The Incredibly Generous Rewards!

"[Lacquer Eye]!"

The best way to dispel doubts was to put solid, convincing evidence on the table.

Staring at Nara Kaikei's dark, unfathomable eyes and the shadowy tentacles writhing freely beneath his feet.

The surprise on Nara Shikano's aged face vanished, instantly replaced by delight and solemnity.

"Come with me to the quiet room!"

Inside the quiet room, before a tea table.

Nara Kaikei and Nara Shikano sat facing each other.

"Your eyes... Forget it, talking is far too inefficient!"

The moment he sat down, Nara Shikano spoke impatiently.

"Right here, use your jutsu and attack me!

"Actual combat is the only standard for testing the effects of ninjutsu!"

There was such a good deal?

Nara Kaikei had been considering how to steer the clan head into issuing an S-Rank commissioned mission.

Yet he had not expected the other man to offer him a small gift first.

Upon hearing this, he raised his eyes toward the man across from him. Shadows surged in the depths of his pupils as he activated his jutsu without the slightest warning.

[Lacquer Eye]!

[Shadow Stitching Technique]!

Hiss—

Despite not forming a single hand seal, two incomparably sharp shadow blades rose behind Nara Kaikei. Howling as they tore through the air, they slashed toward Nara Shikano.

What? This level of casting speed?

Noticing the abnormally swift shadow blades, Nara Shikano's pupils constricted slightly.

Kaikei has actually trained the clan's secret techniques to this extent?

At that critical moment, Nara Shikano brought his hands together and formed the "Rooster" hand seal as quickly as possible. An oval-shaped shadow shield rose from beneath his seat, blocking the shadow blades.

A secret technique of the Nara Clan, the defense-specialized [Shadow Shield Technique]!

Thud!

The shadow blades collided with the shadow shield in midair, producing a brief, muffled sound as the air trembled slightly.

A B-Rank Mission prompt instantly appeared on Nara Kaikei's panel.

A battle mission against the head of Konoha's Jonin Squad!

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

[B-Rank Mission: Head of the Nara Clan]

[Mission Objective: ...]

Speedrun! Speedrun!

Nara Kaikei did not even wait for the panel to display the full mission details before issuing the command in his mind.

[You have speedrun [B-Rank Mission: Head of the Nara Clan]!]

[You have obtained a C-Rank [Ninja Scroll]!]

Almost at the same time.

Nara Shikano's voice reached him.

"That's enough. Stop, Kaikei."

Having claimed a C-Rank consolation prize at light speed, Nara Kaikei readily complied. He stopped using the [Shadow Stitching Technique], leaving only the effects of the [Lacquer Eye] jutsu active.

"You can cast the B-Rank [Shadow Stitching Technique] without any hand seals."

Nara Shikano likewise dismissed the Shadow Shield Technique. Pinching his grizzled goatee, he made its tips tremble slightly.

"The potential of these eyes is truly astonishing!"

The Nara Clan's [Shadow Secret Technique] did not generally require the aid of hand seals when it came to low-level techniques such as [Shadow Binding Technique] and [Shadow Gathering Technique].

But once one entered the realm of advanced secret techniques, such as the more powerful and destructive [Shadow Stitching Technique].

To maintain the stability of the ninjutsu's effects, some hand seals were still necessary.

Not many were needed—just a single "Rooster" seal.

But if one could truly discard the step of forming hand seals altogether while still maintaining stable jutsu effects...

No member of the Nara Clan could refuse that!

Hand seals were simply too troublesome.

After nearly twisting out several beard hairs, Nara Shikano lowered his hand and looked solemnly at Nara Kaikei.

"Kaikei, can these eyes truly eliminate the hand seal process for the [Shadow Secret Technique] entirely?"

"At the very least, in my tests, they can eliminate the hand seal process for [Shadow Binding Technique], [Shadow Gathering Technique], and [Shadow Stitching Technique]."

Nara Kaikei handed the [Lacquer Eye] jutsu scroll to the clan head.

"At the same time, they can prevent the additional consumption of Physical Energy caused by the [Shadow Secret Technique] during use."

That was undoubtedly another tremendous surprise!

Reducing the Physical Energy consumption of the [Shadow Secret Technique] meant that members of the Nara Clan could maintain more abundant Physical Energy during battle, allowing them to extract more ordinary Chakra.

This point alone could significantly raise the Nara Clan's overall strength!

However...

Nara Shikano gently stroked the surface of the [Lacquer Eye] jutsu scroll a few times. Though he was clearly excited, even exhilarated, he did not open it immediately.

"Kaikei, as the head of the Nara Clan, I should have accepted without hesitation this jutsu scroll that would greatly benefit the Nara Clan, using it to revive the clan's glory."

Nara Shikano pushed the [Lacquer Eye] jutsu scroll back toward him and spoke in a low voice.

"But as an old man of the Nara Clan in his fifties, the effects of your jutsu are simply too good—so good that they have exceeded the limits of what the current Nara Clan can bear."

