The next morning brought with it the crisp salt air of Uzushiogakure and the beginning of Kenji's true education. Though his body still carried the weakness to sunlight—a remnant of his Demonic transformation—he had learned to withstand it for approximately three hours using his chakra coating technique. Most importantly, the majority of his future training would take place indoors within Master Shikai's compound.
Master Uzumaki Shikai stood before the four new apprentices in the morning light filtering through the compound's main hall, the coastal breeze rustling the pages of scrolls laid open at their feet. His presence commanded respect without demanding it, authority earned through decades of mastering the sealing arts.
"Congratulations on passing your evaluations," he greeted them with a warm smile that reached his violet eyes. "Your training begins today. We will start with the fundamentals—the bedrock upon which all fuinjutsu is built."
Kenji looked around as his fellow apprentices exchanged nervous but excited glances. Taro, the eldest at ten, fidgeted with barely contained energy. Masato, nine years old with serious dark eyes, maintained perfect posture despite his obvious anxiety. Akari, appearing to be Kenji's age with delicate features and careful movements, watched their sensei with rapt attention.
This was their first real test of sealing potential, and the weight of expectation hung in the air like morning mist.
"Sealing jutsu demands discipline and precision above all else," Shikai explained, his voice carrying the authority of experience. "Unlike other ninja arts that reward aggressive chakra output or physical prowess, fuinjutsu requires finesse. It is the difference between a surgeon's scalpel and a warrior's blade—both can cut, but only one can heal."
He moved to a low table where brushes, ink stones, and practice scrolls awaited. "Channel your chakra carefully through these ink-brush seals," he instructed, placing a red-tipped brush in each child's hand. The brushes were clearly crafted specifically for fuinjutsu training—their bristles held chakra-conductive properties that would respond to properly channeled energy.
"Seals are drawn with intent as much as technique," Shikai continued, demonstrating with fluid strokes on his own practice scroll. As his brush moved, chakra flowed through the ink, causing the characters to shimmer with soft blue light. "Move too quickly, and the chakra will scatter uselessly. Too slowly, and it will stagnate. Find the balance."
Kenji concentrated as he traced the first practice kanji on his parchment sheet. His hand remained perfectly steady—a benefit of his enhanced control over his physical form. When his brush channeled chakra into the paper, the characters glimmered faintly with promise. The sensation was remarkably similar to his experiments with blood magic, yet fundamentally different in its precision and restraint.
Across from him, Masato's attempts produced seals that fizzled at the corners, his chakra output fluctuating from nervousness. Akari's face showed mounting frustration as her first several attempts failed to hold their glow.
"Imagine the ink as flowing chakra instead of mere paint," Kenji whispered to her quietly, mindful not to disrupt the others' concentration. "Let your energy follow the brush naturally."
With a slow, deliberate breath, Akari steadied her grip and guided the red brush in careful strokes. This time, when her character took shape, it glowed with warm golden light. Her face brightened with genuine delight, and she mouthed a silent "thank you" to Kenji.
From his position at the front of the room, Shikai watched with quiet approval. His teaching philosophy encouraged students to support one another while he supervised—a stark contrast to the competitive atmosphere of most ninja academies.
Taro, despite being the eldest, proved surprisingly the most nervous of the group. His large hands struggled with the delicate brush work, and his chakra control wavered with each failed attempt. When Kenji noticed a systematic error in Taro's seal placement—a slight angle that prevented proper energy flow—he pointed it out gently. Kenji is building his image as helpful and kind genius.
"Try adjusting the final stroke by just a few degrees," he suggested. "The chakra wants to flow in a spiral pattern, but your angle is forcing it to pool instead."
Taro looked surprised at the observation but grateful for the help. When his next barrier-glyph corrected itself into a perfect spiral that glowed with steady light, he gave Kenji an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "Thanks, Kenji! How did you see that?"
