After the first class in the afternoon, Souta Kiryuu once again sought out Nimura Ryusei and received the detailed notes on the Nine Syllable Hand Seals.
After carefully reading through them, Souta couldn't help but sigh inwardly."As expected… the Nine Syllable Hand Seals are far more profound. Even the explanations are so cryptic—it's hard to grasp their meaning."
For example:
The Rin seal was said to embody the power to keep one's body and spirit immovable.
The Pyō seal symbolized life force, longevity, and vigor—granting both vitality and speed.
The Tō seal represented bravery and fearlessness, the surge of fighting spirit when faced with adversity, and the strength to overcome all obstacles.
The Sha seal carried the power to freely control both one's own body and even the bodies of others—an expression of all living beings' spiritual essence.
When he read the annotation for the Sha seal, Souta immediately thought of Might Guy forming that very seal before unleashing the Daytime Tiger.
"That must be it—the freedom to unleash the body's full strength, to deliver the ultimate strike."
He couldn't resist glancing toward Might Guy, who was sitting nearby, fully focused on the lecture.
The more Souta pondered the Nine Syllable Seals, the more fascinating they seemed. They were far more intriguing than the twelve basic seals.
But he wondered: in this shinobi world, did these seals originate with Indra himself, or were they an even older power that had always existed?
Something akin to Senjutsu, perhaps.
Drawing his wandering thoughts back, Souta continued studying.
The Kai seal: the ability to perceive and manipulate the human heart, to dispel all mental disturbances.
At once, Souta thought of genjutsu—the arts of illusion and release.
Among the twelve basic seals, the Tiger sign was most often used to dispel genjutsu.
He reasoned that the "heart" mentioned here extended to spiritual power itself—which tied directly into genjutsu. Both casting and dispelling illusions should be possible through this seal.
Next was the Jin seal: clarity of vision, the ability to perceive and penetrate the hearts of others.
Again, it was linked to the mind.
The Retsu seal: a power of unstoppable advance, to ignore all barriers.
"The ability to bypass all obstacles… could this mean space-time?" Souta mused silently, before shaking his head and reading on.
The Zai seal: freedom to wield all supernatural forces.
Souta raised an eyebrow."This must be the seal Tobirama Senju used in his water-style techniques, right? If the meaning is accurate, it wouldn't be limited to water release. Lightning, earth, fire, and wind could all apply."
He recalled the reanimated Tobirama's battle with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Tobirama's control over water had been absolute.
Even when Hiruzen hid behind towering earth walls, Tobirama could still reverse the flow of water to strike from behind.
That was no simple feat.
No—most water-style masters couldn't have done it.
After all, water once spilled can never return.
Finally:
The Zen seal, described as transcending all realms, uniting with the infinite.
When Souta read that annotation, he almost wanted to drag the author out and demand they explain it in plain words.
After roughly going over the Nine Syllable Seals and jotting down his interpretations, Souta returned to his study of the twelve basic seals.
Shizune, watching from the side, noticed him practicing the Nine Syllable Seals and couldn't help but look puzzled.
That afternoon, after school, Shizune visited Tsunade's home. Seeing that her teacher wasn't yet drunk, she asked:"Lady Tsunade, do you know what the nine seals—Rin, Pyō, Tō, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen—are actually used for?"
Tsunade lifted her head from her drink, slightly flushed."The Nine Syllable Seals? Since when did the Academy start teaching that?"
Shizune quickly explained:"The instructors haven't taught them yet, and the textbooks don't include any annotations."
Tsunade gave a faint smile."That's because my grandfather added them into the curriculum when he wrote the manuals. They're not important—you won't ever need to use those seals."
She herself had never used them, nor bothered to study them.
The twelve basic hand seals were already more than enough.
Shizune nodded, though she seemed as though she wanted to ask more.
Noticing, Tsunade took another sip, burped lightly, and continued:"Once you've mastered the twelve, you'll naturally be able to shape them to your own style. You might even come to use single-handed seals, depending on your habits.
"As for the Nine Syllable Seals, my grandfather once said they do carry unique powers, but they're extremely difficult to master. Even he only managed to use a few of them effectively.
"The twelve basics are simple to synchronize with chakra. The nine aren't."
With that, Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, her tone impatient."Forget about those seals. Focus on mastering the twelve."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune said quickly, not daring to push further.
As the sun set, Souta returned home, dragging his tired body behind him.
Though he spent his days at school, he hadn't neglected his personal training. He still practiced Battōjutsu—the art of the iai slash—as well as the Rasengan.
After soaking comfortably in the bath for half an hour, his fatigue melted away.
Following dinner, Souta returned to his room and unfurled an old scroll on his desk.
It was something his grandfather had left behind.
So when he'd told Ryusei-sensei about his grandfather's notes mentioning chakra's nature and shape transformations, it hadn't been a lie.
The truth, however, was that his grandfather had only left him a single jutsu.
Water Release: Water Surge!
It was also the only offensive technique Souta had mastered from those future ten years.
Naturally, he was more than familiar with it.
Boar → Snake → Ox → Ram → Rooster → Rat.
Six seals in total—not too many.
At full speed, he could form them all in about a second.
But even so, Souta thought it was too many.
"Simplifying hand seals will start with this jutsu.
"And testing the Nine Syllable Seals will start here as well."
As for the Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Techniques, their seals were already simple enough.
Time flew.
Unnoticed, two months passed.
One day after school, just as Souta stepped outside the gate, a familiar fiery voice rang out:"Kakashi! Let's have a youthful showdown!
"If I lose, I'll add another five hundred laps on my handstand training!"
Souta turned to see Might Guy blocking Kakashi's path.
Kakashi, face calm as always, nodded."Fine. How do you want to compete?"
Guy was about to answer when another voice joined in."How about including me as well?"
Souta stepped forward.
After two months, everyone had grown familiar with each other. While not close friends, the bonds had formed.
Seeing the class genius joining in, Guy flashed his brilliant white smile."Of course! Isn't that right, Kakashi?"
Kakashi glanced at Souta, then gave a simple nod."No problem."
Souta grinned."Then let's make it a race. From here to the village gates—whoever arrives first wins."
Guy, burning with spirit, slammed his fists together."Excellent! That's decided!"
Kakashi nodded his agreement.
At that moment, Nohara Rin stepped forward with a cheerful smile."I'll be the one to give the signal, then!"
"Thanks, Rin," Souta replied warmly.
Nearby, Uchiha Obito also wanted to participate, but seeing that Souta, Kakashi, and Guy were already lined up, he hesitated, too embarrassed to speak.
"Three… two… one…"
Rin counted down, then shouted:"Go!"
With her cry, the three figures shot off at once, kicking up clouds of dust in their wake.