When Shikamaru returned home, his mother, Nara Yoshino, was tidying up the house, while his father, Nara Shikaku, was leisurely reading a book in the living room.
After changing his shoes at the entrance, Shikamaru opened the inner door and walked into the living room. Hearing the noise, the two inside looked up. Upon seeing Shikamaru, Yoshino, who had been busy, hurriedly threw aside the tools she was holding and walked quickly toward him, her face filled with surprise.
"You're finally back, Shikamaru!" she exclaimed. Although she came from a ninja family, Yoshino's concern and care for her son were unwavering. During Shikamaru's missions, she couldn't help but worry about his safety. Seeing that Shikamaru had returned home unharmed naturally made her incredibly happy.
Yoshino stepped forward and took a good look at Shikamaru, suddenly feeling a twinge of concern. "You seem to have lost some weight."
As Shikaku walked over and heard this, he shook his head in resignation. Unlike Yoshino, who only had eyes for Shikamaru, Shikaku, after briefly assessing his son, couldn't help but notice the beheading sword Shikamaru had strapped to his back.
"Is that the beheading sword from the Hidden Mist Village?" Shikaku asked, his eyes focused on the sword.
"Let's not talk about that for now." Yoshino shot a reproachful look at her husband before turning to help Shikamaru remove his backpack and the beheading sword. She then softly asked, "Did you skip breakfast, Shikamaru?"
"Here!" Shikamaru nodded in response, and Yoshino, handing the sword's hilt to Shikaku, firmly ordered, "First, help Shikamaru put away his things."
With that, Yoshino quickly went to the kitchen to prepare some bread and milk for Shikamaru's breakfast.
Shikaku gave a helpless smile, rubbing his nose, and then began helping Shikamaru unpack. As they did so, Shikamaru began recounting the details of the mission in the Land of Waves.
After leaving Konoha's gates, they were ambushed by the Demon Brothers. However, because of their immature disguise, they were easily dispatched by Shikamaru. Later, at the request of Tazuna, Shikamaru continued the mission. During the mission, Shikamaru shared the "Rasengan" with Asuma Sarutobi, establishing a "master-disciple" relationship with him. Upon reaching the Land of Waves, Shikamaru once again encountered the infamous Hidden Mist ninja, Haku, and Zabuza Momochi. In a quick exchange, Shikamaru, with Asuma's help, used his self-created secret technique, the "Shadow Imitation Shuriken," to temporarily restrain Zabuza, allowing Asuma to decapitate him. A disguised White, pretending to be a Hidden Mist pursuit team member, was also killed by Shikamaru and Asuma. Afterward, with Asuma's guidance, Shikamaru helped Tazuna lead the people of the Land of Waves in rebellion against the tyrant, Gato, ultimately securing their freedom. Lastly, with Asuma's aid, Shikamaru earned the right to take the beheading sword as a trophy to bring back to Konoha.
"You developed the 'Rasengan'?" Shikaku asked, his voice filled with intrigue as he sat down at the table. Shikamaru had kept the development of the Rasengan a secret. Although he had to experiment to perfect it, Shikamaru knew the basic steps and method of the technique without veering off course. If anyone found out, it could raise suspicions.
When Shikamaru fought Naruto, he unexpectedly used the Fourth Hokage's signature technique, the Rasengan. This news quickly spread throughout Konoha, and Shikaku had soon heard about it. Now, sitting across from Shikamaru, he wanted to confirm it directly.
"Of course!" Shikamaru took a big gulp of milk. The smooth, sweet liquid flowed down his throat, bringing a warm comfort. He sighed in satisfaction, wiped his mouth, and then placed his right hand flat on the table, between himself and his father. "Look!"
As Shikamaru extended his fingers, they suddenly curled, and a faint blue chakra orb began to form in his palm. It quickly grew in size, and unlike before, there was no turbulence in the air, indicating that his chakra control had improved significantly.
Chakra is composed of mental energy and physical energy, with mental energy primarily controlling the manipulation. Shikamaru had spent a significant amount of time in the Land of Waves, facing several battles that had helped him hone his willpower. Most importantly, during his time designing weapons, he had begun to reflect on his own abilities and style, gaining a clearer understanding of his path. This improvement in his willpower and control was not a sudden enlightenment or a sharp increase in chakra. It was a gradual process of training and self-reflection.
This was not a miraculous moment of "enlightenment" that led to a massive surge in strength. Only Naruto Uzumaki had the ability to "break out" due to his immense chakra, which was still dormant within him due to the Nine-Tails. This was different from a sudden "explosive" increase in power. Even the so-called enlightenment was just mental and spiritual growth. There was no way to suddenly increase one's power in an instant without further training and mastery of chakra manipulation.
Shikamaru had spent the last couple of months refining his chakra control, and though his chakra reserves had grown slightly, the increase was not drastic. In terms of physical technique, however, there had been noticeable improvements. This was due to Asuma's constant training and real combat experience. Various martial arts have their own sets of moves and forms, and unless you have a significant advantage in power, blindly training won't lead to improvement in physical combat. Before receiving systematic martial arts training, Shikamaru had mistakenly thought that mastering basic moves would be enough. However, real combat required the use of the most effective moves for the situation, something that could only be honed through experience.
As the faint light from the chakra orb illuminated the table, both Shikamaru and Shikaku's faces were bathed in its glow.
Shikaku looked intently at the Rasengan, his mind clearly in a distant place, remembering the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who was not only a man of great charisma but also a genius in ninjutsu. Shikamaru's own technique could now be described in the same terms.
After a moment, Shikamaru dispelled the chakra, and Shikaku snapped back to reality.
"So, as you mentioned, the jutsu you invented requires chakra metal as a medium, and you plan to use the beheading sword to trade for it with Konoha's higher-ups?" Shikaku stroked his chin, frowning. "If it's just about the Hokage, it might work. But the elders in Konoha aren't so easy to deal with. If they cling to the mistakes you made during the mission, you won't have the leverage for an equal exchange."
Shikamaru nodded calmly. He had already considered this, but it could be resolved. After all, the current Hokage was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Father, the beheading sword, once wielded by the Mist's legendary ninja Zabuza Momochi, is a symbol of significant importance," Shikamaru said slowly. "The fact that a Konoha genin like me was involved in his downfall—along with the sword—is something that can make a big impact on Konoha's reputation. The villagers will likely be proud of this, as it highlights the superiority of Konoha ninjas over those of other villages."
Shikaku's eyes brightened at Shikamaru's words. He looked at his son, now speaking with a calm yet determined demeanor. "So, you want me to spread this news within the Nara clan first?"
Once the news spread among the clan, they would help circulate it. After all, Shikamaru was from the Nara clan, and his accomplishments would reflect positively on their standing within Konoha.
"Thank you, Father," Shikamaru said with a slight bow, acknowledging his father's help.
The villagers' pride was fragile but undeniable. Once Konoha villagers began discussing the events in the Land of Waves, it would inevitably influence how the higher-ups in Konoha handled the mission's aftermath. Even though it was unlikely that the Third Hokage would take drastic action, Shikamaru wanted to ensure that everything went smoothly.
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