Chapter 11: Rokushiki
Arriving in the kitchen, Liu Maoxing rubbed his slightly sore wrist. "Cabbage in Boiled Water is very time-consuming; it takes about nine hours. Why don't I prepare a full banquet today instead, so you can all have a taste? It'll also be a chance for them to learn."
Yamamoto Nami quietly tugged on Senju Miyuki's sleeve and asked, "Who is this? Weren't we supposed to be teaching them?"
Miyuki let out a chuckle. "That's Ryusei's shadow clone. His personality is a bit different. You should call him Liu Maoxing now."
Nami looked at Liu Maoxing's handsome face and thought, "As expected of my son. Even his shadow clone is so handsome."
Mito Uzumaki thought for a moment. "Very well. In that case, make some extra so they can have a taste as well."
Miyuki immediately snatched the ingredient list from Mito's hand. "Then I'll go get the materials!"
She vanished with a Body Flicker. Half an hour later, she returned carrying large and small bags filled with ingredients.
Liu Maoxing took the ingredients and started with the Cabbage in Boiled Water, teaching the Senju women as he cooked and letting them try their hand at it.
Following that, Liu Maoxing also made Magical Mapo Tofu, Golden Ratio Shaomai, Rising Dragon Gyoza, Cloud Dragon Fried Shrimp, and Smiling Golden Buns, making Mito and the others drool just from watching.
Two hours later, all of Liu Maoxing's dishes, except for the Cabbage in Boiled Water, were ready. On the other side, the team of Senju ladies had also finished, but the presentation of their food was a miserable sight, and the taste was likely worlds apart.
Their Magical Mapo Tofu was completely black. Their Golden Ratio Shaomai had steamed into a single, lumpy mass. Their Rising Dragon Gyoza didn't even move.
The young women looked at their own creations, then at Liu Maoxing's, their faces turning as red as tomatoes. They instantly wished the ground would swallow them whole.
Liu Maoxing tasted their cooking. His brow furrowed for a moment, then relaxed. "For your first time, this is already quite good. For the next few days, each of you should practice one dish. You should be able to make them well after a few days."
"It smells so good! Ryusei must be cooking again." Two people walked in from outside; it was Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
Madara and Hashirama truly are the best of bros, Ryusei's clone thought. It feels like they're always together.
Hashirama scanned the kitchen but didn't see Ryusei, only a blue-haired youth. He asked Mito, "Who is that person? Where's Ryusei?"
Mito looked at Liu Maoxing, who was now surrounded by the young women asking him questions. "That's Yamamoto Ryusei's shadow clone," she replied.
Realization dawned on Hashirama. "Did he transform like that to make it easier to cook? It's true, that six-year-old body of his is a bit too short. But why change his face too? Is he not satisfied with his own?"
Mito recalled the earlier incident with the shadow clone and couldn't help but want to laugh. "Ryusei is still too young to control his emotions well, so the clones he makes all seem to have rather strong personalities. This one now is specialized in cooking. His name is Liu Maoxing."
"Then what is that he's covering on his arm?" Madara's focus was a little different.
"We'll know if we just call him over and ask," Mito said, then called out, "Little Xing, come over here."
Liu Maoxing took the opportunity to escape the enthusiastic young women and came before Mito. "Lady Mito, did you need something?"
Mito pointed to his arm. "Madara wants to know what's under there."
Liu Maoxing untied the cloth, revealing the pattern beneath. It was a blue dragon coiled into a circle, with the character for "Special" (特) in the center.
"This is the emblem of a Special-Grade Chef." Liu Maoxing tied the cloth back on. "It is the highest honor, which I obtained only after overcoming numerous difficult trials."
Hashirama looked at how much he treasured the emblem. "So, your dream is to be the greatest chef?"
"That's right," Liu Maoxing said with a happy smile, his eyes shining. "My dream is to experience more cuisines, create more dishes that bring people happiness when they eat them, and to be a great chef. However, that's not the main body's dream. He wants to be the strongest person in the ninja world."
"Oh..." Madara's interest was piqued. He said to Hashirama, "Did you see that, Hashirama? Someone has their eyes on your position."
Hashirama laughed heartily. "Then let him come and take it!"
Mito interjected, "Tobirama will be back soon. Let's eat first. Little Xing, you should call Ryusei back for the meal."
"No problem." Liu Maoxing immediately dispelled his transformation.
