Chapter 114: Chapter 112: Occupational hazards
"Alright, Ryu," Dan began, his voice steady and authoritative, "explosion tags and storage tags are the most common fuinjutsu applications. But we're going to start with a storage seal. It's a bit more complex than an explosion seal, but at least it won't blow up in your face if something goes wrong."
Ryu raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, that's reassuring," he muttered under his breath.
Dan, catching the smirk, continued with a slight grin of his own. "Let me tell you, the main reason many young sealmasters die is due to explosion seal making. The actual seal on fuinjutsu paper may trigger due to improper seal making, a leak of chakra, poor-quality fuinjutsu paper or ink, or just a slight error or carelessness while preparing the seal, like an error in the trigger mechanism. One wrong stroke, and boom—you have met your end."
"Well," Ryu thought, grinning, "I have already met my end; he is very shy and soft-spoken."
Out loud, he remarked, "Sounds like a real occupational hazard."
Though the idea of novice seal apprentices accidentally blowing themselves up wasn't exactly funny. He had read enough horror stories in Dan's library to know that fuinjutsu was not something to be taken lightly. Still, the challenge of mastering something so intricate intrigued him. The danger made it even more appealing.
Dan's expression shifted back to serious as he handed Ryu the scroll. "I'll teach you the explosion seal later, once you've gained some experience handling fuinjutsu. For now, focus on the storage seal."
Ryu accepted the scroll with both hands, bowing his head slightly in respect. Dan's trust in him was clear, and Ryu wasn't about to let him down. He unrolled the scroll further, revealing the intricate design of the storage seal. A complex web of interlocking symbols formed numerous shapes that appeared to form a delicate art form.
"Study this carefully," Dan instructed, his tone firm. "Many fuinjutsu are recreations of old seals, passed down through generations without a full understanding of their complete structure and inner workings. Over time, details get lost in translations or simply forgotten. People try to experiment with them to understand their workings by using the trail and error method, but it's dangerous. You need to approach this with caution."
Ryu thought inside, "But that's completely avoidable using Shadow Clone Jutsu. It seems to me that the development of Shadow Clone Jutsu paved the way for the creation of Second Hokage's other jutsus. Without it, it would have been difficult, if not impossible."
At the same time, Dan also had similar thoughts. "That was the case until the Shadow Clone Jutsu came into existence. but that too just makes death avoidable, not eased the process very much for those who cannot sustain the clones for long."
Ryu nodded at Dan's warning.
"Don't change anything," Dan emphasised, his gaze locking onto Ryu's. "Just remember the structure of the storage seal and replicate it. It's one of the most basic seals, so I don't think you'll have any trouble. But if you do, come find me."
Ryu nodded, his mind already racing with thoughts of how he would approach the task. He had always been a quick learner, but fuinjutsu was a different beast altogether. It required precision, patience, and an understanding of chakra flow that went beyond simple ninjutsu.
"Now," Dan said, stepping back, "I want you to make ten working storage seals within the week. Don't worry about wasting fuinjutsu paper—use as much as you need. But my advice? Start by replicating it on normal paper for your first hundred tries."
Ryu blinked. "A hundred tries?" he echoed, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You think it'll take me that long?"
Dan chuckled. "Trust me, Ryu. Fuinjutsu is not something you master overnight. You'll make mistakes. A lot of them. It's better to make them on normal paper first than on fuinjutsu paper, which costs a fortune and also risks accidentally activating the seal. When you learn, though, do not mind wasting time and resources. To make an omelette, some eggs must be broken."
Ryu couldn't help but laugh at that. "Fair point," he admitted, though he hoped it wouldn't take him a hundred tries. Still, he appreciated the advice. Dan never minced words, and Ryu admired his straightforwardness.
Dan gave him a final nod before turning to leave. "I'm trusting you, Ryu. Don't disappoint me."
As the door slid shut behind Dan, Ryu let out a deep breath. He glanced down at the scroll in his hands, the intricate patterns of the storage seal staring back at him. "No pressure," he muttered to himself, rolling his shoulders to release some of the tension that had built up.
