For an entire day, Hyuga Satoru was completely immersed in the world of ninjutsu.
Many of the jutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals carried both immense power and immense risk—and their difficulty far surpassed that of ordinary elemental techniques. Ever since Satoru had displayed his prodigious ninja talent, all of the Hyuga Clan's secret techniques had been opened to him without restriction.
Over the years, he had read through countless forms of ninjutsu, yet even so, when facing the many forbidden arts within the Scroll of Seals, all he could do was rely on his exceptional memory to temporarily commit them to mind.
To truly understand and master them would take far longer than a single day.
As the sun set and the orange rays slanted into the Hokage's Office, Namikaze Minato stretched after a full day of work. His gaze fell upon the two figures still seated on the sofa—one old, one young—both absorbed in the scrolls before them.
Seeing Satoru completely engrossed, Minato glanced at the clock. Rather than interrupting him, he walked over softly, stopping behind the boy to peek at what he was reading.
He was curious—what sort of technique would a genius child from such a prestigious clan, blessed with both lineage and talent, find captivating?
"The Spirit Transformation Technique, hmm?"
Throughout the day, Satoru hadn't yet turned to the section on the Flying Thunder God Technique. Besides the Multi-Shadow Clone and Eight Gates—both well suited to his physique—he had also focused on jutsu like the Spirit Transformation Technique, those related to the soul itself.
Strengthening his combat ability was, of course, urgent—but the goal Satoru sought went far beyond mere power.
Soul-related secret arts… in this world, they were the path most closely linked to immortality.
Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation intrigued him greatly.
As the most "vital" villain in the shinobi world, Satoru naturally coveted Orochimaru's Serpent-Style Substitution Technique.
Even setting aside the immortality offered by Living Corpse Reincarnation, the Serpent-Style Substitution alone was enough to make one's heart race—it could completely disregard any injury to the body, allowing the user to "shed their skin" like a snake and emerge with a new, unscathed body.
In essence, it granted the user another life.
To Satoru, who deeply feared death, such life-preserving techniques were exactly what he needed most.
And many of the secret techniques Orochimaru mastered were in fact derived from forbidden jutsu recorded within the Scroll of Seals—only refined through his own experiments and understanding.
Minato lingered behind Satoru for a while, finally unable to contain his curiosity. He gently patted Satoru's shoulder and asked with a warm smile,
"Satoru, weren't you here to study the Flying Thunder God Technique? Haven't found it yet?"
"If you can't locate the section, you can always ask the Third Hokage for help."
Hearing the Fourth's gentle tone, Satoru finally lifted his gaze from the scroll. Scratching his head with a shy grin, he replied somewhat embarrassedly,
"Some of these jutsu are just so incredible… I guess I got a bit carried away."
He sighed in admiration. "I never realized there were so many fascinating jutsu in this world. I wish I could learn them all!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato exchanged amused smiles.
Neither saw Satoru's words as arrogance—after all, every ninja once dreamed the same way.
But human energy was finite, and no one could master every jutsu in existence.
Even the man known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," Hiruzen himself, despite knowing countless techniques, only truly used a handful that best fit his fighting style.
Seeing Satoru's eager yet innocent expression, Minato reached out and ruffled his hair lightly. His tone turned gentle but earnest.
"Satoru, at your age, the biggest mistake is trying to reach too high too fast."
"Don't get me wrong—I'm not doubting your ability. I just hope you'll learn to use your time wisely."
"If you're truly interested in the Flying Thunder God, make good use of this chance."
"That space-time technique isn't just a jutsu—it's an entire category of jutsu."
"There's a lot you'll need to study."
Minato's words carried clear intent, and Satoru's eyes lit up in realization.
Minato was giving him a hint—one he would take seriously.
From his own experience since arriving in this world, Satoru had already realized that many jutsu were not isolated techniques but interlinked systems.
Take the Hyuga clan's secret arts for instance—Gentle Fist formed the foundation of all advanced techniques. Only those who had mastered Gentle Fist could use Rotation, Twin Lion Fists, Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, and other higher forms.
Geniuses with great insight often found that once they understood one path, many others opened up naturally—and Satoru was one such genius. After learning Gentle Fist, he had swiftly grasped numerous high-level Hyuga arts.
He suspected the Flying Thunder God might be similar—not a single jutsu, but an entire class of space-time techniques.
"Satoru, it's getting late," Minato said softly. "Come back tomorrow morning to continue reading."
"When you go home, think over what I said. If possible, I suggest you start studying sealing techniques."
"To learn the Flying Thunder God, mastering fuinjutsu is absolutely essential."
It was clear—Minato was offering him private guidance.
"Sealing techniques, huh… I understand," Satoru nodded, comprehension flashing in his eyes.
Carefully rolling up the scroll, he placed it back on the desk, then bowed respectfully to both Hiruzen and Minato.
"Thank you, Grandpa Hiruzen, for keeping me company—and thank you, Brother Minato, for your guidance. I'll be heading back now."
He exhaled deeply, then turned and walked toward the door under their watchful gazes.
Hiruzen waved kindly, while Minato smiled warmly until the door closed behind the boy. Only then did Hiruzen set aside the scrolls and sigh softly.
"That child… he'll become one of Konoha's greatest pillars one day."
"Minato, keep a close eye on him. If possible, find time to guide him personally."
Having observed Satoru the entire day, Hiruzen could easily tell from his reading pace which techniques drew his true interest—and he couldn't help but admire the boy's discerning eye.
"The ones he focused on," Hiruzen mused, "were all remarkably compatible with the Hyuga lineage."
"I will," Minato said seriously, nodding with resolve.
…
When Hyuga Satoru exited the Hokage Building, Hyuga Hiashi was already waiting below with several clan members.
Seeing his son emerge, Hiashi's stern face softened instantly. He walked forward with a smile and pulled Satoru into his arms.
"How was it? Must've been exhausting, hmm? Did you learn anything?"
Hiashi himself had little interest in the Scroll of Seals, but when it came to his son's growth, he cared deeply.
"Mm!" Satoru nodded enthusiastically. "I learned a lot. Father, let's head home—I've got a few techniques I'm dying to try out."
Hearing that, Hiashi's expression grew solemn. He nodded slightly, then turned toward the Hokage's window in the distance and bowed deeply.
After that silent gesture of gratitude, he carried Satoru and led the group back toward the Hyuga compound.
…
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