When Shane Mountain noticed the shift in their expressions from surprise to something a little awkward he knew Mito had struck a nerve. The elder woman only smiled as she explained, her voice calm, steady, and without a trace of alarm. It was as though she were simply sharing a story from long ago, not recounting something that could have killed them all.
"That intruder was a special jōnin," Mito said, her tone even. "His talent lies in stealth. That's why he was able to slip into Konoha… even into my own home."
Shane's brows furrowed. "So you're saying his actual combat ability isn't even at a true jōnin's level?"
Mito nodded. "That's right. If he had been stronger, none of you would have survived that reckless little stunt. You must never act so rashly again. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Both Minato and Kushina chorused their promise, straightening their backs like guilty students before a teacher. Mito's expression softened, and with a grandmotherly smile she retrieved a long scroll from her sleeve and passed it to them.
"This contains practical sealing techniques," she said. "Study them well."
Minato accepted the scroll with both hands, bowed politely, and offered his thanks before heading back with Shane toward Kushina.
The red-haired girl had been waiting impatiently, and the instant she saw them approaching her eyes lit up. For the past hour she had been left to train on her own, and boredom gnawed at her. She had wanted to chat with Minato so badly, but with Mito watching, she dared not disobey. Now that her friends had returned, her restraint crumbled like paper.
"What did Grandma say to you two?" she asked, words tumbling out in a rush.
"She told us to be careful from now on and not act impulsively," Shane replied with a grin. Then he noticed her posture. Kushina was still holding a deep horse stance, thighs trembling but stubbornly refusing to break form. "And you? What kind of training is that? Looks like… Chinese martial arts?"
Kushina tilted her head in confusion. "Chinese what? Never heard of it. Forget that. Show me what Grandma gave you! If it's not too advanced, I can teach you a thing or two!"
Without waiting for permission, she snatched the scroll out of Minato's hands and unfurled it with eager fingers.
The parchment stretched out, revealing an intricate web of runes and symbols. To Shane, the marks looked less like letters and more like an artist's attempt at chaos.
"Wait… what? This doesn't look basic at all," Shane muttered. His eyes darted across the dense seals. "Wasn't this supposed to be entry-level? This feels way too complicated."
Kushina squinted, her finger tracing one line after another. Finally, her face stiffened as recognition hit.
"This… this looks like the Four Symbols Seal," she whispered, half in awe and half in disbelief.
Shane's heart lurched. The Four Symbols Seal? That was no beginner's trick. Why would Mito hand something like this to them now? Minato had only just scratched the surface of sealing after a week of practice, and Shane was even greener.
Kushina frowned, holding the scroll aloft. "Grandma! Did you give us the wrong one?"
Mito's serene smile didn't waver. "No. That is the right scroll. I expect the two of you to learn it. And Kushina, I'll need your help. You will be their instructor for the basics."
"Eh? Me?" Kushina nearly dropped the scroll in shock. She jabbed a finger at her own chest. "I'm not ready for that! I'm barely halfway decent myself!"
Mito only chuckled and said no more, leaving the decision hanging in the air like fate itself.
Kushina turned back to the two boys, her lips pursed and her eyes troubled. "I'm still just fumbling along… how am I supposed to guide anyone?"
Shane saw her hesitation and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about the big picture. Just help us recognize the runes and the basic meanings. We'll take it from there."
Minato nodded firmly in agreement. "That's right. We don't need you to carry us through the entire technique. Just the foundation. After that, you can focus on your own training."
Kushina narrowed her eyes at them, suspicion creeping in. "Why do I feel like you're both looking down on me?"
Yet when she looked back at the dense seal, frustration stole her defiance. She couldn't deny the truth she wasn't capable of fully grasping it herself yet. Her shoulders sagged, and she sighed in resignation.
"Fine. I'll at least teach you to recognize the symbols."
For Shane, the following days were a rare period of peace. No frantic battles, no sleepless nights on the frontlines. The Rain Village conflict already felt like a distant nightmare. With the generous pay their squad had earned from their last mission, Shane finally had enough money to eat properly for months.
Jiraiya, their teacher, had vanished completely after the war effort, leaving not even a trace of rumor. At first Shane thought the man might pop up at any moment, but as weeks turned to months, even that hope dwindled.
Two months slipped by quietly.
During that time, Shane immersed himself in sealing techniques. What had once looked like indecipherable symbols now began to make sense. He could even weave together simpler seals, like the Binding Seal Minato had demonstrated before. He experimented further, mastering fire and water suppression seals versatile tools that could lock away elemental attacks.
His rapid progress startled even Mito. But when she remembered this was the boy who had created the Rasengan on his own, her surprise melted into acceptance.
Shane himself was giddy with delight. He never knew he had such a natural gift for sealing. It felt as though every day he stepped closer to unlocking some grand mystery.
Then came the notice.
One morning, the Third Hokage personally handed them the forms. With Jiraiya gone, no one else could approve their squad for the exams.
"The Chūnin Exams," Shane read aloud. His tone was casual, but his chest tightened. "If we pass… we'll be sent to the frontlines as real soldiers."
That was the price of promotion. Remaining a genin meant safety, but also stagnation reduced to chasing cats and babysitting long after the next generation surpassed you. Just look at Might Duy, the eternal genin. A reminder of what happens when you never advance.
Minato didn't hesitate. Neither did their two other teammates, Shibi Aburame and Choza Akimichi. Pens scratched across the forms without a moment of doubt.
Three pairs of eyes turned toward Shane.
He sighed, shoulders slumping. "Looks like I don't have a choice then." He scribbled his name, committing himself to the path. "Truth is… I was getting bored anyway."
But that night, his thoughts strayed to the pocket dimension where his alternate selves awaited.
There he saw Lab-Coat Shane again, his counterpart who now possessed incredible physical strength and spent his days divided between the gym and the laboratory. Together with Julian Drake, the genius researcher, they were pushing the limits of human evolution.
As soon as the city's water supply was infected, they would retreat underground to the laboratory, striving to decode the God Gene, their key to becoming perfect evolvers.
Why did the enemies foreign soldiers, secret factions, ambitious powers fight so desperately over the Corpse King? Because that creature's body held the secret to immortality. With Julian's mind and Shane's research, they were convinced they could one day create the true elixir of eternal life.
The thought of it made Ninja Shane tremble with excitement. Immortality! If he could never die, then no war, no blade, no betrayal could ever scare him again.
But the thrill quickly cooled.
Wait… sealing techniques in this world were terrifying. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself had been sealed away. What chance would an immortal have if the shinobi world discovered him? Would they dissect him alive, lock him in chains deep underground, cutting him open day after day like some animal on an operating table?
The image alone sent a shiver down his spine. His earlier enthusiasm collapsed into cold dread.
"No… being immortal might be even more dangerous. My strength right now is still far too weak. If I can't protect myself, all the secrets in the world will only bring disaster."
His fists clenched.
"When Jiraiya returns, I'll beg him to take me to Mount Myōboku. I have to learn Sage Mode. I have to raise my power… or I'll never be ready for what's coming."
For the first time, Shane understood the full weight pressing on his shoulders. It wasn't just about passing the Chūnin Exams anymore. It was about survival.
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