Chapter 7: The Meeting

Raiden sat quietly in the center of the Uzumaki family's private training hall, his heart racing with anticipation. Today was the day he would meet the teacher who would take his training to the next level. His father had spoken highly of the man, and Raiden had spent the past two days imagining what kind of figure he would be. Perhaps a battle-hardened shinobi, or a wise scholar whose knowledge of fūinjutsu surpassed all others.

The sliding doors creaked open, pulling Raiden from his thoughts. His father stood nearby, calm and composed, as a tall man with long silver hair and sharp red eyes entered. The elder's posture was upright, his crimson Uzumaki eyes reflecting decades of experience and wisdom. His presence commanded attention without him uttering a single word.

"This is Takeshi Uzumaki," Raiden's father said, his tone carrying respect. "The former advisor to your grandfather, and one of the finest masters of fūinjutsu our clan has ever known."

Raiden's eyes widened. Takeshi Uzumaki was a name he had heard only in stories, a man whose wisdom and expertise had guided the Uzumaki Clan through some of its most difficult times. Though no longer in the front lines of leadership, Takeshi was known as a master of seals, unmatched in his ability to wield the complex art of fūinjutsu.

Takeshi's gaze settled on Raiden, studying him closely. "So, you're the one eager to learn," he said, his voice steady, deep, and filled with a quiet authority. "But eagerness alone is not enough. Before we begin, I need to see where you stand."

Before Raiden could respond, the door slid open once again, and a shinobi entered, bowing low before Raiden's father. "My lord," the shinobi said urgently, "there's an emergency that requires your immediate attention."

Raiden's father exchanged a glance with Takeshi before turning to Raiden. "I must leave for now," he said, his voice firm but reassuring. "Listen to everything Takeshi teaches you. He will guide you well."

With that, Raiden's father swept out of the room, leaving Raiden alone with Takeshi. The air in the hall felt heavy, the silence thick with unspoken expectations.

Takeshi folded his arms and looked down at Raiden with those sharp crimson eyes. "Tell me," he said, "what do you think you know about fūinjutsu and shinobi training?"

Raiden took a deep breath and began recounting everything he had learned so far. He spoke of chakra control exercises, like the leaf concentration exercise and tree climbing, and of his self-taught attempts at fūinjutsu. He explained his struggle with the chakra suppression seal and how none of his attempts had been successful.

Takeshi listened in silence, his expression never changing. When Raiden finished, he shook his head slightly. "Forget all of it," Takeshi said, his tone firm but calm.

Raiden blinked in confusion. Forget it? He had spent months learning these techniques, pushing himself beyond what most of the children his age were doing. "But I—"

"You're rushing," Takeshi interrupted. "You've tried to teach yourself without laying the foundation. Fūinjutsu isn't something you can master through guesswork and hope. The fundamentals must be drilled into your very being."

Raiden felt a flush of embarrassment but nodded, realizing that Takeshi was right. He had been so eager to learn advanced techniques that he had skipped the basics, hoping to make quick progress.

Takeshi walked over to a low table where a scroll was laid out. He unrolled it, revealing a series of intricate symbols, characters, and strokes that Raiden didn't fully recognize. "This is the alphabet of seals," Takeshi said. "Every seal you will ever use, from the simplest to the most complex, is made from these symbols."

Raiden stared at the scroll. The characters were beautifully crafted, each symbol seeming to flow into the next. He had seen some of these markings before in the library scrolls, but now that he was looking at them in full detail, he realized he didn't truly understand how they worked.

"For your first lesson," Takeshi continued, "you will write each of these symbols ten thousand times."

Raiden's eyes widened in disbelief. "T-ten thousand?" He had expected rigorous training, but this seemed excessive. "Isn't that a bit too much?"

Takeshi's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone sharpening. "Fūinjutsu is not an art of shortcuts, boy. Every stroke you make must be precise. Every character must flow with the correct amount of chakra. If you cannot master these basic symbols, then every seal you attempt to make will be flawed."

Raiden swallowed hard, understanding the gravity of Takeshi's words. If he wanted to be strong, truly strong, then he needed to start from the foundation. No matter how long it took. "I understand," Raiden said, his voice filled with determination.

Without wasting another moment, he grabbed a brush and dipped it into the ink. His hand moved slowly, tracing the first symbol. It felt awkward, unrefined. He could sense his own lack of skill as he struggled to maintain the right chakra flow with each stroke.

Takeshi watched silently, sipping tea as he glanced out of the open window. The quiet chirping of birds was the only sound filling the room, apart from the soft scratch of Raiden's brush on parchment.

By the time Raiden had completed a few hundred symbols, his hand began to cramp, and his focus wavered. He pressed forward, but his strokes became sloppy, the lines of the characters no longer as crisp or precise as they should have been.

Noticing Raiden's growing frustration, Takeshi spoke up. "Stop."

Raiden froze, pulling his hand back from the scroll. His fingers ached, and his mind felt dull from the intense concentration he had poured into the symbols.

"Fūinjutsu requires more than just physical stamina," Takeshi said. "It requires mental clarity. Pushing yourself beyond your limit will only lead to mistakes. When you feel your mind tiring, you must clear it."

Takeshi placed his teacup down and walked over to Raiden. "You will meditate," he instructed. "Before you continue, you must calm your mind."

Raiden nodded, eager to learn anything that would help him improve. Takeshi guided him to sit in a meditative posture. "Sit with your back straight," he instructed. "Your hands should rest lightly on your knees, palms facing up. Breathe slowly, deeply, through your nose."

Raiden followed Takeshi's instructions, adjusting his posture and slowing his breath. Takeshi sat beside him, demonstrating the process with practiced ease. "As you breathe, focus only on the sensation of the air entering and leaving your body. Let go of all other thoughts. Your goal is not to empty your mind, but to bring your focus into alignment with your breath. Let the world around you fade away."

Raiden closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. At first, his thoughts raced—he couldn't stop thinking about the symbols he had just written, the mistakes he had made, and the daunting task ahead of him. But slowly, with each breath, his thoughts began to quiet.

Minutes passed. The tension in his body began to fade, replaced by a calm clarity. His mind, which had been clouded with frustration moments ago, now felt clear.

Takeshi watched him closely, nodding slightly in approval. "When your mind is clear, you will find that your chakra flows more naturally," Takeshi said softly. "Now, continue."

Raiden opened his eyes, feeling refreshed. He returned to the scroll and picked up the brush again, his hand steadier this time. He began tracing the symbols once more, and although he was still far from perfect, he could feel the difference. His strokes were smoother, more controlled, and his chakra flowed more easily into each character.

The road ahead was long, but Raiden understood now. Mastery of fūinjutsu wasn't just about power or speed—it was about precision, clarity, and discipline.