"Of course!"
"If Sister Kushina doesn't mind the trouble, I'd be honored to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique from you."
When Uzumaki Kushina suddenly volunteered to teach, Hyuga Satoru froze for only a moment before replying without hesitation.
Wasn't this… a gift from the heavens?
Though he hadn't yet studied the Scroll of Seals in depth, Satoru was certain that mastering the Flying Thunder God would be no easy feat. Otherwise, in all of Konoha's history, there wouldn't have been only two men—Second Hokage Senju Tobirama and Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato—who could use it proficiently.
Having a teacher versus learning alone made all the difference, and now the "shoulders of giants" were right in front of him. There was no reason to refuse.
On top of that, forging a deeper bond with the Fourth Hokage and his wife was exactly what Satoru had been planning.
In this world, many things were interconnected.
If Satoru wanted to protect himself and those he cared about, then the most critical event he could still influence was the Nine-Tails' Rebellion.
If the Namikaze couple could survive that crisis, it would only bring benefits—to Konoha, to the Hyuga, and to himself.
He might not have the power to change the outcome directly, but information—properly used—could alter the course of history.
Who knew? With his presence, perhaps he could even help the Namikazes raise that future powerhouse of the shinobi world—Naruto Uzumaki, the boy who'd one day grow up on a steady diet of vegetables and pure "killing intent."
To affect those events, he first needed to build genuine trust with Minato and Kushina. And now, thanks to Kushina's sudden enthusiasm, an opportunity had presented itself.
Originally, Satoru had planned to have his mother, Hyuga Hanako, get closer to Kushina—after all, both women were pregnant, and pregnant women always found common ground. Once his mother befriended Kushina, Satoru could naturally create "chance encounters," maybe even drop hints about Obito's existence during casual conversation.
But now? That roundabout plan seemed unnecessary.
Kushina's sudden offer had solved everything.
She herself was quite happy with Satoru's quick acceptance. Beforehand, she'd worried this prodigious boy might be too proud to take her seriously. If that had happened, it would've been awkward for her.
But Satoru—"You've got good taste, kid!" she said proudly. "Don't worry, I'll teach you well!"
Her mood visibly brightened; even Minato, watching his wife's excitement, couldn't bear to dampen it. Smiling awkwardly, he added,
"Satoru, don't mind her. That's just how Kushina is."
"Go on upstairs. While you're studying the Flying Thunder God Technique, if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."
At that, Kushina turned and gave her husband a withering glare. Minato, feeling the heat of her stare, quickly coughed and corrected himself:
"Er—of course, you can also ask Kushina. Don't underestimate her—she's from the Uzumaki clan, and she's a master of sealing arts."
"Since the Flying Thunder God relies heavily on sealing formulas, her guidance will be invaluable."
Only then did Kushina's expression soften into satisfaction. She grinned broadly, reached out, and gave Satoru's head a firm pat.
"Alright, brat! From today onward, I'm your teacher!"
"Come on, let's hear you say it—'Teacher Kushina!'"
It was hard to tell who had triggered her "bossy mentor" mode, but gone was the gentle lady who'd visited the Hyuga estate. In her place stood a big-sister figure radiating fiery confidence.
"..."
"Teacher Kushina."
Satoru didn't mind. In fact, he found it quite reasonable to call her that.
She was an Uzumaki orphan—one of the last heirs of the Whirlpool Clan—and unlike most scattered survivors who'd fled after Uzushio's fall, Kushina had inherited the knowledge of Uzumaki Mito herself. She was a true master of sealing arts.
That power rivaled the Scroll of Seals itself. If possible, Satoru indeed wanted to learn the deeper secrets of sealing.
More importantly, he needed sealing knowledge if he ever hoped to reform the Caged Bird Cursed Seal of the Hyuga.
To Satoru, the Caged Bird Cursed Seal was both the Hyuga Clan's greatest weapon and its heaviest shackle.
It had protected weaker Byakugan wielders, yes—but it had also smothered generations of branch-family prodigies, keeping their potential forever unfulfilled.
For the Hyuga to grow truly strong, relying on the few geniuses born into the Main Family was unsustainable.
And one day—when resentment from the Branch Family grew too deep—the same tragedy that had occurred on the Moon could very well repeat itself on Earth's Hyuga branch.
During the short walk back to the Hokage's office alongside Minato and Kushina, countless thoughts swirled through Satoru's mind.
Some plans could be set in motion early. Others would have to stay buried until the day he had the strength and authority to act.
Once inside the office, "Teacher Kushina" showed no sign of leaving. Minato didn't object either.
From a hidden compartment, he drew out the Scroll of Seals and handed it to Satoru.
The Third Hokage wasn't in today, so Kushina took on the role of supervisor.
But Satoru wasn't interested in browsing other forbidden techniques this time. Under Kushina's guidance, he flipped directly to the section on the Flying Thunder God Technique and began studying intently.
Judging by how familiar Kushina seemed with the Scroll of Seals, Satoru could tell—she'd definitely read it before.
Whether that had been during Uzumaki Mito's lifetime, or later through her husband's position as Hokage, he couldn't say.
While studying, Satoru also sensed a familiar chakra presence lingering just outside the door. Activating his Byakugan, he saw who it was—Hatake Kakashi.
Of course. These days, Kakashi was personally assigned to guard Kushina. Wherever she went, he followed—even here, in the Hokage Tower.
The sight made Satoru consider reaching out to Kakashi again… but for now, mastering the Flying Thunder God took priority.
Just as he'd predicted, the Flying Thunder God wasn't a single jutsu, but an entire system of space-time ninjutsu—ranging from simple to complex: Body Flicker, Substitution, Storage Seals, Summoning, Reverse Summoning, and more.
It was, in essence, the culmination of all space-time techniques—an undisputed S-rank discipline.
In a single day, Satoru barely managed to grasp its overview. Under Kushina's direction, he practiced a simple storage seal, successfully sealing away a tea table into a scroll covered in intricate formulas.
Of course, the sealing array itself was drawn by Kushina; Satoru merely performed the activation.
Even so, the fact that he succeeded on the first try left Kushina momentarily speechless.
That alone proved Satoru truly had a gift for space-time ninjutsu.
This small success filled him with new confidence about learning the Flying Thunder God.
And as for Kushina—after witnessing his talent firsthand—she grew even more fired up. Her chunibyo instincts flared, and she began imagining her future pupil sweeping across the ninja world as an unstoppable legend.
If Kushina had any lingering regret in life, it was that she hadn't become Konoha's first female Hokage, but merely "the Hokage's wife."
But if her protégé someday became Hokage… then, as his teacher, she'd still bask in that glory.
Between being "the Hokage's wife" and "the Hokage's teacher," which title would Kushina Uzumaki prefer?
The answer was obvious.
…
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