A.N: This is the end of the beginning dump for Patreon before posting. When the first chapter goes live on the standard sites, then an extra will be added always keeping you guys 5 ahead. Please let me know what you think about the story either on here or on discord. It means a lot to me to hear feedback. :)
Sano stared on in dread at the upcoming ass beating she was about to get. Even as children, these kids moved like a damn professional martial artist as they sparred.
The whole class was standing or sitting off to the side of the very same field she’d sparred in earlier for her practical tests against Roki, watching as students were called forward to spar against one another in one-on-one combat.
Most of them used what looked to be some standardized taijutsu technique, and she was trying her best to memorize it. The kids who didn’t use whatever the rest of them were using, were just better. There was no other way to put it. The two Uchiha kids in her class used something that looked similar to Jeet Kune Do, and she only knew that because Bruce Lee was a legend.
Unlike the UFC or Boxing from Earth, these taijutsu spars were fluid, extremely fast paced, and brutal. When the two who sparred were relatively even in strength, it was very impressive to watch the rapid parries, deflections, and counter attacks. One fight had that Nara girl monkey crawl her way around her opponent to finish him in an armbar.
She was going to get her ass whooped.
“Sano Aburame and Murakumo Kurama.” Tanaka called out as soon as the last bout finished.
Dejectedly, mentally preparing herself for her upcoming beat-down, Sano stood and made her way out into the field as the very curious eyes of her classmates watched on. She was the new girl in class, and they were obviously interested to see what she could do. Nobody had come to talk with her during lunch, either. If she had to guess, her not being able to talk was a big wall in between them.
The boy that stood across from her was fairly plain in appearance and looked just as nervous as she did. Whether it was from his lack or skills or her unknown potential, she wasn’t sure. In either case, she would try her best.
“Seal of confrontation.” Tanaka spoke, voice firm like it had been every other time he’d requested the seal from his students.
They both signed, Kurama even giving a small bow in her direction.
“Begin!” Tanaka raised his arm from between them, and the fight began.
It became readily apparent to everyone watching that she had absolutely no clue what she was doing as soon as she took up her stance. Murakuma even stilled for a moment as he took in her… form.
“Pause!” Tanaka barked before they even began an exchange. He looked her up and down with a small frown, but before he could comment, she signed to him. ‘I forgot everything about taijutsu.’
Understanding flashed in his brown eyes. Tanaka took a step towards her and leaned in to whisper. “Crash course in combat. First, find a stance that you find comfortable. It doesn’t matter if it looks silly, as long as it works. Everyone is different. Just, make sure it allows you to strike and defend in a moment's notice. From there, feel things out. You’re here to learn, so that is what you’ll do.”
He gave her a pat on the shoulder and retook his position. “Murakuma, give her a second.”
Sano shifted into several different stances; Most of them had no names in her memories, and they were most likely pale imitations from what she’d seen others do. South-paw, Peekaboo, a low wrestling stance… all of them felt ridiculous and uncomfortable.
She rapidly scanned her memories for anything that could be useful. This wasn’t like fighting on Earth. These ninja-kids had superhuman reflexes and so did she. This was a world of throwing fireballs and making clones… like in some video games or anime.
She ignored the murmurs of her classmates and the expectant, yet confused look from her opponent as she thought about the parallels between worlds. The thought about throwing fireballs immediately made her think of Street Fighter’s Hadouken. So, instead of copying real life Earth stances, she started to copy fictional ones.
Ken and Ryu had boxing stances, which she tried for a few seconds, bouncing on her feet. They felt better, but not comfortable. Chun Li’s, Miss Thunder Thighs herself, stance felt wack as hell. She went through numerous characters, at least those she remembered, before settling on one she felt resonate with her.
She shifted her posture to keep her body slightly angled toward her opponent, left shoulder leading the charge. Her right hand rose up to hover next to her left shoulder, as her left arm crossed her body to rest near her right hip, creating a cross over her body to defend. She felt her balance shift back to rest on her right leg, holding most of her weight, leaving her forward left leg free to move and kick. Her hands were open, ready to slap away incoming attacks and throw thrusts forward.
There was no way in hell she was going to do an Ojou-Sama laugh, not that she could, but Karin Kazuki’s stance felt the most comfortable and natural.
Tanaka must have felt or seen her become comfortable, as he placed his hand between them once more. “Murakuma, start off slow. Begin!”