"I just watched how the chakra moved," Kenji replied with carefully crafted modesty. In truth, his enhanced analytical abilities made such observations trivial, but he was careful to present himself as merely insightful rather than superhuman.
The days that followed fell into a comfortable rhythm of learning and practice. Each morning brought new theoretical concepts, afternoons focused on practical application, and evenings were spent studying the vast collection of scrolls in Shikai's library.
---
On a particularly sunny midday several weeks later, Shikai gathered them around a polished wooden table laid with various training objects: a handful of kunai, a stack of sealing tags, several small stones, and an unmarked empty scroll. Sunlight streamed through the windows, forcing Kenji to subtly adjust his chakra coating to maintain comfort.
"Today we learn the Enclosing Technique," their sensei announced, demonstrating by sealing a kunai inside a scroll with a fluid motion of his fingers. The blade disappeared in a brief flash of chakra light, leaving only an innocuous-looking scroll. "This is fundamental fuinjutsu—basic in concept, but powerful in application."
Kenji's eyes widened with genuine interest. He had seen similar techniques in the anime, where ninjas like Tenten could carry entire arsenals in compact scrolls. The practical applications were immediately apparent.
"You can seal physical objects, tools, even certain types of chakra constructs," Shikai continued, unrolling the scroll to release the kunai back into his hand. "The scroll becomes temporary storage, limited only by the seal's capacity and the user's skill. Advanced practitioners can store techniques themselves, though that level of mastery has eluded even our greatest sealing masters."
The children began practicing under Shikai's careful guidance. The technique required precise chakra control—too little and the object wouldn't seal properly, too much and the scroll might be damaged or destroyed entirely.
Several days of practice later, Kenji had achieved consistent success with the basic version. He placed a practice kunai on his scroll's prepared surface and focused his chakra with mechanical precision. The parchment trembled slightly as energy flowed through the sealing matrix. To everyone's delight, the blade vanished completely from sight.
Kenji snapped the scroll closed and examined it carefully. The weight felt identical to an empty scroll, though he could sense the sealed object's presence through minute chakra fluctuations. "Release," he commanded softly, channeling the counter-seal. The scroll unfurled with a soft whisper, and the kunai reappeared instantly in his waiting hand.
His classmates applauded the precise demonstration, and even Shikai nodded approvingly.
When Akari overloaded her scroll's energy matrix moments later, causing a small puff of smoke and a mildly scorched piece of parchment, Kenji was quick to help her analyze the mistake and reapply the sealing formula correctly. The compound filled with laughter and the pleasant scent of special ink as they practiced with genuine enjoyment.
For the remainder of that month, the four apprentices took turns sealing and releasing various objects—kunai, shuriken, training weights, and even a small potted plant that Akari had grown particularly fond of. Kenji found himself at a subtle advantage, his enhanced mental capabilities allowing him to begin experimenting with variations and improvements to the basic techniques while his classmates were still mastering fundamentals.
---
Weeks flowed into months like the tides surrounding their island home. Dawn training sessions introduced new sealing principles each day, building complexity gradually but steadily. Master Shikai taught them to craft ofuda—paper talismans that could store and release various effects when properly activated.
"These explosive tags are the most common battlefield application," he explained, holding up a slip of paper covered in intricate script. "But the same principles can create cutting forces, binding effects, or even sensory alerts." He demonstrated by activating a practice tag that released a harmless burst of light and sound.
They learned to weave tags into intricate patterns, each seal linking with its neighbors to create compound effects. Complex spirals and interlocking kanji covered the practice ground as they inscribed formation after formation. Some days they would spend hours perfecting single characters, other days they would attempt elaborate barrier constructions.
Shikai even demonstrated an advanced Fūin Kekkai—a layered barrier of interconnected seals that formed an invisible wall around a section of bamboo forest. The air itself seemed to shimmer as the barrier took shape, reality bending subtly around the protected area.
