As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.
"From this day forward, Izumi will be studying here with me. I'll teach her everything I know—but how far she can go will depend entirely on her own effort."
Haruno Shō began with a light smile, but his tone shifted into solemn seriousness as he addressed the three Fujimotos before him.
"Under Brother Shō's guidance, I'll do my best—truly! I won't disappoint anyone's expectations…"
After several days together, Izumi had become quite familiar with him. As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately knelt in a deep dogeza bow to express her gratitude to her savior.
"Lord Shō—this is Izumi's apprentice gift."
When she sat up again, Fujimoto Kai suddenly produced a scroll from his side and offered it to Shō.
It was the Fujimoto family's secret ninjutsu—or more accurately, a fragment of the Senju clan's esoteric techniques.
Since Shō would now be Izumi's teacher, they had no choice but to entrust her future to him completely.
After the Fujimoto family departed, Shō finally opened the scroll he had just received.
"Oh… this is impressive."
"As expected of the Senju…"
Knowing the details of Kai's lineage, Shō couldn't help but let out a pleased sigh. He privately congratulated himself: taking Izumi as his student had definitely been the right decision.
Not only had he gained a disciple with exceptional talent—he had also collected precious blood and tissue samples, and now he had even received a piece of the Senju's secret arts as a gift.
He would've been a fool not to be pleased.
"However… research on sealing techniques has become urgent too."
Upon examining the scroll closely, Shō discovered that it documented several high-level fuinjutsu.
Three-Point Seal:A sealing technique that incorporates Shadow Clones to form a triangular formation capable of immobilizing an enemy.
Four Symbols Seal:A powerful method using the cyclical power of the Four Symbols to seal malevolent forces.It leaves a marking on the target's body or object, allowing dangerous foes to be sealed for extended periods.
Five Elements Seal:A rare technique requiring mastery of all five chakra natures—Lightning, Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth—making it extremely difficult to learn and even harder to break.
Eight Trigrams Seal:Formed from two Four Trigrams Seals—an enhanced iteration of the base technique.
Fire Sealing Method:A supportive fuinjutsu used to seal all Fire-style techniques into a scroll.Shō guessed this had likely been developed specifically by the Senju to counter the Uchiha clan.
Cursed Seal Method:Uses a formula-like curse mark to suppress an opponent's chakra.The sealing pattern manifests visibly on the target's body.It comes in "odd" and "even" variations, each with different effects.
With these detailed sealing arts—and combined with Minato Namikaze's old notes—Shō felt confident that he could soon begin serious study of fuinjutsu.
"A true harvest."
"As long as my sealing skills advance far enough… I'll definitely be able to open that Uzumaki scroll."
And once he did, his mastery of sealing techniques would undoubtedly take another huge leap.
The enormous scroll he had found in the Fourth Hokage's bedroom contained a seal so intricate that, until now, he couldn't decipher it.He strongly suspected it was related to Kushina Uzumaki's personal sealing legacy—otherwise the seal wouldn't have been so formidable.
But now, with the Senju scroll in hand, the day he could break that seal felt closer than ever.
During the Third Hokage's administration, the number of civilian shinobi in the Leaf had skyrocketed. Yet the Academy taught only the bare minimum—just the simplest foundational techniques.As a result, most civilian shinobi were little more than expendable foot soldiers.
Meanwhile, the ninja clans—supported by their inherited jutsu—remained the village's backbone and dominated key positions in every department.
Back when he was young, Shō had chosen the path of the medical nin to avoid becoming cannon fodder.Now, he had finally found his footing, rising to the rank of Special Jōnin and securing his place within Konoha Hospital.
Most of his civilian classmates had already died.The few who survived were crippled or permanently injured, their ninja careers long over.
Just thinking about it was chilling.
The life of a shinobi was terrifyingly fragile.
Civilian ninja were nothing but easily replaced tools for the village elite.
To protect himself, Shō had always tread with caution.
Outwardly, he remained a dutiful cog in Konoha's medical system.But in secret, he devoured every piece of knowledge he could find, slowly accumulating power.
He had always understood one truth:
Only overwhelming strength could guarantee survival in the world of shinobi.