Kushina took out a handbook that recorded low- and mid-level sealing techniques.
She flipped through them one by one, and Shinjiro answered them one by one.
When Shinjiro accurately explained the core mechanism of the twelfth sealing technique, Kushina closed the handbook.
"You know he understood sealing techniques from the very first day."
"Mm."
"You know the speed at which he learned was faster than anyone expected."
"Mm."
"You know he has been controlling his learning speed."
Shinjiro nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes. That's exactly it."
"That brat." Kushina let out a deep breath. "What else is there that I don't know?"
"I'm not sure. There are many things I don't know either," Shinjiro said honestly. "For example, I don't know how many boxes of chocolate sticks he has hidden."
"What about in terms of sealing techniques?"
"He remembers all the basics. The difficult ones, he still isn't very good at." Shinjiro said modestly, "He's probably only learned about ten percent. No, twenty? That's not right either..."
"Do you know how many years it took me to reach this level?"
Shinjiro shook his head.
"Forget it. You wouldn't want to know." Kushina's expression was very complicated, mixed with both gratification and anger.
Shinjiro sat obediently on the chair. His feet couldn't reach the floor, so they gently swung in the air.
"How long did it take him to learn everything I taught yesterday?"
"Sealing techniques are harder than ninjutsu. It took the main body a really long time."
"How long?"
"About..." Shinjiro recalled for a moment. "The time it takes to finish a box of chocolate sticks."
"Very good."
Shinjiro tilted his head and looked at her. "Very good?"
"Very good." Kushina said expressionlessly. "Since he learns this fast, then the pace really should be increased."
"Wow." Shinjiro let out an unclear exclamation.
"Starting tomorrow, the teaching pace will be adjusted to three times the original... no, five times."
"Five times?" Shinjiro raised his hand. "May I ask, how many snack times is five times?"
"There will be no snack time."
Shinjiro lowered his hand. "It's over."
He lowered his head and wrote another line in the notebook.
"Nohara Shinjiro's first day, additional note: the main body is completely finished."
After writing this sentence, he lifted his head and looked at Kushina. "Actually, the main body really learns things super fast."
"I know." Kushina nodded. "That's why I'm especially looking forward to meeting him tomorrow."
"Will you be mean to him?"
"No." Kushina showed a kind smile. "I'll just make him pay back all the laziness he stole before."
Shinjiro shivered.
Standing behind Kushina, Namikaze Minato looked at that smile and silently took a step back.
Kushina closed the notebook. "Anything else you want to say?"
Shinjiro jumped down from the chair, turned toward Kushina and Namikaze Minato, and bowed very seriously.
"Thank you for teaching the main body sealing techniques. I know teaching him is more tiring than teaching other people. Sometimes he doesn't listen, and sometimes he asks random questions."
After saying that, he thought for a moment and added, "Thank you for the cake too, even though the main body was too embarrassed to say it."
Kushina reached out and ruffled Shinjiro's hair into a complete mess.
"You shadow clone, why are you more sensible than the main body?"
"Because the main body's annoying index is one hundred percent. I only inherited part of it." Shinjiro puffed out his chest. "The rest stayed with the main body."
Namikaze Minato smiled and also placed his hand on Shinjiro's head. "When you go back, tell the main body to stay for dinner after class tomorrow."
"I like eating best. The main body does too. You two are both good people." Shinjiro's eyes lit up at once. "Then I'll go back first."
He placed the notebook neatly on the table, then waved at Kushina.
"Big Sister Kushina, see you tomorrow."
"You're going to release the shadow clone?"
"Yes." Shinjiro nodded. "The main body should be doing something right now..."
He tilted his head and thought. "Probably looking at clouds."
"When I release the clone, he'll suddenly feel very sleepy." Shinjiro's expression became a little gloating. "Then he'll find out that the lessons he has to make up have become five times harder."
"Are you on his side or mine?"
Shinjiro seriously thought about this question. "I'm on the cake's side."