Tired of waiting, Murakuma closed the distance with a single dash and threw a quick jab towards her face. She quickly slapped it aside, then countered with an awkward palm thrust to the chest. It wasn’t powerful enough to do any real damage, but made his momentum stop.
She flicked a rising front kick towards his face, forcing him to back off and re-evaluate. Not letting him take a breaker, Sano dashed forward and slammed her shoulder into his chest. Seeing as he just got hit, Murakuma sped up, taking off the training wheels and began launching a barrage of strikes, which she hastily deflected or tanked when no other option was available.
Quickly, with deliberate strikes, Murakuma ground her down until she was eventually on the ground and stuck with her neck in between his thighs, choking. She had gotten some hits in, but it wasn’t a great showing by any means.
Her face reddened as she was choked, scrambling for air and to free herself.
“Stop! Murakuma, Sano cannot speak.” Tanaka-senseai barked, appearing over them in less than a second. He practically tore them apart from one another, and when she was free, she gasped for air, creating pathetic, near silent wheezes. “Seal of Reconciliation. Now.”
To his credit, Maurakuma seemed to have forgotten that she couldn’t verbally give up. He looked guilty as he made the unison sign, signaling the end of their bout. Murakuma was just a kid, and she wasn’t going to hold any grudges against him for forgetting her handicap. It was obvious that he didn’t do it on purpose or with maliciousness. This was a simple lapse in the heat of battle.
She made the sign, earning a sigh and a thankful smile towards them both from Tanaka-sensei.
When they went back to their seats, Murakuma followed her and sat down right next to her. “Sorry.”
Sano waved his apology away with a flap of the hand. After taking out her keyring, she flipped through the little cards of paper. Everyone around them peered over and watched as she sorted through the little slips until she found her response. ‘It’s okay.’
Murakuma shifted uneasily, unused to this form of conversation. “So, you were in the war?”
Sano nodded, but simply watched as the next group of students started their bout.
“What was it like?” Murakuma asked, ignoring the ongoing spar completely.
Sano flipped through her cards again to find her response. ‘I have amnesia.’
Murakuma leaned closer to read, then facepalmed. “Oh, right…”
They sat there awkwardly, with her unable to sign to him and start a conversation, and he not knowing what to ask that she could respond too. Eventually, he spoke again. “You didn’t do too bad. You know, after you found your stance. If I forgot everything I ever learned, I would have done way worse than you did. Just… be careful if you match up with Kazuya-san. He’s the best in the class.”
He nodded towards the tall, black-haired Uchiha who had a unique fighting style. “He’s very arrogant.” Murakuma finished, whispering conspiratorially.
They got into another awkward lull as the pretty even fight before them wound down, with the white-haired Yamanka girl coming out with a loss.
“Aburame’s have bugs?” Murakuma asked again, out of the blue. The kid didn’t seem too lonely, but he was obviously trying to become her friend.
She turned to face Murakuma with a raised eyebrow and nodded as she flicked through her responses again. ‘I don’t have insects.’ ‘War injury.’
“Right… right… Well, I am from the Kurama Clan. We’re pretty small.” Murakuma started, before another kid spoke up.
“I’d be careful Sano-san! His clan’s Kekkei-Genkai has a nasty side effect.” A boy snickered from the side, having eavesdropped onto their conversation.
“Oi! Shut up Kenji! It passed me up! I don’t have it.” Murakuma’s heated reply earned the ire of Tanaka-sensei, who threw them a stern look.
The brown-haired Kenji nodded mockingly, like he’d heard a great revelation. “Of course, of course… Just don’t be using any Genjutsu around me. I don’t want to die.”
Oh? Genjutsu? With her intrigue sufficiently peaked, Sano looked towards Murakuma for answers. He grumbled, but sounded proud as he explained. “My clan specialises in Genjutsu. Once every few generations, someone in our clan gets the Kekkei-Genkai. It allows them to have their Genjutsu affect reality.”
“Tell her the downside, Mura.” Kenji mocked as he slid his butt over to get closer to join the conversation properly.
Murakuma glared at Kenji, but they didn’t seem to be enemies. Just good natured teasing. “They get possessed by a spirit who wants to kill everything… sometimes…”
Well, damn... That was a downside if she’d ever heard of one; But, a Genjutsu specialist clan?
Sano scooched over, getting much closer to Murakuma. Oh, we’re going to be best fucking friends. She thought as a smile crept onto her face from under her mask.
