“A very constructive idea.”
Tobirama Senju handed over a list.
“This is the catalogue of the Scroll of Seals.
You may choose one technique from it.”
Tobirama was a straightforward man.
When he promised something, he actually delivered.
Shikaomi Nara was even more eager than Shikatoki and immediately leaned over.
“Uncle, what do you think I should choose?”
Shikatoki looked at him.
“Ahem.
Choose whatever you think will be useful.”
Shikaomi stared intently at the catalogue.
“I’m just curious how many techniques are recorded in the Scroll of Seals.
Let me satisfy my curiosity.”
Warmth stirred in Shikatoki’s heart.
His uncle had always treated him extremely well.
Suppressing his emotions, Shikatoki turned his attention back to the Scroll of Seals.
It didn’t contain only forbidden techniques.
There were also countless ordinary ninjutsu recorded within it.
When Shikatoki spotted Wood Release, he suddenly wanted to see what would happen if he loaded a Wood Release template.
But he quickly abandoned the idea.
It simply wasn’t compatible with Yin Release.
After looking through the catalogue for a while, Shikatoki suddenly noticed something special.
Fūinjutsu.
Sealing techniques were an extremely interesting part of the Naruto world.
Even beings as powerful as the Tailed Beasts could be sealed inside a human body.
Even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had ultimately been sealed within the moon.
And among the most famous sealing techniques, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was practically synonymous with taking the enemy down with you.
No matter how he looked at it, Shikatoki needed to learn this kind of technique.
And if he remembered correctly…
Mito Uzumaki should still be alive at this point in the timeline.
Thinking of that, Shikatoki smiled bashfully.
“Lord Tobirama, I don’t want to choose a forbidden technique from the Scroll of Seals anymore.”
He hesitated for a moment.
“Um…
could you let me learn fūinjutsu from Lady Mito instead?”
Fortune favoured the bold.
If Tobirama refused, Shikatoki could simply come back and choose something from the Scroll of Seals.
Tobirama froze for a moment.
A rare trace of amusement appeared on his usually expressionless face.
“You really are precocious for your age.”
“I can’t promise anything, but I can ask her.”
“If my sister-in-law agrees, I’ll arrange for you to study under her.
If she refuses—”
“If Lady Mito doesn’t want to teach me, I won’t insist,” Shikatoki hurriedly said.
“Very well.
You may go home for now.”
Shikatoki and Shikaomi left the Hokage Building.
“You little brat.”
Shikaomi glared at him.
“You’ve really got some nerve.
You actually asked to learn fūinjutsu from Lady Mito.
Those are secret techniques of the Uzumaki Clan.”
Shikatoki chuckled.
“There’s no harm in asking.
If it doesn’t work, then forget it.
I don’t lose anything.”
“You really are too clever for your own good.
Come on, let’s go home.”
While things remained peaceful on this side of the village, the Uchiha Clan was nowhere near as harmonious.
At the Naka Shrine, a group of red-eyed Uchiha had gathered.
Seated at the head was the current Uchiha Clan Head—
Masatake Uchiha.
Beside him sat the Uchiha First Elder, Setsuna Uchiha.
He was a textbook hardliner and one of Madara Uchiha’s most devoted supporters.
According to unofficial history, when Madara Uchiha left the village years ago, Setsuna had gathered a group of clansmen who intended to follow him.
They waited for Madara at Konoha’s rear gate.
Unfortunately…
Madara simply walked out through the front gate instead.
“Clan Head, that brat from the Nara Clan is far too dangerous!”
Setsuna was the first to speak, immediately setting the tone of the meeting.
“The Sharingan has always been one of the foundations upon which the Uchiha Clan stands.”
Masatake glanced at him.
“Then what does the First Elder suggest?”
“I just received word that Shikatoki Nara was summoned to the Hokage Building by Tobirama Senju.”
“What do you think the reason was?”
Bang!
Setsuna slammed his palm against the table.
“That damned Senju!”
“Ever since becoming Hokage, he has repeatedly targeted the Uchiha Clan.
