Chapter 27: Lacquer Eye VS Ketsuryūgan!
"Shadow... Paralysis Jutsu?"
Oyakata En keenly caught the keyword "shadow." He subconsciously wanted to look down to check his own shadow's condition. But it was only then that he discovered the simple act of looking down, which was usually so easy, had become incredibly difficult. He could only roll his eyes downward, barely able to see the two shadows that had overlapped from the very beginning.
'Not good! I've already been caught in this kid's ninjutsu!' Oyakata En cried out internally. He instinctively wanted to unleash the Ketsuryūgan unique to the Chinoike clan. But thinking about what he had done not long ago, he forcefully suppressed this impulse.
'No! The Ino-Shika-Chō from Konoha are still nearby. I can't make too much of a scene...'
Oyakata En actively ruled out the possibility that the Ino-Shika-Chō had discovered his true identity. Because if they had, the one making a move right now certainly wouldn't be just this kid alone!
"Hey, kid." Oyakata En forced a strained smile, the blood from the wound on his left hand continuously flowing out, yet strangely not dripping from his palm. "I've never heard of any Shadow Paralysis Jutsu. Could you let me go first? I'm just an ordinary caravan boss. If you have any demands, feel free to state them."
"You're no ordinary merchant..."
Taking advantage of the moment the other party initiated conversation, Nara Keisuke decisively unleashed another of his family's secret techniques.
[C-rank Secret Technique: Shadow Neck Binding Technique]
[Technique Description: At the user's request, the shadow becomes a hand.]
[Technique Effect: Materializes one's own shadow into a large, powerful hand. Utilizes the elongated shadow to extend the shadow hand towards the opponent's neck, directly choking them unconscious or even to death.]
[Technique Evaluation: I'll grab your neck, and choke you out.]
After his discussion with the old clan head, Nara Keisuke had deduced that Oyakata En was most likely the ninja who had fled from the Land of Hot Water. But as long as the other party didn't reveal conclusive proof of his identity—namely, the "Ketsuryūgan" that symbolized the Chinoike clan—Keisuke's "deduction" could only remain a "deduction." Oyakata En was not a "rogue ninja from the Land of Hot Water," but a "client for a Konoha B-rank mission."
Therefore, the combat plan Nara Keisuke chose was not aimed at "killing the opponent," but at capturing him first!
Maintaining his [Lacquer Eye] state, Nara Keisuke merely had a thought, and without needing any hand signs, he cast the [Shadow Neck Binding Technique]. The shadow that had been flat on the ground suddenly sprouted a lacquer-black, slender shadow hand, which crawled up Oyakata En's rigid legs, intending to lock onto his neck.
Catching a glimpse of the approaching shadow hand from the corner of his eye, beads of cold sweat trickled down Oyakata En's forehead. 'Kid... I have no choice! I have to reveal some of my abilities!'
During their brief conversation, Oyakata En had rapidly checked his own condition. He discovered that the so-called "Shadow Paralysis Jutsu" had only controlled his body's movements; it had no effect whatsoever on the flow of blood or even chakra inside his body. This discovery made him feel incredibly fortunate.
'For an ordinary ninja, restricting their body's movements is indeed enough!'
'But for me, who possesses a bloodline limit, this alone is far from enough!'
Oyakata En's eyes turned sharp as he released a fraction of the special bloodline limit ability from the Chinoike clan. The blood that had been seeping from his left palm partially flowed back into his body under this power, directly accelerating the speed of his blood flow. It was obvious now that when Oyakata En had cut his left hand, it wasn't an accident, but intentional!
The shadow hand was just about to reach Oyakata En's neck. At that moment, his face turned a brilliant, flushed red, and his chest emitted a violent heartbeat like the pounding of a war drum.
Bang!
In that split second, with a dull thud, Oyakata En's originally thin and frail body suddenly inflated like a balloon. His entire visual width was violently expanded by nearly double.
'It's a special ability similar to the Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu!'
Feeling the explosive increase in resistance transmitted back from his shadow tendrils, Nara Keisuke's pupils contracted slightly. 'The intel the Clan Head gave me on the Chinoike clan said they could use genjutsu and control blood, but it didn't say they could play tricks like this!'
At that moment, Nara Keisuke instantly realized: the Chinoike clan had vanished from the world for too long. So long that all the intelligence the Nara clan possessed about them had become outdated.
Nara Keisuke subconsciously wanted to increase the strength of the [Shadow Paralysis Jutsu]. But how could Oyakata En possibly let go of this hard-won opportunity to escape?
He clenched his left hand. The remaining blood on his palm, under the control of his spiritual power, was directly molded into a bright red blood-shuriken. Taking advantage of his expanded body and boosted strength, Oyakata En aimed at Nara Keisuke in front of him and viciously threw the blood-shuriken.
