The boat cut through the water, leaving ripples in its wake as we navigated the treacherous sea.
For weeks, I had heard stories of the infamous whirlpools surrounding this land but seeing them up close was something else entirely.
Massive spirals of water churned violently, hungry vortexes that could swallow entire ships without a trace. Yet, despite the raging chaos, our vessel glided through effortlessly.
Not a single wave rocked our boat.
The children clutched the railings, eyes wide as they stared at the unnatural calm surrounding us. Even Jizen, who had seen much in his life, remained silent, watching intently.
I decided it was time for a lesson.
"This," I gestured to the vast ocean surrounding us, "is the only place in the world where shinobi are the highest authority. No daimyō, no noble houses ruling from the shadows—just shinobi."
Momosuke frowned, his inquisitive mind latching onto the statement immediately. "How? Every country has a Daimyō, right? Even the Land of Fire has one."
I smirked. "Look closely at the whirlpools."
The children turned their gazes back to the sea, but this time, they noticed it.
Thin, shimmering screens flickered in and out of view, barrier formations rising like invisible walls around us. As our ship moved forward, the whirlpools shifted—parting the way for us, as if the ocean itself obeyed the will of unseen hands.
Realization dawned on their faces.
I nodded. "Fūinjutsu."
The art of sealing. The true power of Uzumaki. Just like ninja Hand signs can impart properties to chakra. The art of sealing can do the same thing, but it was not constrained by the human body or it's chakra paths like Hand signs.
"No single country or clan can assault this place because they cannot even reach it," I explained. "The Uzumaki turned these islands—once an uncivilized wilderness—into the first and only nation ruled by shinobi, a shinobi Daimyo if you want to understand better. And they did it through their art of sealing."
I raised my wrist, showing them the intricate seal that had been marked upon me when we bought our passage.
"These," I continued, "are identification seals. They mark our status and identity, allowing us to pass through the barriers safely."
"It's incredible."
"Of course it is," I said, eyes gleaming. "The Uzumaki can bend the world with nothing more than ink and pen."
The calm in the center of Whirlpool. That's what they called this place. As the mist parted, Uzushiogakure came into view.
The city was nothing like the hidden villages I had seen in the anime from my past life's memories.
Towering stone structures lined the coastline, massive red torii gates stretching high into the sky, inscribed with countless seals. Bridges arched over canals, where boats drifted lazily through the streets. Unlike the war-torn villages of the mainland, this place thrived.
Bustling marketplaces. Shinobi casually walking alongside civilians. The smell of fresh food, the sound of children laughing.
For a moment, I felt like I had stepped into one of my past life's modern cities.
The sheer peace in this place was unnatural after years of looking out for enemy shinobi assassinations.
I glanced at the kids.
Karui's mouth hung slightly open, and even Jizen—normally composed—looked stunned.
They had never seen anything like this.
Neither had I. Especially, the unruly ninja seems constrained and acting lawfully.
The moment the boat touched the harbour, I started sensing around the place.
[Initializing Sensory Scan…]
[Environmental Analysis: High Concentration of Sealing Formations Detected]
[Threat Level Assessment: Moderate]
[Objective: Gather Intelligence on Uzushiogakure's Defensive Network]
The moment we stepped off the ship, a man with flaming red hair and a body riddled with scars stood in our path. He inhaled deeply before yelling in a voice that carried across the bustling port.
"Welcome! The seals inscribed on you are both your entry tickets and bindings. The moment you step into the city, you may sightsee, entrust missions at the mission hall, or—if you believe yourself worthy—seek a teacher in fūinjutsu."
His tone was casual, but there was a clear disdain at last point. Then, with a sigh, he muttered under his breath, "Unnecessary formalities… but conditions of the peace alliance, so I have no choice."
The shift in atmosphere was instantaneous.
Killing intent spiked into the sky like a blade drawn from its sheath.
A shinobi—marked with the blood-red symbols of his clan—stepped forward, his animalistic snarl tearing through the tension.
"Oh? You weaklings think yourselves great?"
The Kaguya.
The moment his identity was registered, the children froze.
Fear. Rage. Hatred.
Every emotion swirled inside them, bubbling just beneath the surface. Momosuke's fingers twitched towards his kunai. Karui clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. Even Hiro, who normally kept himself composed, was seething.
I didn't need to tell them who this man was. His clan had already carved that lesson into their bones.
I sighed internally.
Jizen and I need to train them to control their emotions.
It was fine if their killing intent was aimed at the Kaguya. But what if it had been a Senju?
We were in Uzushiogakure, a place where that clan could appear at any time. The wrong move, the wrong reaction, and we would be dealing with an entirely different problem.
Then, the Uzumaki shinobi moved.
Hand seals weaved in a fluid, precise, and practiced manner. Though, the reason behind sadistic pleasure on his face was revealed in a few minutes.
The Kaguya barely had time to react before black markings erupted from the seal on his body, crawling across his skin like living chains.
