Chapter 18: Obtaining the Sealing Tag
Yamanaka Shin then looked at Kaito seriously and said, "Alright, kid, let's assess how much natural talent you have for becoming a Sensor-type. If your aptitude is poor, then I won't waste either of our time teaching you, and you shouldn't pursue this path."
He first explained to Kaito the fundamental responsibilities of a Sensor-type ninja and the basic principles of chakra detection.
Then he instructed Kaito to enter a meditative state and guided him on how to perceive his own chakra field.
It took Kaito nearly half an hour of concentrated effort to successfully sense his chakra field for the first time.
Yamanaka Shin's detailed explanations were extremely helpful in achieving this breakthrough.
Afterward, Yamanaka Shin conducted several tests to measure the extent of Kaito's chakra field.
After completing a series of assessments, he concluded that Kaito's chakra field had a radius of approximately 7.3 meters.
Yamanaka Shin commented with mild approval, "7.3 meters—not bad at all. The chakra field of an average shinobi typically ranges from 4 to 5 meters. Within my Yamanaka Clan, if a young person's natural chakra field exceeds 7 meters, we actively train them to become Sensor-types."
"As for other Konoha shinobi who aren't from sensor-specialized clans, the minimum requirement for training is 5.9 meters, though that's barely adequate. Many members of the Yamanaka Clan possess chakra fields exceeding 10 meters even before they begin formal sensor training."
He paused, studying Kaito carefully, and continued, "Becoming a skilled Sensor-type requires extensive dedicated training, so are you absolutely certain you still want to pursue this specialization?"
Kaito quickly processed all this information and nodded with determination.
Yamanaka Shin said, "Very well, then I'll train you properly. However, the process of developing sensor abilities is quite complex and requires specialized facilities. We'll need appropriate training grounds with the proper equipment. I'll take you to where Konoha's Sensor Corps trains. Starting tomorrow, arrive there every day at 10:30 AM sharp."
Genki nodded to his former classmate in appreciation. He looked at Kaito and added, "The Hokage will have the Gravity Seal tags you requested ready by tomorrow. Report to his office at 6 PM."
Kaito nodded respectfully. "Thank you, sensei."
Afterward, he accompanied Yamanaka Shin to view the training facility location.
The site was positioned slightly away from the main residential district, situated in the midst of Konoha's numerous small forest areas.
Kaito carefully memorized the route to the training location, then bid farewell and departed for home.
The next day at 10:28 AM, Kaito arrived punctually at the training facility.
He noticed that Yamanaka Shin was already waiting there.
Upon entering, Kaito observed that the facility contained numerous individual training rooms.
Most of the building was empty—there were actually very few people present at this hour.
However, Kaito noticed that several rooms were currently occupied and in use.
Yamanaka Shin explained, "These specialized rooms are completely isolated from external stimuli. Fuinjutsu barrier seals eliminate all sound and scent within the chambers. Therefore, you must rely entirely on your chakra-sensing abilities to detect objects and presences."
Kaito listened attentively as Yamanaka Shin explained the setup. He thought, I see. This must be where most of Konoha's Sensor Corps members train. Those other occupied rooms probably contain students or active-duty sensors maintaining their skills.
Kaito vaguely recalled that Konoha also operated a Sensory Division facility that continuously monitored the village's barrier perimeter, detecting intruders and suspicious chakra signatures. Though that particular installation had only appeared in Shippuden, not during Part 1.
Kaito was curious whether that facility already existed currently, or if it would be established later.
Yamanaka Shin led Kaito to one of the vacant training rooms.
The chamber was completely dark inside. All the walls were painted matte black to eliminate visual references. The room was also quite spacious.
After Yamanaka Shin entered with Kaito, he explained the training methodology for developing pure chakra-sensing ability. He instructed:
"You'll be blindfolded inside this room, and once the barrier seals activate, all sound and scent within the chamber will be suppressed completely. Afterward, various objects will be placed around the room at different positions and distances. These training objects have small amounts of chakra sealed within them specifically for Sensor-types to detect."
Yamanaka Shin continued, "So your task is to detect and locate these objects using only your chakra field. I'll initially place them just 3 meters away from your position, then progressively increase the range to 5 meters, then to 7 meters. Once you've mastered detection at your current field limit, I'll teach you techniques to expand your chakra field's radius."
Kaito understood the training progression and thanked him sincerely.
Kaito began his first training session, which lasted until 12:30 PM, but he made absolutely no progress in actually detecting the objects.
At that point, Yamanaka Shin concluded the session for the day.
He explained they would train here for 2 hours every day and provided some helpful tips that should facilitate gradual improvement.
He also offered some encouraging words to Kaito, telling him not to become discouraged, as developing these sensory abilities couldn't be accomplished in just a day or two—it required patient, consistent practice.
He also handed Kaito a small cube-shaped object about the size of a dice. He explained, "This is one of the chakra-infused training objects I want you to learn to sense. You can temporarily borrow this to practice at home. Although home practice won't block your natural senses of smell and hearing, that shouldn't matter much. Since you're not particularly skilled with those senses anyway, try having someone else place this cube somewhere in your apartment after you've put on a blindfold and settled into meditation posture. This way, you won't know the exact location beforehand. Just don't overdo the practice sessions."
Kaito understood Yamanaka Shin's instructions perfectly and nodded. He thanked his new instructor gratefully and headed home.
Without Academy classes consuming his days, Kaito now had an additional 7 hours daily available for intensive training.
Training at the sensory facility, travel time, and lunch together consumed less than 3 hours.
Kaito temporarily dedicated the remaining four hours entirely to chakra-sensing practice at home.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen examined the custom-made Gravity Seal tag resting on his desk. He sighed softly and thought:
Konoha's advantage in Fuinjutsu is rapidly deteriorating. With the destruction of Uzumaki clan in Uzushiogakure and Minato's death, our progress in sealing techniques has essentially stagnated. Kushina and Minato had only just begun making significant breakthroughs before they died far too young. Now, customizing such a relatively simple training seal for this boy required nearly two full days of work.
However, this particular request is quite surprising. Genki did mention this child was exceptionally diligent, but it's extremely rare for someone so young to request such specialized training equipment.
Usually, only elite clan prodigies train with weighted seals this way. But even those children typically don't start such intensive conditioning until they're at least eight or nine years old.
Hiruzen remembered that he'd glanced meaningfully at Genki before Kaito had requested his reward.
He suspected that Genki must have suggested this idea to the boy beforehand.
Hiruzen decided he should have a substantive conversation with Kaito when he arrived in a few hours.
At precisely 6 PM, Kaito arrived at the Hokage's office, knocked respectfully, and entered after receiving permission.
He bowed politely, greeting formally, "Good evening, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen was favorably impressed by this display of proper etiquette. He thought, At least his manners are impeccable.
He said kindly, "Raise your head, young man. Here are the Gravity Seal tags you requested. This sealing technique is a specialized design developed by our village's Fuinjutsu Corps. It incorporates elements from several foundational sealing formulas to create an optimal tool for helping our shinobi train their physical conditioning. You can freely adjust the amount of gravitational pressure the seal applies to your body, and this resistance will be distributed evenly across your entire physique."
Kaito nodded gratefully and said, "Thank you very much, Hokage-sama."
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