Chapter 133: Chapter 131: Crack this
Ryu sat within the comfort of his [Mind Palace], the soft glow of his knowledge spheres illuminating his workspace.
Ryu was surrounded by transparent screens displaying formulas, concepts, and codes as he worked on his next project, the [Encoder Seal].
- [Temporary Enhance] running on [Fast Thinking] and [Parallel Thinking]
- [Overclocking] enabled
He leaned into his work as his mind raced furiously through ideas for the [Encoder Seal], his forefinger tapping absently against his chin. "The concept is clear enough—encoding and decoding within a single seal using some form of authentication."
"Besides hand seals or a code-based key, what other options can I consider for the key? Chakra-based key?" he pondered.
"No. Chakra is too unreliable at this stage. Chakra can be forced under duress or torture and also by absorption. A White Zetus or anyone with chakra absorption ability will be able to decode the seal. Such ninjas are rare but not entirely zero in numbers."
He quickly considered using blood instead. "Nah. Too advanced, and like chakra, blood can also be replicated, stolen, and stored."
How that authentication should function was the sticking point. He internally debated and explored various options, swiftly discarding each possibility as it arose.
"A text-based password, though straightforward, is stable and easy to implement. It requires no special skills to access... and for now, that's all I need. A hand seal can also work, but a text-based password will do better for now."
With this decision, confidence bolstered, and he shifted focus to fine-tuning the seal's purpose. That singular breakthrough led to another realisation.
"It must be single-use," he whispered aloud, the gears of his mind whirring at full speed. "Ensuring complete security, the seal self-destructs after a single use, safeguarding the stored information. Anyone trying to access it more than once would be left empty-handed."
With that conclusion, the foundation of the [Encoder-Seal] came together within Ryu's sharp mind. It would have dual functions—encode and protect information until the correct password brought it to life, immediately wiping itself clean after access. Simple in concept but brilliant in execution, and the perfect counter to any prying eyes, be it the Sharingan or the Byakugan. It will safeguard all his past and future creations.
Once Ryu finalised his decision on the encoder seal, he immediately began working on a blank canvas in front of him.
-Working on Encoder Seal
-Progress- 20%
-Adding a scrypt-based, fixed-key encryption mechanism.
-Progress- 80%
-Adding self-distruct machanism
-Progress- 90%
-Successfully created [Encoder Seal]
-Initaiating simulations
-Simulations complete
-Bruteforce attack failed
-Self-distruct was initiated by the seal
-Seal successfully worked as intended
-No errors found
-[Overclocking] disabled
Testing the new encoder seal in his mental interface, he conducted simulations to assess its resilience against multiple brute-force attacks without a key. Also confirming that the seal would become ineffective after the first use.
Following a brief analysis, a confident smirk formed on his lips, reflecting his assurance in the seal's functionality.
"Let's see anyone crack this," he muttered as he readied his inkbrush and began writing the intricate lines of his creation.
Elsewhere, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, his thoughts swirling like a storm around the ReflexGuard-Seal. His pipe puffed a steady trail of smoke as he turned over the reports from his ANBU. The migraine-inducing Seal still boggled him.
Even Hiruzen—no stranger to advanced fuinjutsu—but still, the logic behind it was beyond him.
"At least the lad is protected at home," Hiruzen rubbed his chin in thought, telling himself, "If Ryu was already pushing fuinjutsu to such extremes, then the possibilities of what he could achieve in 10, 20 years will be world-altering. I couldn't risk their safety to luck."
Narrowing his gaze, he called aloud, "Ox!"
The tiger-striped ANBU operative appeared silently in a swirl of leaves, his mask tilted upward attentively.
"Summon Fox," Hiruzen ordered plainly. "And bring him here at once."
Ox dipped his head and flickered out of existence. Within moments, the sharp air of displacement filled the room again, replaced by Kakashi Hatake, who slouched lazily in his uniform. His Sharingan eye glinted faintly under his mask in the office's dim light.
"You summoned me, Lord Third?" Kakashi asked with his usual casual air.
