Chapter 15

As we left the clinic, the few remaining residents went about their business. Villagers were repairing their houses and children were playing in the puddles, their laughter breaking the silence left by the storm.

Speaking of children, they are not native to this village, they and their parents are refugees who have decided to settle in this village. When we visited this village before, we didn't see many children wandering around, just a few. I asked one of the oldest villagers here about it. And to my surprise, most of the children had been sold by their own parents.

"What? Sold?!" I was shocked.

The old villager, the one named Satoshi nodded, his eyes filled with sadness, "The war has made it difficult for many. Some see it as a way to provide for their remaining family members, there are also those who are in debt and cannot pay, so they use their children as payment."

My heart sank at the revelation. "That's terrible," I murmured, unable to comprehend such despair.

"It is." Satoshi agreed solemnly.

*Sigh*

I could only sigh.

"Thank you for the information." I told Satoshi with a nod.

"It's nothing, I'm also grateful to you, because it's been a long time since I've seen children playing outside without being afraid of anything." Satoshi said with a sad smile.

"That's how it should be." I said, a determination in my voice.

Satoshi nodded.

After that, I said goodbye to Satoshi.

---|||---

Paper, huh? I forgot how Konan strengthened her paper in the anime and made it waterproof. Is it some kind of oil? Strengthening paper might have something to do with chakra, but what about waterproof paper? Is that also because of the chakra?

Oh, I remember, Ishiyama used the Rock Armour Jutsu that made him as hard as stone, can it be used on paper?

But what about the weight of the paper?

"...."

Let's try it out.

I opened my inventory menu, then selected Rock armour and infused it on a paper.

"...." Nothing happened.

"Hmm..."

I picked up the paper and put it on the ground.

"...."

Oh, it works.

I touched the paper and it was wet. I tried folding the paper and found that even though it was wet, it was still usable.

I also tried stabbing it with the Kunai, it went through but not that easily.

"...."

It seems like the Rock armour jutsu has indeed made the paper tougher.

"It's a good start." I murmured to myself.

If Konan uses explosive tags reinforced with rock armour jutsu to create paper rats, Konan may be able to use them in open areas.

But if the paper jutsu Konan uses is the flying type like butterflies or birds, I think it's a bit difficult. Because rock armour needs to absorb earth properties.

"...."

What about extracting this paper, or maybe extracting something like iron, and then taking the extracted part of the iron and infusing it into the paper? That seems quite possible.

"...."

I tried to extract the kunai I had. And as a result, I got some iron and something unnamed, but obviously I got some things. Well, it doesn't have a name, probably because I don't have enough knowledge to know what's in the Kunai other than iron.

Hang on, there's something strange about my inventory.

"...."

New menu?

"...."

This inventory itself is like a cheat for me. Then there is another cheat in this cheat.

"...."

I got the modify menu.

It's strange, I've extracted other things, but I haven't got anything like a new menu, why now?

Why not before?

"...."

Looks like I got another buff.

I opened the modify menu and selected a paper. Then I selected Modify Paper and was presented with a rather complicated menu. Oh, turns out it's not too complicated, just the look.

There are fusion, separation, description, restoration and alteration menus.

I choose the fusion menu and am presented with a list of items that can be combined with the paper. I scan the options, my mind racing with the possibilities. Can I fuse paper with iron or steel?

Because I have a lot of kunai.

"...."

I tried to fusing a paper with kunai. Luckily, I didn't have to extract manually, so I only had to select whether the whole kunai or just the iron and steel inside the Kunai.

"...."

Done.

Alright, let's try it.

I took the paper from my inventory.

"...."

It's heavy, what about its durability?

I tried to pierce the paper with the Kunai.

*Clang*

"...."

It's amazing. It's just that the weight affects the paper and it looks a bit thick.

Can that be changed?

"...."

Right, there's an alteration menu, let's see if it can change the weight and thickness.

I selected the modified paper and opened the alteration menu. It's simple enough, just adjust the weight and thickness options.

I looked at the description of the normal paper and used that description for this modified paper.