Whoosh—
The bright red blood-shuriken spun as it tore through the air, its power no less than that of an ordinary iron shuriken.
Nara Keisuke's brow furrowed slightly. The off-generation Ino-Shika-Chō team was still watching secretly from the side; he didn't want to expose the "shadow dematerialization" ability of his [Shadow Doppelganger Technique] so quickly.
'Then I'll deal with this blood-shuriken another way!'
Nara Keisuke's will was infused into the shadow. The shadow instantly responded to its master's call, undergoing a violent transformation. A thick shadow emerged from the corners of Keisuke's body, forming a small, exquisite lacquer-black shield that protected him.
[B-rank Secret Technique: Shadow Shield Technique]
[Technique Description: At the user's request, the shadow becomes a shield.]
[Technique Effect: Infuse one's own Yin Release chakra into a shadow and materialize it into a hard, sturdy shadow shield. Place the shield in front of oneself or envelop a person to achieve a defensive effect.]
[Technique Evaluation: Full Defense!]
Clack!
The blood-shuriken shattered against the shadow shield. It failed to budge the shield in the slightest and instead smashed itself to pieces. Tiny droplets of blood exploded in mid-air like fireworks.
[B-rank Ninja Combat Mission Detected!]
[B-rank Mission: The Last of the Chinoike Clan]
[Mission Content: Defeat/Kill Oyakata En]
[Mission Reward: One B-rank Shinobi Secret Scroll]
The belated ninja combat mission prompt finally appeared on the panel. Nara Keisuke glanced over it. Just as his senses had led him to deduce earlier, Oyakata En was not only a Jonin, but he was also the murderer who had slaughtered the Chinoike clan!
But by using that strange burst of power, Oyakata En had already broken free from the control of the [Shadow Paralysis Jutsu]. Now, he was putting as much distance as possible between himself and Nara Keisuke's shadow.
Huuu—
Under Nara Keisuke's gaze, Oyakata En's inflated, fat body deflated like a punctured balloon, shrinking back to its original thin shape.
"Kid!" Oyakata En's face was very pale, but he still put on a furious expression. With the Ino-Shika-Chō trio watching like tigers, he didn't think he could take on Konoha's famous ninja combination by himself. Not to mention he wasn't alone... Thus, even now, Oyakata En still intended to keep his true identity hidden.
"Although I don't know what that was all about, are you Konoha ninja planning to go back on your word and attack your mission client midway?"
The shadow beneath Nara Keisuke surged, concealing any trace of movement below. "Even at a time like this, you still plan to hide it, Boss Oyakata?" Keisuke spoke unhurriedly, but his tone was very provocative. "Even just those last two moves are not something an ordinary caravan boss can use."
"I admit I was hiding some things." Oyakata En was surprisingly forthright. He raised his right hand, and a green light emanated from his palm. "But as a traveling merchant, it's very normal to learn some medical ninjutsu to protect myself and reduce losses from injuries."
"Including that giantification just now? And the jutsu to control blood?"
Oyakata En pushed up his glasses, trying his best to keep his tone calm. "Medical ninja, you see~ As a medical ninja—Ketsuryūgan!"
Halfway through his sentence, Oyakata En, who had already pushed his diamond-shaped sunglasses up to his forehead, unexpectedly used his bloodline limit ability. If he let this kid continue to pester him, the Ino-Shika-Chō would definitely come over to check on the situation! He couldn't drag this out any longer!
Oyakata En's eyes suddenly changed into another form. The whites of his eyes turned blood-red, his irises turned lacquer-black, and his pupils transformed into a light purple "single-line" shape. Two lines of blood flowed down from his eye sockets, leaving two glaring streaks on his cheeks. This was the bloodline limit of the Chinoike clan: the Ketsuryūgan.
"Kid, witness the genjutsu ability of the Ketsuryūgan, once hailed as the 'Hypnotic Eye'!" Oyakata En's eyes locked onto Nara Keisuke, intending to pull him into his dōjutsu's illusion.
However...
Poof!
The Nara Keisuke standing opposite him exploded like a puff of smoke. From the shadows behind Oyakata En, another Nara Keisuke emerged.
[C-rank Technique: Earth Release: Earth Dragon Hiding Technique]
Nara Keisuke stood behind Oyakata En. Without sparing any of his spiritual energy, he used the [Shadow Paralysis Jutsu] to pin the latter firmly in place.
"Caught you! Ninja of the Chinoike clan!"
(Author's Note:)
The [Shadow Shield] is a skill that appeared in the movie "Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire." It's one of Nara Shikamaru's abilities, with the effect of using a shadow to envelop a person for defense.
(End of Chapter)