I, who just wanted to be lazy, was forced to become the Hokage.

Chapter 26 Shadow Attack Under the Night Lights! (Please read on, please vote!)

"You mean, besides our Konoha ninjas, there are two other ninjas in the caravan?"

Nara Kano woke up from his nap, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Was one of them the leader of a small caravan?"

"Yes, Chieftain."

Nara Langui gave a serious report to the guide.

"Based on my observation, the mental energy contained in that leader's brain is extremely powerful, no less than that of Brother Hai Yi."

As the next head of the Yamanaka clan, Yamanaka Inoichi has been honing his family's spiritual techniques for many years, possessing immense spiritual energy that would make him a standout even among elite Jonin.

If the caravan leader only had traces of chakra flow in his body.

Nara would not have placed such importance on this.

Given the current chaotic state of affairs, it's reasonable for a business leader to learn a few ninjutsu techniques for self-defense.

However, the spiritual energy of this unknown caravan leader is comparable to that of the "Mountain Boar" from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio in Konoha.

In the ninja world, there may be many experts who live independently outside the ninja village system, and their fame cannot compare to that of the elite ninjas in the ninja villages.

But it's by no means possible for an elite Jonin-level powerhouse to appear just anywhere!

Therefore, upon discovering the situation, Nara Rinkei immediately interrupted his training and returned to report to the clan leader.

As for rushing up directly to question the other party about the situation...

Nara Rinkazu is not so irrational or reckless as to be that bad.

"This is indeed highly suspicious."

Nara Kano's brows furrowed even deeper, and several deep wrinkles appeared on his forehead.

What he was thinking about at that moment was similar to what Nara was thinking about.

If the caravan leader were just an ordinary person who had learned a little bit of ninjutsu, Nara Kano would have pretended not to have seen him.

In any case, the mission Konoha received this time was just to escort a few small caravans to Kyoto, so there was no need to cause any unnecessary trouble.

The problem is that the caravan leader's skill level is too high, abnormally high!

A spiritual energy comparable to that of an elite Jonin...

In addition, there was intelligence about the group of bounty hunters who attacked the caravan when they left the village...

Nara Kano easily connected the caravan leader named "Miyajo En" with the identity of "the killer of the Blood Pond Clan".

This inference may not be absolutely correct, but it cannot be denied that its possibility is not small!

If it weren't for the halo of "slayer of tribes".

Considering that we all got along peacefully during the day.

Nara Kano will still choose not to see anything, at most secretly instructing everyone to strengthen their vigilance against Miyajo En.

However, the negative aura effect of "Clan Slayer" is too strong.

Even if Nara Kano finds it troublesome, he wouldn't ignore it.

The matter was of great importance, and Nara Kano did not want to act rashly.

"Lan Gui, how did you discover his ninja identity?"

Nara Kano stroked his beard and carefully confirmed.

"Inoichi's sensory chakra has been checked against the caravan's members more than once, but he has found nothing."

Nara Kano's suspicions are reasonable.

Although he valued Nara Rinka, a junior member of the clan, in the end, the other party was just a genin who was leaving the village for the first time.

In contrast, Yamanaka Inoichi, as one of the contemporary "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio, is highly skilled, experienced, and especially adept at spiritual perception.

"Perhaps the caravan leader used some means to interfere with Brother Hai's perception."

Nara Rinkazu provided a possible direction for speculation, while simultaneously removing his sunglasses and raising his [lacquer eyes].

"As for how I discovered it... [Lacquer Eyes] have the ability to observe the existence and flow of spiritual energy."

The techniques and abilities possessed by ninjas were originally top secret information.

However, since he had already planned to share the scroll of the [Lacquer Eye] technique with the family, Nara Rangatsu naturally wouldn't deliberately conceal the information at this time.

Can the "lacquer eye" also perceive spiritual energy?

Upon hearing this, Nara Kano nearly snapped his goatee off.

"These eyes are truly going to become the Nara clan's 'Sharingan'!"

"Lan Gui, I suddenly regret not taking the [Lacquer Eye] technique scroll from you before."

Nara Kano lowered his hand and said with a complicated expression.

"These eyes are even more powerful than I imagined."

"My stance remains the same."

Nara Rinka answered meticulously.

"The clan leader can take that scroll from me at any time, as long as he is willing."

"Moreover, to be honest, with war drawing ever closer, if our people could learn [Lacquer Eyes], it would definitely enhance their ability to survive on the battlefield."

As an A-rank ninjutsu, the [Lacquer Eye] technique is naturally extremely difficult to learn.

However, Nara Rinkei believed that no "Nara slacker" could escape the allure of "no-seal ninjutsu".

Passion is the true source of motivation.

Fueled by immense enthusiasm for learning, and with the sharp intellect of the Nara clan, Nara Rinkei felt that it wouldn't be difficult for any of his fellow ninjas to learn the "Lacquer Eyes."

