The moment Nara Toru and Shikamaru made eye contact, the training ground fell into an eerie silence.
Shikamaru, the lollipop still in his mouth, didn't move. His usually narrowed eyes were wide open, staring intently at the restless black shadow coiling beneath Toru's feet. The shadow, as if truly alive, huddled into a ball, its edges emitting an unsettling, vibrant black aura.
"Dad, who is this guy?" Shikamaru's tone remained lazy, yet a careful listener could detect a sharp edge of tension.
Shikaku withdrew his complex gaze from Toru and ruffled his son's pineapple-shaped hair. "This is Toru from our Nara family; he will be attending the Ninja Academy with you from now on." He paused before adding, "You head home first; I still have some matters to attend to."
Shikamaru gave Toru a deep, calculating look before leaving without further comment. His shadow trailed behind him like a wary little snake, consciously keeping its distance from Toru's.
"Come with me," Shikaku ordered, then walked toward the bamboo forest behind the training ground—the area where the Nara family's secret jutsu scrolls were hidden, normally off-limits to branch family members.
Toru raised an eyebrow. Is he going to question me alone?
He shrugged indifferently and followed. He had also been looking for a secluded spot for his final prize draw, and Shikaku's initiative saved him the trouble.
The bamboo forest was dimly lit, motes of dust floating lazily in the air. The thick bamboo leaves muffled their steps. Shikaku stopped in front of a small stone hut, turned, and fixed Toru with a penetrating stare.
"What exactly is going on with your Shadow Jutsu?" he demanded.
"Didn't I tell you? It's a skill I got from a fever," Toru replied, hands in his pockets, a touch of arrogance in his voice. "Are all people from the Nara family so narrow-minded?"
Shikaku's face darkened instantly; he loathed such dismissive attitudes. As the future Konoha strategist, he relied on analyzing everything with logic, but Toru was an inexplicable anomaly that caused him genuine unease.
"The Nara family's secret jutsu relies on precise Chakra control," Shikaku said slowly. "Your shadow can fly around and even contain solid objects. That is completely illogical."
As he spoke, he suddenly struck. His shadow shot toward Toru's throat like an arrow, moving three times faster than before!
Toru was prepared. The shadow at his feet immediately transformed into a shield, blocking the attack with a loud bang that scattered the surrounding bamboo leaves.
"Uncle Shikaku wants to test my abilities?" Toru sneered.
A Shadow Clone (Doppelman) emerged from his shadow, condensing a short blade of solidified shadow and aiming it directly at Shikaku's chest. Shikaku's pupils constricted in fright; he could feel the genuine lethal danger emanating from that blade.
He quickly retracted his shadow, adopted a defensive stance, and asked nervously, "What exactly do you want?"
"Nothing much," Toru replied, dismissing the shadow clone. "I just want to go to school quietly and not be bothered by anyone." He turned to leave. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Watching Toru's retreating figure, Shikaku's face was terrifyingly grim. He pulled out a flare and shot it into the sky; green fireworks exploded above the bamboo forest—a signal to summon the Nara clan's ANBU. He was resolved to keep this unpredictable boy under constant surveillance.
Toru, of course, was aware of the commotion behind him but paid it no mind. These guys, who don't even know what the Shadow-Shadow Fruit is, think they can monitor me?
He deliberately slowed his pace, turned down a small side path, and headed toward the Konoha Forest, eager to find a private spot for his final prize draw.
At the edge of the Konoha Forest, sunlight dappled through the leaves, and the chirping of birds created a seemingly peaceful facade. But Toru knew danger lurked everywhere here.
He found a particularly thick tree with a hollow large enough to crawl into. Once inside, Toru used his shadow to completely seal the opening.
"System, I want to draw the prize!"
The golden roulette reappeared, the glowing points brighter than before. Toru scanned the options: Wood Release Cells (Weakened Version), Sage Chakra Refinement Technique, Tailed Beast Chakra Fragment (One-Tail)—all incredibly tempting. But ultimately, his focus locked onto a single, dark red glowing point.
The roulette spun rapidly, finally stopping precisely on that red point.
[Ding — Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Swallow-Swallow Devil Fruit (Purified / No Side Effects Version)]
A wave of warm energy surged through his body, mingling instantly with the power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. Toru distinctly felt his shadow transform, as if it had gained a predatory sentience, manifesting an intense desire to devour everything around it.