Then—the ground came alive.
Seals ignited across the entire dock, forming a web of binding formations that spread outward like a chain reaction connecting with the markings on Kaguya.
The Kaguya didn't stand a chance.
He collapsed, limbs locking in place as if he had been pinned down by an invisible force.
The surrounding shinobi stared.
I ignored them.
[Analyzing Seal Structure…]
[Pattern Recognition: 47% Completed]
[Storing the patterns]
[Estimated Power Source: Centralized Barrier Network]
I don't recognize the seals and neither does my AI. After all, its database is based on the information I stored in it. Even so, I could say this wasn't just a simple suppression seal.
It was connected.
The entire land was covered in seals.
[Extrapolating Structural Map…]
[Data Compilation in Progress…]
Hours later, when I had enough data to piece together the structure, the realization hit me like a wave.
It took three great nations to bring down one clan and one city.
Now, I understood why.
The entire land was a living fūinjutsu barrier.
A 360-degree defensive network.
With a single command, they could imprison, protect, or annihilate threats instantly.
This wasn't just the power of a single shinobi. This was the combined power, effort and intellect of the Uzumaki Clan, spanning multiple generations.
-
-
-
——Some time later——
I led the kids to the mission hall, their expressions a mix of confusion and anticipation. Given how things had been so far, they had no fault in being confused.
I left them outside and approached the front desk.
The shinobi handling the missions barely glanced at me as I slid a mission request forward.
"A guided introduction to the city for a day."
He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. A few minutes later, he took my payment, stamped the request, and posted it.
Now, we waited.
It was about an hour before our guide arrived.
A boy—no older than 12 or 13—approached us with a bright smile.
"You're the ones who posted the mission?" he asked, holding up a scroll.
The innocence in his tone almost made me dismiss him as just another kid. But then I saw the seals inscribed across his exposed arms. Not just simple identifiers—actual sealing arrays.
This wasn't just some random Uzumaki child.
He was a fūinjutsu user.
[Scanning Seal Patterns…]
I stored them away in the AI, the chakra was well spent. Now, I just need to find out what they mean and make that knowledge my own.
I nodded to the kid. "Lead the way."
My biggest reason behind my confidence was that my AI could work without pause as long as chakra was supplied. It mean with enough base knowledge and chakra, along with few right experiments, I could make ninjutsu.
In a way, I could be said to be talented in Jutsu creation. So, even the basics of Fuinjutsu in my hand, means entirely different thing when compared to others.
---------Street of Seals ----------
The Street of Seals stretched before us, a long avenue lined with workshops, scroll vendors, and specialty shops. The air smelled of ink and burning paper, with the occasional flare of chakra reacting to active seals.
The city of Uzushiogakure was something else.
As the boy guided us through the streets, I couldn't shake a thought from my mind.
This… is what Konoha was modeled after. Not just it, I think most hidden villages were modeled after this place.
The layout, the liveliness, the way shinobi and civilians coexisted—it was all here first. No wonder,
"This is the Street of Seals," our guide announced, motioning toward a wide district lined with shops. "It's one of the most famous places in the entire city. You can buy exploding tags, storage scrolls, chakra suppression seals—"
He grinned. "You can even hire a Seal Master for a custom job!"
That caught my interest.
"Foreigners can learn sealing here?" I asked.
The boy nodded. "Only the basics. The real stuff is reserved for Uzumaki, but yeah, we have teachers for outsiders. If you want to learn, you'd have to find a master who's willing to teach—and pay their price."
My eyes narrowed. "Then introduce me to the most famous Seal Masters here. I want to know who's available… and how much they charge."
The boy blinked, then smiled again.
"Alright. Follow me."
Our guide, the red-haired Uzumaki boy, led the way, pointing out different Seal Masters.
"Each specializes in a different field," he explained.
He gestured first to a large, well-guarded estate. "That's where you go if you want to learn Barrier Seals. They deal with defensive structures, traps, and the protection of entire compounds."
He pointed to another building with intricate swirling symbols carved into the door. "That one's for Space-Time Seals. Only a few people ever get accepted. Even if you had all the money in the world, if you can't prove talent, they won't teach you."
More like, they can't teach you. It was the case with lot of jutsu, most don't understand how they work. They just know that they work.
Another place stood out—a bustling shop where shinobi lined up to place orders. "That's the Commercial Sealing Guild. They handle storage seals, mass-produced exploding tags, and even chakra batteries for civilian use."
He grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "But if you're looking for combat applications, the Combat Seals Master is over there. He teaches how to integrate sealing into direct fights. Of course, the best of them would be using summons and their contracts."
The next shop had a more subtle presence. "Elemental Seals—applying fūinjutsu to enhance or control the five elements."
Then, the boy turned to a desolate corner. The place was worn-down, almost abandoned, with only a single flickering lantern outside.
"And that… is just Sealing."
I raised an eyebrow. "Just sealing?"
