Sealing ninjutsu in scrolls actually has two methods. One is writing techniques on scrolls with specially prepared ink, then leaving ninjutsu in the scroll through casting. The second is directly using one's own chakra, mainly Yin Release chakra, to draw techniques.
The ultimate goal of learning sealing techniques was to draw his own Flying Thunder God mark. Naturally he would not practice with the first method but directly use the second.
These scrolls specifically for practice could bear limited content. Retention time was extremely short. Basically after three hours the entire scroll would be ruined.
Shuji's daily time, aside from eating and drinking, maintaining body combat functions with basic training, the remaining time was all used practicing sealing techniques.
He was busy. The village was also not idle.
Cloud envoy Akai's enthusiastic, seemingly bringing the dawn of peace smile before villagers vanished without trace the moment he stepped into the negotiation room.
Konoha leadership was prepared for Cloud's tough style, but this situation still made them frown.
From the distribution ratio of mission commissions between the two countries, even border outpost placement issues that had already been communicated in advance with tacit understanding reached by high leadership on both sides, were all turned over by Akai and brought up for dispute.
For several days running, on the thick draft alliance, not a single clause could ultimately be finalized. Each seemingly close negotiation would always be overturned or shelved by Akai with new reasons at the last moment.
"Something's wrong." Mitokado Homura removed his glasses, wearily pinching his nose bridge. "That envoy is deliberately stalling."
Utatane Koharu nodded slightly. "Seems to be waiting for something, or deliberately wearing down our patience."
She recalled Shuji's words. Cloud's envoy might do undignified things.
"Hiruzen, Anbu's surveillance of Akai must be raised to maximum level."
"Already deployed." This point did not need Shuji to say. Konoha had always had arrangements. Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly. "Observe a while longer. If the Cloud envoy still has this attitude, then dispatch another team directly to Kumogakure to test their stance."
Now it had only ground a few days. Such things were always common. Only this time progress was exceptionally slow. Perhaps Kumogakure internally still had some divisions affecting the envoy's attitude.
Konoha Village edge, an inconspicuous abandoned warehouse. Uchiha Obito's figure stepped out from a vortex center.
Before him, a pale-bodied, bizarre-looking White Zetsu was squirming while reporting.
"Akai-sama... quarreled with Konoha's advisors again today. Still the same old problems. No progress at all."
White Zetsu mimicked human guard tone perfectly. "Konoha's Anbu are annoying. Circling like flies. But they seem to only be watching. No further actions."
Obito silently listened. This deviated greatly from his expected script. Akai under his genjutsu control should spare no effort enraging Konoha, creating irreconcilable contradictions, ultimately detonating conflict.
But after so long, why did Konoha's leadership still have no movement.
He could not understand the logic inside. He only knew methods had to change.
"Looks like we still need more direct methods."
—
Night hung deep. The inn Konoha arranged for envoys was completely silent.
Two Konoha Anbu hid outside Akai's room, monitoring Akai's chakra and all channels entering and exiting the room.
Inside the room, the real Akai's eyes were hollow and vacant. Obito's figure appeared from thin air. In just an instant, he pulled Akai's entire person into Kamui space.
Simultaneously a White Zetsu dropped down, rapidly transforming into Akai's appearance.
Just as replacement completed.
"Knock knock knock." A knocking sound rose precisely then, neither light nor heavy.
'Akai' stood, pulling open the door with a trace of impatience. Outside stood a Konoha attendant, smile on face. "Pardon the intrusion, Akai-sama. May I ask if you need..."
"Don't need it! Don't need anything!" 'Akai' rudely interrupted, voice carrying irritation at disturbed sleep. "You Konoha people really are endless! Get lost!"
He violently slammed the door with a loud bang, then returned to bed with heavy footsteps and lay down. No further movement.
Outside the door, the attendant's smile did not change. He bowed slightly toward the door, then silently retreated into corridor shadows. In the dark, the Anbu member responsible for monitoring spoke lowly into communicator. "Target shows no abnormalities."
Hyūga clan compound depths. The main house residence was shrouded in tranquil night.
Patrolling guards' footsteps were gentle, dutifully alert.
Suddenly, in the main house courtyard, air like a calm water surface had a stone dropped in. Silently rippling outward. A black shadow, without warning, stepped from that twisted spatial vortex, directly appearing in the Hyūga main house's core area!
The shadow directly infiltrated main house young lady Hinata's bedroom. The sleeping girl was completely unaware, easily seized under the shadow's arm.
After succeeding, the shadow did not choose to conceal its form. Instead extremely arrogantly carrying Hinata, it directly vaulted over the inner courtyard's high wall.
This crude action instantly triggered the Hyūga main house warning barrier.
"Who goes?!"
"There's an intruder! Main house direction!"
Sharp warning cries tore through the night sky. The entire Hyūga compound instantly awoke.
The first to react were main house guards charging toward Hinata's bedroom. Before their eyes remained only disheveled bedding. The person was gone.
Almost simultaneously with the warning sounding, Hyūga Hiashi's figure already appeared in the corridor from inner court to main residence. Those pure white eyes suddenly lit in the night. Veins bulged at his temples. Three-hundred-sixty degree vision instantly locked onto that masked shadow holding his daughter, about to flee!
Next instant, Hyūga Hiashi had intercepted the shadow's escape path. Under Byakugan insight, the opponent's movement flaws were clearly visible.
Hiashi struck like lightning. One palm struck out. Chakra precisely sprayed from palm center, plainly printing on the masked person's chest.
A muffled impact sound.
The masked person was as if struck by heavy hammer. Body sharply stiffened. Forward momentum stopped abruptly. The struck area visibly collapsed. Violent chakra instantly rushed into his body, devastatingly tearing through meridians and organs.
He could not even scream. Arms loosened. Hinata from his embrace was steadily caught by Hiashi.
Confirming his daughter was only frightened unconscious with no major harm, Hyūga Hiashi's taut heartstrings eased slightly.
He bent down, yanking off the black face covering.
Seeing clearly that twisted, pained face, Hyūga Hiashi's pupils contracted sharply. His complexion instantly turned iron blue!
Just as Hiashi pondered how to handle this, arriving Hyūga branch family guards also discovered the person collapsed on the ground.
"This... this is?"
"Hiashi-sama, this is Cloud's envoy!"
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild