Uzumaki Mito's Teachings

Orochimaru and Jiraiya didn't talk with them for long. After introducing themselves, they left, but Tsunade stayed behind.

Before he left, however, Orochimaru glanced at Shin again.

Although Shin sensed no ill will in Orochimaru's eyes, he still felt a little uncomfortable.

"How did you end up clashing with that Uchiha Ryota?" Tsunade asked.

Nawaki explained the reason to Tsunade, and her brows drew together.

"The Uchiha Clan sure has a lot of trouble."

Mikoto felt a little awkward. Though she knew Tsunade wasn't talking about her, she still couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. After all, she was part of the Uchiha Clan too.

"Little girl, I'm not criticizing you," Tsunade said when she noticed the awkward look on Mikoto's face.

Tsunade quite liked Uchiha Mikoto, who was unlike the other members of the Uchiha Clan.

"Oh, right. There's something I need to tell you. I'm leaving the village soon to carry out a mission. It's an escort mission, so it'll take a while—about half a month."

Tsunade told Shin and the others.

"Oh, okay."

A smile crept onto Nawaki's face.

Tsunade's expression hardened. She fixed Nawaki with a dangerous look. "Nawaki, you seem pretty happy about this?"

"No, I'm not happy." Nawaki shook his head like a rattle drum.

"I'll deal with you later. I'm off."

Tsunade glared at Nawaki, then waved to Shin and the others before turning to leave.

Only after Tsunade had gone did Nawaki finally relax, looking rather pleased.

"Nawaki, you seem pretty scared of your sister," Shin said, looking at him.

Nawaki scratched his head. "I am a little. You don't know how strict my sister is when she trains me."

"Come on. Weren't you going to show us around Konoha? We still have some time, so let's look around nearby."

Shin spoke to Nawaki, then turned to Mikoto.

"Mikoto, would you like to come with us?"

"Ah, may I?" Mikoto looked at Shin, pleasantly surprised.

"Of course." Shin smiled at her, and the four of them set off to explore Konoha.

Shin and Kushina weren't familiar with Konoha, so Nawaki proved useful as their guide, showing them around and explaining things.

Since there wasn't much time before afternoon classes, they only explored the area around the Ninja Academy.

They familiarized themselves with the surroundings near the Ninja Academy, then returned to get ready for class.

After taking their seats, Shin looked at Mikoto and asked, "Mikoto, today's events shouldn't cause you any trouble, right?"

Now that they'd gotten to know each other, Shin had dropped the word "classmate" and simply called her Mikoto.

Mikoto shook her head.

"It's fine. I'm practically invisible in the Uchiha Clan, so no one will come after me over this. Actually, I should be the one apologizing for what happened earlier." Mikoto apologized to Shin and Kushina.

"Mikoto, we're friends now, so you don't need to apologize," Kushina told her.

Perhaps Kushina and Mikoto were destined to become best friends. Kushina had been hostile toward Mikoto at first, but in less than a day, the two had grown very close.

That afternoon's lesson was theoretical as well. Kushina wasn't interested in theory and felt like falling asleep as she listened.

Shin felt the same way. He didn't mind paying attention if the material was useful, but he already knew what they were covering, or it wasn't of much use to him.

The Ninja Academy let out early, a little after four in the afternoon.

After classes, Shin accepted Nawaki's invitation to explore Konoha. By the time they were done, he had gained a better understanding of the village.

When he got home, Shin didn't practice Taijutsu or swordsmanship. He'd only recently arrived in Konoha and didn't want to attract too much attention, so he focused on refining his chakra.

He didn't know whether the Third Hokage had sent Anbu Ninja to watch them. Either way, Shin thought it best to be cautious.

Practicing Taijutsu and swordsmanship might reveal some of his strength. He couldn't even practice ninjutsu, so for now, he would just refine his chakra.

Should I copy the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan Kekkei Genkai?

Shin thought of his Advanced Copy Card. He still had four Copy Cards: three Common Copy Cards and one Advanced Copy Card.

An Advanced Copy Card could copy S-rank ninjutsu, Kage Level physiques and chakra, as well as Kekkei Genkai.

The Byakugan, one of the Three Great Dōjutsu, seemed rather useless, but its reconnaissance abilities were genuinely impressive. It could also evolve into the Tenseigan.

The Tenseigan was on the same level as the Rinnegan, and its offensive power was even greater.

After thinking it over, Shin decided against it. The Byakugan was excellent for detecting whether anyone nearby was watching him, but it would turn his eyes completely white.

If he walked around with a pair of white eyes, Shin figured he'd be arrested on the spot. The Hyuga Clan certainly wouldn't let him get away with it.

If I had the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, I wouldn't have to worry about this. It's even more useful than the Byakugan.

Shin shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. He didn't know how to use the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, or whether it was a unique ability belonging to Karin Uzumaki alone.

After all, the only person Shin knew who could use the Mind's Eye of the Kagura was Karin Uzumaki.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye. Shin and Kushina spent their days going to school, coming home afterward, and refining their chakra.

One day, Shin and Kushina went to Uzumaki Mito's residence. They weren't the only ones there; Uzumaki Kai and Akiko had come too.

"I called you here because I want to teach you the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki Clan."

Just as Shin was wondering why Uzumaki Mito had summoned them, she explained the reason.

A hint of delight appeared on Shin's face. This was wonderful news. With Uzumaki Mito's guidance, he was sure to make rapid progress in Sealing Jutsu.

Uzumaki Kai and Akiko were delighted too.

"I'll begin with the simplest sealing formulas," Uzumaki Mito said seriously. They were all the last survivors of the Uzumaki Clan, and the hope of restoring it.

As the former princess of the Uzumaki Clan, Uzumaki Mito naturally wanted to see her clan rise again.

So Uzumaki Mito held nothing back. She would teach them everything she could.

How much they learned, however, depended on their talent.

From then on, they went to the Ninja Academy during the day, then came to learn from Uzumaki Mito after school and dinner.

Under Uzumaki Mito's guidance, Shin, who already had exceptional talent, made rapid progress in Sealing Jutsu.

Kushina learned a great deal too. Her talent was excellent as well, and among everyone there, only Shin's surpassed hers.

However, Shin had warned Kushina that even after she learned certain things, she should pretend she didn't understand them and avoid standing out too much.