Whether Kazusa believed it or not didn't really matter—Souma believed it.
He could tell.
When Gekkō Hayate took the paper, his hands were trembling. Deep down, he clearly had no confidence at all.
Even so—
"Hayate-senpai, I believe you can do it."
Souma reached out and clasped Hayate's hand.
Hayate thought for a moment, then said, "After my medical check tomorrow, I might have a mission that takes me out of the village. I'll think it through on the way."
"That's fine. Just keep it in mind—there's no rush to finish it."
"Alright."
After leaving, Souma suddenly remembered something—
What had he originally come here for, again?
Oh, right.
Special training for Kazusa.
"Forget it. Next time for sure."
He was in the middle of a burst of inspiration now. Better to head back and draft the outline for sealing techniques first.
ANBU's sealing methods were far too rigid.
No—more accurately, ANBU as a whole was too rigid.
Aside from a few elites like Kakashi and Yamato, most of them lacked flexible thinking entirely. They didn't understand adaptability at all.
Granted, this gap existed between ordinary ninja and elite chūnin or jōnin—but as ANBU, they shouldn't be like that.
Souma pulled out a fresh notebook and began writing the opening line:
"Your mind must stay flexible. Do not let learned knowledge bind you. No jutsu is ever that inconvenient."
Sealing techniques were among the most difficult arts in all of ninjutsu. Very few in Konoha studied them seriously, and ANBU's sealing unit consisted of elites among elites—their foundations should be solid.
Still, Souma deliberately explained everything in the most accessible way possible.
Like the Fourth Hokage, after covering key concepts, he listed recommended reading materials at the end.
What he wrote focused mainly on the casting mindset.
Then Souma paused.
"Pure theory isn't enough. I need concrete examples—otherwise it won't convince anyone."
After a few seconds of thought, he took out three blank sealing tags and began inscribing formulas onto them.
Several minutes later, three tags densely packed with jutsu formulas lay before him.
"Let's test it."
He formed hand seals and activated the jutsu. Chakra flowed into the three tags like streams of symbols—
Then—
Three lines appeared on the ground.
"Still missing something."
Souma looked upward.
A triangle… one vertex short.
He substituted hand seals and chakra guidance.
Two more seals—chakra surged upward.
In the next instant, chakra spread rapidly, forming triangular points.
Three walls of chakra rose up.
A simplified Three-Sided Seal.
Success.
"See? It's really not that hard."
Souma wrote this successful case into the notes, then drafted a short report and a jutsu scroll as well. Later, he could hand it to the Third Hokage in exchange for some convenience and benefits—
After all, this was a hard-won improvement he'd achieved himself.
That afternoon.
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage was reviewing documents.
Suddenly, Souma's presence appeared nearby. The old man frowned slightly.
This kid again?
What does he want this time?
Or—
Is he here for that data?
The Third Hokage knew all too well how tempting Hashirama's cells were to someone who loved research. But that material was extremely sensitive, and research into Hashirama's cells carried immense risk.
"I hope he's not here for that."
Orochimaru had already defected and caused him endless trouble.
The Third Hokage sighed.
Soon after, there was a knock.
"Souma, come in."
"Hokage-sama."
Souma entered with a notebook and a scroll, bowed respectfully, then prepared to state his purpose.
Seeing the items in his hands only confirmed the Hokage's suspicions.
"Souma… have you made another new creation?"
"Yes. But please forgive me, Hokage-sama—I proceeded without prior approval and directly arranged research projects. The work is already complete."
"What?"
Could it be—
The Third Hokage glanced toward where the sealing-related materials were stored, his heart jolting.
He never doubted Souma's abilities.
The boy's memory was frighteningly sharp—after seeing something once or twice, he could probably recall it perfectly.
"You… sigh. Let me take a look first."
The Third Hokage let out a long breath.
At least Hashirama's cells were securely sealed. Even Souma wouldn't be able to bypass him and obtain them in such a short time, so this must be theoretical research at most.
He opened the notebook—
And his old face flushed red.
Completely wrong guess.
"Souma… I didn't expect you to already be cooperating with ANBU."
"Yes. I acted without your approval and discussed things directly with ANBU. I sincerely apologize."
"Heh, it's nothing. You did it for the village and for ANBU. I should be thanking you instead. Sit down—there's quite a lot here. I'll need some time to read."
Mostly to calm his emotions.
The Third Hokage read Souma's notes in silence.
At first, he was simply pleased—
Souma had taken initiative without being told, proof that the village and its people were always on his mind.
