Chapter 124. Sealing Techniques and Chidori Stream

Chapter 124 - 124. Sealing Techniques and Chidori StreamOutside Uzumaki Kushina's house, Hanekawa stood at a distance, observing Kakashi Hatake. As Kakashi completed a series of hand seals, a sharp, piercing sound filled the air, reminiscent of countless birds chirping in unison. It was both chaotic and awe-inspiring. A surge of chakra enveloped Kakashi's body, crackling with intense lightning. In an instant, the flashing light and thunderous sound surrounded him, making him appear like a thunder god. After a month of experimentation, Kakashi had finally developed a new jutsu: the Chidori Stream. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Hanekawa formed hand seals, gathering chakra in his throat. A large fireball shot from his mouth, radiating intense heat. Although the Fireball Jutsu was a signature move of the Uchiha clan, it had been widely adopted by others due to its immense power and simplicity. It was considered one of the most cost-effective fire-style techniques. Hanekawa, however, hadn't learned it by stealing—it was Shisui Uchiha who had taught him. The fireball roared through the air, creating a wave of scorching heat as it closed in on Kakashi. Kakashi, however, stood his ground. Without flinching or dodging, he allowed the fireball to hit him directly. Boom! Flames and lightning burst forth, scattering in all directions. When the flames subsided, Kakashi remained unharmed, standing resolutely within his lightning cloak. "Impressive defense," Kakashi murmured, nodding in satisfaction. Until now, his defensive techniques were limited to Earth Style: Earth Wall. With the addition of the Chidori Stream, he now had another reliable method of defense. Satisfied with its defensive capability, Kakashi moved to test its offensive potential. With a thought, the lightning surrounding his body shot outward in all directions. The crackling of electricity reverberated through the area as the destructive energy left a trail of charred ground, broken and burning trees, and disintegrated grass. Kakashi's eyes lit up with excitement. The technique felt more powerful than most lightning-style jutsu. "Congratulations, Kakashi," Hanekawa said, approaching him. "Thanks," Kakashi replied, deactivating the Chidori Stream. "I couldn't have created it without your advice." "I think it deserves a new name," Hanekawa suggested with a smile. "How about calling it Chidori Stream?" "Sounds good," Kakashi agreed without much thought. For him, the name wasn't the important part. "Kakashi!" At that moment, Namikaze Minato's voice called out. Hanekawa and Kakashi exchanged a glance before turning to head back. Minato was waiting with Uchiha Obito, Might Guy, and Uzumaki Kushina, who looked visibly reluctant about something. Kakashi immediately had a bad feeling. "The Hokage has ordered us to the border," Minato said gravely. "Can't those Cloud Village bastards ever behave?!" Uzumaki Kushina said with frustration. "The Hidden Cloud is always ambitious," Tsunade said with a serious expression. "Is war going to break out?" Obito asked worriedly. If it did, he wouldn't be able to see Rin for a long time. "I'm not sure," Minato replied, shaking his head. "The Hidden Cloud has been testing the waters, but it might just be a military exercise." "Military exercises often lead to war in the end," Tsunade sighed. Having lived through the Second Shinobi World War, she understood the harsh reality of war—anyone, even Kage-level shinobi, could perish. "The Leaf will definitely win!" Kushina declared, pumping her fist confidently. "We will," Minato said with a gentle smile. "I'll take them to the Hokage's office first." "Hanekawa," Kakashi suddenly remembered something and handed him a scroll. "This contains the training method for the Chidori Stream." "Thanks," Hanekawa said, accepting it. Hanekawa paused briefly before saying, "Take care of yourself." "Don't worry," Kakashi replied with a slight nod. "See you at the Chunin Exams." After watching them leave, Tsunade reassured the others, "Don't stress too much; it's unlikely to escalate into a war just yet." "Hmm," Uzumaki Kushina exhaled, then turned to Hanekawa and Miho Uzumaki. "Let's go learn some sealing techniques." As the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, Kushina would only step into action during Konoha's moments of crisis. However, Miho and Hanekawa