The Orphanage.
Sora returned to his room and eagerly began studying.
'Wow, this is way too complicated...'
He opened the scroll and couldn't help but complain in his mind.
The scroll was filled with dense seals and annotations. Just the theoretical part at the beginning made his head spin.
The essence of sealing jutsu was to use special seals and chakra to construct a stable "formula," thereby binding, sealing, isolating, or transforming a target.
This target was not limited to physical entities, it also included things like energy and souls.
Furthermore, sealing jutsu demanded extremely high precision in chakra control, requiring a very deep understanding of the nature transformation of chakra. Fortunately, while Sora's chakra quantity was small, his control precision was quite good.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Sora formed hand seals, and two shadow clones appeared beside him.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sora unrolled the scroll and, along with his two shadow clones, immersed himself fully in learning the fundamentals of the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu.
His main body was responsible for understanding and memorizing the core theories and seal structures, attempting to mobilize chakra for the most basic copying practice.
One shadow clone continuously tried to condense chakra into threads to sketch out the simplest basic seals. Each time it failed, the dispersing clone would bring back the sense of fatigue and the experience of failure.
The other shadow clone was responsible for theoretical deduction and calculation, analyzing the possible effects of different seal combinations and how to construct "formulas" more efficiently.
But the process was far more difficult than imagined.
Those basic seals looked simple, but every stroke and line required the output of chakra to be extremely stable and precise. A little too much or too little, or even a slight deviation in angle, would lead to construction failure or even cause minor chakra backlash.
Sora's already not-large chakra reserves were quickly depleted under such high-precision consumption.
'Rest for ten minutes, continue later.'
Sora let out a breath, feeling his nearly empty chakra, sat on the bed and began meditating to recover.
In the blink of an eye, ten minutes passed. After recovering a bit of chakra, Sora started learning sealing jutsu again.
Relying on the experience stacking effect brought by the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, and the powerful recovery ability granted by the Azure Dragon Fruit, Sora learned the basic operational logic of sealing jutsu at a startling speed.
...
Time passed day by day.
Sora's life became extremely routine. During the day, it was taijutsu training, including visits to the hospital to see Fox and the others. At night, he secluded himself to practice sealing jutsu.
It's worth mentioning that Guy was different from before. He couldn't be met every day now. Guy was already a genin and also needed to do missions, although they were all D-rank and the like...
Gradually, Sora went from being unable to even sketch a single stable basic seal at the beginning, to later being able to barely maintain a simple seal in the air with chakra for a few seconds.
'Still a newbie, but at least I've started...'
Looking at the faintly glowing seal in front of him, Sora felt a little excited. Although progress was slow, it was real.
He was still extremely far from truly understanding and controlling energy of the level of the Dragon Vein.
But at least, he had taken this most crucial first step.
...
During breaks from training and studying, Sora would also pay attention to the situation at the orphanage.
The old Director's health was getting worse. Sora could feel her life force was like a candle in the wind, flickering weakly, yet stubbornly refusing to go out.
Miyamoto Ichirō had privately told Sora with reddened eyes that the old Director had an unfulfilled wish. She wanted to see Nonō one more time.
This old woman was holding on purely by a stubborn will, clinging to the hope of a miracle that would let her see Nonō again.
Every time he saw the old woman's withered face and longing eyes, Sora felt a pang in his heart. He didn't know where Nonō was now, alive or dead.
'Sister...'
Sora felt complex emotions whenever he thought of Nonō. It had been over three years since Nonō left, with no news at all.
He had secretly used some of his Anbu privileges to inquire, but records about "The Walking Witch" were almost entirely blank outside of Root.
Danzo had hidden Nonō very well, or rather, had completely turned her into a tool that only existed in the darkness.
'That old schemer Danzo, he's hidden her deep enough.'
Sora cursed inwardly. Thankfully, Sarutobi Hiruzen had guaranteed she would return alive, otherwise he really would have had no assurance at all.
...
The daily operations of the orphanage were now basically all managed by Miyamoto Ichirō. Procuring supplies, cleaning, taking care of the old Director... He managed everything in an orderly manner.
Sora, on the other hand, carried out Anbu missions, and most of the mission funds he earned were given to Miyamoto Ichirō.
Uesugi Rin had graduated from the Ninja Academy last year and formed a team with two other classmates.
Interestingly, according to Uesugi Rin, her teammates were actually Kurenai and Asuma, which surprised Sora a bit.
Asuma was currently in his rebellious phase, often at odds with Sarutobi Hiruzen, but he was relatively reliable during missions.
Uesugi Rin occasionally brought back the meager earnings from some D-rank missions, also giving them to Miyamoto Ichirō to help with the orphanage's expenses. She had adapted to the identity of a ninja, and her speech showed more competence.
As for Yumi and Ayumi, those two little girls, they were already second-year students at the Ninja Academy.
Their ninja aptitude was fairly good, at least they passed the entrance exam smoothly.
Sora still remembered when Nonō took him, Uesugi Rin, and two other children to take the exam that year.
Back then, only he and Uesugi Rin passed. Looking back now, Yumi and Ayumi seemed to have better aptitude than the two children who were eliminated that year.
But as a transmigrator, Sora knew very well that having good aptitude and graduating smoothly from the academy didn't necessarily mean good things.
'The Third Great Ninja War... it's probably less than a year away, right?'
Sora felt heavy-hearted whenever he thought about this.
At that time, these newly graduated genin would likely be sent to the battlefield in large numbers, becoming brutal cannon fodder.
'Yumi and Ayumi are still so young. Was I right or wrong in not opposing their choice to become ninjas?'
Sora sometimes couldn't help but wonder. After all, in this twisted ninja world, having power doesn't necessarily guarantee self-preservation. Instead, it might drag one deeper into the whirlpool.
...
The Orphanage, Sora's room.
One evening, after finishing a day of cultivation and study, Sora dispersed his shadow clones. A massive amount of experience and fatigue instantly rushed back, making his head spin and nearly causing him to lose his balance.
'I wonder how Naruto managed to withstand this?'
Sora shook his head, feeling the dizziness, and silently complained in his mind. After regulating his breath for a moment, he walked out of his room and went to the small hall that also served as a dining room.
A simple dinner was already laid out on the table: rice, miso soup, a small dish of pickles, and a few grilled fish.
Sora usually ate most of his meals outside. His appetite was simply too huge. If he ate at the orphanage, Miyamoto Ichirō would probably have to spend the whole day doing nothing but cooking for him around the stove.
However, occasionally, he would stay and have a simple, home-cooked meal with the few people at the orphanage.
Like right now. The aroma before him, though not rich, carried a uniquely warm feeling of "home."
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