Moriyue, wrapped like a mummy in the scroll, fell into a deep slumber. He felt as though his body were constantly falling, surrounded by bottomless swamps. It was as if he were about to sleep forever, while the boundless mire kept tugging at his body. Though his body possessed strength, he could not use it and could only keep falling endlessly...
A faint blue light flickered. The pitch-black mire was driven away by the blue glow, which centered on Moriyue's heart like a bright lamp, dispelling the darkness around him. The feeling of helplessness gradually faded, replaced by an explosive power he had never felt before. However, that power came with pain, and it did not feel pleasant.
Moriyue abruptly opened his bloodshot eyes and felt a slight tightness in his chest. The world around him had been dyed pale purple, followed immediately by boundless pain radiating from every cell and every inch of his nerves.
His internal organs continuously broke down and reassembled, while the meridians within his body were completely thrown into disorder before finally being arranged into a somewhat bizarre meridian network. After enduring indescribable agony, Moriyue was surprised to discover that he seemed able to produce "Chakra" within his body. He tried extracting Chakra according to the Chakra Extraction Technique in his memories, but failed. That negative energy seemed different from Chakra after all.
"Hm?" The bald man raised an eyebrow and put down the notebook he carried with him. This test subject seemed somewhat strange. Logically, this reaction should not have occurred. He was clearly just an ordinary test subject, a civilian who was not even a ninja. There was no reason for this to happen.
"Even if a perfect test subject successfully appears, its lifespan will only be a few minutes. But during those few minutes, the test subject will possess Chakra explosive power beyond its limits. In reality, that is an outburst fueled by its own life. It can be considered letting a civilian become a ninja in their final moments..."
The bald man looked at the words "perfect test subject" in his notes, then at Moriyue struggling inside the scroll, and shook his head mockingly.
A perfect test subject could not exist. It was merely a theory in scientific research, with a probability infinitely close to zero. Besides, even if it succeeded, such a short lifespan would be useless. Moreover, the Chakra at that point would no longer be pure enough. Using that kind of Chakra to cast ninjutsu was simply courting death.
It might be suitable for using other forbidden techniques, but who would think they had lived too long? Forbidden techniques were certainly powerful, but their cost was too great. They reduced one's lifespan at the slightest use—who could endure that?
"Pfft!" Moriyue spat out a mouthful of blood, but this was a good thing. He could feel his internal organs continuously restoring themselves and returning to their proper places. His physical strength had improved considerably. If he fell from up there again... he would probably at least leave behind an intact corpse.
Moriyue reached out and pushed away the scroll in front of him. That thing had been suffocating him. Feeling the pain and exhilaration coursing through his entire body, Moriyue felt strength for the first time.
"You're not dead? No... cough, cough. Does your body feel comfortable? Is there anywhere that feels unwell? Tell me everything. It's very important for the follow-up treatment..." Even this mad scientist could not figure out why Moriyue had survived. According to the previous records, this should have been a certain-death forbidden technique. Had he drawn something wrong?
He desperately wanted to know the answer, but how could Moriyue truly tell him? He had figured it out too: this bald mutt in front of him wanted him dead. If the Dog Talisman had not barely kept him alive, that shitty forbidden technique alone would have killed him hundreds of times over.
"Well, before I passed out, I saw that some words on the scroll were dirty, so I couldn't help wiping them a little." Moriyue had casually torn a corner of the scroll just now. Even if the bald mutt investigated, he would not find anything.
The man stared suspiciously at Moriyue. He did not believe a word the boy said. Acting paranoid, he took back the scroll, feeling that the boy was up to no good.
"Doctor, thank you. I feel much better..." With a sincere expression, Moriyue held the bald doctor's hand as though he wanted to remember his face forever.
"Ah, it's nothing. I'm a doctor, after all. I'll be going now. I won't disturb you." The bald man could not say much either. His actions had already crossed the line somewhat. As long as the boy did not tell anyone about this, it would be fine. He did not know what illness Moriyue had before, but in any case, he had brought him back to life. His superiors probably would not blame him.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the bald man left with the damaged scroll. He wanted to see whether changing a few symbols on the scroll could really save someone.
Watching the bald man's departing back, Moriyue softly let out a breath and collapsed onto the hospital bed like a deflated balloon. That damned forbidden technique had strengthened his body quite a bit. He could finally "condense" "Chakra," but the price was that his body felt weak, as if he had been hollowed out. His spirit was also far more sluggish. He probably needed another nap.
Calling it condensation was not quite accurate. It felt more like forcibly squeezing the Chakra out of his body. The process of "condensing" it alone caused damage to his body, let alone using it. It truly deserved to be called a forbidden technique.
The Dog Talisman kept him from dying, but he was not made of iron. He could still hurt and grow tired. He would deal with those matters after waking up.
When Moriyue opened his eyes again, he felt that his energy had recovered considerably. His build had not changed much from before he fell off the cliff, but he could feel the potential and explosive power contained in his muscles.
He could freely control the Chakra-like energy. It was different from Chakra; it was dark red, completely opposite to Chakra's pale blue. Moriyue wanted to see whether this energy could cast ninjutsu. After all, the original owner of this body had wanted to become a ninja before his death.
"Although I never learned them, I secretly heard about the Three Body Technique in my memories. Even if you've never eaten pork, you've seen a pig run..." At this moment, Moriyue had yet to realize the severity of the situation, so he formed the hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Bong~"
A tremendous explosion rang out. Moriyue was blasted aside with a bewildered expression, landing directly in the hospital corridor. The hospital bed he had just been lying on had been blown to pieces.
"Clone Great Explosion?" Moriyue was equally dumbfounded. Only then did he vaguely realize a fact—he could not use the Chakra in his body for normal ninjutsu. Due to its unstable nature, using it would probably blow him away along with whatever he targeted.
The patients and doctors in the hospital corridor also rushed out. What was going on? Which patient had been inhaling gas in their room? Or was it an enemy attack?
That was not right. Wasn't that direction the civilian district? Which ninja was stupid enough to come to a hospital and bomb civilians?
"Damn it, looks like I can only learn forbidden techniques from now on. I have to say, it's pretty exciting." Moriyue rubbed his aching head, which had been blasted painfully. In the future, he might have to walk the road of forbidden techniques with no return.
What era was this? Who still used traditional ninjutsu?
This was the era of forbidden techniques!
Before you continue