Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Nara's Unique Jutsu
Enjou double release today!
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"Ta-Tatsuma?"
In the midst of the holiday season, as the morning sun cast its gentle glow, Minato swung open the door to find Tatsuma brimming with excitement. Yet, in that initial moment, Tatsuma's appearance was so extraordinary that Minato questioned whether someone had orchestrated a playful prank by depositing a heap of cotton candy at his doorstep.
It was only when Tatsuma's face emerged from the cloud-like fluff that Minato's recognition set in. The whimsical figure before him was, indeed, all too real!
"Ahaha~ I stumbled upon the way to activate it by accident."
Tatsuma thrust his entire right hand into his explosively charged head, erupting into laughter. Minato grasped the situation and shared in the joy, remarking, "So our research direction is on the right track. Scalp activation does bear resemblance to muscle activation, doesn't it?"
"Ding~ [Ninjutsu +10]"
Receiving hte reward for the challenge they had set months ago, Tatsuma nodded, and his hair, resembling a fluffy tree crown, quivered with a delayed shudder. Tatsuma then added, "But the difficulty is significantly higher. It's not just about activating the scalp; you also need to specifically engage the hair follicles."
"I can only activate about half of the hair follicles now, but it's also thanks to practicing Chakra Control for the past six months. Otherwise, maybe I could only activate a little bit."
Upon hearing this, Minato gazed at Tatsuma, whose entire being was ensconced in fluffy hair, with a touch of amazement. He pondered the idea that only about half of the hair follicles were activated. If Tatsuma were to activate all of them, wouldn't he transform into a walking perm?
However, Tatsuma's peculiar state was short-lived. Just as Minato entertained the notion of scrutinizing it more closely, he noticed Tatsuma's hair rapidly shortening and then reverting to its usual messy bird's nest appearance.
Scratching his head, Tatsuma admitted, "There's a drawback; it requires complete concentration. If you lose focus, it shrinks back. It seems my training is still not enough. We need to turn this focus into a passive state. Wait, Minato, come with me to the Nara clan!"
Minato struggled to keep up with Tatsuma's train of thought and inquired, "Why go to the Nara clan?"
"To learn the Nara clan's unique techniques!"
With that declaration, Tatsuma seized Minato and darted towards Nara Shikaku's house. Minato, momentarily stunned, then anxiously added, "I haven't closed the door yet!"
...
Twenty minutes later, the duo finally reached Nara Shikaku's house. After Tatsuma pressed the doorbell, he stood in anticipation. Minato couldn't help but ask, "You haven't told me what we're here to learn? Also, is it okay to directly consult them like this?"
"Don't worry! It's not their family's Secret Jutsu; they shouldn't mind," Tatsuma reassured with a smile, alleviating Minato's concerns. After all, this friend was dependable, and they had forged a friendship with Shikaku as well.
As long as it didn't involve the family's Secret Jutsu, they should be able to learn, right?
After a while, a seemingly gentle woman approached them and swung open the door. Spotting the duo, she exclaimed in delight, "Minato? Tatsuma? Are you here to visit Shikaku?"
"Hurry in. I'll go wake up Shikaku. You guys should come often. Since the break started, Shikaku has been sleeping until noon, just like his dad did when he was young. This won't do; he won't get to know any girls this way."
After the woman finished her remarks, the trio entered the living room. Tatsuma then spoke, "I understand, Aunt Hanari, but the purpose of our visit is..."
Before Tatsuma could finish, Shikaku's mom hurriedly ascended the stairs. Shortly after, a voice, utterly distinct from the earlier gentle tone, erupted.
"Nara! Shikaku! It's already noon! Aren't you getting up? Do I have to feed lunch to you before you'll get out of bed?! Your friends have come to see you, and you're still sleeping?!"
Upon hearing this volcanic eruption of a voice, even Tatsuma and Minato couldn't help but flinch. Tatsuma glanced at the clock; it was only half past seven.
Indeed, every mother is a powerful woman who conquers time.
