Skeleton swimming

The next day, Wednesday, brought fine weather and a gentle, pleasant breeze.

Uchiha Naruto left the library, headed straight out of the school gates, and walked slowly down the long slope outside.

It was mid-April. Since the weather had been slightly colder than in previous years, the Cherry Blossom Front had reached Tokyo a little later than usual, and cherry blossoms were still in full bloom throughout the city.

Japan was a land of cherry blossoms. Every spring, they bloomed in succession from south to north as the weather warmed, starting in Okinawa and continuing all the way to Hokkaido. This progression had a rather poetic-sounding name: the Cherry Blossom Front.

There were indeed several cherry trees in the courtyard of Jinguji High School. Their blossoms were magnificent, their falling petals a riot of color. Even someone as unromantic as Uchiha Naruto couldn't help marveling that the beauty of cherry blossoms truly lived up to its reputation.

The trees planted along both sides of the slope outside the gates were maples, not cherry trees. Otherwise, the view at this time of year would have been breathtaking.

Just as he was thinking this, a black Toyota Century slowly pulled up from behind. Its window rolled down, revealing a pretty face wearing an expression somewhere between a pout and a smile.

"Good afternoon, Uchiha."

The black luxury car sped up slightly to draw level with Uchiha Naruto. Matsudaira Chiyo opened the door and spoke to him.

"I'm going to the Takasaki Izakaya too. Get in."

Uchiha Naruto took her up on the offer and climbed into the back seat.

The black luxury car had a spacious interior, with two rows of seats facing each other. Matsudaira Chiyo sat sideways in the rear row, wearing black casual clothes rather than her school uniform.

An ordinary-looking woman in a black suit, with unusually sharp eyes, was braiding Matsudaira Chiyo's long, silky black hair.

When she saw Uchiha Naruto get in, she scrutinized him for a long moment with a stern, appraising gaze, then frowned.

"Pretty comfortable, isn't it?" Matsudaira Chiyo asked with a smile when she noticed Uchiha Naruto curiously inspecting the car's luxurious interior.

"It's all right."

By then, Matsudaira Chiyo's long hair had been tied into two braids. She faced the Black-Suited Woman and closed her eyes. The woman took out an elegant makeup case and applied powder to her face with a puff.

Matsudaira Chiyo's originally snow-white skin took on a slightly yellowish tint. Whatever tools and techniques the Black-Suited Woman used, freckles appeared on Matsudaira Chiyo's face as well.

Finally, she took a pair of thick, round-lensed glasses from her bag and put them on. At first glance, she looked like an entirely different person.

"What are you going to the Takasaki Izakaya for?" Uchiha Naruto asked.

"I've visited other izakayas over the past few days, but that can't compare to an on-site investigation. After all, you can't speak with authority without doing your research," Matsudaira Chiyo said as though it were obvious.

"Besides, I want to see the Takasaki sisters working in kimonos as the shop's poster girls."

While they talked, the black car reached a spot just one street away from the Takasaki Izakaya. It stopped, and Uchiha Naruto was promptly shooed out.

"Uchiha, pretend you don't know me inside."

Once inside, he followed the same routine as yesterday: dinner, cleaning and preparations, then preliminary processing of the ingredients before opening for business.

Customers began trickling in. They appeared to be office workers from nearby, along with middle-aged and elderly retirees coming out for a drink after dinner.

At almost six, Matsudaira Chiyo entered with her Black-Suited Woman and headed straight for the food counter.

"You can prepare sashimi here, right?"

"Yes, though we charge a small preparation fee." Whether because of the disguise or because Takasaki Anzu had never met Matsudaira Chiyo before, she didn't recognize her.

"Good. Prepare this cherry salmon for me, then."

The Black-Suited Woman placed a tank for keeping fish alive on the counter. Inside was a large, bluish-white fish with a faintly orange belly.

