Jugo

"What's Natural Energy? What is that?" After hearing her teacher's explanation, Anko only felt more confused.

"Natural Energy is the power used to activate Sage Art. You don't need to understand it for now." Orochimaru gave Anko a simple explanation. "This place is rich in Natural Energy, so it would be a good place to practice Sage Art. Unfortunately, it is of no use to us."

"Why is it useless? Is Sage Art powerful?" Anko pressed on.

"Ninjutsu is activated with Chakra. What is Chakra made from?" In a rather good mood, Orochimaru summoned a giant snake, tossed the unconscious Tenbin Jugo onto its back, and tested Anko as he spoke.

"Chakra is the product of evenly combining a person's spiritual energy and physical energy." Anko answered without hesitation.

"Sage Art is the product of balancing and merging a person's spiritual energy, physical energy, and Natural Energy. You can regard it as a higher-tier form of energy above Chakra.

"Ninjutsu activated with senjutsu energy possesses greater destructive and killing power. And that is only one of its characteristics." Orochimaru gestured for Anko and the others to follow as he walked away, explaining things to her along the way.

No matter what, Orochimaru was still quite competent as a teacher. Any child he valued and taught could learn what they wanted to learn from him.

"Then isn't this place very important?" Anko said instinctively. Since this place was rich in Natural Energy and Sage Art was so powerful, shouldn't they mark this location down?

"Natural Energy is very dangerous! Just look at this boy. His body and mind have been eroded too severely by Natural Energy, to the point that he can no longer maintain a stable mental state.

"The fact that he has not been assimilated by Natural Energy and is still alive is already enough to surprise me."

Orochimaru pointed at the boy lying on the snake's back. "Natural Energy is difficult to control. Even the Three Great Sage Locations with clear Sage Art inheritances cannot guarantee that someone will perfectly master Sage Art."

"But Sensei, you still haven't told me why we don't need this place." Anko puffed out her cheeks.

"Because we have better places to choose from." Kagetsu reached over and poked Anko's arm. "The Three Great Sage Locations that possess Sage Art inheritances are Mount Myoboku, contracted by Jiraiya-sama, Shikkotsu Forest, contracted by Tsunade-sama, and Ryūchi Cave, contracted by Orochimaru Sensei, aren't they?"

"Did Orochimaru Sensei ever say that?" Anko looked utterly bewildered. Could it be that Orochimaru Sensei had secretly given Kagetsu extra lessons without her?

That was not impossible!

After all, Orochimaru-sama had practically left her to her own devices lately.

"Kagetsu is right. But you are still far from being able to practice Sage Art." Orochimaru poured cold water over the excited Anko. Ryūchi Cave's Sage Art trial was no benevolent trial; it was exceedingly dangerous. Even Orochimaru himself was not confident that he could successfully cultivate it.

However, he knew that Jiraiya had practiced the Sage Art of Mount Myoboku, and he had seen its power. That kind of formidable strength was intoxicating and tempting.

The three figures traveled farther and farther away, gradually disappearing into the dense forest.

Two days later.

Inside an inn.

Anko crouched down and suddenly brought her face close to the newly awakened Tenbin Jugo.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Anko asked, puzzled.

Ever since waking up, the boy had behaved strangely, quiet and withdrawn. He no longer had the brutality and madness of their first meeting, when he had shouted about killing them, nor did he ask who they were, where they were taking him, or what they intended to do.

He was like a puppet that had shut itself away. He did not try to run. He simply followed them blindly.

"Ahhh! Why won't you answer me? Are you looking down on me?" Anko had been defeated by Tenbin Jugo's silence many times over the past two days. She had even started thinking he was mute, if not for the fact that he had spoken during their first meeting.

"Stay away from me."

Those sudden words immediately silenced the still-frustrated Anko. She stared at Tenbin Jugo in surprise.

"Why should I stay away from you?" Anko leaned closer.

"I'm dangerous." Tenbin Jugo looked at his spread hands, his gaze somewhat unfocused.