Shortly after, Nara Hanari descended the stairs, wearing a gentle smile, and addressed the two, "Why are you still standing? Sit down. Auntie will get you some drinks and snacks. By the way, have you had breakfast?"
Tatsuma and Minato nodded emphatically, responding, "We've already eaten, thank you, Aunt Hanari."
The two settled onto the sofa as Hanari brought two cups of drinks, a pile of dried fruits, and another stack of fresh fruits. Seating herself beside them, she wore a tender smile as she observed the duo.
This made Tatsuma and Minato sit up straight, not daring to relax. They didn't fully settle into their seats; it was the intimidation buff that every woman gains after becoming a mother.
Ten minutes later, Shikaku, scratching his head with one hand and clutching his stomach with the other, stumbled down from upstairs. Upon seeing the two, he complained, "Why did you guys come so early?"
"What's with that attitude?!"
Hanari shot Shikaku a stern look, then turned gently to Tatsuma and Minato, saying, "Don't mind him; Shikaku and his dad both have this kind of temperament. Well, you kids go play. Auntie is going to buy groceries; stay for lunch."
"No need, Aunt Hanari."
Tatsuma quickly declined, but Hanari showed no intention of taking their opinions into account. She changed her shoes, slung on a small bag, and left.
Shikaku walked over, sat down, and said, "Why did you two come to see me? Are you planning to drag me to the training ground too? Just to be clear, I'm not going."
At this point, Minato also glanced at Tatsuma, as he didn't know Tatsuma's intentions. Tatsuma shook his head and said, "I know you won't go. I'm just here to learn a unique technique from your clan."
"Unique technique? Shadow Secret Technique? Shogi skills? Or are you here to learn our laziness?"
Shikaku grabbed a handful of dried fruits, eating expressionlessly. Tatsuma shook his head and said, "I want to learn how to tie my hair as tightly as yours."
Upon hearing this, Shikaku glanced at Tatsuma and Minato's hair, shaking his head, "No, your hair is too short; it won't tie up."
"Don't underestimate the length of any perm!" Tatsuma retorted, pulling only the tips of his hair to reach his lips, which stirred Shikaku from his drowsiness. Shikaku even rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Indeed, you can tie your hair now. But why are you learning this? Is our family's hairstyle becoming the trend for the next season?" Shikaku was still puzzled. Tatsuma didn't immediately explain. Instead, he formed a hand seal. This seal could assist a ninja in more precise control of Chakra within the body, essential for tree climbing and water walking exercises.
As he manipulated his Chakra, his hair quickly expanded, though not as dramatically as he demonstrated to Minato. Observing Shikaku's widened mouth, Tatsuma said,
"This is a Ninjutsu that Minato and I learned from Jiraiya-sama, but we still can't control it well. If we lose focus, it shrinks like this," Tatsuma said, pointing to his hair, which was already shortening. He continued, "So, I want to tie my hair tightly to keep constant attention on it and practice my control."
"Learning during the holidays? You two are really strange. But if it's about tying hair..."
Shikaku walked behind Tatsuma, took off his own hair tie from his wrist, and then gathered Tatsuma's hair. Combing, grabbing, twisting—Tatsuma felt his hair being pulled, causing a tingling sensation.
Shikaku swiftly tied Tatsuma's hair tightly and said, "Like this."
"Duang~"
However, the next moment, Tatsuma's hair playfully escaped from the broke the frail hair tie. Tatsuma touched his head and said, "I think I understand a bit now. The key is to twist it tightly at the end, right?"
Shikaku nodded, and Tatsuma stood up, saying, "I got it. I'm going to practice now. Thanks for explaining. I'll treat you to ramen next time."
As Tatsuma and Minato were about to leave, Shikaku's expression darkened, and he said, "You're not allowed to leave!"
"Huh?"
Both looked puzzled, and Shikaku grimly continued, "If you leave now, my mom will definitely think I didn't treat my guests well. Then, she'll nag me for days. You have to stay for lunch before leaving!"
"Oh? Well, that's fine, but you have to play shogi with me."
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