I reduced the weight and thickness as much as I could to make it almost like a sheet of normal paper, yet maintaining its durability.

"Now, let's try again," I murmured to myself, a hint of excitement in my voice.

I took this paper from my inventory and felt its weight in my hand. It's as light as paper.

Then I gave the paper the endurance test again. It had the durability of steel. The fusion had worked perfectly.

This paper is waterproof, can it also be fireproof?

Wait, is there something I'm missing in the alteration menu?

"...."

I opened the alteration menu and looked at it carefully until I found something. Like I said, it's a cheat within a cheat, and within that, it's another cheat.

I can make this paper waterproof, then I can make it fireproof, unaffected by magnetic force, non-conductive to electricity, I can even make it impossible for anyone other than the people I allow to use or infuse the chakra, and more surprisingly there's the indestructible option.

Why would I make a fusion if I could just turn it into an indestructible?

"...."

There was no indestructible option when I tried to open the edit menu on plain paper.

"...."

How is that possible?

"...."

Could it be that the requirement is to achieve fusion first?

It could be.

I mean, is it really indestructible?

If that's true...

Wouldn't Konan be very strong?

I mean, in the anime I watched, Jiraiya was able to restrict Konan's movements, or maybe make Konan unable to move?

I kind of forgot, but that's not the case, Jiraiya can make Konan like that because he uses some kind of oil, I don't know what kind of oil, and Konan's paper can't be used when exposed to Jiraiya's oil. Perhaps the oil came from Mt. Myoboku.

Now, Konan did not have this weakness. But perhaps the weakness is in the chakra reserves, for as long as I exist, Konan will never run out of chakra.

I went back to the clinic and tried burning the paper, it didn't burn, it didn't even feel hot.

"This is amazing," I whispered to myself.

Wait, if I make an explosive tag that has the properties of this paper, will the explosive tag still work? Or will the paper be fine, it's just that the seal will disappear after the explosion is activated?

"...."

"Haruto, what are you doing?" Konan's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She had noticed my excitement and the paper in my hand.

I looked up and met her gaze, "Just experimenting with something." I handed her the paper, "This is what I made."

Konan took the paper, her curiosity piqued. She studied it carefully, "Haruto, this paper..." Konan noticed something strange about it.

"It's not an ordinary paper, how about you try it?" I said to Konan.

Her eyes lit up with excitement as she took the paper. She began to fold it into the shape of an origami bird, her movements swift and precise. "This feels... different." She noted, a slight furrow forming on her forehead as she worked.

Konan tried to fly it outside and was surprised that the origami bird didn't get wet from the rain.

"There's not even a trace of water on this paper." Konan said admiringly.

"It's waterproof." I said with a smile, watching as the origami bird hovered in the air.

"And not only that." I also told Konan what this paper could do.

Her eyes widened as I explained the full capabilities of the modified paper, including its fireproof properties, it does not conduct electricity, has no effect on magnetic force, has no effect on anyone's chakra and is also indestructible.

"Indestructible?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Yes," I nodded, "And only you and I can infuse it with chakra."

Konan stared at the paper in disbelief, her eyes shimmering with excitement and a hint of awe. "This... this is incredible, Haruto!"

I just nodded my head and smiled at her.

"All right, you can practise with the paper, I still have something to do." I said to Konan.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she nodded, eager to test the limits of the new paper.

While Konan was practising with the modified paper, I decided to check on Nagato and Kashiki. Ise was busy tending to Kashiki while Nagato was still unconscious but stable. His chakra had returned to normal thanks to my earlier infusion.

"Haruto, thank you." Gentoku said gratefully and bowed his head.

"Don't mention it," I replied, feeling a bit awkward with his formality.

"Instead of thanking me, you should thank Ise-san, Fuso-san and Konan. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have done this either." I said.

Gentoku nodded, "I understand."

---|||---

Then I went outside because I wanted to try to change the explosive tag, it would be dangerous to do it indoors.

Ame and Ranko followed me as well, watching my every move with curious eyes. I found a safe, open area a little distance from the village.

