I looked at Master Shuzo, hesitation slipping into my voice. "Are you not worried, Master, that things might get bad again while we are in the middle of the process?"
He sighed, his hand tightening as he answered. "So far, after it happens, I usually remain lucid for a while. But the gaps between those episodes are growing shorter. I fear it will not be long before being lucid is the exception, not the rule. That is why we must do it now. There should be enough time before anything happens, enough to see this through. Once you have done it, you should be able to apply the technique to yourself in the future. I have written notes on the scroll about etching, and they will answer the questions you will have once the process is complete, making it easier the next time. But now, we do not have the luxury of time. I will guide you myself. Is that clear?"
I nodded.
Shuzo sent a burst of chakra into his hands, and a large toolkit appeared in a puff of smoke. He held it with both reverence and a trembling grip, his voice low and serious. "This is the final warning. This will be very painful. Are you certain?"
I did not hesitate. "I am certain."
Shuzo set the toolkit down with deliberate care, then with a puff of smoke a folded sheet appeared. He placed it on the floor between us and smoothed it flat. Inked across the surface was a complex seal, lines upon lines layered together until it looked less like a drawing and more like a living web.
"This is the seal," he said, his voice calm but sharp. "The advanced storage seal. Every line, every curve, every symbol has its place. You will etch it into your own hand, one layer at a time. I will guide you through it. Precision is the only way. Do you understand?"
I stared at the sheet. Most of the seals were familiar, yet the array still seemed alive beneath my eyes. Its spirals and chains pulled at my focus as I traced them again and again, trying to burn every line into memory.
"Luckily I can use both hands, or this would have been a disaster," I muttered with a weak chuckle, though my stomach was tight.
Shuzo gave a small nod. "We begin with the foundation ring. Copy only the outer circle. Nothing else. Keep your hand steady, breathe in rhythm, and burn it true."
I took the tool from the box, its tip glowing faintly as chakra flared through it. My palm trembled as I took a deep breath, then pressed it to the palm of my other hand. The first sting of skin being pierced was tolerable, but the moment the blade chakra tip touched my chakra network I almost screamed. Sweat broke across my brow in an instant, and I clenched my teeth to trap the sound in my throat. A hiss filled the air, the sound of flesh and chakra burning together. I forced my jaw tight and dragged the tool slowly, following the circle line for line, my body almost trembling as I fought not to cry out.
"Good," Shuzo murmured, leaning closer. "I know the pain will push you to rush, but listen to me. Do not rush. Let the pain move through you. Hold the rhythm."
I exhaled hard, finishing the circle as the sting carved deeper into me. The pain intensified with each heartbeat, but I clung to the rhythm, copying the layer exactly as he showed me.
"Now the first script inside," Shuzo instructed. He tapped the paper with a finger, showing a set of curved symbols within the ring. "Copy them in order, no mistakes. If the sequence breaks, the seal will collapse, and everything you endured will be for nothing."
The thought horrified me. My vision blurred from the sting, but I forced my hand to move slowly, each stroke its own battle. The seal grew across my skin bit by bit, blood smearing with the faint glow of chakra until the pattern seemed to come alive. For the first time I genuinely regretted chasing power so recklessly.
The process was extremely painful, to the point that I had to give every ounce of willpower I had just to keep from fainting. The agony drilled through my head with a terrifying whine, like a dentist's drill striking a nerve and refusing to stop. It was pure torture, and keeping my hand from shaking was a challenge beyond anything I had ever faced.
Minutes dragged by like hours, or perhaps they were hours. At some point I stopped keeping track, and only my will carried me forward, a thin shield to keep my mind from breaking. I clung to Master Shuzo's instructions, his voice my only anchor. Flashes of agony filled my vision, the stink of smoke and blood, my sweat dripping. His concerned face was there between the spikes of torment, but it felt far away, like a light through fog.
Then I blinked, and the seal was nearly finished. My hand was raw, the flesh throbbing with every pulse of blood. The lines etched across my palm matched the paper, but the pain only burned brighter now that the work was almost complete. I nearly gave up then and there, just to make it stop. But one last symbol remained. I gathered what little strength I had left, every ounce of resolve I could muster, and carved it in.
