The lingering glow of the sunset bathed Konoha’s streets in a warm orange-red as the four members of Team 7 walked back to the village.
The atmosphere was night and day compared to when they had set out.
Kazuya Haruno and Itsuki Fujiwara trailed half a step behind Ryuha, treading carefully.
Their eyes peeked at Ryuha’s back from time to time, quickly darting away whenever he moved.
Ryuichi Matsumoto walked slightly ahead at Ryuha’s side, unconsciously lowering his posture.
His back was no longer held ramrod straight as before, but tilted slightly forward, as if leading the way—or perhaps…
escorting him.
“Ryuha-sama,” Ryuichi Matsumoto finally couldn’t help but speak up again, his voice tinged with uncontrollable excitement and curiosity.
Knowledge knows no age; having finally witnessed a seal-less ninjutsu, he no longer cared about saving face.
Among a sea of nobles, Ryuichi Matsumoto had risen to Jonin as a commoner precisely because he seized every opportunity to ask questions and learn.
“What you said earlier…
about using the Mind’s Eye to complete both nature and shape transformation inside your body to bypass hand seals…
Is that truly possible?”
He asked very cautiously, even using the honorific “-sama.”
Ryuha pushed up his glasses, gazing calmly at the street ahead as lights began to flicker on.
“In theory, yes,” he said evenly.
“The essence of hand seals is using specific combinations of signs to guide and stabilize the flow and transformation of chakra.
My Kekkei Genkai governs the five senses, which naturally includes the ‘perception’ and ‘reshaping’ of my own chakra flow.”
He paused, as though organizing his thoughts into simpler terms:
“Simply put, ordinary ninja require the ‘mold’ of hand seals to shape chakra into the desired form and nature.
As for me, I can directly ‘imagine’ that mold through spiritual energy and complete the shaping within my body.
Bypassing hand seals saves time, but it consumes far more spiritual energy and demands much higher precision in control.”
This explanation was the “plausible” story Ryuha had carefully thought through.
It explained the possibility of seal-less casting while emphasizing the two core factors: “Kekkei Genkai” and “spiritual energy.”
It attributed every anomaly to this unknown Kekkei Genkai called the “Mind’s Eye.”
As for the truth?
Let them guess on their own.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Ryuichi Matsumoto’s eyes burst with intense brilliance.
“Directly ‘imagining’ the model for chakra transformation…
replacing seal guidance with spiritual energy…” he muttered to himself, his voice trembling.
“Just how deep must one’s understanding of nature and shape transformation be to accomplish that?”
He recalled his own experience learning Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu.
It had taken him three whole months just to weave the twelve hand seals fluently.
Then another half a year to stably compress and explode chakra at his throat to produce a proper Great Fireball.
And Ryuha?
No hand seals needed.
No fixed pathways for chakra flow required.
He simply used spiritual energy to execute extreme compression and shape transformation of Fire Style chakra inside his body.
And then…
instantly unleashed “Shakaho,” a technique whose power vastly surpassed the Great Fireball Jutsu.
What kind of talent was this?
No, this went far beyond talent.
This was a monster.
A being that completely overturned all shinobi common sense.
“No wonder…
no wonder you could create such a jutsu…” Ryuichi Matsumoto said, his voice reverent.
“To compress Fire Style chakra to such a degree that the heat instantly vaporized a human body…
it requires a mastery of nature transformation over ‘fire’ pushed to the absolute extreme.”
Suddenly, he remembered the characteristic of the Uchiha Clan.
The Uchiha had always been famous throughout the Ninja World for their Fire Style.
From the renowned Asura of the Ninja World—Madara Uchiha.
To today’s Fugaku Uchiha, the Uchiha’s Great Fireball had always been a nightmare on the battlefield.
And Ryuha Uchiha…
as a member of the Uchiha, possessed talent in Fire Style that illuminated both past and present.
It seemed…
to make sense after all?
Ryuichi Matsumoto began wildly connecting the dots in his head.
