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After a brief exchange, Orochimaru and Jiraiya left, but Tsunade stayed behind.
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As Orochimaru departed, he cast another lingering glance at Shin.
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Shin didn''t sense any malice, but he still felt uneasy.
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"What was that confrontation with Uchiha Ryota about?" Tsunade inquired.
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Nawaki explained the situation, causing Tsunade to frown.
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"The Uchiha are always causing trouble."
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Mikoto shifted uncomfortably. She knew Tsunade wasn''t referring to her specifically, but she still felt awkward. She was an Uchiha, after all.
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"Don''t worry, I wasn''t talking about you," Tsunade reassured her, noticing Mikoto''s discomfort.
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She had a good impression of Mikoto, who seemed different from the other Uchiha.
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"By the way, I have to leave the village for a mission. It''s an escort mission, should take about half a month."
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Tsunade informed them.
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"Oh..."
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Nawaki couldn''t help but grin.
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Tsunade''s smile vanished, replaced by a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Nawaki, you seem happy about this?"
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"No, no, not at all!" Nawaki shook his head vigorously.
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"I''ll deal with you later. I have to go."
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Tsunade glared at Nawaki, then waved goodbye to the others before turning to leave.
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Nawaki breathed a sigh of relief once she was out of sight.
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"Nawaki, are you scared of your sister?" Shin asked.
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Nawaki scratched his head. "A little. She''s really strict when she trains me."
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"Come on, weren''t you going to show us around Konoha? We have some time before class. Let''s explore the area."
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Shin looked at Mikoto.
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"Mikoto-san, want to join us?"
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"Oh, may I?" Mikoto looked surprised and pleased.
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"Of course." Shin smiled, and the four of them set off to explore Konoha.
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Shin and Kushina were unfamiliar with the village, so Nawaki acted as their guide, pointing out various landmarks and locations.
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Since they didn''t have much time before their afternoon class, they only explored the area near the Academy.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
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It was good to familiarize themselves with the surroundings. Soon, it was time to head back for class.
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Back in their seats, Shin asked Mikoto, "Mikoto, that incident earlier... It won''t cause you any trouble, will it?"
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He had dropped the honorifics, a sign of their growing friendship.
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Mikoto shook her head.
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"I''ll be fine. I''m practically invisible in the Uchiha Clan. No one will bother me over this. Actually, I should be the one apologizing." Mikoto looked at Shin and Kushina apologetically.
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"Mikoto, we''re friends now. No need to apologize," Kushina said.
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Perhaps they were destined to be best friends. Kushina, who had initially been hostile towards Mikoto, now seemed quite fond of her.
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The afternoon class was another lecture. Kushina wasn''t interested in theory; she felt like falling asleep.
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Shin felt the same. If the lecture had been useful, he would have paid attention, but it was all stuff he already knew or found irrelevant.
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School let out early, a little after four in the afternoon.
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After school, they accepted Nawaki''s invitation to explore more of Konoha.
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Back at the Senju compound, Shin refrained from practicing Taijutsu or Kenjutsu. He didn''t want to attract attention so soon after arriving in Konoha, so he focused on Chakra refinement.
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He didn''t know if the Sandaime had assigned Anbu to watch them, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
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Practicing Taijutsu or Kenjutsu might reveal his true strength. Even practicing Ninjutsu was risky. For now, he''d stick to refining Chakra.
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''Should I copy the Byakugan?''
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Shin thought of his Advanced Replication Card. He had four cards in total: three Common and one Advanced.
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The Advanced Card could copy S-rank Jutsu, Kage-level Chakra and physique, and even Kekkei Genkai.
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The Byakugan, while seemingly less impressive than the Sharingan and Rinnegan, had powerful sensory capabilities and could even evolve into the Tenseigan.
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The Tenseigan was a dōjutsu on par with the Rinnegan, perhaps even surpassing it in offensive power.
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After some consideration, Shin decided against it. While the Byakugan''s sensory abilities were useful, especially for detecting surveillance, it would also turn his eyes completely white.
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Walking around with those eyes would draw unwanted attention, especially from the Hyūga Clan.
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''If only I had the Mind''s Eye of Kagura... It''s even better than the Byakugan.''
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He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He didn''t know how to awaken it, or if it was even possible for him.
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As far as he knew, only Karin possessed that ability.
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A few days passed. Shin and Kushina''s days were filled with school, exploring Konoha with Nawaki and Mikoto, and Chakra refinement.
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One day, they were summoned to Uzumaki Mito''s residence, along with Kai and Akiko.
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"I''ve called you here today to teach you the Uzumaki Clan''s Sealing Jutsu."
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Shin''s face lit up. This was great news! With Mito''s guidance, they would progress quickly in Fūinjutsu.
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Kai and Akiko were also excited.
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"We''ll start with the most basic sealing formulas," Mito said seriously.
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These children were the last remnants of the Uzumaki Clan, the Hope for its Revival.
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As a former princess of the clan, Mito wanted nothing more than to see it restored to its former glory.
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She would teach them everything she could.
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How much they learned, however, depended on their talent.
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From then on, their days were filled with school, followed by lessons in Fūinjutsu from Mito after dinner.
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Under Mito''s tutelage, Shin, already a genius, progressed rapidly.
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Kushina also learned a lot. She was talented, second only to Shin.
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But Shin had warned her not to stand out too much. She should learn the Jutsu, but pretend she wasn''t as skilled as she actually was.