Cherry salmon was a fairly well-known salmon native to Japan. Its belly had a pinkish-orange tint, and its succulent, oily flesh made it a premium variety of salmon. True to its name, it migrated back from the open ocean to the Sea of Japan each year when the cherry blossoms bloomed. Its flesh was at its richest and firmest during this season.

Cherry salmon couldn't be caught in Tokyo Bay, however. They were generally caught in the Tohoku Region, in places such as Aomori Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture, or even farther north in Hokkaido.

"And grind this wasabi for me. I can't stand the nose-burning bite of horseradish." The Black-Suited Woman handed over an elegantly packaged rectangular box.

"Chef?"

Fresh Japanese wasabi was extremely expensive. Looking at the cherry salmon, Takasaki Anzu wasn't sure where to begin, so she turned to Uchiha Naruto for help.

"Do as she says. Prepare the garnishes and decorative carvings for the platter. I'll handle the rest," Uchiha Naruto said calmly.

Uchiha Naruto grabbed the still-thrashing cherry salmon and swiftly stunned it with a slam. He used a sharp knife to scale and gut it, then placed the cleaned fish on the chopping board. His movements flowed effortlessly as he used various knives to break down the fish and cut it into sashimi slices as thin as cicada wings.

As she watched Uchiha Naruto's effortless, consummate knife work, Matsudaira Chiyo couldn't hide her surprise.

Uchiha Naruto stripped the entire cherry salmon clean of flesh. He raised his knife, preparing to chop up the head and bones to make a soup to serve afterward, but Matsudaira Chiyo stopped him.

"Wait. I want to see skeleton swimming!"

Uchiha Naruto frowned.

So-called skeleton swimming was a feat performed by certain sashimi masters, who could slice a fish into sashimi while keeping it alive. They then dropped the fish, reduced to its head, tail, and skeleton, back into the water, where it could still swim-a display of their knife skills.

He lifted the fish by its tail and dropped the "half" cherry salmon into the tank. The flesh had been sliced off both sides, exposing stark white bones. Its intact head still opened and closed its mouth, and instinct made it sway its head and flick its tail as it slowly swam forward.

The sight was both horrifying and cruel. Any ordinary, compassionate girl would have been unable to watch.

Matsudaira Chiyo, however, watched with relish.

What a cruel woman, Uchiha Naruto thought.

After letting the pitiful cherry salmon swim for a few moments, Uchiha Naruto scooped it up and ended its suffering with a single cut. He then chopped it into pieces and handed them to Takasaki Anzu to make fish-bone soup.

"Uchiha, you've been keeping secrets. Why didn't you tell me sooner that you had knife skills like these?"

Presented with the plated cherry salmon sashimi and freshly ground wasabi, Matsudaira Chiyo didn't rush to pick up her chopsticks. Instead, she spoke with a bright smile.

"This isn't merely professional-level work. Even some sashimi masters probably don't have knife skills like yours. With abilities like these, all it would take is a little publicity, and reviving this shop would be a piece of cake."

Uchiha Naruto lowered his head and leaned close to Matsudaira Chiyo's ear. The movement made the Black-Suited Woman's eyebrows twitch. He spoke quietly.

"I never intended to keep this part-time job for long. I'm only filling in temporarily, and I'll quit once Mrs. Takasaki leaves the hospital. Since you're so charitable, Club President Matsudaira, you should understand that teaching someone to fish is better than giving them a fish. You should be thinking about how to help this shop do even better without me."

"You're too close, Uchiha. I can feel your breath on my ear."

Despite her words, Matsudaira Chiyo showed no embarrassment or shy blush. She calmly reached out and pushed Uchiha Naruto away, then took out the chopsticks she had brought herself.

Just as Matsudaira Chiyo was about to start eating, a commotion suddenly erupted at the entrance. She furrowed her brows and looked toward the door.

"This is my father's shop. As his eldest son, I'm the one who should inherit it! Since when did two bastards get a say?"