The limits of the deer clan?

Nara Kaikei frowned. He looked at the [Lacquer Eye] scroll, then at Nara Shikano.

"But during the development of [Lacquer Eye], Clan Head, you gave me so much help. Now is the time to take back the 'repayment' that belongs to you and the clan."

If the [Lacquer Eye] jutsu had been developed entirely by Nara Kaikei alone.

He would have been reluctant to share it with the clan so readily.

But without Nara Shikano's help, it would have taken Nara Kaikei at least another three years to develop [Lacquer Eye]!

Nara Kaikei was not some ungrateful wretch who did not know how to repay kindness.

"Those were merely insignificant things."

Nara Shikano waved his hand.

"The research scrolls I gave you before were merely bits of experimental knowledge obtained by some of the clan's elders through observing and deducing the Sharingan in the past."

As a clan whose inheritance focused on researching Yin Release Secret Techniques, who could resist the temptation of the Sharingan?

The Nara Clan truly had been "coveting" the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.

But this "coveting" was not about gouging out an Uchiha's eyeballs and placing them in their own eye sockets or arms.

Rather, they wanted to use their own wisdom to replicate a pair of Yin Release Eyes similar to the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan!

The Nara Clan's heritage ran deep. Countless people throughout history had conducted research in this area, but unfortunately, none had produced results.

Still, these predecessors had each left behind records of their research into Yin Release Eyes.

The "experience of predecessors" Nara Shikano had previously provided referred precisely to these records. (Chapter 11)

"Originally, I never expected you to truly complete this jutsu..."

Nara Shikano looked at Nara Kaikei with immense gratification, interrupting what the latter had intended to say.

"Enough. What I mean is that the clan cannot bear the weight of this scroll right now, not that we do not wish to accept it."

"Then should I take the scroll back?"

Nara Kaikei fell silent for a moment before asking quietly.

"Wait until the clan can bear these [Lacquer Eye]s?"

"Yes, wait..."

Nara Shikano gazed at Nara Kaikei, his eyes filled with immense anticipation.

Wait until the day you can break through the limits of the Nara Clan!

"All right..."

Nara Kaikei took back the [Lacquer Eye] jutsu scroll somewhat unhappily.

He had originally wanted to use the [Lacquer Eye] jutsu scroll to obtain an S-Rank commissioned mission from the clan head.

Nara Kaikei also felt somewhat unwilling to simply offer the A-Rank jutsu [Lacquer Eye] to the clan.

But if he could exchange it for an S-Rank [Ninja Scroll], he would gladly do so.

As for the "limits of the Nara Clan" Nara Shikano had just mentioned...

Nara Kaikei had no interest in that.

"Kaikei, you seem rather unhappy?"

"A little."

Nara Kaikei nodded, smoothly directing the topic toward missions.

"Just now, I heard something from you about an S-Rank Mission..."

"Ha ha!"

Nara Shikano laughed twice.

"Developing such an impressive ninjutsu—especially one that offers such targeted help to our Nara Clan—indeed deserves an S-Rank Mission!

"Let me think. This S-Rank Mission shall be called [Eye of Shadow]!"

In truth, even if Nara Kaikei had not brought it up, Nara Shikano would have taken the initiative to discuss it.

He truly held immense expectations for Nara Kaikei's growth.

Thus, he was not stingy at all with investing resources in Nara Kaikei!

The name of an "S-Rank Mission" was the best excuse.

And just as the words S-Rank Mission left Nara Shikano's mouth.

A new prompt appeared on Nara Kaikei's panel.

An unprecedented S-Rank Mission prompt!

[Detected: S-Rank Ninja Commissioned Mission triggered.]

[S-Rank Mission: Eye of Shadow]

[Mission Objective: Develop an exclusive Yin Release Eye for the Nara Clan.]

[Mission Reward: One S-Rank Ninja Scroll.]

The S-Rank Ninja Commissioned Mission he had been anticipating had been triggered just like that?

Nara Kaikei's heart immediately filled with immense delight.

And what delighted him even more were Nara Shikano's next words.

"Since you have already developed [Lacquer Eye], this S-Rank Mission, [Eye of Shadow], counts as completed."

As soon as the clan head's words fell, three new prompts appeared on the virtual panel.

[You have submitted the A-Rank jutsu scroll [Lacquer Eye] to the client!]

[S-Rank Mission [Eye of Shadow] completed!]

[You have obtained one S-Rank [Ninja Scroll]!]

The S-Rank [Ninja Scroll] was truly his!

But the surprise did not end there.

"Since you have completed an S-rank Clan Mission, how could the clan possibly offer no reward?"

Nara Shikano smiled freely.

"From today onward, all secret techniques and medical records of the Nara Clan will be completely open to you."

Nara Kaikei marveled at Nara Shikano's generosity.

"Clan Head, shouldn't this sort of matter be discussed with the clan elders?"

"Do not worry, Kaikei. There may be lazy people in the Nara Clan, but there are absolutely no fools."