Moriyue successfully joined Darui's squad. News of it spread like wildfire, and nearly every ninja in Kumogakure was baffled by Darui's decision. If they remembered correctly, that Moriyue seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary person, right? Even if he had undergone forbidden technique modifications, which ninja wasn't stronger than him overall? Why should that deadweight be picked for Darui's elite squad?
"If practicing forbidden techniques is all it takes to join Darui's squad, doesn't that make the squad pretty watered down? There isn't even a threshold for learning forbidden techniques. I'd say Darui isn't thinking clearly. That kid is inferior to me in every way..."
"Maybe it was just a whim. Those people who learn forbidden techniques are truly shortsighted. What's the use of temporary strength? Trading decades of your lifespan for a brief boost in power—I can only call that short-sighted. The loss outweighs the gain!"
"Who knows? I'd say every single one of us here is stronger than that kid. It's Darui's loss that he didn't choose us. If you ask me, that kid won't even survive his first mission. He might as well hurry up and reincarnate."
The people around them did not think highly of Moriyue joining Darui's squad. After all, this was a world of ninjutsu. Chakra cultivation was the mainstream, and ninjutsu reigned supreme. Forbidden techniques were ultimately nothing but unorthodox paths, unworthy of the grand stage.
Meanwhile, Moriyue, the subject of everyone's discussion, returned to the familiar hospital room once again. The bed he had blown up earlier had already been cleaned away. The young nurse stared at Moriyue with a speechless expression. If she remembered correctly, it had not even been an hour since Moriyue was discharged, yet seeing him lying in a bed again somehow felt strangely familiar.
Darui stood with his arms folded across his chest, while his two little followers stood respectfully behind him like a pair of guardian statues.
"Is he all right? I was just testing the kid's strength, but something unexpected happened." Darui's tone returned to its lazy drawl. He did not know whether he had made the right choice. Practitioners of forbidden techniques generally did not live long. While he admired Moriyue's reckless, life-or-death fighting style, he also worried that Moriyue might one day die while simply walking down the road.
The young nurse sighed. She did not care who had come in; anyone who entered the hospital was her patient. After examining Moriyue's injuries, she stared suspiciously at Darui and muttered softly.
"You call a fractured forearm and severe muscle tears a little accident?"
"Don't worry. The patient's constitution is very strong. They... practitioners of forbidden techniques..." The nurse hesitated here. She glanced at Moriyue and, seeing no displeasure on his face, continued.
"Their recovery ability also far surpasses that of ordinary people. You know, this power comes at the cost of their future lifespan. They may have impressive recovery abilities, but the price... you understand." The nurse did not spell it out too bluntly, afraid of upsetting Moriyue. It was clear that she was being very careful.
"Enhanced recovery? That's a good thing, isn't it?" As the weakness in his body gradually faded, Moriyue regained his energy. He had shown little reaction to the outside world, but when he heard that consuming lifespan could improve recovery, his eyes lit up. He could clearly feel the itchy, tingling sensation of his torn muscles healing.
"What an optimistic guy..." Darui's heart sank when he heard Moriyue's words. He knew Moriyue's optimism was an act put on for them. Even with his life cut short, this ordinary person was still considering their feelings. Darui felt somewhat moved.
He had seen Moriyue's ruthless resolve to disregard life and death, and he had also seen his longing for life. Such a contradictory yet vividly human person stood before him. At that moment, Darui decided that he wanted this squad member for certain. At the very least, before Moriyue died, he would do his best to fulfill every request Moriyue had.
Moriyue had no idea what Darui was thinking. He struggled out of bed. The pain in his body tormented him every moment, but that did not matter.
"Captain Darui, let's go train. I'm just an ordinary person. I know nothing about the ninja world. I also know I do not have much time left. I only hope to learn more before my life reaches its end..."
"If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die that evening without regret!"
Moriyue spoke with great sincerity. He was learning to accept pain now. He could not die, but he needed to learn endurance in the face of pain and instinctive reactions to danger.
The ninja world was vibrant and boundless, containing all things. He truly wanted to see the view from greater heights.
He had not had the chance in his previous life. He could only drift through the crowds in mediocrity, becoming indistinguishable from everyone else. In the end, he could only die alone, with no one in the world left to remember him. Now, he felt that he should at least become famous throughout the ninja world.
Seeing how determined Moriyue was, insisting on training before his injuries had even healed, Darui felt somewhat ashamed of such a studious and diligent attitude when his own name meant "lazy."
It was simply too dazzling.
"What a hassle. Come on. To celebrate you joining my squad, I'll take you to meet the other members." Darui scratched his head and spread his hands, looking thoroughly unwilling.
The young nurse watched the group leave the hospital, hugged the files in her arms, and tilted her head.
"I have a feeling they'll be back at the hospital soon. Ah, forget it. Back to work."
Moriyue followed Darui to a building mostly made of stone. It was not that Moriyue lacked the words to describe it; it was just that, in his eyes, Kumogakure's architecture consisted of "an enormous rock, a large rock, and a small rock."
After entering the monotonous building, Moriyue immediately sensed the faintly hostile gazes around him. Burly men with kind-looking faces and eyebrows so thick they seemed to have muscles glanced at Moriyue now and then.
Judging from the various training equipment and the words "Lightning Blade" on the wall directly opposite the entrance, this was probably a facility like a dojo used for training.
"Wait here for a while. I'm really not good at teaching. Actual combat would be fine, but teaching takes way too much time. There's no way to slack off." Darui no longer bothered pretending. He was just a lazy bastard.
Moriyue also knew Darui's personality. He was born to loaf around. He would probably have plenty to talk about with Shikamaru.
As Moriyue watched Darui leave, the burly men who had been sneaking glances in his direction also stopped what they were doing. They casually set aside their wooden swords and barbells, then began shouting without any restraint.
"This kid is that skinny runt who practices forbidden techniques? With those little arms and legs, how did Darui take a liking to him?"
"Could it be that Darui is too lazy, so he just found some random guy to make up the numbers?"
"Just a short-lived ghost. What normal person would practice forbidden techniques? Maybe even his family couldn't stand him, so they forced him to become a volunteer..."
No matter the time or place, no matter how united a group might be, differences would bring competition and suppression. Kumogakure was indeed united, but that did not mean there was no darkness here.
Public opinion was an invisible blade. Cruel words could chill a person even in June. Kumogakure's public opinion was like a giant millstone hanging over Moriyue's head, ready to fall and crush him at any moment.
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