"You you you..."
Feeling the sealing technique on her, Kushina's eyes widened. She looked at Seiryū like he was some kind of monster. "How did you do that!?"
He really developed a new sealing technique on his own?
Judging by the binding power, this technique wasn't low-level. It surpassed the basic sealing techniques she had taught him.
More importantly, it was a type she had never seen before.
Also, she vaguely sensed that the three beams of light pinning her down carried a similar nature to the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Even though Minato believed Seiryū wouldn't brag for no reason, witnessing a sealing technique he had never seen performed, even he was shocked. "He really did develop a sealing technique on his own... just what kind of talent is this?"
Was there even a gap between geniuses?
He himself was praised as a genius since his time at the Ninja Academy. He had even learned the Flying Thunder God, a space-time ninjutsu created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama.
Countless people called him a genius among geniuses.
But after meeting Seiryū, he realized what a true genius looked like. His junior disciple was beyond monstrous.
"How did I do it?" Seiryū clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at a forty-five-degree angle. Adopting a mysterious tone, he said, "Like this, then like that, and finally, like so."
"Just remember one thing: geniuses can't be judged by common sense. I hope you, Senpai, and Kushina-nee, won't overreact every time. For me, these kinds of things are completely normal. Please, stay calm."
Life was as lonely as snow. His "talent" was simply too monstrous.
He could always do what others couldn't.
This was thanks to the system, and also to his own "strength." He constantly reminded himself—he was a genius. A genius capable of overwhelming the entire ninja world.
Stop overreacting already. You're both adults. Why are you less composed than Kurenai?
Although it sounded like Seiryū was bragging, they truly couldn't refute it... Were they really the ones overreacting?
It was him, this kid, who was far too abnormal.
Kushina recalled Seiryū's hand movements just now and suddenly noticed something alarming. Forgetting to even break free from the seal, she exclaimed, "You only used one hand seal just now? And it was a one-handed seal?"
Both techniques Seiryū used had required only one seal and it was done with a single hand.
Seriously, was he even human?
Minato's expression flickered slightly, and he began to seriously consider the benefits of one-handed seals. "One-handed hand seals... they really do seem convenient."
They allowed one hand to remain free. If mastered, they'd offer significant combat advantages.
No wonder he was a genius.
He was already thinking about efficiency in technique casting... Seiryū nodded. "Exactly. Why use multiple seals if one is enough? The Rasengan you developed is a seal-less technique. It's incredibly convenient not to use hand seals."
"So of course, the techniques I develop should also evolve toward that kind of efficiency. But these two sealing techniques can't be cast without hand seals like the Rasengan. They still require seals."
"As for one-handed seals, I created that method to speed up the casting process. It seems to work pretty well."
Kidō techniques required seals. They served to complete specific conditions. Without them, the technique wouldn't activate. He had no choice.
One-handed, two-handed. One seal or many. There was no inherent difference.
He would naturally choose what was most convenient.
Besides, one-handed seals were just too stylish, full of flair.
Just imagine. In the future, he'd be using one-handed seals while chanting—maximizing style and presence. Who wouldn't be impressed?
Just the thought of it was thrilling.
Kushina stared blankly at him. "You're not right. You're very not right. Is that really something you can just 'come up with'? This isn't how ninjutsu is supposed to work! Even the Second Hokage, who created tons of forbidden jutsu, probably couldn't just do that, right?"
This wasn't something you could just accomplish because you wanted to.
Was he no longer following any basic principles of ninjutsu?
Seiryū felt that Kushina was a bit narrow-minded and shook his head. "What do you mean it's not ninjutsu? It totally is! The more proficient a ninjutsu becomes, the fewer hand seals it needs."
"Besides, this is a sealing technique I created. Of course, I designed it to need fewer seals. What part of that makes it 'not ninjutsu'? Let me say it again—geniuses can't be measured by common sense."
She still lacked perspective.
Normal people needed 44 seals to perform Water Dragon Jutsu, while the Second Hokage only needed 3.
That was an incredible improvement.
Didn't the First Hokage also use many techniques with just a hand clap? And later, the Ōtsutsuki didn't even need hand signs. A single glare was enough.
How was that not ninjutsu?
'You geniuses are too overpowered. You don't even bother with the basic rules anymore, do you?' Kushina couldn't help but complain inwardly.
It wasn't that she was dumb or lacking talent.
Seiryū just wasn't human!
Just listen to what he was saying...
He designed it to need fewer seals? Like that was something you could just do?
Even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't be this ridiculous right?
But facts were facts. No matter how shaken she felt, she couldn't deny what was right in front of her.
At this moment, Minato remembered something else. He recalled Seiryū's earlier words and paid attention to the names. "Seiryū, what's with the names of those techniques? Bakudō #1 and Bakudō #30... are those the actual names?"
Seiryū answered, "Bakudō #1: Sai. Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen. Those are the proper names of the two techniques."
Kushina snapped back to herself, stunned. "Don't tell me... you've developed more sealing techniques? Thirty of them!?"
Bakudō #1, Bakudō #30.
They had numbers—like a series. Could it be that Seiryū...
Seiryū gave Kushina a glance, looking at her like she was an idiot. "What kind of imagination do you have? That's impossible. I'm a genius, not a god. How could I have developed thirty techniques already?"
"Then why..."
Kushina's fists tightened. What was that look in your eyes just now!?
"Are you asking why it's Bakudō #1 and then Bakudō #30? What happened to two through twenty-nine?"
"Mm!"
Both Kushina and Minato were curious about that.
"Because I felt like it," Seiryū replied confidently. "Who says one has to be followed by two? It could be zero. These are techniques I created. If I wanted to number them however I liked, even name them after Kurenai, that'd be fine!"
There wasn't anything technically wrong with that... but it felt so off.
Why jump from one to thirty?
And what do you mean zero comes before one?
They couldn't understand Seiryū sometimes. Was this a generational gap?
"Forget it... I don't want to argue with you anymore."
Kushina suddenly felt exhausted.
Seiryū was truly unreliable sometimes. She suspected something was wrong with his brain... but she had no proof.
She was too tired to press further.
Caught up in the moment, she had forgotten to break free from the sealing technique binding her. Just as she was about to release her chakra, her expression suddenly changed. "No... oh no! The Nine-Tails' seal—!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
An evil and violent chakra surged out from Kushina's body.
A torrent of orange-red chakra erupted, completely engulfing her.
A sudden change had occurred—The Nine-Tailed Fox was rampaging!
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)