were different—they needed to take every opportunity to grow stronger. "You've both gotten the hang of sealing formulas," Kushina observed, "so it's time to move to the next stage. But your training will differ." Miho Uzumaki, as a member of the Uzumaki Clan, had a natural abundance of chakra and a knack for sealing techniques. However, due to neglecting her training for too long, she wasn't even a competent ninja yet. Kushina decided she needed to focus on chakra control by practicing tree climbing and water walking first. Hanekawa, on the other hand, lacked the Uzumaki Clan's innate sealing talent but excelled in chakra control as a medical ninja. This allowed him to skip basic exercises and dive straight into advanced sealing techniques. "Sealing techniques are divided into solo-use seals and multi-user sealing arrays," Kushina explained with a smile. "We'll start with the basics—individual seals." Hanekawa nodded, while Miho had already begun climbing a tree nearby. "Most sealing techniques are quite difficult," Kushina said thoughtfully before her eyes lit up. "I've got it—Finger Engraving Seal!" Hanekawa froze for a moment, feeling conflicted. He knew of this technique. It was the same seal Jiraiya had used in his final moments, engraving a message on Fukasaku's back to deliver intelligence to Konoha and Naruto. "The Finger Engraving Seal allows you to carve text or symbols onto a surface using your chakra," Kushina explained. "Among sealing techniques, it's one of the simpler ones, as it mainly requires precise chakra control." Despite its ominous history, Hanekawa decided it was worth learning. Within two weeks, he had mastered the Finger Engraving Seal. However, he found it largely impractical. Engraving messages on random objects—or worse, on people—was hardly useful. Though, the idea of etching something silly like tally marks on someone briefly amused him before he dismissed it. --- "What do you think of this mission?" Tsunade asked, pointing at a bulletin board. As a ninja, training and learning weren't enough; real-world experience was essential, especially with the looming threat of war. Having seen Hanekawa master the Finger Engraving Seal, Tsunade announced a pause in their sealing lessons. After spending over a month in Konoha, it was time to head out on a mission. Hanekawa looked up at the board. The mission was ranked B-level: clearing out a band of rogue ninja in the northern region of the Land of Fire. The leader was identified as a missing-nin from the Hidden Sand Village with chunin-level strength. "How about taking on an A-level mission instead?" Hanekawa suggested with a raised eyebrow. "You might manage, but Kurenai and Rin can't," Tsunade said, flicking his forehead. "You need to think of your teammates too. They need to grow, just like you." "Fair enough," Hanekawa agreed. "Let's take this mission—it'll be good practice for them." His teammates, Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara, were both talented, though not quite on his level. With enough training, they could easily become jōnin. Meanwhile, Hanekawa planned to use the mission time to continue working on his Chidori Stream. The technique was no easy feat. In the original story, Sasuke Uchiha had taken a month to barely master it under Kakashi's guidance—and that was with the help of his Sharingan. --- Back at home, Tsunade called out loudly, "You two, come here!" Kurenai and Rin stopped their training and ran over to her. "Get ready. Meet at the village gate in an hour. We're heading out on a mission," Tsunade announced with her usual no-nonsense demeanor. Both girls were momentarily stunned by the sudden news but quickly turned to prepare. They needed supplies like clothes, food, ninja tools, and tents, so every minute counted. Hanekawa, however, required no such preparation. He always carried a summoning scroll for storage. These scrolls were expensive, but he could afford them without worry. Thinking about money reminded Hanekawa of Tsuchibashi, the publisher he had partnered with. It had been a while since the release of his novel Redo of Healer. Perhaps it was time to check in and ensure the next volume was on track. Hanekawa fell into deep thought. Deciding on his next move was proving to be quite difficult. "What's on your mind?" Tsunade noticed his distraction and asked. "Nothing much," Hanekawa replied without hesitation. "I was just thinking about