"Channel chakra evenly through each connection point, and the barrier will hold against most attacks," Shikai explained, his hands moving in complex gestures to weave the seals together. "Uneven distribution creates weak points that can be exploited."
Three months after beginning their formal training, the apprentices had progressed to intermediate techniques and small-scale practical applications.
---
One particularly sunny afternoon—requiring Kenji to carefully manage his chakra coating throughout the outdoor exercise—Shikai arranged a team challenge by a low stone wall that bordered the compound's meditation garden.
"Your task is to protect this shrine from an incoming attack," he announced, placing a carved wooden effigy in the center of a small raised platform. The statue depicted one of the Tailed Beasts in stylized form, its significance clear to any trained ninja. "Use the seals and techniques we have studied. Work together, and show me how much you have learned."
The four children huddled together, quickly formulating their strategy. Kenji's eyes flickered with rapid calculation as he analyzed the terrain, potential attack vectors, and their available resources.
"I'll establish a primary barrier around the statue's base," he decided, already sketching defensive formulae in his mind. "Something layered with multiple trigger points."
"Masato and I can set cutting seals at the approach angles," Taro suggested, his initial nervousness having given way to growing confidence over the months of training. "If anything gets past Kenji's barriers, we can channel it into prepared kill zones."
"I'll handle early warning systems," Akari added, her specialty having emerged as sensory applications of fuinjutsu. "Detection seals positioned on the outer perimeter."
Working with practiced efficiency, they deployed their defenses. Kenji rapidly inscribed a complex chain of interlocking seals around the statue's base, each character flowing into the next in an elegant spiral pattern. Masato and Taro positioned explosive and cutting ofuda at strategic points, angled to deflect or destroy incoming projectiles. Akari carefully placed her sensing talismans atop the surrounding walls, murmuring activation phrases as she fixed each one in position.
Within minutes, a sophisticated web of protective seals surrounded the shrine. The individual techniques were all within their current skill level, but their coordination and tactical thinking impressed even their experienced sensei.
Shikai approached the formation to test its effectiveness. He launched practice kunai from multiple angles, attempted to approach through various routes, and even tried channeling disruptive chakra toward the statue. Each attempt was either deflected by the outer defenses or absorbed harmlessly by Kenji's primary barriers.
"Excellent work," he praised when the exercise concluded. "Kenji, your barrier technique demonstrated textbook-perfect application of layered defense theory. You combined scroll sealing and circle formations seamlessly."
Kenji felt a genuine flush of pride at the recognition, though he kept his expression appropriately modest. These moments of achievement, shared with classmates who had become friends, created sensations he had forgotten after his transmigration.
"The coordination between all of you shows real understanding," Shikai continued. "Masato, Taro—your defensive positioning made penetration genuinely difficult. Akari, your sensor network would have provided advance warning of any real attack. This is how fuinjutsu masters work together."
By this point, four months had passed since Kenji's arrival at Uzushiogakure. The compound had begun to feel genuinely like home. His small room contained more jars of specialized sealing ink than changes of clothing. Each night he would study scrolls by lamplight until drowsiness finally claimed him, absorbing theory and technique with voracious hunger.
The older apprentices often stopped by to observe his work. After watching him complete several advanced seal sequences in rapid succession one evening, Masato had admitted with good humor, "I'll never catch up to your pace, but watching you helps me understand the patterns better."
Kenji had only smiled and encouraged his friend to get proper rest. These small, human interactions—the camaraderie, friendly competition, and mutual support—created unexpected warmth in what had once been a coldly calculating existence.
---
On a crisp morning when autumn mists rolled in from the sea, Master Shikai called his apprentices to the main courtyard for a special evaluation.
"Today you will demonstrate the culmination of your training thus far," he announced, his formal tone indicating the importance of the exercise. He gestured to four training dummies positioned around the courtyard's perimeter. "Your task: create a complete sealing matrix that can bind, protect, and monitor these training aids as if they contained powerful artifacts requiring maximum security."
