Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

"Raiden, repeat after me!"

"Come, the sealed book~"

In Uzumaki Mito's house, Uzumaki Raiden sat embraced by Uzumaki Mito, using his immature vocal cords to repeat words that were far too complex for a child his age to understand.

"NeiNei~"

Raiden was stunned when he saw the Book of Seals. Who would have thought that the scroll containing the most forbidden techniques in and out of Konoha Village would be sitting in Uzumaki Mito's home? And yet, here it was. To Raiden's shock, Mito seemed intent on using the scroll as a children's book for his lessons.

However, Raiden had his suspicions.

What was the Book of Seals? It was a scroll that recorded almost all of Konoha's forbidden techniques. Since the village's establishment, who contributed the most forbidden jutsu? Without a doubt, it was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. And who else but the Second Hokage could have led the compilation of such a scroll? Uzumaki Mito's stupid little brother, Tobirama!

Considering this, it wasn't far-fetched for Mito to have control of the Book of Seals. While the Hokage typically kept the book, this must have been before that time. At least, it seemed likely the book remained in the Senju household when Mito was there.

Raiden, who was deeply interested in the Book of Seals, pouted as his voice faltered while repeating after Mito. He wanted to follow Uzumaki Mito's example, but every time he tried, his words came out as "NeiNei~." Perhaps this was because his young mind was preoccupied with his other thoughts.

"Um..."

"Are your vocal cords not developed enough? You can't even call me Grandma properly and instead make strange noises," Mito said softly, rubbing Raiden's red hair affectionately. The Japanese word for Grandma sounded nothing like "NeiNei," but Raiden still clung to his old habits. The word oba-san was too much for his underdeveloped vocal cords, let alone the complex phrases written in the Book of Seals.

"I guess it's still too early," Mito said with a sigh.

Mito didn't know why she was so eager to teach a two-year-old child. Perhaps it was because her own life was nearing its end, filling her with a sense of urgency.

To Mito, Raiden was like her grandson, a true relative. With Tsunade and Nawaki out on missions, only Raiden could keep her company. Even Kushina had been sent to the ninja academy and, having made friends, rarely stayed home.

When Mito decided it was too soon to teach Raiden to read and prepared to put the Book of Seals away, she found Raiden sprawled on top of it. The moment she tried to take the scroll, Raiden began to protest loudly.

"Little one, you can't even understand it. What's the point of holding on to it?" Mito said with a chuckle, patting Raiden's head gently but making no effort to forcefully take the scroll away.

"Good things~ good things~" Raiden exclaimed. Though he couldn't understand it, he made it abundantly clear that he wanted it.

Seeing that Mito wasn't going to take the book from him, Raiden climbed off the scroll and pointed to the bold characters on its surface, trying to read them aloud. He didn't even realize his saliva was dripping onto the floor.

Raiden, having traveled from another world, was illiterate in this one. Though he didn't understand the words, he paid attention when others spoke and picked up bits and pieces.

For him, this was a rare chance to get close to the Book of Seals. He wouldn't let it slip away, even if he couldn't yet read the text.

"I suppose I'm rushing things. Let's take our time with this," Mito said with a smile, sitting down with Raiden once again. She wiped the drool from his face with a cloth.

From that day on, Raiden's life became more fulfilling. It was no longer about just eating and sleeping. Reading and speaking became his greatest interests—and the Book of Seals his first lesson.

Though Raiden had retained his adult consciousness, his speech was hindered by his young vocal cords. However, his ability to learn characters was remarkably fast.

He didn't foolishly attempt to practice the jutsu recorded in the Book of Seals. For one, he didn't fully understand the techniques. More importantly, forbidden techniques were labeled as such for a reason—they were dangerous and often harmed the user. Raiden had no intention of trying them at such a young age.

Instead, he memorized the information meticulously, relying on his adult mind to retain it.

Two Years Later

"Raiden, control your chakra carefully. Let it flow as you want it to."

In Uzumaki Mito's dojo, Raiden sat cross-legged on a soft futon in the center of the room. Opposite him, Mito sat on a tatami mat, observing his chakra control.

Outside in the yard, Kushina practiced her kunai-throwing skills with a nanny supervising her. At 11 years old, she was preparing for the ninja academy's graduation exam.

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the dojo, and sawdust flew everywhere. The shockwave from the blast sent Kushina tumbling forward.

BOOM!!!

The sound reverberated far and wide.

"What happened?" Kushina exclaimed, struggling to her feet. Turning to look back, she froze in shock.

The dojo's entrance had been blown apart, forming a massive semicircular hole. Chakra visible to the naked eye swirled violently in the air, wrapped in streaks of lightning. The roof of the dojo was gone entirely, transforming the once-enclosed space into an open-air battlefield.

Inside, red chakra enveloped Uzumaki Mito, a single scarlet tail flickering behind her as she dispelled the dust and smoke with a surge of chakra.

"Damn it! I've made a mess!" Raiden, now four years old, stood in the center of the chaos. His small figure was encased in crackling blue chakra that sparkled with lightning. His long red hair whipped wildly in the wind. Despite the violent explosion, Raiden remained unscathed. Staring at his handiwork, he seemed utterly bewildered.

"This chakra… it already shows signs of lightning-release nature transformation," Mito thought, surprised. "How did this little one manage that?"

Quickly, Mito formed a barrier around the house to prevent any Konoha ninja from detecting the incident.

"Raiden, release your chakra!" Mito ordered. Obeying instinctively, Raiden slowly withdrew his chakra, and the chaos began to subside.

"Raiden! Grandma Mito! Are you okay?" Kushina's anxious voice rang out from the other side of the blown-out doorway.

"Sister, I'm fine..." Raiden replied, still dazed.

(End of Chapter)

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