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[Naruto: Superpower Roulette] Chapter 354
🕑 Added 2025-01-14 16:00:09 +0000 UTC"I'm home!"
As Shikamaru entered his house, the aroma of freshly cooked food greeted him. Smiling, he realized Temari had already prepared dinner. It was a welcome change from the days when he had to cook for himself. Despite her occasional nagging, he found that he'd missed her voice during the days when she was absent from his memory.
"Welcome back! Go wash your hands, dinner's ready. Shikadai, stop playing your games and come to eat!"
Temari emerged from the kitchen, her commanding tone bringing Shikadai, who was lounging on the porch with his game console, to his feet.
"Coming, coming… what a drag," Shikadai muttered.
"Hey, don't let your mother hear that, or dinner won't be peaceful," Shikamaru whispered to his son, and together they headed to the bathroom. After washing up, the family gathered around the table for dinner.
As they sat down, Shikamaru commented, "Dinner smells amazing today. Thank you, Temari."
"It's nothing. Just eat," Temari replied.
"You've had a long day. After dinner, I'll prepare the bath so you can rest. Shikadai, you should get to bed early too," she added.
"Yes, ma'am," Shikadai responded.
Shikamaru's heart warmed at her words. Smiling, he said, "It's fine. Naruto and Sasuke did most of the work today. They took down the beast, but tomorrow representatives from the other four villages will arrive to study it."
"A beast? Father, is this what you've been busy with lately?" Shikadai asked. His friends had been complaining about their parents being absent, and he was experiencing the same thing—he hadn't even had lunch at home lately.
"You don't need to ask about that. It's classified information and can't be shared," Shikamaru replied firmly. Though he trusted his son, he couldn't break village regulations.
"By the way, Konoha plans to involve Yoichi, the onmyōji, in the research," he added.
"What? Why involve him?"
Temari's voice was sharp, startling both Shikamaru and Shikadai. Realizing she had let her emotions slip, Temari quickly added, "Isn't he your rival? Why would Naruto ask you to deal with him?"
"Don't worry, I don't have to go," Shikamaru explained, recognizing her concern. "It was Sakura's idea. She mentioned that Yoichi collects rare materials, and parts of the beast's corpse might interest him. She hopes to exchange them for secret medicine, so she'll probably handle it herself."
"I see. I overthought it," Temari said, calming down. She silently reminded herself to avoid acting impulsively in the future, as it might raise Shikamaru's suspicions.
After dinner, Shikamaru went to take a bath, eager to unwind from the day's work. Meanwhile, Temari returned to her room, her thoughts simmering.
That bastard…
...
The next morning, outside Yoichi's apothecary:
"A beast's corpse? I'm very interested. One moment," Yoichi said with a smile after hearing Sakura's explanation. He retreated inside, returning a few minutes later.
The person who had initially spoken to Sakura was merely a doppelgänger. The Yoichi who stepped out now was his true self.
"Let's go, Sakura-san," he said.
"Just call me Sakura. Using honorifics is too formal," she replied with a smile. She wasn't used to such formalities and found them awkward.
"Alright, Sakura it is. Hmm, why do you keep glancing at my face? Is there something strange about it?" Yoichi asked, feigning curiosity as he noticed her occasional glances.
"No, it's nothing. Let's move. Representatives from the other villages are arriving today, and they want to study the corpse of this otherworldly beast," Sakura said, shaking her head. In the ninja world, beasts capable of speech were often referred to as summoning beasts.
"No problem. If I see something I like, I'm willing to pay a high price. This beast was hunted by Konoha, right?" Yoichi asked.
"Yes, but unfortunately, no treasures were found. Naruto might have destroyed them," Sakura replied, regret evident in her voice.
Changing the subject, she asked, "Yoichi, I heard from Ino that you bought a treasure—a flame-like fruit—from the first otherworldly beast. What does it do?"
"Oh, since you're Ino's friend, I suppose you're not an outsider. Do you have a kunai?" Yoichi's response surprised Sakura. She wondered what made Ino's friends "not outsiders" and what exactly her relationship with Yoichi was.
"Yes, here," Sakura said, handing over a kunai despite her growing curiosity.
"This fruit is quite miraculous. It allows one to become like fire itself. It might be hard to explain, but let me show you," Yoichi said.
To Sakura's shock, Yoichi used the kunai to cut off his own arm.
"Yoichi! Why would you harm yourself?" Sakura exclaimed, but before she could finish, the severed arm transformed into a blaze of fire. The stump where his arm had been was also aflame.
In moments, the fire burned out, and his arm regrew.
Sakura's jaw dropped. "What… what is this?"
"I can transform into fire at will. My entire body. Most physical attacks are ineffective against me now. It's unbelievable—I didn't expect the fruit to have this effect, but I'd say I got lucky," Yoichi said, feigning amazement.
Revealing his abilities was part of his plan, starting with the powers of the fruit. It would pave the way for his future endeavors in uncovering the ninja world's "treasures."
"This is… incredible," Sakura stammered.
"You're the first person I've told, Sakura. I haven't even mentioned it to Ino yet."
"Why would you tell Ino?"
"Well..." Yoichi paused, pretending to deliberate before continuing. "She's a friend. I found her loud and annoying at first, but over time, I realized she's both beautiful and kindhearted—qualities rare in the ninja world."
"Y-yes, Ino is wonderful. She's my best friend," Sakura said, forcing a smile. But internally, she clenched her fists. Something's definitely going on between them!
The two soon arrived at the facility where the beast's body was stored—the former Root headquarters, a place Yoichi had visited a few times.
"What a massive creature. How strong was it when it was alive?" Yoichi asked, genuinely curious as he examined the dragon-lion corpse.
Before Sakura could answer, a Konoha ninja approached, holding a newly discovered ring.
"Sakura-san, we found this ring in the beast's mouth. The markings don't appear to be sealing techniques," the ninja reported.
Yoichi's heart skipped a beat when he saw the ring. He immediately recognized it as a storage ring—proof that the beast was likely a magical creature in life.
"A ring? Do summoning beasts even use such things?" Sakura wondered aloud. She examined the ring, noting its unusual presence in the creature's mouth.
Turning to Yoichi, she caught his gaze.
"Sakura, sell this to me. I'll offer a price that will satisfy you," Yoichi said, knowing full well what her glance meant and seizing the opportunity to claim the ring.
(End of Chapter)
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