I Want to Learn Forbidden Jutsu

Bright lights illuminated the entire room. The pain of blades slicing through skin was so clear, and the whispers of demons echoed in his ears.

"Remember, this is my gift to you. The strength in your bodies comes from the most elite beings in the Shinobi World. It is your honor to have met me."

"You actually survived. Not bad. You'll be called Poison Ghost from now on. Don't disappoint me, or you'll become experimental material again."

"Trash, trash! You only gained such garbage power? Is there any point in you living anymore?"

"Run? Heh heh, where can you run to? Poison Ghost, do you remember me?"

"No!"

In the dim room, a figure suddenly opened his eyes and let out a fierce roar. He would rather die than go back, never go back.

"C-crack, c-crack."

On the other side of the room, a tall figure sat on a rectangular box, constantly eating. Judging by the average height in the Hokage world, he was quite a giant.

Watching the struggling figure sit up, the giant also stopped eating. "Poison Ghost, having nightmares again?"

The gaunt Poison Ghost didn't speak. He simply got up and pulled open the partition door, letting the cold wind outside sweep in, taking away the last remnants of warmth in the room.

As the Poison Ghost's skin, tinged blue-white, faced the biting cold, a look of comfort appeared on his face. Only then could his agitated heart calm down.

"Strength Ghost, keep an eye on Hand Ghost. Absolutely do not let him out. I'm going to the pleasure district to find Snake Ghost. That scoundrel will end up dying by the hands of women sooner or later."

"Oh."

The tall Strength Ghost replied in a muffled voice and then resumed eating, as if his stomach hid an bottomless pit.

Just then, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and the bright moonlight fell into the room, illuminating the tall Strength Ghost and the rectangular... coffin beneath him.

The lid of the coffin trembled slightly, as if about to lift, but it was suppressed by the immense Strength Ghost. Sounds intermittently emanated from within.

"So... so painful... so bitter, Strength... Ghost, help me... help me be free, please..."

Strength Ghost ignored him, continuing to gnaw on the giant bone with large bites. Faintly, warm liquid slid down his face, dripping onto the iron coffin.

"Robbing valuables is normal, but why take the corpses of the dead? For experiments? No," Senba, sitting on the carriage, couldn't quite figure this out after days of poring over documents.

"No way, Senba. Which of the people capable of conducting experiments would need to resort to robbery?" Iruka put down his records and scratched his head in thought, unsure.

"If not for experiments, then they're being used for something else. With wealth, they wouldn't lack food or drink. Or perhaps they need to feed something?" Senba guessed, looking at the stopped merchant caravan ahead, his tone uncertain.

"Get lost, you idiot Senba! I'm eating!"

Uchiha Yue looked at the okonomiyaki in her hand. The thick, shiny sauce made her feel like gagging. Senba's words had clearly reminded her of something unpleasant.

Driven off the carriage by Yue, Senba stretched, shook his head to clear his wild thoughts, and then leaped a few times from the tail of the caravan to the front.

"Senba, come here," Genma Shiranui beckoned him from the roof of the carriage. Worried about the load-bearing capacity of the roof, Senba shook his head and walked to the side of the carriage, looking ahead.

"Teacher Genma, the Land of Rivers truly lives up to its name. We encounter at least five rivers a day, and they aren't narrow," Senba suspected that the Land of Wind's water sources had been diverted by the Land of Rivers.

Along the way, any river of moderate size had Daimyo's troops collecting bridge tolls. Although the price was low, the sheer number of them was overwhelming.

"In the past, not only were there many rivers, but there were also many river bandits. The exorbitant fees every time we crossed a river made small merchant guilds hesitate," Genma Shiranui jumped off the carriage and landed beside Senba.

"After the war ended, the village wanted to expand its business. Coincidentally, someone in the Land of Rivers sent a request, saying that river bandits were killing people and intercepting goods."

"So, the Fourth Hokage ordered a sweep of the Land of Rivers from east to west, and from south to north," Genma Shiranui revealed his stark white teeth, clearly indicating he was one of them.

"Teacher Genma, your use of 'coincidentally' is truly masterful," Senba gave him a thumbs-up, understanding the implied meaning.

"You brat, daring to joke with your teacher? Come on, let's take a walk. My back is stiff from sitting." Genma Shiranui playfully flicked Senba's forehead.

Afterward, the two strolled around the caravan, which was also their daily routine patrol.

"Senba, Yue usually consults me about Ninja Tools and Fire Release, while Iruka consults me about Earth Release and the customs and traditions of the Shinobi World," Genma Shiranui spun a senbon in his hand, looking at Senba with a meaningful gaze.

"You, however, only like to ask me about the Body Flicker Technique. Not only do you resemble the Second Hokage in appearance, but you're also very interested in that technique, aren't you?"

After spending some time together, he had a decent understanding of his student. He couldn't say he was sinister, but he was certainly no pushover.

Combined with Senba's usual requests for instruction on the Body Flicker Technique, he had guessed Senba's intentions. He wasn't angry about it, only worried if Senba would be disheartened if he couldn't learn the technique.

"That's right, Teacher Genma. I want to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique," Senba didn't hide his objective, meeting Genma's complex gaze directly.

"A forbidden jutsu that allows spatial travel without bloodline limits or body modification. I want to learn it." Senba's voice was filled with determination. He was determined to learn this technique.

Senba's determined tone didn't move Genma Shiranui, because too many people had said the same thing, and too many had failed. Ten people tried, and ten failed.

"Senba, do you know why I, as a Special Jonin, along with the other two, were chosen as the Fourth Hokage's personal guards?"

Genma voiced the question many ninjas pondered. The Hokage's personal guards were at least Jonin rank. These three Special Jonin were like Huskies in a wolf pack, seeming a bit out of place.

However, before Senba could answer, Genma revealed the reason: it was because the three of them possessed a faint spatial talent, giving them a one-in-ten-thousand chance of learning the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Four individuals capable of using the Flying Thunder God Technique appearing on the battlefield would instill what kind of despair.

"It's just that our aptitude isn't enough. We can only exert the teleportation technique by working together, and even then, we can't guarantee it'll be completely safe."

Genma Shiranui said this, and then thought of Senba's spatial talent, which far surpassed his own. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

"Senba."

"Teacher Genma?"

As Senba looked at him with confused eyes, Genma Shiranui sighed, a senbon held in his mouth. "For the next few days, you'll be on night duty with me."

"Okay, teacher, but isn't it a bit unsanitary to put senbon in your mouth after touching them?"

"You'll be on night duty with Iruka from now on."

"Teacher Genma, I was wrong."