Shikamaru

Sakura Haruno's fierce tone startled the black-haired boy who was bandaging his hand.

"Using Lightning Release to stimulate your body and accelerate wound healing, you're quite something, aren't you?! Do you know that doing this will shorten your lifespan?!"

"You're accusing me of meddling in other people's business," Sasuke said with a laugh. Although he was the one being scolded, he was actually in a good mood. "Aren't you meddling in my affairs yourself?"

Sakura Haruno's momentum faltered instantly.

The number of times human cells can divide is limited, except for certain specific stem cells... Using Lightning Release Chakra to stimulate the body, increase its activity, and accelerate cell division is the same principle as Medical Ninjutsu, which has the potential to overdraw the upper limit of life and reduce lifespan.

Master Tsunade is the most experienced in this regard.

For ordinary injuries, if the body can heal on its own, letting the body heal naturally is the most appropriate way; medicine has its side effects, and Medical Ninjutsu is not a panacea, let alone Sasuke's crude use of Lightning Release to accelerate healing.

That's why Sakura Haruno got so angry when she found out that Sasuke had done this without permission.

However, after her battle with Kimimaro last time, she yelled at Sasuke, and Sasuke retaliated so quickly. Karma really does come fast.

"That's different, okay?" the girl retorted stubbornly. "That time it was out of necessity, but you don't have a reason to be discharged right now!"

"I also have my reasons for needing to recover quickly!" he said seriously.

He wrapped his bandages, put on his shoes, and jumped off the hospital bed.

"I can't stand lying quietly in a hospital bed for weeks... that's just a waste of time. I don't want to be lying in a hospital bed doing nothing while you all make rapid progress!"

The black-haired boy gazed at her with intense, unwavering eyes.

Sakura felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Alright, alright! I got it!" She raised her hands in surrender, saying irritably, "When did you become as hot-blooded as Naruto?!"

"And this is a one-time exception! If something like this happens again, come to Yuki Haku for treatment. Don't use harmful methods like Lightning Release; it's too reckless!"

"Okay, okay, stop nagging," Sasuke said with a laugh. "And the new Lightning Release training needs to start right away. These two, lying in their hospital beds, suddenly had an inspiration. Want to come with me?"

"Great, I also have something I need to ask you."

Cherry blossoms are perfectly acceptable.

They haven't trained together in a long time.

"Well, my matter concerns cultivation. Have you heard of... cough, nuclear fusion?"

"Hmm? Never heard of that... What is it?"

"It's nothing, I'll explain later." Sakura shook her head. She had expected Sasuke's answer, so she changed the subject, "Let's go get something to eat to celebrate your discharge! There's a new restaurant that recently opened; their beef balls are pretty good. Hmph, with Naruto gone, it's time we got rid of Ichiraku Ramen and tried something new!"

Sakura's shop is located on a commercial street.

The previous owner was killed in the invasion of the Sound Ninja and Sand shinobi, and his shop was destroyed in the war. After the reconstruction was completed, another person opened a restaurant here.

"How is it? Not bad, right?"

She bought two large bowls of meatballs, along with some side dishes, and sat with Sasuke at a table in the corner.

She picked up a dumpling, eating it elegantly while watching Sasuke wolf Sasuke without any regard for his image, with a hint of amusement.

Sasuke gulped down a large mouthful of Sasuke, then closed his eyes to savor the taste. He took a sip of water, wiped his mouth, and said with satisfaction, "It's really good, at least a hundred times better than the hospital food!"

"Our signature beef balls are meticulously made, with a rosy color, tender yet bouncy texture, fresh and fragrant, and smooth in taste." The advertisement on the wall was hard to make out in the dim light of the shop, but that didn't stop Sasuke. He simply activated his Sharingan and read it aloud.

He popped another meatball into his mouth and mumbled, "That advertising slogan isn't exaggerated. How did they manage that?"

"The shop owner is a ninja." Sakura tilted her head and looked into the shop window, where she could see the owner busily preparing ingredients.

It was probably a tall, thin middle-aged man, with his right sleeve empty, where a clone was assisting him with his work.