The system immediately supplied the details: The shadow could devour anything—physical matter, food, or energy—and convert it into power or synthesize new substances. It could also absorb others' Chakra and Ninjutsu. It had no side effects and perfectly complemented the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
Toru trembled with excitement. This ability was tailor-made for him! The Shadow-Shadow Fruit provided control and attack; the Swallow-Swallow Fruit provided infinite absorption and power transformation. This combination was simply invincible!
Eager to test his new ability, he focused his thoughts. A black "tongue" extended from the shadow sealing the hollow and silently wrapped around a stone outside.
"Devour it!"
The shadow "tongue" delivered the stone into its "mouth," and the stone instantly vanished. Toru felt a minuscule increase in energy—though small, it was undeniably effective.
"Let's try synthesizing something new."
He commanded his shadow to devour a few leaves and a small branch, and in his mind, he pictured a dagger. Soon after, the shadow spat out a dark dagger. It looked wooden but glinted with a metallic sheen. Toru picked up the dagger and slashed at the tree trunk, easily carving a deep gash. "Not bad, it's got some real edge!"
He climbed out of the tree hollow, intending to find a living creature to practice on.
Just then, he heard movement from deep within the forest. Following the sound, he discovered a massive wild boar rooting around. Its gleaming tusks made it clear this was a formidable beast.
"You're the one."
Toru circled behind the wild boar and launched his attack. "Shadow Horn Spear!"
His shadow transformed into a spear, piercing the wild boar's hind leg.
"Oink—" The wild boar screamed in pain, turning its bloodshot eyes toward Toru and charging.
Toru was completely unfazed. He had his shadow transform into a defensive shield to block the boar, then split off numerous thin, black Shadow Tendrils to entangle it.
"Devour-Devour: Absorb!"
The shadow tendrils burrowed into the wild boar's skin, beginning to siphon its life force and residual Chakra. The wild boar's movements grew sluggish, and its eyes became vacant. Toru could clearly feel a warm current flowing into his body through the shadow; while not much, it was far superior to absorbing stones.
"So this is what Chakra feels like," Toru licked his lips, a greedy glint in his eyes. Though the wild boar's Chakra was scarce, it was surprisingly pure. If I could absorb a ninja's Chakra... wouldn't I become unstoppable?
Within a few minutes, the wild boar collapsed to the ground, its body withered and skeletal. Toru's shadow devoured the carcass and spat out a sparkling, crystalline bead filled with the wild boar's remaining energy.
"Could this be… a Chakra Crystal?" Toru picked up the bead, feeling the energy within it was even purer and more concentrated than what he had just absorbed. The Swallow-Swallow Fruit could clearly not only absorb but also purify and compress energy.
Just then, he heard the sounds of people approaching. Toru quickly hid the crystal within his shadow and looked over cautiously.
Two ninjas wearing Nara family clothes emerged from the forest, kunai in hand, their eyes hostile.
"What are you doing here?" one ninja asked coldly.
Toru recognized them as the subordinates he had humiliated at the training ground; they were undoubtedly Shikaku's spies.
"Just out for a stroll, and happened to hunt a wild boar," Toru said, pointing nonchalantly to the skeletal remains.
The two ninjas exchanged looks, both surprised. This wild boar was unusually large and dangerous; how could someone Toru's age take it down alone?
"Come back with us to see Lord Shikaku," the other ninja said, reaching out to grab him.
Toru sidestepped, his eyes instantly turning cold. "It seems you haven't learned your lesson."
His shadow suddenly transformed into two large, black hands, grabbing the ninjas' ankles and hauling them upside down.
"Ah! Let us go!" The two struggled desperately in fear but couldn't shake off the shadows.
Toru walked closer and addressed them from above. "Go back and tell Shikaku not to stir up trouble again, or next time won't be so simple!"
With that, he had his shadow toss the two of them away like sacks of trash. They fell to the ground and scrambled away, crawling and stumbling into the trees.
Toru watched their pathetic retreat with a sneer. The Nara family, Shikaku, and the entire Konoha Village would all become his stepping stones from now on.
He looked up toward Konoha Village, his eyes blazing with ambition.
Ninja Academy, Five Great Ninja Villages, Ōtsutsuki Clan... just wait. I, Nara Toru, am coming!
With that, he turned and walked deeper into the forest, quickly disappearing among the trees, leaving the only trace of battle being the skeletal wild boar on the ground.