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Chapter 121: S-Rank Shadow Secret Technique!
🕑 Added 2025-08-10 14:23:04 +0000 UTCChapter 121: S-Rank Shadow Secret Technique!
Clan Head, I hold no grudge against you, so why do you repay my kindness with malice?
Nara Keisuke gazed at the old clan head, not speaking, just looking. But even this gaze made the old man feel uneasy, and he somewhat awkwardly averted his eyes.
They were all ninja of the Nara clan. Who among them didn't have a clear idea of whether being the clan head was a good thing or a bad thing?
"Ahem, ahem..."
Nara Shikano coughed lightly, just about to change the subject.
"Clan Head," Keisuke said suddenly. "If I really become the head of our Nara clan, can I only enjoy the rights and not perform the duties?"
For Keisuke, becoming the new clan head was not purely a bad thing. From his previous experiments, he knew that he couldn't issue missions to himself. But the family could! If he really became the head of the Nara clan, then at that time, wouldn't he be able to complete as many S-rank missions and obtain as many S-rank secret scrolls as he wished?
As for the duties and heavy burdens that came with the status of clan head... wasn't he trying to find a way around that right now!
"Only enjoy the rights and not perform the duties? Where in the world is there such a good—"
Nara Shikano was about to directly refuse him, but as he spoke, he suddenly paused and changed his tune. "It's not entirely impossible."
"Hm?"
This time, it was Keisuke's turn to be stunned. Could he really just take the benefits without doing the work?
"Ahem, well, let's put aside the matter of you being the clan head for now. I need to discuss its feasibility with the other elders in the family, as well as our current clan head."
Nara Shikano temporarily skipped over this topic, not wanting to elaborate too much. "As for this S-rank mission's reward... the family's abilities and conditions are what they are. I won't waste words. First, I will convene a clan gathering and have you, Keisuke, become an elder of our Nara clan. Second, the research grant amount set before is too low. Let's temporarily raise it to three million ryo per month. Finally... it's the same as before. If there's any ninjutsu, ninja tool, or anything else you want, tell the family, and we will do our best to find it for you."
The youngest family elder in the history of the Nara clan. Receiving the top-tier remuneration of three A-rank missions every month without leaving the house. And naming the other rewards himself. This was the "reward" Nara Shikano had come up with.
However, from this, it could also be seen that the Nara clan, besides money, really had nothing else they could use as a reward.
Nara Keisuke nodded silently. When all was said and done, the Nara was just a mid-tier, secret-technique-type ninja clan. The family had some heritage, but not much. This situation would also cause some interference with his future action plans. Because under the premise of clearly knowing that the family couldn't produce enough rewards, for him to insist on sharing high-level secret techniques with the family to dig out S-rank missions from them... that situation would be too strange!
So...
Keisuke pondered for a moment and said, "This time, I do have something I want, and I'd like to entrust it to you, Clan Head."
"Out with it!" The old clan head's spirits lifted, and he urged impatiently. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he quickly added, "If you're talking about a Chakra Crystal... the family really hasn't found any news of one!"
"It's not the [Chakra Crystal]." Keisuke raised his right hand, revealing the ring inlaid with the crystal. "But it is indeed related to it."
Nara Shikano's brow relaxed slightly as he quietly listened.
"Clan Head, do you remember that secret you didn't elaborate on when we were at the Fire Temple?" Keisuke resonated with the [Chakra Crystal], and a shimmering light bloomed on the surface of the hexagonal indigo gemstone. "You once said that within the range of the Fire Temple, the crystal could be replenished more effectively. But at that time, you said my strength had not yet reached the point where I could touch that secret. Now, may I ask, what exactly did that 'effective replenishment' refer to?"
Nara Shikano breathed a sigh of relief. "So it was that question..."
A while ago, the news that Keisuke's squad had wiped out two elite teams of the Iwa Explosion Corps and had also captured an elite Iwa Jonin with the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai had caused quite a stir in Konoha Village. It was just that at that time, his squad was not in the village, so he hadn't felt the astonishing impact of that battle record.
But Nara Shikano knew. In the Battle for Kikyo Castle even earlier, Keisuke had almost single-handedly annihilated more than half of Sunagakure's elite Puppet Brigade! In Shikano's eyes, the defeat of Iwagakure's Explosion Corps was absolutely Keisuke's achievement as well! A ninja of this strength was indeed sufficient to come into contact with that level of secret...
"The reason the Chakra Crystal can be replenished more effectively within the range of the Fire Temple," Nara Shikano confessed generously, "is because around the Fire Temple, there exists a kind of energy that is vaster and greater than ordinary chakra. The ninja monks of the Fire Temple call it 'natural energy'."
As expected, it's natural energy!
Keisuke was not at all surprised to hear this special term from the clan head's mouth.
The old clan head stroked his beard. For some reason, a bad feeling suddenly arose in his heart. He then heard Keisuke say, "Clan Head, I want to learn more about the relevant research knowledge of natural energy."
