A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the time allotted for Hyūga Shinichi to review the Forbidden Scroll of Seals expired this evening.
Although the time given to Hyūga Shinichi was very short, his gains were undoubtedly immense. Relying on his excellent memory, most of the contents of the Forbidden Scroll were copied down by Shinichi and became the private collection of the Hyūga Clan.
"Starting tomorrow, I will officially begin teaching you Fūinjutsu."
"With your aptitude, you should pick it up quickly. I believe in half a month at most, you will be able to attempt the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Inside the Hokage's office, Namikaze Minato put away the carefully rolled-up Forbidden Scroll. Uzumaki Kushina, sitting next to Hyūga Shinichi, said confidently to him.
During this week, Hyūga Shinichi, guided by Kushina, had continuously learned some basic knowledge of Sealing Techniques, and also tried to activate some complete seals that had already been drawn. The entire process went very smoothly, which indirectly proved his talent in this area.
However, studying Sealing Techniques was not that simple. Merely activating a complete Sealing Jutsu was only the easiest step; the difficulty lay in drawing the sealing formula oneself. To master the Flying Thunder God Technique, one must have this foundation, as the principle of the jutsu involves the user marking objects beforehand and then performing a spatial jump to arrive at the pre-marked location.
The effect of the technique is not as invincible as one might imagine. An enemy who knows the principle of the Flying Thunder God can certainly preemptively set defenses at the locations marked with the seal. In a battle between experts, the Flying Thunder God may not necessarily provide the user with much benefit.
On the contrary, due to this characteristic, it could even be exploited by the enemy.
Namikaze Minato once encountered the Cloud Village's A-B brothers on the battlefield during the Third Great Ninja War.
When attacking Killer B, Minato was countered by him. As Minato's kunai pressed against Killer B's head, Killer B's sword pressed against Minato's chest. If they hadn't stopped, the victor would have been uncertain.
This was Minato, who was extremely proficient in the Flying Thunder God Technique. If one's mastery of the Flying Thunder God wasn't as precise, the speed of spatial jumping wouldn't be as fast as Minato's, and the exposed flaws would only be greater.
But even so, Hyūga Shinichi needed this technique very much. Even if it wasn't used in combat, it would be an excellent escape Ninjutsu.
The Flying Thunder God is far superior to the Reverse Summoning Technique; one relies entirely on one's subjective will, while the other requires mutual understanding and communication.
For the fleeting combat opportunities on a future battlefield, the Flying Thunder God would undoubtedly give Shinichi many more lives.
"Kushina Sensei , I look forward to your guidance."
Hyūga Shinichi rose from the sofa and bowed slightly to Kushina with a serious demeanor. Although he had become quite familiar with Kushina and Minato through their time together, Shinichi always maintained basic politeness.
"Shinichi, what are the Hyūga Clan's plans for you?"
"How much time do you have each day to dedicate to Fūinjutsu training?"
Kushina was quite serious about mentoring Shinichi and wasn't just going through the motions.
As the only remaining member of the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha Village, Kushina felt she had an obligation to pass on her clan's Sealing Techniques. She had always had a good impression of Shinichi and, seeing his talent, was determined to teach him wholeheartedly.
Speaking of mentoring students... since the incident with the two children in Minato's squad, Namikaze Minato had never taken on another Genin squad. Kushina actually missed those days a little. Although she was the children's "Sensei's Wife," Kushina had also invested some effort.
When Minato trained Kakashi and the others, she, as the "Sensei's Wife," often made lunch boxes for the children. Looking at Shinichi now, Kushina felt a wave of melancholy as she remembered Minato's two students who had sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.
"I have already informed the clan beforehand."
" Kushina Sensei, you are pregnant and need to ensure your sleep quality."
"I will be training Taijutsu, refining chakra, and self-studying some simple techniques at home during the morning."
"I will come to trouble you for Fūinjutsu training after 2:30 PM."
"As for when we finish, that will be up to you."
Hyūga Shinichi replied with a smile. To train under Kushina, Shinichi had to put in significant effort to persuade Hyūga Hiashi.
Even so, Hiashi was already quite displeased. Hiashi's initial preference was to invite Kushina to the Hyūga Clan compound to teach Shinichi.
