Nine Character Mantra Hand Seals!

The third lesson began soon after.

Futaki Ryusei continued from where the previous lesson had left off, but halfway through, he moved from theory to practice.

That meant chakra extraction!

Futaki Ryusei explained everything in great detail. Chakra extraction began with concentrating.

The method was to place a leaf on your forehead.

Shita Genichi knew this method. Iruka had taught Naruto and the others the same way.

And in the future he had glimpsed ten years ahead, chakra extraction also started with this step.

Shita Genichi continued to learn methodically, but compared with the other students who came from non-shinobi families, he picked it up as soon as it was taught.

And so, Shita Genichi became the brightest star in the class.

When the lesson ended, Shizune looked at Shita Genichi with unconcealed amazement. "Genichi, you're incredible!"

"It took me three days to extract chakra when I first tried."

Shita Genichi smiled. "That doesn't really prove anything. I just find it easier to concentrate."

"The two most important things for chakra are the body and the mind."

"I only have a tiny advantage when it comes to the mind."

His modesty was genuine.

Without having tapped into the next ten years of his life, Shita Genichi felt he might not have been able to master chakra extraction so quickly just by relying on his supposed past-life wisdom.

Although he was working hard to cultivate his image as a genius, he didn't truly believe he was one, and he hadn't lost himself in it.

For the next week, Futaki Ryusei taught them chakra extraction. The lessons finally wrapped up once everyone in the class could extract chakra.

Meanwhile, Shita Genichi focused his attention on Hand Seals.

With Shizune watching, he went from clumsy hand movements to performing them with ease, improving almost by the day.

In a week, Shita Genichi had demonstrated the experience and techniques for performing Hand Seals that he had gained from the next ten years of his life.

Of course, that was only what he showed on the surface, for Shizune's benefit.

In reality, Shita Genichi spent much more time thinking about and studying more advanced topics.

For example, simplifying Hand Seals.

If he still had to painstakingly rely on speed, wouldn't that make his transmigration pointless?

He wasn't about to go as far as Jiraiya and perform Hand Seals with his feet, but simplifying them was a worthwhile and feasible line of study.

There was also performing Hand Seals with one hand.

Shita Genichi remembered that Haku, who used Ice Release, and the Yellow Flash had both demonstrated one-handed Hand Seals.

Uchiha Itachi and Kakashi had probably used one-handed seals in their fight with Sarutobi Asuma, too.

Haku had done it under normal circumstances, while the Yellow Flash had been forced to use one hand because he was missing an arm in his Impure World Reincarnation state.

Also, although he could perform Hand Seals proficiently thanks to what he had learned from the future, he didn't truly understand the twelve basic seals. He knew how to perform them, but not why they worked.

Besides the Twelve Basic Hand Seals, there were also the Nine Character Mantra seals: Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, and Zen.

Shita Genichi remembered that the seal Might Guy had used for Daytime Tiger seemed to be the Sha seal, and that the Second, Senju Tobirama, had used the Zai seal when performing Water Release in his battle against Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Unfortunately, the textbook mainly covered the Twelve Basic Hand Seals. The Nine Character Mantra seals were only listed at the end, with instructions on how to perform them.

Unlike the Twelve Basic Hand Seals, each of which came with an explanation.

On the day the lessons on chakra extraction wrapped up,

Shita Genichi caught up with Futaki Ryusei after class. "Teacher Ryusei!"

Futaki Ryusei stopped and turned. Seeing Shita Genichi, he smiled. "Genichi, what questions do you have this time?"

Shita Genichi approached with his notebook and bowed before speaking. "Yes. Sorry for the trouble!"

Futaki Ryusei glanced at the notebook in Shita Genichi's hands. "Is it about Hand Seals?"

He naturally knew that Shita Genichi had been practicing Hand Seals lately, and seemed to have already become quite proficient.

Futaki Ryusei thought highly of Shita Genichi, who was both smart and hardworking, so he was always patient and enthusiastic with him.

"Yes, Teacher Ryusei."

Shita Genichi nodded. "I studied ahead using Detailed Explanation of Hand Seals. The textbook says seals exist to help perform ninjutsu, allowing us to control chakra and transform it into ninjutsu."

"So, Teacher Ryusei, does 'help perform ninjutsu' mean that, on a deeper level, seals help shinobi better perform nature and shape transformations?"

Futaki Ryusei was surprised. "You know about nature transformation and shape transformation?"

Shita Genichi smiled. "Teacher Ryusei, my grandfather was also a shinobi. He left behind some notes that mentioned them."

"I see."

Futaki Ryusei understood, then continued, "Knowledge of shape transformation and nature transformation is beyond what the Ninja Academy teaches."

"But your understanding is exactly right."

"Nature transformation and shape transformation combine to form ninjutsu. No ninjutsu can do without them. In other words, ninjutsu is formed by applying nature and shape transformations to chakra."

"And Hand Seals help shinobi perform those transformations better and more quickly."

Shita Genichi thought for a moment. "Teacher Ryusei, does that mean that if someone masters nature and shape transformations, they can use fewer Hand Seals—or even perform ninjutsu without them?"

Futaki Ryusei laughed. "Genichi, you're not wrong, but it's incredibly difficult."

"Even the Third can't perform ninjutsu without Hand Seals."

"Of course, many Jonin can reduce the number of seals they need."

Then he spoke to Shita Genichi earnestly. "Genichi, I know you're very clever, but you haven't even started learning ninjutsu yet. Focus on mastering Hand Seals first. Once you become a Chunin, you can think about trying to shorten the sequence."

Shita Genichi nodded obediently, then opened his notebook and asked Futaki Ryusei about the deeper meaning behind the Twelve Basic Hand Seals.

But after looking through Shita Genichi's notes, Futaki Ryusei felt conflicted. "Well, your understanding is all correct."

"Very good. Exactly right."

He truly didn't know what else to say.

Shita Genichi nodded. It seemed he hadn't gone astray.

Just then, Futaki Ryusei noticed that Shita Genichi had also taken notes on the Nine Character Mantra Hand Seals. "Genichi, it's enough to know a little about these seals. Ninjutsu hardly ever uses them."

Shita Genichi scratched his head. "Teacher, I'm curious about these nine seals, but the textbook doesn't explain them."

Futaki Ryusei thought for a moment, then said, "Come find me after the first lesson this afternoon, and I'll get you some notes."

He didn't actually have any notes on the Nine Character Mantra Hand Seals, and he didn't know much about them either. They really weren't used.

But considering how clever Shita Genichi had shown himself to be, he decided to help.

Shita Genichi was delighted. "Thank you, Teacher Ryusei!"

Futaki Ryusei smiled encouragingly. "Keep it up, Genichi. Don't waste your talent!"

"Yes!"