SWNOVELXO Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Kakuzu Attacks!
Chapter 38: Kakuzu Attacks!
In the center of the wide, flat main road, a large deer pulled a wooden cart, slowly making its way towards Konoha.
Atop the simple deer cart, Nara Keisuke was using the [Flat Shadow Technique] to hide his main body within the shadow of his [Shadow Doppelganger].
As mentioned before (Chapter 22), the [Flat Shadow Technique] was a very "un-Nara-like" Nara secret technique. Although its name contained the character for "shadow," it was not itself a pure Yin Release secret technique. The key to the [Flat Shadow Technique] was making one's own body as thin as a shadow and maintaining that state. The chakra consumed in this step was not Yin Release chakra, but conventional chakra.
Before yesterday, Nara Keisuke's conventional chakra reserves couldn't maintain the [Flat Shadow Technique] for very long. But after obtaining the A-rank ninja tool [Chakra Crystal], he could use this C-rank secret technique for as long as he wanted.
While maintaining the [Flat Shadow Technique], Keisuke was also silently circulating the training method he had newly acquired from the Fire Temple—the [Sage Clan Guidance Technique]. He had started studying this important secret technique related to natural energy the moment he returned to Kyoto yesterday and had already made considerable progress.
At this moment, as he continued his breathing exercises, he felt his consciousness continuously emptying, gradually entering a state of deep meditation.
Time passed minute by minute, second by second. At a certain special moment, Keisuke's consciousness suddenly broke free from the restraints of his main body and entered the [Shadow Doppelganger] that was right beside him. Meanwhile, his main body, hidden in the shadows, continued to maintain the operation of both the [Flat Shadow Technique] and the [Sage Clan Guidance Technique].
'This is the most ideal training method at present!' Keisuke closed his eyes, familiarizing himself with the unique, light, and ethereal feeling of the [Shadow Doppelganger].
'My consciousness is placed in the [Shadow Doppelganger], maintaining normal communication and activity.'
'And my body is just lying flat... ah, no, it's training with the [Sage Clan Guidance Technique] 24/7, without interruption.'
Nara Keisuke felt extremely pleased with this state. Your body and your spirit, at least one of them must be on the road, right?
Just then, Yamanaka Inoichi, who was in charge of sensory work up ahead, suddenly made a hand signal. Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, and Tobitake Tonbo, the three Chunin, saw this, exchanged a look, and began to move in concert.
Not long after, with a few miserable screams, the three emerged from the dense forest by the side of the road, reeking of blood, and returned to the main group.
Nara Shikano, driving the deer cart, glanced at the three slightly panting Chunin and lightly patted the large deer's hindquarters. The deer understood and slowed its pace, its already sluggish speed immediately becoming snail-like. But this extremely slow speed also gave Asuma's team enough time to rest.
Compared to the journey there, the number of personnel on the return trip was much smaller (Might Guy's team was still carrying out the caravan guard mission). However, the speed of the return trip had not increased; on the contrary, it had slowed down even further. The reason was simple: the mission to clear out the [Bounty Hunters] had not made much progress yet!
On the way back, Yamanaka Inoichi continuously used his spiritual sensory ability to detect the bounty hunters roaming near the Land of Fire's main roads. And after ascertaining the target's position, it was time for Asuma's squad to act. In just half a day, the three Chunin had already cleared out an unknown number of bounty hunters who had intended to ambush passing caravans, and their gains were substantial.
On the deer cart, Nara Keisuke's mood was as calm as an ancient well. Opponents at the Chunin or even Genin level could at most trigger a C-rank combat mission. A mission of this level was no longer in Keisuke's sights, unless it was a special target like Chiriku. Otherwise, he would rather spend more time learning and mastering the advanced ninjutsu he already possessed!
On the way back, limited by practical conditions, Keisuke couldn't research [Camouflage Concealment] or [Super Beast Scroll]. But secretly making some "pills" was still possible.
With the prior knowledge of the specific training method for the "Rasengan," Keisuke, who was already skilled in chakra control, was making very pleasing progress. On the deer cart, he laid his right hand flat, palm facing down before flipping it up. A lacquer-black shadow immediately converged in his palm, forming a pellet the size of a ping-pong ball. Inside the "pellet" composed of dark shadow, streams of Yin Release chakra were continuously rotating in an irregular pattern.
'This is still just the first stage.' Keisuke gently clenched his fist, dispersing the shadow ball into nothingness. 'But incorporating it into the [Shadow Piercing Bullet] won't take much effort.'
The virtual panel suddenly popped up.
[B-rank Technique: Spiraling Shadow Piercing Bullet]
[Technique Name: Self-Developed Technique, Advanced Shadow Secret Technique]
[Technique Effect: Infuse one's own Yin Release chakra into a shadow and materialize the shadow into a condensed, solid, high-speed rotating pellet. Fire it out like a bullet, concentrated at a single point. The initial velocity can exceed the speed of sound, and its power is formidable.]
