Chapter 133

"So, what do you think, Jiraiya? Not bad, right?" Hui asked calmly, as if he'd just tossed an ordinary shuriken rather than a powerful sage technique.

Jiraiya snapped out of his shock, though he remained tense, unable to find the words to respond. 

Finally, he forced a laugh and stammered, "Uh, actually, I just remembered—Sarutobi-sensei was looking for me. I've got to run!"

With that, he turned and darted away as fast as he could, as if a mythical beast were chasing him. Hui couldn't help but smile as he watched Jiraiya flee.

When it came to showing off, Hui was unbeatable.

"Alright, so sage jutsu is coming along nicely. Now, what should I focus on next?" he wondered aloud, briefly at a loss. "Right—sealing jutsu!"

His eyes lit up as he remembered the next thing he needed to work on. 

Until recently, Konoha had possessed only a limited number of sealing techniques, and none were particularly powerful.

 But after the recent alliance with the Uzumaki Clan following the Uzushiogakure incident, Konoha's Sealing Scroll had gained some impressive new additions. 

These sealing jutsu served as part of the Uzumaki's contribution to Konoha, a show of commitment as they sought to integrate into the village.

With his goal in mind, Hui headed directly to the Hokage's office. 

After explaining his request to Tobirama, it took only a few minutes before Hui had one of Konoha's most treasured possessions in his hands: the Scroll of Seals.

Opening it, he couldn't help but notice that Tobirama himself had authored most of the jutsu inside. It was no wonder he was called the Master of Forbidden Jutsu.

"Got it!"

Hui's eyes brightened as he found the section contributed by the Uzumaki Clan. "Four Symbols Seal, Five Elements Seal, Eight Trigrams Seal… Ah, these all sound familiar."

He pushed down a momentary feeling of nostalgia, then settled in to study the new techniques. 

Sealing jutsu was unquestionably powerful in the shinobi world. However, their learning curve was steep, and those without strong comprehension could hardly hope to master them. 

While Hui's aptitude was exceptional, even he couldn't grasp sealing jutsu at a glance.

Hours passed as he pored over the scroll, and only when the sky turned a dusky yellow with the setting sun did he close the scroll, rubbing his temples.

"No wonder people call sealing techniques profound and limitless. Just learning these jutsu is challenging enough, let alone modifying them. It'll take a lot of time and effort... But that's fine. Time is something I have plenty of."

He packed up the Scroll of Seals and headed home, intending to seek out Mito Uzumaki for guidance. 

After all, she was the Uzumaki princess and the most knowledgeable person in sealing jutsu in the shinobi world. Learning from her would surely be more effective than relying solely on his own study.

Unbeknownst to Hui, shortly after he left his training spot, a dark figure emerged, looking thoughtfully in the direction he had gone.

"A truly remarkable young shinobi," it murmured. "Not a reincarnation of Indra or Asura, yet capable of reaching such heights. I'll have to plan carefully…"

Back in the Senju compound, Hui returned just in time to spot his "little brother-in-law" Nawaki coming home as well.

"Brother-in-law!" Nawaki's face lit up, and he ran over. He idolized Hui.

"How's the academy going, Nawaki?" Hui asked, ruffling his hair affectionately. 

He enjoyed Nawaki's energy and enthusiasm, which reminded him of Naruto's spirit from the future.

"The stuff they teach at the academy? I already know it all! I'm going to graduate early, just like you did!" Nawaki declared proudly, admiration shining in his eyes.

Hui's reputation had spread across the entire shinobi world, and in Konoha, his story was well-known. 

Many young shinobi aspired to follow in his footsteps, and early graduation had even become something of a trend among Konoha's ninja academy students. 

However, in these peaceful times, there was no pressing need to rush genin to the battlefield. Only exceptionally gifted students, or those close to the graduation age, were allowed to finish early.

Hui didn't truly want Nawaki to graduate early, though. He believed children should have a full and carefree childhood.

"Haha, alright! I'll look forward to hearing good news, then," he replied with a smile, holding Nawaki's hand as they walked together into the Senju compound.

"Don't worry, Brother-in-law! I'll become the 'Tree Emperor' one day and sweep across the shinobi world, defeating all enemies!" Nawaki declared confidently.

Hui's smile faltered slightly. He knew he probably shouldn't have shared certain heroic stories with Nawaki, as it had given him grandiose dreams of becoming the "Tree Emperor" and crushing all opponents. 

His influence had sent Nawaki's ambitions soaring in a somewhat… unusual direction.

"Alright, future Tree Emperor," Hui said, stifling a chuckle. "Go get ready for dinner."

After Nawaki left, Hui made his way to Mito Uzumaki's quarters.

Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails within Mito stirred in silent contemplation. 

If it had once thought Hui seemed inhuman, now the Nine-Tails was certain: this boy was no ordinary human.

"It's only been sixteen years, yet this kid has grown this much. Before long, he might reach the level of Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju…" 

The Nine-Tails brooded darkly. "But if that happens, what will become of me? Am I really doomed to spend eternity bound inside a human?"

It thought back to those men—the ones who had so easily controlled it, who could hold it down with a single hand and yet deem it "too strong." 

A wave of despair washed over it. Its fate seemed sealed, its future eternally shadowed, much like the dark, damp cell it now inhabited.

Just then, Hui entered Mito's room, finding her lost in thought as she gazed at an old photograph. The picture was of a man with long, wild hair—Hashirama Senju.

She seemed so absorbed in her memories, stroking the photo with her wrinkled hand, a gentle smile on her face, recalling moments of happiness. Seeing this, Hui's expression grew serious.

Since gaining his life-manipulating eye ability, Hui had become sensitive to life force and could now see that Mito's life was fading, like a candle guttering in the wind. At most, she had three years left to live.

Hui knew he could use his eyes to extend her life a little, but he had no plans to do so. In this world, souls were real, and for Mito, death would mean reuniting with Hashirama. 

Hui sensed that Mito had already accepted the idea of death and was simply lingering to watch over her loved ones and the village a little longer.

Understanding this, Hui decided he would not interfere.

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