-Chapter 3-
-The Unseen Power-
Narumi sat cross-legged in her small, cluttered apartment, surrounded by scrolls and books that bore complex diagrams of seals. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she worked on perfecting her latest project—the Storage Center Seal. It was meant to be a hub, a central place to store all her seals so they would be easily accessible during battle. Rather than applying each individual seal on her body, the Storage Center Seal would allow hper to quickly call upon them without effort, like summoning them from a storage unit.
She had been at this for weeks, creating prototypes, testing different configurations, and failing each time. It had become frustrating, as each prototype had small errors—some would leak chakra, others wouldn't activate properly. The control and precision needed were beyond anything she had done before. But Narumi wasn't one to give up. She pressed on, knowing that if she could master this seal, it would change her entire approach to combat.
Finally, after countless revisions, she felt a breakthrough. The seal worked. She smiled in triumph as the intricate design glowed softly under her fingers, humming with energy. The Storage Center Seal was complete.
Excited by her success, Narumi thought about where she should place the seal. She initially considered placing it on her back. It would look cool, she thought, like a marking of strength. But practicality won over style, and she decided to place it on her abdomen. It was easier to access, especially if she needed to tweak or modify it later.
With careful precision, Narumi began tracing the outline of the new seal on her abdomen, her fingers glowing with chakra as she worked. As she applied the chakra, something unexpected happened—a different seal suddenly revealed itself on her skin.
Narumi froze, her eyes widening in shock. "What…?" she muttered, staring down at the unfamiliar seal.
Her mind raced. When did this get here? How could I not have noticed this before?
The seal looked complex, but something about it seemed familiar. She scrambled for the old book the Third Hokage, her "Jiji," had given her months ago, flipping through its pages until she found what she was looking for.
There it was—the same pattern. A Two Four Symbols Seal.
Narumi read the description in the book aloud to herself. "A Four Symbols Seal is used to imprison large enemies or evil spirits within a target… a human body," she murmured.
Her hands trembled slightly as the realization sank in. "An… evil spirit? Sealed inside me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Was this why people called her a demon all her life? And why were there two of these seals stacked on top of each other? How powerful was the entity inside her that a single Four Symbols Seal wasn't enough? Her thoughts spiraled, questions flooding her mind.
Driven by curiosity, Narumi spent the entire day researching. She dove into the book, analyzing the seal, tracing its every symbol and line with precision. The book explained that if the seals didn't overlap, the spirit's chakra would gradually merge with the host's.
"Is that why I have so much chakra?" she wondered aloud. "How much of my chakra is really… mine?"
A thought struck her then. Could I use this spirit's chakra as a power source for my seals?
It was a tempting idea—an unlimited source of energy to fuel her creations. But then came the doubts. Should I tell Jiji? she wondered, biting her lip. But deep down, she knew the answer. The Third Hokage likely already knew about this seal. If she told him, he might interfere with her experiments. And she couldn't risk that.
Her curiosity was too strong to ignore. She had to know more about what was inside her. Narumi placed her hand on the seal again, closing her eyes as she applied chakra, trying to access whatever lay behind it. But no matter how much she tried, the seal wouldn't budge.
Her eyes narrowed in frustration. "There's a lock," she muttered.
Narumi spent the rest of the night trying to decipher the lock, studying the strokes and symbols, but nothing worked. Whatever this lock was, it was far beyond her current understanding.
The academy classroom was buzzing with the usual chatter of students. Laughter, teasing, and whispered conversations filled the air as students prepared for another day of lessons. But in the far back corner, Narumi Uzumaki sat alone, her head buried in her notebook, seemingly oblivious to the noise around her. Her classmates had long since grown used to her silence, though it was a sharp contrast from how she used to be.
Narumi had changed over the past year. The once-loud, attention-seeking girl who used to challenge everyone's patience had become a quiet, solitary figure. Most of the students assumed she'd just given up trying to fit in, but that wasn't it. Narumi hadn't given up—she had found something more important to focus on.