The instant the last mark burned into place, I ripped the tool out of my hand, wanting nothing more than to fuc*king obliterate it with every drop of lightning I could muster. I wanted to burn it to ash, scatter it, erase its existence, but my body began to shake violently, teetering on the edge of collapse. Yet at that moment something caught my attention. The completed seal glowed faint blue, light pulsing across the palm of my hand before sinking beneath the skin. Only a faint outline remained, branded into me.
Master Shuzo exhaled, sagging back. His eyes were filled with pride, but also sorrow. "That will heal but not fully fade." He paused, then sighed, his voice heavy with grief. "I am sorry that this painful process may be one of the last memories you will have of me, but you will always have this seal to remember me by."
I looked at him, my heart clenching. "Master… I am happy that we got to make a seal together, one last time."
I lay there shaking, hating every moment of what I had just done. The pain was so horrid I swore I might give up on the idea of carving any more seals into my body, no matter the promise of power. Yet I bit down on the thought, unwilling to burden the old man with it.
Sweat was dripping uncontrollably from my body as I sat trembling on the floor, too weak to rise. Master Shuzo sat across from me, his face pale and eyes vacant. The mental strain had worsened his condition. It looked like even guiding me through had drained what little stability he had left. Gratitude swelled in me, sharp and painful. He was giving up the last fragments of his mind to give me a chance, and there was no way I could ever repay him.
I stayed there, breathing shallow, watching him stare at the sealing as though he were lost inside a maze of thoughts he could not escape. The silence stretched until, at last, he blinked and pressed a hand over his eyes, grimacing.
"Master, are you feeling better now?" I asked carefully.
He shook his head. "I have a headache. I feel dizzy… and my stomach hurts more than I would like. Let us go, kid."
He was trembling almost as badly as me. I steadied myself, forcing my body to obey, and offered him my hand. Together we moved slowly toward the wall. Every step was heavy, but that was fine. I could not have moved faster even if I wanted to.
At the wall, Master Shuzo looked at me and shook his head, his expression filled with resignation. My chest clenched, but I pressed my uninjured hand to the stone, channeling chakra. The hidden door glowed faintly before sliding open. I staggered slightly as the drain hit me, alarm flaring when I felt just how low my chakra had fallen.
Guards waited just beyond the door. Relief crossed their faces the moment they saw us. "We were worried something happened in there," one said, then his eyes dropped to my shaking form, the blood-soaked bandage on my hand, and Shuzo leaning against me. He hesitated, conflicted, before offering, "I can take Master Shuzo home."
I shook my head firmly. "Let me do it, please."
The guard studied me for a moment, then gave a small smile and nodded. "Alright, kid." He gave me the directions to Master Shuzo's compound.
So I walked. Slowly, through the empty streets of Konoha, guiding my master step by step. He said nothing, his gaze fixed on the full moon, moving with the hollow rhythm of someone whose body still carried him but whose mind was slipping further away. The night air was cold, sky clear. Stars glittered overhead, and for a brief time, the world felt quiet.
Master Shuzo's lips curved into a small smile. "I am happy that one of the last marks I left in this life was teaching someone like you, kid. That is a worthy final act."
Tears blurred my vision, but I held him steady and answered, my voice breaking. "And I am happy that I had such a great master."
We walked on beneath the quiet moon, two shattered figures sharing the same weight. It was one of the cruelest days of my new life so far, yet that walk beneath the stars with my master was its gentlest gift.
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A/N: And with that, we bring Master Shuzo's mini-arc to an end. I know these chapters were heavy, but that is life. Some days lift you up and others break you down. What matters is holding on to the good moments and honoring the people who cared for you and gave you a chance, no matter how small.
If you are grieving someone, do not stay lost in that sadness forever. Remember them, celebrate their life, and keep moving forward. That is what they would have wanted.
I love you all. Stay happy, keep smiling, and live well. <3