"You are pretty dangerous. But Orochimaru Sensei told me that you only acted out of control because Natural Energy stimulated you." Anko sat facing him and offered a word of comfort.

At least, after interacting with him for the past two days, Anko could sense a peaceful and kind nature within him. Whenever he saw a small animal in the wild, he would stop and pet it a few times. The animals he touched would all behave docilely.

It was as though he attracted the affection and closeness of many small animals. Some even brought out their prey and stored food to treat him, making Anko quite envious.

She had kept trying to talk to Tenbin Jugo over the last two days because she wanted to know how he made the animals like him so much, but she had hit a wall for two straight days.

"You know about Natural Energy?" Tenbin Jugo glanced at Anko in surprise.

"Of course!" Anko opened her mouth, intending to state her background, but after some thought, held herself back. She merely picked out a few things she could say to prove that she really did know about Natural Energy.

"I'm in a lot of pain. Every so often, my body loses control and erupts. In that state, I can't control myself. I want to see blood and hear miserable screams.

"Back in my village, there were people who could restrain me when I lost control. But later, there was no one who could stop me anymore. The only thing I could do was run away when an episode was about to happen and vent in the forest.

"My memories of what happens when I lose control are blurry. It feels like there's another me inside my mind. I didn't mean to attack you. I'm very grateful that you knocked me unconscious."

Tenbin Jugo lowered his head, his voice filled with guilt and pain.

"So that's why you didn't run after waking up and have been cooperating with us?" Kagetsu's voice came from outside the door.

Anko and Tenbin Jugo turned to look. Kagetsu entered with Orochimaru, carrying a large bag stuffed full of food.

At that moment, Tenbin Jugo seemed to lose his ability to speak again and fell silent.

"Was it because you didn't want to hurt anyone else, and because you wanted to find someone who could restrain you when you went berserk? You're a very gentle person." Orochimaru set down the food. His golden eyes looked at the somewhat helpless Tenbin Jugo, filled with appreciation.

Naturally, he was not appreciating Tenbin Jugo's kind and gentle nature. He simply appreciated the constitution that allowed him to spontaneously absorb and use Natural Energy while still surviving.

Of course, someone kind and gentle who did not wish to cause trouble was also much less troublesome than someone unruly and defiant.

"So that was what you were planning?" Anko realized belatedly.

"I'm sorry." Thinking that he had caused them trouble and inconvenience, Jugo immediately lowered his head in apology.

"It's fine. The reason I went there in the first place was to find you." Orochimaru answered candidly.

"Find me?" Jugo raised his head in confusion. He did not understand why anyone would seek out someone like him, someone who always brought misfortune and trouble.

"I need your help, Jugo-kun." Orochimaru walked up to Jugo and crouched down until their eyes were level. Jugo's face was reflected in his golden eyes, which were filled with greed and delight.

"Me?" For the first time, Jugo had been needed. He pointed at himself, bewildered. He was not particularly uncomfortable with the greed and delight in Orochimaru's gaze.

He had seen too many looks of disgust and hostility. He could always clearly sense what some people felt toward him. Orochimaru was not exactly friendly, but Jugo did not care as long as he saw no malice.

What he could not understand was simply that someone had actually sought him out and needed him.

"Your body is a treasure, Jugo-kun. Let me study it. I'm certain you will give me quite a pleasant surprise." Orochimaru did not hide his purpose from Jugo.

Orochimaru did not mind deceiving people, but when deception was unnecessary, he could also be sufficiently honest.

For example, when he had seen those three children offering them flowers in the Rain Country, he had seemingly coldly told Jiraiya that the best help they could offer was to kill them and set them free.

He truly believed that in the war-torn environment of the Rain Country, those three children would find it difficult to survive, even if they did possess some minor tricks.

For children living amid war, the most merciful thing was not to let them live another day, but to free them from that hellish life as early as possible. He did not think such thoughts made him cold-blooded.

He simply had not expected Jiraiya to choose to stay behind and care for those three children until they possessed the ability to protect themselves.

