B-Rank Ninja Commissioned Mission: [Apprehend Spy]! (Please Bookmark, Please Recommend)

"No, no. Stop taking the medicine? Can't stop."

Nara Kaikei licked his lips. Like a starving man seeing food, a predatory gleam flashed in his eyes.

"The [Lacquer Eye] technique I developed only solved the issue of the [Shadow Secret Technique]'s extra consumption of Physical Energy.

"As things stand, I still need that Nara Secret Medicine to keep nourishing my body.

"And don't think I don't know that the Nara Secret Medicine you prepare is basically brewed in advance by the pharmacy and delivered to our home. It hardly takes any time at all."

If not for keeping up appearances,

Nara Kaikei would have wanted Nara Shusuke to step it up—

No, increase the dosage!

"But it really does interfere with the time I spend being lovey-dovey with my wife."

Nara Shusuke spoke with complete conviction.

"Little Kaikei, you're already an adult—well, I mean, you're already a ninja. You can't rely on your parents for everything."

"Yes, Little Kaikei."

Nara Pingzi picked up the conversation from the side.

"Also, regarding the move, Shusuke and I discussed it last night.

"We really are moving, but you don't need to come with us. Once we move in, you can move out.

"When you have time later, buy yourself a house! Anywhere is fine.

"If you want to keep living at Kikyo Orphanage, that's fine too."

Nara Kaikei mechanically stuffed a mouthful of egg fried rice into his mouth. His jaw twitched a few times, but it tasted like wax.

[Precision +1]

[Precision: E+ → D-]

The hearty meal at the orphanage, the lavish ramen after returning home, the Nara Secret Medicine before training, and today's dog food... breakfast.

All of it had directly raised Nara Kaikei's [Precision] attribute by an entire major rank!

Yet the increase in [Precision] brought him little joy at the moment.

Nara Kaikei scraped the rice grains off his plate. "Am I being thrown out of the house?"

"Don't make us sound like irresponsible parents who don't care about their child's growth."

Nara Shusuke took his wife's hand, scooped up a spoonful of omurice to feed her, and spoke casually.

"Little Kaikei, this should be called 'starting your own household.'

"When a child grows up, their parents don't need to worry so much about them... Anyway, you get it."

Then I must be someone else's child!

Nara Kaikei set down his spotless plate.

Amid Nara Shusuke and Nara Pingzi feeding each other, breakfast finally came to an end.

"Oh, right. One more thing."

Nara Shusuke held up his gleaming spoon and looked toward his son, who was resting with his eyes closed—out of sight, out of mind.

"Now that your black-eye ninjutsu is complete, when are you planning to submit it to Clan Head Shikano?"

Nara Shikano, the current head of the Nara Clan and Nara Shikaku's father.

"It's [Lacquer Eye], not black eye."

Nara Kaikei opened his eyes and replied with perfect calm.

"Once I finish organizing the final practical-use data, I'll submit it to the clan head... At the latest, within three days."

Nara Kaikei had not developed the [Lacquer Eye] technique through his efforts alone.

If he could independently develop an A-Rank Ninjutsu entirely from scratch,

then the title of "Professor of Ninjutsu" should be taken from Hiruzen Sarutobi and given to him!

Besides his own efforts, the two most important sources of support for Nara Kaikei's development of the [Lacquer Eye] technique had come from Nara Shusuke and Nara Shikano.

As the director of the Nara Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Nara Shusuke had funded a vast amount of research material on ninja nervous systems, especially the Optic Nerve system, during the development of [Lacquer Eye].

Meanwhile, as the current head of the Nara Clan, Nara Shikano had also provided considerable "experience from his predecessors" during the development of [Lacquer Eye], though that would not be discussed for now.

The two of them could be considered the "angel investors" of the [Lacquer Eye] ninjutsu research project.

Logically speaking, after successfully developing the [Lacquer Eye] technique, Nara Kaikei really did need to share the research results with Nara Shusuke and Nara Shikano, the two "angel investors."

"So soon..."

Nara Shusuke shrugged, and that relaxed, unhurried posture earned him a passionate kiss from Nara Pingzi.

"Looks like I can't keep up."

"Is your research result almost ready too?"

Nara Kaikei's gaze shifted slightly.

He knew Nara Shusuke's general research direction: combining the "nervous system" with the "Shadow Secret Technique."

It might have sounded somewhat profound, but Nara Kaikei had already formed a small guess.

As the times advanced, was the [Shadow Binding Technique] about to receive an "upgrade" too...

"Just a little more."

Nara Shusuke kissed his wife back, utterly unconcerned by the little light bulb beside them.

"Though I hate to admit it, Pingzi's Medical Ninjutsu level really isn't as high as I imagined.

"Of course, that isn't Pingzi's problem. It's mine.

"If only I'd chosen an easier topic back then."

Upon hearing those self-reproachful words, Nara Pingzi's eyes instantly filled with hearts.

"Wah... darling..."

Nara Kaikei shot to his feet and fled from the sickeningly sweet couple at top speed.