"Hmm... Can a ninja be a restaurant owner?" Sasuke chewed slowly with a mouthful of dumplings, turning his head to look in the direction the girl was looking.

Many of the diners here were ninjas, and he didn't initially realize that the restaurant owner was also a ninja.

"He must be a recently retired ninja..." the girl speculated. In the battle Chunin Ninja Exams, Konoha suffered quite a few casualties, and some people had to retire from the ninja ranks and become ordinary people because of their disabilities. This man was obviously among them.

He patted Sasuke on the shoulder and reminded him, "See? He used Chakra with a very high level of Wind Release Nature Transformation to process the beef balls. No wonder..."

Truly delicious beef balls require pounding the beef with just the right amount of force more than 10,000 times, taking a considerable amount of time, to break down the cells in the beef, extract the cytoplasm, and pound it into a paste without a trace of fiber, resulting in such a wonderful texture.

However, using Wind Release Chakra to directly penetrate the beef and shred all the cells inside seems to be more effective than simply pounding it with force. But this requires extremely high Wind Release skill to advance the Wind Release Nature Transformation to the point where even the smallest cells can be shredded.

"Hmm, using Wind Release Chakra to process the beef tore Wind Release all the cells, causing the juices to flow out. No wonder the beef smells so rich!" Sasuke nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "Anyway, that idiot Naruto could never do this."

"He should be able to do it by the time he gets back, right?" Sakura laughed, then glanced at the shop owner a few more times and made another discovery, "Also, look at him, he almost never uses a pan when he cooks, he just uses Fire Style Chakra to cook everything!"

"Tsk..." This powerful Fire Style technique immediately stunned Sasuke.

He hadn't learned Wind Release, so he didn't know how monstrous that Wind Release chakra technique was for Chakra beef cells. However, he knew Fire Style was quite knowledgeable about it. The uncle's Fire Style technique, which made the dish taste so good, required masterful temperature control, which was clearly not something that could be done easily.

The black-haired boy exclaimed sincerely, "Amazing!"

"Integrating Chakra training into daily life is a perfect example! Sasuke, if you could reach that level, the power of Fire Style would definitely reach a new level."

"But my major is Lightning Release, which doesn't seem to be so easy to integrate into daily life; at least, I can't use it for cooking."

Sasuke, reaching for the last beef ball in the bowl with his chopsticks, "So, after you finish this, go train!"

Snap!

The boy's chopsticks were blocked by another pair of chopsticks. Before Sasuke could react in surprise, the other pair of chopsticks had already snatched the last dumpling from the bottom of the bowl with lightning speed.

"Sasuke, I'm treating today, shouldn't I get the last dumpling?" The pink-haired girl said, shaking the dumpling she was holding.

She opened her mouth, about to put the meatball into it.

Snap!

With a sudden release of force, the meatball appeared in Sasuke's chopsticks.

"Girls easily gain weight if they eat too much meat. You've already eaten a lot this meal, so I'll reluctantly finish the last one for you!" he said smugly, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

It's that kind of "wicked smile," the kind of look a charming, charismatic CEO has. Of course, when that smile appears in front of Sakura Haruno, all she feels is the urge to punch him.

"You even used Lightning Release to activate your muscles just to steal a Rasengan, Sasuke, you've really gone all out..." the girl said coldly and fiercely, "Take this!"

Snap —The Nintaijutsu worked instantly. Sasuke clearly couldn't withstand the Monstrous Strength, and the beef ball changed hands again, appearing in Sakura's chopsticks.

"Tch, you still resorted to Nintaijutsu!" Sasuke rubbed his wrist, which was throbbing from the impact, and glared at Sakura Haruno with disdain.

Then, with a sudden, lightning-fast strike, he knocked the dumpling into the bowl before the girl could react.

"Sharingan - Activate!"

"Now you can't defend against it!" A black Tomoe suddenly appeared in Sasuke's eyes.

"Hmph, just because you have the Sharingan doesn't mean I don't have any Secret Technique?" Sakura Haruno's eyes twitched, and she snorted coldly.