—-------------------------
Sano had two more bouts that didn’t go as well as her first before the day was over. Battered and bruised, she slunk out of the classroom at the end of class. The academy was nice, a solid place to learn, but she needed more than what they were offering. If she was going to make it in this new world, she needed to catch-up, then exceed.
As she left, many adults were there in the courtyard to pick up kids. She scanned the crowd for uncle Jogan, but he didn’t appear to be around. She watched as her classmates joined their families and wondered what growing up in this ninja world was like. It had to be rough, as from what she’d seen, they were more than capable of taking out any human back on Earth, baring guns and what not. To be trained from such an early age… How strong are adults? How strong were her new teachers and Jogan?
Tossing a wave of goodbye at Murakuma, who had noticed her attention, Sano went to one of the training grounds situated near the academy for some more practice. Chakra was going to be the main issue early on, because compared to her compatriots, she was just now tapping into the mysterious resource.
After finding an open grassy field training ground, Sano sat down and began meditation. Her goal, if possible, would be to increase her chakra control. Step number one would be keeping her chakra in her hands and feet, no matter the circumstances. She closed her eyes, found her chakra, and began circulating it. Every other rotation, she would try to keep her chakra in her hands for as long as possible, before moving onto her feet.
Over an hour passed, and she hadn’t moved from her spot. Although small, she could feel her grasp on chakra getting better. The difference wasn’t very noticeable, but it was there. This would take time… It was a good thing that she didn’t really have anything else to do other than train.
“And what are you doing out here, brat?”
Sano physically jerked, startled by the sudden voice next to her ear. Looking over, she spotted Tsunade, the head of the hospital, leaning over next to her face—hands on her hips, and a squint in her eyes.
Sano leaned away, finally causing Tsunade to straighten up and cross her arms. ‘Meditating. Trying to improve chakra control. Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?’
“Felt a familiar presence on the way there, so I came by to see who it was.” Tsunade said casually, turning to look around the green field. “Did you get a new team?”
Sano shook her head, taking the moment to stretch her now stiff legs and arms. ‘No. I am back at the academy. Today was my first day.’
“And you’re training chakra control? Why?” Tsunade took a seat next to her, resting a hand on a bent knee.
Sano thought about how to answer, as she had learned that keeping your jutsu and whatnot a secret was paramount, but since she was just starting, there didn’t seem to be any harm in telling Tsunade her goals. ‘I want to learn Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu. They both need a lot of control.’
Tsunade flicked her eyes towards her. “Not wanting to learn Iryo-Ninjutsu? Looks like you need it.” She teased, nodding towards her many bruises.
Sano huffed. ‘No, and I am just not very good at taijutsu. I learned that today.” She paused, thinking of the hand signs to complete her thoughts. ‘If I learn Genjutsu, I can speak again. Fuinjutsu can do the same thing, and it seems really interesting. They both do.’
“Hmm.” Tsunade tucked a strand of her blond hair behind an ear. “Chakra control is important, no matter your goals. Can you tree walk or water walk yet?”
Sano frowned. ‘I haven't tried. I heard about those techniques in the library yesterday.’
“Give it a try. Show me what you can do.” Tsunade said as she stood up. “It’s simple, basic control. Watch.”
Tsunade casually walked towards one of the nearby trees, planted a foot on the bark… then defied physics as she walked straight up the trunk. Sano’s eyes must have bulged out of her sockets, as Tsunade laughed at her reaction. “This is simple stuff, Sano. If you want to learn Genjutsu or Fuinjutsu, this is the least you can do. Now, give it a try. Focus your chakra on your feet.”
Sano stood sharply, her still stiff muscles protesting at the motion, then ran towards the tree. This was proper ninja stuff! Exciting! She planted one of her feet on the trunk, channeled her chakra to her foot, then lifted her other… just to fall back to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Tsunade sat directly above her. She was sitting on the tree, perpendicular to the ground. “More chakra to your feet. If you crack the bark, it’s too much. There is a fine line where you can succeed. You must account for gravity, changing the amount of chakra needed when you take a step, and a host of other factors…” She looked thoughtful for a second, before continuing. “If you can walk on trees with ease within two days, I will ask a friend to teach you Fuinjutsu. He should be used to teaching young brats by now.”
Tsunade casually hopped off the tree, landing with grace. “I’ll find you in two days. Good luck.”
Then, she disappeared. Like, actually disappeared. It looked like she teleported!
She was bad-ass.
Shaking those thoughts out of her mind, Sano had a new goal. With one foot in front of the other, she began practicing tree walking. If she was going to earn a mentor out of this, then she would give it her all!
