"Inside this scroll are several lower-level Sealing Jutsu. They are likely techniques your mother brought with her from the Land of Whirlpools years ago."
"When your mother fell gravely ill, she specifically sent someone to deliver this scroll to me."
Ichii Kei was remarkably candid. He stated bluntly, "I've already studied the contents of this scroll and made a copy to hand over to the village. So, when you use these techniques in the future, you don't need to have any reservations."
Although the current timeline was roughly twenty years before the start of the original story, the Land of Whirlpools had unfortunately been wiped out six or seven years ago by a coalition of hidden villages like the Mist and Cloud.
The members of the Uzumaki clan were now homeless wanderers, scattered to the four corners of the earth.
Ayane wasn't entirely clear on her mother's past. Judging by the timing, her mother must have left the Land of Whirlpools early to marry into the Land of Rain, escaping the tragedy of her homeland's destruction.
This scroll was likely the "sincerity" her mother offered the Principal in exchange for looking after her daughter before she passed...
The girl bit her lip and accepted the scroll. Opening it, she took a brief look.
Great...
Dense, tadpole-like formulas and symbols were scattered across the parchment. Just a glance was enough to make her head swim. A domineering aura of pure knowledge slammed into her, nearly suffocating her.
If the C-rank ninjutsu she usually practiced were equivalent to middle school plane geometry, Ayane figured this stuff was, at the very least, University-level Advanced Mathematics.
It was one thing for a genius like Minato Namikaze to play around with this. She found it hard to imagine how a boisterous, simple-minded girl like Kushina Uzumaki could be an expert in such things. The two concepts just didn't seem to belong in the same art style.
"Study it when you get back," Ichii Kei said, waving a hand. "This stuff is hard to learn. The village has trained so many ninja, but few are skilled in Sealing Jutsu. However, since Uzumaki blood flows in your veins, it should be easier for you to get the hang of it than for us."
The girl nodded without a word. She looked like she was agreeing, but internally, she was thinking quite unambitiously: If I have to teach myself this, it's a lost cause.
Her only hope was to work hard and eventually "grind out" a Sealing Jutsu trait, then see if the system panel was feeling generous. Then again, Achievement Points are earned through my hard work and sweat, so saying it's 'all my own effort' isn't technically a lie!
"As for what your father left behind..."
Ichii Kei lifted the remaining item—a ninja sword—with both hands and presented it to Ayane. "It's this chakra-conductive blade."
It was an exceptionally sharp sword. The blade was slender, roughly 60 to 70 centimeters long, with a pale green tsuba (handguard). Ayane took it and gave it a light draw; a flash of white light streaked across the room.
She lowered her head, carefully observing the intricate patterns along the edge of the blade. Though she didn't know their specific purpose, they gave off an aura of "I don't know what this is, but it looks powerful."
"Crafted from high-grade chakra-conductive metal and hammered for three years by a master smith from the Land of Iron. It far surpasses those mass-produced, soulless works from the Village of Artisans."
Watching the green sword leave his hands, Ichii Kei showed a rare moment of sentimental longing. "Swords like this are becoming rarer in the village. We might never see their like again."
A year ago, news of the Land of Iron's defeat had arrived. The younger generation might not have felt much, but for old-timers like Ichii Kei, it was a heavy blow.
Hanzo of the Salamander had studied swordsmanship in the Land of Iron in his youth, yet he was the one who personally drove the final nail into the coffin of the samurai legacy.
Ayane didn't share his melancholy. She gripped the sword and gave it a few experimental swings in the air. At 1.6 meters tall (5'3"), the blade was a bit long for her current height and felt slightly unwieldy. However, she was still growing.
Regardless, before reaching the level of "clapping your hands and getting whatever you want," having a weapon felt infinitely better than being empty-handed. Satisfied, she sheathed the blade.
"By the way, Senior, does it have a name?"
Ichii Kei smiled. "The blacksmith originally named it Kogitsunemaru, but since it has a new master, you can give it a new name."
Ayane thought for a moment, looked at the green handguard, and had a sudden spark of inspiration. She patted the scabbard and smiled. "Alright. From now on, you'll be... Stormrazor!"
Ichii Kei smacked his lips, tasting the name. "Stormrazor... Stormrazor. It's a good name. No wonder you got an S in the written exam for that vivid, imaginative essay about the kunai and Ohnoki."
Ayane's lip twitched. Could we please stop bringing that up?
During wartime, everything served the front lines. The administrative efficiency of the Hidden Rain was incredibly high.
The Academy graduates had received their assignments from their homeroom teachers in the morning; by mid-afternoon, they were being led away by ninja from various departments to their respective battlefields.
The chubby Nagano Keiji waited anxiously for Ayane to return from the Principal's office, not forgetting to give her a teary-eyed farewell. He was headed for the Reconnaissance Force—which, according to Ichii Kei, had the highest casualty rate on the battlefield.
Though she wondered how someone with his "spherical" physique got selected for recon, Ayane sincerely wished him luck.
"Nagano-kun," she said seriously, "please take care of yourself out there."
"Ayane-san... you too!" Nagano, having chased her for two and a half years and finally receiving a response, was ecstatic. "Wait for me! Once I earn some merits on the battlefield, I'll come back and treat you to peach wine at the Izakaya!"
Although the "Three Inhibitions of a Ninja" clearly stated that ninja should avoid alcohol—and regulations forbade minors under 18 from drinking—for ninja living on a knife's edge, breaking rules was part of daily life.
The "peach wine" Nagano mentioned was like a flavored alcoholic soda; it had very low alcohol content, and many underage ninja in the village would sneak a cup just to try the taste.
Ayane remained silent. Seeing this, the chubby boy immediately tucked away his smile, looking cautious. He seemed to want to say more, but the ninja standing beside him had run out of patience.
The man pulled a long face and urged, "Brat, stop rambling. We're moving out! If you have more to say, say it after you survive the battlefield!"
Chastised, the boy quickly bowed his head. "Sumimasen (I'm sorry)!"
The ninja shook his head, then glanced at the elegant girl standing nearby. he muttered, "Ignorant kid. Once Lord Hanzo leads us into the Land of Fire, you can pick any woman you want. I don't see what's so great about this 'bean sprout'..."
Nagano Keiji, who had been timid in front of his senior just a second ago, suddenly barked back, "Hey, hey, hey, Senior! You might be older than me, but my love for Ayane-san is real! Please don't use such vulgar words... to insult my feelings for her!"
As the chubby boy was dragged out of the classroom, his voice grew distant. Ayane stayed in her seat, watching him leave. She felt a mix of amusement and a twinge of sadness.
The ninja's attitude was poor, but one thing he said was right: regardless of what the future held, she had to survive the battlefield first.