Nara Shikaku had known Nara Dan since they were children.
They had become acquainted because whenever Shikaku tried to take a nap, the noise from Dan's extensive Taijutsu training would wake him up.
It had naturally been agony for the lazy Shikaku.
Until one day, Shikaku couldn't take it anymore. He set out to confront the person making all that noise.
But when he entered Dan's courtyard, he was stunned by what he saw.
The ground was littered with broken wooden posts, and even the solid training floor was riddled with cracks.
Even more astonishingly, the training dummy Dan had been striking wasn't made of wood.
It was solid iron!
That was the source of all the noise: the tremendous din of Dan's fists pounding against solid iron.
From then on, Shikaku came to know this oddball of the Nara Clan all too well.
"Still, Dan, what do you think those old geezers will say about you at today's clan meeting?"
Shikaku grinned, looking as if he were waiting for a show.
"We've arrived at the meeting hall. Don't say anything careless."
Dan didn't answer Shikaku directly. Instead, he looked toward a building ahead.
At that moment, a Nara waiting at the entrance came over to greet them.
"Lord Dan, the clan meeting has already begun. Please go in."
Dan nodded and walked straight inside.
The clan meeting was said to have begun, but the hall was completely silent. Not a sound could be heard.
That was because the main topic of discussion at this meeting was none other than Dan.
As soon as Dan entered the hall, every clan member's gaze turned toward him.
It wasn't just because he was the focus of today's meeting. His build was also strikingly unusual among the Nara Clan.
Among the Nara, whose average height was around 1.7 meters,
Dan stood nearly 1.9 meters tall, with muscles like solid rock. His imposing figure cast a shadow over those around him, making it impossible not to notice him.
Dan swept his gaze across the room, his eyes sharp as lightning.
His powerfully trained physique radiated a crushing presence, and every Nara who met his gaze quickly looked away.
Even the creaking of the wooden floor beneath his unusually heavy footsteps made the atmosphere feel oppressive.
Seeing this, the Nara Clan Head sighed inwardly.
Strictly speaking, the Nara Clan was now in a difficult position, with a gap between generations. Its capable Elite Jonin had grown old,
while the next generation of shinobi were still children, nowhere near grown, or simply lacked the talent.
And the only younger clan member who could truly be called outstanding—
someone whose talent few in Nara history could rival—was, unfortunately...
Regardless, the composure expected of a clan head meant he never let his feelings show.
The Nara Clan Head spoke slowly:
"Dan, now that you're here, take a seat."
"Yes, Clan Head."
Dan's expression didn't change as he went straight to the Clan Head's right. Shikaku followed close behind.
After a brief pause, the Nara Clan Head began the day's main topic.
"Three days ago, Nara Dan became a Special Jonin. He is the twenty-seventh member of our clan currently serving at Jonin rank."
"Since the Second Shinobi World War, he is also the first—and only—member of our Nara Clan to be promoted."
The Nara Clan Head slowly laid out the subject of the meeting.
But contrary to the joy one might expect at a promising young clan member's success, the more he spoke, the more oppressive—and even peculiar—the atmosphere in the hall became.
Still, this did nothing to interrupt the Clan Head. He turned to Dan and said,
"Dan, becoming a Special Jonin at the age of seventeen, in peacetime, is proof of your undeniable talent."
"Given your record and strength, it's only a matter of time before you lose the word 'Special' from your title."
"The clan is proud of your achievements."
"Today's clan meeting is to reward you on behalf of the Nara House."
At that, a servant stepped forward and presented a tray to Dan.
Three items rested on it: ten pounds of Chakra Metal, a contract, and a scroll whose contents were unknown.
The Chakra Metal needed no explanation. The Nara Clan Head knew Dan had a great need for the material and used a great deal of it.
Although he didn't know the specifics of Dan's Secret Technique, he had a general idea.
The Chakra Metal was chosen to suit Dan's tastes. After all, it wasn't something one could simply buy with money.
Chakra Metal could be used to forge weapons of considerable power, allowing a shinobi to challenge—and even kill—opponents of a higher rank.
In any shinobi village, it was a tightly controlled military resource, more valuable than consumables such as Explosive Tags and Kunai.
Without a certain level of authority, one couldn't even get access to it.
That was why Dan's expression shifted slightly. Ten pounds of Chakra Metal—if he used it sparingly, it would be enough to make three weapons entirely of Chakra Metal.
By "entirely," of course, one meant something few would be extravagant enough to do. Most weapons were made with only a small amount of Chakra Metal mixed in.
The contract was an agreement granting him a share in the clan's businesses.
Every Jonin in the Nara House received a share in its various enterprises, which meant a monthly dividend.
The contract promised a monthly dividend of one million ryo. As far as Dan knew, that was the standard for an Elite Jonin in the clan.
As for the last item, he didn't know what it was, but it was unlikely to be worth less than the other two.
The Nara Clan truly lived up to its reputation as the wise deer of Ino-Shika-Cho. They excelled in both intelligence and unity.
Whether or not Dan practiced the Nara Clan's Shadow Secret Technique, the clan spared no effort in winning over a valuable asset like him.
And it wasn't just today. They had done so for years.
That was why Dan was willing to maintain close ties with the clan.
"Thank you, Clan Head."
Dan spoke sincerely, but said nothing more. He put away the items the clan had awarded him, then sat back down.
The Nara Clan Head was a little helpless. He had hoped Dan would say a few more words to inspire the clan members.
But he knew Dan's temperament and didn't press him.
The other Nara elders, seeing the scene, wore complicated expressions. For a moment, they didn't know what to feel.
The Nara Clan had always been known throughout the Ninja World for its strategic minds and Shadow Secret Technique. That had been true for generations, and the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance had existed for nearly a century.
Yet in this generation, Nara Dan had appeared—a complete oddball who defied all reason.
Was he a Nara? His parents and ancestors were all proper members of the clan.
Was he not? He had barely practiced the Shadow Secret Technique and had instead devoted himself to Taijutsu.
If he were just a child messing around, that would be one thing. With the intelligence inherited in the Nara bloodline, he would eventually understand that the clan's time-honed Secret Technique was a precious legacy that even civilian shinobi and small shinobi clans could only dream of obtaining.
That was what Shikaku had meant when he said the elders would have plenty to say about Dan.
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