Then, gradually, that pleasure turned into shock.
These notes were far too complete.
From beginner-level concepts to advanced sealing techniques, Souma explained his thought process clearly and concisely, then summarized everything.
This notebook—
It was comparable to the study notes of the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina.
No—actually, it was different.
Souma wasn't teaching formulas.
He was teaching thinking.
"A masterpiece… truly a masterpiece."
The Third Hokage couldn't put it down. After rereading it several times, he finally sighed deeply.
"Souma, sometimes I truly hate that you were born twenty years too late. If not, how could Konoha have suffered through so many wars?"
As long as the shinobi world wasn't unified, war would never disappear.
And even if it were unified, war would still come—sooner or later.
Souma said nothing.
He knew this was just the Hokage lamenting, not seeking an answer.
After sighing, the Third Hokage forced a smile.
"Forgive me. Old men like me always dwell on the past. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not. It's precisely because you carry regrets that you remember the past."
"Regrets… yes. How could I not have them?"
The Third Hokage picked up his pipe to hide his expression. "Many things were my fault—many could have been avoided. I hesitated too much."
After a few puffs, he steadied himself and picked up the scroll.
"This is your improved Three-Sided Seal?"
"Yes."
The Third Hokage examined it carefully, clearly astonished.
This jutsu worked.
It wasn't flawless—just as Souma wrote, a single caster couldn't match the durability of using two shadow clones.
But in exchange, it saved immense time and energy and was far more sudden.
It was better suited for combat.
By adjusting casting methods, it could be adapted to multiple scenarios, maximizing chakra efficiency.
That was Souma's way of thinking.
"Souma, your ideas are nothing short of genius. Frankly speaking, if this weren't so profound, it could be used as a Ninja Academy textbook."
The Third Hokage marveled.
"It actually could. Ninjutsu thinking is universal—I just added detailed case analysis to make it easier to understand."
Souma continued, "I have one more request. I hope you can have it printed, so it can be shared and studied within the research institute."
"Of course. That's no problem."
The Third Hokage smiled, then rubbed his temples in frustration.
"Truthfully, I'm thinking about how to reward you. The value of these notes can't be measured in money."
What was the village's most important asset?
It's ninja.
These notes were a treasure meant to cultivate them.
"I'd like to apply for the First Hokage's cells."
"As expected…"
The Third Hokage sighed heavily. "No researcher can resist Hashirama-sama's cells—not even you."
"That's not it, Hokage-sama. I have a reason."
Souma shook his head.
The Third Hokage frowned. "Go on."
"Do you remember Kaguya Kimimaro?"
"I do. The Shikotsumyaku user."
Such a dangerous individual—of course he remembered.
"He doesn't have much time left. I was wondering whether Hashirama's cells could extend his life."
"No. That's far too dangerous!"
The Third Hokage's expression changed instantly.
Shikotsumyaku was already terrifying. Adding Hashirama's cells—failure would be one thing, but success would be catastrophic.
"Of course not now. He still has over half a year left. This is my final contingency."
"Anything involving Hashirama-sama's cells requires extreme caution."
The Third Hokage finally relaxed.
Souma nodded. "I understand. If fusion succeeds, it could give him frightening power. Before that, we must ensure his loyalty—or at least that he won't harm Konoha."
"Exactly. If you can handle him, I'll allow a controlled attempt under safe conditions."
The Third Hokage was genuinely pleased.
Even in such circumstances, Souma remained rational and clear-headed. That was rare indeed.
Otherwise, this would've been a real headache.
As Souma said, this was a last resort. Kimimaro was already approaching death; attempting it with his consent at that point wouldn't violate protocol.
It might even be his only chance.
After chatting a bit more, Souma stood to leave when the Third Hokage suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right—Souma."
"Yes?"
"One more thing. ANBU's new captain will be decided soon. When the time comes, I'll have her meet you. If you have any advice for ANBU, you can discuss it with her."
The Third Hokage smiled warmly.
Souma nodded and left the office, pondering as he walked.
From the Hokage's tone—
This was someone he knew, and very likely a member of the research institute.
ANBU… research institute…
Gekkō Hayate?
Unlikely. That sickly man could barely manage himself, let alone ANBU. If the Third Hokage did that, he'd deserve to be strung up.
If not him—
Uzuki Yūgao?
Souma considered it.
Among the remaining candidates, she was the most likely.
Strong, young, and deeply familiar with ANBU.
More importantly—
She also had ties to him.
Through the Gekkō clan, and through the research institute.
"Yeah. It has to be her."
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