Sealing Jutsu Sensei

"Permanent suspension... What does that mean?"

"Does that mean she can never play again? Why!?"

Upon hearing the prompt from the arcade machine, the surrounding kids started chattering.

"I think that's called a ban..."

One kid suddenly said, "I heard my brother mention that someone got banned from the Ninja Tavern for cheating and can never play that game again."

"—What? Cheating? No way! Could Little Red Comet have cheated?"

Many kids found it hard to believe.

Some of the kids who were always jealous of Kushina's popularity took the opportunity to stir things up:

"No wonder she was always ahead of us by so much, clearing over a hundred levels so fast. Turns out she was cheating."

"I did not cheat!"

Lu—no, Kushina quickly defended herself when she heard their discussions.

How did this happen?

She was just showing off a bit by using some game tricks in front of the kids. How could that lead to a permanent ban?

This place must be a scam!

While mentally accusing the arcade of being unfair, Kushina completely forgot that she was actually one of the owners...

Since she was indeed hiding some unspeakable secrets, her defence lacked conviction, making it hard for others to believe her.

The suspicious looks grew more intense, and Kushina started to feel a prickling sensation on her skin.

Just as she was about to continue defending herself, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in her ear:

"Kushina, your game time is up."

Shi... Natsuhiko!?

What is he doing here?

As soon as Kushina heard the voice, she knew it was the effect of Natsuhiko's secret voice transmission technique. She quickly looked around but couldn't find him anywhere.

Even so, she felt a bit guilty.

When Natsuhiko was helping her master the Yin Seal more quickly, he not only taught her various techniques but also passed on his treasured Shadow Clone technique.

And now, she had used that skill just to show off while playing games... She really shouldn't have done that.

Plus, Kushina knew that Natsuhiko's arcade was specifically for kids and didn't allow adults in.

The whole point was to create a fun and relaxed environment for the children.

That's why there was even a barrier at the entrance that dispelled transformation techniques to prevent adults from sneaking in.

By using the Shadow Clone technique to exploit a bug and play, she had clearly broken the rules. So, being banned was only fair...

Poof, poof!

Feeling guilty, Kushina cancelled her shadow clones and decided not to argue anymore. She was ready to leave.

Her actions only confirmed for most of the kids that she had, indeed, cheated.

Even the few who wanted to speak up for her were left speechless, watching her go in a daze.

But just then, a white-haired boy suddenly said thoughtfully,

"Actually... I've heard that there are cases where bans happen by mistake!"

"It seems that the system detecting cheats isn't as smart as we think. If a player does something beyond what the designers anticipated, they might wrongly be flagged as cheating."

Though the boy didn't speak loudly, his words clearly reached everyone, making them all think.

Indeed, no one had actually found any proof of her cheating, and his explanation seemed reasonable.

After all... The game designers probably never imagined someone would use the Shadow Clone technique to play the game, right?

So maybe the Little Red Comet was mistakenly banned because her actions were beyond the system's expectations...

The kids found the whole situation amusing and couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction.

Not against the red-haired girl but against the game's designer.

That person, who had invented such a fun game but added an annoying anti-addiction system, had finally been defeated by a player.

Everyone wondered what kind of expression the designer would have when they found out that their system had wrongly banned a legitimate player.

In an instant, Kushina's image shifted in their minds from a shameful cheater to a misunderstood genius who had broken the limits of tradition.

"Amazing, she actually exceeded the designer's expectations..."

"I knew it; there's no way Little Red Comet would cheat."

Meanwhile, Kushina, who had been leaving with her head hung low, was surprised when she overheard the change in the crowd's opinion.

Though still hesitant, a smile, characteristic of someone from her homeland, began to spread across her face once she realised they were genuinely praising her.

But just as she was about to stop and share her thoughts, Natsuhiko's voice once again echoed in her ears:

"Keep walking, don't stop. Know when to quit while you're ahead."

Although Kushina didn't fully understand, she trusted Natsuhiko and continued walking toward the exit.

As he predicted, her silent departure left a lasting impression on the children.

They had a strange feeling that, even if the arcade later realized their mistake and unbanned her, she would probably not return.

This little red comet, true to its name, had appeared out of nowhere, amazed everyone, and left just as suddenly, leaving behind a blazing legend in the arcade...

…

Moments later, the crowd of kids slowly dispersed, still excitedly discussing what had just happened.

The white-haired boy quietly walked behind a tree, and when he reemerged, he had transformed into Natsuhiko.

"You really do spoil Kushina, don't you?"

Nono, who had been watching, approached with a smile, covering her mouth as she chuckled.

Although she didn't know about the Shadow Clone technique, her intelligence had long helped her figure out that the red-haired girl was actually Kushina.

She had thought Kushina used Natsuhiko's influence to bend the rules and use the transformation technique to play games. So, she turned a blind eye.

But now, it seemed that Kushina had acted on her own, without Natsuhiko's involvement.

Understanding her meaning, Natsuhiko chuckled.

Though he had helped maintain Kushina's reputation among the children, he had also opened Pandora's box...

Now that they knew of Kushina's legend, many would likely stop following the rules and find ways to exploit the game's flaws.

With so many players eager to find and exploit bugs, running the game would become a challenge.

But Natsuhiko wasn't worried. With a faint smile, he said,

"Isn't that interesting?"

"Unlike the Ninja Card Game, where players compete against each other, in a single-player game like Wood Style vs. Zombies, it's more like a contest between the player and the designer."

"The more they try to break the game's limits, the more valuable data they provide. It helps me perfect the game and even my skills."

"So I'm looking forward to seeing just how many surprises these players from the ninja world, with all their strange jutsu, will bring me..."

Nono listened to Natsuhiko and smiled with the same look of anticipation.

She anticipated a world where strange jutsu were no longer used for killing but for friendly competition in games.

For a brief moment, she almost forgot her role as a spy, genuinely wanting to help Natsuhiko achieve that future.

But remembering Danzo's orders darkened her thoughts, though she kept smiling as she listened to Natsuhiko continue talking passionately...

(End of chapter)

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