At Ryuchi Cave, the dark, severe atmosphere was completely devoid of warmth. As a puff of smoke appeared, Orochimaru and a severely injured Kabuto emerged.
Orochimaru looked grim, his chakra aura almost entirely drained. His current injuries were even worse than after fighting Sarutobi Hiruzen. While most of them were physical and could be easily healed, the psychological toll was hard to shake.
"If my hands weren't sealed, how could I end up beaten like this!"
He felt awful, but there was nothing he could do.
Orochimaru wasn't weak—he was a mid-range ninjutsu-type shinobi who relied on ninjutsu and strategy. But now, he couldn't form hand signs, so he could only use minor jutsu that didn't need signs or could be simplified. In this state, let alone being overpowered by Tsunade, even Kakashi might be able to bully him.
What a tragedy.
---
On the way back, Naruto stayed close to Tsunade, his eyes full of eagerness.
"Granny Tsunade, please teach me! Isn't this my mom's jutsu? You could teach it to me, and then the Pervy Sage could teach me my dad's jutsu. Wouldn't that mean I could learn both my parents' jutsu?"
"Think about it—when I learn Dad's Ninjutsu, I can feel his warmth. When I learn Mom's Ninjutsu, I can feel her love. If I can learn both of their Ninjutsu, then even if they're not around, I'll still be able to feel their warmth and love."
"If one kind of warmth makes me miss the other, then having both kinds would let me feel all their love. Isn't that the best thing for me?"
"So, Granny Tsunade, please teach me, okay?"
Jiraiya: "…"
This kid really has no shame.
Shizune: "…"
Calling Tsunade-sama "Granny"? This kid's got guts.
Tsunade: "…"
Like a little loudspeaker, this kid's so annoying.
Kurama cheered in the sealed space: "That's it, Naruto! Just keep on… well, begging like that. Tsunade will definitely teach you the Yin Seal. That's a Ninjutsu even I can't master!"
Naruto got even more excited, spouting phrases like "Everyone's happy!" and "If he's good, I'm good!" all the way there, completely shameless.
Tsunade quietly clenched her fist, while Jiraiya and Shizune edged away from Naruto.
Ah, what a clear blue sky.
Back at the bar, a bruised-up Naruto sat obediently on the floor, with Tsunade holding a bottle, staring at him. "Done talking?"
Naruto quickly shook his head.
"Oh, keep going," Tsunade taunted. "Let's see if I don't beat you to a pulp."
Naruto looked down meekly, silently cursing Kurama for getting him into this mess.
"Are you still going to try?" Tsunade asked.
"No, I won't," Naruto nodded obediently.
"Acknowledge your mistakes proactively and make sure you do it right next time, okay?" Tsunade rolled her eyes. This guy said the same thing last time, and now, only a few days later, he was at it again. At least Jiraiya's beatings would keep him quiet for half a month, but Naruto? Miss a few days, and he's back to tearing up the place.
Tsunade took a swig and looked at Naruto. She had to admit, this bruised, apologetic look of his reminded her a lot of Nawaki. He'd go around causing trouble too, then quickly apologize after she scolded him, only to forget it all right after.
Remembering that, Tsunade couldn't hold back a laugh.
Naruto flinched, almost thinking he was about to get hit again.
But this time, Tsunade put the bottle down. "You really want to learn the Yin Seal?"
Naruto's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. "Yes, I want to learn."
"Learning the Yin Seal isn't that simple," Tsunade's voice softened. "If you want to master the Yin Seal, you need chakra control far above the average Jonin. And in chakra training, control is both the simplest and hardest thing to improve."
"Don't think that just because you've mastered Shadow Clones, you're ready for the Yin Seal. You're still far from it."
This wasn't just Tsunade trying to discourage Naruto.
Yin Sealing involves storing chakra that you don't normally use. Once enough chakra is stored, you can release it all at once. Just controlling and storing chakra that's not used regularly is already very difficult, let alone building the 'container' for storing the chakra yourself.
In simple terms, you first use a sealing technique to create a 'pool' on your forehead to store chakra. Then, you control your chakra and store the chakra you refine but don't often use into that 'pool' until it's full.
During this process, the amount of chakra you can use will be reduced by half, and you can't use any chakra from the 'pool.' If you do, the 'pool' will collapse, and you'll have to start over from scratch.
This process demands extreme control over chakra. Only someone with exceptional control, like Sakura—whose chakra control is so impressive it even surprises Tsunade—could fill the 'pool' in just three years.
Didn't you see in the original story that Shizune's 'pool' wasn't even full by the Fourth Great Ninja War?
It's not that Tsunade didn't teach Shizune, but rather that Shizune's chakra control is comparatively weaker. She just couldn't fill the 'pool' in a short time.
Of course, Shizune's chakra control is still above the average ninja, since she's a medical ninja. Yet, even with that, it took her years to build up her chakra, while Naruto...
Tsunade shook her head. "I don't know how strong your chakra control is, but even if you inherited Kushina and Minato's talent, it'll still take at least five years to fill the Yin Sealing 'pool.' During those five years, your fighting ability will be affected. So, I'll ask you one last time—are you sure you want to learn this?"
Naruto was stunned. He had thought about these things, but seeing how strong Tsunade was, he was eager to learn. But five years... that seemed a bit too long.
Inside the sealing space, Kurama opened his eyes and looked at Naruto. "You can learn it."
Naruto froze and instinctively turned to Kurama. "But my fighting ability will be affected for five years, and my training will also be impacted."
Spending five years learning a method to accumulate chakra didn't seem like a good deal for Naruto, especially since he had the ability to use chakra. It seemed more practical to learn other techniques instead.
However, Kurama suddenly gave a confident smile. "Naruto, are you underestimating your talent?"
"Huh?" Naruto blinked in confusion.
Kurama snorted and grinned. "I won't say much, but your chakra control is indeed above average for a regular ninja. Maybe not as good as Sakura's, but with your chakra amount, plus mine, and your chakra control, I guarantee you'll fill the Yin Sealing 'pool' in less than a year."
It might even take less than a year.
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