This was their most complex challenge yet—requiring not just individual technique, but seamless integration of multiple fuinjutsu disciplines.
Kenji approached his assigned dummy with focused concentration. His fingers moved like flowing water as he inscribed binding seals along the figure's major joints, each character precise and purposeful. The restraints would prevent movement without causing damage to whatever was being protected.
Nearby, Taro and Masato practiced their offensive capabilities, hurling practice kunai at predetermined angles to test the structural integrity of the binding seals. Each impact was absorbed or deflected by Kenji's work, proving the defenses could withstand significant force.
Akari began her familiar ritual of sensory enhancement, chanting softly as she raised detection ofuda that danced through the air around her dummy like protective spirits. Her network would alert the group to any approaching threats or tampering attempts.
For his final demonstration, Kenji retrieved a blank scroll and began drawing three complex sealing formulae in lightning-fast strokes. His enhanced motor control and analytical abilities allowed him to complete the intricate work in moments that would have taken his classmates several minutes of careful effort.
With a measured breath, he spoke the release command and opened the scroll dramatically. A controlled burst of chakra expanded outward, forming a cage of pure light around his training dummy. Each bar of the cage was composed of flowing sealing script, creating a barrier that was both beautiful and functionally impregnable.
Master Shikai moved between the four completed demonstrations, inspecting each apprentice's work with the critical eye of a master craftsman. His examination was thorough, testing connections, probing for weaknesses, and evaluating both technical execution and creative application of learned principles.
"Very impressive," he finally declared. "All of you have progressed far beyond my initial expectations. Your understanding of fundamental theory is solid, and your practical applications show genuine innovation."
He paused before each student to offer individual feedback. To Taro: "Your offensive integration has improved dramatically. The coordination between binding and striking seals is now seamless." To Masato: "Your defensive thinking has matured. You anticipate attack patterns and prepare accordingly." To Akari: "Your sensory networks are becoming truly sophisticated. The layered detection matrix you created would challenge even experienced infiltrators."
Finally, he turned to Kenji. "Your technical execution is exceptional, and your ability to combine different sealing disciplines shows real mastery potential. However," he added with gentle emphasis, "remember that fuinjutsu is an endless art. Continue to study, experiment, and most importantly—never assume you have learned everything there is to know."
Kenji nodded respectfully, genuinely moved by his sensei's words. Even though his adult mind understood the advice intellectually, Shikai's guidance felt meaningful in ways that surprised him. The man had somehow made him feel authentically like a student despite him being an adult.
That evening, as golden lanterns illuminated Uzushiogakure's spiral towers and the sound of distant waves filled the air, Kenji stood alone on the library steps reflecting on his remarkable progress.
He had begun experimenting with intermediate techniques that most apprentices wouldn't attempt for years. His understanding of sealing theory had grown exponentially, and his practical skills matched or exceeded students with far more formal training.
Yet he also understood how much remained unknown. The library contained scrolls he could barely comprehend. There were many powerful seals to learn like the Six Red Yang Formation, Four Symbols Seal, Four Red Yang Formation, etc.
In the courtyard's peaceful quiet, surrounded by the gentle sounds of village life continuing around him, Kenji decided that he would spend the coming weeks delving deeper into the most advanced scrolls available to him.
But more than that—somewhere during these months of training, teaching, and genuine friendship, something unexpected had occurred. He had fallen in love with Uzushiogakure itself. The village's unique culture, its dedication to knowledge and craft, the way civilians and shinobi coexisted in harmony—it all represented something precious that deserved protection.
In the anime he remembered, this village would eventually be destroyed, its people scattered or killed, its accumulated knowledge lost forever. The thought of such devastation occurring to the place he now considered home, to the people who had accepted and taught him, filled him with quiet determination.
He would not allow it to fall. Not if he could prevent it.