"Cherry Blossom Impact - Open!"

Thus began a dazzling chopsticks battle.

Clap clap clap—the continuous sound of chopsticks clattering together almost blended into one.

One side possessed the Sharingan and Lightning Release to activate their body, while the other side used Cherry Blossom Impact and Nintaijutsu. Although neither side used their full strength, it was a battle of equals, with both sides facing off and the fight being extremely exciting.

*Crack! Sasuke suddenly exerted force, his chopsticks, deliberately enhanced with Chakra, snapping the chopsticks in Sakura's hand. This move was inspired by his battle with Kimimaro; sometimes, directly destroying the enemy's weapon can be surprisingly effective!

"Now you're out of chopsticks!" Sasuke grinned smugly, reaching sharply for the dumplings in his bowl.

Suddenly, a pair of icy chopsticks caught her. The latter were clearly harder than the chopsticks Sasuke had made with Chakra. With a little effort, Sakura's Nintaijutsu broke the chopsticks in Sasuke's hands as well.

An eye for an eye!

Sasuke looked up at the pink-haired girl sitting opposite him, who said with a half-smile, "Who's out of chopsticks now? My Ice Release can conjure chopsticks anytime!"

Sasuke speechless.

His face also turned very gloomy.

No, that's not right. The darkness was entirely due to the sudden burst of bright light around him, which cast shadows on his face.

Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear!

Two slender, solid-shaped lightning bolts emerged from Sasuke's fingertips, radiating a dazzling blue light.

Beneath the flickering lightning, Sasuke's upturned lips revealed a hint of smugness.

"I also have Lightning Release chopsticks... well, then--"

"So, are you two planning to tear down someone else's shop just for a meatball?"

A voice suddenly interrupted Sakura and Sasuke's fight.

Sakura Haruno looked up and saw Shikamaru, dressed in a mesh bodysuit and Chunin vest, looking at them with the kind of look one might give someone with intellectual disabilities.

The two were immediately taken aback, and rather embarrassed, they put away their Ninjutsu. Their actions just now did indeed resemble children playing around...

"Ahem, we were just... discussing Ninjutsu!" Sakura sat up straight and said seriously.

"That's right, that's right! We're researching what would happen if we added Shape Transformation to Chidori!" Sasuke quickly chimed in.

"Alright, stop pretending," Shikamaru casually tossed the dango ball he was holding onto the table, and said lazily, "I've been watching you guys. You even used such a high-level Ninjutsu to grab a dango ball, you're really going to any lengths. Tsk... There are too many people here, make a seat for Sasuke, move over a bit."

"Table fee, you're welcome." Sakura gave up on competing with Sasuke for the last meatball and unceremoniously snatched a hot beef meatball from Shikamaru's bowl.

The girl's swift and decisive food-grabbing action made Shikamaru's eyelids twitch. This girl's skin was probably even thicker than her Ninjutsu!

"Hey! Me, isn't your table-sharing fee a bit too high?" Shikamaru protectively held the bowl in his hand, raised an eyebrow, and complained without any politeness.

"Who's a friend or foe in our 'Truant Quintet?" Sakura Haruno patted Shikamaru on the shoulder and asked casually.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her, speechless at her practiced attempts to build relationships.

Back in the Ninja Academy, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Naruto were Delinquent Quartet who frequently skipped classes. Sakura Haruno was just close to them, but she didn't join them. The so-called "Truant Quintet" was just something she made up on the spot.

However, Shikamaru felt it was better not to reason with women. That would be too troublesome, especially when dealing with a girl he couldn't beat...

Although Sakura Haruno is usually quite reasonable.

"By the way, Sasuke, is this your new technique?" Shikamaru asked, swallowing a dumpling whole with a bamboo skewer.

"More or less!" Sasuke switched to a different pair of chopsticks, picked up the last beef ball from his bowl, and chewed it with lingering relish, reminiscing as he said, "But it's not exactly new. Actually, the idea for Chidori Sharp Spear has been around for a while, and I've been practicing Lightning Release Shape Transformation all along."

