"Good job!"
In the Hokage office, the Third Hokage looked at Nara Kagetsu with a kind expression, very pleased.
Compared to his three troublesome disciples, his two grand-disciples were much easier on the eyes and more of a face for the village.
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought of Minato Namikaze and those new faces who had gained fame during this war, feeling somewhat comforted.
At least the new generation of Konoha wouldn't end with him.
Although their generation was getting older, the Legendary Sannins were still at their peak, and the new generation had Minato, Kagetsu, and Shisui.
This meant that after the war ended, with a period of recovery, the village would quickly regain its strength from the war losses and might even become more prosperous!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze shifted from Kagetsu to Anko and Shisui. When he saw Shisui remove his bandages to reveal his black-eyed pupils, his face stiffened for a moment, and he cautiously asked, "Shisui, your eyes?"
"My eyes have recovered some of their vision after Kagetsu and Tsunade-sama's treatment," Shisui answered respectfully.
"Is that so?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression quickly returned to normal.
As a descendant of the Uchiha Clan, Shisui was viewed somewhat differently by them. At least they didn't regard Shisui the same as the arrogant Uchiha they knew.
In Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, Shisui and his ancestor, Kagami, were both ninjas who had broken free from the limitations of their clan and could truly consider problems from the village's standpoint.
In other words, they were ninjas he could trust!
What surprised him was that Tsunade could even heal the blindness caused by the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"With your accomplishments, aside from the mission's rewards, you can also choose a forbidden technique from the Scroll of Seals to study.
Shisui, Kakashi, and Kagetsu, each of you has one opportunity to read the Scroll of Seals. This is also part of the consideration for your promotion to Jonin." Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke seriously.
The Scroll of Seals?
Kagetsu's and the others' eyes brightened.
For ninjas, the natural instinct is to pursue powerful ninjutsu. A powerful ninjutsu that suits one's abilities can allow a ninja's strength to soar.
Many ninja clans are known for a powerful ninjutsu or forbidden technique.
For example, the Tsuchi-Gumo clan, who gained a foothold in the ninja world with their incredibly destructive forbidden technique, "Fury," which could rival the power of a tailed beast's chakra.
The Scroll of Seals in Konoha records almost all of the village's forbidden techniques.
In addition to the ninjutsu contributed by clans like the Senju, it also contains all the forbidden techniques developed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
"I hope you will choose carefully. Some of these forbidden techniques are difficult to learn and come with hidden dangers you may not even be able to imagine. Besides the complete forbidden techniques, there are also some incomplete ones."
Sarutobi Hiruzen noticed the joy on their faces and, while lightly laughing to himself, also reminded them seriously. He didn't want any of them to choose the dangerous and obviously malevolent forbidden techniques.
While speaking, his gaze lingered on Kagetsu. His words were mostly aimed at him.
As Orochimaru's disciple, inheriting his path, Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly worried that Kagetsu might, like Orochimaru, gravitate toward those dark and risky forbidden techniques.
The three of them nodded heavily.
The Scroll of Seals was very large, standing as tall as a person when upright, and opening it required a complex unsealing process.
Kagetsu had heard Orochimaru mention that the Scroll of Seals wasn't just one scroll, or rather, it wasn't just one type.
The ones given to ninjas were usually scrolls that were similar to a directory, explaining the effects of various ninjutsu.
Ninjas who were permitted to read the Scroll of Seals could choose the ninjutsu they needed from the directory scroll.
After making their selection, the Hokage would provide the corresponding hand seals and training scrolls. After some time, the scroll would be returned and destroyed.
The true Scroll of Seals, which recorded everything, was known only to the Hokage and the village advisors, who knew its location and how to unseal it correctly.
Kagetsu quickly flipped through the open Scroll of Seals. The familiar or perhaps unfamiliar forbidden techniques listed made their heads spin.
The number of ninjutsu and the richness of the content made Kagetsu instinctively doubt that the scroll shown to Naruto in the plot was just a watered-down version.
But it was understandable—after all, it was absurd for a graduate who wasn't even a Genin to steal such an important tool like the Scroll of Seals from the Hokage's office.
Perhaps it was a test, or maybe a compensation.
At least many of the ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals were ones Kagetsu had never even heard of, and most of them were attributed to the name of Senju Tobirama.
There were many complete techniques, but even more were incomplete ones.
After browsing through, Kagetsu still chose a technique focused on the soul.
Senju Tobirama's research on the soul could be seen from the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
The technique Kagetsu chose was an unfinished half-baked technique.
It even noted that it only contained the corresponding hand seals and development ideas, with the final effect of the technique yet to be achieved.
"Have you made your choice?" The Third Hokage looked at Kagetsu in surprise, noticing that he had chosen a technique before the others. There wasn't enough time for the others to even finish reading the entire directory and explanation of the Scroll of Seals.
"Yes, I choose this one." Kagetsu handed the ninjutsu he selected to the Third Hokage.
Seeing the ninjutsu Kagetsu chose, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed as he took a puff from his pipe. He had considered persuading Kagetsu, but when he saw Kagetsu's calm expression, he finally sighed and unsealed more content from the Scroll of Seals. After copying it, he handed it over to Kagetsu.
It was clear that this technique was passed down through the generations, with even the choices from the Scroll of Seals having similar traits.
Other ninjutsu were no problem for him to provide guidance on, but this incomplete, experimental, and forbidden technique was beyond his ability to assist with.
Kagetsu, satisfied, stepped aside with the scroll that recorded the forbidden technique's contents.
The final effect of the technique was somewhat like a forbidden version of the Spirit Transformation Jutsu.
It allowed a ninja's spirit and body to separate, turning the spirit into an invisible, ghost-like assassin on the battlefield.
The difference from Spirit Transformation was that this technique could absorb a ninja's chakra and spirit.
Once it reached a critical point, the user would split into a shadow clone-like form.
When necessary, the clone could be used as a disposable tool to attack powerful enemies.
Currently, this incomplete forbidden technique only had the step of soul separation. In actual combat, it was even weaker than the Spirit Transformation technique.
But what Kagetsu valued was the potential of this half-finished product. He could use the Second Hokage's experimental technique and his own inspiration to modify it, transforming it into something he needed.
To strengthen his own soul!
Or rather, to make his soul far superior to that of other ninjas.
****
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