Yes, that had to be it!
Ryuha Uchiha was born with unparalleled affinity and control over Fire Style chakra.
His “Mind’s Eye” Kekkei Genkai granted him terrifying spiritual energy and sensory precision.
The combination allowed him to achieve what ordinary ninja wouldn’t dare dream of—abandoning hand seals and completing extreme chakra transformations directly inside his body.
That was why he could unleash such a high-power, seal-less “Shakaho.”
Everything stemmed from his monstrous spiritual energy and exquisite control over chakra.
The more Ryuichi Matsumoto rationalized it, the more reasonable it sounded—and the more…
terrified he felt.
To think he had previously wanted to “polish” a genius like this!
Making him carry cages, catch cats, and write self-criticisms?
Absolutely ridiculous!
So absurd it made him shudder in hindsight!
If Ryuha had harbored resentment back then, if he had held malice toward him…
Ryuichi Matsumoto shuddered, not daring to think any further.
He stopped in his tracks, turned around, and bowed deeply to Ryuha.
“Ryuha-sama, please forgive my prior ignorance and offense,” he said with utmost gravity.
“I was blind to your true greatness, measuring a genius like you by the standards of ordinary men.
From this day forth, Team 7 will revolve around you.
Every mission and every training session will prioritize your wishes.”
Ryuha Uchiha would most likely be his superior in the future; building a good relationship now was definitely the right move.
Seeing this, Kazuya Haruno and Itsuki Fujiwara hurriedly stopped as well.
Imitating Ryuichi Matsumoto, they bowed ninety degrees to Ryuha.
“Thank you, Ryuha-sama!” Kazuya Haruno’s voice trembled.
“If not for you, I would have died under the rogue ninja’s blade.”
“Me too!” Itsuki Fujiwara’s face flushed red.
“And I shouldn’t have gossiped behind your back before…
Please forgive me!”
Ryuha looked at the three bowing deeply before him and stayed silent for a moment.
Then, he let out a soft sigh.
“Sensei, Kazuya, Itsuki, there’s no need for this.” He helped Ryuichi Matsumoto up, his tone gentle.
“I am still Ryuha Uchiha of Team 7—your student and your teammate.
I’ve never held any of those past matters against you.”
He looked at Kazuya Haruno and Itsuki Fujiwara with a faint smile:
“We are companions.
As the Hokage says, where leaves dance, fire burns anew.
Isn’t that right?”
The words were spoken with sincerity and humility, paired with his refined, gentle face, making them feel like a refreshing spring breeze.
Yet the reverence in Ryuichi Matsumoto’s heart only deepened.
Unruffled by praise or blame, humble and courteous, with unfathomable strength…
how could a mindset like this belong to a ten-year-old boy?
This was clearly…
a monster wearing the skin of a youth.
No, a genius.
An Uchiha, a future pillar holding up Konoha!
A wave of fervor surged in Ryuichi Matsumoto’s heart.
To become the instructor of such a genius, even if only in name, would be the greatest honor of his ninja career!
“Ryuha-sama is right!” He straightened his posture, eyes burning with enthusiasm.
“But your talent must never be buried!
D-rank missions like finding cats and catching dogs are a complete waste of your time!
As soon as we return, I will report today’s situation to the Hokage and request higher-level missions for you!
With your strength, you should start at least from C-rank—no, B-rank missions!”
The more he spoke, the more excited he became: “And training resources!
In my capacity as your instructor, I’ll apply for special stipends and high-level ninjutsu scrolls from the village.
A genius like you must receive the finest cultivation!”
Ryuha Uchiha looked at Ryuichi Matsumoto, who looked as if he were ready to cut out his own heart to prove his loyalty, feeling amused inside.
The power of self-delusion was truly frightening.
He had merely tossed out a plausible explanation, and the man had filled in all the logical gaps himself, even going so far as to plan out his future.
Still, this worked out well.
It saved him a lot of trouble.