After formally establishing deeper cooperation with the Kitajima family, Shiraishi handed over all related operations to Kitajima Jūrin.
As his own strength grew—and as his status within Sunagakure continued to rise—the Kitajima family had every reason to further invest in a long-term partnership with him.
"By the way," Kitajima said before leaving, placing a card etched with golden patterns on the table, "this is the card you asked me to collect."
During their earlier negotiations in the Wind Country capital, Shiraishi had specifically commissioned Kitajima to acquire ninja-tool cards on his behalf.
Indestructible ninja-tool cards were highly sought after across all nations. The Wind Country was no exception—beyond the Five Great Villages, many noble families and even smaller countries actively collected them.
As the operator of underground auction houses, the Kitajima family naturally possessed the channels to acquire scattered cards. Shiraishi's offered price was exceptionally high—each card was valued at the equivalent of an S-rank mission reward.
This time, the Kitajima family had retrieved a card from a noble in a minor country and delivered it directly to Shiraishi.
Going forward, this would become Shiraishi's primary method of card acquisition. Beyond the large-scale holdings of the Five Great Villages, the remaining scattered cards could all be collected discreetly through the Kitajima family.
Otherwise, personally roaming the shinobi world in search of cards would be far too conspicuous.
As for the Kitajima family, Shiraishi had already learned from Ebizō that their relationship with the Three Sandline Clans was far from amicable. In fact, several of their industries directly competed with one another.
"With the funds you provided, I could only secure one card," Kitajima admitted. "Among all the options, I liked this one best. The golden pattern stood out."
Card collecting itself was nothing unusual—many nobles and shinobi indulged in it. Kitajima harbored no suspicion, and as always, the family upheld strict confidentiality.
That simple aesthetic preference, however, had unintentionally granted Shiraishi a gold-grade skill card.
Golden-bordered.
Fire Release.
Up to this point, the only gold-grade skill Shiraishi possessed was Round Pupil, and even that was severely restricted. Due to his inability to fully manipulate natural energy, its progress was stalled at roughly thirty percent.
Shiraishi had studied natural energy to some extent, but Sunagakure's limited archives offered little advanced material. As a result, he had temporarily shelved further development of Round Pupil.
This gold card, however, was different.
Although the reading time for gold-grade cards had shortened compared to before, it still required nearly a full day.
After seeing Kitajima off, Shiraishi returned home from the academy. The moment he stepped inside, he changed into a white chef's uniform and began preparing dinner.
In a short while, Maki and Shikasa would be returning to the village.
Determined to welcome them properly, Shiraishi devoted himself fully to cooking.
Two specially cultivated coconuts were gently cracked open. As the shells split cleanly in half, he scooped out the flesh and began processing it. A small flame-thrower lightly roasted the shells while translucent fruit jelly was carefully poured in.
Coconut pulp and white pear essence were blended into a golden, flowing gel, which Shiraishi delicately poured back into the shells. He then sprinkled crushed specialty biscuits and shaved ice over the surface.
The dessert came together seamlessly.
After placing the coconut dessert into refrigeration to enhance its crisp texture, Shiraishi changed into fresh clothes and hurried to the agreed meeting spot.
Maki and Shikasa had been reassigned back to Sunagakure for a rest period before returning to the Kikyo Pass battlefield.
At the village gates, the two finally arrived.
Along the way, Maki's mood had been subdued—largely due to the rumors surrounding Shiraishi's human-body techniques.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Welcome back."
Shiraishi's appearance immediately lifted her spirits. But the lingering gossip resurfaced in her thoughts, dimming her expression slightly. She masked it well, answering softly and stepping forward.
"Let's go home and eat."
"Wait—me too?" Shikasa asked in surprise. "You even invited me?"
"Yes," Shiraishi replied calmly. "It's rare for us to be together like this."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Sunagakure was bathed in crimson light. The three walked through the village streets while Shikasa animatedly recounted stories from Kikyo Pass.
Shiraishi listened in silence.
He noticed Maki's fatigue—but said nothing.
Back home, the shaved-ice coconut dessert was placed before Maki and Shikasa. Shiraishi then returned to the kitchen to continue cooking.
"This is your favorite fruit," Shikasa said quietly. "He went out of his way to turn it into a dessert."
Maki's cheeks flushed.
She scooped up a spoonful and tasted it.
In that instant, the weight in her heart vanished.
Regardless of rumors, this dessert carried Shiraishi's intent—and she felt it clearly. Whatever people said, she knew he was not a frivolous person.
A bright smile spread across her face as she continued eating.
From the kitchen, Shiraishi stole a glance. Seeing her smile, the corners of his lips lifted unconsciously, and his movements grew even more efficient.
After dinner, Maki and Shikasa washed the dishes together. Shiraishi moved to help—
Then paused.
The gold card had finished reading.
The twentieth card had been successfully unlocked.
At the same time, the Summoning Beast interface unlocked a second empty slot.
Gold-grade.
Fire attribute.
Not long ago, under Ebizō's guidance—immersed in medicinal vats—Shiraishi had successfully awakened Fire Release chakra nature. Compared to wind, earth, and water, however, his mastery was still shallow.
He was training Fire Spark, but it paled beside his core techniques: Whirlwind Blade, Sand Gathering, Psychic Arts, and Black Mist.
Likewise, Curse Arts and Water Shuriken remained undeveloped. His focus was limited; spreading himself too thin was inefficient.
But this fire technique—
It was different.
A standalone skill zone, similar to Sand Assembly—but this time, it was pure offense.
A unique flame.
Once touched by it, the target entered a persistent burn state that weakened bodily functions, slowed reactions, and disrupted chakra circulation.
As a gold-grade skill, its debuff effects were terrifying—and its raw destructive power exceeded traditional A-rank Fire Release techniques.
The chakra cost, however, was equally horrifying.
Activating it would consume over half of Shiraishi's total chakra reserves in a single use.
Such a cost meant only one thing.
This was an S-rank Fire Release technique.
Azure flames…
Unextinguishable, searing blue fire—a mark of its extraordinary nature.
Lost in thought, Shiraishi raised his hand.
Between his fingers, a wisp of blue fire ignited silently.
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