"First and most importantly... Kushina, are you able to use two or more Elemental Chakra Affinities simultaneously?"
Haseo pulled over a chair and sat beside Kushina. He spoke in a warm and friendly tone, like a local official paying a visit to an old retiree in the countryside.
After taking care of pressing state matters, he finally had the chance to sit down with Kushina and address some personal concerns... How could she have learned such a "top secret" forbidden technique without any prior indication?
Haseo suspected there might be some kind of conspiracy involved... Possibly a plot targeting the next jinchuriki. Someone, or some organization, was likely trying to silently destroy her.
What cruelty.
Well, even Haseo himself, when recalling certain techniques of his own, didn't first think about their power or practicality, but rather the serious risks they posed to the user.
"Lord Haseo, I don't know... So far I've only mastered Lightning Release," Kushina replied somewhat shamefully, as if knowing only one chakra nature at this stage was somehow embarrassing.
Who knows how other elementary school students might react upon hearing that.
Yet what this implied was that although Kushina could use Haseo's techniques, her starting point and foundation were naturally different from his... She wasn't someone as uniquely "multi-chakra natured" as Haseo.
This answer didn't surprise Haseo much, though he did feel slightly disappointed.
"For someone your age, being able to use any Elemental Chakra Affinity at all is already extremely impressive. When I was your age, I hadn't even begun to grasp the basics of chakra, let alone perform techniques like this."
This was partly meant as praise, but also Haseo was clearly exaggerating—back then he'd been wandering around aimlessly, never even touching the basics of chakra, let alone any elemental releases.
"But then, how exactly did you learn Lightning Release? Compared to other chakra natures, Lightning Release inherently poses physical strain on the user. Normally children your age shouldn't even begin learning it so early."
Neither Haseo nor Mito Uzumaki had ever taught Kushina Lightning Release. What Haseo had mostly taught her were basics like chakra control and physical conditioning. Up until now, he hadn't even given her Senju's secret medicine yet, much less taught her Lightning Release directly.
As for other ninja in Kagenami under whom Kushina might have studied, it was even less plausible—they would never recklessly teach her anything. After all, her education was considered highly important and must be handled rigorously.
The Ninja Academy? Definitely not either. Clearly, Lightning Release exceeded what the Ninja Academy covered in its curriculum. Besides, how many teachers there even knew Lightning Release?
No matter how hard Haseo tried to make sense of it, he would never have guessed the problem originated from his very own cat.
"It's just... I read the cultivation scroll in Lord Haseo's office myself, and followed its instructions to train on my own."
Kushina stole a quick glance at Haseo before speaking.
It was obvious that Kushina was someone with strong loyalty.
But such a small gesture couldn't possibly escape Haseo's eyes.
Still, Haseo himself wasn't entirely sure whether such a Cultivation Technique Manual really existed on the bookshelf in his office... It was like when some people's studies are filled with books—they might not actually be meant for reading, but instead were placed there purely for decoration.
Haseo began to doubt whether his attitude toward handling these items had been too casual. Some things shouldn't just be left lying around carelessly.
"You taught yourself all this? Very impressive. No wonder Kushina is truly gifted as a ninja... But what about Senken Zesshou? That jutsu, aside from myself, should generally be impossible for ordinary people to use—how did you manage it?"
"I originally couldn't master your techniques, Lord Haseo, but previously Lady Mito taught me that Sealing Technique, so..." Kushina explained to Haseo the principle behind her usage of Senken Zesshou.
Her "modification" of the jutsu completely caught Haseo off guard: electrifying the Kongo Chains using Lightning Release and then using them to replace the second meridian?
Although Chakra Chains were tangible objects, they originally extended outward from within the Uzumaki's body, meaning theoretically they could also be pulled back inside.
Still, this constituted a major modification, and Kushina wasn't Orochimaru. Taking into account her young age, Haseo judged that completing such a transformation alone was definitely impossible... Thus, he increasingly sensed conspiracy hidden beneath this incident.
In an instant, Haseo's thoughts turned to the internal struggles within Konoha over the identity of the next Jinchuriki, sensing the dangerous undercurrents hiding beneath the outwardly peaceful surface.
Haseo fell silent briefly, and Kushina's heart grew even more uneasy.
On another hospital bed, Minato Namikaze—whether intentionally or unintentionally—he had overheard every word exchanged between Haseo and Kushina. However... he certainly wouldn't have understood any of it.
Kushina had used the Adamantine Sealing Chains to replace her meridians—at the end of the day, a replacement was still just a replacement. The chains weren't nearly as efficient at channeling chakra as natural meridians, resulting in substantial Chakra Resistance. Fundamentally, conducting chakra via techniques was inherently different from doing so through one's own meridians.
Possibly due to this efficiency problem, the power of Senken Zesshou had been significantly limited. Ultimately, whenever others attempted to use jutsu specially tailored by Haseo for himself, the effects would inevitably suffer significant reductions.
However, this was probably a good thing. If Kushina had truly unleashed full-power Senken Zesshou earlier, considering her current age and physical strength, the consequences would have been far worse than merely needing two weeks' rest in the hospital.
It could have been instantly fatal.
"Incredible—I never imagined anyone else could ever learn my jutsu, let alone someone so young... The other night, you even used it to defend yourself, nearly killing the Enemy Leader who had infiltrated the village. In effect, you protected the Uzumaki clan all by yourself while still so young."
Haseo seemed particularly pleased, as if he had found a worthy successor. He continued, "However, this technique isn't something you should be using right now—it's a forbidden technique. Do you understand?"
"I know. It means techniques that shouldn't be used."
"Precisely. Until given permission, you absolutely must never use it again—not just this one, but even normal Lightning Release techniques are off-limits until you graduate elementary school… This is very serious business. This is a direct command. Understand, Kushina?"
"Yes, Haseo-sama! I promise never to use forbidden techniques or Lightning Release ever again!"
Kushina sensed the gravity in Haseo's voice and nodded without hesitation. The praise mixed with the direct command even made her feel delighted—this made her feel grown-up, like a true ninja who was finally making a difference.
"Good. Then we'll leave it at that."
Smiling gently, Haseo rose from his seat and ruffled Kushina's hair before preparing to take his leave… seemingly treating the matter as truly resolved.
Haseo-sama completed his investigation.
While shyly lowering her head, Kushina secretly exhaled in relief. Her hand beneath the blanket lightly patted the Black Cat's back… She'd survived the crisis.
Senken Zesshou—by the way, where did it even come from?
"Ahh? From Big Sister Black Cat's..."
Just as Kushina was relaxing, Haseo suddenly asked another question. Before she knew it, the answer had slipped out. When she lifted her gaze, realizing she might have said something she shouldn't have, it was already too late.
Her expression instantly turned pitiful… Wasn't all of this supposed to be over?
Haseo wasn't always great with kids—but that didn't make them easy to trick. After all, children were naturally naïve.
With just a little trickery, the devious and shameless adult uncovered the source of everything.
Before the *Ninja God* of limited intelligence, the true "mastermind" turned out to be… a cat.
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