"Nya?" Ame meowed, tilting her head as she watched me pull an explosive tag from my inventory.

"I want to try something, so be careful when you come near me, OK?" I said to Ame as I stroked her head.

"Nn..." Ame nodded, seeming to understand my seriousness.

"Caw!" Ranko seemed to be calling Ame. The two animals left my side, their curiosity leading them to a small bush where they began their magical adventure.

I fused the explosive tag with a kunai. Then I opened the modification menu and changed its properties, just like the paper I modified. Oh, the indestructible option is also there for the seal, and there are other options. There are options to change the seal, repair the seal, replace the seal and security seal.

So... can I call myself a seal master now?

Maybe it's like a Script kiddie, so I'm a seal kiddie.

I tried to change the seal, Oh! It turns out... This is amazing.

I can change everything about this seal, I can make this explosive tag use less chakra but produce a much more powerful explosion than a normal explosive tag. I can also give this explosive seal a timer.

I tried to make the explosion like a nuclear or hydrogen bomb, but it didn't work. It seems like it needs to be fused with something related.

It was weird because it didn't work, but that's OK.

"...."

It would be nice if a piece of explosive tag had the explosive power of a hydrogen bomb, but no radiation effect.

Well, I don't want to pollute the environment, although bombing the environment is more or less the same thing.

I also made the seal indestructible, so after the explosive tag explodes, I can reactivate the explosive tag. I can also tag someone or something with this explosive tag and detonate it no matter how far away they are.

I can also replace this seal to other seals, but I want to focus on the explosive tag first and add some seals for Konan, such as the auto-activate seal, for Konan's Homing Blast jutsu series, this seal is very useful, Konan just needs to tag the target and then let the jutsu work by itself. Then there is the Vision Control seal, this seal is useful for scouting, there is also a Sensor seal, the jutsu used by Konan can also sense chakra. And finally the Command Seal, this seal is very useful because Konan can create something from her jutsu and program what the jutsu should do, for example Konan makes paper birds and then programs them to watch the surroundings and if danger is approaching, the birds will give a warning signal.

What about the use of chakra? I've changed that so that the use of chakra is efficient, and anyway I use the seal link to use the jutsu in the programme, I have chakra resources in my inventory, through the seal link I can distribute my chakra resources to the jutsu in the programme, so the jutsu doesn't take Konan's chakra.

"Nya?" Ame looked at me with her head tilted, as if asking what I was up to.

I smiled at Ame and Ranko, "Are you happy with your adventure today?"

"Caw." Ranko landed on my shoulder, "Nnn Nya." Ame replied, both seemingly satisfied with their little Adventure.

"I'll be done in a minute, do you want to go home first?" I asked Ame and Ranko.

"Nn... Nyao." Ame shook her head, indicating she wanted to stay and watch. Ranko cawed in agreement, flapping his wings once.

I nodded and turned my attention back to the explosive tag. It's time for the security seal, I put a protective seal on the explosive tag seal so that people who try to break this seal can't change it or disable it, now this seal is indestructible but that doesn't mean it can't be changed, so I coated it with millions of protective seals, each with a different formula, how do I do that?

I used the new option for seals, which is shrink, so I can shrink a seal to infinity. Smaller than a quark, perhaps?

I also added the same number of security code seals as protective seals.

A security seal is like a maze, if you can find a way out of it, then that person can get into the explosive tag seal, but as I said, I've added millions of security seals, each with a different formula, so it's like millions of different mazes. Even if they get through them all, there's still a code they have to crack, and that's millions of codes.

What if there was someone who could get through both? I've already prepared for that, if someone manages to get through, I'll get a signal from the seal, and I can either blow the seal, leave it alone, or go back to adding protective seals and security code seals.

Or the simplest thing, I can put it in my inventory if the seal is marked. No matter how far it goes.

"Caw!" Ranko's voice made me look up from my work.

"Nyaon." Ame mimicked Ranko's call, Climb on my shoulders too. I couldn't help but chuckle at their antics.

"Oh right, I said I'd be done in a minute, how long have I been here?" I shook my head, "Let's go home."

