klisemfg Chapter 548 is about Senior Hatake.
Chapter 548 is about Senior Hatake.
Just as Zhang Hai was pondering, Sakumo looked at Kushina again, his tone carrying an undeniable seriousness: "Kushina, you can't directly participate in the raid either. After all, you're just a genin, and... your identity is special. This time, you and Dan will stay inside the barrier to assist in the defense and ensure that no one escapes."
Kushina pouted reluctantly upon hearing that she was being restricted. Although she knew she was a Jinchuriki, she also wanted to contribute to the village, and her strength far surpassed that of ordinary genin. However, Sakumo's tone left her no room for argument, and she could only reluctantly reply, "Yes, Hatake-senpai."
Sakumo's gaze swept over Kushina's reluctant expression, but his attitude remained firm, showing no sign of backing down. "These are the rules. Pursuit battles are fraught with danger, and only ninjas of Chunin rank or higher can participate. While your strength is considerable, you haven't officially been promoted yet." He paused, then changed the subject, looking at Zhang Hai, "However, Zhang Hai, you performed exceptionally well on this mission. When we return to the village, I will personally petition the Hokage to grant you and Minato a promotion to Chunin, as a recognition of your achievements."
Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat, and a perfectly timed expression of surprise appeared on his face as he respectfully replied, "Thank you, Senior Hatake! I will certainly live up to your expectations!" He knew that this promotion to Chunin would greatly benefit his future actions in Konoha, granting him more authority and information.
Although Kushina was still somewhat unwilling, she was happy for Minato and Zhang Hai to be promoted to Chunin. She walked to Minato's side, her eyes filled with worry, and whispered, "Minato, you must be careful."
Minato smiled gently, took Kushina's hand, and gave her a reassuring look: "Don't worry, Kushina, I'll be fine. I'll be back soon."
At Sakumo's command, Konoha's pursuit force, like tigers released from their cages, broke through the barrier and chased after Iwagakure's retreating direction. Minato and Akira joined the group, their speed was extremely fast, and they quickly rushed to the front of the column. Kushina, as instructed by Sakumo, stayed behind to assist the other ninjas in battlefield cleanup and defense.
Time passed quickly. When the pursuit by Konoha came to an end, and the Iwagakure forces retreated in disarray like stray dogs, Minato, Akira, and Sakumo returned to the village. The orders for promotion to Chunin were quickly issued, and Akira and Minato both received new titles and honors.
After completing the mission report and taking a short rest, Zhang Hai did not forget his "promise." He found Kushina.
"Kushina, shouldn't you keep your promise to me?" Zhang Hai asked bluntly, his tone carrying an undeniable determination.
Kushina was hanging out the laundry when she heard Zhang Hai's words. She turned around and looked at him with some confusion: "What did I promise you?"
"Sealing techniques," Zhang Hai reminded him. "You promised to teach me the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan."
Kushina suddenly realized. She patted her forehead and smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "Oh dear, look at my memory, I almost forgot! No problem, since I promised you, I will naturally teach you." She looked at Zhang Hai, a hint of slyness in her eyes, "However, the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan are not so easy to learn, you should be prepared."
In the days that followed, Kushina began to personally teach Zhang Hai the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan. From the most basic chakra control to complex rune inscription, and then to the principles of various levels of sealing techniques, Kushina shared everything she knew, including the Four Symbols Sealing Technique, the Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique, and some auxiliary sealing techniques unique to the Uzumaki clan, without reservation.
Zhang Hai displayed astonishing learning abilities. His control over chakra was already exceptionally strong, coupled with his photographic memory and extraordinary comprehension, allowing him to master the complex principles of sealing techniques and rune inscriptions with remarkable speed. In less than a month, he was already proficient in most of the sealing techniques taught by Kushina.
However, in actual use, Zhang Hai discovered a problem that slightly disappointed him. Although he could fully execute these sealing techniques, their power seemed far less than he had expected. For example, the Vajra Seal, which could easily bind the Nine-Tails in Kushina's hands, could only barely restrict the movement of a Kage-level ninja for a short time in Zhang Hai's hands.
"Kushina, I feel like these sealing techniques aren't working to their full potential in my hands?" Zhang Hai asked Kushina, puzzled.
Kushina's face showed a hint of understanding when she heard his question. She explained, "Of course. While anyone can learn the principles of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, to unleash their true maximum power, it requires the unique physique and vast amount of chakra that are characteristic of our Uzumaki clan."
She pointed to her own body, then to Zhang Hai: "We, the Uzumaki clan, are born with powerful vitality and chakra reserves unmatched by ordinary people. Moreover, our chakra has a special affinity for sealing techniques. Take the Vajra Seal, for example; it requires extremely vast and precise chakra control, as well as our unique Sage Body physique, as a medium to completely suppress a behemoth like the Nine-Tails. Although you have a considerable amount of chakra, you are not of the Uzumaki clan's physique, so naturally you cannot unleash your full power."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai frowned slightly. So that's how it is; bloodline limits aren't just limited to attack and defense, but also have significant limitations on support ninjutsu. This means he can't completely compensate for his physical disadvantages by learning sealing techniques.
"Can you use the Vajra Seal perfectly now?" Zhang Hai suddenly asked, wanting to personally experience the feeling of being completely suppressed in order to better understand this power.
Kushina blinked, then patted her chest smugly: "Of course! I'm the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the Adamant Sealing Technique is a piece of cake for me!"
"Then... could you use the Vajra Seal to seal me for a moment?" Zhang Hai made a bold request.
Kushina's eyes widened, hardly believing her ears: "Sealing you? You're not kidding, are you?"
"I need to experience it firsthand to better understand the power of the sealing technique," Zhang Hai said without changing his expression. He needed to understand the limits of this power and how to find a breakthrough under it.
Although Kushina found it a bit strange, she eventually agreed after seeing Zhang Hai's serious expression.