Setting Off, Hidden Sand Village!

Moriyue was certain that this Forbidden Jutsu was the most correct one he had ever cultivated. Although he hadn't learned many Forbidden Jutsu yet, it didn't stop him from highly evaluating the "Reverse" Forbidden Jutsu.

The person who invented this Forbidden Jutsu was simply a genius, or perhaps a madman. If this technique were used on anyone else, even if successful, it would only create a disposable combatant with a short lifespan. It was like when Moriyue previously cultivated Burning Life; his burst power was stronger than ordinary test subjects, but his lifespan would be unprecedentedly short, classifying it as a suicidal technique.

But Moriyue was different. As long as the Dog Talisman in his heart had no issues, he could use "Reverse" to transform all Ninjutsu into Forbidden Jutsu. Not only did "Reverse" regulate the Chakra within Moriyue, but it also gave him the potential to create an infinite number of Forbidden Jutsu. This was a great help to him, as he was currently lacking in Ninjutsu.

Moriyue understood this himself. However, the Chakra within him was limited. Although he could cast Forbidden Jutsu while ignoring the side effects, Chakra wasn't generated out of thin air; it was produced by his own body, and its efficiency was limited.

Unless he could find a Forbidden Jutsu that could rapidly condense Chakra.

After handling everything, Moriyue was in an unprecedentedly good mood. Previously, he didn't have many trump cards, and he only had a few Forbidden Jutsu. He also didn't have time to develop Forbidden Jutsu himself. Now, it was great; as many Ninjutsu as he learned would be equivalent to how many Forbidden Jutsu he learned. Who would dare say he had few trump cards now?

"I should be able to cultivate Ninjutsu now, shouldn't I? I need to learn a few Ninjutsu," Moriyue had long yearned for those Ninjutsu, and now that he finally had the chance to use them, he couldn't help but be excited.

Thus, he excitedly performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu. This technique was almost universally known in the ninja world and was hailed as the most practical clone jutsu. It was developed by the Second Hokage, and one could only say that fate had favored Konoha too much.

"Come on, mobilize the Chakra in your body. By the way, different Chakra circulation paths shouldn't affect the jutsu's effectiveness, right..." Moriyue worried about any potential accidents, so he tried to cast the Shadow Clone Jutsu with a normal amount of Chakra.

Chakra began to flow backward from all over his body. The Chakra circulated within Moriyue, completely opposite to the normal path. Although the process was different, after Moriyue completed the final trajectory, the jutsu was successfully activated.

Although Moriyue could now activate Ninjutsu without hand seals, how could he lack this sense of ritual at such a moment? He extended his middle and index fingers on each hand, brought them together, and formed a cross with his two hands, one horizontal and one vertical.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Pfft~"

A puff of black smoke emerged, and a figure identical to Moriyue appeared in his original spot. Another figure appeared far away at the doorway.

Moriyue scratched his head; his clone had appeared a bit too far from him.

"Never mind, let's first see if the clone is really that practical..." Moriyue intended to control the clone, but when he moved, he realized that he was the one standing at the doorway. The clone jutsu he had just performed seemed a little abnormal.

"Fortunately, nothing went wrong with the clone..." Moriyue manipulated the clone. This time, it was fine; no strange issues occurred, and it was very obedient. He could directly command it to execute tasks, making it a perfect Ninjutsu.

"It's just that splitting half the Chakra is a bit uncomfortable, but everything else is fine." After roughly understanding the pros and cons of his clone jutsu, Moriyue dismissed the clone.

His Shadow Clones were indeed slightly different from normal Shadow Clones. Normal Shadow Clones were summoned directly beside the original body and couldn't be too far from it. Furthermore, when summoned, the clone would appear in a cloud of smoke, meaning casting it in front of an enemy would definitely be discovered. However, Moriyue's Shadow Clones were completely different.

Although they appeared similar on the surface, the actual effects of casting them were vastly different. Firstly, Moriyue's clones could be cast from a great distance from the original body. Secondly, and most importantly.

It wasn't a Shadow Clone that appeared in the black smoke; it was Moriyue's original body. That's right, the figure appearing in the black smoke was not Moriyue's Shadow Clone; it was his original body. As for the one standing motionless and casting the jutsu, that was Moriyue's Shadow Clone. He himself didn't quite understand the principle behind it, but at least the practical application effect was good, and it would definitely catch enemies off guard.

Imagine, when Moriyue performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu in front of an enemy, the enemy clearly knew that the summoned Moriyue was a clone. When they ignored that clone and focused their main firepower on Moriyue's "original body," the real Moriyue would then launch a thunderous strike. It sounded thrilling.

After organizing himself, Moriyue was almost ready. He now had another goal for participating in the Chunin Exams in the Hidden Sand Village: obtaining more Ninjutsu scrolls.

Don't think that Ninjutsu scrolls are common items that can be learned easily. In reality, after graduating from the Ninja Academy and becoming a Genin, one would only learn the three basic body techniques—Transformation Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu—through the standard process.

Without other opportunities or resources, a typical Genin might only learn these three Ninjutsu in their entire life. Ninjutsu is the hard currency of the ninja world. Useful Ninjutsu are controlled by the Kage or various clans; how could they be distributed casually? Genin are essentially consumables; no one cares about their lives. Only by becoming a Chunin can one secure a place in the village and escape the status of "expendable material."

Therefore, the Chunin Exams every year are a bloody battle. Everyone wants to seize the opportunity to be promoted to Chunin, and sometimes even comrades can be abandoned.

The ninja world is that real and cruel. Relying on love and hope, friendship and justice to gain power that surpasses everything? Wake up, not everyone is the protagonist; reality is very harsh.

"I will definitely become a Chunin!" Although Moriyue had Chunin-level strength before learning Reverse, he didn't dare to underestimate other contestants. Being cautious was always the right approach.

After Moriyue prepared everything, Darui and the others had already arrived at Moriyue's doorstep. Pushing open the door, Moriyue noticed two ninjas accompanying Darui; he found them somewhat familiar. They were the same two who had tested him alongside Darui back then. It seemed he would be teaming up with them this time.

"Do you all know the specific mission requirements? Test the strength of ninjas from other villages, try to hold out until the end. If you can become Chunin, that would be best." Darui confirmed with them repeatedly. He didn't think they could become Chunin at all. Moriyue's strength was indeed great, but it wasn't enough. This time would be a good opportunity to temper Moriyue; he couldn't let this kid get too arrogant.

"Yes, we understand." The three replied in unison. Bringing the necessary equipment, they began their mission.

"Let's go! Target: Hidden Sand Village!"