—-----------------------
—Tsunade Senju—
There's no way Sano Aburame should have woken up. The poison that had taken out her teammates and her sensei, along with the fact that her Kikaichu were going haywire, most likely should have killed her. Living through an experience like that wasn’t completely out of the question, though. It would have taken a miracle and a will of steel, but it would be possible. But if she was going to wake from her coma, then it should have taken years. Four months was out of the question.
After flipping through Sano’s medical records again, for the third time, Tsunade tossed the folder onto her desk and contemplated her diagnosis. When it came to Medical Ninjutsu, she was never wrong—years and years of experience had honed her medical knowledge to the level it is today, and that was the best in the land of fire, or perhaps, even the best in the elemental nations. And yet, every time she read through the young girl’s file, her diagnosis stayed the same.
This wasn’t a gambling bet, something that she was notoriously bad at making. This was a medical diagnosis. There was no way she was wrong… yet she was.
Her eyes flicked towards the door, sending the incoming chakra signature making its way toward her office. The door opened, and she sighed when spotting the shit-eating grin of Jiraiya peeking his head into the room.
“It’s not everyday I get a special invite from you, Hime.” He called out, eyebrows bouncing up and down suggestively.
“Get in here.” She ground out, fists clenching from the idiocy of the village's only Fuinjutsu barrier expert.
Most likely sensing her want to punch him through the wall, Jiraiya slid into the room and leaned up against her desk. She tossed him Sano’s file and waited for him to finish reading through it.
“Is there something I’m supposed to be looking at here? This isn’t really my expertise.” He remarked, flipping through the pages. “Girl’s in a coma?”
“No, she’s practicing tree walking in training field thirty-nine.” Tsunade leaned back in her chair, frowning.
Jiraiya looked at her, then back to the file to give it another read. “Okay? Good for her?”
“She shouldn’t be awake. She also shouldn’t have amnesia. Zero head trauma, zero. Her Kikaichu issue and the poison coursing through her system couldn’t have given her amnesia. We tested her, and she does have it. She didn’t even react to her dead teammates' names.” She grumbled, knuckles wracking her table from unease.
“So why am I here? You were wrong. So what?” He asked, placing the paper back down onto her desk and turning to face her, tone serious.
“I told her if she could tree walk in two days without issue that I would get her a Fuinjutsu mentor. Even if she fails, go teach her the basics and watch her. Something isn’t right—Keep an eye on her.”
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. “You think this is infiltration? She came back during the war…”
She shrugged. “It’s not me being wrong in my diagnosis. I can tell you that much. Things aren’t making sense.”
They stared at each other in a tense silence for a few seconds before Jiraiya straightened up and turned to leave, muttering frustratingly under his breath. “Teach one group of brats and suddenly you’re on babysitting duty… unbelievable.”
He slammed the door on his way out, but she knew he’d do her this favor.
If Sano was a threat to the village, Jiraiya would do what was best.
—------------------------------------------
—Sano Aburame—
The days in the academy were structured. Every day of the week, there was a lesson plan drawn out, and for academics, the class would split. Since Sano didn’t need to take history or math, she got a solid two hours of free study—which she spent outside trying to tree walk—or writing down notes, ideas, and questions into her scroll. The very same scroll she’d used in the hospital for her lessons.
At the end of her free study, depending on the day, she’d go back to learn more about Ninjutsu, eat lunch, and then go spar for the rest of the day. Taijutsu was by far her worst performing subject, and it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. These kids were born and raised to fight in hand to hand combat since before they could walk, and she was just starting. She’d won only a single spar so far, and it was only because her opponent tripped.
In the class rankings, she’d be the lowest on the list.
After class, she went back to the same green training grounds and started her training again. With one hour of meditation, several hours of tree walking attempts, sprints, stretches, work-outs, and then throwing punches and kicks at a tree, she was finally done.
It’d been two days since Tsunade had made her wager, and Sano felt as ready as she could ever be. There was a trick to tree walking… Well, ‘trick’ might have been a stretch, but the thing to remember was to always control your chakra. A single lapse in judgement and control meant falling on your ass, or worse, on your head.
Not too much, not too little, and most importantly… not for too long. The longer it took for you to go through the delicate shifts in chakra required to adhere yourself to the tree, the more chakra you used. After the first day, she’d grown nauseous and her vision dimmed—a tall tale sign of chakra fatigue. It was needless to say, but the rest of that day sucked. It felt like she’d woken up with a hangover the day after, as well.