Chidori Stream training." "Kakashi creating Chidori Stream is quite impressive—he truly is a genius," Tsunade acknowledged. She paused before adding, "But don't forget about your Yin Seal." "Of course not," Hanekawa replied with a small smile. "I think I've already mastered about a third of it." "A third?" Tsunade looked skeptical. "You're not lying to me, are you?" "See for yourself," Hanekawa said as he stepped forward, took her hand, and placed it on his forehead. His sudden gesture left Tsunade momentarily stunned. Looking at Hanekawa up close, she couldn't help but notice how strikingly handsome he had become. Shaking off the thought, Tsunade focused her chakra, letting it flow through her fingertips into Hanekawa's forehead. Her expression quickly shifted to one of surprise. Hanekawa hadn't been exaggerating—his chakra reservoir for the Yin Seal was indeed already one-third full. This progress far exceeded her expectations. Based on his current pace, Hanekawa could likely complete the Yin Seal in just a year, halving her initial estimate of two and a half to three years. "Not bad," Tsunade admitted, stepping back. "You've clearly been working hard." "Well, I am a medical ninja, after all," Hanekawa said with a smile. Tsunade felt at a loss for words. "You've been learning so much, yet you keep calling yourself a medical ninja. It's hard to believe." --- "Alright, let's go," Tsunade said as she stepped into her shoes at the entrance. Hanekawa followed, closing the door behind him. Together, they made their way to Konoha's gates, where they waited briefly for Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yuhi to arrive. --- "At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields, there's a group of rogue ninja frequently harassing and robbing Fire Country residents," Tsunade explained as they traveled. "Our mission is to eliminate them." "Are there a lot of ninja involved?" Rin asked. "Not many," Tsunade replied. "The report indicates one chunin, two genin, and the rest are ordinary bandits." "Sounds easy!" Kurenai said confidently. "It may seem simple, but don't get careless," Tsunade warned, giving her a sharp look. "You and Rin will handle it." "Huh?" Kurenai blinked in surprise. "What about Hanekawa?" "If you can't handle it, he'll step in to save you," Tsunade replied casually. "No way!" Kurenai huffed. "We won't need him to save us!" Rin, less confident, looked a bit uneasy. "Stick close to me," Kurenai reassured her, patting her shoulder with a smile. "Alright," Rin said softly, feeling slightly more at ease. --- The group set out in the morning and arrived at their destination by evening. "Let's find a place to rest," Tsunade suggested, stopping. "We'll move out at 5 a.m." Early morning, when people are typically groggy and least alert, would be the perfect time for a surprise attack. After dinner, Hanekawa sat in his tent, studying Kakashi's scroll on Chidori Stream. Meanwhile, Kurenai and Rin, worn out from the day's travel, were already fast asleep in their sleeping bags. Suddenly, a pair of bare feet appeared in his field of vision. He instinctively looked up and saw Tsunade's face—well, most of it, as her chest obscured part of the view. "Go to sleep," Tsunade said, patting his head gently. "We've got an early start tomorrow." Hanekawa found her recent behavior unusually soft and caring. Closing the scroll, he nodded. "I'll sleep now." --- The next morning, before dawn, the group made their way up the mountain. It wasn't very tall, so they reached the summit quickly. Not far ahead lay the bandit camp. Except for two guards at the entrance, the camp was eerily quiet. "Go ahead," Tsunade instructed. Kurenai and Rin nodded slightly and silently approached the bandit camp. Body Flicker Jutsu! In a flash, Kurenai appeared behind one of the guards at the entrance. With a swift motion, her kunai slit his throat effortlessly. She glanced over to see Rin executing the same maneuver on the other guard. Although neither of them had killed many before, they managed to push through the discomfort and continued forward after exchanging a brief look. However, a sudden scream shattered the silence of the camp. Rin had encountered a bandit with decent combat skills and failed to kill him instantly, allowing him to cry out in alarm. Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu! Seeing this, Kurenai abandoned stealth and went full force. A roaring water dragon surged forth and struck the camp's largest building with a deafening crash, reducing it to rubble. From the debris emerged a figure—a middle-aged man, the leader of the bandit group, a rogue chunin from Sunagakure. "Just a couple of kids?" He scanned the scene and, seeing only Kurenai and Rin, sighed in relief. Wind Style: Gale Palm! The man quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a violent gust of wind toward Kurenai. Water Style: Water Wall! Kurenai reacted swiftly, raising a protective wall of water in an instant. The wind crashed against the water wall and dissipated, failing to push through. "Impossible," the man muttered in disbelief. Kurenai, however, was equally surprised. "This guy's so weak?" Her confidence surged as she formed another set of hand seals. Demonic Illusion: Fox Mind Jutsu! As the genjutsu took effect, Kurenai leaped into the air. The man instinctively looked at her, only to freeze under the illusion's influence. Descending like a hawk, Kurenai plunged her kunai into his throat, ending his life. --- "Kurenai has improved a lot," Tsunade remarked, nodding in approval. Though the leader was weak, Kurenai's swift resolution of the situation marked significant progress. S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She then turned her attention to Rin, who was struggling under the assault of two genin bandits. Rin barely managed to fend them off, narrowly avoiding harm. "It seems Rin needs more training in taijutsu," Tsunade thought, making a mental note. After finishing off the leader, Kurenai rushed to Rin's aid. Within thirty minutes, the entire rogue ninja group was annihilated. "Let's go," Tsunade said, satisfied with their performance. --- Time flew by, and soon it was New Year's. In the two months following the mission, the team completed four C-rank and one B-rank mission. However, Tsunade and Hanekawa took a step back, letting Kurenai and Rin gain experience. Both made significant strides in their skills. That said, Hanekawa's growth outpaced everyone else. He successfully mastered Chidori Stream, a feat that allowed him to use Lightning Release Cloak in combat—a major achievement. Unfortunately, the advanced Lightning Release Chakra Mode was still beyond his grasp for now. --- Hanekawa began contemplating a new strategy. "Selling intel doesn't have to involve Konoha's secrets; I could sell Sunagakure's instead." For instance, the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. In the original timeline, this event caused internal strife in Sunagakure. Acting Kazekage Rasa, Gaara's father, eventually declared war on Konoha. Though details were scarce, one significant battle, the Battle of Kikyo Castle, was well-known. Located near Konoha, Kikyo Castle was deep within the Land of Fire, a sign of how dire Konoha's situation had been. It wasn't just Sunagakure attacking Konoha at the time—Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa were all closing in as well. Interestingly, Kikyo Castle was also where Nono Yakushi adopted Kabuto Yakushi, one of the major villains of the later storyline. Hanekawa reasoned that selling intel about the Third Kazekage might redirect some of Kumo's aggression toward Suna, perhaps even sparing Konoha some grief. "It might even be a good deed in disguise," he mused. --- Beyond Chidori Stream, Hanekawa had also made progress in sealing techniques. He unlocked the D-rank Talent: Sealing Genin. Trigger Condition: Possess three sealing jutsu traits. Effect: Enhances all sealing jutsu by 30%. Note: Learning more sealing techniques could promote this to the C-rank talent, Sealing Chunin. Through considerable effort, Hanekawa had mastered three basic sealing jutsu: Finger Engraving Seal, Binding Seal Array, and Memory Seal. Notably, none of these were exclusive to the Uzumaki clan. The Binding Seal Array was used by Iruka in the original series to restrict a target's movements with four sealing tags. --- As the New Year arrived, Hanekawa's team halted their missions, both to celebrate and prepare for the upcoming Chunin Exams. Not just his team—Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, and Shisui Uchiha had also returned to Konoha. __ New entry: This Danzo Is Weird Patreon.com/rashta Be a member so you can read: New. 280 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird 1. 260 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete)