Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

With a clang!

Almost the instant Maruboshi Kosuke parried the pursuing samurai sword, a scorching wave of air roared and swept over!

A giant fireball, far exceeding the normal diameter and so bright it was impossible to look directly at, pressed down on the sand and gravel, accompanied by a hissing sound that seemed to devour everything, and crashed down on Maruhoshi Kosuke!

Ninjutsu combo!

Triple pursuit!

"A good transition!"

Maruhoshi Kosuke's eyes showed no sign of panic, but rather a hint of sincere approval, while his hands swiftly formed two hand seals.

"Water Release·Water Formation Wall!"

Wow!!!

In an instant, the ground beneath his feet churned, and a torrent of water shot into the sky. It was not just a thin water shield, but a rapidly rotating and intertwining circle centered on where he stood!

Layer upon layer of turbulent currents form a high-speed rotating vortex water wall, tightly filling every gap, just like a moving ring-shaped water fortress!

Boom!!!

The flames collided violently with the water wall! A blinding white light exploded, and a deafening explosion, accompanied by a violent hissing sound of evaporation, echoed throughout the training ground.

The orange-red flames licked the swirling water walls frantically, steaming up thick white mist that completely engulfed the two figures.

However, the swirling water wall remained as solid as a rock, keeping the raging flames firmly at bay.

After a moment, the moisture dissipated slightly.

"Slap, slap, slap."

A crisp round of applause rang out from the thinning white mist. Maruhoshi Kosuke stepped out slowly, a warm yet deeper smile on his face.

"Not bad, really not bad." He nodded, his gaze falling on Shinichi, whose aura hadn't changed much: "The seamless application of swordsmanship, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, the decisiveness in adapting to changing circumstances... This old man roughly understands the extent of your strength."

He gently inserted the samurai sword in his hand back into the large iron pot on his back.

"Well then, that concludes the test. Get ready, we're about to begin our first mission."

"Yes, senior."

.........

Unlike most fresh-out-of-school ninjas who start out by catching cats and dogs and doing odd jobs for the villagers, Shinichi's first mission was a C-rank mission that required him to leave the village.

As they walked along the road leaving the village, the lush trees on both sides gradually receded, and Maruhoshi Kosuke, in his calm and soothing tone, slowly and deliberately began to explain the mission:

"Our mission is tentatively classified as Rank C. The location is in Narumi Town, a region in the northeastern part of the Land of Fire, near the border of the Land of Hot Water. The client is a representative of several villages near Narumi Town. Recently, there have been several cases of children going missing there. The client's request is to investigate the cause of the incidents and find the missing children as much as possible."

"A child is missing?" Shinichi keenly grasped the key point: "Didn't the local villagers report it to the local sheriff or lord so they could investigate?"

"It's been reported." Maruhoshi Kosuke nodded, then shook his head slightly. "The lord of Narumi Town sent local guards to search and investigate, but they found nothing and no valuable clues. Therefore, the villagers of several villages raised some funds on their own and officially submitted a request to Konoha."

"Even the local organized soldiers couldn't find a single clue..." Shinichi frowned slightly and pondered, "This is probably not something ordinary human traffickers or bandits could do. Senior, this matter is very likely related to ninjas, or at least an organization with certain unconventional methods. Logically speaking, this has already exceeded the scope of a C-rank mission."

"Your judgment is very accurate." Maruhoshi Kosuke glanced at Shinichi, his eyes filled with approval. "The employer also realized this, promising in the commission that if they encounter ninjas or forces beyond their normal capabilities during the mission, they are willing to pay additional commission. The village considered both the initial intelligence and the employer's promise before tentatively classifying this mission as Rank C and assigning it to us. Of course,"

He paused, his tone still calm, but with a hint of solemnity.

"Once it's confirmed that ninjas are involved, the mission level will be immediately upgraded, and our response strategy must change accordingly. This is the first thing we need to find out on this mission."

The first mission starts at level C, or even higher.

The village really thinks highly of me.

Shinichi understood, but he felt no apprehension; on the contrary, he was secretly eager to try.

On one hand, his teammate is Kosuke Maruboshi, an elite Jonin;

On the other hand, he also has considerable confidence in his current abilities.

Not to mention, he is now the one who holds destiny in his hands!

Well, it's just a little bit exaggerated...

As evening fell, the two, who had been walking all day, stopped at the edge of a woodland to prepare for the night.

Maruhoshi Kosuke went out for a walk and came back with two plump pheasants and a bunch of fresh wild vegetables in his hands.

He took down the iconic large iron pot and skillfully started a fire and prepared the ingredients. Shinichi, who was also skilled in cooking, naturally stepped forward to help, his movements swift and efficient.

The campfire crackled, and an enticing aroma gradually wafted from the pot.

"Your cooking skills are truly excellent, senior." Shinichi took a sip of the soup and praised it sincerely.

Maruhoshi Kosuke smiled and poked at the fire: "When you're traveling, you always have to take care of your own mouth."

At this moment, Shinichi seemed to suddenly remember something and asked with some curiosity, "Senior, I've read in some books that there seems to be a very special type of ninja in the ninja world, known as the culinary ninja. I wonder if you've heard of them?"

"You're trying to subtly ask if I'm a cooking ninja, aren't you?" Maruboshi Kosuke glanced at him, his smile revealing a knowing understanding.

Shinichi wasn't embarrassed when his question was pointed out. He nodded frankly and said, "I am indeed a little curious."

"A culinary ninja..." Maruboshi Kosuke paused slightly, his gaze fixed on the flickering campfire, seemingly lost in some distant memory, his tone carrying a faint sigh: "Speaking of which, I suppose I could be considered one too."

"Oh?" Shinichi immediately sat up straight, his face showing great interest.

He was really curious.

Based on his years of exploration, for a profession to generate an entry on the panel, it must first receive formal "recognition" and "acceptance" from a system or authority with a complete lineage.

This system of inheritance should involve the application of extraordinary power or chakra.

Does that mean "Cooking Ninja" counts?

After all, a cooking ninja can also be considered a chef who uses chakra.

If we don't count cooking ninjas, and even medical ninjas in the future...

That means this profession must be an independent and complete system of extraordinary inheritance, rather than a derivative of this system.

This means that this lineage is older than ninjas, and that it possessed a stable application of extraordinary power before chakra became widespread.

However, after the widespread adoption of chakra, a more efficient and versatile form of energy, these professions replaced their internal energy with chakra.

For example, a swordsman or a samurai!

Seeing Shinichi's serious expression, Maruboshi Kosuke smiled and slowly explained: "Cooking ninjas are a special group that combines ninjas and chefs. Their primary responsibility is not fighting, but to quickly replenish the physical strength and restore the chakra of ninja teams that are carrying out long-term, high-intensity missions by cooking food containing chakra or special nutrients."

"Its essence lies in the control of chakra, especially the micro-management of fire release, applied to the precise control of the heat and energy activation of ingredients."

He paused, sprinkled some salt into the pot, and continued, "However, with the rapid development of medical ninjutsu and pharmacology in the ninja world, especially after the large-scale development and application of easily portable and concentrated ration pills, the supply method of cooking ninjas, which requires on-site cooking and relies on fresh ingredients, has become inefficient."

"Over time, this group has completely declined. In today's ninja world, unless it is a certain ancient family tradition or an extremely niche lineage, it is almost impossible to find. So it is perfectly normal that you have only heard of it but never seen it."

"Senior, how does one become a proper culinary ninja?" Shinichi asked.

Although he had already roughly judged in his mind that the culinary ninja, a derivative profession combining ninja and chef, probably did not meet the conditions for generating profession entries on the panel.

But he still decided to test it out himself.

What if?

There's no harm in giving it a try.

"Become a cooking ninja?" Kosuke Maruhoshi chuckled. "Shinichi, although I don't know why you're taking this so seriously, in my opinion, you're already a cooking ninja."

"Oh?" Shinichi's eyes flickered slightly. "Why do you say that, senpai?"

"Look, you're a ninja, you've mastered Fire Release, and your cooking skills are quite good. Doesn't that make you a culinary ninja?"

"But you just said that cooking ninja food can quickly replenish stamina and restore chakra..."

"Food itself has these effects, it's just a matter of degree. If you want the effect to be more significant, just add some medicinal herbs to the dish and make it into a medicinal meal. It's not difficult." Maruhoshi Kosuke waved his hand dismissively.

Shinichi didn't stop there. Instead, he looked at him more seriously and said in a serious tone, "So, in your opinion, senior, I can already be considered a culinary ninja, right?"

