— "It all comes down to lack of time; I can barely keep up with replenishing the current range of seals," I informed him, shrugging. "Considering my rank as a Genin and the training associated with it, there simply isn't time for anything else."
— "And the hospital work," added the Jonin, grinning.
— "Well, that too," I agreed with him, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
— "I was among the patients," explained the Uchiha, rubbing the scar on his forehead. "Who would have thought I'd survive a split skull—I would have doubted it for sure."
— "Ah, I remember that one, I remember. It was lucky that the brain was minimally affected, and the damage could be repaired without harm to cognitive functions. I remember in the past world, people survived with bullets through their heads, and here medicine is much more advanced."
— "What do you need from me?" I asked, nodding understandingly at the man.
— "Here." He laid out a pair of cuffs on the counter. About the width of a palm, made of simple bronze, they didn't attract attention at first glance, but they clearly contained a considerable amount of chakra. Moreover, judging by the material, they were quite ancient—no one makes cuffs from such metal nowadays. Yet they looked as if they had just come from a master's hands—no scratches.
— "I recently cleared out my grandfather's house and found them hidden in a secret compartment," the Jonin explained. "According to a note, these are Uzumaki artifacts, and my great-great-grandfather bought them from your relatives. However, after his death, no one in the family could use the cuffs, and then, obviously, they were forgotten."
— "Hmm, you need a binding?" I asked, picking up one cuff and examining it.
— "Yes." Finding no hint of seals, I turned the ancient artifact a bit more and guessed to infuse it with some chakra. The result was immediate—numerous symbols appeared faintly in a pale blue light.
— "Hmm, it's too complicated for me at the moment, but I can isolate the elements managing the binding to the owner," I pondered, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. "I guess I'll manage in a couple of weeks."
— "So you'll take it?" the shinobi visibly rejoiced.
— "Yes, it's an interesting challenge, so it's worth a try," I confirmed confidently, inspecting the second cuff.
— "How much will you take?"
— "Not in money—can you provide two Raiton techniques of no less than B-class?"
Considering my scant arsenal for this element, currently consisting of Chidori and a variation of Senbon, it was urgent to expand it. And who but an Uchiha might have jutsu of such a rare element in Konoha, like lightning or even wind? As far as I know, for most shinobi, fire is their primary element, and water or earth the secondary, if there's any predisposition to a second at all.
Considering the First World War of shinobi, they managed to nab jutsu from Iwa, most of the water getting from Uzumaki, but against Kumo they haven't been serious with all their siblings. Saya even had to come up with ways to master the lightning element just because very few people in our clan had the same element.
Some Uchiha certainly distinguished themselves, but they were in no rush to share their secrets with others. And you can't even send mice to the red-eyed ones—they don't care what type of chakra they see, unlike the protective fuin systems.
"For a simple setup?"
"Well, no one else will take it," I shrugged, "and the rest of the 'craftsmen' will only break it."
"Alright, deal," agreed the Jonin, "I'll drop by in a couple of weeks."
"Deal," I said, shaking hands with the Uchiha, scooping up the cuffs from the counter and putting them away in one of the counter drawers.
Glancing after him, I turned to the next visitor.
"I need two dozen enhanced explosive tags, a dozen paralyzing ones..."
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