"Eh, Sensei, are you going to use him for experiments?" Anko instinctively looked at Orochimaru, then glanced at Kagetsu beside her, who seemed to have already reached an understanding with him. Feeling excluded by the two of them once again, she puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

"I'm willing." Jugo raised his hand. "As long as you can keep me from killing again and stop me when I go mad, I'm willing to cooperate."

"Don't worry. Maybe we can find a way to stabilize your emotions." Kagetsu added.

"Really?" Jugo's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing Kagetsu's words, his face filled with excitement and joy.

"With sufficient data on your body, we can give it a try. The reason you go mad is that you cannot control that immense Natural Energy. But if you can control it, then you can control yourself when you go berserk." Kagetsu yawned, rubbing his eyes as he reassured him.

Orochimaru glanced at Kagetsu but did not refute him.

In truth, according to his own wishes, he did not care whether Jugo could control himself. He was a pragmatist. So long as Jugo cooperated willingly and allowed himself to be studied, that was enough.

Everything else was an additional cost. The ever-indifferent Orochimaru had no desire or energy to waste on a Test Subject.

Even if this Test Subject was important, there was no need for him to care for the other party's psychological state or help solve any of his difficult problems unless it was necessary.

Jugo's mood brightened somewhat, and he seemed to regain a little vitality. Though he did not dare fully believe Kagetsu's promise, being given such hope was still something worth looking forward to.

After all, even without that promise, he would have cooperated with them willingly, wouldn't he?

Another three days passed on the journey.

Boom!

A tremendous crash suddenly rang out from deep within a forest.

"I'll kill you!" The mutated Jugo threw a punch at Anko.

Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!

As Anko used the Body Flicker Technique to evade, a snake with bared fangs slithered out from her sleeve and bit toward Jugo.

Jugo was about to swing his arm and knock away the lunging snake when his body suddenly stiffened. His raised arm froze in midair, and his yellow eyes shifted toward Nara Kagetsu, who had used Anko as cover to block his line of sight.

Shadow Imitation Technique.

Kagetsu maintained his hand seal. Under the relentless surge of Jugo's violent Natural Energy, the Shadow Secret Technique's control was greatly obstructed. It seemed as if Jugo might burst free and seize back control of his body at any moment.

But Kagetsu did not need to hold him for long. In the next instant, the snake Anko had summoned had already bitten into the skin on Jugo's neck.

His hardened skin could not withstand the venomous snake's fangs. Once the snake injected the toxin from its fangs into him, Jugo's resistance immediately plummeted.

Poof!

The snake connecting Jugo and Anko turned into smoke and vanished. Kagetsu also released his Shadow Imitation Technique.

Yet Jugo remained motionless, like a stone statue.

"That Neurotoxin of yours really works!" Seeing that Jugo had lost the ability to move, Anko finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Orochimaru had turned Jugo's berserk episodes, which occurred every two or three days, into training for them. Before reaching their destination, they had to use a different method every time to deal with Jugo. This was meant to improve their practical combat skills and coordination.

Honestly, if she had not mastered Blut Arterie, Anko felt that she would not have lasted long against berserk Jugo.

Although Jugo did not know Ninjutsu and fought entirely with brute force, his fighting style was sharp and savage enough. Empowered by Natural Energy, his body could transform into various forms to resist their attacks.

Last time, she had stalled Jugo for a long while before finally using the Hell Viewing Technique to control him with Kagetsu's cooperation. This time had been easier. They had used the Neurotoxin Kagetsu had formulated and cultivated from a certain type of venomous snake from Ryūchi Cave.

Just a tiny amount was enough to deprive a huge wild boar of its ability to move. Without emergency treatment, it would die from suffocation.

"Will he be all right?" Seeing how potent the toxin was, Anko looked at Jugo with some concern.

"Based on the data from last time, the dose I set will not harm him. The Natural Energy in his body is currently fighting the Neurotoxin for control over his nervous system. Once the Neurotoxin has mostly been cleared away, the excess Natural Energy in his body should also be nearly completely dispersed."

Kagetsu stepped forward to observe him for a while. After examining Jugo's condition with Medical Ninjutsu, he came to that conclusion.