Chapter 50: Sealing Techniques

The morning sun was still slowly climbing the eastern slope.

Naruto instinctively opened his eyes. Gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling, he propped himself up and looked out at the faintly brightening sky. He picked up the sealing scroll from the bedside; Kusabimaru was temporarily stored inside. Walking the streets of Konoha carrying a sword, no matter how you looked at it, was a bit too conspicuous.

According to what his mother had said yesterday, the ANBU's surveillance on her wasn't long-term, but more like periodic spot checks by Konoha's higher-ups due to their unease regarding jinchuriki—much like his own situation back at the Academy. From the feedback of his Mind's Eye of Kagura, today happened to be the day the ANBU were scheduled to withdraw.

Arriving at his familiar spot, Naruto took out Kusabimaru and began his day-in, day-out monotonous training. The gently trickling stream here still had some subtle differences from the one he knew in the future; the water flow was greater, and also clearer.

"Kanshin-ryu: Homing Nest!"

On the river's surface, like a bird's nest, a dense flurry of sword marks flashed and then vanished. If Kanshin-ryu: Crescent Moon was his ultimate slash, then Homing Nest was the pinnacle of his technique.

Drip!

Under the illumination of the morning sun, the dewdrops on the leaves and branches appeared exceptionally brilliant. As the sunlight spread, the chill of the mortal world was abruptly cleansed, and the thick mist in the forest also slowly dissipated, revealing the majestic vitality hidden within.

"Hoo…" The breath Naruto exhaled, upon interacting with the outside air, even formed a visible arrow of mist.

Sheathing his sword, he walked over to the simple dam he had constructed earlier. Gazing at the small fish swimming back and forth within, Naruto was slightly taken aback—not because there were too few, but because there were too many. Perhaps it was due to the more expansive living space, he thought to himself. He casually caught a few, then cleared the dam. Take in moderation; draining the pond to get all the fish is a path to self-destruction.

In the living room, Uzumaki Kushina rested her chin on one hand, sighing repeatedly. Why did he have to leave? Teasing one's own child and teasing others' children were two completely different feelings. Although this child was a bit older, he was, indeed, her own son.

Dong, dong!

Uzumaki Kushina looked towards the door, puzzled. "Who is it?" At this hour, those she knew who were still in the village would basically not come looking for her.

"Have you had breakfast yet, Ma'am?" Naruto asked with a smile, holding up the few small fish in his hand.

"Little Naruto?" Uzumaki Kushina looked at him, stunned.

"What's wrong?" Naruto couldn't help but touch his own face. He remembered washing it. Could it be that I missed some eye gunk? He involuntarily touched the corner of his eye. There was nothing there.

"I thought…" Halfway through her sentence, Uzumaki Kushina abruptly stopped herself. If she said that, wouldn't it sound like she was trying to rush him to leave? "Where were you so early in the morning? And speaking of which, where did you get these fish?"

"I went training," Naruto said, holding up the small fish. "Caught them at my training spot. Do you have any dietary restrictions, Ma'am?" Naruto asked as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Dietary restrictions? No." Uzumaki Kushina leaned against the kitchen door, her index finger pressed against her chin. She thought for a moment, then shook her head slightly.

"Alright then. Please sit and wait for a bit; I'll make some congee." Naruto nodded slightly, placed the small fish in the sink, put the rice on to cook first, then returned to deal with the fish. Scaling and gutting, deboning, then using a spoon to scrape out the fish meat. The few fish looked like a lot, but after processing, it was just a little more than a small bowlful—just enough. He minced the fish meat, added an appropriate amount of salt, ginger paste, soy sauce, and cooking wine, then stirred it until it became sticky. The remaining fish skin was pan-fried in a hot oiled wok until golden brown on both sides, then set aside.

Watching his skilled maneuvers, Uzumaki Kushina secretly clicked her tongue in amazement. What had she been doing at his age? It seemed she had just graduated from the Ninja Academy and was in her lawless, unruly phase.

"Little Naruto, are you practicing any ninjutsu lately?" Just watching didn't feel right, so Uzumaki Kushina searched around for a topic of conversation.

"Ninjutsu?" Naruto was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "I don't know any ninjutsu. I only practice swordsmanship."

"Don't know ninjutsu?" First one was stunned, then the other. Uzumaki Kushina quickly realized: Little Naruto, with his rogue ninja status, indeed had no one to teach him ninjutsu. "Then do you want to learn ninjutsu?" she asked instead.

"I've thought about it, but…"

"What's your chakra nature?" Uzumaki Kushina interrupted before he could finish his sentence.

"Wind."

Uzumaki Kushina nodded slightly, then there was no further comment.

"By the way, Mother, do you know sealing techniques?" Naruto glanced at her and asked cautiously.

"Of course, I do!" Uzumaki Kushina nodded like a pestle pounding garlic; this was her specialty. "I even taught Minato his sealing techniques."

"That strong?" Naruto said in astonishment. The sealing jutsu on the Dragon Vein was Minato's work—a seal that had endured for over a decade and had still been capable of trapping Mukade.

"Naturally." Uzumaki Kushina harrumphed with a smile. "Little Naruto, want to learn?"

"I do." Naruto nodded his head like a pile driver. If wanting to learn but having no path to do so was a painful thing, then encountering a master teacher willing to guide you was a matter of utmost happiness.

"After we finish eating, I'll teach you."

Half an hour later.

Naruto's fish congee was also served on the dining table. Though just simple home cooking, under the exquisite plating, it looked quite appetizing and made one's fingers twitch.

"Mm, delicious," Uzumaki Kushina couldn't help but praise after taking a bite.

"Is it?" Naruto tasted it himself. The flavor was average; it was mostly the natural taste of the ingredients themselves. He wasn't the type to pursue culinary perfection; most of the time, his cooking was just about being presentable and tasting decent.

Mealtime is always a pleasant affair, but conversely, happy times are always fleeting.

After washing the dishes and putting them away neatly, Naruto followed his mother to a study. Looking at the bookshelves completely filled with books, he couldn't help but click his tongue. His eyesight wasn't poor; he could clearly see the titles on the book spines. "Detailed Analysis of the Five Chakra Natures," "Elementary Explanation of the Four Symbols Seal," "Conjectures on Yin-Yang Chakra…" These were all advanced knowledge that had previously been within sight but beyond his reach. Compared to this knowledge, the textbooks from the Ninja Academy could only be described as the most basic of basics.

"If any books interest you, feel free to browse through them yourself. These are what Minato and I have accumulated over the years," Uzumaki Kushina said with a smile. She led him to a desk, had him sit down, then went to a bookshelf herself and began frantically sifting through books.

A few minutes later.

Thump!

Gazing at the pile of books his mother had slammed down in front of him, Naruto's eyelids twitched. "All of these?"

Uzumaki Kushina shook her head slightly. "How could it be?" "These are just a small portion of them."

The perfectly timed turn of phrase almost made Naruto catch his breath. Seeing his expression, Uzumaki Kushina nodded with satisfaction; this was precisely the effect she wanted.

"Sealing techniques are different from other ninjutsu. They are a special kind of ninjutsu built upon a profound foundation of knowledge."

"The five elements, Yin-Yang Release—although their principles are also extremely complex, after a large amount of practice and once they become ingrained as bodily instincts, you can use them proficiently even if you don't understand those principles."

"But sealing techniques are different. If you don't know them, don't understand them, then you truly cannot use them at all."