Unlimited Supply of Military Ration Pills

Akimichi Denji nodded, extended his hand, and activated Scorch Release.

Wind and fire, two diametrically opposed types of chakra, converged and fused in the boy's palm.

The wind burrowed into the fire, and the fire wrapped around the wind, like two snakes coiling together, hissing as they flickered their tongues.

A layer of crimson light surged from beneath Denji's skin, coating his fist like molten lava. Wherever the red light passed, the air twisted and warped, emitting a faint sizzling sound.

Choza's eyes widened abruptly.

He wanted to say "wait," but his throat felt as if it had been seized by something.

He had never seen this kind of ninjutsu before; there were no hand seals.

This wasn't ninjutsu—it was more like a Kekkei Genkai!

"What is this?"

"I don't know."

Denji shook his head. He kept his current knowledge base in mind; he shouldn't know what a Kekkei Genkai was, so he had to play dumb.

"After you taught me the Chakra Refinement Technique yesterday, I tried practicing it, and then I discovered I could do this. But this doesn't seem to be what you described."

Choza's breathing grew rapid. Although he was an Akimichi Clan ninja who specialized in taijutsu, he realized now with one hundred percent certainty that this was a Kekkei Genkai!

A new Kekkei Genkai!

Excitement surged from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his entire body's blood boil.

"Kekkei Genkai..." he muttered to himself, his voice sounding as if it were squeezed from the depths of his throat. "It looks like a fusion of Wind Release and Fire Release... a new Kekkei Genkai..."

"Try attacking me."

Akimichi Choza raised his hand, extending his palm to signal for Denji to strike it.

Akimichi Denji hesitated for a moment; he knew the power of Scorch Release.

Seeing Denji's hesitation, Choza spoke up: "It's fine, you can't hurt me."

Hearing Choza say this, Denji let go of his inner concerns.

Thinking that this father was a famous tank in the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, whose main job was to soak up damage, he figured it should be fine.

Denji planted his feet, twisted his hips, and threw a punch at Choza with his Scorch Release-coated hand.

Choza wore a confident smile as he caught Denji's hand.

The force was decent; although he looked thin, his strength had actually vaguely surpassed that kid Choji.

As expected of the blood of our Akimichi Clan!

He was just about to open his mouth to offer some real praise when a sharp pain shot through his hand, causing him to instinctively let go.

Looking down, the skin on his palm was charred black, having become dry and withered from the loss of moisture.

Was this Denji's Kekkei Genkai?

Unlike Fire Release, it seemed to plunder and evaporate the moisture within the body, so even he would be injured without chakra protection.

Choza instinctively realized that this was a Kekkei Genkai perfectly suited for the Akimichi Clan's combat style.

The Akimichi Clan was a ninja clan famous for their taijutsu, and their secret techniques based on the Multi-Size Technique allowed them to unleash immense power.

If they could pair it with this kind of Kekkei Genkai, their lethality would surely double once again.

Akimichi Choza suddenly turned around and grabbed Denji by the shoulders.

Denji was yanked forward by the force, stumbling a step before looking up at his cheap father's face—that face, usually honest and gentle, was now filled with a near-fanatical expression, his eyes wide, the moonlight reflecting in his pupils.

"Son, this power of yours is called a Kekkei Genkai. It is carved into your bloodline; it is a Kekkei Genkai that you either have from birth or you don't!"

"The reason the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan can become top-tier clans in Konoha is precisely because of this power flowing through their bloodlines."

"If you have more time, and you have a few more children, in time, this Kekkei Genkai will be passed down..."

Choza's gaze toward Denji held a bit more gravity. If it had previously been just a father's doting and guilt toward his son, now there was a hint of a clan head's expectation and appreciation for a piece of unpolished jade.

"When that day comes, our Akimichi Clan might just become a top-tier ninja clan!"

He had only displayed a new Kekkei Genkai, and he hadn't expected Akimichi Choza to make so many leaps in logic, even thinking about having him sow more seeds.

Akimichi Denji asked: "Then what is this Kekkei Genkai called?"

Akimichi Choza thought for a moment: "Your Kekkei Genkai can forcibly plunder moisture from the human body, as if evaporating it. Let's call it Scorch Release!"

His eyes were full of seriousness: "Since you have such high talent, don't let it go to waste."

"The ninjutsu taught at the Ninja Academy is all very basic. Starting tomorrow, I will arrange for clan instructors to slowly teach you our Akimichi Clan's secret techniques."

Akimichi Denji nodded; this was exactly what he wanted.

Choza squatted down: "Before you grow up, use the Akimichi Clan's techniques to protect your Scorch Release well."

"Also, you're as thin as a monkey. You need to eat more. If you're hungry, our Akimichi Clan has Military Ration Pills, and I will provide them to you from now on."

Akimichi Choza had also noticed that Denji possessed a massive appetite, with a particularly high demand for protein.

He had previously assumed it was because the boy had just returned from Amegakure, starving and unaccustomed to decent meals, hence the voracious hunger.

Yet, after all this time, he had not seen the boy gain a single pound.

Even if Akimichi Choza wasn't as sharp as Nara Shikaku, he realized this was likely an effect of the boy's Kekkei Genkai.

Military Ration Pills, those high-energy-density snacks produced by the Akimichi Clan, were exactly what Denji needed to satisfy his requirements.

Choza looked up at the dark night sky, feeling that it was time to go consult with Shikaku.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had been a single entity since the founding of the village, always prospering or suffering together.

Having a genius with a Kekkei Genkai in the Akimichi Clan would be beneficial for all of them.

Besides, such a good thing was worth showing off.

Shikaku had been the one to oppose him taking Denji back and adopting him as a son in the first place.

Thinking about making his old friend eat his words, a mischievous grin spread across Choza's honest face.

"I'll arrange for someone to handle your meals from now on; you won't need to cook for yourself anymore."

After the father and son chatted for a while longer, Choza headed out, though Denji didn't know where he was going.

Akimichi Denji locked the door, finally setting aside his inner concerns.

Exposing his Kekkei Genkai had been part of the plan.

If he could, he would have preferred to develop in peace, hiding away in the Naruto world until he became a god of ninjutsu.

Then, he could have Hinata gasp in surprise: This Akimichi Denji is truly too steady!

But at this point in time, with the main storyline fast approaching, there was little time left for him to develop in peace.

To gain the strength necessary to protect himself in the future, he had no choice but to race against time.

He had to reveal a bit of talent to draw Choza's attention and secure more resources.

This was a bold gamble he had made after careful consideration.

After all, over the month they had spent together, he had seen the genuine care Akimichi Choza held for him; brief interactions could be faked, but long-term words, actions, and the look in someone's eyes could not mimic such sincere concern.

As it turned out, he had indeed won the bet.

Choza had clearly committed to supporting him fully, promising to teach him the secret techniques of the Akimichi Clan and provide an unlimited supply of Military Ration Pills.

Both were things he desperately needed; the former, whether it was the Multi-Size Technique or the clan's taijutsu, would be of immense help in improving his physique.

The latter would increase his energy accumulation rate, as energy points were currently the only way to enhance his physical constitution.

To accumulate energy, he had been eating constantly. However, the energy density of ordinary food was simply too low; if he could switch to Military Ration Pills, it would be a different story... those were specialized wartime rations for ninjas, where a single pill could satisfy a ninja's consumption for three days.