Chapter XXIV

"Milord, I believe there's something wrong with these eggs," Ranmaru expressed with concern.

I let out yet another sigh. Still, I was grateful as with the doll around – it had provided me with ample free time to train my physical body and significantly enhance my stamina over the past month. However, the doll was incapable of performing certain jutsu for training purposes.

The issue didn't lie in the physical shell, which prevented the use of jutsu, but rather in the composition of the clone residing inside.

The yin clone was specifically created with a nine yin to one yang chakra ratio in mind to address my imbalance.

Yang release was intrinsically connected to physical energy, while yin release relied on spiritual or mental energy. As such, both concepts were essentially interchangeable, especially for a shadow clone.

This meant that performing jutsu that required a neutral balance between both, such as transformation nature, was virtually impossible. Thankfully, inactive seals didn't require much yang chakra to write, and with ample yin chakra, it would be crazy if I didn't dive into Genjutsu either.

Even Izuna had grown fond of Ranmaru. However, one day when I returned home, she had somehow dressed the doll in a worker's dress, adding a touch of frill to the white apron and black dress.

I was too exhausted to argue, so I simply let them do as they pleased, as long as the end result was satisfactory, even if it made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

After all, the doll was, in a sense, a copy of myself. Was this how a father felt when they saw their daughter growing up? It was a complicated feeling, and dwelling on it only caused a headache.

To further complicate matters, the word 'master' had been changed to 'Milord.' No doubt, it's another wicked influence from Izuna. Even when I insisted on being called by my name, Ranmaru would conveniently feign amnesia whenever the doll was summoned.

"What is it, Ranmaru?" I asked, absorbed in my work on the firearm blueprint given to me by Kanesada-san, the Uchiha craftsman.

It was a primitive matchlock, still relying on a smooth bore tube to launch a small lead ball by igniting loose black powder using a twine or cord.

I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about firearms in my previous life, but I did have some knowledge of their mechanisms.

There was a certain trend at the time to manufacture one's own guns, improvised explosives, and learning general survival skills in case of the big brother interference. Illegally distributed PDFs had played a role in this trend. I was tempted to write about it here myself.

"One of the eggs is almost twice the size of the other pair... don't you find that strange, milord?" Ranmaru expressed concern.

"Hmm... just leave it be," I responded with a simple hum, too engrossed in my work to pay much attention. An owl should have hatched within a month, or at the very least two weeks.

I suspected that the seller had scammed me since the eggs hadn't hatched for months. However, the fact that one of the eggs was growing in size intrigued me.

Of course, I had only visually confirmed it. I wasn't an expert on the matter, and I feared that I would harm the developing embryo if I disturbed the incubation box by tearing open the heating seal.

Did eggs even grow in size? It would be quite bizarre if they did, but somehow my owl egg seemed to be doing just that.

"Even so, Milord, you're amazing! Isn't this type of seal supposed to require a continuous supply of chakra?" Ranmaru exclaimed.

"You're right..." I nodded in agreement. Normally, seals like a sealing barrier or one that enveloped an area for an indefinite period required a continuous supply of chakra. This was the primary reason why barrier seals were not commonly used in battles.

While their defensive capabilities were remarkable, the activation energy required had to be proportionate to the desired level of defense.

A sage's mastery of senjutsu chakra manipulation should theoretically allow them to create a seal that draws energy directly from the atmosphere

The village had large-scale sealing barriers constantly deployed, invisible to anyone unless triggered, and there was a dedicated corps solely responsible for maintaining them on a daily basis. Furthermore, not everyone could master seals to the extent that they could be used freely in battle.

Perhaps if the chakra supply was contained within a practical seal like a tag... that might work. But I guess no one had bothered to try. Or they died along the rest of the Uzumaki.

In this world, offense was often seen as the best defense.

"Hmm... Milord, you never supplied chakra to the seal. How did you make it function for such a long time?" Ranmaru questioned.

A pause between us. Time stopped for a moment before I turned my head.

"Eh?" I dropped my pen in surprise. Did I? That couldn't be possible.

That's strange.

Realizing the significance of Ranmaru's words, I quickly stood up and walked over to where Ranmaru and Naruto were playing with the hamster next to the cabinet.

"Is that true?" I asked, urgency in my voice.

Ranmaru nodded, "I possess your memories, Milord, and I'm confident that I remember everything you've done up until now!" The doll puffed up its non-existent chest with pride.

It was creepy, but I set that aside for now.

How did I manage to do it?

I examined the seal embedded on the box out of habit. As far as I could tell, it was a fairly standard seal. A simple monogram with overlapping kanji for "fire" and "release" surrounded by the necessary order of oriental script and mantras to make it work.

Although I referred to it as simple, it was more about the speed at which it could be created. In my book, there was no such thing as a simple or complex formula for fuuinjutsu.

It was just that more advanced functions often required additional formulas, such as layering one seal within another – a game of logic, so to speak. Although the less loop of formulas a seal needs, the better the seal will be.

Why did everything always take a bizarre turn when I developed something?

With a trembling hand, I managed to grab my pen and paper to create an exact replica of what was inscribed on the box.

This was huge! Unbelievable! A fantastic self-regenerating seal localized entirely in my room, drawing energy directly from the atmosphere. Even Orochimaru couldn't develop something as stable as this with his dubious cursed seal.

"Should I assist, Milord?" Ranmaru asked, tilting its head. Naruto, oblivious to the monumental breakthrough, continued playing with the hamster.

"P-p-p-please do..." I stammered, not caring anymore.

Ranmaru eagerly complied and retrieved another set of spare seals supply from the box I had stashed beneath the table.

With Ranmaru's assistance, we meticulously began the process of replicating the seal. Working side by side, we carefully positioned the formula in strategic locations, ensuring a precise replication.

The room seemed to hum with an unfamiliar energy as the seals adhered to their designated surfaces.

The replicated seal worked perfectly thus far, but it was clear that there was a certain strange variable at play in this formula. Attempts to modify it, such as changing the core monogram, resulted in utter failure. It stubbornly refused to function.

I scratched my head in confusion. How did I manage to design something like this? I distinctly remember being absent-minded when grafting the original seal onto the incubation box.

Perhaps I stumbled upon an ultra-rare combination of elements during the crafting process. It felt like capturing lightning in a bottle, turning the impossible into reality.

Regardless, there was an elusive variable hiding within the seal that allowed it to function almost independently. While I was excited by this discovery, frustration welled up inside me knowing that I had created it months ago but couldn't replicate it now.

It felt like a cruel twist of fate. Solving most of my problems would be within reach if I could make my seal self-powered.

"Please cheer up, Milord!" Ranmaru nodded with determination. "I'm certain we can find a way to make it work."

"You're right, Ranmaru," I replied, finding renewed resolve. It was too early to give up, and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly until I unraveled this mystery.

I would need to brush up on the foundational knowledge of Fuuinjutsu to understand where the secret lies.

At least I have a clear lead on where to go for now.

Ugh... What a pain.