Four Symbols Sealing

This really wasn't Uchiha Yatsuhashi's fault.

He truly had no idea that learning ninjutsu required additional payment.

Inuzuka Yuka was also encountering this situation for the first time.

After all, the prices of the ninjutsu within the vault were clearly marked.

Who would have thought that someone would hold the highest-level golden permit, yet not have a single cent to their name?

Just as the atmosphere grew tense, the sound of footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.

"What's wrong, Yuka?"

The team leader responsible for guarding the first floor of the archives, Inoichi Yamanaka, strolled over slowly.

"Is there a problem with the scrolls?"

After questioning the two and understanding the situation, Inoichi Yamanaka was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha! Kid, your name is Uchiha Yatsuhashi, right? You Uchiha Clan members really always manage to bring me surprises."

Yatsuhashi rubbed his nose in embarrassment: "Uh, yes."

Inoichi Yamanaka glanced at the golden ninjutsu scroll, then suppressed his laughter.

He thought to himself: He remembered the last time this item appeared in the archives, it was that guy Minato Namikaze. In what felt like the blink of an eye, he had already become the Fourth Hokage, someone to be looked up to. This kid seems to be highly regarded by the Hokage!

"Fine, fine."

Inoichi Yamanaka waved his hand, "I'll make an exception for you this time and let you learn it first. However—"

He leaned closer to Yatsuhashi, his tone shifting, "The money! You'll still have to pay it later."

Yatsuhashi swallowed hard: "With this much money, I won't be able to pay it back later either. How about we just forget it for now, and I'll come back another time?"

"Eh!"

Inoichi Yamanaka frowned and pushed the two ninjutsu scrolls that Yatsuhashi had handed back toward him.

"The Four Symbols Seal is obscure and difficult to understand. I'll give you seven days for free. If you can't learn it, it will let the Hokage know that not everyone is qualified to hold a golden ninjutsu scroll."

This way, he wouldn't be rejecting the Hokage's face, he could still fulfill his duty, and he could make this Uchiha, who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, retreat in the face of difficulty.

After all, this kind of advanced golden ninjutsu scroll represented the will of the Hokage.

It wasn't something just anyone could easily apply for.

If he were to reject it just like that, it would be too tactless.

Inuzuka Yuka asked in return, "Team Leader Inoichi, wouldn't that be against the rules?"

Inoichi Yamanaka looked at Inuzuka Yuka before him and sighed inwardly.

This girl is still too young; she doesn't understand the ways of the world at all. She won't be able to become a team leader in the future like this.

Inoichi Yamanaka patted her on the shoulder, "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

Under Inoichi Yamanaka's guarantee, Yatsuhashi was taken to a sealed training room.

"All ninjutsu scrolls cannot be taken out of the archives; they can only be practiced inside the room."

Yuka introduced coldly, "And there is a one-month time limit. Whether you have learned it or not, it will expire, and no refunds will be given."

Yatsuhashi looked at the empty room and sighed helplessly.

Renting it once cost so much money, and there was no guarantee he would learn it on the first try.

He finally understood now: in this day and age, a ninja without money can't even afford to learn ninjutsu.

Fortunately, he wasn't skilled in the use of ninja tools.

Invisibly, this also saved him a large sum of unnecessary expenses.

After a while, the staff member finally delivered the scroll.

To prevent accidents, the archive catalog and the physical scrolls were stored separately.

Items like the Four Symbols Seal were kept in the third underground level, which had the strictest security clearance.

"Thank you."

Yatsuhashi took the scroll but did not open it immediately.

He glanced at the cold, hard floor, and actually lay down directly, preparing to take a nap first.

Because of Anko, he hadn't slept all night.

After all, a sound state of mind was the prerequisite for learning.

The members of the barrier squad on the first floor of the archives felt it was incredible when they sensed this scene.

After all, the ninjas who came here, once they paid the fee, would all rush to start their training without a moment's rest.

Yatsuhashi was likely the only one who could sleep in a training room.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Inuzuka Yuka knocked on the door, "This is the archives, not an inn!"

"I'm tired, I'm going to sleep for a while."

After saying this, Yatsuhashi closed his eyes, and only a moment later, the sound of his light, rhythmic snoring truly began to echo in the training room.

"..."

Seeing this, Inuzuka Yuka was so angry she laughed, "Team Leader Inoichi Yamanaka, look at him!"

Inoichi Yamanaka, however, stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"The Uchiha Clan... with this kind of mental attitude, it's no wonder they can awaken the Sharingan.

Yuka, perhaps this is a unique part of the Uchiha Clan's strength."

Until a day and a half later.

"Huu..."

Yatsuhashi stretched his body long and lazily before finally waking up.

He loosened his joints, still in no rush to study the ninjutsu, but instead slowly and methodically unwrapped the bento that had been delivered.

"The taste isn't bad."

Yatsuhashi chewed on a Military Ration Pill, speaking indistinctly.

Inuzuka Yuka, monitoring from the side, was once again left with her jaw dropped.

"This isn't coming here to study, it's clearly coming here for a vacation!"

Only after he was full and satisfied did Yatsuhashi pick up the scroll.

Inoichi Yamanaka, Inuzuka Yuka, and the others were also chatting idly, all prepared to wait and see Yatsuhashi make a fool of himself.