Her notebook was filled with sketches, symbols, and ideas about seals. Over the past few weeks, she had become obsessed with the Two Four Symbols Seal that she had discovered on her abdomen. It occupied her thoughts constantly, to the point where she barely noticed anything happening in the classroom.
The complexity of the seal fascinated her. She marveled at its design, wondering who had created it and why it had been placed on her. The way the two seals were layered, each feeding off the other—though inefficient in some ways—was still a masterpiece of sealing technique. Narumi had spent hours analyzing it, breaking down the symbols and components like gears in a machine.
"The Four Symbols Seal doesn't take its power from the host but from the sealed entity itself," she scribbled in her notebook, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "The stronger the entity, the more energy the seal consumes. But why stack two seals on top of each other? Wouldn't it make more sense to—"
"Narumi!" Iruka-sensei's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts, startling her. She blinked, looking up from her notebook, realizing she had no idea what was going on around her.
"Yes, Iruka-sensei?" she asked, her tone flat as she glanced around. Her classmates were snickering quietly, clearly amused by her lack of attention.
Iruka stood at the front of the classroom, arms crossed, his expression stern. "Were you even paying attention? This is the third time this week!"
Narumi blinked, her mind racing. "Uh… no, I wasn't."
Her blunt answer caused another wave of quiet laughter to ripple through the classroom. Narumi didn't care. She had bigger things to think about.
"That's what I thought," Iruka muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Alright then, since you seem to know everything already, how about you stand up and recite the names of the four Hokages?"
Narumi stood up without hesitation, her voice monotone as she rattled off the names. "First Hokage: Hashirama Senju. Second Hokage: Tobirama Senju. Third Hokage: Hiruzen Sarutobi. Fourth Hokage: Minato Namikaze."
Iruka sighed heavily as Narumi sat back down, her attention already drifting back to her notebook. "Narumi, you need to focus more in class," he said, his tone softer but still laced with frustration. "You won't make it as a ninja if you keep ignoring basic lessons."
But Narumi wasn't listening. She had already tuned out, her mind once again consumed by thoughts of seals and chakra. She flipped a page in her notebook, sketching a diagram of the Eight Trigrams Seal, trying to figure out how the lock worked. Why was this entity sealed inside me? she wondered. And why did the sealer go through so much trouble to hide it from me?
As Narumi scribbled furiously, her classmates continued to whisper and laugh, but she barely noticed. The same students who used to taunt her for being the "demon brat" now simply ignored her, finding her new obsession with seals strange and off-putting. The only attention she got these days was when someone like Kiba would throw a snide remark her way, but even that had become less frequent.
Across the room, Shikamaru Nara sat with his head resting on his hand, his lazy eyes half-closed as he observed the situation. He had been watching Narumi closely for a while now. Over the past year, she had changed completely—no longer the loud, hyperactive girl who tried to grab attention. She was quiet now, always scribbling in that notebook of hers, always lost in thought. She didn't seem to care about anything else, not even the mocking laughs from their classmates.
Shikamaru yawned quietly, his mind wandering as he watched Narumi from the corner of his eye. What's she so obsessed with? he wondered, lazily tracing the lines of her face as she scribbled. He noticed the small changes no one else did—how she had improved her chakra control dramatically, to the point where she could now create a Bunshin no Jutsu flawlessly.
That had surprised him. Narumi had struggled with basic jutsu for years, and yet now, she could create a perfectly formed Bunshin like it was nothing. Most of their classmates hadn't even noticed the difference, but Shikamaru had. Something had changed with her, and he couldn't help but be curious.
How did she improve so quickly? he thought, tilting his head. It's like she just figured it all out in a matter of weeks.
He shrugged mentally, deciding that it wasn't his problem. Narumi had always been different, and Shikamaru wasn't one to get involved in other people's business. Still, there was a part of him that found her recent transformation intriguing.
As the class droned on, Narumi remained lost in her thoughts. She flipped another page in her notebook, her hand moving rapidly as she scribbled more notes. She had spent hours over the past week studying the seal on her abdomen. Every symbol, every line—it all made sense to her now, but there were still parts that bothered her.