He nodded. "Yeah. A rare fancy specialization. Pure sealing. As the name implies, it is focused on sealing away objects, spirits and even, chakra. Quite old and a bit outdated to fill the stomach."
I was sure my eyes lit up. This… was the reason I came. It was no wonder that this discipline was desolate considering how low the commercial prospects and military usage for this discipline was.
But, it would change in a decade, the moment Mito Uzumaki sealed the Kyubi into herself, giving rise to a human with the chakra of a Tailed beast. Even if it's the basics, I need the knowledge for this Fuinjutsu discipline. With that knowledge in hand, I could use the AI to develop the advance techniques.
Of course, If possible, I will acquire the advanced techniques of uzumaki through some other way, rather than go through the trouble of making them myself. Once I succeed, my future will have no limits. Because, I could truly exploit my AI with unlimited chakra to use.
That's right, I plan to be a Jinchuriki. A sealed tailed beast in me, acting as chakra source that fuels my AI to truly make myself strong.
"The tests vary," the kid continued, oblivious to my excitement. "Each Seal Master has their own requirement. Some want money, some demand a personalized seal invention, and others require proof of talent."
That was fine. I'd find a way.
--------------
As we walked, Momosuke suddenly tensed.
I followed his gaze—a ninja passing by on the rooftops. Of course, considering this city was shinobi controlled, it was not a rare sight. But, the rare sight was the double pronged senju clan symbol on his armour.
Momosuke spat on the ground. "That bastard can use chakra!"
I glanced at our guide. The Uzumaki boy's cheerful expression faded, replaced with something akin rage, suspicion and finally settled on mocking and disdainful.
"They're family," he said with clear disinterest in explaining why we were forbidden from using chakra and Senju had free rein.
Momosuke froze, fists clenched. The anger was justified—our entire clan was wiped out because of Senju ambitions.
But.
I couldn't allow this attitude. Not when we need to stay here till we grow properly. Besides, It might be my fault for not telling them immediately that the fact we were alive, was due to Tobirama's mercy.
But, the damage was already done by the time I said them. While they might be grateful for the hypocritic mercy, they also hated the fact that the senju's led the destruction of Kyudo clan.
I turned to Momosuke and said, "Control yourself."
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. The other kids also held their silence, tension rolling off them in waves.
We were weak. That was the truth. And this place was a haven for us. Until we had power, emotions like this were a luxury we couldn't afford.
The Uzumaki boy still looked amused. It was not a rare sight to see refugees entering the land of whirlpools but ones that had clear hostility with senju's must be rare.
I changed the subject. "How long has it been since Mito Uzumaki married the new Senju leader?"
The boy blinked. "Uh… five years. How do you know about that?"
I didn't answer.
However, I could see that he was clearly taken aback by my knowledge about their ongoings.
Let him wonder. While I had my kids restrain themselves, I didn't like the fact that the kid is childishly mocking us for cussing Senju, not knowing the true extent of grievances we had with Senju.
Perhaps, It told of the Uzumaki strength. They could afford for their children to remain children.
-------------------------
Housing came next.
"I need a long-term rental," I told him. "Somewhere that allows us to use chakra freely inside."
He led us to a large compound, one of the few places that allow chakra usage for foreigners. But, I bet there were monitoring seals around its perimeter.
The seals on our hand which gave off our positions according to the guide and this monitoring made me feel as if we were prisoners. No wonder, Momosuke was on edge. Here, he must have felt like he was no different than a civilian prisoner. Especially, with not being allowed to use chakra except in a few places.
"The price is high," the uzumaki said, grinning while showing 3 fingers. "Ridiculously high."
I tossed him with a heavy pouch. "One year upfront."
His grin vanished.
Even the kids looked shocked and aggrieved. Because each Ryo represented the last memorable of the clan which was sold. The pouch I gave can allow me to buy a mansion in the land of fire's capital. But, we needed the place.
Ignoring their reactions, I asked, "Now, how do we earn money here?"
The boy's grin returned—mocking this time.
"Foreigners like you?" He snorted. "Menial tasks. Cleaning streets, maintaining drainage systems, carrying goods."
I turned to the kids. "You'll earn your stay. Work in the day, train at night."
They didn't like it, but they nodded.
The Uzumaki boy laughed out loud. "Foreigners can't use chakra outside their residence, by the way."
The kids didn't react. Only Stone-cold silence was given in response to the kid. Because, without residence like this, the money spent on the tickets, the same money we salvaged from the ruins of their dead family will be wasted. There was a reason I spent all of it on the tickets upfront.
To motivate the kids.
Now, they will work hard.
Jizen told me that I was much crueller than him. I agree with him. Unlike him, I was subtle in my efforts to make them strong.
My methods were working. The proof was here, the kids dismissed the uzumaki kid's clear mocking words. That was already clear progress. It means they were learning.
They need to learn and understand that they are weak. From there, their true growth starts.
They will either break or rise from the experience they gain here.