Hiashi placed extreme importance on Shinichi's safety. Kushina was a Jinchūriki, and while nothing unexpected had ever happened, who could guarantee it wouldn't? If they were in the Hyūga compound, there would be many Hyūga elites present in case of any incident. However, if they were somewhere else, they might not be able to react in time.
But Shinichi was insistent. Hiashi, who doted on his son, could only compromise, but out of concern for his son's safety, he planned to dispatch some secret guards to protect Shinichi. Shinichi did not hide this matter and informed Minato and Kushina.
Hearing this, Kushina's initially excited expression briefly dimmed but quickly stabilized. Jinchūriki... This identity was a thorn in Kushina's side.
Although Minato had healed much of the pain, Kushina found it difficult to maintain her composure when it was brought up.
Minato's reaction, however, was different. He gently patted his wife's shoulder to comfort her, then smiled and said to Shinichi:
"In that case, I should thank Hiashi."
"If Hyūga Clan ninjas are watching over Kushina during the day, I will be more at ease."
Minato's words were sincere. Despite being the Fourth Hokage, his authority was limited, and the number of Anbu he could command was quite restricted.
The current Anbu captain was the Third Hokage's eldest son, and the Hokage's direct Anbu largely answered to Sarutobi Hiruzen. For a task as critical as guarding the Jinchūriki, Minato could only assign the young Kakashi.
Although the Hyūga Clan was adding guards out of concern for Shinichi's safety, these elites were also guarding Kushina.
After a brief discussion to finalize the subsequent training schedule, the sky began to darken. Shinichi excused himself and, following Hyūga Hiashi, who was already waiting downstairs, returned to the compound.
Minato stood by the office window, watching Hyūga Hiashi personally handle the pick-up and drop-off. He gained a new appreciation for Shinichi's status within the Hyūga Clan. The clan's focus on its heir exceeded his imagination.
"The Hyūga Clan....."
Minato muttered the clan's name, his expression thoughtful, wondering what the future held.
...
After returning to the compound with Hiashi, Shinichi enjoyed a brief but warm "family time" during dinner. However, soon after the meal, Hiashi summoned Shinichi to the dojo.
The visit to the dojo was not for the "evening training" that Shinichi expected, but for Hiashi to arrange Shinichi's guards and introduce three clan members.
"Shinichi, starting today, these three will be your escort ninjas."
"This is Hyūga Keisuke. He is thirty-two years old, proficient in the Gentle Fist, and a notable expert of the Branch Family."
Hyūga Hiashi pointed to a stocky man with a square face and introduced him to Shinichi. As he spoke, Hyūga Keisuke knelt on one knee toward Hyūga Shinichi. While bowing, Keisuke looked up at Shinichi with a scrutinizing gaze.
"This is Hyūga Mio. Twenty-seven years old, a Special Jōnin. When you are with Kushina, have Mio attend to you. Since they are both women, it should be less awkward."
This was a young woman, slender, with a dignified and beautiful appearance, but a severe, cold expression that exuded an air of aloofness. As Hiashi introduced her, Hyūga Mio bowed her head and knelt, her face showing neither joy nor sorrow.
"This is Hyūga Kazutaka. Twenty-two years old. While his strength is average, he is dependable and discreet."
When Hyūga Hiashi mentioned Kazutaka, the thin young man immediately knelt and bowed, his body trembling slightly. Seeing Kazutaka's demeanor, Shinichi initially thought he was afraid and was about to make a small joke to lighten the mood. Then he saw Kazutaka lift his head, his eyes fixed on Shinichi with a gaze full of reverence and fanaticism.
"...."
Seeing his expression, Shinichi swallowed the words he was about to say. He realized he had misunderstood.
"These three will be your close guards from now on. They will follow you when you are outside the clan compound."
"Shinichi, you must get along well with them."
Listening to Hiashi's words and looking at the kneeling clan members, each with a different expression, a gentle smile appeared on Shinichi's face. He helped them up one by one, and then his gaze settled on Hyūga Keisuke.
"Father said your strength is outstanding."
"You are a notable expert in the Branch Family?"
"Perfect... come spar with me a bit!"
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