Fierce Bull Azure Dragon Slash

Eiji looked at everyone in the courtyard. Including the attendants, there were nearly thirty people. What dish would suit a crowd this size?

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

When Eiji proposed using one of the Daimyo's water buffalo, the retainers immediately objected.

"How can you do that? Those are sacred cattle that symbolize the Daimyo's status! You can't eat them!"

But the Daimyo tapped his folding fan against his palm and said it was fine. He ordered a servant to lead one of the water buffalo into the courtyard.

Eiji nodded in satisfaction at the huge animal, then leaped back into the Ancestral Home. After some rummaging, he emerged with a massive cleaver a full meter long.

"Isn't that one of Grandpa's collectibles? What did you bring it out for? Hey, Eiji, you're not going to..."

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

But wasn't killing a buffalo with a cleaver a bit absurd?

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

Not bad. This should work for that technique.

Eiji walked toward the buffalo without a flicker of concern. It kept grazing on the weeds, utterly unaware of what was coming. The Daimyo, his retainers, and even Kushina and the others looked on in astonishment.

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

"Even so, it won't work. Not even a Ninja could do that."

Eiji stopped in front of the water buffalo. He wasn't even as tall as it 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 chops—Eiji struck the buffalo from every angle!

His speed drew cries of surprise from the crowd.

Eiji's arm moved so fast it left afterimages. When he finished, he spun the long blade in a flourish and struck a sheathing pose.

"Fierce Bull Azure Dragon Slash—"

Everyone stood frozen. Then, to their shock, they saw that the buffalo was still placidly eating grass!

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

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

"Wasn't the buffalo cut? Why isn't there a single wound? Was all that just an illusion?"

The onlookers saw a spectacle; Tsunade saw the skill behind it. Cold sweat broke out across her skin.

That little brat!

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

Then why doesn't the buffalo look injured at all? Could it be...!?

A terrifying possibility formed in her mind, but it was too outrageous. Tsunade couldn't believe such swordsmanship existed.

"What? The buffalo's completely fine! So much for the Fierce Bull Azure Dragon Slash!"

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

The retainers, who had only come to watch, began shouting at Eiji in confusion.

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

"Rest in peace."

As his words fell, lines of light appeared across the buffalo's body. They followed the exact paths of Eiji's earlier slashes!

"Wh-what? It really is glowing!?"

The Daimyo sat bolt upright. Before his horrified eyes, the buffalo's legs gave way and it collapsed. Then its body split open in every direction like a blooming flower!

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

"The buffalo!" Nawaki shouted.

"That was incredible! I knew you could do it, Eiji!" Kushina cheered, raising a fist.

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

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

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

Terrifying!

After that, no one dared question Eiji's ability. They watched his next move with rapt attention.

Eiji wheeled an enormous grill out from the backyard. He had made it himself.

After all, barbecue wasn't popular in the Shinobi World, but how could someone from Blue Star live without it?

"Kushina, I've got some special seasonings in the cupboard. Sorry for the trouble, but could you bring them all out?"

"Sure! Leave it to me!"

With Kushina on her way, Eiji began cooking.

Fresh beef went onto the grill. He drizzled it with oil and lit the charcoal. Before long, the aroma of beef filled the courtyard.

When Kushina returned with the special seasonings, Eiji scattered them evenly over the meat. The aroma instantly grew even richer!

With a grill this large, it was usually easy to burn the meat. But with his Six Eyes, Eiji could judge the temperature with extraordinary precision.

He was a master of fire control straight out of Cooking Master Boy, keeping every part of the meat at the perfect temperature without burning a spot.

Seeing everyone struggle to hold back their drool, Eiji wasted no time. He flicked a large piece of beef into the air with his blade.

The blade flashed, and the meat fell in countless bite-sized pieces onto the prepared plates.

Eiji then used Azure to send the barbecue straight to the dining table, drawing even more admiration for his skill.

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

"Mmm!?"

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

Th-this...!

"Delicious! Absolutely delicious! His knife skills aren't the only thing that's first-rate—the flavor is too! No, this is the finest beef dish I've ever eaten!"

After hearing that, the retainers could restrain themselves no longer and rushed forward to eat. Soon even the cooks 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 competition grew fierce.

Watching them scramble for the food, Eiji wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Just then, a white handkerchief was offered to him.

"Thank you for all your effort, Lord Eiji. Your cooking skills are truly exceptional."