The sadness had already dissipated due to Ishigami Hara's actions. Not only were the three people present surprised, but even Uchiha Izuna, standing beside Ishigami Hara, was taken aback.
"How did you do that, kid?"
This rate of learning would likely astonish anyone who witnessed it.
It was a sealing technique, after all—more complex than ordinary ninjutsu. While its difficulty might not reach the level of high-rank jutsu, its complexity certainly wasn't minor.
Even though the Two-Thread Lantern Formation was a low-level sealing technique, it shouldn't have been something one could learn and master in mere minutes.
This truly exceeded expectations.
Ishigami Hara remained composed, as a thought echoed faintly in his mind: "Watch it once, learn it, then use it."
"You..."
It was clear that Uchiha Izuna had much to say, but in the end, he remained silent.
Obviously, he needed time to process what he had just witnessed.
"A rare talent."
Uzumaki Mito smiled and nodded, her eyes filled with joy as she looked at Ishigami Hara. At the twilight of her life, meeting such a young man was a blessing worth cherishing.
This gave Uzumaki Mito an indescribable feeling, as if the appearance of this youth before her was a divine gift to the Uzumaki clan. Especially after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, it felt like a stroke of luck.
Ishigami Hara, unconcerned by the others' reactions, simply asked, "Is there anything more difficult?"
Uzumaki Kushina and Nawaki exchanged glances, their eyes seeming to ask: 'Is this guy a monster?'
Only Uzumaki Mito's smile remained unchanged. She nodded slightly, saying, "Yes, there are many more. As long as you wish, you can learn all that you're able to."
"Thank you, Lady Mito."
Ishigami Hara expressed his gratitude. He needed new knowledge, so he had no reason to refuse.
Naturally, mastering more skills quickly was ideal. Whether others thought of him as a monster was of no concern to Ishigami Hara.
After all, his system's [Learning] feature was just a bit more than a hundred experience points away from reaching level 4. With sufficient knowledge, he could complete the upgrade in no time. Why not take advantage?
As it turned out, Uzumaki Mito had great expectations for Ishigami Hara and even brought him directly to the vault where the Uzumaki clan's knowledge was kept. It housed hundreds of scrolls, most of which were either sealing techniques or advanced knowledge related to them.
According to Uzumaki Mito, these were not even the entire legacy of the Uzumaki clan, but just a small portion—her personal dowry, to be exact.
Sadly, much of the Uzumaki clan's true heritage had long vanished with the war. After her passing, these scrolls would no longer be her private belongings but would become part of Konoha's inheritance.
It was clear from her tone that Uzumaki Mito was in a somber mood when she spoke. Uzumaki Kushina and Nawaki made efforts to comfort her, but their attempts had limited success.
At Uzumaki Mito's age, she had already come to terms with many things. What remained was only a small bit of obsession or regret in her heart.
Ishigami Hara's response was simple. He said, "This knowledge will not disappear, and the Uzumaki clan will be reborn in the ninja world."
After saying this, Ishigami Hara looked at Uzumaki Mito seriously, his expression solemn.
"I promise."
Although he didn't fully understand Uzumaki Mito's deepest thoughts, he could sense her kindness toward him, and that was enough. Ishigami Hara was straightforward in his approach—he repaid kindness and held grudges accordingly.
Furthermore, aligning himself with Uzumaki Mito would greatly benefit his standing in Konoha, as well as his identity. Helping the Uzumaki clan in the future, to the best of his ability, would not be a burden for Ishigami Hara, and he had full confidence in his future.
"Good boy," Uzumaki Mito said warmly, reaching out with her frail hand to gently stroke Ishigami Hara's head, her eyes filled with hope.
"I'm very happy."
Ishigami Hara didn't mind her gesture, but Uchiha Izuna scoffed, "So easily swayed by a few small favors. If it's ninjutsu knowledge you want, I have plenty. The Uchiha clan has even more, so why look elsewhere?"
In truth, Ishigami Hara had considered this before, but knowing the nature of the Uchiha clan, he dismissed the idea.
Perhaps sensing Ishigami Hara's potential, Uchiha Izuna's words carried an air of urgency. To him, if such a genius could not be brought under the Uchiha banner, it would be nothing short of a disaster.
Moreover, Uchiha Izuna could clearly sense Ishigami Hara's quiet rejection of the Uchiha clan. This feeling was difficult to articulate, even slightly mysterious, but Izuna could feel it.
This was not good news for him. Having fought the Senju clan for much of his life, Uchiha Izuna had no desire to see the balance tip further. Ishigami Hara, who had the Uchiha bloodline and had even awakened the Sharingan—with three tomoe, no less—was a prodigy too valuable to be left in the hands of others.
Uchiha Izuna had no qualms about taking steps to benefit the Uchiha clan, even after his death. If it meant curbing the influence of the Senju, he would be satisfied.
But clearly, he underestimated Ishigami Hara, who responded calmly, "The Uchiha's knowledge doesn't suit me, nor do I have any interest in the current Uchiha."
"Damn kid! You've awakened the Sharingan! You're Uchiha by birth—you can't escape that!"
"Then why don't you mention that I've also awakened the Byakugan? Does that make me part of the Hyuga clan too? Is the Hyuga's heritage any lesser than the Uchiha's?" Ishigami Hara countered.
"Hmph, that useless eye technique? Do you really want to join the Hyuga clan? Don't forget, they have the Caged Bird, and you'd just end up a bird in a cage."
"Isn't it possible that I look down on both the Uchiha and Hyuga? The Uchiha are extreme, and the Hyuga are outdated and rigid. To me, both of you are remnants of a bygone era."
"You…"
Uchiha Izuna hadn't expected Ishigami Hara's response to be so blunt.
"Let me make this clear: I have no regard for any of the old ninja clans, Uchiha and Hyuga included. In the new era of the ninja world, relics of the past will eventually be discarded."
With that, Ishigami Hara ended the conversation, clearly uninterested in continuing the argument.
"A new era in the ninja world? Who will bring it about? You? Hmph, how arrogant!" Uchiha Izuna sneered.
"You'll see."