The Study Door

When did Little Ye get so fast? I didn't even notice. I really can't understand him anymore, Kushina thought silently.

But Kushina had no time to think about it further. They soon arrived at the study. Kushina stood before its door, while Xuan Ye stayed close behind his mother, only two or three steps away.

Suddenly, Kushina reached out and gave the closed door a gentle push. The tightly shut door opened. From Xuan Ye's perspective, Kushina had not used much strength at all. She had merely pushed lightly, yet the door had opened.

Seeing this, Xuan Ye was left speechless. He could only gape in shock. It was not that he did not want to speak; he simply could not say anything. The instant Kushina opened the study door, he had been shocked beyond words.

If Xuan Ye had never come to the study before, he would not have been surprised in the slightest. But he had personally tried to open it and used all his strength, only for the damn door to remain firmly shut. No matter how much force he used, he could not open it. Yet now Kushina had pushed it open so easily.

How could Xuan Ye not be astonished? Why could his mother open this door so effortlessly? It did not even look like she had used much strength. Why was that? Xuan Ye could not come up with an answer at all.

Xuan Ye had long known that this study contained many Ninjutsu Scrolls and plenty of valuable items. There were even some Ninjutsu Scrolls sealed with ninjutsu—the kind that could release a ninjutsu just by being torn open.

Those were truly good things. A ninjutsu could be released simply by tearing one open. Even someone without the slightest bit of chakra could use one. That was what made such sealed ninjutsu scrolls so precious.

Moreover, his father, Minato Namikaze, had already become the Fourth Hokage of Konoha Village. It could be said that Minato Namikaze was the most powerful person in Konoha, and on the surface, everyone had to obey his orders.

Yet even in the study of someone with such great authority and status, there were only three scrolls sealed with ninjutsu. This showed just how incomparably precious such Ninjutsu Scrolls were.

If Xuan Ye could open this door, he would not need to go find his mother, Kushina. He could simply open it himself, enter the study, find the Ninjutsu Scrolls he needed, and begin practicing. Why go through the trouble of asking Kushina Uzumaki to open the tightly shut door for him?

Thus, Xuan Ye could only raise his head and look at his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, as he asked, "Mom, why can you open this door so easily? When I tried to open it, I used all my strength. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't open it. So why could you open it with just a light push?"

Kushina looked at Xuan Ye's slightly aggrieved little face and wanted to laugh, but she could not. She could only hold it in. She did not want Xuan Ye to think his mother was heartless. Besides, seeing her child unhappy, she should comfort him at a time like this. All the more reason not to laugh.

Besides, ninjas had an advantage in this regard. A ninja was someone who could endure what others could not. If they could not even do that, how could they become good ninjas?

Kushina reached out, rubbed my head, and said gently to me.

"Little Ye, all you saw was your mom giving the door a light push and opening it. But you don't know how much chakra I used. And I think you know that this study contains many precious things."

"That's why this door is special. You need to possess an amount of chakra equivalent to that of a jonin to open it. Anyone who has not reached a jonin's level of chakra cannot open this door."

"So anyone without a jonin's amount of chakra should stop thinking about opening it. This is also to protect the things inside. If a thief ever came one day, they wouldn't be able to steal the things in this study so easily!"

"Don't you think so? Besides, there are three scrolls here sealed with ninjutsu. They aren't the kind of scrolls that record how to cultivate! They're the kind where ninjutsu is sealed into a scroll through special methods. By now, almost no one who can make this kind of scroll is still around."

"That's why your father and I installed this kind of door. Do you understand now, Little Ye?"

Kushina Uzumaki said a whole lot, to the point that even Xuan Ye could barely listen anymore. Afraid that a thief would steal things from the study? That excuse was really terrible!

Who is my father? My father is Minato Namikaze! He's the Fourth Hokage of Konoha Village now, with enormous power. I bet there are plenty of Anbu ninja secretly protecting the area around our home right now.

What thief could possibly steal something from the Fourth Hokage's home? Never mind whether they could steal anything; I did not think even a stranger, or anyone an Anbu member found suspicious, could appear anywhere around this house.

Yet Mother Kushina had actually answered me like that. Wasn't she just brushing me off?

I think this door was put here just for fun. She probably just doesn't want me practicing ninjutsu whenever I want, because many ninjutsu are dangerous to learn. That's why they set up this door to stop me.

Thinking this, Xuan Ye raised his head and looked at Kushina Uzumaki with a face full of disdain. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, had probably seen through his thoughts. Perhaps it was because mother and son were connected at heart; Kushina could often guess what he was thinking.

Mother Kushina ignored my expression. She knew that the more she said, the more reasons I would have to argue back. So saying nothing was the best choice instead.

But then Kushina suddenly thought of something. She stared straight at me, at my face, until I felt a little embarrassed.

Xuan Ye sighed and looked at his mother. "Mom, just say whatever you want to say! Stop staring at me like that. I know there's something you want to ask me. Just say it. I'm your son. It's not like I'd lie to you."

Seeing her son be so straightforward, Kushina Uzumaki said, "Fine. Since you already know I have something to ask you, I won't hold back. I'll ask directly. You'd better not lie to me. If I find out you lied to me, hmph hmph, you know the consequences."

Xuan Ye could only laugh awkwardly at his mother Kushina's manner.

"Fine, Mom, ask away. I promise I won't lie to you. Is that good enough?" Xuan Ye said helplessly.

Kushina looked at Xuan Ye's helpless face and smiled. "Then I'll say it!"

"Go on, go on. Just ask whatever it is. Mom, you're usually pretty straightforward. Why are you being so wishy-washy now?" Xuan Ye said to Kushina.