Chapter 51 – Seals Without Ink
The training ground was quiet, except for the rustling of trees. Kushina stood before Akira, her crimson hair flowing like fire. A sealing scroll lay unopened beside her.
"Akira," she said, her tone sharp but proud, "you've got the basics down. Your control is better than most seasoned shinobi. Now… we'll go beyond brush and paper. This is how the Uzumaki seal without tools."
Akira tilted his head. "Without brush or ink?"
Kushina smirked. "Heh, yup. Just chakra. But don't think it's easy. You mess this up, you might blow your own arm off. Dattebane."
She raised her hands. Chakra glowed faintly, forming delicate lines that floated in the air like streams of light. Slowly, the lines bent and interwove into a seal formula. With a push of her palm, the glowing seal embedded itself into the trunk of a tree. A faint shimmer spread, sealing the bark solid.
"Hand signs plus control," she explained. "Every line of the formula, every mark, you draw it in the air with chakra. Your chakra is the brush."
Akira's eyes glowed faintly golden. He focused, raising his hand. Carefully, he traced the start of a storage seal in the air. The line wavered at first, but his control steadied. Soon, the faint glowing pattern floated like a spider's web.
Kushina's eyes widened slightly. This brat… no hesitation at all.
"Good, good! Now finish it."
Akira pressed his palm against the glowing seal—and a rock nearby warped into the air, vanishing with a soft pop. The seal pulsed faintly before fading.
"…I did it."
"Not bad for a first try," Kushina said with a grin, though her eyes betrayed her shock. "Most jonin can't even form a single line right. You just did a full seal in one go. Tch, no wonder Minato keeps bragging about you."
Akira allowed himself the faintest smile. But inside, he understood what this meant: if he could weave seals from chakra alone, his ability to hide, protect, and strike would grow even faster.
Kushina placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Akira. This isn't just power. It's responsibility. These kinds of seals can save lives… or destroy them. So, you better not use them carelessly. Got it?"
"…Got it," he said firmly.
That night, when Akira entered the hidden dimension, Sakumo noticed faint chakra residue on his palm.
"You're walking down a dangerous road, boy," Sakumo murmured, watching him quietly.
But Akira only clenched his fist. I'll need every power I can master. One step at a time.
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