I dare to risk my life, do you dare?

Moriyue couldn't say he wasn't affected by the overwhelming public opinion, but he appeared as calm as a lake. He had seen his fair share of storms, and he figured people could say whatever they wanted; if they could break his defense, they'd win.

"However, in a village like the Hidden Cloud Village, where strength is paramount, not retaliating after being bullied means being talked about for a lifetime," Moriyue rubbed his forearm. Although it still ached faintly, it should be fine for hitting people.

He let out a soft breath, then raised his head, puffed out his chest, and strode forward, stomping heavily on the dojo floor.

"Thump thump~" The muffled sound spread, and Moriyue's presence alone silenced the murmurs in the hall. He bowed humbly to everyone, his expression deferential, but his words held no hint of retreat.

"Everyone, if you have any dissatisfaction with Captain Darui's decision, you can challenge me now. I hope you won't chatter like women. If you have a problem, come forward; don't make me look down on you."

Polite and gentle as jade, Moriyue uttered the most arrogant words in the most elegant tone. Who were these keyboard warriors? Come on, we can see each other offline now. Let's go, and I'll show you if I can beat you or not.

The dojo was silent at first, a dead silence. The sound of a single drop of sweat hitting the floor could be heard clearly. But after a brief moment of quiet, the dojo erupted in a clamor, a jumble of voices that seemed ready to shatter the roof.

"What did I just hear? This guy wants to challenge us? Did everyone hear that? He asked for it himself; we didn't force him."

"Everyone can testify. This guy probably got arrogant after being noticed by Darui and lost sight of his place. Fine, let me knock some sense into him for everyone, and it'll be a lesson for him."

"This is the first time I've seen an ordinary person who's only been practicing a Forbidden Jutsu for two days challenge a seasoned Genin. This time, this time, he's lost himself."

Most people didn't think highly of Moriyue, believing he had become overconfident. People who had just gained great power were like this, and they could understand his mentality. But how could they miss such a great opportunity? Beat him, they must beat him. How dare a mere practitioner of Forbidden Jutsu show off in front of a dignified Genin? I'll finish him with a Body Flicker Technique and a Lightning Blade!

Of course, some people thought highly of Moriyue, believing Darui had his reasons. That lazy guy never did anything useless.

"I don't think so. This kid must have something special about him, or why would Darui take notice of him? There must be something strange going on." However, this group was a minority and quickly disappeared amidst the public outcry.

When the crowd's chatter subsided a bit, Moriyue impatiently beckoned and unleashed a Forbidden Jutsu.

"One Yang Finger + Roar of the Eastern Lion!"

His middle finger glowed, and Moriyue shouted with full vigor, "Who dares to fight?"

"I will!"

A bald head emerged from the crowd of muscular men. The oily "Bright Summit" was so reflective that it seemed like one would want to touch it, shining brilliantly under the dojo lights.

This bald man was nearly two meters tall. His muscles were incredibly robust due to constant stimulation from lightning, making him look like he was made of chocolate.

The bald man threw away his wooden sword, seemingly feeling it was beneath him to use a weapon against Moriyue. He took a few small steps and said in a deep voice, "My name is Wuk. I challenge you." Wuk clearly belonged to the type who acted first and spoke later. He was a traditional Nintaijutsu practitioner and always disdained those who achieved quick success through Forbidden Jutsu. He believed that only strength gained through one's own training was truly theirs; everything else was heresy.

However, he seemed to have forgotten that the price of practicing Forbidden Jutsu was the greatest. Strength wasn't obtained out of thin air. Why shouldn't strength gained by burning one's life be powerful? Wasn't the strength he relied on, in essence, still reliant on "Chakra"?

"Good. I hope after this, you'll all mind your own business." Moriyue walked towards Wuk. The practitioners automatically cleared a space for the two. The show was about to begin, and no one wanted to miss this opportunity to spectate.

The two greeted each other and got into fighting stances, the battle about to erupt.

Wuk made the first move. That guy was indeed a perennial Genin. Regardless of how many advanced Ninjutsu he had learned, his foundational Ninjutsu was quite solid.

Wuk's figure instantly became blurred, his body seemingly stretching infinitely into thin, elongated stripes. In just an instant, he disappeared from his original spot and reappeared less than two meters behind Moriyue. This was the Body Flicker Technique.

Wuk's movements were as swift as flowing water. Before flickering, he had already slightly bent his arm backward. By the time he reached Moriyue's back, he used the brief paralysis from the Body Flicker Technique to charge up. A punch carrying lightning and sharp momentum struck towards Moriyue's back.

In the perception of the onlookers, it was no longer a punch but a blade, an invisible blade.

"That guy is definitely going to lose. That bald guy Wuk hasn't learned many advanced Ninjutsu; he's poured all his energy into the basic Three Body Techniques and sword techniques. He's practically a Genin quality inspector. No, this guy's foundational strength is already stronger than most Chunin. The outcome is decided."

"It's a losing situation. People have to take responsibility for what they say, unless he's willing to risk his life to activate the Forbidden Jutsu. But to burn his life for such a small matter, how foolish must he be."

The practitioners chuckled. There was no need to watch; the outcome was decided. They could start thinking about how to humiliate Moriyue later.

However, a sky-piercing blood aura erupted with Moriyue at the center. The chaotic, disordered red Chakra was like a rampaging, red-eyed rhinoceros, destroying everything in its path.

Moriyue stood in place, his eyes slightly red, his black hair moving without wind. He grabbed Wuk's incoming fist with one hand, a somewhat crazed smile appearing on his lips.

"Want to fight? A fight to the death, I mean. I dare to risk my life, do you?" Moriyue laughed wildly. Perhaps due to the Forbidden Jutsu, his spirit was also somewhat agitated, filled with heroic fervor. The strong men present all shut their mouths.

"Come on!" Moriyue lacked combat experience, but he had watched others fight. Moriyue exerted force in his palm, coiling around Wuk's arm like a coiled dragon for half a circle. At the same time, he raised a leg to charge up and kicked out while Wuk lost his balance.

"Pfft~" The white smoke dissipated. Although Wuk had used the Substitution Jutsu in advance, he couldn't completely negate this force. He adjusted his posture in mid-air and landed on one knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

This guy, he was serious. He risked his life at the drop of a hat. He might be a lunatic.

"Holy crap! Is this guy suicidal? He's already using a Forbidden Jutsu? Doesn't he know that activating a Forbidden Jutsu every time is like slow suicide?"

"This guy is a complete lunatic. Doesn't he want to live at all? He's scared, he's scared. I'll avoid provoking this guy in the future; I don't want to be targeted by this madman."

"Is this guy sick? This is simply... simply reckless!"

Moriyue's desperate actions also drew gasps from the onlookers. Everyone was bewildered by Moriyue's actions. In their eyes, he had become synonymous with a reckless madman.

But one thing they had to admit was that Moriyue had indeed intimidated them. From now on, perhaps no one would speak ill of Moriyue again. After all, being targeted by a suicidal madman didn't seem like a good idea.