Reaching the front door, Nara Kaikei took a specially made short whistle from his ninja tool pouch and blew it.

Fweee—

The clear, lingering whistle traveled far into the forest beyond Kikyo Castle, causing countless deer to raise their heads alertly.

Before long,

a tall, well-built, fat male deer came galloping into Nara Kaikei's Line of Sight.

"Big Horn."

Nara Kaikei deftly flipped onto the stag's back and lightly squeezed with his legs.

"To the village."

"Eee!"

Big Horn nimbly turned around and headed steadily toward Konoha.

Riding on Big Horn's back, Nara Kaikei gripped the pair of imposing, powerful antlers atop its head as thoughts churned through his mind.

Nara Shusuke's words just now had made one thing very clear—his research had been forced to halt because he lacked a sufficiently skilled medical ninja.

The Nara Clan was indeed responsible for maintaining the overall functioning of Konoha's medical system.

But the "medical methods" in which the Nara Clan excelled were completely different from those of ordinary medical ninja.

One example made this easy to understand.

The Nara Clan was like pharmacists, prescribing medicine to treat illnesses;

medical ninja were like priests, using "healing magic"—Medical Ninjutsu!

Moreover, as a secret technique clan skilled in Yin Release, very few members of the Nara Clan could even learn Medical Ninjutsu, much less master it.

So if I want to keep advancing Shusuke's research, I'll need the help of professional medical ninja—especially high-level medical ninja proficient in the human nervous system.

Nara Kaikei quickly sorted through his thoughts.

And I happen to know no fewer than two Elite medical ninja!

"Good morning, Nara-kun!"

Hearing that pleasant voice, Nara Kaikei looked up, and a blonde Big Fat Sheep suddenly entered his Line of Sight.

He nodded instinctively.

"Yeah, Tsunade."

Come to think of it, Tsunade really was Konoha's top—

"Our relationship isn't close enough for that, is it?"

Tsunade pressed one hand against Big Horn's head, then extended an index finger and lightly tapped Nara Kaikei's forehead a few times.

"Call me Lady Tsunade!"

Damn, damn, damn!

Nara Kaikei signaled Big Horn to take a few steps back.

I have to get rid of this bad habit of spacing out as soon as possible!

He looked toward "Lady Tsunade." Compared to yesterday, her outfit was slightly more formal.

Why only "slightly"...

Because Tsunade had merely added one more "piece of clothing" beneath her short sleeves and hot pants—a black fishnet bodysuit!

Fine, taut black threads stood out against skin as soft and pale as jade, while pieces of plump flesh bulged slightly through the diamond-shaped gaps in the fishnet, inexplicably making one drool.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Nara Kaikei's call was exceptionally crisp.

Yet his decisiveness somehow made Tsunade feel a little displeased.

"Our relationship isn't distant enough for that either, is it?"

The blonde Big Fat Sheep reached out and grabbed Nara Kaikei directly, hauling him down from Big Horn's back.

"Call me... Sister Tsunade!"

This time, Nara Kaikei wanted to ask the question from earlier.

Lady Tsunade, are we close enough for that?

"Eee~"

Big Horn offered strong support at that moment. Its wet black eyes stared fixedly at Tsunade as it lowered its head.

It looked as if, should Tsunade refuse to let go, it would use its sharp antlers to pierce the lungs of this sparsely furred monkey!

"Nara, your family's deer is pretty interesting!"

Tsunade grinned at Big Horn.

"It's actually bowing to me~"

It's trying to gore your lungs!

Nara Kaikei waved at Big Horn, signaling it to go play with the does.

He was not worried that Big Horn might hurt Tsunade, who did not understand deer attack postures.

He was worried Tsunade would send Big Horn to meet its great-grandmother with one punch...

"Lady Tsu—Sister Tsunade."

Under the Big Fat Sheep's intimidating stare, Nara Kaikei obediently corrected himself.

"I didn't expect you to really ride a deer to school, haha!"

Now satisfied, Tsunade burst into laughter.

"I was originally planning to go to your house to find you, but I didn't expect to run into you on the way.

"Then let's go together and do a mission!"

Nara Kaikei was completely confused upon hearing Tsunade's words.

"Do a mission?"

"Yeah, a B-Rank Mission that the Hokage's Office just issued."

Tsunade took the lead and strode toward Konoha.

"The Analysis Unit dug out plenty of useful intelligence from the brain of that Iwagakure Spy we encountered yesterday, including the locations of some Iwagakure spies scattered throughout Konoha.

"Our mission today is to keep capturing those spies!

"But don't worry. These spies are far weaker than the one from yesterday. At most, they're only Chunin."

As Tsunade finished speaking, a mission prompt appeared on Nara Kaikei's panel.

[Detected: B-Rank Ninja Commissioned Mission triggered!]

[B-Rank Mission: Apprehend Spy]

[Mission Details: Pursue, apprehend, and kill low-level Iwagakure spies]

[Mission Reward: One B-Rank Ninja Scroll]