Nara Toru followed Shikaku down the bluestone path of the Nara clan grounds.
The houses on both sides were topped with gray tiled roofs, and ivy climbed the courtyard walls. The air was thick with the distinct aroma of herbs and old books—a unique signature of the Nara, much like their shadows: unassuming yet profoundly pervasive.
"Your fever was exceptionally strange this time," Shikaku commented, walking ahead without turning around. "Just two days ago, you were weeping because a few kids bullied you. Today, your very posture has changed."
Toru's heart tightened. As expected of the future Konoha strategist, his eyes are too sharp.
He lowered his head and deliberately adopted the timid tone of the original body owner. "Perhaps I was delirious from the fever, Uncle Shikaku; I can't remember many things clearly."
Shikaku suddenly stopped and turned to stare at him. His long, narrow eyes, with deep brown pupils, resembled black stones submerged in water.
"Can't remember? Then you don't remember sneaking into the herb storage three days ago to steal deer antler grass to treat a stray cat?"
Toru was momentarily speechless. He did know about that incident from the original owner's memories, but he never expected Shikaku to be aware of such a minor infraction. It seemed the Nara clan monitored its members far more strictly than he had imagined.
"The Clan Head wants to assess if you are qualified to take next month's Ninja Academy entrance exam," Shikaku continued, his tone flat as he resumed walking. "A child of the Nara, even if they can't become a powerful combat ninja, must at least learn to manage our deer population and prepare herbs."
Toru remained silent, following closely. He absolutely had to go to the Ninja Academy—but not as an ordinary clan child. He would attend as a transmigrator armed with the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. He needed a central place to encounter powerful individuals so he could steal their shadows and grow stronger.
Passing through two carved wooden doors bearing the phoenix tree leaf crest, they arrived at a central courtyard. Instead of the usual herb garden, a thick bamboo forest dominated the space. Inside a stone house nestled among the stalks sat an old man with white hair and a long white beard: Nara Genbu, the Clan Head.
The old man wore a dark blue yukata and gently twirled a deer-shaped jade pendant in his hand. Seeing Toru enter, his usually cloudy eyes sharpened.
"Toru, come closer and let me have a look."
Toru dutifully walked over, deliberately hunching his shoulders, maintaining the original body's timid, fearful demeanor.
"I heard you've changed since your fever?" Genbu tapped the ground with his cane. "Shikaku says you can't even use the most basic Shadow Paralysis Jutsu anymore?"
Just as Toru prepared a hesitant explanation, Genbu abruptly raised a hand. A gray shadow, like a snake, shot out from his sleeve, aimed straight for Toru's ankle.
This was the most fundamental Nara ninjutsu, using Chakra to launch a sudden, controlled attack. While not powerful, its strength lay in its unexpected speed. Had it been the original timid boy, he would have been tripped instantly.
But the Shadow-Shadow Fruit within Toru's body instantly sensed the hostile movement. Before he could consciously command it, the shadow beneath his feet subtly shifted, perfectly deflecting the incoming gray shadow.
"Oh?" Genbu raised an eyebrow and tapped the ground with his cane again.
This time, three shadows lunged from different directions, attempting to bind Toru's hands and feet completely.
Toru's heart stirred. He mobilized the faint Chakra within his body while simultaneously activating the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's power. He didn't meet the attack head-on. Instead, he let his own shadow flow like water, pretending to stumble awkwardly to evade the attacks. The shadows sliced past the hem of his clothes and landed with a soft thud on the stones of the bamboo forest.
"It seems he really did forget," Genbu sighed, retracting his cane, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "He can't even grasp the basic principle of using an opponent's strength against them. No wonder he was bullied by children."
Shikaku, standing nearby, furrowed his brow. He saw clearly that while Toru's evasion looked clumsy, every step precisely avoided the attack—as if he knew exactly where the shadows would strike before they moved.
"Forget it. You should still go to the Ninja Academy," Genbu waved a dismissive hand. "Just don't disgrace the clan when you go. Learn the rules properly alongside Shikamaru and the others."
Hearing the name "Shikamaru," Toru recalled the lazy, pineapple-haired genius from his memories. This boy, destined to become the Konoha strategist with an IQ of 200, surely held many valuable tactics within his shadow.
"Yes, Clan Head," Toru said, lowering his head to conceal the secret triumph in his eyes.
These two rounds of probing had done more than just test him; he had seized the opportunity to "steal" information from both Genbu and Shikaku's shadows. He now knew their exact Chakra levels, their habitual patterns for controlling shadows, and even details of their discussion last night regarding the distribution of medicinal herbs.
The power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit was even more formidable than he had imagined.
As they left the stone house, Shikaku placed a hand on Toru's shoulder. "Come to the training ground this afternoon. I'll teach you basic shadow jutsu."
Toru wanted to laugh, but he instead put on a perfectly grateful expression. "Thank you, Uncle Shikaku!"
After Toru had walked away, Genbu suddenly spoke. "That child… something is wrong."
"You noticed it too?" Shikaku walked back into the stone house. "The way he dodged those shadows was less like calculation and more like instinct."
Genbu tapped his cane heavily. "Nara clan shadow jutsu relies on calculation, not instinct. Send someone to keep an eye on him. Don't let him cause trouble."
"Understood."
The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves onto the training ground, where about a dozen older Nara children were practicing shadow techniques. Seeing Toru approach, their mockery began immediately.
"Look, the coward who's afraid to even touch a deer is here!"
"I heard his fever fried his brain. He can't use shadow jutsu anymore!"
Toru pretended not to hear and walked directly to a corner of the training ground. Discarded ninja tools were piled up here, and the shadows were denser—a perfect spot for him to practice.
Shikaku arrived holding two scrolls. "First, you must learn to sense shadows," he said, unrolling a scroll depicting human meridians. "Nara ninjutsu requires precise Chakra control. Try to use your Chakra to touch your own shadow."
Toru clumsily pretended to circulate his Chakra according to the scroll's method, but the truth was, he didn't need these complicated steps. The Shadow-Shadow Fruit allowed him to directly 'converse' with all shadows, including his own. He was using this exercise to subtly study Shikaku's shadow, knowing the future strategist's essence contained a wealth of combat knowledge.
Just as he focused on "seeing" Shikaku's shadow, someone shouted, "Hey, coward! Do you dare to challenge me?"
The challenger was Nara Sou, a tall teenager and a branch family genius who could already skillfully bind adult deer with the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu. He and his two followers blocked Toru's path, their faces full of provocation.
Toru looked up, his gaze icy. He had no patience for such minor characters, but Nara Sou's shadow caught his attention. The Chakra fluctuations were stronger than the other children's; though not elite, the energy was exceptionally pure.
"Scared now?" Nara Sou sneered and suddenly moved. His shadow lashed out like a whip, moving so fast it created a whooshing sound as it headed for Toru's face.
The surrounding children waited eagerly for the spectacle. Even Shikaku didn't interfere; in the Nara clan, strength commanded respect, and sparring was sometimes necessary.
But in the next second, everyone froze.
Facing the lashing shadow whip, Toru did not move. Just as the whip was about to strike his face, the shadow beneath his feet suddenly "stood up," transforming into a black silhouette identical to him—a Shadow Clone (Doppelman).
The Shadow Clone reached out, grabbed the shadow whip, and with a gentle, calculated tug, Nara Sou screamed as he was pulled forward by his own shadow, falling flat on his face.
"This… what kind of ninjutsu is that?"
"How can a shadow stand up by itself?"
The children were dumbfounded. Shikaku gripped the scroll in his hand. He had never seen a shadow jutsu like this—it was neither a Nara secret technique nor a known ability from any other village.
Nara Sou scrambled to his feet, his face flushed. "You cheated! You must have used some crooked trick!"
He quickly formed hand signs, wildly injecting Chakra into his shadow. "Watch this! Shadow Paralysis: Snake Constriction!"
This time, his shadow transformed into two gray snakes, opening their mouths to bite Toru's arms.
Toru sneered. That was just a small test. Now, he would show them the difference between basic ninjutsu and true shadow mastery.
"Shadow Box," he murmured.
The shadow beneath Nara Sou's feet instantly surged, forming a black cube that completely enveloped him. The inner walls of the cube continuously squeezed inward, causing Nara Sou such agonizing pain that he couldn't even scream.
"Stop!" Shikaku roared, simultaneously extending his own shadow, attempting to cut open the black box.
But the moment Shikaku's shadow touched the structure, it vanished as if falling into a black hole. The Shadow Box was an ability of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, composed of pure, dense Shadow Energy that ordinary Nara clan ninjutsu could not breach.
"Toru, release him immediately!" Shikaku's tone carried a serious warning. He could sense Nara Sou was about to collapse inside the box.
Toru glanced at him and slowly dispelled the Shadow Box.
Nara Sou collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at Toru. Inside that black space, he truly felt like his bones were about to be crushed.
"Anyone else want to try?" Toru scanned the surrounding children, his voice quiet, yet carrying a terrifying, palpable aura.
The children backed away in fear, no one daring to utter a sound.
Shikaku walked up to Toru, his eyes full of complex thought. "What kind of jutsu are you using?"
"I don't know either," Toru feigned innocent ignorance. "I just suddenly knew how after waking up from the fever. Maybe… it's a talent?"
Talent? Shikaku nearly choked on the word. The Nara clan had studied shadow ninjutsu for hundreds of years and had never encountered such a 'talent'! Looking into Toru's unfathomable eyes, he suddenly felt this child was utterly unfamiliar.
Just then, a lazy voice called out from the training ground entrance. "Dad, I'm here for my manga."
Toru turned his head. A small boy with pineapple hair and a lollipop in his mouth—it was a young Nara Shikamaru.
Shikamaru took in the scene: Nara Sou sprawled on the ground, and Toru standing over him, his shadow rippling restlessly. Shikamaru's previously lazy eyes instantly sharpened with intense observation.
Toru stared at Shikamaru's shadow, secretly excited. This genius, who would one day be the "Brain of Konoha," surely held a treasure trove of tactical knowledge within his essence.
He curved his lips into a meaningful smile directed at Shikamaru.
His shadow legend was only just beginning. The grand stage of the Ninja World could wait no longer.