...
At the same time, on the back mountain of Konoha Village.
Shin-chan lay on a patch of grass, white clouds drifting slowly above his head.
"It's been two hours already." He rolled over and spoke to the sky. "Shinjiro should be almost done with class, right?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a massive flow of information suddenly surged into his mind.
"That's a lot of information."
Shin-chan began digesting those memories.
Sealing technique knowledge points, five times the learning pace, no snack time.
"It's over." Shin-chan closed his eyes in despair.
...
That afternoon, at Konoha Village's Training Ground Three.
Orochimaru stood in the empty field, a trace of surprise in his tone.
"You're not late."
"Of course I'm not late." Shin-chan stood perfectly straight. "I'm a good ninja who keeps time."
"You today..." Orochimaru's gaze landed on Shin-chan. "You feel somewhat different from yesterday."
"Maybe because I took a bath yesterday?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and stared at him for several seconds. "Today's training content is practical combat."
"Practical combat with who?"
"Me."
Shin-chan took a step back. "You're a jōnin, right?"
"Mm."
"I'm a genin."
"Mm."
"A genin fighting a jōnin... isn't that a little un-youthful?"
"'Youth'?" Orochimaru's brows furrowed slightly. "That word doesn't sound like it belongs in your vocabulary."
"Guy taught me."
Orochimaru did not pursue the matter further. "Are you ready?"
"Wait!" Shin-chan stretched both hands out in front of him. "Before we fight, there's something very important I need to say first."
Orochimaru looked at him.
"I'm not Nohara Shinnosuke." Shin-chan puffed out his chest. "My name is Nohara Shinsuke."
The training ground was quiet for several seconds.
Orochimaru's gaze swept over him. "A shadow clone?"
"Yes." Shinsuke nodded. "The main body really trusts me."
"Where did he himself go?"
"The main body said he needed to replenish chakra." Shinsuke explained, "Which means he went to rest for just a little bit."
"Is it rest?" The air behind Orochimaru seemed to twist. "Or is it that he doesn't want to attend my class?"
"No." Shinsuke waved his hands frantically. "Absolutely not."
"Then what does it mean?"
"A shadow clone comes to class, and the things learned are passed to the main body, so the main body doesn't have to come personally." Shinsuke placed both hands on his hips. "The main body said the name of this plan is 'Learning While Lying Down.'"
"Learning While Lying Down?"
"The main body is really good at naming things, isn't he?" Shinsuke's face was full of pride. "I think it's even better than the name Nohara Shinjiro."
"Since you are a shadow clone, today's content needs to be adjusted."
"Adjusted into what?"
"Theory."
Shinsuke's shoulders immediately slumped. "Theory again?"
"The theoretical system of ninjutsu and actual combat are two separate things." Orochimaru took another scroll out of his ninja tool pouch. "The main body's practical combat level must be improved through actual combat. A shadow clone cannot do that."
Orochimaru began the lesson.
Unlike yesterday, Shinsuke did not raise his hand to ask any unrelated questions the entire time.
He simply sat there, occasionally nodding, occasionally tilting his head to think, and occasionally writing a few words in his notebook.
"You have no questions?" Orochimaru stopped.
"No." Shinsuke shook his head. "I can still understand it for now."
Orochimaru looked at him for a while, then nodded and did not ask further.
The sun moved from overhead to the west.
Orochimaru closed the scroll. "That's all for today's lesson."
"Okay." Shinsuke moved his body a little.
"Remember to have the main body come personally tomorrow." Orochimaru's tone was very flat. "I look forward to meeting him."
"I'll pass that along." Shinsuke shivered.
...
On the back mountain.
Shin-chan was lying on a tree branch, one hand hanging down and swaying gently with the wind.
"Shinsuke should be done with class by now..."
Before he could finish speaking, a huge flow of information surged into his mind.
Shin-chan muttered to himself, "Now I'm completely finished."
A gust of wind blew through, and the leaves rustled.