Upon hearing this, Maruhoshi Kosuke paused for a moment. Although he didn't understand why Shinichi was so serious about confirming it, he still smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Shinichi. I admit it, you are now a cooking ninja."

After saying that, Maruhoshi Kosuke glanced at the sky and divided the remaining soup in the pot: "Alright, get some rest after you finish eating. We have to travel tomorrow, so I'll take the first half of the night watch."

............

Nighttime, deep within the lord's mansion in Narumi Town.

Lord Kurokawa Yasumasa suddenly felt a bone-deep pain in his body. His face turned pale, and he immediately dismissed his attendants. He staggered into the study alone and then opened one of the secret rooms that only he knew about.

As soon as he closed the door, he could no longer bear it and curled up on the ground, letting out suppressed and painful groans—it was not an ordinary illness, but a kind of tormenting pain as if his bones were being crushed and pierced from the inside.

He shakily crawled toward the wooden cabinet against the wall and pulled a porcelain bottle from deep inside a drawer.

The bottle was opened, and a strong, pungent smell of blood immediately filled the air.

Kurokawa Yasumasa eagerly poured the dark red liquid from the bottle into his mouth. After a moment, his rapid breathing gradually calmed down, and the excruciating pain throughout his body receded like a tide, leaving only a cold sweat of exhaustion.

"I told you all to behave yourselves better."

He leaned against the wall and slowly stood up, his voice hoarse as he spoke to the empty shadows:

"Now look what's happened. I just heard from my men that those peasants pooled their money to hire Konoha ninjas to investigate... If this gets out of hand, we're both finished."

"You guys? Hehehe..."

A man draped in a black cloak slowly emerged from the shadows, his voice low and chilling:

"My lord, don't forget, you've long been a member of the church. We... are on the same side."

Kurokawa Yasumasa remained silent, his face tense, but his eyes were dark. The cloaked man didn't seem to care and continued casually:

"As for the ninjas of Konoha?"

He chuckled softly, as if discussing the weather:

"Just kill him!"

"Are you crazy?!"

Kurokawa Yasumasa's expression changed drastically, and his voice was almost impossible to suppress:

"This is the Land of Fire, not the Land of Hot Water! Killing someone from Konoha will trigger a thorough investigation by the entire village! This is no longer a simple case of a missing child!"

The priest was silent for a moment, the shadow under his hood seemed to stir slightly, and his cold voice rang out again, tinged with mockery: "Then, in the City Lord's opinion, what should we do? The matter of the Holy Son must not be stopped. Don't forget, my City Lord, your bone cancer is an incurable disease even in the ninja world. Only when the Holy Son descends and receives divine grace can your illness... be completely cured."

"Of course I know! You don't need to tell me!" Kurokawa Yasumasa growled, pacing anxiously in the small, dark room. "Precisely because we can't stop, we must be even more cautious! Listen, from now on, until the Konoha ninjas leave or the truth is revealed, all of you must lie low for good and not touch any more children! I will make proper arrangements, find a few suitable culprits and reasons, and put this disappearance case to rest, dealing with the immediate troubles first."

The priest's face, hidden beneath his hood, showed clear displeasure. Kurokawa Yasumasa noticed this, stepped forward, and said sternly:

"I'll say it again, I'm not joking!"

"Think about the leader's original intention in sending you here: to establish roots here, to create a new place of faith for the church, to cultivate it for the long term, and to plan gradually! If you act rashly and attract an uncontrollable and powerful enemy, destroying the foundation of this place and ruining the leader's long-term plan, can you bear the responsibility?!"

He took a deep breath and issued his final, resolute warning: "Konoha is the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages, its strength unfathomable. If we were to provoke their true elite forces, their ever-present ANBU, over a few lives... then not only would our lives be in danger, but even the leader of the sect in the Land of Hot Water, and the sect's long-established headquarters, would likely be exposed to a thunderous attack and face annihilation! Do you want to see that happen?"

Seeing that Elder Takahashi, the priest, remained silent, a cold glint flashed in Kurokawa Yasumasa's eyes, and he decided to administer another drastic measure.

He took half a step forward, his voice lowered, yet carrying a blatant threat:

"Elder Takahashi, you don't want the sect leader either..."

"How do you know the cult leader...?"

Elder Takahashi's expression under his hood suddenly changed, and he subconsciously questioned him sharply.

He had barely uttered half a sentence when he suddenly realized his mistake and immediately shut his mouth.