SWNOVELXO Chapter 55: Chapter 55: The Nara Clan's New Clan Head!
Chapter 55: The Nara Clan's New Clan Head!
"Fried... chicken?"
As a devotee of Japanese cuisine, Yakushi Nono'o was unfamiliar with the name of this food Keisuke mentioned. But when he actually placed the so-called "fried chicken" in front of her, she finally understood why his words had been so full of confidence.
A golden-brown coating was wrapped around a steaming hot chicken drumette. The surface was bumpy, like cracked fish scales, and tapping it with a fingertip produced a crisp, pleasant sound. And upon tearing open this crispy, golden shell, white steam, the aroma of chicken, and the fragrant smell of multiple spices would flow out along with the glistening, oily juices, making one's mouth water uncontrollably.
Nono'o wasn't sure if the gluttons of the Akimichi clan could resist the temptation of this fried chicken. But she could at least be certain... that she herself was on the verge of being unable to suppress the almost frantic appetite coming from her stomach.
"Try it while it's hot, Sister Nono'o."
Nara Keisuke pushed the plate forward. The aroma of the fried chicken charged forth, completely irresistible.
"I'll dig in."
Nono'o only remembered putting her palms together and then lightly picking up a golden drumette. But when her consciousness returned, all that was left in her hand was a bare chicken bone.
"Subarashii—(Wonderful!)" Nono'o placed the chicken bone in her hand onto the plate, letting it join its unfortunate brothers. "Keisuke! I never knew your cooking skills were this good!"
"It's just that the food is novel, and it happened to suit your palate," Keisuke said, shaking his head and not accepting her praise. "Sister Nono'o, what do you think of a fast-food item like fried chicken?"
"It's amazing!" Nono'o gave him two thumbs up, showing a rare image of youthful vitality. "A novel delicacy that makes you want to lick your fingers!"
"Then let's use that as the product name," Keisuke said with a smile. "Finger-Lickin' Chicken."
Keisuke taught all the various tips and tricks for the "Finger-Lickin' Chicken" to Nono'o, while also reminding her not to forget to keep the recipe confidential.
Nono'o was greatly relieved. "Keisuke, I believe the 'Finger-Lickin' Chicken' will definitely be a huge success!"
"This is just the beginning," Keisuke said, unhurriedly laying out his plan. "Assuming the Akimichi clan's acceptance of a novel food like 'Finger-Lickin' Chicken' is high, that means we've found the right target demographic for the product. At that time, we can increase the product types, expand the production scale... Our ultimate goal is to open a super fast-food chain that spans the entire ninja world!"
Nono'o gently shook her head, having no intention of pouring cold water on his idea. She just said with a chuckle, "Whatever Keisuke says is right!"
Yakushi Nono'o, full of enthusiasm, led the entire Kikyo Orphanage in the production of "Finger-Lickin' Chicken," placing great hope in it. The fat nun and the thin monk were initially resistant to the idea of "making fried chicken." But just like Nono'o at the time, the two of them couldn't resist the temptation of the chicken's aroma, especially the former.
As for the children in the orphanage, it went without saying; "almost drooled themselves to tears" was the most fitting description for them.
In this bustling atmosphere full of drive, Nara Keisuke quietly left the orphanage and returned to the clan grounds. He had no intention of getting involved in the orphanage's "grand chicken plan." It was enough to stand quietly behind the scenes and be a "shareholder" providing creative and technical input. As for the other specific matters, it was better to leave them to Nono'o to handle.
Arriving at the clan grounds, Keisuke headed straight for the clan head's house, intending to hand over the [Lacquer Eye] technique scroll as promised. But unexpectedly, when he arrived, the one who received him was not just the clan head, but another person as well.
"Keisuke, you're here." Nara Shikano, dressed in casual clothes, was all smiles, his expression a stark contrast to the young man beside him. "Care for a tense and exciting game of shogi?"
Keisuke looked at the old clan head's behavior, which seemed as if his true nature had been liberated, feeling both surprised and uncertain. "Clan Head, you are...?"
"I'm not the clan head anymore! I've retired!" Nara Shikano forcefully slapped the shoulder of the young man beside him. "Shikaku. He's the clan head now! Oh, right, Shikaku is also the leader of the Jonin squad now, so he's taken over my work."
"What a pain..." Nara Shikaku's face was filled with helplessness and annoyance. "I want to retire too."
"We can talk about that after you have children," Nara Shikano said lightly. "Isn't the purpose of having children so that you can retire earlier?"
"Dad!" Nara Shikaku scratched the pineapple-shaped hairstyle on the back of his head, his face a mask of agony. "I'm not even married, where would I get a child!"
"Yoshino hasn't married you yet?" Nara Shikano was stunned, his face filled with astonishment. "I thought you two had been married for several years. I was even wondering why you hadn't had children yet. Let me tell you, about having children, first you have to get your wife to lie flat—"
"Shut up, Dad!" Nara Shikaku's face was flushed with panic. "There's still a child here!"
"Keisuke is already twelve years old this year," Nara Shikano said dismissively. "Do you think he's still a little kid who doesn't understand anything?"
Even so, I do understand a lot... Keisuke looked up at the sky, his thoughts drifting.
"My deepest apologies. You're Keisuke, right?" Nara Shikaku apologized to the guest on behalf of his thoughtless father. "My dad is a bit emotionally volatile because he has safely retired from his ninja career. I hope you can understand."
