Chương 23: Chapter 23: The Stalking village
Sunday began before dawn. Ren woke up when the sky was still black, preparing for his meeting with Tatsumi. First, however, he had other plans.
He headed for a small secluded cove he had discovered during his morning explorations. It was hidden among the rocks and the thick fog made it virtually invisible from the main path.
'Perfect for practicing Henge no Jutsu,' he thought, pulling out the scroll he had memorized from the library.
The technique required precise visualization of the desired form, combined with careful chakra control to maintain the transformation. After several failed attempts, Ren felt exhausted.
'I have already used up almost all my chakra,' he reflected, wiping the sweat from his forehead. 'Now I see how lucky Naruto was with all those chakra reserves.'
Interesting training choice."
Ren turned around sharply. Yukiko was sitting on a rock not far away, her watchful gaze studying his every move.
"How much...?"
"Enough to see that your techniques are more advanced than you show in class," she replied in a neutral tone that hid a hint of suspicion.
'I need to improve my surrounding perception,' Ren chided himself. 'I can't afford to be caught off guard.'
"You shouldn't be here," he finally said, maintaining a cautious expression.
"Neither should you," Yukiko replied, her eyes never leaving his. "But everyone has their secrets, don't they, Mizutani-kun?" She rose gracefully from the rock. "A word of advice: concentrate first on the form and then on the chakra infusion. It is more... efficient."
Yukiko took her leave, leaving Ren with his thoughts and a small smile.
"You are late," Tatsumi greeted him when he arrived at their usual meeting place.
"Excuse me, sensei. I was just..."
"Training you," the old Sealmaster completed. "I can tell by your disturbed chakra. I hope at least you continued practicing calligraphy."
Ren pulled out his latest exercises. He had spent the evenings perfecting the basic strokes, incorporating subtle variations he had noticed in the more advanced conservation seals.
Tatsumi examined the work in silence. "Interesting," he finally said. "You noticed the recurring pattern in the preservation seals."
"The outer edges seem to ... echo the inner contents," Ren replied cautiously.
"Like waves in a pond," nodded Tatsumi. "The basic principle of any seal is harmony between container and content." He pulled out a new scroll. "Today we will try something more complex."
They spent the next few hours studying a basic seal for water filtration. It was more complex than the patterns Ren had practiced so far, but he recognized familiar elements in the structure.
"This seal," Tatsumi explained, "not only purifies water but can also separate it by density. Some medical ninjas use it to create precise solutions."
"Sensei," Ren asked during a pause, "is it possible to combine seals with elemental techniques?"
Tatsumi studied him with a penetrating gaze. "Technically, yes. But it requires a deep understanding of both arts. Why?"
"Curiosity," Ren replied, trying to sound casual.
"Hmm," the old man stroked his beard. "Remember, young Mizutani: haste is the enemy of precision. And in fuinjutsu, precision is everything."
In the afternoon, back at his secret cove, Ren found Jun'ko waiting for him, perched on a branch.
"You too?" he sighed.
'What's going on? More like a stalking village than a mist village!'
"I was bored," she admitted, sticking her tongue out. "And I didn't feel like going to Aoi's for her medical lessons. So do you want a training partner?"
After a moment's thought, Ren agreed. Two sets of eyes were better than one for spotting mistakes, and Jun'ko, despite her playful attitude, was surprisingly sharp in her observations.
They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing together, Jun'ko with his Illusory Technique: Hiding in the Mist, while Ren, now short of chakra, observed and made suggestions.
On the way back, he reflected on the day. The techniques were improving, his fuinjutsu was progressing, and maybe-maybe-he was even learning to trust, at least a little.
'Actually I can't figure out how to behave,' he thought as he walked. 'On the one hand I feel like I'm reliving my youth, and on the other I'm afraid of making connections with people who might ... change in the future.'
His hand brushed against the roll with fuinjutsu exercises in his pocket. There was still much to learn, but he was beginning to see how all the pieces could connect to each other.
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