Mito thought of Ryusei's diligent figure and said, "There are very few in the younger generation who are as hardworking as Ryusei is now. Perhaps he really can challenge your position one day. However, he's from a civilian family, so his resources are limited."
"If he has no resources, then we will give him resources," Madara said coldly. "Hashirama, let's teach him. Let's see if we can raise another God of Shinobi."
Hashirama was a bit surprised. "Madara, this is the first time I've seen you take such an interest in someone who isn't from the Uchiha clan. Let's see what his aptitude is like first. If he has talent, then we'll try to teach him and see if he can become the new God of Shinobi."
"In that case, let's establish a Ninja Academy," Tobirama said, walking in from outside. "When the time comes, we can put all suitable children in it. On one hand, it will cultivate talent for the future, and on the other, it will speed up the integration of the various clans."
Hashirama thought it was an excellent idea. "Then let's propose it at the next meeting."
In the Senju Clan Training Grounds
Yamamoto Ryusei was developing a new ninjutsu. Or rather than developing, it was more like borrowing—specifically, the Marine's Rokushiki from the world next door.
The Rokushiki were purely taijutsu techniques, activated directly by the body, making them much faster than ninjutsu that required hand seals. Since Ryusei had no ninjutsu, he decided to develop his taijutsu first.
The six styles could be roughly divided into three categories. Soru, Geppo, and Rankyaku were one type, using high-speed leg movements to gain speed and power.
Tekkai and Shigan were another, using blood flow and muscle control to give the body the defensive power of an iron block.
Kami-e was a step further. It involved relaxing the entire body to control it as freely as drawing on paper. Once one mastered Kami-e, they were not far from achieving Seimei Kikan (Life Return).
The first techniques Ryusei decided to develop were Soru and Tekkai. Soru involved stamping the ground ten times in 0.6 seconds, using the explosive speed generated by the reaction force to move, allowing for instantaneous movement. Guided by his practice with the Body Flicker Technique, he was already very close to successfully developing it.
Ryusei began practicing Soru once again. Ten consecutive steps on the ground within 0.6 seconds...
Boom!
A blast of air exploded, and Ryusei appeared on the other side of the training ground.
"Yes!" Ryusei jumped for joy. After practicing for so long, he had finally succeeded once. Now he just needed to practice constantly to stabilize it.
Suddenly, Ryusei's head felt heavy as a flood of Liu Maoxing's memories poured in. The fatigue, however, wasn't as severe as he had expected, likely because Liu Maoxing's physical exertion hadn't been very high.
Ryusei tidied up and prepared to go eat. On the way back, he practiced Soru, flickering unsteadily towards the Senju household.
Thwack!
Ryusei misjudged the distance and slammed directly into the main gate of Hashirama's home, startling the four leaders inside.
Miyuki saw Ryusei plastered against the wall, flickered over, and helped him up. "Ryusei, don't train so recklessly! And the Body Flicker Technique is dangerous, you need to be more careful."
"Body Flicker?" Madara asked Hashirama, a bit confused. "Hashirama, did you sense any chakra from Ryusei's Body Flicker just now?"
Hashirama slowly shook his head. "No, I didn't sense anything. Has Ryusei's Body Flicker already gotten so good that even we can't detect it?"
Tobirama said seriously, "No, that's not it. Even if it were you using it, Big Brother, I would be able to detect it. But I didn't sense any chakra reaction at all just now. Unless... he wasn't using the Body Flicker Technique."
"Then let's test him and see if he has the aptitude to be a ninja," Madara said, standing up. He used his own Body Flicker to instantly appear behind Ryusei, grabbed Miyuki, tossed her aside, and threw a punch at him.
The hair on Ryusei's body stood on end. He sensed the imminent danger and subconsciously used Soru, flashing several dozen meters away. He looked back to see Madara's fist still extended and broke out in a cold sweat.
Ryusei immediately pulled a kunai from his pouch and held it tightly, his eyes fixed on Madara.
'What's going on? Why is Madara Uchiha attacking me? Is it because he sees my genius and wants to kill me? No, Madara isn't that kind of person. His style is not to care about so-called geniuses. And with Hashirama here, it's impossible for him to attack someone from the same village.'
Ryusei's peripheral vision caught the unmoving figures of Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mito. A flash of inspiration struck him. 'It's a test! This is a test they're giving me! If I can satisfy them in this test, I can at least gain their guidance. If I perform well enough, it's even possible I could become their disciple!'
At this thought, Ryusei couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. His gaze towards Madara instantly became fiery.