(Akio POV)
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Reporting back to Sandaime-sama's office about the success of our mission, I was 'unexpectedly' suspended for violating the 'Geneva Convention' without his permission, despite my attempts to soften the blow by presenting him with some 'gifts', which I had managed to acquire with Arata's help.
After ensuring Sakumo was admitted to the hospital, I returned to my apartment.
Sakumo had truly overexerted himself, using both the Light Release: Overdrive and a jutsu I had developed, which resulted in severe damage to his nerves and tenketsu points. This reckless use of techniques earned him a rent free, two-week stay, in the hospital.
On the bright side, Aki started paying him more attention after I informed her of his condition. So, despite the circumstances, he's not entirely at a loss.
'Lovebirds will be lovebirds,' I muttered to myself.
It was around midnight, and the streets were deserted except for the presence of the filthy Uchiha clan members who were patrolling the area. In contrast, the Anbu Black Ops division members were strategically positioned, concealed in trees or perched on rooftops, vigilantly surveilling the village from the shadows.
For someone like me, the tranquility of the night was a welcome reprieve from the usual hustle and bustle of the daytime crowds. Feeling particularly good-natured, I knocked out an Uchiha patrol guard cold with my shadow technique in the name of Konoha.
The ANBU operatives, touched by my patriotic act, chose to turn a blind eye.
But in all seriousness, I only did it after learning from the department that they bad-mouthed us out of the blue in the morning without good reason and they can't say I did it if they didn't notice my shadow underneath them.
***
Locking my door and shedding my clothes, I settled into the bathtub, allowing the warm water to envelop me, cleansing away the day's weariness.
'Shit, I forgot to add the medicinal herb mixture…' I sighed, dismissing the thought knowing it was too late to bother.
An hour later, I emerged, drying off and dressing in my usual attire—a simple black kimono. I tied my hair back and headed to the kitchen to warm up the rations on the stove. (I honestly look like your typical Chinese male character in a Manhua cultivation story.)
Taking a bite, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, albeit only by 5%.
'Should have taken down more of them tonight,' I muttered, continuing with my meal.
After washing and returning the dishes to their places in the cabinet, I made my way to the library in my study, retrieving the scroll Sandaime-sama had given me as compensation.
I stored it away in a book Tsunade had recently given me, one on ethics and manners (though I found it rather useless), just as a precautionary measure.
When I pulled out the book and flipped through its pages, I came across the Four Symbol Seal I had used for the scroll. It might have been a bit excessive, but I couldn't be sure that the Anbu guarding me outside wouldn't have ulterior motives — especially after a recent incident where an Anbu was caught trying to steal jutsu from the Anbu library. (She was later discovered to be a spy from Iwagakure after all her limbs disabled during the torture.)
Focusing my chakra into my fingertips, forming the symbol of the five elements, I applied it to the seal.
'Unseal.'
Out of the thin white smoke that materialized in the air, I swiftly snatched the scroll, which I had taken extra care to conceal.
It was the Flying Raijin, an S-rank jutsu crafted by Mr. Racist for his fiercest rival, and a cornerstone of the golden boy's combat prowess.
Despite the stress it caused and the risks I faced stepping into a minefield, acquiring this jutsu was undoubtedly worth the effort.
Committing every detail of the scroll to memory, I sealed it once more within the book and returned it discreetly to its place on the library shelf.
Afterward, I lay on my bed, closing my eyes. I breathed in and out, slowly calming down my body and letting my muscles relax.
'Mindscape.'
****
As I opened my eyes, I was greeted by darkness, my old friend. I looked around and confirmed I had entered my mindscape. With a snap of my fingers, the scroll appeared in my hand.
"Yup, the details of the scroll are still the same here." Another snap summoned shadow clones, each holding a scroll.
After instructing them to study the contents, I focused on the scroll in my hand, attempting to form the sealing formula based on the instructions. The feeling of disappointment washed over me, though I had anticipated it.
The 'coding language' of this fuinjutsu is significantly different and highly complex, diverging greatly from the Four Symbol Seal on which it was originally based.
Although it was frustrating and time-consuming, I anticipated this level of difficulty since no one has been able to decode it since Mr. Racist's passing.
Of course, I am not talking about the Uzumaki, where giving the jutsu is the same as committing political suicide for the Hokage faction.
Despite the challenges, it is worth the effort compared to deciphering the Hyuga main family's curse seal used on their enslaved branch members. That seal's coding language is so archaic that it seems to have originated from their moon-dwelling ancestors.
Knowing the extent the golden boy learned mastered this jutsu in the future, having it at least as a dependable means of travel remains crucial even if I can't use it properly in combat.
This reminds me…. I should visit the Senju residence tomorrow morning to meet with his future 'godmother-in-law'. (She is still quite attractive, surprisingly.)
Surely, Lady Mito won't mind assisting me if I can finally alleviate her of the burden she has carried for so many years thanks to her not so romantic spouse.
The only downside is having to see the fatsheep of the Senju in the Senju compound.