The design of the Two Four Symbols Seal was flawed, at least in her eyes. Why put two seals on top of each other? she thought irritably. It's so inefficient. The second seal just drains more power from the entity inside me, creating more chakra loss.
Narumi frowned, tapping her pen against the page. If I were the one sealing this entity, I would have made it more efficient. I would've designed it like a river with multiple channels, directing the energy straight to the host instead of forcing it through the same narrow stream. But no, whoever did this just stacked two seals and hoped for the best.
She couldn't help but feel a bit irritated at the person who had sealed the entity inside her. Whoever it was, they clearly didn't care about making the seal as efficient as possible. They just slapped two seals on me and called it a day.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the class finally ended, Iruka dismissing them for the day. Narumi gathered her things without a word, ignoring the conversations around her as she headed for the door. She had more important things to focus on—her experimentations, her seal work. The academy, the students, even Iruka's scoldings, all seemed so trivial in comparison to what she was trying to uncover.
Shikamaru watched her leave, his lazy gaze following her as she disappeared through the door. Well, she's definitely up to something, he thought with a sigh, stretching his arms over his head. But whatever it is, it's not my problem. Too much work to figure it out.
Still, there was something about Narumi that nagged at him—something he couldn't quite put his finger on. She's different now. Maybe that's a good thing, or maybe it's not. Either way, I'll stay out of it.
He sighed again, standing up as he prepared to leave. Narumi was on her own path now, and it was a path no one else seemed to understand.
The forest surrounding Konoha had always been a place of peace and quiet, a refuge from the noise and chaos of village life. For Narumi, it had become much more than that. This forest was her sanctuary, her personal escape from the prying eyes of the villagers, her classmates, and even the Third Hokage's ANBU who kept an eye on her. She had spent the past year transforming a small, hidden clearing into a space where she could conduct her experiments in peace.
Narumi made her way through the trees, the path to her hidden training ground familiar underfoot. The thick foliage and dense trees shielded her from the outside world, and the sound of the nearby river provided a constant, calming rhythm. She felt more at home here than she ever did in her apartment. This place was hers, and hers alone.
As she stepped into the clearing, the large tree in the center came into view, its sturdy branches stretching high above her. Narumi smiled at the sight of the small treehouse she had built with Jiji's help last year. The memory of that day—how the Third Hokage had smiled warmly at her request—was still fresh in her mind.
"I need a place where I can work on my seals," she had told him. "Somewhere private, but close to nature."
The Hokage had agreed, as long as she promised to sleep in her apartment at night. This forest, after all, could be dangerous, especially for someone like her. But Narumi hadn't been fazed by the potential danger. She loved this place—its solitude, the sounds of the forest, the sense of freedom it gave her.
She glanced up at the treehouse, the ladder swaying slightly in the breeze. It was a simple structure, but it was enough for her. She had built it herself with some help from Jiji, and it had become her personal workspace. A place where she could spread out her scrolls and notes without anyone disturbing her.
Below the treehouse was a large open space, cleared of debris and rocks, where Narumi often practiced her seals. A small stream ran along the edge of the clearing, its water sparkling in the sunlight. She had chosen this spot because of the river—it made her feel connected to the natural world, to the energy that flowed through everything.
For the past week, Narumi had also placed a barrier around the area. It wasn't anything too complex yet—just a basic seal that created a subtle illusion, causing people and animals to instinctively avoid the place. She had done it mostly to keep curious villagers and wandering shinobi from stumbling upon her secret spot. The last thing she needed was someone interrupting her experiments.
Narumi sighed contentedly as she dropped her bag onto the ground beside the tree. The barrier was working perfectly—there was no one here but her. She could finally focus.
She sat down on the grass, leaning back against the large tree as she pulled out her notebook. For the past few days, she had been completely absorbed in deciphering the Two Four Symbols Seal on her abdomen. Her other seal projects had been put on hold as she became obsessed with figuring out the intricacies of the seal.