Even many of the forbidden techniques he develops are specifically designed to counter us!”
“If Lord Madara were still here, how could we possibly be forced to endure this humiliation?!”
The moment Madara Uchiha was mentioned, his loyal supporters below immediately erupted in agreement.
“Exactly!
We should have left with Lord Madara back then!”
“There’s no reason to remain in this Konoha!”
“Why don’t we rebel?!”
Seeing the situation beginning to spiral out of control, Masatake immediately intervened.
“Everyone!”
“I understand how you feel, but things have not reached that point.”
“Over the years, Tobirama Senju has not completely refused to grant authority to the Uchiha.”
“Whether it was accepting Kagami Uchiha as his disciple or placing the entire Konoha Military Police Force under Uchiha control, both were gestures of goodwill.”
Seeing the situation stabilise, Setsuna’s expression darkened.
“We are discussing the Nara brat right now.”
“As for that matter, I will personally speak with the Second Hokage.”
Masatake stood.
“That will be all for today.
Meeting adjourned.”
Without looking back, he left.
Many of those gathered in the Naka Shrine soon followed him out.
Before long, only the hardliners led by Setsuna Uchiha remained.
“Hmph!”
Setsuna sneered.
“Masatake places all his hopes in others.
He’s indecisive and weak.”
“With the Uchiha Clan in his hands, sooner or later he’ll lead us straight into disaster.”
“First Elder, are we really going to let this go?”
Kakaku Uchiha asked.
“Of course not.”
Setsuna’s eyes hardened.
“If Masatake Uchiha refuses to act as Clan Head, then I will personally inherit Lord Madara’s will!”
“Those willing to follow me may remain.”
“Anyone unwilling may leave.”
Everyone who remained was already a hardliner.
Not a single person moved.
Seeing this, Setsuna nodded in satisfaction.
“Good!”
“In that case, my plan is simple.”
“Recently, Tobirama Senju’s ANBU have frequently been dispatched outside the village.
Their manpower is severely depleted.”
“This is the perfect opportunity for us to strike.”
“We move in three days!”
“To reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to the Uchiha!”
“For the glory of the Uchiha Clan!”
The hardliners below grew even more fanatical.
“Return home and prepare.”
“Remember—do not allow any information to leak.”
One by one, they departed.
Setsuna then quietly called out,
“Kakaku.”
“Yes, First Elder.”
“Three days from now, use the chaos to kill that Nara brat.”
Setsuna’s voice was cold.
“People die all the time during a rebellion.”
“Yes!”
And so, a silent coup began to take shape.
After spending the entire day working, Tobirama Senju returned home.
The first place he went was Mito Uzumaki’s room.
“Sister-in-law, are you asleep?”
Before Tobirama could even knock, the door opened.
A blonde woman stepped outside.
“Granduncle, you’re back early today.”
“You normally come home much later, don’t you?”
“It’s you, Tsuna.”
Tobirama looked at her.
“I need to speak with your grandmother.”
“What do you need Grandma for?”
Tsunade immediately became curious.
Mito Uzumaki slowly walked out of the room.
“Don’t stand around blocking the doorway.
Come inside and talk.”
The three sat down inside.
Tsunade looked curiously between the two of them while Tobirama sat properly in his seat.
“Well?”
Mito asked.
“What did you want to discuss with me?”
“Sister-in-law, it’s like this…”
Tobirama briefly explained the situation involving Shikatoki Nara.
He also mentioned that the boy wanted to study fūinjutsu.
Mito smiled.
“For you to personally come and ask me, it seems you think rather highly of this child.”
Tobirama didn’t deny it.
“I do.”
“The technique he developed is quite interesting, and the way it counters the Uchiha Sharingan gave me considerable inspiration.”
Mito smiled helplessly.
“You really still dislike the Uchiha that much.”
“Your brother wanted you to live peacefully alongside them.”
“That is why I gave them authority.”
“I placed the Military Police Force in their hands.”
Mito stared at him.
“Do you think I’m as foolish as Hashirama?”
“Forget it.
I have no interest in interfering.”
