Fierce Bull Azure Dragon Slash

Eiji looked at everyone in the courtyard. Counting the attendants, there were nearly thirty people. What dish would be best for a crowd this size?

He remembered the water buffalo that had entered Konoha with the Daimyo.

So Eiji proposed using one of the Daimyo's water buffalo for the meal. The Retainers immediately objected.

"How could you? Those are divine oxen that symbolize the Daimyo's status! How can you eat them?"

But the Daimyo tapped his folding fan against his palm to show he didn't mind, then ordered a servant to lead one of the water buffalo into the courtyard.

Eiji nodded in satisfaction at the huge animal. He darted back into the Ancestral Home, rummaged around, and emerged with a massive cleaver a full meter long.

"Isn't that from Grandpa's collection? What are you taking it out for? Hey, Eiji, you're not going to..."

Tsunade stared at the cleaver in Eiji's hand. He was obviously going to slaughter the buffalo with it.

But wasn't using a cleaver to kill a buffalo a bit much?

Eiji hefted the enormous Ninja Blade. It was heavy, but its edge was exceptionally sharp.

Not bad. This should work for that technique.

Eiji approached the water buffalo without a flicker of expression. It was still calmly grazing on the weeds, utterly unaware of what was coming. The Daimyo, his Retainers, and even Kushina and the others looked startled.

"No way. He's just going to chop at it like that? The buffalo's still alive and eating grass! He has to kill it first, at least."

"Even if he's a Ninja, there's no way he can do it."

Eiji stood before the water buffalo. The animal was taller than he was.

He took a deep breath, raised his arm, and brought the blade down with all his strength!

He wasn't done!

A second slash! A third! A fourth! A fifth!

Horizontal cuts, diagonal strikes—Eiji slashed at the buffalo from every angle!

His speed drew gasps from everyone watching.

Eiji's arm moved so fast it left afterimages. When he finished, he twirled the long blade and struck a pose as though sheathing it.

"Fierce Bull Azure Dragon Slash!"

Everyone stared blankly. Then, to their astonishment, they saw that the buffalo was still grazing without a care in the world!

"W-what's going on? Am I dreaming?"

One of the chefs rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Wasn't that buffalo cut? Why isn't there a single wound? Was everything we just saw fake?"

The amateurs saw a spectacle; Tsunade saw what lay beneath it. Cold sweat broke out across her skin.

That brat!

Genjutsu? No, that's not it... He definitely hit it!

Then why can't I see any injuries? Could it be...!?

A terrifying possibility formed in her mind. But it was too outrageous—Tsunade couldn't believe such a fearsome sword technique existed.

"What was that? The buffalo's perfectly fine! So much for your Fierce Bull Azure Dragon Slash!"

"Exactly! Your blade work was fast and impressive, sure, but a trick like that won't kill a buffalo!"

The Retainers watching began shouting at Eiji, baffled by what they had seen.

Eiji ignored their jeers. He walked around to the buffalo's front and rested a hand on its lowered forehead.

"Rest in peace."

As soon as he spoke, lines of light appeared across the buffalo's body. Every one traced the path of Eiji's earlier strikes!

"W-what? It's really glowing!?"

The Daimyo sat bolt upright. Before his horrified eyes, the water buffalo's legs gave way. It collapsed, and its body split apart, opening outward like a flower!

The buffalo that had been grazing moments ago was now butchered into pieces!

"The cow!" Nawaki shouted.

"That was amazing! I knew you could do it, Eiji!" Kushina raised a fist and cheered for him.

Sayuri's perpetually narrowed eyes went wide. She covered her mouth, which had fallen open in shock.

Tsunade replayed the sequence in her mind. From the first downward slash through every cut that followed, Eiji's blade had struck the buffalo. Yet it had passed perfectly between the animal's cell membranes.

As a result, the buffalo hadn't lost a single drop of blood. It hadn't even realized it had been cut.

It was terrifying!

After that, no one dared question Eiji's skill. Everyone watched his next move intently.

Eiji wheeled a huge barbecue grill out from the backyard. He had made it himself.

Barbecue might not be popular in the Shinobi World, but how could someone from Blue Star go without it?

"Kushina, there are some special seasonings I prepared in the Cupboard. Sorry for the trouble, but could you bring them all out?"

"Sure! Leave it to me!"

After asking Kushina for help, Eiji got to work grilling the meat.

Fresh beef went onto the grill. He poured on oil, lit the charcoal, and before long, the aroma of beef filled the courtyard.

Then he evenly sprinkled the special seasonings Kushina had brought over the meat, and the aroma grew richer still!

With a barbecue this large, it was usually easy to char the meat. But with the perception granted by Eiji's Six Eyes, his control over the heat was nearly perfect.

He was a master of fire like one from Cooking Master Boy, keeping every part of the meat at an even temperature without letting any of it burn.

Seeing that everyone was practically drooling, Eiji wasted no time. He flipped a large piece of grilled meat into the air with his blade.

The blade flashed, and the meat broke into countless bite-sized pieces that fell onto the waiting plates.

Eiji then used Azure to instantly transport the grilled beef to the dining table. His deft display drew even more amazed murmurs.

The Daimyo was the first to pick up a piece of beef with his chopsticks. Its aroma reached him before the meat did, and he abandoned all pretense of elegance and put it straight into his mouth.

"Mm!?"

The Daimyo's eyes widened. A lilting melody rang in his ears, and he felt as though he were floating through the universe, spinning among great quantities of dancing beef.

Th-this...!

"Delicious! It's absolutely delicious! His knife work isn't the only thing that's exceptional—the flavor is first-rate too! No, this is the best beef dish I've ever eaten!"

Hearing the Daimyo say that, the Retainers could no longer hold back. They rushed forward to eat, and soon even the chefs and servants joined in.

"Perfection! What have I been eating all my life?"

Everyone shoved and jostled for a share. In the end, even the Daimyo had to fight his Retainers for another bite, and the contest grew fierce.

Watching everyone scramble for the food, Eiji wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. At that moment, someone offered him a pale handkerchief.

"Thank you for all your hard work. That was truly outstanding cooking, Lord Eiji."