quite difficult to make a move...
With this question in mind, the small white snake turned to leave.
But the moment it turned its head,
a sense of danger suddenly emerged!
The cold, snake-like perception made Orochimaru's heart skip a beat.
The small white snake quickly turned back.
Yet, with the same turn of its head, the sense of danger disappeared just as quickly.
What was going on?
Had a Uchiha ninja noticed him watching their clansman?
Orochimaru was puzzled.
The sense of danger had been so real, locking onto him with pinpoint accuracy.
This required sharp insight, powerful vision, or perhaps ocular power to achieve.
Naturally, Orochimaru assumed it was due to a Uchiha's surveillance.
He sneered inwardly.
A clan driven to the corner of Konoha, shouting about honor but too afraid to act,
could only manage this much.
They were far from their ancestors...
The small white snake's eyes filled with disdain.
However,
at that moment, a sudden realization made Orochimaru look back at the girl.
Every movement was still executed with precision.
Everything seemed normal.
But Orochimaru's heart was suddenly in turmoil!
It was gone!
The power that increased with every swing had disappeared!
It was so obvious, but after watching the girl's movements for so long,
he had naturally overlooked it today!
The interest in his eyes burned brighter.
Orochimaru knew what this meant...
Have you... noticed me?
The gaze lingered for another five minutes.
Reluctantly, Orochimaru finally withdrew his gaze and disappeared.
Meanwhile, Qingchuan, still practicing his sword swings, grew increasingly annoyed.
"Looks like I need to train harder,"
he muttered, putting more force into his swings with Senbonzakura.
Damn it.
On the day I shed this skirt, there's another bastard I'll have to cut down.