Narrow Road Encounter

Moriyue rubbed his numb left arm. To gather the power of Lightning Release, he had concentrated most of the chakra in his body there at once. Since it was his first experiment, he didn't have much experience, and the chakra supply was a bit excessive.

He crawled out from under the "King of the Forest," whose body was mostly charred. Due to his lack of control over the force, Moriyue's hands weren't just numb; his face was also blackened by the recent explosion. At that moment, his eyes met those of Ando and Kazeki.

"Cough, cough... Um, I was just... experimenting with a sudden idea for a Ninjutsu... I didn't expect it to... to succeed. I've named this move Electromagnetic Cannon. Don't try it; the strain on the body is immense..."

Moriyue explained haltingly, his expression a little stiff. After a moment's thought, he figured the only way to get by was to claim he'd spontaneously created a Forbidden Jutsu.

Without the physical limitations on chakra, Moriyue could unleash explosive effects with any Ninjutsu. For anyone else, their meridians would rupture from handling such a high volume of chakra long before the lightning could accelerate to that speed; it would be suicidal.

Hearing Moriyue's perfunctory explanation, Kazeki and Ando naturally weren't convinced. What a joke? We have to carefully plan our chakra circulation routes and confirm hand seal sequences just to practice a normal Ninjutsu. One mistake could lead to qi deviation or backlash.

And you're telling us you accidentally created a new Ninjutsu? Look at that pathetic giant bear lying on the ground, eyes wide open in death, unable to even utter a line. This move doesn't look like a normal Ninjutsu at all. Such power and speed – it's more like a Forbidden Jutsu.

"Ahaha, now's not the time to dwell on this. Zero, come here and give me a hand. My arm's a bit weak; I need to get it treated first."

Moriyue didn't want to get bogged down in this matter. He chuckled and grinned as he waved his right hand at Kazeki.

Although Kazeki knew Moriyue's actions were somewhat dangerous, the priority was to treat his injuries. They could discuss the rest later.

So, under Kazeki's helpless gaze, Moriyue's left hand was bandaged by her. This time, Kazeki didn't dare to use her chakra to heal Moriyue lightly, only managing to apply some herbs to his wounds.

With everything dealt with, Ando had to step forward. He needed to understand what had just happened.

However, Moriyue seemed to have seen through his thoughts and spoke first, interrupting the confused Ando.

"I'm an experimental subject who underwent Forbidden Jutsu modifications. You both know this. While I gained immense power, I also overdrafted my future vitality."

"Since death is inevitable, why not use this time to do something more meaningful? My body can withstand violent chakra better than yours. If I can leave behind useful Ninjutsu for the Hidden Cloud Village, what is this sacrifice of mine?"

Moriyue's words were spoken with grandiosity. Although his voice wasn't loud, the sense of responsibility and willingness to die in his speech completely infected the two inexperienced individuals.

In a daze, Moriyue's figure instantly seemed to grow immensely in their eyes.

Dedicating oneself to a task until death! Even though he's an experimental subject of those mad scientists, his thoughts and aspirations are always for the Hidden Cloud Village, sacrificing his own life to leave behind powerful Ninjutsu. How noble!

"Captain! I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked. Please don't worry, we will definitely find a way to remove the side effects of the Forbidden Jutsu on you! You will always be our captain from now on!"

Ando felt ashamed of his previous thoughts. He couldn't believe he had doubted such a loyal captain to the Hidden Cloud Village. He felt incredibly insignificant in front of Moriyue, like a firefly compared to the bright moon.

Kazeki also turned away, wiping her eyes. Captain Moriyue... he really... I'm crying so hard...

Seeing their reactions, even Moriyue felt a little embarrassed. He had almost convinced himself with what he'd just said. Seeing that they weren't going to dwell on the matter any further, he called out, and the three continued on their way.

The environment of Konoha was vastly different from the Hidden Sand Village. If eighty percent of the Hidden Sand Village's land was covered by desert, then Konoha was surrounded by seventy percent forest.

In a dense forest environment, it was easy for insects and wild beasts to breed. Hinata's group had just encountered an "enemy" that wasn't exactly an enemy.

"Shino! Hurry up and use your bugs to get rid of those hornets! Ow, my nose!"

Kiba was riding on Akamaru's back, with Hinata and Shino running quickly on either side of him. Both Akamaru and Kiba had swollen bumps on their faces from stings. Behind them, a swarm of hornets, each as big as a palm, was closely pursuing them.

The sound of their huge wings flapping against each other created a "pa pa pa" sound, so loud it was like cymbals accompanying funeral music. Just hearing the noise was a form of mental pollution.

"Parasitic Destruction Insects!"

Shino was the type who acted decisively and spoke little. If a problem could be solved with action, he wouldn't waste words.

Fine black insects spread from Shino's palm into the air. These small black insects dispersed in the air like layers of black mist. Their wings flapped up and down, and although they didn't make as loud a sound as the giant hornets, the oppressive feeling from the dense swarm was no less than that of the hornets.

The black insects were like dust in the air. The hornets' proud stingers and claws were completely useless against these insects. They could do nothing but flail their limbs, which were being submerged by the insects.

The sound of wings flapping weakened, and the gradually fading cymbal-like noise was like their funeral dirge. It wasn't long before the roaring sound gradually faded, and they finally escaped this crisis.

"It's done. You only remember me when it matters."

Shino coolly pushed up his sunglasses. His presence had always been weak, like an insignificant bug. Now that it was his time to shine, he naturally had to show off.

Unfortunately, Kiba and Hinata's attention wasn't on him at all. Hinata seemed to sense something, her veins bulging, and she instantly activated her Byakugan. Kiba squatted on all fours, and Akamaru vigilantly scanned their surroundings. They seemed to have discovered something.

"Everyone be careful. I'm sensing chakra signatures of three individuals ahead. One person's chakra pathways... are very strange... Is this really a ninja? Such meridians... How is he still alive?"