As we walked back to the clinic, We met some people with children who were talking to Satoshi and Ise.

"Ah, Haruto-kun, you're back," Ise called out, noticing our approach.

"Yeah, so what's the matter Ise-san?" I asked, as we approached the small gathering.

Satoshi spoke up, "These people lost their homes because of the war, so they asked for permission to live here." He looked at me expectantly.

"So... what's the problem?" I asked, looking into the hopeful faces of the refugees.

Ise then replied, "We can't decide anything first without your approval, since the daily supplies come from you, so we wanted to ask your opinion."

"Let them stay," I said without hesitation. The children looked at me with hopeful eyes, and the adults nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you, Haruto-sama," The refugees said with a bow, relief washing over their faces.

"Don't mention it," I said.

The group nodded, their expressions a mix of gratitude and awe.

---|||---

"I'm home," I announced as we entered the clinic, Ame and Ranko running ahead.

Fuso looked up from her work, a gentle smile gracing her features, "Welcome back, Haruto-kun."

"Thank you," I replied, returning the smile. "How are Nagato and Kashiki?"

"They're both stable, and Nagato was awake too. He's been resting, but he should be fine in a few days," Fuso replied.

"That's good to hear," I said, feeling a weight lifted from my chest. "How about you, are you okay? You should rest when you're tired. Don't push yourself."

Fuso nodded, her eyes filled with warmth, "I will, and Thanks to you, everyone is safe."

"It's nothing," I said, trying to downplay my role. "We all did our part."

"Alright then, I'd like to take a shower first." I said, feeling the dirt of the day clinging to me.

"I'll make sure your meal is ready by the time you're done," Fuso assured me, her gentle gaze filled with concern.

Nodding my thanks, I headed towards the bathroom. "Ame, do you want to take a bath too? You've been playing outside all day," I called out to the cat, who was already waiting for me by the door, her tail swishing back and forth.

"Nya!" Ame meowed, following me into the small, steamy room. She jumped onto the wooden stool next to the bathtub and watched as I filled it with hot water.

"This water's just right," I murmured, testing the temperature with my hand.

Ame observed me, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as I began to undress.

"Won't you come in? I'll give you a massage too," I teased Ame, who just blinked her eyes at me innocently.

"Nyappo!" She jumped gracefully onto the edge of the tub and watched me sink into the hot water with a sigh of relief. The warmth washed over me, soothing my muscles.

Ame slowly got into the bath with me, her fur flattening against her body as she adjusted to the water temperature. She looked at me, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Alright, you little girl," I chuckled, reaching out to give her a gentle rub behind her ears. She purred in contentment, her tail flicking back and forth.

"Nn... Nya... Nyaa..." Ame's purr grew louder as I rubbed her ears, her eyes closing in bliss. The warm water and Ame's gentle purrs soon lulled me into a state of relaxation.

Unfortunately, I don't have any basic knowledge of Sealing Jutsu, can't I make my own Sealing Jutsu? For example, using letters of the alphabet instead of kanji?

Yes... Why didn't I think of that? But the anime doesn't explain, how a seal can have different effects just by putting chakra on it.

Like the Explosive tag, with the Kanji Explode in the middle. Can I replace it with the alphabet explode?

It's worth giving it a try, I thought to myself, the wheels in my mind spinning with ideas.

After my relaxing bath with Ame, I went to see Nagato and Kashiki, who were both still resting. Nagato's eyes flickered open as I approached, his gaze meeting mine.

"Thank you, you did your best." I gave him a fist bump. Nagato's smile was faint but genuine.

"How about you, Kashiki-san?" I turned to Kashiki who was lying on the other bed.

Kashiki nodded slightly, "Thank you for your help. I'm feeling much better."

"No problem," I said.

The evening had settled down. After changing into clean clothes, I found myself in the small room that served as my workshop. The room was filled with the faint smell of ink and paper.

I sat cross-legged on the floor, my mind racing with the possibilities of creating a new seal.

If I could use the alphabet instead of kanji, it would be something unique to me, and possibly less recognisable to those who had studied traditional sealing techniques.