Furthermore, before Nara Rangsuke even provided the scroll for the [Lacquer Eye] technique, he had already obtained an S-rank [Ninja Scroll], all the Nara clan's ninjutsu and medical data, a monthly salary of one million ryo, chakra metal, and more from the clan head...

It's not that he doesn't accept benefits that come his way.

But the clan leader gave way too much...

There was so much that even Nara Rinka felt it was getting a bit too hot to handle.

"Of course I understand that..."

Nara Kano habitually stroked his beard again.

As the head of a clan, he has many more issues to consider.

The power and functionality of the [lacquer eye] are self-evident.

But its influence extends far beyond the Nara clan, affecting not only their own relations with other groups.

In Konoha, the Nara clan may not be considered particularly prestigious, but they are certainly indispensable.

At the heart of the medical system, the leader of the Jonin squad, the Hokage's advisor, and connected to the Land of Fire's government...

The Nara clan's current strength and status in Konoha can be said to have reached its limit.

In this position, one will not attract covetousness, nor will one be suppressed.

For the Nara clan, this state is the most comfortable.

If this extreme state is broken rashly, it will inevitably cause a large number of chain reactions.

The balance of power with the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, the alliance with the Sarutobi clan, the pressure from the truly powerful Uchiha and Hyuga clans, and even the possibility of being suppressed by the Hokage...

The goal is to break through these limits while maintaining a comfortable state.

Nara Kano could only think of one solution.

Let's take the Hozuki clan from the neighboring Hidden Mist Village as an example.

Like the Hozuki clan, the Nara clan also produced a Kage-level powerhouse, just like the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu!

War... clansmen... survival... time... foreign tribes... Hokage... winning the crown...

Within seconds, Nara Kano thought of a great many things.

He eventually made a decision.

"After you finish this mission and return to the village, please give me the [Lacquer Eye] scroll!"

"I will first spread the [Lacquer Eye] technique within a small circle of the clan, and require every clan member who learns [Lacquer Eye] to keep it absolutely secret."

Nara Ranka nodded; he fully agreed with the clan chief's decision.

But in his heart, he still sighed.

"Chieftain, stop planting the flag..."

"Furthermore, win the laurel wreath."

Nara Kano stared sharply at Nara Rinka.

In just a few seconds, his anticipation for Nara's laurel wreath increased even more.

Now that we've decided to promote the "lacquer eye" technique, we need to speed up the plan to cultivate Nara Rinkazu!

"Are you confident you can face the caravan leader, Miyajo En, who deliberately concealed his identity?"

Nara Rinka was stunned.

"……Clam?"

……

Nara Rinka emerged from the temporary camp and slowly approached the caravan leader, Miyajo En.

He hadn't expected the clan leader to send him to deal with that suspicious ninja who appeared to be an elite Jonin.

But are you confident?

Nara Rinkazu took a step forward, and the shadows beneath his feet rippled and flowed like waves. Suddenly, a physical clone that was exactly the same as him appeared in front of him.

[S-Rank Technique: Shadow Clone Technique]

The clone stood still, while Nara Rinka took another step forward, her entire body seemingly as thin as a sheet of paper, blending into the shadow of the clone.

[Rank C Technique: Shadow Strike]

"Is this me in my clone form?"

Nara Rinka's consciousness briefly possessed the [Shadow Clone]. He raised his palm and loosely clenched his fist.

This feeling of transcending the mundane and experiencing a profound sense of relief is absolutely exhilarating!

If it weren't for the fact that his chakra reserves couldn't guarantee the use of the "Shadow Clone Technique" all day long, Nara Ranke would have wanted to continue living as a "Shadow Clone" indefinitely.

He turned around and looked at the shadows of the temporary camp. He nodded slightly and then resumed his actions.

In the shadows, Nara Kano, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza stood silently.

Nara Rinka went to test Miyajo En.

The Mismatched Pig-Deer-Butterfly Squad is his secret bodyguard!

Nara Ranka quietly approached the location of Miyajo En.

The latter, as the caravan leader, was leaning against a carriage, holding a sickle, personally cutting grass to feed the horses.

As night fell, Nara Rinka stopped in front of the lamplight, the warm yellow light elongating his shadow.

"The owner of Oya Castle."

The sudden greeting seemed to startle Miyajo En.

He cried out in pain as the sickle accidentally cut his palm, and blood instantly seeped out from his hand.

"Ouch……"

Wearing a pair of extremely flashy, oversized diamond-shaped sunglasses, Miyajo En turned around, his tone tinged with complaint.

"Hey buddy, don't scare people behind their backs at night... What do you need me for?"

Nara Rinka gazed at Miyajo En's injured left hand, narrowed his eyes slightly, his main consciousness returned to the shadow, and his clone consciousness came online.

The shadows surged, like an ink-stained beast baring its fangs, tearing at its unsuspecting prey.

Seeing that the two shadows had overlapped, [Shadow Clone] got straight to the point.

"Boss Oya Castle, have you ever heard of... Shadow Binding Technique?"

(End of this chapter)