Chapter 11: The Deer Sage's Ideals
"Sorry, did I scare you?"
Nara Shikaku squinted slightly, offering a half-hearted apology to his son, Nara Shikamaru.
Then, turning his gaze to Tsuruma Nobuyuki, he smiled and said,
"You must be Nobuyuki. Shikamaru has mentioned you before. That sealing technique of yours is impressive—no wonder you're this year's top student."
Nobuyuki nodded humbly. "I just got lucky."
Then, shifting his attention to the massive deer that had nearly trampled them, he asked with curiosity,
"I thought the Nara Clan only raised sika deer for harvesting antlers. Is this large-horned deer a new breed?"
Shikaku shook his head lazily. "No, it's not a new breed. This guy wandered into Deer Mountain on his own last winter."
"I was too lazy to chase him away at the time, but when spring came around, he had all the does gathered around him. It's nearly May now, yet none of them are pregnant."
"So I decided to drive him away."
Hearing this, Nobuyuki smirked and looked at the deer, which was still frozen in place by his sealing jutsu.
"So, he was living the dream, huh?"
The large-horned deer seemed to understand human speech. It tried to puff out its chest proudly, but trapped by the One-Thread Light Formation, it couldn't move. Instead, it shot Nobuyuki a look, as if trying to say, You get it, kid.
Seeing this exchange, Shikaku's eyes glinted with amusement. He suddenly smiled and made an offer.
"This deer seems to have taken a liking to you, Nobuyuki. How about I leave him in your care?"
"In return, I'll give you access to our clan's Deer Mountain to collect resources whenever you want."
"Oh, and weren't you looking for mushroom mycelium? I know a few spots where mushrooms grow in abundance. I could point you in the right direction."
"What do you think? Care to take on this responsibility?"
Nara Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes. "Dad, you're just trying to dump your work onto someone else again."
Shikaku chuckled but didn't deny it. He simply turned back to Nobuyuki, waiting for his answer.
Nobuyuki considered the offer for a moment before nodding.
He needed various materials for his future plans, and the Nara Clan's Deer Mountain was a treasure trove of rare herbs and plants. In Konoha, while forests were everywhere, each had an owner—gathering materials freely wasn't easy.
But with Shikaku's permission, everything would be much simpler.
However…
"How am I supposed to handle such a massive animal?"
Nobuyuki glanced at the large-horned deer, which was easily twice his size. He wasn't worried about controlling it himself—his sealing jutsu was effective. But if he brought it home, his guardian Rinko, an ordinary civilian, would probably have a heart attack.
"How about castrating him?"
Shikamaru casually suggested. "I heard animals become more docile after that."
The deer, which had remained calm until now, suddenly shuddered.
It flailed so hard that it nearly broke free from the One-Thread Light Formation. Its large black eyes were filled with sheer terror as it stared at Shikamaru as if he were the devil himself.
Shikamaru snickered but didn't say another word.
Nobuyuki immediately understood what was happening—Shikamaru was playing the bad cop, scaring the deer on purpose.
So, Nobuyuki followed up, changing his hand seals from two hands to one. He maintained the binding jutsu while using his free hand to stroke the deer's head.
"Relax. Judging by your size and horns, you're probably a rare species in the Land of Fire. Castrating you would be a huge waste."
"As long as you promise not to attack people or destroy property, I won't even consider it."
Hearing this, the deer's fearful gaze softened slightly. It looked at Nobuyuki pitifully, as if pleading for mercy.
Satisfied, Nobuyuki released the last seal, dispelling the One-Thread Light Formation.
The pressure that had been pinning the deer down vanished, and the beast shook itself off, snorting loudly.
But it didn't run. Instead, it looked directly at Nobuyuki with an intelligent gaze.
After a few seconds of silent communication, the large-horned deer slowly lowered its head.
"That's the submission gesture used in deer herds," Shikaku noted, clapping lightly in amusement. "Looks like you've earned its trust."
Then, stretching lazily, he grinned.
"Well, that's my job done for today. You kids can enjoy the rest of your weekend."
"Follow this path north, and you'll find plenty of edible mushrooms."
"And with that… see you later, Shikamaru, Choji, and Nobuyuki."
Before they could respond, he disappeared into the trees.
Shikamaru barely reacted—he was too used to his father's lazy habits.
Choji, on the other hand, eyed the large-horned deer curiously, smacking his lips.
Steamed?
Braised?
Barbecued, perhaps?
Sensing an ominous aura, the deer quickly shuffled closer to Nobuyuki, casting wary glances at both Choji and Shikamaru.
Nobuyuki chuckled. "You're huge, but you scare easily, huh?"
The deer sneezed and shot him an indignant glare.
"Fine, fine. I won't call you timid," Nobuyuki said, patting its head. "Now, let's go. Lead the way."
The deer raised its head proudly, then started moving north, leading them deeper into the forest.
Along the way, its massive frame easily pushed aside thorny bushes and vines, clearing a path for the group.
Thanks to this, their journey became much easier—less physical strain, fewer obstacles, and a much faster pace.
Occasionally, the deer even found clusters of berries, plucking them with its teeth and dropping them for the group.
Nobuyuki and Shikamaru sampled a few, noting the flavors, while Choji happily devoured the rest.
By the time they finally reached the mushroom fields, Nobuyuki couldn't help but praise,
"You're pretty useful, after all."
As he bent down to collect mushroom mycelium, an idea began to form in his mind.
A ninja's strength wasn't just about jutsu—it was also about allies.
Naruto Uzumaki had the toads of Mount Myoboku.
Kabuto Yakushi had the serpents of Ryuchi Cave.
What if he had something different?
A Deer Sage…
That had a nice ring to it.
If he truly wanted to master sage mode one day, then obtaining a summoning contract had to be his next step.
And in the meantime…
"I should learn how to train a summon properly. The Inuzuka Clan might be a good place to start."
As Nobuyuki continued collecting samples, his mind was already plotting his next move.
The path ahead was long, but he had already taken his first step toward it.