[Technique Evaluation: It's spiraling. I added a spiral.]
'The name of the technique has changed, and the specific effect has become a bit stronger... but it's still fundamentally a B-rank ninjutsu.' Keisuke glanced over the panel information and then closed it. 'I'm afraid I'll have to completely master the [Rasengan] before I can further increase the power of the [Shadow Piercing Bullet], right?'
At noon, the Konoha ninja team stopped in place to rest and prepare lunch. The deer cart carried Nara Keisuke and the old clan head to a shady spot under a tree.
"The weather is really nice today." Nara Shikano untied the large deer's ropes and gestured for it to go find food on its own. "I hate encountering bad weather during missions the most. It just wastes more energy for no reason. Fortunately, I'm about to retire..."
"Clan Head." Nara Keisuke timely interrupted the old clan head's words. He had lost count of how many flags the man had raised on this trip. "I have a question I'd like to ask."
"Mm, go ahead," Nara Shikano said, half-lying in the shade, chewing on a blade of wild grass he had plucked from somewhere. "I'll tell you everything I know."
"It's about the chakra metal." Keisuke raised his right hand to show the clan head his Chakra Crystal ring. "You rewarded me with so much chakra metal before, and I do have a plan to forge a chakra metal ninja tool."
An excellent ninja tool that could conduct chakra was, without a doubt, a great boost to a ninja's strength. Keisuke pressed on, "Are there any skilled blacksmiths in Konoha?"
"That is indeed a problem. I forgot to mention it before." Nara Shikano slowly chewed the grass in his mouth and said slowly, "Our Nara clan, as well as the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, are not families that specialize in ninja tools. To forge ninja tools, we can only commission others."
Nara Keisuke nodded, listening quietly.
"In Konoha, there are two shops that specialize in selling ninja tools." Nara Shikano held up two fingers. "First, Manten-dō. The tools they produce may not be of excellent quality, but their baseline is guaranteed. Second, Shōryūdō. They are a shop that specializes in selling weapon-type ninja tools. If you want to forge a weapon, I would recommend you go to Shōryūdō and find its genius boss."
Shōryūdō? What a majestic name!
Keisuke asked curiously, "When you say 'genius boss,' Clan Head, do you mean he's a genius at forging ninja tools?"
"No..." Nara Shikano shook his head. "The boss of Shōryūdō, his surname is 'Ten,' and his given name is 'Sai.'"
"..."
Nara Keisuke's anticipation instantly shattered. But on second thought, a surname of Ten... could he be the father of Tenten, one of the Konoha 12 from the future? From that perspective, it seemed Shōryūdō was also a good choice.
But at this moment, Keisuke recalled Lady Cat, whom he had met at the Beast Taming and Medical Treatment class, and couldn't help but ask again. "Clan Head, how is the Nekomura clan's skill in forging ninja tools?"
"The Nekomura clan?" Nara Shikano frowned and sat up straight. "Keisuke, where did you hear that name? That's a clan of black-market merchants!"
Keisuke briefly recounted the process of how he met Lady Cat.
"So it was just an accident... well, not entirely an accident." Nara Shikano was relieved. "The Nekomura clan has always served the wealthy. That 'Lady Cat' you mentioned, she claims to have left the black-market merchant clan?"
"That's what Deputy Chief Inuzuka Tsume said," Keisuke nodded.
"Inuzuka, Nekomura..." Nara Shikano didn't know what he was thinking of, but he suddenly shook his head and smiled. "Don't believe that 'Lady Cat' when she calls herself a 'legitimate merchant.' There's no such thing as a black-market merchant who isn't black-hearted. However, if we're just talking about ninja tool forging skills, the Nekomura clan is indeed much stronger than Shōryūdō. The Nekomura clan is the exclusive weapon supplier for the Uchiha clan. Even those proud and arrogant members of the Uchiha clan highly recognize the quality of the ninja tools provided by the Nekomura."
Understood! Nara Keisuke nodded seriously. As soon as he returned to the village this time, he would go find Lady Cat to forge his ninja tool!
After lunch, the Konoha ninja set off on their journey once again. Two or three hours later, the deer cart finally left the vicinity of the Land of Fire's capital and arrived in a wide, dense forest area.
Just then, Yamanaka Inoichi's brow furrowed slightly. He no longer sent hand signals to Asuma and the others, but directly flickered to Nara Shikano's side.
"Lord Shikano!" Inoichi's tone was extremely serious. "I just sensed a ninja with an enormous amount of chakra in the dense forest ahead. It seems he's specifically waiting..."
Before Inoichi could finish his sentence, a figure walked out from the deep forest.
The bounty hunter, Kakuzu!
(End of Chapter)
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