Spider put on his mask immediately. He gestured for Shota to follow and before Shota could ask him where they are going, Spider had already left.
Shota followed Spider through the village with quick jumps across rooftops. The sun was high and hot, but Shota barely felt it. His mind was still spinning from the shadow clone success.
Spider landed on the roof of a large stone building and turned to him.
"We are going straight to the ninjutsu department to report and record the shadow clone jutsu," Spider said.
Shota blinked. "We are not going to the Kazekage? Not the jōnin commander?"
Spider snorted. "You think the Kazekage sits around waiting for every little report? Any new jutsu, modified jutsu, or re-engineered jutsu goes to the ninjutsu department first. They decide the rank, the danger, the reward. That is the rule."
Shota scratched his mask. "I thought the Kazekage decided everything."
Spider started jumping again. "Only the big stuff. I am sure that the Ninjutsu department would send a report of Shadow Clone Jutsu to him. It would be a big deal for the village."
He continued,"The ninjutsu department is independent. One of the very few department that no elder controls. If one elder had power over all jutsu, they could stop their rivals and the shinobi under them from growing strong. The village would fall apart."
"You would have been sent there to record your Rasengan if the jutsu had handsigns or any other thing that could be inferred from the jutsu that could be useful or taught to others."
They landed in front of a large building with the symbol of a scroll carved above the door. Normal shinobi walked in and out carrying papers and scrolls.
When two masked ANBU appeared, everyone stopped and stared with curiosity. Anbu rarely appeared in public.
Spider walked straight to the reception desk.
"ANBU Commander Spider with Operative Raven. We need to meet the department head urgently."
The receptionist, a young woman with glasses, almost dropped her ink brush. She scrambled up and ran into the back hallway.
More people started to stare as them as their Anbu codenames were revealed. Shota understood the stares.
ANBU did not visit public departments. ANBU killed people in the dark. Normal shinobi told stories about them, not shared offices.
Raven's name had spread in the last year too. His hunter-nin missions were public record. Missing-nin with big bounties kept dying mysteriously. People whispered that Raven never failed. His assassination missions stayed secret, which was good. No one needed to know Suna killed its own problems quietly.
The receptionist returned, breathing hard.
"This way, please."
She led them to a large office with scrolls stacked everywhere. Behind the desk sat a woman with orange curls tied back and bright green eyes. She wore the standard jōnin vest, but Shota could feel that she was strong.
She was Pakura of the Scorch Release.
The only active S-rank kunoichi in Suna besides the Kazekage himself.
She looked up and smiled sweetly. "Is the village in danger? ANBU do not visit me unless something is burning or they want me to burn something."
Shota forgot how to speak.
Pakura was beautiful. Orange curls framed her face perfectly. Her eyes were kind but sharp. Her voice was like honey.
Shota felt his face grow hot under the mask.
'Rasa, you absolute criminal,' he thought. 'How dare you let someone this pretty die in the future.'
'Look at those perks. And that pretty face. Those orange curls add so much to her face.' Shota complimented her in his mind.
Spider elbowed him.
Shota realised he had been staring for too long.
Spider spoke first. "Lady Pakura, Operative Raven has re-engineered a jutsu. We need it recorded and ranked."
Pakura raised an eyebrow. "A child re-engineered a jutsu? Show me."
Shota stepped forward and formed the seal. Though, he did not like being called a child especially by her.
Poof.
Two perfect Shadow Clones appeared beside him.
Pakura's eyes widened. She stood up slowly.
For the next hour she asked questions. How did he split the chakra? How did the memories return? Was it safe? How many could he make? She made him create clones, disperse them, create them again. She took notes on three different scrolls.
Finally she sat back and smiled.
"My my, This is incredible, Raven. Shadow clones will change everything for our jōnin. Many of our shinobi only have wind or fire nature. They never had real clones before. This is a gift to the village."
Shota bowed, trying not to blush again.
"Your reward will be decided within three months," she continued. "The jutsu would be tested by some other jonin to see if others could also reliably learn it. It's quite a bureaucratic process since the elders and Kazekage would also have to approve both the reward and the jutsu. But you would be getting a pretty hefty reward for it."
Shota and Spider bowed and turned to leave.
At the door, Shota stopped.
He spotted a male chūnin working at a desk. Shota walked over slowly, using his best scary ANBU voice.
"Is there a fan club for Lady Pakura?"
The man almost fell out of his chair. He looked down at the tiny masked figure and nodded quickly.
Shota's voice became soft and hopeful.
"Great. How do I join?"
The man wrote something on a small paper and handed it over with shaking hands.
Shota took it happily and walked away.
Spider waited outside, trying not to laugh.
'My little kohai has a crush. It would be so much fun teasing him when Lady Pakura breaks his heart.'
---------Author Notes--------
Y'all can read the next 20 chapters of the fanfic on my pat*reon. Thankyou for your support!
https://pat*reon.com/Charizard6
[No star]