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After the first class that afternoon, Evan found Ryusei Ninomiya again and finally got his hands on the detailed explanation of the Nine Incantation Hand Seals.
After reading through it carefully, Evan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.Just as I thought—the Nine Incantation Seals are on a whole different level. Even the notes explaining them sound like riddles.
For example—
The "Presence" Seal grants stillness of body and mind.
The "Soldier" Seal embodies life force and renewal—it can even quicken the body's movements.
The "Battle" Seal gives one courage and fearlessness, awakening determination in the face of hardship and empowering one to overcome anything.
The "Being" Seal grants control over one's body—and even the bodies of others. It's the power to connect with the spiritual essence of all things.
When Evan read the description of the "Being" Seal, his mind immediately flashed to the hand sign Guy used when he unleashed the Daytime Tiger.
Yeah, that has to be it—total control over your entire body to deliver your strongest blow.
He looked up toward Might Guy, who was sitting a few rows ahead, listening intently to the lecture.The more Evan studied the Nine Seals, the more fascinating they became—so much deeper than the twelve basic seals everyone learned at the academy.
He couldn't help wondering: In the world of shinobi, were these seals created by Indra himself? Or are they remnants of some far older power—like Sage Energy, maybe?
He took a breath, pulling his drifting thoughts back to focus, and continued reading.
The "All" Seal allows one to understand and influence the hearts of others—to dispel confusion and unravel all mental traps.
That instantly made him think of genjutsu—illusion techniques.Among the twelve basic hand signs, the Tiger sign was often used to dispel illusions.
If the "heart" means the mind or spirit, then this seal could definitely be tied to genjutsu—both using it and breaking it.
Next was The "Formation" Seal: the ability to see through things, to perceive the truth within others.Another one dealing with the mind.
Then came The "Row" Seal: the power to move forward without hesitation, ignoring all obstacles.
Ignoring all obstacles… could that be tied to space-time techniques? Evan frowned, then kept reading.
The "Existence" Seal: the freedom to use any supernatural power.
He raised an eyebrow.This must be the seal Tobirama used for Water Release. But if that's right, it shouldn't just be for water—maybe it works with lightning, earth, fire, and wind too.
He thought back to the battle between Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi after Tobirama was reanimated. Tobirama's control over water had been extraordinary.Even when Hiruzen hid behind an earthen wall, Tobirama could make the water flow backward and strike from behind.
That wasn't something normal shinobi could do.Actually, not even most Water Release specialists could manage that.After all… you can't scoop up spilled water.
Finally, The "Advance" Seal: transcending all limits, merging with the flow of creation itself.
Evan stared at the note and muttered to himself, Would it kill whoever wrote this to just explain it clearly?
After roughly going through the nine seals and jotting down his own thoughts, Evan went back to reviewing the twelve basic hand signs.
Nearby, Shizune kept sneaking glances at him. When she saw him forming unfamiliar patterns with his fingers, confusion flickered across her face.
That afternoon, after classes ended, Shizune headed to Tsunade's home. Luckily, Tsunade wasn't drunk yet.
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune began, "do you know what the sequence 'Presence, Soldier, Battle, Being, All, Formation, Row, Existence, Advance' is used for?"
Tsunade looked up from her cup, slightly tipsy. "The Nine Seals? Since when did the academy start teaching those?"
"They haven't," Shizune said quickly. "They're not even mentioned in our textbooks."
Tsunade chuckled softly. "Ah, that. My granduncle slipped those in when he helped write the teaching materials. Don't pay it any mind—you won't need those seals anyway."
She herself had never used them, nor cared to study them.The twelve basic hand signs were more than enough.
Shizune nodded, though she hesitated a moment.
Tsunade noticed, took another sip, and belched lightly before continuing."The twelve basic signs—once you've mastered them, you can weave them however you like. That's how one-handed seals came about."
"As for the Nine Seals… Granduncle did say they carry unique power, but they're extremely hard to master. Even he only ever figured out a few."
"With the twelve basics, your chakra flows naturally with each sign. But the Nine Seals aren't like that at all."
She waved her hand dismissively, her tone growing impatient."Forget about them. Just focus on the twelve basics."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shizune said quickly, dropping the subject.
As the sun set, Evan trudged home, his body heavy with fatigue.Even with school taking up most of his time, he hadn't slacked off his Iaido sword draws or Rasengan practice.
After soaking in the bath for half an hour, the exhaustion melted away.Once he'd eaten dinner, he went straight to his room, sat at his desk, and unrolled an old, worn scroll.
It had belonged to his grandfather.
Just like Ryusei had said, the notes mentioned nature and form transformation—so the story checked out.But his grandfather had only left behind one jutsu.
Water Release: Water Surge Wave!
It would remain Evan's only offensive ninjutsu for the next ten years.
He knew it by heart:Tiger → Snake → Ox → Ram → Rooster → Rat.Six seals in total—not many.If his hands were fast enough, he could form them all in about a second.
Still, he frowned. Too many.
I'll start simplifying seals with this jutsu.And I'll experiment with the Nine Seals here, too.
The basic clone and transformation techniques were already simple enough.
Time flew by.Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
One afternoon, just after leaving the academy gates, Evan heard a familiar, passionate voice shout:
"Kakashi! Let's have another battle of youth!"
"If I lose, I'll add five hundred more laps—on my hands!"
Evan turned to see Might Guy blocking Kakashi Hatake's path.
Kakashi, as expressionless as ever, nodded. "Fine. What are the rules?"
Guy opened his mouth to answer—but another voice chimed in."Mind if I join too?"
Evan stepped forward with a grin.After two months together, everyone was familiar, even if they weren't exactly friends.
Seeing the class prodigy join in, Guy flashed his trademark grin."Of course not! What do you say, Kakashi?"
Kakashi glanced at Evan, then nodded. "No problem."
Evan smiled. "Then let's make it a race—from here to the village gate."
"Perfect!" Guy clapped his fists together, brimming with energy.Kakashi gave another small nod.
"I'll give the signal!" said Rin Nohara, stepping up with a cheerful smile.
Evan grinned. "Thanks, Rin."
Nearby, Obito Uchiha looked like he wanted to join too, but seeing the three already lined up, he hesitated and stayed quiet.
"Three… two… one…"
Rin shouted, "Go!"
And in an instant, three figures shot forward, kicking up clouds of dust.
"..."
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