Konoha Genin

Yamato should be six years old by now.

Mo Jingjing remembered that Yamato was about four years younger than Kakashi.

Kakashi had been a Chunin for several years now, so the Hashirama Cells experiments in Konoha should have been shut down.

But as the one who had initiated the experiments, Danzo must have kept some in reserve.

Still, that wasn't his first choice. Given Danzo's personality, there was no way he would hand over the Hashirama Cells unless... Mo Jingxian wiped out Root.

But he wasn't strong enough for that yet. He could only think about it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi should have some, too. That much could be inferred from Tsunade's attitude toward him.

That old man must have let Tsunade discover something. Otherwise, his two students wouldn't have stormed off in a huff.

Looking at the timeline, Tsunade's departure coincided exactly with the Hashirama Cells experiments.

It was hard not to draw conclusions.

After considering it carefully for a while, Mo Jingxian quietly crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi off his list.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer the Shinobi Hero he had once been. He had transformed into a consummate politician.

If Xian wanted to get the Hashirama Cells, he would have to offer several times their value in exchange.

Not even Minato's influence would be enough. Profit was profit.

If he chose to deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he'd probably be kept waiting until he died.

After going through the options, it seemed Orochimaru was the only one left.

On closer consideration, Orochimaru might actually be a suitable trading partner.

As long as their strength was on par, that venomous snake would show the admirable quality of exchanging things at equal value.

At the end of the day, he was simply a fanatic in pursuit of immortality.

There were plenty of things that could tempt him: bloodline limits, life sciences, powerful ninjutsu, and more. Any of them could serve as bargaining chips.

A viable path lay before him, and Mo Jingxian settled on what to do next.

Head to the front lines.

He would try to establish a connection with Orochimaru and prepare for the eventual deal.

With his thoughts sorted out, he could start making preparations. He planned to apply for early graduation after leaving the hospital.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.

Mo Jingxian immediately seized on it.

Surprise, regret, and helplessness crossed his youthful face.

"I'm such an idiot! How could I have missed such a huge loophole?"

He spat out the words through gritted teeth.

That was right—he had finally discovered a loophole in the Balance of Fate.

As long as he didn't make a choice himself, the trade couldn't be finalized.

In other words, he could weigh everything he owned, learn the details of the items being exchanged ahead of time, and then decide.

If he had noticed this sooner, he wouldn't have been so passive.

Mo Jingxian wanted to slap himself a few times.

But it was too late now. His reputation points had bottomed out, and he couldn't activate the Balance of Fate.

At this point, all he could do was give a bitter smile.

Minato acted quickly. It took him only three days to return.

"Here. This is the compensation from the Uchiha."

Mo Jingxian accepted it, a little surprised.

Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change and Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique—the Uchiha Clan's two prized genjutsu.

What surprised him was that he hadn't expected Fugaku Uchiha to be so generous.

Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change could reflect ninjutsu. It had been part of one of the famous scenes in the future, when Uchiha Itachi used the technique to reflect Kurenai's genjutsu.

There was no need to say much about Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique. Orochimaru, having experienced it firsthand, could speak to its power better than anyone.

As one of the Uchiha's signature techniques, its strength was beyond question.

However you looked at it, Fugaku had paid a steep price this time.

But considering the Uchiha Clan's current situation, it made sense that Fugaku had done this.

After all, the person who had come calling was Minato Namikaze.

The heads of the various ninja clans had probably all gotten the news. Minato was a strong contender for Fourth Hokage, with a very good chance of winning.

Fugaku Uchiha's generosity might well have been an attempt to curry favor and back Minato early.

The thought flashed through his mind.

"Big Brother Minato, I'm planning to graduate early and get some experience on the battlefield."

His idea fit the way a ninja thought. It was perfectly normal in Konoha.

"Mm. With your abilities, there's no need for you to waste time at the Ninja Academy. But the battlefield is merciless, so be careful."

"Don't worry, Big Brother Minato. I will."

Minato Namikaze was in and out in a hurry. It was clear that this elite High Ninja was very busy.

In the days that followed, Mo Jingxian rested quietly and kept refining his plans in his mind.

His body in this life really did seem a little like that of a plant. Despite such severe injuries, he was back on his feet and full of energy after only a week.

After being discharged,

Mo Jingxian submitted his graduation application at the first opportunity.

The process went smoothly. That afternoon, he received his own Forehead Protector.

He tied it around his arm. He had no habit of wearing a piece of iron on his forehead.

Before he could even leave the Hokage Building, he was unexpectedly summoned by Lord Hokage.

Without any warning, he found himself face-to-face with the highest-ranking administrator of Konoha's powerhouse.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked taller in person than he did on-screen, and his presence was imposing. He wasn't as mild-mannered as some people described him.

His first words to Mo Jingxian went straight to the heart of the matter.

"You couldn't decide your own background. Minato was the one who shielded you from attacks coming from every direction."

The meaning was obvious. Besides giving him a warning, Hiruzen was also setting an example for him to follow.

Mo Jingxian didn't make any grand claims, and he certainly didn't bring up the theory of equality he'd known in his previous life.

He understood that, as a successful politician, Hiruzen wouldn't be fooled by his little tricks.

