New Knowledge

Natsume returned to the boulder to try and experience that sensation again. After another day of waiting, she gave up. It seemed that the special state she entered had already passed. She could only be patient when it came to nature energy, since there were many risks involved in the process. A slight slipup could turn her into a stone statue.

When Natsume was done, Sahiro didn't say anything. She had asked to stay behind in order to check something, so he waited for her. They had plenty of rations to last them and since they were returning to the clan there was no rush. The two of them quickly packed their camp and headed toward the clan. It would take them another two days to return, so Natsume meditated every chance she had to try to sense Nature energy again.

Consecutive failures didn't discourage her. Since she could do it once, naturally she could do it again. It must be a lack of opportunity and time. They finally returned to the clan and Natsume realized she felt a bit homesick. Although they were only gone for a few weeks, it was the first time she spent so long outside the clan complex. When she arrived, the sound of children playing and adults talking filled her ears. The silence a shinobi experienced could be the most deafening of all.

Natsume bid Sahiro farewell and returned to her room first to rest. When she dropped off her packs, she quickly changed clothes and went to see Kono and Madara. Outside their room, she could hear Kono whispering words to the baby Madara.

"…One day you will be the strongest Uchiha and lead everyone to live peacefully…" She continued encouraging him and Natsume had a weird expression. These kinds of things were enough to inflate the child's ego as he grew up. She wondered if perhaps Madara's personality was a bit strange due to his die-hard Uchiha fan of a mother. Thinking about it, Kono would always say things that emphasized how Uchiha were superior to everyone else.

"Ah, Natsume you're back!" After knocking on the door and not getting a response, she entered in and watched the brainwashing occur real-time. After a while, Kono finally noticed here there. As soon as she was discovered, Kono went over and hugged her. "I missed you!"

The two of them sat down together and Natsume started talking about the last few weeks without sharing too many specific details. "…The ancestral grounds are really pretty, I hope to show you one day." Natsume said offhandedly. She didn't know why there was no memory of Madara's mother, except that her death must have been expected. The future duo seemed to like comparing trauma, but Madara never mentioned his mother to Hashirama.

"I would like to go! When Madara is older, you can take us together." Kono was always optimistic and never focused on things like war or survival. She just wished to explore what the world had to offer. Unfortunately, she was born in the wrong era. "How long will you be back?"

"Most likely until the snow melts."

"Ah, will you be busy until then?" Kono seemed to understand the pattern. Her father and Tajima must have had the same pattern. Natsume thought about it and felt that visiting the mother and son duo wouldn't interfere with her activities and shook her head. Kono's eyes lit up and she grabbed Natsume's hands in excitement. "That's great! Madara will love it."

Natsume spent the rest of the day with Kono and Madara. They played together, and Natsume attempted to knit and discovered that she had a bit of talent. Although, she did cheat a little and use sharingan to Kono's displeasure. Everything Kono had made so far was not what she wanted and ended up being 'gifted' to another clansman.

The next day, Natsume went out to the archives first thing in the morning. Sahiro had also come at the same time and the two greeted each other before entering. The Uchiha that was temporarily in charge already received word ahead and time and took them to the loot room first. The pair of fuinjutsu sealed doors opened and Natsume was assaulted by the scent of scrolls and books. It was a very nostalgic scent.

She spent a few hours sorting through the most useful information and ended up finding a few sources of fuinjutsu. Most of the knowledge contained in the books was intended for practical scroll seals like storage scrolls, but it would greatly enhance her combat capabilities and give her a foundation to adapt the Four Symbols seal.

She had been given permission to take the knowledge with her and returned to her home. She promised she would spend time with Kono and Madara so she was thankful to Tajima letting her leave the library with the original copies. With three large scrolls in her hands she left the archive and headed back. Families were very active during the winter since they were the safest months. This usually meant that all the kids were let loose, which allowed them to gather together to play.

"Ne-san!" Several kids called out to her as she was walking back. They didn't know her specifically, since they were 4 or 5 years younger than her. They saw by the sword strapped to her waist that she was a shinobi, and by her age they felt she was more approachable. Natsume saw the kids and remembered when she was their age. It wasn't very long ago, but it felt like a lifetime.

"Yes?" She was very kind and smiled to the kids. One of the more nervous ones in the group smiled and puffed up his chest.

"See, I told you ne-san was nice!" "Ne, ne, can you teach us how to use chakra?" "I want to fight like Ne-san!" The kids spoke all at the same time but she just smiled and rubbed the head of the main kid that approached her. She tapped her lips as if pondering the answer which made all the kids shake in anticipation.

"Alright, I can show you. But it's not easy!"

"We can do it!" "Show us, show us!"

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