Chapter 19

Initiating the telescope technique, Hiruzen began searching for the Nara clan's chakra signatures that he was familiar with. However, what awaited him was a foggy picture, as if the entire Nara compound was shrouded in a thick mist. Determined, Hiruzen tried to zero in on Shikaku's son's chakra signature, a familiar one. The scene changed, but it was a blank screen with no pictures. Just when Hiruzen contemplated ending the jutsu, the picture cleared, revealing the Nara clan head's home. Before he could focus on the house, he saw a child stepping out, looking directly in his direction as if monitoring him. The child waved and returned to the house, and the screen turned blank again.

Hiruzen was shell-shocked. The child must have been Kazuki, and he had detected his spying. Realizing that the kid must have extraordinary spatial awareness and had set up specialised barriers around the Nara clan, Hiruzen felt a mix of amazement and shame. A child had managed to deploy a barrier better than the entire village, which struggled to detect enemy ninjas. He knew he needed to have a talk with the kid sooner or later.

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Kumogakure, Raikage's office.

"What's the current status of Yugito? How long do you think it will take for you to break the seal?" The Raikage's voice resonated with impatience and anger.

"The fuinjutsu used is unlike anything I have witnessed before," the old man began, his tone grave. "Yugito was fortunate that the sealing ritual was not completed; the seal was only applied partially. If it had been completed, you can be sure that we would have lost the two tails. The level of sealing jutsu rivals that of the Uzumaki clan, but the base of the fuin is entirely different. It's a completely new lineage of fuin mastery, and this might prove to be a great issue for our Bijuu in the future."

The old man shared his conclusions and concerns with the Raikage. Despite his fury, the Raikage showed respect to the elderly expert. The old man belonged to the generation of Raikage's great-grandfather and had been around since the Warring States era. His vast experience and deep knowledge regarding various clans commanded reverence even in the face of the Raikage's wrath.

"Are you telling me that we might not be able to deploy the Two Tails in the future?" The Raikage's voice carried a mix of frustration and disbelief.

"No, Ay, you fail to recognise the severity of the threat. What I'm telling you is that it was heaven's luck that Yugito survived. Trying to tamper with such a complex Fuinjutsu is as good as sentencing Yugito to die. Although we may not be able to break the seal, as the seal was only partial, I believe, by my estimation, that the seal should dissipate naturally within a year. If you want to remove the seal right away, then the only solution is to get the entire sealing formula from the leaf," the old man explained calmly. He was the only one who could casually address the Fourth Raikage by name, and Ay didn't refute because the old man held the knowledge and ability to treat Ay as his junior. If not for this, the Fourth Raikage would have responded with force to anyone who dared speak to him in such a manner.

"Remember, Ay, Fuinjutsu is the most complex and difficult art to master. It is believed that Fuinjutsu arts even predate Ninjutsu itself. But once someone masters fuinjutsu, they can be the most dangerous adversaries out there. Ashina Uzumaki was one of the best examples of what a fuin master was capable of. He took down a total of seven Kage-level Shinobi before perishing, and that man was not in his prime back then, and if rumours were to be believed, he was over two hundred years old at the time of his death, and each one of those who he killed was an expert in their own field. Even under the combined siege of Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri, the Uzumaki stood strong. If not for the Leaf's betrayal and the Uzumaki being stabbed in the back, they would still be standing strong," the old man added, sharing a historical perspective on the potency of Fuinjutsu and its profound impact on the course of events.

Ay contemplated the old man's advice; this blunder wouldn't have happened if he had complete authority in the council. Although now, with the council's plans in shambles, he could assert his dominance and get the council members in line. However, he couldn't hide his frustration at almost losing one of the two Jinchuriki on this wild endeavour.

"Do we have any news from the spies? Any idea who this new Fuin master of the Leaf Village is?" The Raikage inquired, expecting some information.

None of them answered, as the head of the information department was already out of commission. It was at this time that the young assistant of the Raikage stepped forward to mitigate the awkward silence.

"Raikage-sama, from the news our spies have sent back, there doesn't seem to be any information regarding a new Fuin master. However, from going through the mission reports, it is clear that all the special seals and tags were deployed by the Jonin commander of the Leaf, Shikaku Nara. So, the new master of Fuinjutsu must have an intricate connection with the Nara family," the young assistant reported, providing the information gleaned from the available reports.

"Elder, what do you suggest? I would like to hear your input on this matter. With both our Jinchuriki temporarily out of commission, we cannot launch a full-scale offensive. The Leaf has already deployed forces on their border, so we can't launch a surprise attack as it would only be counterproductive," Ay inquired, seeking the wisdom of the council elders to formulate a plan in light of recent setbacks.

"First, we need to see if we can uncover the identity of this new Fuin master. If possible, have him join Kumo; if not, he or she is someone who needs to be eliminated, no matter the cost. Although we don't know the current prowess of the sealing master, we cannot let a second Ashina-like figure to flourish , especially if it's from a leaf, because that would be disastrous to us. I suggest you send a copy of this information to the other villages too, because it may help us down in the future, and also make sure to discreetly send a copy of this information to Danzo Shimura of the leaf. If there is someone who we could use in the leaf to our benefit, then thats him."