Behind every mature political system was a framework that had emerged from a mountain of corpses and seas of blood, one that best served the interests of the time.

He didn't believe his scattered political ideas would make the Hokage see him in a new light.

Trying that was more likely to backfire.

Mo Jingxian acted like the boy he was.

In short, Big Brother Minato was his role model, and he would follow in his footsteps from now on.

After some harmless Fire Nation education, the conversation moved on to normal matters.

Before he left, he received a Storage Scroll as a reward from the Hokage.

After he walked out and had gone some distance, the weight in his chest finally eased.

He had passed another hurdle.

Only then did Mo Jingxian finally feel certain that the fallout from the attempt on Minato's life had truly passed.

He bought some fruit and a strawberry cake.

Before the sun set, Mo Jingxian knocked on Minato's door.

"Oh, it's Xian. Minato's already left for the battlefield. You're too late."

Kushina opened the door. She didn't seem to be in a very good mood.

"Big Brother Minato told me. I came especially to visit you, Sister-in-law."

"What did you call me? I didn't hear you."

Mo Jingxian held back a laugh and solemnly called out again, "Sister-in-law!"

"Come in. Just put the stuff on the table."

Kushina stepped aside, and as she turned around, the corners of her mouth began to lift.

Xian followed her inside. When he saw the milk cartons and bread wrappers strewn all over the table, he couldn't stop the corner of his eye from twitching.

He finally understood why Naruto would keep eating expired milk and bread in the future.

Apparently, he'd inherited the habit from his mother.

"You'd better have a good reason for being here. And... wipe that annoying look off your face."

Seeing Kushina clench her fist, Mo Jingxian thought, Oh no!

He'd let his guard down for a moment and forgotten that she'd once been the Violent Queen.

"Um... don't get the wrong idea. I came especially to thank you, Sister-in-law."

"Call me Big Sis."

"Big Sis Boss!"

Kushina proudly lifted her chin. "I haven't agreed to marry Minato yet. We'll see how he does."

What was with that haughty little expression? Honestly, women!

Kushina's grand image had shattered. Love made people blind, even Jinchūriki.

Of course, he couldn't let those thoughts show. He didn't want to find out what the Monster Strength Fist felt like. He'd leave that to Minato.

Instead, Mo Jingxian fawningly presented her with the cake and fruit.

"Big Sis Kushina, here's your Five Elements Seal scroll."

In the time it took to say that, Kushina's dejected mood had completely vanished. She unwrapped the cake and took a delicious bite.

"Couldn't learn it? That's normal. I've never seen a Genin master Sealing Jutsu before."

"I learned it."

"Mm, good that you learned it... What? You're saying you learned it?"

Kushina's eyes widened, as if she thought he was lying.

Mo Jingxian had no choice but to explain the Principles of Sealing Jutsu to her one by one.

In the end, Kushina stopped eating her cake, dragged him over to test his Chakra, and finally let him go with a helpless sigh.

"You don't have the Uzumaki Bloodline. That makes no sense. How did you learn it?"

"Maybe I'm a genius."

Of course, Mo Jingxian wouldn't tell her that the future version of her had taught him.

After receiving a few eye rolls, Xian used the opportunity to explain the purpose of his visit.

"I came here hoping to borrow your notes on Sealing Jutsu so I could compare them with my own ideas. Would that be all right?"

"The notes can wait. I'll test you first. Tell me what you understand about Sealing Jutsu."

Kushina still didn't believe he could master Sealing Jutsu, even though the facts were right in front of her.

Xian cleared his throat.

"This is how I understand it... Sealing Jutsu is the most basic language in this world, a system of symbols used to describe how rules operate. Unlike ninjutsu, it's more primitive, and it interacts with the world more effectively..."

Watching the boy speak so confidently, Kushina felt deeply conflicted.

If only he had been from the Uzumaki Clan.

Gradually, the boy sitting on the sofa began to blur before her eyes. She seemed to return to her childhood, to the shrine of the Uzumaki Clan.

Back then, the elders had made all the children her age sit on cushions in the shrine to study Sealing Jutsu.

Xian's figure slowly merged with those children, leaving Kushina momentarily dazed.

[Reputation points from Kushina +10]

After explaining his ideas, Mo Jingxian noticed that Kushina was staring blankly into space.

The reputation points had come out of nowhere, so he could only prompt her.

"Big Sis Kushina, did I say anything wrong?"

"Ah!—Oh, it's fine."

Her eyes refocused, and Kushina came back to herself.

"Wait here."

With that, she hurried upstairs.

Not long afterward,

she came running back with a bundle in her arms.

She shoved it into Mo Jingxian's arms and immediately started ushering him out.

"Go on. I'm tired. You'd better not come bother me for the next few days, kid."

Without giving him a chance to speak, she pushed him outside.

The door slammed shut with a bang.

Mo Jingxian shook his head with a wry smile. This woman was such a whirlwind. Minato was the only one who could handle her.

Back home, he opened the bundle, and warmth surged through his heart.

There were only three things inside: a special kunai inscribed with the Flying Thunder God Formula, a book of notes on training in Sealing Jutsu, and a ninja flak jacket.