Chapter 204: The Flying Thunder God Technique
"Tonari, you're back."
Reika's face lit up with joy the moment she saw him.
Although he had already informed her in advance, actually seeing him in person still made her genuinely happy.
Tonari chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair gently.
"The business hasn't been doing well, has it?"
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Reika's smile grew even brighter.
She stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Yeah… Ever since the war started, business has dropped a lot."
Tonari nodded.
"That's unavoidable. It's not just us—every business in Konoha is struggling. The economy isn't exactly doing well."
As he spoke, he took off his slightly worn-out cloak.
Reika skillfully took it from him, carefully folding it and placing it aside.
Her gentle actions made Tonari instinctively ruffle her hair again.
"You still look best with red hair."
The smile on Reika's face froze.
Her hands also stiffened for a brief moment.
Red hair…
A sign of the Uzumaki Clan.
To openly show her red hair was to expose her identity—an identity that was tied to painful memories.
It reminded her of the nightmare that was her past—being treated as a commodity in Kusagakure, constantly on the run, her very identity a curse rather than a blessing.
To Reika, the Uzumaki name wasn't an honor—it was a burden.
Tonari realized his mistake immediately.
He had unknowingly brought up something she didn't want to remember.
"…Sorry," he said, his voice softer.
Reika slowly shook her head, biting her lip.
"If you want me to show it, then I'll do it…"
Tonari froze.
That sounded kind of wrong.
Shaking his head quickly to clear his thoughts, he flicked her forehead lightly.
"Alright, I'm starving. Is dinner ready?"
Reika blinked, momentarily surprised by his sudden change of subject.
But then, she smiled sweetly.
"It's all ready! I'll bring it right out!"
As Tonari sat down at the dining table, Reika quickly brought out dish after dish.
Even without tasting it, he could tell—she had gone out of her way to keep everything warm, waiting for him to return.
The steam rising from the dishes, the aroma filling the room—everything was perfectly prepared.
At that moment, Tonari felt his appetite skyrocket.
Without another word, he grabbed his chopsticks and dug in.
As he ate voraciously, he suddenly noticed Reika sitting across from him, resting her chin on her hands, watching him with a soft, silly smile.
Pausing mid-bite, he raised an eyebrow.
"Have you eaten?"
"Hm?" Reika blinked, seemingly snapped out of a daze.
"Come on, join me. Eating alone is boring."
Reika laughed lightly and grabbed her own set of chopsticks.
As she ate, she was careful to take small, polite bites, unlike Tonari, who was devouring his food like a beast.
She had anticipated his monstrous appetite, so she had cooked extra portions.
Yet, even with the extra food, Tonari still finished every last bite.
"Damn… That was good!"
Leaning back, patting his stomach, he looked completely satisfied.
In the warzone, meals were… edible.
Barely.
The food was bland, repetitive, and had the texture of wet cardboard.
Having a properly cooked meal after so long felt like heaven.
Seeing his content expression, Reika felt a sense of fulfillment.
After clearing the table, she poured him a cup of tea before heading to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Tonari let out a deep sigh of relaxation, leaning back in his chair.
If only life could always be like this…
A peaceful life, free of war.
But unfortunately, that was impossible.
Not in this cruel ninja world.
Strength was everything.
Without it, you couldn't even protect yourself, let alone others.
Yet, the stronger you became, the more dangers you had to face.
It was a vicious cycle.
If you lacked strength, you became a victim.
If you had strength, you became a target.
What a contradiction…
After finishing the dishes, Reika sat across from him again.
Tonari sat up and looked at her seriously.
"Reika, how's your chakra training going?"
She immediately straightened up.
In this world, power meant survival.
Tonari didn't need a helpless burden—he needed a capable ally.
Had she chosen a normal civilian life, he would have left her outside the village, far from the conflict.
But since she chose to follow him, she had to become stronger.
"I've mastered all the techniques you gave me."
Tonari raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
That was… unexpected.
The jutsu he had given her weren't difficult, but they weren't simple either.
"Show me."
Raising his hand, Tonari gathered a small sphere of dark chakra, like a swirling mist of black smoke.
The moment it appeared, the air around them seemed to grow colder.
Even without touching it, one could feel its eerie, repelling force.
A dense concentration of Yin chakra.
Reika knew exactly what he was testing.
Her hands formed quick seals.
"Fūja Hōin!"
A complex seal formation rapidly formed in the air, wrapping around the Yin chakra like a cage.
Then, she glanced around the table—
Her eyes locked onto his teacup.
With a swift motion, she pressed the sealing formation onto it.
As soon as the seal engraved itself onto the porcelain, the eerie aura of the Yin chakra disappeared completely.
However—
When Tonari touched the cup, his fingers recoiled.
"…It's ice cold."
Reika giggled.
"This would be great for making iced drinks in summer."
Tonari chuckled, pleased with the results.
Then—
Without warning, he grabbed a kunai—
And stabbed it straight through his own forearm.
"TONARI, NO!"
Reika's eyes widened in horror.
Blood gushed from the wound, the kunai piercing clean through his arm.
Tonari winced, groaning.
"Shit… That actually hurt more than I expected."
Regret.
Instant regret.
But since he had already done it, he had to see it through.
"Alright, let's see how your medical ninjutsu is."
Tears welled up in Reika's eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Silently, she channeled pale green chakra into her hands.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she slowly removed the kunai, carefully healing the wound with Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique).
Tonari howled dramatically, pretending to be in agony.
But Reika ignored his theatrics, focusing completely on closing the wound.
In just a few moments, the injury was fully healed.
Tonari blinked in surprise.
"…You mastered it this well already?"
He had spent ages training to use medical ninjutsu properly, yet she had learned it so quickly while still running the shop and handling intelligence work.
Natural talent.
Her chakra control was exceptional.
This girl…
She had potential.
Tonari grinned and ruffled her hair again.
"Well done. You're not far from becoming a proper ninja now."
Reika pouted, her eyes still slightly red.
"You shouldn't do things like that…"
Unable to handle her accusatory gaze, Tonari quickly escaped to his room.
"I have training to do! Don't bother me!"
Reika laughed softly, wiping her tears away.
As she watched him flee, she smiled to herself.
At least, for now—
He was still Tonari.
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