The lock on the seal was what fascinated and frustrated her the most. No matter how much she studied it, she couldn't figure out how to unlock it. It was a puzzle, and Narumi hated puzzles she couldn't solve.
She absentmindedly traced a finger over her abdomen, where the seal lay hidden beneath her clothes. Why was this entity sealed inside me? she wondered for what felt like the hundredth time. And why did they make it so hard to access?
Narumi's mind raced with possibilities. The design of the Two Four Symbols Seal was brilliant but inefficient. The person who sealed the entity inside her had stacked two seals on top of each other, increasing the power consumption and causing more energy to flow into her body. It was a strange decision, one that Narumi didn't fully understand. If she were the one doing the sealing, she would have made the system much more efficient—diverting the entity's energy directly to the host, like opening new pathways, instead of letting the seal unnecessarily drain more power.
"But why?" she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she sketched more notes in her notebook. "Why make it so inefficient? Did they want me to absorb the entity's chakra? Or were they just trying to contain it as tightly as possible?"
Narumi thought about the lock again, her frustration growing until a sudden idea sparked in her mind. A passive seal! She could create one that would cycle through every possible combination, like a key testing countless passwords. It would take time, but if she could tap into the entity's energy to fuel the process, the seal could run on its own, self-sustaining until it finally unlocked.
Excitement surged through her as she grabbed a blank sheet of paper and began sketching out the design. Her hands moved quickly, her mind racing with possibilities. She could wire the new seal to the existing one, using the entity's chakra to fuel the process. It would be slow, but eventually, the passive seal would find the right combination and unlock the main seal.
Narumi worked late into the night, her focus completely absorbed by the task at hand. The world around her faded away as she drew symbols, tested theories, and refined her design. She could feel the seal on her abdomen beneath her fingers, the hum of chakra flowing through her body as she experimented.
When Narumi finally opened her eyes, the morning sun was just beginning to peek through the trees. The sound of birds chirping and the gentle rustling of leaves greeted her as she slowly sat up, blinking groggily. She had fallen asleep on the ground, surrounded by papers and notes. Her stomach and lap were covered with scribbled drawings, and in her hand, she held the final version of her new seal.
"I did it," she whispered to herself, a tired but triumphant smile spreading across her face. She had succeeded. The seal was complete.
But her satisfaction was quickly replaced by worry. Jiji's going to be mad at me. She hadn't returned to her apartment last night like she had promised. She knew that there were always ANBU watching her, monitoring her movements. If she didn't go back to the apartment, they would report it to the Third Hokage. And if Jiji found out…
Narumi scrambled to her feet, quickly gathering her things. She packed her notes, scrolls, and books into her bag, her heart racing as she tried to think of an excuse. She couldn't afford to get in trouble now, not when she was so close to unlocking the secrets of the seal.
As she hurried out of the clearing, a figure appeared in front of her, blocking her path. Narumi stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening as she recognized the tall figure in front of her—Inu, the ANBU who often guarded her during the night.
He was dressed in the standard ANBU uniform, his face hidden behind a mask that bore the likeness of a dog. His silver hair was the only feature that stood out, and Narumi immediately recognized him from the times she had sensed his presence in the shadows.
"So that's what you look like," she muttered under her breath, her curiosity piqued. She had always wondered what her ANBU guardian looked like.
"The Hokage requests your presence," Inu said, his voice calm and authoritative. "You're to come with me."
Narumi swallowed, her mind racing. Jiji knows. Of course he did. He always knew.
"Can I at least drop my things off at the apartment first?" she asked, clutching her bag tightly. She was protective of her notes—no one could touch them, not even her ANBU guards.
Inu shook his head. "No need. I'll carry them for you."
Narumi narrowed her eyes, pulling her bag closer. "No thanks. I'll carry them myself."
Inu didn't argue, simply nodding before motioning for her to follow. As they walked through the forest, Narumi couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. She had finally made progress with the seal, but now she had to face Jiji.
And she wasn't sure what he would say.
