Berserk!

"Jugo, try absorbing some Natural Energy," Minamoto Takuya said.

Jugo immediately froze. According to what the other man had said earlier, the reason he went berserk was because he could not control himself after absorbing too much Natural Energy.

"Don't worry. Even if you go berserk, you won't be able to hurt me," Minamoto Takuya said with a smile.

"Mm."

Jugo nodded, then, for the first time, actively began seeking out the source of his berserk state.

Before long, countless irregular black patterns surfaced across Jugo's body. This was the origin of the Cursed Seal Orochimaru had researched.

As those black patterns appeared on Jugo's body, the change in his eyes was obvious. He stared at Minamoto Takuya with a predatory gaze, a savage grin spreading across his lips.

The next moment, Jugo charged at Minamoto Takuya. His fist transformed into a monstrous arm and came smashing down.

Minamoto Takuya merely raised a hand before Jugo's fist. The monstrous blow made no sound at all as it was stopped directly by Minamoto Takuya's somewhat slender palm.

Even berserk, Jugo seemed stunned for a moment. He had never expected his attack to be blocked so easily.

Then he bared his teeth. Black patterns covered his entire body, transforming him into a monster.

Several barnacle-like protrusions emerged from his back.

Immediately afterward, intense chakra fluctuations erupted from those protrusions. Several chakra shells shot out from the barnacles and flew toward Minamoto Takuya.

Minamoto Takuya watched the shells and formed a one-handed seal.

"Earth Style Wall!"

In an instant, an earthen wall rose between them. The shells slammed into it, causing only a slight tremor and failing to blast through it.

Jugo looked at the wall before him and charged through it with wild laughter. Yet the moment he passed through, Minamoto Takuya was nowhere to be seen.

"Your strength is decent, but that's all," Minamoto Takuya's voice sounded beside Jugo's ear. Before Jugo could react, Minamoto Takuya reached out from behind him and tapped a finger against his back.

Countless seals immediately flowed from Minamoto Takuya's fingertip and spread across Jugo's body.

By the time Jugo turned around, the seals were still rapidly covering his body.

Already berserk, he ignored the seals. His arm expanded again and swung toward Minamoto Takuya.

Minamoto Takuya looked at Jugo's monstrous fist without dodging. When Jugo's arm was halfway through its swing, he stopped.

It was not because he wanted to stop. The seals had already covered his entire body, binding him completely.

Then he could no longer even stand and collapsed onto the ground.

Minamoto Takuya sat beside him, blue light appearing in his hand. This was... a Chakra Scalpel.

He needed to collect some of Jugo's cells while he was berserk, as well as the substances produced after his transformation, for research.

He did not hold back, directly taking quite a bit from Jugo's body. In his berserk state, Jugo could recover very quickly.

After finishing all this, Minamoto Takuya quietly waited for Jugo to emerge from his berserk state.

He waited for an entire shichen. By then, Jugo's monstrous appearance began to fade, revealing his original form.

Jugo, having reverted, looked somewhat dejected. He really was a monster.

"Your berserk state can probably last two to three shichen," Minamoto Takuya said. Jugo's attacks had consumed some chakra, and Minamoto Takuya had also taken a portion from his body, shortening the duration of his berserk state.

As he spoke, he also released the Sealing Jutsu cast on Jugo.

"Mm." Jugo nodded, his face still filled with disappointment.

Minamoto Takuya said nothing more and took out a scroll, beginning to inscribe it.

Jugo curiously glanced at the scroll in Minamoto Takuya's hands, but he could not understand any of it.

Soon, after completing the Sealing Jutsu inscription, Minamoto Takuya tossed the scroll to Jugo.

"This contains the Sealing Jutsu I just used on you. Keep it on you. When you're about to go berserk, just tear it open. It can last four to five shichen before releasing itself automatically," Minamoto Takuya said.

Jugo looked at the scroll in his hands, his eyes lighting up. Was this the method Minamoto Takuya had mentioned that could stop him?

And Minamoto Takuya would not even need to do it himself?

At that moment, Minamoto Takuya rose to his feet and formed hand seals. Once again, the solidified chakra Jugo had seen the first time they met emerged behind his back.

Then he left with Jugo.

With Jugo accompanying him, he could no longer use the Summoning Technique to leave.

In the end, Minamoto Takuya entrusted Jugo to his subordinates to look after. He could not bring him back to the Experiment Base.

If he brought Jugo back to the Experiment Base, Jugo would have to stay inside a cultivation tank. Since Jugo was so obedient, Minamoto Takuya did not want to do that.

He only needed to take some cells and Cursed Seals from Jugo when necessary. They could even collect some of the products of Jugo's berserk transformation during his episodes and deliver them to Minamoto Takuya.

He also told them what to watch out for while caring for Jugo and left behind four or five Sealing Scrolls. That should be enough for them.

After all, in a large village full of people like this, Minamoto Takuya estimated that Natural Energy was scarce. Under normal circumstances, it was unlikely Jugo could absorb enough Natural Energy to go berserk.

Of course, Minamoto Takuya could not be certain, because... he truly could not sense Natural Energy.

Thus, he could only speculate. At present, the places with the highest concentration of Natural Energy in this world should be the Three Great Sacred Lands, followed by places close to nature such as forests, and finally large villages like this one.

"Are you leaving?" Jugo asked as Minamoto Takuya was about to depart.

Minamoto Takuya looked at Jugo, nodded, and said, "Here, you don't need to worry too much about going berserk. It's fine to have someone take you out for a walk now and then, so live well."

For a moment, Jugo did not know what to say. He had originally thought Minamoto Takuya was not a good person, especially since the man had taken part of his body after he went berserk. It had hurt a great deal.

But after hearing those words, he remained silent for a long while before finally saying, "Thank you, sir. You're a good person."

Minamoto Takuya found that rather amusing. If the souls of those who had died by his hand heard Jugo say that, they would surely crawl out of their graves and call him blind.

Besides, he did not think of himself as a good person either.

Minamoto Takuya waved to Jugo, then vanished before everyone's eyes.

Jugo watched his disappearing figure and deeply etched it into his mind.