Examination

Inside Sealing Jutsu Sensei's office.

Natsuhiko, while preparing a simple test to assess Kushina's proficiency, said to her, "It will take me a little time to prepare the questions. Please find a place to sit first. Oh, by the way, would you like something to drink? How about fruit juice?"

"Thank you," Kushina quickly nodded like a pup. After being suspended in the air for a long time, she was quite thirsty, but she had refrained from mentioning it.

Since Natsuhiko offered, Kushina naturally didn't refuse. However, she added a comment after patting her hair, "As long as it's not tomato juice."

"..." Natsuhiko sighed inwardly, silently cursing, "Come on, Kushina, don't hold a grudge against tomatoes just because someone called you 'tomato' in the past! You'll miss out on delicious dishes like tomato and eggs, tomato beef stew, stir-fried tomatoes, and many others! By the way, are tomatoes even considered fruits?"

Unaware of Kushina's peculiar expression, Natsuhiko continued, "No problem. Anything but tomato juice, right?"

After saying that, he extended his left hand forward and formed a unique hand seal. A card shot out from his sleeve and was caught between his index and middle fingers, accompanied by a faint mechanical sound.

Kushina curiously looked at the card in Natsuhiko's hand. The card was densely packed with rune technique formulas, and in the central circular blank space, there was a large character, "瓜" (gua), meaning melon.

Natsuhiko then placed the card on the table and formed a seal with his right hand. The next moment, the card burst open with a small "pop" sound, releasing a white smoke. After the smoke cleared, two red beverages in elegant glass appeared on the table, emitting a cold mist from their rims.

"Iced watermelon juice," Natsuhiko said, after skillfully creating two cups of watermelon juice.

"..." Kushina's small mouth slightly opened, unsure of what to say for a moment. Her thoughts fluctuated between "Is this it?" and "Wow, impressive!" The technique was obviously brilliant, but the presention was so down-to-earth, creating a subtle disparity.

If Umino were to hear Kushina's thoughts, he would most likely agree with her. He had a similar feeling when he saw Natsuhiko using barrier jutsu as an umbrella.

Natsuhiko, unaware of Kushina's puzzled expression, continued with his explanation while attending to his own business.

"When I used to go on missions outside, I liked to collect unique things from each place. This melon juice is actually sold by a tea and fruit shop in the Daimyo's estate. I didn't like the taste of their tea fruit, but their fruit juices suited my taste. So, when I left, I packed a lot."

Seeing Kushina staring at the two cups of watermelon juice in surprise, Natsuhiko added, "Because it's sealed with Sealing Jutsu, you don't have to worry about it spoiling. Feel free to drink."

Finished with his explanation, Natsuhiko lifted one cup of watermelon juice, took a sip, then sat down at his desk, looking for pens and paper to prepare some questions for Kushina.

Kushina, observing Natsuhiko, followed him and took a sip of the refreshing red liquid. The sweet and cool juice slid down her parched throat, giving her an instant sense of relief, dissipating the fatigue from earlier. Feeling somewhat guilty for having lost control, she glanced at Natsuhiko, who was focused on preparing questions, and sighed in relief when she realised he hadn't noticed.

However, unbeknownst to her, Natsuhiko, with his head down, had a faint smile playing on his lips.

Kushina then curiously looked at the now-blank card on the table. Although the shape and style were a bit different, she was familiar with the essence of the card—a sealed scroll. Making a sealed scroll so compact was not an easy feat.

Indeed, this Natsuhiko was proving to be quite challenging to deal with. Umino likely had a similar sentiment when he saw Natsuhiko using barrier jutsu as an umbrella, there was this former deceased Sealing Jutsu sensei's knack for elaborate traps.

Were all Sealing Jutsu senseis at the Ninja Academy monsters?

Moreover, he's around the same age as me. Kushina felt a slight sense of inferiority.

Is Natsuhiko the Sealing Jutsu genius Grandma Mito mentioned?

Although a bit discouraged, Kushina quickly adjusted her mindset. She wasn't particularly fond of Sealing Jutsu; she only learned it due to the responsibilities she carried. Therefore, she didn't have a strong competitive spirit toward Natsuhiko.

In fact, beyond Natsuhiko's Sealing Jutsu strength, Kushina was more interested in his experiences. Upon learning that Natsuhiko had been to many places, she couldn't help but show a trace of envy on her face.

"It's great. Since I came to Konoha, I haven't really gone out much. It's so boring," she said.

Due to possessing a very special chakra within the Uzumaki Clan, Kushina had strong suppression abilities against Tailed Beasts. This made her the number one candidate to become the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Therefore, even after graduating from the Ninja Academy and becoming an official Konoha ninja, Kushina could only move around in the vicinity of Konoha. She was restricted from venturing far away, especially now that Mito-sama, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the First-Kage, was experiencing weakening health. Kushina was essentially confined to Konoha, only allowed to take on trivial D-Rank missions within the village.

Kushina, with her free-spirited nature, naturally detested this situation. Compared to the dull and tasteless days her time at the Academy, despite the challenges she faced, seemed to be adorned with a Level 10 beauty filter making it colourful and lively. At least back then, she could pass the time by beating up some brats.

So, when she got the opportunity to work as an assistant, Kushina accepted it without hesitation.

Hearing Kushina's complaints, Natsuhiko, still preparing the exam questions, responded casually, "In contrast, I rarely returned to the village after graduating. I even miss it a bit."

Following this topic, the two engaged in a casual conversation. Natsuhiko shared amusing incidents that happened during missions outside, while Kushina recounted events within the village over the past few years.

Gradually, the two became more acquainted.

Not long after, Natsuhiko finished preparing the test papers. He stood up, handed the papers and a pen to Kushina, and said, "The questions get more and more challenging as you proceed, so don't force yourself to answer all of them. There's no time limit; just let me know when you're done."

"Got it."

Kushina finished her juice in one go, then sat up straight, picked up the pen, and began to look at the questions.

The first question was a phonetic one, requiring her to annotate the pronunciation of the runes drawn on the paper. This was considered basic Sealing Jutsu, and Kushina quickly solved it.

The second question was a fill-in-the-blank, where she had to complete missing runes based on the context of the rune technique formulas. This was indeed more challenging than the first question.

However, as someone with a formal education in Sealing Jutsu, Kushina quickly recognized that these rune technique formulas were extracted from a series of light formations. Thus, she effortlessly completed the task.

After finishing this question, Kushina's confidence soared through the skies. Considering the possibility of increased difficulty in the subsequent questions, it shouldn't be too difficult for her.

Encouraging herself, Kushina thought, "Yosh! I'll definitely perform well and redeem my image."

Moving on, Kushina rapidly answered several more questions, smoothly like a hot knife cutting through butter. Even as the difficulty gradually increased, it didn't stop Kushina's progress.

Until she came across one question.

[今有雉兔同笼,上有三十五头,下有94 足,问雉兔各几何?]

Kushina: (⊙_☉)?

Thank you to the readers for their support, and special thanks to those who provided recommendations and votes. This chapter is complete.

(End of the chapter)

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