"Jiji! It's me!" Narumi's voice rang out as she barged into the Hokage's office, the door creaking slightly from her quick entry. The ANBU operative, known as Inu, who had escorted her stood quietly at the door, his posture stiff and formal, though the faintest flicker of curiosity passed over him.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk with a deep frown etched into his aging face. He looked tired, his usual calm demeanor replaced with something more serious—almost bordering on anxious. His eyes met Narumi's, and the weight of his concern was unmistakable.
"Where were you last night?" Hiruzen asked, his voice unusually stern. He leaned forward, his knuckles pressing against the desk, clearly agitated by the question itself.
Narumi blinked, not expecting such a heavy question right off the bat. She scratched her head sheepishly, clearly caught off guard. "Uh… I fell asleep at my place," she replied, almost as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Inu, still standing silently by the door, visibly tensed. His gaze, sharp and piercing behind his ANBU mask, flicked to Narumi. Something about her casual response seemed to make the air in the room still for a moment.
Hiruzen's frown deepened, and he sighed, clearly not satisfied with her answer. "Narumi… no one could find you last night." His voice carried a heavy note of frustration and genuine concern. "We searched the entire forest, your training ground—everything. The ANBU couldn't sense you. It was as if you had vanished completely." His words dropped like stones in the room, each one heavier than the last. "We thought… I thought something might have happened. That you were… kidnapped by enemy shinobi."
Narumi's eyes widened in surprise. "Kidnapped?!" she exclaimed, raising her voice in disbelief. "No way! I was there the whole time, Jiji!" She waved her hand dismissively, brushing off the idea like it was ridiculous. "I was just working on some stuff and ended up falling asleep."
Inu's eyes narrowed beneath his mask, the flicker of suspicion now morphing into something else—astonishment. He had been there. He had searched that forest thoroughly with his team, and they had found no trace of her. Now, she was saying she had been there the entire time?
Hiruzen took a deep breath, rubbing his temples. "If you were there, why couldn't anyone find you? Even with a barrier, we should have at least sensed something, a faint trace—anything." He sounded almost desperate for an explanation, his concern for Narumi's safety evident.
Narumi tilted her head, genuinely confused by his worry. "What's the point of a barrier if people can still sense it or know what's inside?" she asked with a casual shrug, as if the answer was obvious.
The room fell silent for a heartbeat.
Inu's body stiffened at her words. His breath caught for a moment, a barely audible gasp escaping his lips beneath the mask. He glanced at Hiruzen, whose expression was frozen in shock, his eyes widening as Narumi's statement fully sank in.
Hiruzen stared at her for a moment, stunned into silence. His mind raced to process what she had just said. A barrier that completely masked not only her presence but also the presence of the barrier itself? That level of sealing expertise was unheard of for someone her age. Even the most skilled seal masters had difficulty creating barriers that were completely undetectable.
"You… you placed a barrier that made you completely invisible to our senses?" Hiruzen asked slowly, his voice laced with disbelief.
Narumi raised an eyebrow. "Yeah," she replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I mean, isn't that what a barrier's supposed to do?"
Inu, who had remained silent until now, shifted slightly. He hadn't expected to hear that. Even he, an elite ANBU, had never encountered a barrier that could completely erase its creator's presence. His mind reeled with the implications, and he found himself reassessing the young girl before him.
Hiruzen remained frozen in place, his mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to form a response. Completely invisible…? What kind of barrier could do that?
"Narumi," he said slowly, trying to regain his composure, "just how far along are you in your studies on seals? How much of the book I gave you have you read?"
Narumi scratched her head again, as though the question wasn't particularly important. "Oh, that? I finished reading it about six months ago. All the seals in there were pretty basic." She waved her hand as if the entire thing was no big deal. "I mean, I'm still learning, but those seals are pretty straightforward."
There was a sharp intake of breath from Inu, who tried to remain composed but couldn't hide his astonishment. He had seen the book Hiruzen had given her—it was a tome filled with advanced sealing techniques, many of which had been developed by Tobirama Senju himself. Basic? To call those seals "basic" was nothing short of unbelievable.
