Storm of Public Opinion

Moriyue successfully joined Darui's squad, and the news spread like wildfire. Almost all the ninjas of the Hidden Cloud Village were puzzled by Darui's decision. If they remembered correctly, wasn't Moriyue just an ordinary person? Even though he underwent modifications for Forbidden Jutsu, weren't there ninjas with better overall qualities than him? Why would Darui choose this dead weight for his elite squad?

"If just practicing Forbidden Jutsu gets you into Darui's squad, then this squad must be full of weaklings! There's no barrier to learning Forbidden Jutsu, I think Darui isn't thinking straight. That kid is inferior to me in every way..."

"Maybe it was just a whim. Those who practice Forbidden Jutsu are truly short-sighted. What's the use of temporary power? Trading decades of lifespan for a short burst of strength, I can only say they are shortsighted and it's not worth the cost!"

"Who knows? I say all of us here are better than that kid. It's Darui's loss not choosing us. If you ask me, that kid won't even survive his first mission. He might as well reincarnate early."

The people around were not optimistic about Moriyue joining Darui's squad. After all, this was a world of ninjutsu, where Chakra cultivation was the mainstream, and ninjutsu was supreme. Forbidden Jutsu was ultimately a heretical path, not something that could be discussed in polite company.

Meanwhile, the protagonist of everyone's discussion, Moriyue, found himself back in a familiar hospital room. The hospital bed that had been blown up earlier had already been cleaned up. A young nurse looked at Moriyue speechlessly. If she remembered correctly, Moriyue had only been discharged from the hospital for less than an hour, and now seeing him lying in bed felt eerily familiar.

Darui stood with his arms crossed, two followers standing respectfully behind him like guardian deities.

"Is he alright? We just tested the kid's strength and there was a minor accident," Darui said, his tone returning to its usual languid drawl. He wasn't sure if his decision was right. Practitioners of Forbidden Jutsu generally had short lifespans. While he admired Moriyue's reckless fighting style, he also worried that Moriyue might just drop dead one day while walking.

The nurse sighed. She didn't care who the patients were; once they entered the hospital, they were all her patients. After examining Moriyue's injuries, she stared at Darui suspiciously and muttered softly, "You call a fractured forearm and high-intensity muscle tears a 'minor accident'?"

"Don't worry, the patient's physique is very strong, they... Forbidden Jutsu users..." The nurse hesitated at this point, glancing at Moriyue. Seeing no sign of displeasure on his face, she continued.

"Their recovery ability is also far beyond normal people. You know, this power is gained by overdrawing from their future life. Although they have good recovery, the price... you understand." The nurse didn't speak too slowly, afraid of stimulating Moriyue; it was clear she was being very careful.

"Increased recovery? There's such a good thing?" The weakness in his body gradually faded, and Moriyue's spirits returned. He, who had been unresponsive to the outside world,'s eyes lit up when he heard the words "consuming lifespan to increase recovery." He could clearly feel a tingling sensation as his torn muscles healed.

"What an optimistic guy..." Darui's heart sank when he heard Moriyue's words. He knew that Moriyue's current optimism was a pretense for them. For an ordinary person whose lifespan had been compressed, to consider their feelings at a time like this touched Darui.

He had seen Moriyue's desperate ferocity, casting aside life and death, and he had also seen his yearning for life. Such a contradictory person stood before him, flesh and blood. At this moment, Darui decided that he would definitely keep this team member, and at least until Moriyue died, he would try his best to fulfill all his requests.

Moriyue didn't know what Darui was thinking. He struggled to get out of bed, the pain in his body tormenting him incessantly, but that wasn't important.

"Captain Darui, let's go train. I'm just an ordinary person and don't understand the ninja world at all. I also know my time is limited. I just hope to learn more before my life reaches its end..."

"To hear the Way in the morning and die in the evening is enough!"

Moriyue's words were sincere. He was now learning to accept pain. He wouldn't die, but he had to try to learn to endure pain and his instinctive reactions to danger.

The ninja world was colorful and vast. He truly wanted to witness the scenery from the heights.

In his past life, he had no opportunity, only able to be mediocre among the crowd, blending in with the masses, and finally dying alone, with no one in the world remembering him. Now, he felt he should at least make a name for himself in the ninja world.

Seeing Moriyue's resolute attitude, wanting to train when his injuries weren't even healed, this studious and diligent attitude made him, whose name meant "lazy," feel a bit ashamed.

He was simply too dazzling.

"This is so troublesome. Let's go. To celebrate your joining my squad, I'll take you to meet the other members," Darui scratched his head, shrugged his shoulders, and appeared very reluctant.

The nurse watched the group leave the hospital, tilting her head as she held the files.

"I have a feeling they'll be back at the hospital soon. Ah, whatever, I need to get to work."

Moriyue followed Darui to a building largely constructed of rocks. It wasn't Moriyue's fault for not being able to describe it; it was mainly because, in his opinion, the buildings of the Hidden Cloud Village were like "a super large rock, a large rock, a small rock."

Entering the monotonous building, Moriyue immediately felt hostile gazes from his surroundings. Burly men with kind faces and eyebrows that seemed almost muscular subtly glanced at Moriyue.

Judging by the various training equipment and the words "Lightning Blade" written on the wall directly facing the entrance, this was likely a facility similar to a dojo used for training.

"Wait here for a moment. I'm not very good at teaching. I'm fine with practical combat, but teaching takes too much time, and I can't slack off." Darui wasn't pretending anymore; he was a lazy bum.

Moriyue also knew Darui's personality. He was naturally a slacker, and he figured he'd have many common topics with Shikamaru.

As they watched Darui leave, the burly men who had been peeking earlier stopped their wooden swords and barbells, casually setting them aside, and started shouting without reservation.

"Is this kid that skinny guy who practices Forbidden Jutsu? With his scrawny arms and legs, how did Darui take a liking to him?"

"Is it possible that Darui is too lazy and just found someone to fill the spot haphazardly?"

"He's just short-lived. Who would practice Forbidden Jutsu normally? This kid was probably forced to volunteer because even his family looked down on him..."

No matter when or where, no matter how united a group might be, as long as there are differences, there will be competition and suppression. The Hidden Cloud Village was united, yes, but that didn't mean there was no darkness here.

Public opinion is like an invisible knife; harsh words can freeze people even in June. The public opinion in the Hidden Cloud Village was like a huge millstone hanging over Moriyue's head, ready to crush him at any moment.