If you judge purely by combat strength, the Nara clan might not even make Konoha's top five. But that's only part of the story. In terms of influence across many fields and how much the village depends on them…
The Nara would be in the top three.
Medicinal herbs, medical supplies, trade caravans — you'll find the Nara everywhere. Especially herbs. They'd been studying pharmacology for generations and have a family forest tended by a friendly herd of deer; that whole wood serves as a natural nursery for medicinal plants.
In fact, a large proportion of Konoha's medicinal supplies come from the Nara. Even though Kyoichi has developed ripening techniques, the village's sources haven't changed. One reason is practical — the Nara's role is indispensable — and the other is simple: their herbs are genuinely excellent.
Kyoichi visited quietly; Nara Shikaku hadn't been prepared. So when Kyoichi showed up on the doorstep, Shikaku blinked in surprise, then inclined his head. "Kyoichi-kun, a visit — this must be important. Please, come in."
"Thank you." Kyoichi followed him inside. They sat in the main room without exchanging the excess formalities some would expect.
Shikaku considered for a moment. Before he could speak, Kyoichi cut to the chase.
"I came to discuss the nature-transformation of Yin Release. I've been researching it recently." He spoke plainly, and a vague shadow flickered into being beside his hand.
In an instant the shadow spread, threaded itself to Shikaku, then shifted into the form of a rope. Shikaku's brows lifted.
This jutsu… it wasn't exactly the clan's Shadow Imitation Technique, but at root it was similar — another use of "making nothing into something." Kyoichi's version, however, clearly showed more flexibility and nuance.
Shikaku frowned. Kyoichi wasn't there to show off, nor merely to extract the clan's secret technique; he was proposing an exchange. What he wanted wasn't the jutsu itself, but the underlying principles and knowledge.
Shikaku thought for a moment and said, "Our family's secret turns shadow into a weapon — to bind and kill. Originally it evolved to make hunting for deer antlers easier, so we never developed deep theory around it. But I don't mind sharing."
He was direct. Soon he explained the Nara clan's core of shadow imitation: how they use shadows tactically, the constraints, the training methods. He spoke plainly because he saw clearly — Kyoichi's Yin-Release progress meant it was only a matter of time before Kyoichi would reach this level of study on his own. Better to cooperate than to have a gap develop between Konoha and the Nara.
For the Nara, this exchange wasn't a loss. Kyoichi would also offer useful help — and a favor from a man like Kyoichi carried weight in itself. Shikaku didn't regret it.
Still, Shikaku admitted the truth: the clan's technique emphasized practicality over deep theoretical research. Their study of Yin Release had been shallow. For Kyoichi, however, even that shallow realm filled in unknowns and shortened his research time considerably.
He handed over a scroll. "Thank you. This is a small summary of some of my findings — perhaps it can help refine your clan's method."
Shikaku accepted it and examined the pages. Then he fell into thought.
Make nothing into something.
Yin Release…
Shikaku said, "If you can penetrate Yin-Release nature-transformation, you'd fix a lot of Shadow Imitation's weaknesses. But the energy cost will be enormous, won't it?"
"Of course," Kyoichi replied. "You must pay to profit. Still, your clan's technique is already mature. Unless you want a major breakthrough, you don't need to overhaul it — just add a few augmentations."
Shikaku nodded; it matched his thinking. The Nara's foundation would remain Shadow Imitation. Kyoichi's scroll supplied a complex set of possible extensions, but mastering them required heavy time investment. In short, Kyoichi offered a path forward — one more step in development.
Shikaku's mind already mapped out several potential uses. What he needed most was a method to materialize shadow more flexibly. The Nara jutsu was powerful but had a stubborn flaw: they depended wholly on natural shadow, and their shadows couldn't be expanded at will. Range and scale were strictly limited.
If they could absorb Yin-Release's nature-transformation and manipulate shadow creation, everything would change. The Nara's Shadow Imitation would break free of its current bounds.
Another constraint was chakra consumption. Shadow Imitation already burned through chakra quickly; add Yin-Release-style enhancements and the number of clan members who could use it would shrink further. That was a realistic problem. Few of them had the vast chakra reserves of a Senju, a Uzumaki, or a tailed-beast jinchūriki. That reality made the plan a little bitter — useful, but potentially impractical.
"Yin-Release nature changes are chakra-hungry," Kyoichi said. "But there are workarounds."
Shikaku leaned forward, intrigued.
"If you don't base it purely on nature transformation, you can incorporate tools." Kyoichi laid out several practical suggestions. "Specialized kunai with slightly longer reach, or placed in unexpected positions. Second, develop body techniques — not just punches and kicks, but flexibility-based taijutsu. Train the body to perform postures ordinary people couldn't—and that's also an attack vector."
Shikaku looked puzzled at first; tools made sense immediately. But what about the second idea? The principle was subtle: Shadow Imitation forces an opponent to mirror your movements. If you could execute stances that would injure a normal person following them, then the opponent—forced into those movements—would harm themselves. A creative, indirect form of attack.
He mulled it over, and slowly a smile creased his face. After a while he gave a thumbs-up. "Kyoichi-kun, your ideas keep coming."
When it came to analysis and strategy, Shikaku was fast and precise. But inventing new shinobi techniques wasn't his specialty. For that, having a partner like Kyoichi—someone bridging theory and raw practical insight—was invaluable.