Sano sat down to meditate as the sun began setting over the horizon, casting long shadows over the faces of the Hokage Monument. She wasn’t sure if Tsunade had forgotten their bet, or was even serious, but she’d wait for her to arrive… no matter how long it took.
—-------------
—Tsunade Senju—
“What do you mean ‘she doesn’t live here?’”
One of the Chunin gate guards to the fairly small Aburame Clan compound, the one she was talking to, looked uneasy under her pinning glare. “Where does she live? If not with her clan?”
“I wouldn’t know that information, Tsunade-sama. I do believe Jogan-san is the only one who is in contact with her. Would you like to talk to him?”
Tsunade sighed, letting off on her hostility. “Yes.”
The gate guard motioned for his partner to go and fetch Sano’s uncle. While she waited, she tapped her foot impatiently, as a nervous bead of sweat dropped down the remaining guard's forehead.
When the other guard returned, Jogan Aburame was tight on his heels. She didn’t personally know the man, but she’d heard of some of his work during the war. Jogan was a fine Shinobi, and had lost nearly his whole family—that was sadly the price of living.
Jogan was tall, much taller than her—standing nearly as tall as Jiraiya at 6’3—and was around her age. At this point, the normal attire of the Aburame didn’t phase her in the least. It was common knowledge that their insects disliked light, and some were even nocturnal.
He was inspecting her as she inspected him, but she was here with a purpose. “I am looking for Sano Aburame.”
To his credit, the man nodded once in understanding. “I can show you where she lives, but I doubt she’ll be home. Most likely, she is off training. May I ask what one of the legendary Sanin wants with my niece? I do believe she was cleared from the hospital with no further checkups required.”
An understandable worry. It wasn’t everyday that she went out of her way to seek out a Genin. “We made a friendly wager. I said if she learned tree walking in two days that I would find her a Fuinjutsu mentor…” Tsunade paused, then jerked her head out into the street. Jogan picked up on her intentions, then joined her side as they began to walk. “It’s been two days.”
Sano’s uncle was silent for a moment, likely internalizing. “And why would you go out of your way to help her?”
“Why would I not?” Tsunade teased, but it was obvious that Jogan wasn’t buying what she was selling. “Tell me,” She shifted tactics. “Has your niece been acting differently?”
Without a moment of pause, Jogan replied. “You would act differently too if you went through what she did. Speak plainly. I dislike where this is heading, and would rather get to the point.”
“She shouldn’t have amnesia.” Tsunade said, and wasn’t surprised that Jogan didn’t seem phased at all. “Suspicious that she returns near the end of the war and doesn’t remember anything about the village, don’t you think? She remembers mathematics—high level mathematics at that. From her prior academy records, she wasn’t very good at that in the past…”
“You’re implying that Sano is an infiltrator? One capable of slipping past and fooling every single person she’s ever come across? Including me and my Bikochu? One that would blatantly give away their cover by testing simple academy mathematics? This seems like a fool's errand.”
He paused in the street and turned to face her. The Aburame were hard to read on the best of days, and Jogan was no different. It was only his sharp tone that let her know his mood. “You were not there when her Kikaichu tore their way out of her flesh, the insects of our clan breaking a bond they swear to the clan member upon their birth. The ravaging of her pathways…”
He tsked, then turned to resume their walk. “She is different now, but there is no fooling our insects. Sano is Sano, the daughter of my brother. End of discussion.”
What he said made sense, and she knew that she was most likely, near certainly, wrong…
But…
“Yet, you don’t treat her like a member of your clan anymore. Imagine my surprise when I find that she doesn’t live in the clan compound with her clan.” She waited for a response, maybe a flare of aggression, but it never came. The man simply kept his stride. “An eight year old goes to war, nearly dies fighting for her village, is crippled, and as soon as she wakes up, confused and scared, she gets told she can’t even live with her family? She doesn’t even understand that it’s not normal.”
“Aburame clan politics are none of your concern. She is cared for to the best of our abilities. The hive won’t let her back. It is not us, it is them. So, before you continue questioning the love and care I and the Aburame have for Sano, let me say this.” Jogan flicked a steely gaze her way. “You can not fathom what I would do to those who look down upon her, hurt her, or criticise her for something she can’t control. Including you.”
Jogan lazily held out a hand, finger pointed at her. With the faintest buzz, an insect flew from her shoulder onto his fingertip, before burrowing beneath his flesh to rejoin him. “Sorry, it seems like one of my Kochu slipped away. Could have been bad if I didn’t notice.”
