Chapter 22: The Soldier Seal (Please Keep Following)

Land of Rivers, Daimyo’s Estate.

Yamanaka En yawned, "I never expected this mission to be so dull. Who knows how much longer it will drag on?"

Beside him, under a tree, Genichi Shimotsuki was practicing his hand seals. He replied, "It shouldn't be much longer. The new Daimyo of the Land of Rivers has already ascended to the throne. Besides, it’s been a month; if we were still needed, the village would have sent another team to relieve us."

Yamanaka En nodded, tilting his head to watch Genichi’s hand seals. "Hey, Genichi, are those seals really that miraculous?"

Genichi smiled slightly. "They are indeed different from the basic ones, though they are quite difficult to master. Are you interested, En?"

En shook his head. "I'll pass. The secret techniques of our Yamanaka clan already have simple enough seals; there's no need to waste time learning the Nine Syllable Hand Seals."

Genichi nodded in understanding. It was true. For clans with inherited secret ninjutsu, the techniques had been refined over generations to be highly efficient, with very simple hand seals. There was little incentive to learn the Nine Syllable seals, especially given how difficult it was to grasp their power. To date, Genichi could only reliably use the "Zai" (Existence) and "Qian" (Front) seals. He was currently researching the "Bing" (Soldier) and "Jie" (All) seals. He had already caught a glimmer of the "Bing" seal's potential, feeling it could enhance his speed, while he was experimenting with the "Jie" seal for genjutsu and counter-genjutsu applications—though he had yet to make any real progress.

*Whoosh!*

Uchiha Nami appeared suddenly. "You two are certainly living the leisurely life."

En laughed, "That’s what you and the Captain are here for!"

The four of them had been split into two groups, rotating to guard the new Daimyo. During this time, the Daimyo remained within the palace, surrounded by samurai, while the ninjas operated from the shadows. The Daimyo also employed his own personal guards. A month had passed without a single incident.

Though the Land of Rivers was not a major power, it was an ally of the Land of Fire. It once had its own ninja village, Amegakure, but after the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzo had retreated and abandoned the region, leaving the protection duties to Konoha. However, the Land of Rivers still held some underlying significance, or else Konoha would not have deployed the White Fang’s squad.

Genichi stopped his training. "Nami, is the mission ending?"

Uchiha Nami nodded. "Yes, a new team has arrived to relieve us. Let's go!"

Genichi and En stood up, and the three of them vanished from the spot.

"Big Brother Minato!" Genichi exclaimed, genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected Minato Namikaze’s team to be their relief. "Sister Kushina!" he added, greeting Kushina Uzumaki. Indeed, Kushina was not confined to Konoha; she frequently performed missions abroad.

"Genichi, you seem to have grown a bit taller!" Kushina reached out and ruffled his hair. "And your hair has gotten quite long, too!"

Genichi scratched his head. "I learned a jutsu from Master Jiraiya, and long hair is actually quite useful for it." Kushina understood immediately.

Sakumo Hatake had already finished the handover with Minato. There was no extended conversation; Genichi waved goodbye and followed Sakumo’s team as they departed.

Once outside the Daimyo’s estate, Genichi looked back and asked, "Master Sakumo, do you think the political situation here will remain this stable?"

Sakumo turned, curious. "What makes you say that?"

"The Land of Rivers is rich in resources," Genichi explained. "After the defeat of Amegakure and Sunagakure, those interests were forced into our hands—Konoha and the Land of Fire. I doubt Sunagakure and the Land of Wind will be content with that, especially now that the political climate here is so volatile."

For Konoha, the interests in the Land of Rivers meant mission volume, a primary source of income beyond the funding from the Land of Fire’s Daimyo. For the Land of Fire, it meant mineral exploitation and other economic benefits. To Genichi, the transition of power was a prime opportunity for unrest, yet everything had been eerily quiet. Was it the deterrent effect of Konoha’s White Fang, or were the other factions truly disinterested? He harbored lingering doubts.

Sakumo was impressed by Genichi’s sensitivity to politics and his broad strategic perspective. "You aren't wrong, Genichi," he affirmed. "But the other villages have been quiet lately. The Great Shinobi War ended only recently, and everyone is busy licking their wounds and rebuilding."

Genichi nodded; that made sense.

En laughed, "Don't overthink it, Genichi. Isn't it better that nothing happened?"

Genichi smiled. "I suppose you're right. I prefer quiet training over bloodshed anyway."

Uchiha Nami couldn't help but chime in, "Genichi, with how hard you work, you make En and me look incredibly lazy." Despite the remark, Nami maintained his usual stoic expression.

Genichi replied helplessly, "If I had your talent, I’d be leisurely too. But that’s impossible; I have far too much to learn."

En sighed dramatically, "Oh, having you around makes me feel so ashamed."

"I have yet to see you change your ways," Genichi retorted with a roll of his eyes. Everyone laughed.

They returned to Konoha on the morning of the third day. After the team disbanded, Genichi went home for a long, refreshing bath. He had been able to wash in the Land of Rivers, but nothing compared to the comfort of his own home. After changing into casual clothes and greeting his parents, he headed out to Shizune’s house.

"Shizune!" he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Moments later, a window opened upstairs, and Shizune poked her head out, beaming. "Genichi! Wait there!" She shut the window instantly.

Soon, she appeared before him. "Did you just get back today?"

"Yeah, just now," Genichi said. "What have you been up to lately?"

Shizune walked with a skip in her step, her hands behind her back. "Training under Lady Tsunade, observing at the Konoha Hospital, and practicing at home. It’s been so boring!"

Genichi smiled. "Sounds like you’ve made a lot of progress, then?"

Shizune blushed slightly. "I’ve mastered the Mystical Palm Technique." In front of others, this would be something to brag about, but knowing Genichi had already mastered it, she felt a bit shy.

"That’s impressive," Genichi said. He knew his own secret—his mastery of the technique was due to pushing himself beyond his limits, not raw talent. "Come on, let’s go to the hospital."

Shizune, delighted by the praise, nodded eagerly. "Okay!" For her, as long as she was with Genichi, it didn't matter where they were going. For Genichi, the hospital was the best place to continue his studies.