The elderly man advised Ay, and he excused himself from the meeting to help the sealing team research the seal on Yugito and also possibly help her relive some of the torment that she was currently going through. From his initial study, he understood that unlike the other seals that are used to restrict the Bijuu, this one was clearly designed to corrode the Bijuu chakra, so unless the Jicnchiruki continuously provides a large amount of chakra to counteract the corrosion, they would simply wither and die. This seal was targeted directly to harm the carrier rather than to seal the Bijuu, because essentially killing the Jinchiruki is like directly killing the tailed beast itself.

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Two days after Shikaku's return, deep in the Nara family compound, in a room prepared for a Fuin ritual, Tsunade, Shikaku, and the Nara family elder silently observed from behind a glass wall as Kazuki performed an advanced Iryo ninjutsu combined with various Fuinjutsu. The procedure was to assist Jin in reattaching his lost arm. Tsunade, as the foremost expert in the medical field, carefully observed every move. She knew of a few methods to regrow a lost arm and then reattach it, but they took a considerable amount of time, and the new limb might not integrate seamlessly with the body. However, Kazuki's method seemed to restore Nara Jonin's arm to 100% without any drawbacks. It was a marvel that incorporated Fuinjutsu to compensate for the original loss of vitality in the arm, something not achievable with standard Iryo ninjutsu.

"The kid is simply a marvel. At first, I came here to discuss the medical scrolls, but here he is reattaching an arm as if he's simply glueing it back on a doll. I feel like I wasted so many years studying Iryo ninjutsu when I compare myself to him," Tsunade shared her thoughts with the Nara elder as she observed as the operation neared its end.

"Come now, Tsunade-sama; you cannot say that. If you feel so, you need only ask about the countless lives that you have saved; they will tell you otherwise. And Kizuki himself praises you, saying that if there was someone who could outsmart him in the field of medicine, that would be you." Shikaku offered his humble opinion, highlighting Kazuki's admiration for Tsunade.

"Come now, Shikaku, do you expect me to be so shameless as to compete with a five-year-old, right? Do you have any idea what I was doing when I was five years old? And, at the end of the day, he is my student. So, no matter how far he grows in the future, I will share the glory," Tsunade countered in a jovial manner, boasting about her prodigious student.

As they continued their discussion, the room's door opened, and Kazuki and Jin stepped out. Jin's arm was completely bandaged and hung from a sleeve around his neck.

"Kazuki-kun, I really do owe you one for helping me get back my arm. If not, my career as a shinobi would have ended," Jin expressed his gratitude sincerely.

"Come on, Uncle Jin; you owe me more than for your arm. I heard from Uncle Shikaku that you lost the shadow puppet that I gave you. You better pay me in full, hmph," Kazuki retorted in a jovial way, showcasing his comfortable relationship within the Nara clan.

Jin could only sheepishly scratch his head with the free arm, pretending he didn't hear young Kazuki's comment.

"Jin, how are you feeling? Is there any discomfort?" Shikaku inquired, showing genuine concern as Jin was one of his close friends and they had grown up together.

"Oh, I feel like I am good as new. I should be able to return to clan duties within a couple of weeks," Jin replied after feeling his now reattached arm, optimistic about his swift recovery.

As the party returned to the main building, a Nara guard informed them that the Hokage had made a personal visit and was waiting for them at Shikaku's home. Everyone understood that this was not an official visit but a personal one, prompting only Shikaku, Tsunade, and Kazuki to walk and meet the Sandaime.

Upon entering the house, they found Sandaime leisurely enjoying tea. Shikamaru was carefully observing the old man, while Yoshino and Shizune stood by the side, ready to serve more tea if needed. Hiruzen noticed the trio entering the house and placed the teacup back down.

"Ah, Tsunade, you're here too. Come, sit. There are no strangers here. Shikaku, no need for formalities. Take your seat. I'm not here on official business, just a casual visit," the Sandaime welcomed them.

Tsunade casually walked over, took a seat, and poured herself a cup of tea. She was familiar with the Nara home, having become a regular visitor after taking Kazuki as her student. She enjoyed his cooking, so her visits were frequent.

"Kazuki Niisan, isn't this the peeping Ojiisan that you told me about earlier?" Little Shikamaru's comment dumbstruck the entire crowd. Tsunade, who was drinking tea, sprayed out a mouthful and glared at the old man with dangerous eyes. She knew that her sensei and Jiraiya had weird habits, which she hated to the bone.

"Shikamaru, what nonsense are you talking about? Apologise to Hokage-sama immediately!" Yoshino, the ever-strict mother, reprimanded Shikamaru and glared at Kazuki, who was looking at the ceiling as if the matter had no connection to him. Shikaku didn't know how to respond, and Shizune was giggling in the corner.