From the moment we left Konoha, I did nothing but read. I alternated between medical ninjutsu books and Master Shuzo's sealing theory notes. Seeing those Mangekyou Sharingan in the Uchiha compound had reminded me of the true monsters of this world. Obito. Madara. If I ever wanted even a sliver of survival against threats like them, Sealing and spatial locking techniques would be my best chance. And since the journey was long, I decided to dive headfirst into research instead of dying later with regrets. Thankfully, the carriage cabin was large enough to let me spread out, so I sat cross-legged on the floor with paper, brushes, and ink scattered everywhere like I was summoning chaos through stationery.
Kaen grumbled with growing annoyance. "Do you just read all day?". Sena let out a light chuckle, clearly entertained by Kaen's complaints. "That is the price you pay to be a fuinjutsu user" Kaen rolled his eyes dramatically. "Who cares about fuinjutsu. Pure strength will always prevail. It is good for defense but lacks any real offense"
I raised an eyebrow. He was not wrong. Most of my sealing work had been defensive so far. And he had never seen my spear. A wicked grin stretched across my face. A surge of chakra radiated through my hand, and Gungnir appeared in an instant.
Kaen's eyes widened as a full-metal spear materialized from thin air. The sealwork etched along the weapon lit up as lightning crawled along its length like a living creature. The air hummed with energy, a deep static crackle that promised both awe and horrible electrocution. Flickers of lightning arced from the spearhead down toward the carriage floor, and the blue-glowing rune sequences pulsed with a heartbeat of chakra. Kaen's hands trembled with excitement as he leaned forward. "What is that?"
I kept the exact same grin. "That is what seals can do."
A conflicted look crossed his face as the gears slowly turned inside his head. Finally, he swallowed his pride and asked a question I never expected. "Can you teach me a bit?"
It took me a few moments to recover from the shock. Before I could respond, Shisui answered in my place. "You will need approval from the Hokage to study that art, or Fugaku-sama's permission to learn the Uchiha clan's sealing records. And even then, it is a very strict discipline that requires a lot of time and relentless focus. It will take years before you can use seals in a competent way."
Kaen's eyes drooped instantly. Despair washed over him like he had just been told that vegetables were mandatory for the rest of his life. He was already at his breaking point from his parents' training, which only paused for a month because Shisui used the Chunin Exams as ammunition to intervene and force them to allow recovery.
Shisui noticed his sinking mood and gave him a small, encouraging smile. "Kaen, no one will ever be the best at everything. That is why we have teams. We complete one another and cover each other's weaknesses. And with enough training, once your eyes grow stronger, you will be able to see seals, analyze them, and avoid dangerous traps. I will teach you in time the most dangerous seals to watch out for, and the most common ones shinobi use in the field. So do not let this make you grim."
Kaen nodded with newfound determination, always eager for any promise of future training from his role model.
I returned to my work, a little more proud of my spear and a little amused that I had temporarily converted the Uchiha's rising star into a fuinjutsu believer. With another pulse of chakra, I recalled the spear back into my storage seal, the lightning fading as the metal vanished from sight.
By now, we were supposed to be nearing Sunagakure, yet visibility was terrible. The flags lining the safe route were the only things keeping us from getting swallowed by endless dunes. Every few hours a sudden sandstorm would rise from nowhere and erase the world around us like someone kept repainting the desert from scratch.
Sena groaned and glared at the dunes shifting around us. "This place is impossible. It is like the desert itself is working with the Hidden Sand. The wind erases tracks, the storms bury landmarks, and the environment hides the village while slowly killing anyone foolish enough to come looking uninvited."
Shisui chuckled. "That was why it was so hard to punish them during previous wars. Sunagakure is one of the hardest places to invade. The terrain alone destroys most armies long before battle even begins. They place traps everywhere, and dehydration or being buried alive is a constant risk here. And even if you survive the land, you still have to face their puppeteers hiding behind dunes, striking from impossible angles with poisons that kill in the most horrific and painful ways. It becomes a battle of attrition. You lose just enough troops to be furious, but not enough to justify retreat. And by the time you understand how much you have lost, you are already too committed and too deep inside the desert to turn back."
He looked ahead, his tone carrying a quiet respect. "If it was not for Lady Tsunade's medical breakthroughs, our losses in troops due to the Sand's poisoning tactics would have been far worse, which would have encouraged other villages to intensify their attacks on our borders, since it would not have been easy to compensate for those losses. Her antitoxins saved thousands of lives. Even though we were stronger overall, no one dared approach their village lightly."
Sena nodded with understanding and immediately started writing furiously into her notebook. No doubt she was already brainstorming ideas and strategies to counter the strengths of Sunagakure. Most Konoha elders could not find a perfect solution to deal with the Hidden Sand, but if someone was going to figure it out, it would probably be her. Especially since the most powerful tactic Konoha used against Sunagakure in the past was slowly deteriorating their financial stability.
"We are approaching the hidden village," the cart driver finally announced, grabbing our full attention. We all turned to look through the wooden window, this time wearing headscarves after learning from multiple painful mistakes. Sand had previously stuffed itself into our mouths and noses, so we came prepared.
What we saw was incredible. A massive cliff formation surrounded an entire valley below, almost like the world itself had scooped a home into the rock and then tried to hide it from everyone else. Sand roiled around us as if trying to push us away or at least keep us blind to what lay ahead. A single opening in the cliffs led into the valley, the only visible entrance to the Hidden Sand.
I felt something powerful the moment we neared the valley. My instincts screamed for attention. With great strain, I forced chakra into my eyes, pushing my vision to detect what normal sight could not. The sudden flare of chakra grabbed the attention of my entire team. Kaen activated his Sharingan immediately, his eyes sharp and focused. "What are you seeing now?" he asked, confused and curious.
"There is an incredibly powerful barrier around the village," I answered, astonished. "It is more powerful than Konoha's barrier when it comes to neutralizing external damage. However, it lacks in detection."
Shisui chuckled with a cold edge. "Sunagakure does not worry much about invaders discovering the village alive. The desert itself usually handles that." He paused and then tapped the cart wall with his finger. "Everyone inside. This is a good moment to explain something important." We all nodded and returned to our seats inside the carriage.
Shisui's voice turned grim and serious. "That barrier could confirm a rumor I have heard again and again. It is still hearsay, but I was told the One Tail has become unstable, and Sunagakure may be struggling to keep its jinchuriki under control. We likely will not witness anything, and these accounts might be exaggerated, yet if a rampage does occur, drop everything and come directly to me. Forget the exams or whatever task you are in the middle of. Your safety is the only priority in that situation." He looked each of us in the eye, one after the other. "Straight to me. Do you understand?"
We all nodded without hesitation. His warning carried a shadow that sat heavy on my chest.
Finally, we reached the village gates. They were massive, built into a narrow pass between the towering cliff faces where Hidden Sand shinobi silently observed our cart before approaching. After Shisui handed them our papers and the Chunin Exam invitation that confirmed we were Konoha's only participating team, the guards examined everything closely. Then, with a surprising rare smile, one of them nodded. The stone gate parted with a low rumble as the guard stepped aside and said with calm pride "Welcome to Sunagakure."