He spread the scroll out on the floor in front of him, his eyes scanning the symbols and shapes. The storage seal was deceptively simple at first glance, but the more he studied it, the more he realised how complex it truly was. Each line, each curve, and each symbol had a purpose, and they all had to work together in perfect harmony for the seal to function.
"Alright," he muttered, rubbing his hands together. "Let's see how this works."
He closed his eyes, focusing in his mind. He needed to understand its inner workings to see how the layers interacted with each other. But as he concentrated, a sharp pain shot through his head, like a bee sting.
- [Temporary Enhance] running on [Fast Thinking] and [Parallel Thinking]
- Overclocking enabled
Ryu gritted his teeth as his brain went into overdrive. He had never pushed himself this hard before mentally, but he knew he had to start somewhere. The mental strain was intense, but he forced himself to keep going. He could feel his mind working faster, processing the information at an accelerated rate at least 10 times faster and 10 times more efficiently than normal.
Suddenly he found himself in a vast, endless void. To create a virtual environment where he could run 3D simulations without appearing to be staring at ghosts in the sky, he combined his [Editic Memory] and [Hyperphantasia] to create a virtual space inside his mind. He called it the [Mind Palace], a trick of mind he has developed recently after remembring it from his favourite detective series.
He modelled it like the Void, where he met Mr. Beginnig and Mr. End. Because of his [Fast Thinking], time operated differently in this [Mind Palace].
A blue translucent screen appeared in front of him, and on that screen appeared the Storage-Seal that he was staring at a moment ago. With a swift hand motion, he divided the layers of the seal in his mind, separating them into distinct sections. The fuinjutsu patterns began to light up, glowing softly as they were scanned and compared with the information stored in his [Mind Palace]
Explanation boxes started popping up in front of him side by side to the screen, each one detailing a different aspect of the seal.
- Details of [Storage Seal] realised and added to the library.
- New symbols identified from understanding the workings of [Storage Seal] and added to the library.
as he finished understanding the workings of the Storgae seal. A bubble appeared out of nowhere. When he touched it, the same storage seal appeared, but this time with detailed explanations. More than what was on the scroll Dan handed him.
"Interesting," Ryu murmured, his eyes flicking between the holograms. "So this is how it works on mental tasks."
A computer runs code written in a programming language, line by line, from left to right, from top to bottom, or from bottom to top.
But fuinjutsu wasn't like traditional programming. It was a geometric art and language programming form combined, with shapes resembling squares, circles, rectangles, and triangles making up its structure. Each shape executes in either a clockwise or anticlockwise manner, interacting with neighbouring layers or shapes in a complex dance of chakra and intent.
"As a person from the 21st century who is familiar with advanced programming," Ryu thought aloud, "I can say that there is so much room for improvement here. Seal preparation and execution could be streamlined, made more efficient."
Ryu leaned back, letting the holograms fade from his mind, and opened his eyes to the reality outside his [Mind Palace]. He had a lot of work ahead of him, but he felt confident. The storage seal was just the beginning.
"I guess they haven't made much advancement in fuinjutsu's basic structure and seal-making process because it's so dangerous," he mused, a small smile playing on his lips. "But I won't stop there. I think I can do better than them."
He paused, considering the implications. Fuinjutsu was both basic and advanced at the same time. It made sense that there were so few grandmasters in the art. Even those who were considered experts often copied seals without fully understanding them, and many died trying to create new seals.
He glanced around the room, his mind racing with ideas. "What I need is to run simulations of seal making in a safe space. And what's safer than my mind? The [Mind Palace] is the perfect place for such tasks without any risk of explosions."
He chuckled to himself. "Even if it explodes there, it would be like dying in a dream. I'd just wake up."
As he rolled up the scroll. "I'll figure this out," he said quietly, his voice filled with resolve. "One way or another, and when I do, I will revolutionise the fuinjutsu."
##PoWeR StOnEs##
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