Hiruzen twirled his pipe between his fingers, peering at Kakashi with an air of authority. "Indeed, Kakashi. I have a task for you, though this isn't one I'm entrusting to 'Fox.' You will take this mission as Kakashi Hatake, the Jonin, and not as your ANBU persona."
That grabbed Kakashi's full attention; his relaxed stance straightened slightly. "That's unusual," he remarked quietly, stepping further into the room. "What's the mission?"
Hiruzen handed Kakashi a tightly rolled scroll. The Jonin examined the parchment, rolling it open to reveal the ReflexGuard Seal.
"That seal," Hiruzen clarified, "was recently registered in the name of Dan Hamura."
"I am no seal master. but I know enough to tell that this seal is not a simple one." Kakashi said.
"You are right. I suspect, and with strong confidence, that the mastermind behind this seal is our very own boy wonder with funny hairs," Hiruzen revealed.
Still, Kakashi narrowed his eye while reading further into the scroll. "Ryu ... fuinjutsu, really? I figured he was a medical genius in the making. You're telling me he designed something like this?"
"Ryu," Hiruzen said with a chuckle, "is full of surprises."
Hiruzen continued, "I went there to give them a registration certificate for this seal and one other. and there I detected a subtle detection ward that even I could not feel or detect. I happened to guess that there is one because Dan detected us and opened doors for me before I even knocked, and I know for a fact that Dan is not a sensor."
He then proceeded to explain the effects of the migraine seal that his ANBU operatives had experienced.
"Your Sharingan might be able to offer deeper insight." Hiruzen asked.
"What exactly am I looking for?" Kakashi asked, his hidden expression undoubtedly curious. His finger ran along the lines of the parchment, noting the seal's layered complexity.
"I suspect their migraine-inducing seal and detection seal are not the only safety measures in place," Hiruzen explained. "There are other seals overlaying the space—and I suspect their designs are equally sophisticated. I want you to assess them discreetly, under the guise of a training session for Ryu."
Kakashi asked, "Why not just ask them directly what they've done?"
Hiruzen exhaled a long plume of smoke, his expression turning contemplative. "It's not their cooperation, I doubt; I am sure they will reveal it to me if I ask. But they wanted to keep those security measures secret from me, and I don't want to pry into their secrets. We all have some that we all want to keep."
Scratching the back of his neck, Kakashi let out a tired sigh, showing his frustration and contemplation. "You are contradicting yourself now. You want me to look into it or not?"
"Consider this a covert assessment of an ally's defences. Nothing more." Hiruzen said.
He added, "We are not looking into their secrets but just auditing their safety measures. Others will begin to suspect something, and you know it very well that both Ryu and Dan are already targets of root division."
Hiruzen continued, "Ryu is found to have an affinity for lightning. You will go there as a lightning expert to give him pointers on lightning release."
"Lightning, huh?" Kakashi mused, a faint grin forming beneath his mask. "Fits his personality—it's brash, unpredictable, and leaves a lasting impression."
Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh at that. "Just go prepared, Kakashi. The boy might surprise you yet again."
Shrugging, the Jonin rolled up the scroll, gave it back, and flickered out in a burst of leaves.
The Hokage turned his gaze back to the shimmering lights of Konoha, whispering softly to himself, "What secrets will you reveal next, Ryu?"
Back in his room, Ryu placed his finished [Encoder-Seal] on fuinjutsu paper. "Ok, which seal should I encode with this first?" He thought for a second.
"Reflexgurd will do," Ryu said as he proceeded to write it on the same paper. But as he was writing it, every sentence and every letter he wrote transformed as soon as it was written. The ink seemed to come alive, swirling and shifting into a new and completely random pattern. Well, random for those who do not have the key.
Holding his breath, he initiated the chakra input to test the seal, and it formed a cluster of small hexagonal shields.
After he deactivated the seal, a glowing seal sparked, its intricate inscriptions vanishing, and the scroll became useless.
Grinning ear to ear, Ryu leaned back triumphantly. "It works. A disposable and encrypted seal... flawless and untraceable."
"So what am I going to do with this copy?" Ryu wondered.
Ryu had made another copy but was thinking about what to do with it. He decided, "Well, I will keep it for now."
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