"Then I'll be on my way."
At the entrance to Ryūchi Cave, Sosuke sincerely said goodbye to the lovely Kamihime.
At his current level of strength, ordinary Summoning Beasts could offer him very little help.
Only someone of Kamihime's caliber could make a difference in battle. Before leaving, Sosuke shamelessly got her to sign a contract with him.
"..." Tagorihime quietly watched the boy before her. After a long silence, she still couldn't figure out why the White Snake Sage thought so highly of him.
Signing a contract was one thing, but the White Snake Sage had also told him about several legendary treasures. Even Tagorihime hadn't known where they were.
"Never mind." Kamihime decided to stop thinking about it for now. Setting aside her little pang of jealousy, she actually quite liked the boy.
At the very least, as her summoner, he was worthy of summoning her.
"You don't have enough chakra. You'd better activate that Cursed Seal form when you summon me," Kamihime reminded him coolly.
The stronger the target of a Summoning Technique, the more chakra it took to summon them.
After all, Sosuke only had the chakra reserves of a Chunin. Without the boost from his Cursed Seal, he really couldn't summon Kamihime in her entirety.
[Name: Uchiha Sosuke] [Age: Eight] [Physical Strength: Genin] [Mental Strength: Jonin] [Chakra Reserves: Chunin] [Special Abilities: Sharingan (Two Tomoe), Cursed Seal] [Ninja Tools: Short Sword] [Summoning Beast: Tagorihime] [Points: 184]
His chakra reserves probably wouldn't improve anytime soon, which made the Cursed Seal an essential medium for performing the Summoning Technique.
"Try not to summon me around mealtimes. I also like taking naps in the afternoon. Evenings are fine, though. That's when I like to get some exercise."
"..."
Sosuke was at a bit of a loss. Why did it feel like he'd gotten himself a girlfriend?
He couldn't summon her at mealtimes, and he couldn't disturb her afternoon naps. Seriously, did that mean he'd have to schedule his fights with enemies around her availability?
Still, considering that she'd become his teacher in the future, Sosuke magnanimously accepted her terms.
The White Snake Sage had been generous, telling him everything she knew about the Kusanagi Sword and the Yata Mirror.
She'd also promised that, once his body was strong enough to withstand it, he could return to Ryūchi Cave to learn Sage Mode.
Those few brief words had saved Sosuke who knew how many Points. Naturally, the boy felt deeply grateful.
After saying goodbye to the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, Sosuke and his companion set off for their next destination: the Temple of Fire.
His original plan had been to return to the Western War Zone as soon as possible, but it looked like he'd have to delay that a little longer.
One of the Kusanagi Swords was currently kept at the Temple of Fire. Sosuke had no reason to leave such a treasure gathering dust.
"I'm just borrowing it for a little while. It doesn't count as stealing," the boy reassured himself.
For a ninja, the importance of weapons went without saying.
Aside from durability, the most important factor was how well a weapon conducted chakra.
Even ordinary weapons could conduct chakra, but if you put in a hundred units, the effect you got might only amount to ten.
A weapon with excellent performance could maximize chakra conduction, and the Kusanagi Sword was one of the best.
What's more, it was practically indestructible, so there was no need to worry about an enemy breaking it in battle.
Watching the Girl with a Bun play with a little snake beside him, Sosuke asked one last time, "I'm going to steal a sword from the Temple of Fire. Are you sure you want to come with me?"
Mito had also signed a contract with Ryūchi Cave, and was currently trying one Summoning Technique after another.
At his question, the girl replied with some impatience, "You're the one stealing the sword. What does that have to do with me, Uzumaki Mito? Besides, didn't I tell you I wanted to find a way to solve human trafficking at its source?"
"Okay, then."
Since she'd put it that way, Sosuke didn't press her any further.
Still, as they traveled, he couldn't help asking her about Sealing Techniques.
"What's this? Are you interested in Sealing Techniques?" Mito watched him with an amused smile.
"Uh, yeah."
Sealing Techniques were useful and could help in battle in all sorts of situations. He also wanted to take this opportunity to study the Flying Thunder God Barrier.
If he ever faced an attack like a Tailed Beast Ball, he could use a barrier to redirect it somewhere else.
But Sosuke knew nothing about Sealing Techniques at the moment. He needed an excellent teacher.
Mito was right there, and he couldn't think of anyone better to ask.
After briefly explaining his idea, Sosuke figured it shouldn't be too difficult.
As for payment for teaching him Sealing Techniques, he could make up for it with the Shadow Clone Technique.
For the Uzumaki Clan, with their enormous chakra reserves, the Shadow Clone Technique was practically absurdly effective.
Maybe Mito could even recreate Naruto's classic human-wave tactic.
The girl thought it over, then nodded, though she seemed unsure. "In theory, it should work. We'll have to study the details carefully."
"Good. There's no rush."
He could tell the girl had no plans to return to the Land of Whirlpools anytime soon.
Once they'd stolen the Kusanagi Sword and returned to the Western Army Corps, they'd have plenty of time to discuss Sealing Techniques.
Sosuke was interested in other types of Sealing Techniques, too, not just the Flying Thunder God Barrier.
It was the sort of thing you might never need, but still had to know.
Who knew when he might run into a problem that could only be solved with a Sealing Technique?
For example, dealing with Black Zetsu, who was hiding in the shadows.
As a construct of Yin-Yang Release, Black Zetsu couldn't be dealt with by ordinary means. Sealing Techniques were one effective option.
"By the way." Sosuke suddenly remembered something and hurriedly warned the girl beside him, "Your clansmen think you're dead. They're currently launching a full-scale attack on the Land of Water."
"What? That's happening?!" Mito was stunned. She'd been so caught up in having fun that she hadn't even considered how her father might take the news.
Only after Sosuke reminded her did she belatedly realize what was going on. After thinking it over, she decided to write her father a personal letter.
She'd tell him she was still alive and would return to the Land of Whirlpools after dealing with the Fūma Clan.
Looking at the letter she'd written, Mito thought for a moment, then reached up and removed the pendant from her bun.
With the pendant and her handwriting, she believed her father would trust that the letter was genuine.
She didn't explain exactly what she planned to do. Mito knew how her father felt about the Uchiha, so she wisely chose to keep them out of it.
"Done."
After spending some money to entrust the letter to a professional courier station, Mito had taken care of the loose ends. She set off with her friend to visit the Temple of Fire.
"I heard the Temple of Fire is famous. Monks from all over the countries often go there to pay their respects."
"I think so."
"If we're going to steal a sword, won't they give us trouble?"
"Don't worry. I'll find a way to talk those monks around."
Before you continue