Chapter 216: Master Minato, Want to Learn the [Rasengan]?
Keisuke had assumed this "Investigation" mission would be a bust, but...
"Whimper—"
The large, yellow dog that was supposed to be tracking, the moment it saw Keisuke, immediately tucked its tail, lay down, and exposed its belly in a plea for mercy.
Keisuke was momentarily struck silent.
"My apologies, Lord Nara!" Inuzuka Ago bowed deeply, his face beet red. "Kōmaru isn't usually this shy! He must have smelled something... special... in this area."
As he spoke, Ago also felt that something wasn't right. He knew his ninken. This was not shyness; this was the terror of a creature that had encountered a predator so overwhelming it didn't even consider fighting. If it was fear of the "Shadow of Darkness," why hadn't Kōmaru submitted back at the camp? Could it be...
The "unnatural thunderstorm" from the mission scroll... was actually him? Lord "Shadow of Darkness" was in a fierce battle here just last night?
As expected of the Shadow of Darkness! A few thoughts flashed through Ago's mind, and his bow became even deeper.
"Please, Inuzuka-kun, stand up," Keisuke quickly helped him up, then waved at the whimpering dog. "Since the investigation has yielded no results, let's just head back and report the mission."
Kōmaru, understanding the command, immediately scrambled to its feet, wagging its tail as it hid behind Ago's legs. Ago, petting his partner's head, also let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the new commander was much easier to get along with than the last one, Danzō.
Keisuke had the group board the Shadow Creature and flew them back to camp. Ago and Shisui went to deliver the report. Keisuke, however, took Retsu back to his private tent.
"Retsu, I'll be leaving a clone in the camp from now on," he said, handing her the two C-rank Earth Style scrolls. "If you have any questions about your training, you can ask my clone."
Retsu clutched the scrolls, nodded, and thanked him again. "Thank you, Captain."
"And one more thing." Keisuke pointed to his own eyes, then to hers. "Use your eyes well."
Retsu, thinking this was more of his usual advice about her "Byakugan," "long-range," and "sniping," simply nodded quietly and left.
Just then, a notification popped up on his panel. Shisui had completed the mission hand-in.
[B-Rank Mission [Investigation] has been completed!]
[You have obtained one B-Rank [Shinobi Secret Scroll]!]
'A B-rank mission for just showing up...' Keisuke glanced at the notification and created a Shadow Doppelganger to take his place. 'It's been a while since I've seen a B-rank scroll. Let's just open it.'
[Opening...]
[Contents of this B-Rank Shinobi Secret Scroll: Technique]
[B-Rank Technique: Super-Smell]
[Description: A special secret art of the Inuzuka clan! Extremely enhances human olfactory abilities!]
[Effect: Concentrates Yang Release chakra in the nasal cavity, increasing the number of olfactory nerve cells, thus amplifying the user's sense of smell to tens of thousands of times that of a normal person.]
[Evaluation: Heaven and earth are limitless, a thousand-mile pursuit!]
'Hm? An Inuzuka secret art? A Yang Release secret art?' Keisuke's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to get such a decent technique from this. For his current self, most B-rank jutsu were useless, but this could patch a major hole in his sensory abilities. Sensor types were varied: visual, olfactory, tactile, chakra-based... Thanks to his Sage Clan breathing techniques, he was a decent chakra-sensor, and his Lacquer Eye was a visual-sensor for spiritual energy. Now, he had an olfactory-based sense as well.
It was a very stealthy sensory method, but it had one massive drawback.
He suddenly remembered the Chunin Exams. Kiba Inuzuka, a master of smell, was nearly knocked out by a single fart from Naruto... 'Tsk!'
Keisuke made up his mind. Unless it was an absolute emergency, he would never use this jutsu.
He finished organizing his things and was about to leave to find Kokuō when an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Minato-san?" Keisuke looked at him, curious, and recalled what Shikaku had said. "What's up? Has the village already decided to reassign you and Kagami-senpai?"
"The village is... reassigning me and Kagami-senpai?" Minato blinked, but quickly put the pieces together. "That makes sense... with you and the Five-Tails holding this front, Kumo won't dare to attack again."
Having witnessed Keisuke's Tailed Beast Bomb-like power, Minato was certain Kumo wouldn't be invading the Land of Hot Water again anytime soon. Not unless the Third Raikage was willing to sacrifice his entire army. And a one-on-one fight? Kumo would have to pin down their entire AB Combo and the Raikage himself just to deal with Keisuke and Kokuō. And would they really commit all their forces to this front when they still had to watch Iwagakure?
Minato felt a deep admiration for Keisuke's sheer deterrent power. If possible, he'd like to stop "mowing grass" for a living, too...
"Shikaku-san mentioned it was a possibility last night," Keisuke explained, realizing Hiruzen hadn't told Minato directly. "I thought you were here to say goodbye... so, what's on your mind?"
"It's this, Keisuke." Minato held out his right hand, using his left to brace his wrist as he concentrated his chakra. "Look!"
A ball of light-blue chakra spun to life in his palm, rotating wildly. But its form was nowhere near as stable as Keisuke's. After only a few seconds, it collapsed, exploding in a messy puff of air. "Ah, still a failure!" Minato said, a flash of regret on his face.
Keisuke feigned ignorance. "What jutsu is that, Minato-san?"
"It's a new jutsu I've been trying to develop," Minato said, a bit of his chuunibyou nature leaking out. "I'm calling it the... Spiral... Peerless Burst Wave... Ball."
He explained that after years of fighting the AB Combo, he had realized his attacks were insufficient. He couldn't scratch them. He had gotten the idea from watching Killer B's Tailed Beast Bomb, and then got another burst of inspiration from watching Kokuō. He thought he'd finally perfected it, but he was still failing.
Even so, he felt he had to share this new idea with Keisuke. He knew that compared to Keisuke's "Spiral Shadow Killing Cannon" and "Dark Spiral Annihilation Sphere," his little "meatball" probably looked pathetic.
"The Rasengan?" Keisuke blinked, deciding to give him a little "surprise." "Minato-san, do you mean... this?"
He held out his right hand. A perfect, stable, swirling sphere of chakra appeared in his palm, formed with a single hand.
"Ah... Ah..." Minato's brain bluescreened. "I... You..."
Keisuke held the Rasengan, not adding Yin to turn it into a Shadow Rasengan, nor expanding it into a Great Ball Rasengan.
"Minato-san, it seems we're the same type of ninja after all," he said with an easy smile.
"Want to learn it? I can teach you."
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