Nara Shikaku stood quietly in place, his gaze resting on the young woman before him with measured calm, as though he were attempting to see through her exquisitely composed exterior and peer directly into the truth hidden deep within her heart.
Earlier that very noon, he had received two confidential letters from Konohagakure in rapid succession, both bearing the unmistakable seal of the Hokage.
One of them had been written personally for him by the Hokage himself.
The other, however, had been addressed specifically to the young kunoichi standing before him now, a shinobi named Amamiya Rei.
After reading the letter entrusted to him, Shikaku had felt as though a storm had erupted within his chest, for he understood perfectly the deeper intent concealed between the lines of the Hokage's words.
At the same time, an unprecedented curiosity took root within him toward Amamiya Rei, a shinobi upon whom the Hokage placed such extraordinary expectations, to the point of deliberately nurturing her as a candidate for the next generation of Hokage.
What kind of person could possibly earn such trust, foresight, and careful consideration from the Hokage himself?
Of course, Shikaku was not unfamiliar with Amamiya Rei.
He had heard of her actions during the Kyūbi Incident, when she had revealed Mokuton while saving others.
He had also personally witnessed, within the Hokage's office, the moment when Danzō Shimura had forced Rei into formally becoming a shinobi.
Until now, Shikaku's impression of her had been limited to that of a young woman who harbored an instinctive rejection of the shinobi world and who had only recently stepped onto the path of a ninja.
Yet the contents of the Hokage's letter had ignited a profound interest within him.
Shikaku already understood the true purpose behind the Hokage's decision, but precisely because of its gravity, he knew this matter could not tolerate even the slightest carelessness, nor could it be revealed to anyone else.
Rei's eyes shifted subtly as countless thoughts flowed through her mind.
Lowering her voice, she asked, "Shikaku-sama, will this not bring you too much trouble? You already bear the responsibility of directing the front-line operations, and now you must also spare time to oversee my training..."
As she spoke, Rei unconsciously pressed her lips together, as though embarrassed to continue.
Shikaku studied her for a long moment before slowly shaking his head.
"In truth," he replied evenly, "guiding your training is not particularly troublesome. The Hokage has already mentioned that your abilities have formed a system of their own, and that you do not require excessive interference. What I will be doing is merely offering limited guidance and the necessary supervision regarding your ninjutsu cultivation."
In the letter, the Hokage had emphasized Rei's exceptional talent, and rather than focusing on technical instruction, he hoped Shikaku would assist her in maturing in terms of judgment and disposition.
Naturally, Shikaku did not voice this aloud.
As he finished speaking, he reached into his robes and produced an old-looking scroll, its surface bearing the quiet weight of age, and handed it to Rei with deliberate care.
"This scroll was sent personally by the Hokage," he explained. "The ninjutsu recorded within have all been carefully selected and are suitable for you to practice."
Rei immediately accepted the scroll with both hands, her posture respectful and sincere.
Unconcealed gratitude filled her youthful features.
Shikaku gave a slight nod and added, "If you encounter anything you cannot understand or master while studying these techniques, do not hesitate to come to me at any time."
With that, he lifted his gaze, glanced casually into the distance, and then offered Rei a faint smile. "That will be all. It is getting late, so I will not keep you from dinner. Rest well."
Turning away, Shikaku walked off with steady steps, his figure gradually fading until it disappeared entirely from Rei's sight.
Rei remained where he was, silently watching until he was gone, before finally lowering his gaze to the scroll clasped in his hands.
Curiosity stirred within him as he slowly unrolled it, and just as Shikaku had said, the narrow scroll was densely filled with a remarkable number of ninjutsu.
Rei carefully tucked the scroll into his ninja pouch and headed toward a nearby tent with light, unhurried steps.
He had no need to eat, for during the day he had already consumed more than enough rich, satisfying meat, and the lingering fullness had yet to fade.
After entering the tent, Rei washed up briefly.
When he gently extinguished the flickering candle inside, darkness swallowed the space at once.
The darkness posed no obstacle to him.
He moved by memory to his bed, lay down, closed his eyes, and began to review the day's gains within his mind.
To his surprise, the numerical value representing his chakra reserves had surged to an astonishing 14,900,000.
The speed of this growth left even him momentarily stunned.
Could this be connected to Asahi Mai?
His Sunlight Value had also risen dramatically, reaching 1,480,000.
As Rei examined these changes, his attention was suddenly drawn to a small, delicate portrait that had appeared beneath the two long bars representing chakra and Sunlight Value.
Upon closer inspection, the image was unmistakably Asahi Mai.
Below the portrait was a single line of refined text: "Lower Moon Five."
Rei raised his brow slightly, lost in thought.
If his memory served him correctly, Asahi Mai had still been ranked as Lower Moon Six earlier that morning.
Yet in the span of a single day, sustained by continuous feeding and replenishment, her rank had risen with astonishing speed, advancing directly to Lower Moon Five.
Each time Asahi Mai consumed meat, the Sunlight Value and chakra contained within it flowed automatically into Rei's body.
Even when Rei himself did not eat, as long as Asahi Mai continued feeding, he could feel his foundational attributes steadily increasing.
This peculiar connection turned Asahi Mai into a constant source of energy, while Rei remained the composed recipient who benefited without effort.
However, despite this convenient method of gaining Sunlight Value and chakra, Rei could not extract unique skills from the meat in the same way he could by consuming it personally.
Asahi Mai's system was comparatively simple, relying solely on continuous feeding to grow stronger.
Rei's system, by contrast, was clearly far more advanced, for it not only absorbed the energy generated through Asahi Mai's consumption, but also performed precise calculations and conversions before delivering the refined results back to him.
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