Seeing Tobirama’s resistance whenever the Uchiha were mentioned, Mito changed the subject.
“If the child wants to learn, bring him here.”
“But I make no guarantees about how much he’ll actually be capable of learning.”
“That is only reasonable.”
Tobirama nodded.
“If he lacks talent for fūinjutsu, there is no reason to force it.”
“Good.
You can go back to your work.”
“Starting tomorrow, have the child come directly to the Senju Clan compound every afternoon.”
“Understood.”
Tobirama left.
Only Tsunade and Mito remained.
Tsunade rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
“That genius Granduncle mentioned…
I want to see him tomorrow too.”
“Don’t you have a mission tomorrow?”
“It’s just a minor mission.”
Tsunade waved dismissively.
“Orochimaru and Jiraiya can handle it without me.”
“Do as you please.”
Early the next morning, Shikatoki was training with Minato when an ANBU suddenly appeared.
The abrupt arrival nearly made both boys attack on instinct.
“Shikatoki Nara.”
“Lord Hokage has instructed that from now on, you are to report to the Senju Clan compound every afternoon and seek out Lady Mito.”
With that, the ANBU vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
“It worked!”
Shikatoki’s face lit up.
He had expected to wait several days.
Instead, everything had been arranged in a single day.
Tobirama Senju really was efficient!
Minato sincerely congratulated him.
“Congratulations.”
“Hehe.
Don’t worry, brother.
I won’t forget you.”
Shikatoki threw an arm around Minato’s shoulders.
“Once I learn it, I’ll teach you something too.”
Warmth filled Minato’s heart.
“I appreciate the thought, but Lady Mito teaches the Uzumaki Clan’s secret techniques.”
“I haven’t even become her disciple.
How could I learn them?”
Shikatoki looked at Minato’s righteous expression.
In the future, this guy would marry Kushina Uzumaki and even learn the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
What a closet rogue.
At noon, Shikatoki arrived at the Senju Clan compound carrying gifts prepared by Shikaomi.
The moment he entered, he saw Tsunade.
“Greetings, Lady Tsunade.”
“Yo~ You even brought gifts?”
Tsunade immediately walked over.
“Let me see what this genius the Nara Clan keeps bragging about looks like.”
She pinched Shikatoki’s cheeks and turned his face from side to side.
Shikatoki put down the gifts and retreated several steps.
“Lady Tsunade, stop messing around.
I’m here to study.”
“Tch.
No fun at all.”
Just then, Mito Uzumaki walked out.
“Tsuna, be polite to our guest.”
After lightly reprimanding Tsunade, Mito turned towards Shikatoki.
“Come inside, child.
Have a seat.”
“Thank you, Lady Mito.”
Mito Uzumaki.
Wife of Hashirama Senju.
Princess of the Uzumaki Clan from the Land of Whirlpools.
Konoha’s first Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
And one of the greatest masters of the Uzumaki Clan’s fūinjutsu.
Any one of those titles would have made someone famous.
Yet all of them belonged to a single woman.
Kurama acted like an arrogant old master while sealed inside Naruto.
But while sealed within Mito…
He had always been extremely quiet.
Of course he had.
Mito Uzumaki genuinely knew how to use fūinjutsu.
Once all three were seated, Mito spoke first.
“Tobirama told me about you.”
“However, fūinjutsu depends heavily on talent.”
“Some people understand it almost immediately after a little instruction.”
“Others struggle their entire lives without truly grasping it.”
“If you fail to learn it, I hope you won’t become discouraged.”
Her tone was gentle.
Shikatoki wasn’t truly a six-year-old child.
Adding the years from his previous life, he was already thirty-two.
And before transmigrating…
He wasn’t joking when he said he had grown accustomed to failure.
Precisely because of that, his mindset was extremely stable.
“Lady Mito, I understand.”
“Even if I can’t master fūinjutsu, learning its fundamentals will still benefit me in the future.”
Mito was very satisfied with his answer.
“Good.”
“Then we’ll begin today.”
“First, you need to understand how a sealing technique is constructed…”