"Long live understanding," Keisuke said, coming back to his senses and taking a scroll from his ninja tool pouch. "So Clan Head... Clan Heads, who should I give this secret technique scroll to?"
"A secret technique scroll?" Nara Shikaku looked bewildered. He had just taken over from his father this morning and was still unclear on many matters. "What is this?"
"Oh, right, there's also this. I almost forgot." Nara Shikano slapped his forehead and extended his right hand to Keisuke. "Give it to me first. I'll explain the specifics to Shikaku later."
Keisuke complied and handed over the [Lacquer Eye] technique scroll. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now, Clan Head."
"Wait, there are indeed a few more things." The old clan head held the scroll and stopped Keisuke. "They all concern you. Have you found someone to forge your weapon? Do you need help?"
"I went to the empty district this morning," Keisuke reported. "The specific matters have been entrusted to Lady Cat."
"Mm, not bad. The Nekomura clan is a bit greedy, but their professional skills are solid." The old clan head stroked his beard. "The second thing, regarding summoning animals. I remember you were curious about the Summoning Technique before—wait a moment!"
Nara Shikano's figure instantly vanished. When he reappeared, he was holding two new scrolls, and the [Lacquer Eye] scroll from before had been hidden away. "These are the ninjutsu scrolls for the Summoning Technique and the Reverse Summoning Technique. You can have them, Keisuke."
Nara Shikaku watched his father's actions. He quickly concluded that his father held this junior of the clan in very high regard and easily figured out the general reason. 'Is it because of that scroll from just now?'
"Thank you, Clan Head." Keisuke silently accepted the unexpected gift and, at the same time, learned the [Reverse Summoning Technique] with a single click on his panel.
[C-rank Technique: Reverse Summoning Technique]
[Technique Description: The reverse technique of the Summoning Technique.]
[Technique Effect: After forming a contract with a creature, ninja tool, puppet, etc., one can, through the summoning contract, have the other party reverse-summon oneself to their side, or one can actively summon oneself to the other party's side. The duration of the Reverse Summoning Technique is maintained based on the amount of chakra invested.]
[Technique Evaluation: It's not a monster! It's me!]
Whether it was the [Summoning Technique] or the [Reverse Summoning Technique], the space-time travel effect they could achieve was all temporary!
"Clan Head, regarding the [Summoning Technique] and the [Reverse Summoning Technique], I have a question," Keisuke asked seriously. "Can these two ninjutsu achieve a permanent effect?"
"They can." Nara Shikano nodded and held up two fingers. "As far as I know, there are two ways to achieve a similar effect. First, your own chakra reserves are massive enough that when you use the Summoning Technique, you can invest a sufficient amount of chakra to extend the summoned object's maintenance time as much as possible. Second, alter the contract formula of the Summoning Technique itself."
The first method the old clan head gave was a temporary solution, not a permanent cure. Keisuke didn't consider it. But the second...
"Alter the contract formula of the Summoning Technique?"
"Yes." Nara Shikano nodded and said without reservation, "The Second Hokage-sama once developed many new types of space-time ninjutsu based on the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu data, building upon the foundation of the Summoning Technique. It's just that the chakra consumption is extremely high."
That description sounds so familiar... Keisuke's expression flickered. But before he could speak, Nara Shikano cut him off. "All the techniques mastered by the Second Hokage are recorded in the Scroll of Seals." The old clan head looked at Keisuke, his eyes filled with deep meaning. "That kind of forbidden scroll, not even the leader of the Jonin squad can access it, unless... one has the Hokage's permission."
Keisuke nodded lightly. "I understand."
"I've already told you what I know about summoning animals. If you don't want to contract with a crow or a ninken, you'll just have to find a summoning animal yourself," the old clan head paused, then continued. "One last thing, your arranged spar with Minato?"
"It's tomorrow."
(Author's Note:)
I believe many readers can see the "new ninjutsu that alters the contract formula of the Summoning Technique" mentioned at the end of the chapter. That's right, what I am referring to here is the [Flying Thunder God Technique]. (Actually, there's also the Mutual Multiplication Paper Bomb, but not many people care about the latter, right...).
Regarding the [Flying Thunder God Technique], its usage process is very simple. Step one, leave a formula somewhere. Step two, move on a space-time level via the formula. Step three, space-time movement successful. The key here is this [formula].
There aren't many space-time ninjutsu in Naruto, and they are basically linked to eyes (bloodline). But Senju Tobirama's bloodline has nothing to do with space-time ninjutsu. And Namikaze Minato has no bloodline (at least, it's not confirmed that the little sun used a bloodline cheat). So, for these two to develop/improve the [Flying Thunder God Technique], they could only develop it based on existing techniques and theories.
Of course, you can also believe that Senju Tobirama independently developed a space-time travel ninjutsu. But in my opinion, the formula for the Flying Thunder God Technique is actually an improved, one-way version of the Summoning Technique's formula. It can resonate with the user's own chakra within a sensory range, then activate the stored formula, and perform a one-way summoning. This is the truth of the [Flying Thunder God Technique] in my eyes.
And both Senju Tobirama and Namikaze Minato had the qualifications to modify the [Summoning Technique] contract. One had his sister-in-law. The other had his wife. And both had the Uzumaki clan's family fortune.
(End of Chapter)
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