"The foundation of this Ninjutsu is Kakashi-sensei's Chidori. The advanced version of Chidori is Lightning Blade. Above Lightning Blade, with the initial Lightning Release Nature Transformation, it becomes Lightning Blade Torrent. And there might be even more advanced ninjutsu beyond that," Sasuke explained, counting on his fingers as he saw Sakura and Shikamaru's eager expressions. "Then another advanced path for Chidori is to add Shape Transformation, turning it into Chidori Sharp Spear. If Chidori Sharp Spear further enhances its Shape Transformation, there will be even stronger advanced Ninjutsu on top of it."

"This is something Kakashi-sensei and I had planned for a while. However, after that battle with Kimimaro, I felt that we could develop the Chidori Sharp Spear first."

"So, is the final form of this technique to take the Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation to the extreme and then merge it into Chidori?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

"That should be it," Sasuke, somewhat uncertainly. "This Ninjutsu will develop into Nintaijutsu style later on, but not like Sakura's Nintaijutsu which incorporates Monstrous Strength Technique. It should be a kind of... um, how so?"

"Secret Technique that Taijutsu and be used as Ninjutsu, right?" Sasuke had discussed this topic with her when they chatted after leaving the hospital, and Sakura probably knew his intentions.

"I understand..." Shikamaru said lazily, understanding what the two were saying was a piece of cake for him with his intelligence. "In the end, it forms a Lightning Release Chakra armor covering the whole body for defense, and can extend or shoot lightning spears for attack? In short, it's a terrifyingly powerful Ninjutsu, right?"

However, despite his understanding, Shikamaru still couldn't connect with these two training fanatics obsessed with developing Ninjutsu. He slumped listlessly in his chair, saying, "You two are always so energetic!"

"Of course! I have a goal I must achieve, and I cannot stop before that!" Sasuke said solemnly.

He swallowed the last bite of food, stood up, and said, "Let's go, Sakura, let's test how to develop this new Ninjutsu! Shikamaru, would you be interested in giving me some pointers?"

"No thanks! I have things to do this afternoon." The boy with the pigtail waved his hand lazily, clearly uninterested in troublesome cultivation.

Sakura Haruno quickly finished the tea in her cup.

Shikamaru stared in disbelief as this tomboy gulped down a full glass of water in a rough manner—she tilted her head back, exposing her long, fair neck completely to Shikamaru's eyes, and drank the water in large gulps, her throat bobbing up and down incessantly.

"Hey, watch your image!" Shikamaru watched as she casually pulled a few tissues from the tissue box and wiped her mouth, and couldn't help but worry about the girl's appearance.

However, Sakura was actually worried about him. "Shikamaru, you're going out to play again this afternoon, right? You should spend more time practicing Ninjutsu. If you're too weak, even the most complicated schemes won't work!"

See you later~ Let's have dinner sometime!

Shikamaru watched with a complicated expression as Sakura patted her shoulder forcefully, hurriedly uttered those words, and waved goodbye, a faint feeling stirring within him.

He unconsciously recalled the chase Chunin Ninja Exams... and the site he had seen during the previous Sasuke operation, the place left behind after Sakura and Kimimaro's battle.

"I hear those two have gotten really strong lately..." Shikamaru sighed and muttered to himself.

"Hmph! If the difference in strength is too great, even friends will feel uncomfortable! What a troublesome thing!"

He quickly finished the remaining meatballs in his bowl, then packed up enough for four people and left the store.

"Hmm... the beef balls here are really good, Sakura wasn't lying to me... let's pack a few to take back for Choji and Ino to try! We can try having a meal here next time."

The bright midday sun outside the shop made him squint involuntarily.

"With such a pleasant atmosphere, should I find a rooftop for a nap, or go play chess with Asuma-sensei?"

He pondered for a moment.

For some reason, I remembered saying, "I have things to do this afternoon."

"Tsk! What the hell? I actually thought going to cultivate this afternoon was a good idea!"

(This is a 5000-word chapter; I'm too lazy to break it up, so I guess double updates today isn't too much to ask.)

(There will be a lot of updates when it goes on sale tomorrow. Please subscribe!)