Hiruzen, too, felt his jaw slacken. Six months? Basic? He could barely believe what he was hearing. The seals in that book were some of the most advanced in existence, designed by one of the most brilliant minds in Konoha's history. Tobirama-sensei had spent years developing those techniques, and here was Narumi, calling them "basic."
"Basic…" Hiruzen repeated, more to himself than to Narumi. He shook his head, trying to process the revelation. If Tobirama-sensei could hear this, he'd be turning in his grave.
"Narumi," Hiruzen said, his voice more controlled now, though still tinged with disbelief. "Would it be alright if I visited your training grounds? I'd like to see the barrier and your work for myself."
Narumi blinked, her bright blue eyes thoughtful for a moment. She wasn't usually eager to show her work to others, but this was Jiji. If anyone could appreciate what she had done, it was him. After a brief pause, she nodded. "Yeah, sure. I guess that's fine. Just don't mess with anything, okay?"
Hiruzen chuckled softly, though the surprise hadn't completely faded from his expression. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Inu remained quiet, though he couldn't help but cast another glance at Narumi as she stood in the Hokage's office, her demeanor casual yet filled with quiet confidence. She truly is… something else. Even behind his mask, it was clear that he, too, was left in awe of what Narumi had accomplished.
We made our way through the forest, following the path I knew led to Narumi's secret training ground. Inu—Kakashi—walked beside me, his posture as alert as ever, though I could sense a subtle tension from him. The forest was quiet, the canopy above thick with leaves, casting long shadows on the path. I knew this area well enough, but there was something... strange in the air.
As we walked deeper into the woods, everything seemed normal. The trees, the undergrowth, the light filtering through the leaves—it was just an ordinary forest. But then I began to feel it. An instinct, a quiet urging at the back of my mind, telling me to turn back. The deeper we went, the stronger the feeling became. It was an uncomfortable sensation, like a subtle voice whispering, warning me that this wasn't the right way. Even though I knew the path, my mind seemed to rebel, convincing me there was nothing ahead, that I shouldn't be here.
I glanced at Kakashi, who walked silently beside me, but I could tell from the stiffness in his movements that he felt it too. The slight twitch of his fingers betrayed his unease, though he didn't say anything. For a moment, I wondered if we were walking in circles. The place felt wrong.
But then I looked at Narumi, walking just ahead of us, humming softly to herself as if nothing were amiss. She didn't seem to feel the discomfort at all. It was as if the strange feeling didn't affect her in the slightest.
"N-Narumi," I called out to her, my voice slightly strained from the unease I felt. "Are you sure this is the right path?" I tried to hide my discomfort, but it seeped through.
Narumi stopped in her tracks and turned to face me, a curious look on her face. She glanced between me and Kakashi, her expression puzzled. Then, as if a realization had dawned on her, she snapped her fingers. "Oh, I forgot!"
"Forgot?" I asked, my voice tinged with confusion.
Narumi stepped closer to me, holding out her hand. "Give me your hand, Jiji."
Though still puzzled, I complied, offering her my hand. Her fingers glowed with a soft blue light as she traced a pattern on my wrist. I could feel the warmth of her chakra as it settled over my skin, and in an instant, the uncomfortable feeling disappeared.
Suddenly, the barrier around her training ground came into view. It shimmered faintly, like a translucent veil covering the space ahead. I blinked, momentarily stunned by how easily the sensation vanished.
She then turned to Kakashi and did the same, drawing a seal on his wrist with the same glowing energy. He stiffened slightly as the feeling left him, his visible eye widening in surprise as the barrier revealed itself to him as well.
"What was that?" I asked, still staring at the now-visible barrier in awe. I had never encountered a seal quite like this before. It was far more advanced than anything I had seen, even with all my years of experience studying seals. For all my knowledge, for all the titles people had given me—the Professor, the master of a thousand jutsus—this was new. "I've never seen anything like that."
Even Kakashi, normally unflappable, seemed taken aback, his astonishment clear despite the mask hiding half his face.