This wasn’t the first time she’s been threatened, but this was one of the rare times where it was respected. The Kochu were the tools of Aburame assassins; insects capable of paralysis and poison, a dreadful combination. After death, their poison would disappear, leaving no signs of foul play. The message was clear.
“I have no ill intentions toward her as long as she is who she says she is. Which, I might add, I am starting to believe. It’s merely a medical curiosity at this point, and the girl has drive. She was meditating in a training field after class when I found her, beaten and bruised from spars.” She shrugged. “Jiraiya will teach her a thing or two regardless if she managed to pass my little test. Think of it as a reward for her spunk and for beating my diagnosis.”
Jogan turned off and entered training field thirty-nine, most likely having tracked her here with his insects. Not thirty seconds later, they stumbled upon Sano as she meditated. Like the last time Tsunade saw her, she was battered and bruised. This time, however, she was circulating her chakra in a much clearer, sharper, and controlled manner.
“Sano.” Jogan called out, causing the girl to turn around, her bright orange eyes wide with pleasant surprise as she clambered up to her feet.
“Alright brat, show me what you can do. It’s been two days.” Tsunade nodded off towards the closest tree, which was covered in pockmarks from Sano’s numerous failed attempts. By the looks of it, she’s failed a lot.
Sano looked towards the tree and broke into action. In one fluid motion, she ran toward the tree, swiftly planting her feet and transitioning into tree walking. The visible chakra on her feet flickered in and out upon each consecutive step, showing an even higher level of control that she’d even set out to see. Most would keep their chakra flowing between steps, the ‘waste’ would be negligible to keep it active.
Sano’s momentum slowed as she made her way up the tree, slowing into a focused walk. When she eventually reached one of the lower branches, she used her hands to stick herself to the bark, and swung herself under and up onto it. She let loose a deep breath and propped her hands on her hips in victory, staring down at them with crinkled, joyous eyes.
It wasn’t flawless, as it was apparent that she used the forward momentum to get herself most of the way up the trunk of the tree, but she was still better than she had any right to be. She remembered learning tree walking with Jiraiya and Orochimaru years back, and it took Jiraiya a whole week. Granted, he was a lazy idiot half of the time, but her point still stood.
‘Good?’ Sano signed, growing more nervous the more time in silence passed.
“Very good, Sano. You did better than I did when I first learned, but you still need some work. It should become second nature in the future.” Jogan said, praising his niece, earning a smile.
Tsunade traced the pockmarks of the tree and then looked at Sano. The girl either had more chakra than most, or exhausted herself these past two days. She was willing to bet it was exhaustion. “Acceptable. I’ll have Jiraiya come and give you some lessons soon.” Tsunade signed Jiraiya’s name, as names were unique to each person in Konoha Sign.
Watching Sano’s reaction to the name revealed nothing, just excitement on getting a mentor. She really didn’t know who he was.
Jogan turned his body to face her, sending her a pointed reminder of their conversation from on the way here. He then spoke for Sano’s sake. “Jiraiya is one of the legendary three Sanin. One of the group of three who took on Hanzo the Salamander during the war, alongside Orochimaru and Tsunade. You couldn’t ask for a better mentor, Sano.”
Sano hopped down from the tree, landing with a thud and shaky legs because of the unpracticed motion. She dug through her thigh holster and took out a scroll, unraveling it as she jogged forward. ‘He can answer these questions?’
Both she and Jogan peered at the scroll, which was chock full of random scribblings and questions.
“If two seals with conflicting effects are placed on the same person or object, what happens?” “If chakra circulates through a ninja’s body, could a large seal be designed and placed on a person? Auto refill and renew itself by dragging chakra from your pathways? Like a tattoo?”“How many activation methods can you have on a single seal? Can you make a seal with a ton of different activation methods and fail safes?”“If ink is infused with chakra to make most seals, could you use chakra itself to carve out a seal? Or, with expert control, sear a seal with chakra onto something? Or use blood?” “If I don’t have fire affinity, can I still make a seal that uses fire? The seal itself would be operating the jutsu or sealing effect, and my chakra would be fueling its activation. It stands to reason that I could…” She laughed. Both Jogan and Sano looked at her from her outburst, but she couldn’t help it. Her shoulders shook and a few tears escaped from the corner of her eyes.
Jiraiya was going to have his hands full.