As Renjiro stepped into Kushina's residence, he found himself face to face with a figure of Konoha's future. It was Namikaze Minato, the future Fourth Hokage in the making, who stood before him.
Minato's demeanour reflected a blend of determination and youthful exuberance. His golden hair, neatly arranged, framed a face marked by sharp, azure eyes that harboured both intelligence and the spark of potential greatness. He was dressed in the standard Konoha flak jacket adorned with the symbol of the Hidden Leaf.
Despite the burdens that awaited him in the future, Minato's presence exuded approachability which was something Renjiro had yet to see in anyone since he arrived in this world.
'It can't be! It's him!'
Upon seeing him, Renjiro was shocked at his presence. Namikaze Minato was his favourite character from the franchise, well apart from Naruto himself. Renjiro inwardly believed that given enough time, Minato would become one of, if not, the strongest Shinobi that ever graced the lands.
While fully aware that Minato, like any character, had his share of questionable decisions and complexities, Renjiro found himself willing to look past those imperfections. No one was perfect, after all.
"What is it Renjiro?"
Kushina's inquiry served as a gentle nudge, pulling Renjiro from the reverie induced by the unexpected presence of Namikaze Minato. The abrupt transition from fanboying at Minato to Kushina's question grounded Renjiro in the present moment.
Shaking off the residual awe, Renjiro offered a sheepish smile,
"I...uh, didn't mean to drop by unannounced," he admitted.
"It's Okay Renjiro. It's not like you were interrupting anything." Kushina said as she exchanged Glances with Minato.
"So, did you come to tell me how your first mission went?"
Collecting his thoughts, Renjiro explained, "It was okay. Although the mission rank was upgraded to C-rank, it still went well. When we returned to the village I started working on some seals, and I wanted to show you what I've been working on and my progress on it."
"What?! Your mission rank was upgraded? What happened?"
Renjiro then spent the next half an hour informing both Kushina and Minato about his mission to the Land of Soups. To say that they were shocked would be an understatement.
"Anyway, can I show you the seals I just made?"
Intrigued by Renjiro's mention of his progress, Kushina's eyes sparkled with interest. "Yes. I want to see what you've come up with," she said, gesturing for Renjiro to proceed.
"By the way, Renjiro, this is my friend Minato," she cheerfully announced. Minato extended a friendly greeting, and a warm smile accompanied the words, "Hello, Renjiro.It is nice to meet you, Kushina here talks highly of your fuinjutsu skills."
'What is there to talk about? I barely know anything about Fuinjutsu.'
"It is also nice to meet you Minato," Renjiro replied.
'He is only a chunin now. The gap between us is big, but hopefully, it gets smaller in the future.'
Kushina's playful pride swelled as she puffed out her chest, as she asked, "Did you think you were my only fuinjutsu disciple, Renjiro?" she teased, revelling at the moment before adding, "Minato here is also kind of my disciple. At least... for most of the part," she confessed, a hint of a blush colouring her cheeks.
Renjiro, attuned to the nuances of the moment, tactfully chose to overlook the blushing, allowing it to remain unspoken. He then changed the subject.
"Here are the seals that I made. They are all storage seals. I have already tested them and they work as intended, but I wanted to see if there were any mistakes I made when I was making them."
As Kushina unfolded the scrolls, her eyes widened in pleasant surprise at the sight of Renjiro's seals. Minato, catching a glimpse of the scrolls, couldn't help but be intrigued. His sharp eyes scanned the symbols and patterns.
"These seals seem ordinary. What's with them?" Minato inquired.
'Ordinary? What do you mean by ordinary?' Renjiro was a bit unnerved by Minato's Remark, but Kushina beat him to the mark and replied.
"Renjiro is still in the early stages of his fuinjutsu journey," she chided,
"I decided to stick to the common methods for now just to reinforce his basics. We wouldn't want him getting too carried away with the more complex techniques just yet."
Minato, with a raised eyebrow and turned to Kushina. "So, why didn't you use the same approach with me when I started learning fuinjutsu?" he queried, genuinely interested in understanding the rationale behind the different teaching methods.
Kushina responded, "Oh, Minato, you already had Jiraiya-sama teaching you the basics before you even came to me. You were already past the stage of needing those conventional methods by the time you became my student."
Renjiro observed the interaction between his mentor and Minato. He couldn't help but feel a bit sidetracked.
'Why are they bickering? I have better things to do than be a third wheel.'
Renjiro decided to cut straight to the chase. "Hey, what were you two talking about and why did Minato say that my seals are ordinary?" he inquired.
Kushina chuckled, shooting a knowing glance at Minato before turning her attention back to Renjiro to elaborate, "You see, Minato expected you to be able to make seals using Uzumaki techniques. You know, those techniques and language that I had earlier told you about."
Minato nodded in agreement, "Yeah, the Uzumaki way is more efficient with its language that consists of intricate symbols. With you being an Uzumaki, I thought that you already knew of these techniques."
"But, don't get me wrong. These might be 'ordinary' by Uzumaki standards, but they're still great. In fact, basic storage seals like these are always in demand. You could make quite a bit of money with these. The village is always hungry for fuinjutsu, especially when it comes to storage and transportation."
"Minato-senpai, how much do you think I could make with these seals?"
Hearing that he could make money from his seals, Renjiro's eyes brightened. Although Renjiro was getting an allowance from the clan, his recent spending to help in his Fuinjutsu training brought his funds near the red zone.
He would greatly appreciate another stream of money. Considering the recent mission he had he was forced to burn through his stock of weapons. He had initially thought that the money was a lot, but now he wished he got more.
Minato, considering the question, leaned back with a thoughtful expression. "Well, it depends on various factors—like the size and complexity of the seals, the demand in the market, and your negotiation skills. But I'd say you could fetch about Five thousand Ryo for every basic storage."
'Damn! That was close to the amount of money I got from the mission. And it was a C-rank mission. Why don't people just get into Fuinjutsu? It's such a safe and well-paying career choice.'
Kushina, sensing the need to redirect the conversation intervened. "Alright, Enough with that. Renjiro! Since you've mastered the basics of storage seals, I have a special seal for you to work on next."
She reached into a cupboard and retrieved a seal that seemed more complex than the storage seals Renjiro had just created. Kushina, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, added,
"Renjiro, the best way for you to understand the effects of this seal is to experience it firsthand. Brace yourself."
"Huh? Brace myself?"
Renjiro hesitated for a moment, a sense of apprehension creeping over him. However, it was already too late as Kushina had placed the seal on his arm.
Renjiro's eyes widened as fatigue washed over him like a sudden wave, followed by a sharp, shooting pain that coursed through his body. His vision blurred, and before he could comprehend what was happening, darkness enveloped him, pulling him into an unconscious state.
Renjiro had passed out.
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