The day that Arashi found out he was an Uzumaki was the day when his life got a little more complicated, or maybe eventful was the right answer. With the revelation that he was a blood relative of Kushina, she had decided to teach him seals and force him to learn about the history of their clan.
Arashi sat slouched at the wooden table, his head resting on his arms, eyes glazed over as Kushina continued to talk. He felt like he had been sitting here for years, absorbing more information in a few hours than he had in his entire life.
And Kushina just kept going... and going... and going.
"…And so, because of how seals interact with chakra, you can actually create a feedback loop, which allows for an exponential increase in efficiency, but only if the formula accounts for passive absorption. That's why the Uzumaki always used a three-layered framework for barrier seals instead of just a one-layered framework, like every other village!"
Arashi let out a low groan, faceplanting into the solid plank of wood heavy enough to almost make a dent.
Kushina smirked. "You good over there?"
Arashi's muffled voice came from the table. "Red. Please. I'm dying."
Kushina beamed. "Good! That means you're learning."
Arashi slowly lifted his head, his eyes filled with the exhaustion of a man who had seen too much. "You keep throwing so much at me so fast. I don't even think my brain works anymore."
Kushina grinned. "Oh, come on! That was just the basics!"
Arashi ran a hand through his hair. "That was the basics? That felt like a whole damn lifetime of knowledge."
Kushina waved a hand. "Quit being dramatic, this stuff is just the baseline of seal making. Normally a ten-year-old would be expected to learn this in the academy back in Uzushiogakure."
Arashi stared. "Academy? Red I need you to have some compassion. We went from 'What is fuinjutsu' to 'Here's how to seal away an entire mountain' in two hours. Mind you, I haven't had any kind of shinobi training or knowledge before this."
Kushina chuckled. "Exactly, that's why I decided to start you out at the elementary level. Granted, the kids would be asked to learn this over the course of a year but still, you're a big boy, you can handle a little more streamlined approach."
Arashi groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "I'm not gonna remember even a quarter of what you just said."
Kushina shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "That's fine. We've got plenty more days ahead of us. Especially considering neither of us are active shinobi at the moment."
Arashi slumped further into his seat. "That's what I'm afraid of."
Kushina laughed at his suffering, clearly enjoying herself. "So, let me ask you this then," she said, tapping her fingers against the table, "how much of today's lesson do you remember?"
Arashi froze.
Kushina grinned. "C'mon, you seem very pessimistic about what I was teaching you but I guarantee that you retained more than you think," she teased.
Arashi groaned. "Kushina—"
She pointed at him and sprung out of her seat on the couch. "Pop quiz time! What is the fundamental principle behind Fuinjutsu, and what happens if a seal is improperly written?"
Arashi let out an exaggerated sigh, rubbing his temple. "Fine, fine. Lemme think…" He shut his eyes for a second, trying to organize the mess of information that had been thrown at him.
After a long moment, he sighed and started answering the question.
"Fuinjutsu is based on formulas," he muttered, "which act as a framework for containing or redirecting chakra. If a seal isn't written properly, it can destabilize, which either makes it useless or—" he gave her a flat look, "explosive."
Kushina nodded approvingly. "Alright, next question. Considering that seals are used to direct and seal chakra, what materials are needed in order to create seals? What is the purpose of each material."
Arashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Seals require three things: ink mixed with blood, chakra, and a stable formula. The blood ties the seal to the user, the chakra fuels it, and the formula enables the seal to act on our environment."
Kushina smirked rubbing her chin like an old wise man rubbing his while goatee. "Not bad, not bad. But what happens to a seal once it's made? And suppose you made a barrier seal that is being used on the walls of our village, what would need to be done to ensure that the formula doesn't collapse on itself after it's placed?"
Arashi rolled his eyes but kept going. "Once a seal is made, it can either be activated instantly, stored for later, or turned into a permanent construct. But keeping a permanent seal requires constant maintenance unless you use layered reinforcements."
Kushina's eyes lit up. "So you really were listening! Aww, I knew you had a brain under all of that sarcasm."
Arashi had a slightly shocked look on his face. "I have no idea how I remembered all that."
"Because you're a natural. Told you! Uzumaki blood, baby!" Kushina grinned, leaning forward and pumping her fist.
Arashi gave her a tired look. "You say that like it's a good thing."
Kushina punched his arm as her hair lifted a little. "It is a good thing, idiot."
Arashi rubbed his shoulder, muttering under his breath. But, despite his complaints, he could see the excitement in her eyes.
For Kushina, this wasn't just about teaching fuinjutsu, if she wanted to, she could go to Hiruzen and ask him to give her a selling team that needed trained. It was about forming a connection and helping Arashi connect with his heritage, allowing both of them to spend time together getting to know one another.
He sighed, slumping back in his chair. "So what? Are we doing this every day now?"
Kushina smirked. "Damn right we are. We can't just stop now, I still have to teach you about the stronger barrier seals, tailed beast seals, and forbidden seals. There's so much more to go."
Arashi let his head hit the table again. "Great."
Kushina just laughed.
Minato, standing in the doorway, watched the scene with quiet amusement. He had been listening for a while, and he had to admit…
'Maybe Kushina was right about this one. Even though he had just been taught about the basics of fuinjutsu he seemed to get it despite not knowing how to do any of the seals or procedures surrounding them.'
Minato smiled as he turned his back on them and walked down the hallway. 'Maybe Arashi really is a natural.'