Chapter 20: Sealing Scrolls

Chapter 20: Sealing Scrolls

Kazama had long been eager to create his own sealing scrolls, and after three months of intensive study, he finally had a successful prototype. Of course, sealing scrolls were available for purchase, but they were exorbitantly expensive. Unless one was wealthy, they were hardly viable as standard ninja tools. If Kazama succeeded in his research, even if he didn't sell them for profit, he would at least achieve complete sealing scroll independence. Perfect.

Kazama quickly inscribed the sealing formula onto a blank scroll he had purchased. His first attempt produced a small storage space, about the size of a fist. He managed to seal a handful of nuts inside, but after that, nothing else would fit. Still, for a first attempt, it was a success.

His second attempt expanded the space significantly—about a cubic meter in volume. This was already at a marketable level. Excited, Kazama placed two bows and a bundle of arrows inside. Then, in the next moment—boom! The scroll exploded, leaving behind a cubic void of erased space. The bows and arrows had vanished without a trace.

The sudden spatial collapse scared the hell out of Kazama.

After careful analysis, he realized that his attempt to expand the storage space had weakened the stabilizing runes, making the space too fragile to hold together. The result was a total spatial collapse. That was something on the level of Danzo's Four Symbols Sealing Technique—and Kazama had unintentionally replicated a portion of it.

Nope. Not messing with that again. This was far too dangerous. Losing two bows and a bundle of arrows was a small price to pay. If this explosion had injured someone, that would've been a serious problem. Moving forward, he had to be much more careful in both design and execution.

In the end, Kazama opted to design multiple smaller sealing arrays within a single scroll rather than attempting one massive storage space. Each section of the scroll was dedicated to specific items.

For example, the section labeled "Bow" contained his most frequently used bows, including the siege crossbow. This massive weapon, roughly the size of a double bed, was designed for long-range sniping. It featured an integrated pulley system, a sighting mechanism, and a crank for tensioning the bowstring.

Due to its sheer size, it had to be stored in a disassembled state. Fortunately, as Kazama's proficiency in sealing techniques grew, he was able to expand storage spaces just enough to accommodate it.

The difficulty of making sealing scrolls lay in two factors:

1. Storage Space: The size of the storage space depended on one's mastery of sealing techniques.

2. Durability: The number of times a scroll could be used was determined by the quality of materials used in its creation.

In Konoha, scroll production wasn't exactly a secret art, but it wasn't easy either. Unlike other sealing techniques, scroll crafting had a high failure rate—even for seasoned experts. Success required skill, experience, luck, and good materials in equal measure.

With his current level of skill, Kazama could make scrolls for personal use, but mass-producing them for sale would be a money-losing endeavor.

The siege crossbow had the longest range but was massive, slow to reload, and less accurate due to external factors affecting trajectory. It was ideal for barrage-style attacks against large formations rather than pinpoint sniping.

His sniper crossbow, on the other hand, was much smaller and could be operated solo. With an effective range of about a kilometer, it was equipped with a crank and a scope. Though its firing rate was slow, it was perfect for precision sniping.

As for his horn bow and short sword, those were always carried on his person for quick access. Drawing weapons from a sealing scroll took time, and in close-quarters combat, seconds could mean life or death. Keeping a bow and blade at hand ensured he could react instantly if needed.

Kazama prepared at least two backups for each weapon to prevent being caught unarmed in case of damage. His long-range fighting style relied heavily on weaponry, so redundancy was essential.

Currently, Kazama had three primary types of arrows:

1. Wolf Fang Arrows – Made from beast fangs, these were cheap and mainly used for hunting.

2. Iron-Tipped Arrows – Standard combat arrows.

3. Tri-Blade Armor-Piercing Arrows – Designed for penetrating defenses.

He had roughly 1,000 regular arrows and a hundred armor-piercing ones, ensuring he wouldn't run out anytime soon.

However, Kazama had new ideas for specialized arrows. Ninja battles weren't just about killing; sometimes, capturing an enemy was more valuable than eliminating them.

His Ikkai Raiten (One-Layer Lantern Formation) technique had demonstrated the potential for sealing enemies in place. If he could incorporate sealing techniques into his arrows, he could trap enemies remotely.

He had already named this idea—"Binding Arrows."

Other arrow concepts included:

Explosive Arrows – Tipped with exploding tags for AOE damage.

Poison Gas Arrows – Hollow shafts filled with poison or smoke for crowd control.

These specialized arrows would require further testing, but Kazama was determined to create a versatile and formidable ranged arsenal.

After all this preparation, Kazama's wallet was nearly empty.

Unfortunately, two certain furballs weren't happy about that—Yataro and Kutarou.

The two small animals protested vehemently, raising their paws in frustration. Last time, you didn't buy us gifts. This time, you're trying to skip out again? Unacceptable! We demand justice! They were even ready to drag the old man into this dispute.

The problem? Kazama was flat broke.

After much deliberation, he decided to make something for them instead.

For Yataro, Kazama crafted a small crossbow, about a foot long. Given Yataro's small size and limited strength, he added a pulley system to help with loading.

Kutarou loved it. He had witnessed Kazama shooting arrows clean through a giant bear, and seeing this miniature version of a deadly weapon immediately excited him. The moment Kazama handed it over, Yataro eagerly started testing it, firing at a nearby tree. The arrow struck the bark and quivered—a successful shot.

For Kutarou, Kazama designed a set of Wolverine-style metal claws.

Using old kunai, he heated and reshaped them into curved claw-like blades, then welded iron rings onto them so they could be worn over Kutarou's natural claws. To make them look even cooler, he linked five claws together to form a fully functional weapon.

Now, Kutarou truly lived up to his name. The razor-sharp claws compensated for his naturally short and soft ones. To further improve them, Kazama attached a several-meter-long fine chain, allowing him to throw and retrieve them like a grappling hook.

With their new weapons, the two small creatures were ecstatic.

Just as Yataro and Kutarou were busy playing with their new weapons, Kazama's long-awaited wolf pack finally brought good news—new members had joined.

Kazama rushed to check, expecting newborn wolf pups.

However, reality exceeded his expectations.

It wasn't that the wolves had given birth—a new wolf pack had merged with them.

During a territory patrol, One-Eye, their leader, had challenged another pack's alpha. Thanks to Kazama's steady supply of food, One-Eye had grown exceptionally strong and defeated the rival alpha.

Just like that, the wolf pack had expanded to over a dozen members.

One-Eye had Kazama personally inspect the new wolves, signaling that Kazama was still recognized as part of the pack.

As a dozen sharp-eyed wolves stared him down, Kazama felt a chill. But he couldn't back down.

If he showed fear, his status among the wolves would be lost—even One-Eye wouldn't be able to protect him.