However, what shocked them once again was that

only two hours later, Yatsuhashi stood up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to hand in the scroll and leave.

"???"

Inoichi Yamanaka and Inuzuka Yuka were stunned at the same time.

"You're done learning?"

Inoichi Yamanaka asked in disbelief.

Yatsuhashi nodded, "Yeah, I've memorized it all."

Inuzuka Yuka felt it was absurd: "How is that possible! The Four Symbols Seal is a secret technique of the Uzumaki Clan.

How could you possibly learn it after reading it once?

The Uchiha Clan really is an arrogant and conceited clan!"

Yatsuhashi looked at Inuzuka Yuka's chest, which was heaving slightly from anger, and his heart suddenly stirred.

"Do you dare to make a bet, then?" Yatsuhashi said softly.

"What are we betting?" Inuzuka Yuka asked instinctively.

"If I truly learn these two ninjutsu, you help me pay the remaining two hundred thousand ryo in rent."

Uchiha Yatsuhashi waved the IOU for two hundred thousand ryo that Inoichi Yamanaka had previously recorded for him in front of her.

"If I don't learn them, I'll admit I'm the 'arrogant fool' you say I am."

Yuka pushed up her glasses, a cold sneer curling her lips: "Deal!"

"Team Leader Inoichi, please act as our witness."

Yuka prepared to have Inoichi Yamanaka use the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique to prove that Uchiha Yatsuhashi hadn't actually learned them.

After all, how could anyone learn a sealing technique just by looking at it once?

Even the village's recognized genius, Minato Namikaze.

The current Hokage.

It had taken him about half a month to fully master it back then.

In Inuzuka Yuka's eyes, the Uchiha Yatsuhashi before her was simply grandstanding.

However, Uchiha Yatsuhashi refused to accept an inspection from Inoichi Yamanaka.

"No need for all that trouble." Uchiha Yatsuhashi looked at Yuka, his eyes clear, "Take out your scroll."

"What are you planning to do?" Yuka stepped back, wary.

"Just a demonstration." Uchiha Yatsuhashi said calmly, "Since we're verifying, let's verify the practical results."

Yuka hesitated for a moment, but still took out her personal scroll.

She wanted to see what kind of tricks this kid could pull.

The next second, Uchiha Yatsuhashi's hands formed seals.

Although his movements were clumsy, the effect was still valid.

"Four Symbols Seal!"

Suddenly, a powerful sealing force surged forth instantly.

The scroll Yuka had placed on the ground uncontrollably turned into a stream of light, directly sealed into Uchiha Yatsuhashi's body.

"!!!"

Inuzuka Yuka and Inoichi Yamanaka both widened their eyes in shock.

This wasn't just memorization; this was complete mastery of the Four Symbols Seal.

How could this be possible?!

That was the Four Symbols Seal! It wasn't something just anyone could learn!

"Since I've learned the Four Symbols Seal,"

Uchiha Yatsuhashi spread his hands, "I don't think I need to verify the C-rank Summoning Technique, do I?"

"You... you..."

Inuzuka Yuka's cheeks flushed bright red, and she couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

After all, what she didn't know was that, in the laboratory, Uchiha Yatsuhashi was the kind of person who could tackle even those cell experiments all on his own.

Learning this kind of sealing technique, which "only required rote memorization and chakra control,"

was as easy as an adult doing elementary school arithmetic.

Even though Inuzuka Yuka was reluctant, she was a good sport about losing the bet.

She paid the two hundred thousand ryo in rent to Inoichi Yamanaka on Uchiha Yatsuhashi's behalf.

Because the Four Symbols Seal was a free trial, no money had been collected from Uchiha Yatsuhashi initially, but the fee for the Summoning Technique still had to be paid afterward.

"Where is my scroll?"

She reached out her fair hand, glaring fiercely at Uchiha Yatsuhashi, "Give my scroll back!"

Uchiha Yatsuhashi felt the chakra within his body and gave a wry smile: "About that... the Four Symbols Seal consumes too much, my chakra is currently overdrawn, and I can't undo it for the time being. I'll return it to you once I've rested for two days and recovered."

"You!!!"

Inuzuka Yuka was so angry her teeth itched, yet she was helpless to do anything about it.

This caused the tail behind her to stand straight up.

Looking at this innocent-faced Uchiha before her, Inuzuka Yuka felt for the first time that her pride-and-joy intellect had been utterly crushed.

That bastard, he was absolutely doing this on purpose!

"Truly, the younger generation is to be feared; heroes really do emerge from the youth!"

Unlike Inuzuka Yuka, Inoichi Yamanaka looked at Yatsuhashi before him with eyes full of admiration.

To prevent the leakage of ninjutsu intelligence, every ninja leaving the archives had to be subjected to the Cursed Seal of Tongue Eradication cast by Inoichi Yamanaka.

Yatsuhashi was naturally no exception.

Yet, the moment Inoichi Yamanaka planted the Cursed Seal of Tongue Eradication on him, Yatsuhashi had already decided in his heart that he would have to find a time later to use his dōjutsu to erase it.

After all, he had no idea if this Cursed Seal of Tongue Eradication had any other unknown hidden triggers.

Just to be safe, it was better to remove it as soon as possible.