I knew it! I knew Keisuke wouldn't be satisfied with just the name "natural energy"!
Nara Shikano's mouth tasted a little bitter. Although he, as the former head of the Nara clan, had learned some superficial knowledge about natural energy through the clan's inherited texts and his own rich life experience, how could he possibly know the specific, relevant research on it!
However, Keisuke's words had not ended there. "Besides this point, I also hope to obtain some other ninjutsu." Keisuke spoke calmly. "Ninjutsu that can manipulate, influence, or even use natural energy."
"The kind of ninjutsu you're talking about has a professional name. It's called 'senjutsu'," Nara Shikano said, rubbing his head in some pain. "In the ninja world, there are indeed a few places that have a clear inheritance of senjutsu. They are the legendary three great sage regions: Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. In our Konoha Village, there are three ninja who happen to have signed summoning contracts with these three legendary sage regions. One of them is even a family inheritance. They are the Sannin of Konoha. It's just that to obtain the inheritance of senjutsu from the hands of the Sannin..."
The troubled expression on Shikano's aged face became even more apparent. But looking at the [Shadow Imitation Technique], [Flat Shadow Manipulation Technique], and [Shadow Body Manipulation Technique] beside him... the old clan head gritted his teeth and still agreed to Keisuke's request.
"In any case, I understand this matter. But regarding the knowledge of 'senjutsu,' I can only say I'll do my best. You shouldn't hold too much hope, Keisuke."
Besides the Sannin, the Nara clan had another path to come into contact with the existence of "senjutsu." It was none other than the Fire Temple that Keisuke had just mentioned. Shikano was very clear that as the temple that inherited the Ninshū philosophy of the Sage of Six Paths, it absolutely contained relevant knowledge about senjutsu and natural energy! It was just that the difficulty of obtaining "senjutsu" from the Fire Temple was no less than obtaining it from the Sannin. But it was, after all, a feasible method...
'What a pain... a happy yet painful trouble.' Nara Shikano sighed in his heart. 'Why am I always the one dealing with this problem?'
"Then thank you very much, Clan Head!" Keisuke said, smiling and thanking him. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
"Go on..." Nara Shikano waved his hand, but in his heart, he made up his mind. 'I must discuss the matter of changing the clan head with the family elders!'
Bidding farewell to the old clan head, Keisuke summoned a shadow deer and slowly walked out of the clan grounds. 'I finally managed to propose a request to the Clan Head that was painful enough for him, but not so much as to be offensive...' Keisuke recalled the old clan head's troubled expression and couldn't help but smile.
'The three great sage regions have the inheritance of senjutsu, but the relationship between the Nara clan and the Sannin is not as close as one might imagine. In comparison, the Nara clan has a not-so-shallow relationship with the Fire Temple. I just don't know which direction the Clan Head will put his efforts in...'
'This is still a win-win for me and the family. The family wins once, I win twice!'
As he walked, Keisuke called up his panel and looked at the few lines of messages he had skipped over before.
[You have submitted the C-rank technique scroll [Shadow Imitation Technique], B-rank technique scroll [Flat Shadow Manipulation Technique], and A-rank technique scroll [Shadow Body Manipulation Technique] to the client!]
[S-rank Mission [Shadow Imitation Technique] has been completed!]
[You have obtained one S-rank [Shinobi Secret Scroll]!]
'S-rank missions triggered from the family are completed so fast!' With a thought, Keisuke looked at the [Shinobi Secret Scroll] section of his panel. 'I wonder what kind of reward will be in this scroll...'
'Based on previous experience, the reward for an S-rank family mission will be a new S-rank ultimate technique created based on my own mastery of ninjutsu...'
Without hesitation, Keisuke directly opened the S-rank [Shinobi Secret Scroll] on his panel.
[Opening...]
[Contents of this S-rank Shinobi Secret Scroll: Technique]
[S-rank Technique: Shadow Manipulation Technique]
[Technique Description: An ultimate-class Yin Release ninjutsu created based on [Shadow Secret Techniques], [Sealing Jutsu], and Yamanaka secret technique data. Requires no hand signs and can be cast instantly with a thought.]
[Technique Effect: 1. Create [Shadow Threads] using one's own Yin Release chakra, which can switch between "shadow" and "solid" forms. The [Shadow Threads] resonate with the main body's Yin Release chakra and can serve as a temporary vessel for one's own spiritual consciousness; 2. Through the connection of the [Shadow Threads] with the target object's shadow, and then connecting one's own spiritual consciousness to the other's central nervous system, temporarily seal the opponent's spiritual consciousness, thereby obtaining control of their body. 3. In this state, the user can simultaneously have control of the victim's body, and can use the victim's body, chakra, ninjutsu, and even Kekkei Genkai abilities themselves.]
[Technique Evaluation: There are no taboos in ninjutsu!]
(End of Chapter)