Narumi looked at me with a nonchalant shrug, as if what she had done was the most natural thing in the world. "Oh, that's just a masking effect in my barrier. The seal I gave you negates it. It's like a lock and key. Only those with the seal I place on them can see the barrier." She paused, then added with a grin, "Of course, it's not perfect. The barrier's strong, but if someone knew exactly where it was and attacked with enough force, they could break it."
I blinked again, trying to process her explanation. Masking effects? Lock and key seals? This level of detail, this complexity—it was stunning. The barrier was not just a physical defense but a near-perfect concealment that required precise knowledge and access to break. And Narumi had created it all on her own.
As the realization set in, a deep sense of awe washed over me. Is this why the Uzumakis were so feared? I had known Kushina well, but she had never displayed this level of sealing mastery. Kushina was talented, one of the best seal users I'd ever seen, but Narumi… Narumi was something else entirely. Could it be that she was an even greater genius than her mother?
I glanced at Kakashi, and I could tell he was just as stunned. His usual calm demeanor was cracking, and for a moment, he was as speechless as I was. Narumi, meanwhile, continued explaining as if this were just another typical barrier seal.
"But a barrier this complex," I said slowly, still trying to comprehend it, "would require tremendous amounts of energy. How do you sustain it?"
Narumi beamed, clearly proud of herself. "Oh, that's easy!" she said. "The reason I asked for this place in the first place is because there's abundant chakra scattered throughout the area. It's perfect for my sealing experiments. I've used the natural chakra from the trees to sustain the barrier."
I felt my breath catch. Of course. This place had been created by the First Hokage himself, the same forest where he had practiced his Mokuton. The natural chakra here was abundant, left behind by Hashirama Senju's jutsu. It had been lying dormant for decades, and Narumi had tapped into it effortlessly.
"She… knows this much already…" I whispered to myself, the weight of her accomplishments sinking in. She had combined her mastery of seals with a deep understanding of the environment around her, using the land itself to fuel her creations.
As we stepped closer to her training ground, I could see scattered papers, notebooks, even half-eaten snacks littering the space around a large tree. Her makeshift lab was cluttered, but there was something deeply comforting about the chaos. This was where she truly thrived—surrounded by her work, driven by her insatiable curiosity.
Narumi glanced around at the mess and rubbed the back of her neck, a sheepish smile crossing her face. "Ah… I've been so busy with my research that I haven't had time to clean up," she admitted, looking a bit embarrassed.
I chuckled softly, the tension from earlier slowly fading. "You've certainly been busy."
Busy, yes—but what she had accomplished in such a short time was far more than just impressive. It was nothing short of extraordinary. As I stood there, looking at this young girl who had once struggled to find her place in the village, I realized that Narumi Uzumaki was no ordinary shinobi. She was a prodigy, a genius whose potential far surpassed even my expectations.
And I couldn't help but wonder—just how far would she go?
The Third Hokage took a deep breath as he stood at the edge of Narumi's training ground, watching her interact with her makeshift equipment. He felt a sense of pride, but it was tinged with something else—concern, perhaps even fear.
Narumi's mastery of sealing techniques was beyond anything he had seen from someone so young. Kushina was talented, but Narumi... she was on another level. And with her talent came an unpredictability—one that, if not guided carefully, could make her a danger, not just to others, but to herself. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
"Kakashi," he said softly, glancing at the young ANBU operative beside him, "keep an eye on her. We can't afford to let her stray too far off the path."
Kakashi nodded, his face hidden beneath his mask, but his one visible eye showed the same deep contemplation. "She's more than just a prodigy," Kakashi murmured. "She could change everything."
The Third Hokage gave a slow nod, feeling the weight of the future settle heavily on his shoulders. Yes, Narumi could change everything. For better or for worse.
-end-
Note: Chapter 3 is done. This Narumi will be OP. I'm still thinking about whether I should follow the canon timeline or let her graduate early, and I still don't know if I should include a pairing. When I decided to make this fanfic, I envisioned her as Konoha's resident Mad Scientist, with seals being her forte. Now that I have finished these three chapters, I'm considering a different path. What do you think?