Chapter 12: Discussion With Shikaku
"Lord Shikaku, I'm Garou Zenin. I apologize for coming unannounced without a formal letter."
Garou bowed politely.
Shikaku waved it off with a friendly smile. "Think nothing of it. I actually wanted to invite you over sooner, but you were recovering at the hospital, and with all the bustle, I didn't want to impose. I'm glad you came."
"Sorry for the trouble."
After a few pleasantries, Garou was welcomed into the courtyard.
"Good afternoon, I'm Shikamaru Nara."
Shikamaru looked as unbothered as ever, offering a lazy greeting. There wasn't a hint of hostility despite their previous awkward encounter.
"Shikamaru," Shikaku said with a light chuckle, "you probably don't know, but the chakra thread technique Garou demonstrated recently has already been submitted to the village and is now being tested among chunin squads."
At that, Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Then it clicked. He remembered the way he had been puppeteered like a marionette.
If they could be controlled so easily, standard ninja tools would be child's play. This wasn't about tool control. No, this was a stepping stone to puppetry techniques.
"Just a simple C-rank technique," Garou said calmly.