Chapter 8: Good Luck, Let's Eat Chicken Tonight
After laughing, Iruka thought about how to comfort Tsuruma Nobuyuki.
But before he could say anything, he was surprised to see Nobuyuki laughing as well. Without hesitation, the boy immediately started his second attempt at the technique.
Sealing Jutsu – One-Thread Light Formation: Lv1 (2/100).
Watching the experience points increase again, Nobuyuki nodded in satisfaction.
As a sealing technique, the One-Thread Light Formation didn't consume much chakra—only around twenty points per attempt.
With his current chakra extraction technique, he could perform a full extraction that would allow him to practice the jutsu six times in a row.
Even while keeping up with his normal studies and daily life, he could afford to extract chakra three times a day, giving him a total of eighteen practice attempts.
Although this method of gaining experience wasn't as fast as engaging in taijutsu battles, it was still a steady path for improvement.
And for Nobuyuki, steady progress was more than enough.
"Again!"
Adjusting his movements, he began his third attempt.
This time, there was noticeable progress.
The chakra now accurately traced the sealing patterns, maintaining their structure. However, when it came time to assemble them into a cohesive barrier, the technique still collapsed at the last moment.
Even so, this level of advancement was enough to leave Iruka impressed.
After all, it had taken him nearly half a month to reach this same stage when he was younger.
And that was when he was already sixteen years old and a Chūnin.
Yet instead of jealousy, Iruka felt genuine pride in his student's rapid improvement.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to praise and encourage Nobuyuki, his ears twitched slightly. A helpless expression crossed his face.
Nobuyuki, who had just completed his third attempt, immediately noticed Iruka's change in expression and quickly scanned the surroundings.
It didn't take long before his gaze landed on a familiar figure—hiding up in a nearby tree.
A certain blond-haired, blue-eyed troublemaker was staring at him with wide eyes.
Naruto.
The moment their gazes met, Naruto's expression stiffened.
Realizing that he had been caught, he grinned guiltily and quickly brought up a thumb in front of his mouth, gesturing for Nobuyuki to keep quiet and not tell Iruka that he was hiding there.
Nobuyuki sighed.
"Alright, stop gesturing already. Iruka-sensei has already found you."
Naruto's face twitched.
This guy's IQ was like Schrödinger's cat—sometimes sharp as a fox, sometimes unbelievably dense.
Hearing Nobuyuki's words, Naruto panicked and immediately lost his footing, sliding down from the tree in an ungraceful heap.
Although he was known for his reckless attitude, Naruto had an incredibly sharp intuition when it came to sensing hostility or rejection.
Even though Iruka had been behaving like a proper instructor these past few weeks—showing discipline and fairness—Naruto could still sense his underlying coldness.
That indifference hurt more than any scolding ever could.
So, at this young age—just six years old—Naruto was still far from the bold prankster he would become in a few years.
Instead of shamelessly laughing things off, he hesitated.
"I... uh... I couldn't sleep, so I got up early…"
"No, um..."
Naruto fumbled with his words. His excuse was so unconvincing that even he didn't believe it.
After a few seconds, he sighed in defeat, closed his eyes, and just blurted out the truth.
"Fine! I was trying to steal the ninjutsu you were learning, Nobuyuki! So what?!"
Iruka frowned.
In the ninja world, stealing techniques was a serious offense.
At worst, it could be considered an act of espionage—a crime that could lead to severe punishment.
His first instinct was to lecture Naruto immediately.
But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly recalled something Nobuyuki had said before.
"He bears the stigma of the demon fox… but he is not the demon fox."
Looking at Naruto's defensive posture—his arms crossed, his chin slightly lifted in defiance—Iruka hesitated.
In reality, Naruto wasn't afraid of getting scolded.
He had been through far worse than a simple lecture.
What scared him was being ignored.
Iruka let out a quiet sigh, walked forward, and brushed the leaves off Naruto's clothes.
His movements were careful—deliberate.
Instead of scolding Naruto, he simply said in a gentle but firm tone:
"Naruto, stealing someone else's jutsu is a serious matter."
"Don't do it again, alright?"
Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
A mixture of confusion and doubt flickered across his face.
He blinked a few times, then quickly turned his head away, as if pretending he didn't hear anything.
Nobuyuki watched the interaction with a small smile before returning to his practice.
+1 EXP!
+1 EXP!
+1 EXP!
…
Five Days Later – The Tsuruma Household
In the small courtyard outside his home, Nobuyuki took a deep breath.
He formed the necessary hand seals and channeled his chakra.
"Sealing Jutsu – One-Thread Light Formation!"
Dark ink-like sealing patterns surged outward, covering nearly half of the courtyard.
But just before completion, the formation collapsed again.
At that moment, his skill notification updated:
One-Thread Light Formation: Lv1 (99/100) → Lv2 (1/150).
Nobuyuki's mind suddenly cleared.
New insights flooded in—small details and corrections he hadn't noticed before.
Acting purely on instinct, he performed the technique again.
This time, it worked.
A fully-formed sealing barrier appeared before him.
Inside the barrier, a large rooster—tied by the leg—struggled violently.
The instant the seal activated, the bird froze in place, unable to move.
Nobuyuki grinned in triumph.
"As expected of sealing techniques," he muttered. "Not only are they complex, but they give almost no feedback until they're fully formed."
"If a normal ninja couldn't see their progress, they'd probably give up before reaching this stage."
This was exactly why sealing techniques were so rare.
Despite their incredible potential, very few people had the patience or dedication to master them.
But for Nobuyuki, patience wasn't a problem.
He had taken his first major step in learning sealing techniques.
At the very least…
He was no longer just regular cannon fodder.
Now, he was high-level cannon fodder!
Iruka, who had been silently watching from a distance, gave him an approving nod. "Not bad, Nobuyuki."
Nobuyuki smirked.
"Good luck, good fortune…"
He walked over to the still-frozen rooster and picked it up.
"…Let's eat chicken tonight!"
Holding the bird by its wings, he shouted toward the kitchen:
"Mom! Let's have chicken for dinner!"
Hearing his voice, his mother quickly stepped out of the kitchen.
Compared to how she had looked half a month ago, her expression was noticeably softer and more at ease.
She took the rooster from Nobuyuki's hands and smiled warmly.
"You've already finished your training?" she asked. "You're really amazing, Nobuyuki."
She sighed as she filled a basin with hot water, preparing to clean the rooster.
"When your father was still alive, I remember him spending half a year trying to learn a new ninjutsu… and still failing in the end."
Nobuyuki smiled and didn't say anything.
His mother, however, seemed eager to talk.
As she worked, she chatted about daily life, mentioning how neighbors who once ignored them were suddenly being friendly.
After a while, Nobuyuki, feeling lazy from the warm atmosphere, casually asked:
"…Mom, everyone calls you 'Nobuyuki's mother'—but I don't think I've ever asked… What's your name?"