Taking Stock

Sunlight slanted through the window lattice, and the faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air.

Mo Jingjing leaned against the headboard, occasional waves of pain radiating from his wounds.

He had been unconscious for three days.

He still remembered several figures rushing toward where he had fallen just before he passed out.

He wondered if he had managed to fool Konoha High Command. The Nine-Tails Chakra outbreak must have struck a nerve with Lord Hokage.

He hoped his final arrangements had worked.

He was still too weak to withstand a thorough investigation by anyone with ulterior motives.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Someone knocked at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Minato Namikaze walked into the hospital room with a warm smile.

"Xian, I'm so glad you're all right."

"Thanks for checking in, Big Brother Minato. I'm feeling fine now."

"You were unconscious for three whole days. Kushina was really worried about you. She was going to come visit you herself, but then..."

Minato sat down beside the bed like a friendly older brother.

As he mentioned Kushina, he deliberately shrugged and gave him a look that said, You know how it is.

Ever since Minato had entered the room, Mo Jingxian had worn a faint smile.

It wasn't forced. He was genuinely grateful to Minato and his wife.

That was why he had worked so hard to get on their good side. If Minato hadn't stepped in, Anbu might have come today.

Or Root.

Being targeted by either of those departments wouldn't be pleasant.

Thinking of that, he felt fortunate to have planned ahead, and his gratitude toward Minato was heartfelt.

"Big Brother Minato, tell me what happened afterward. You know..."

Mo Jingxian pointed to his head.

Minato looked him over and, seeing that he seemed well, relaxed a little.

"Sunagakure declared war on Konoha."

Minato led with a bombshell, and Mo Jingxian obligingly looked shocked.

"On the day war was declared, Lord Hokage was discussing how to respond with the two advisors when Sunagakure spies embedded in Konoha suddenly launched an attack.

"According to the intelligence that came in afterward, shinobi from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure also took part in the attack. In short... things were chaotic, but thankfully, it was all brought under control in the end."

"I see. So the ones who attacked me were spies from an enemy village too."

Minato nodded, his expression grave.

"That's one reason I came to see you. I can't tell you some of the classified details, but..."

He paused, then continued:

"Xian, do you trust me?"

What was coming was coming; there was no point in hiding from it. Fortunately, it was Minato who had come to question him.

Xian admitted that he had initially approached Minato with an ulterior motive. But after spending time with him, he had come to genuinely respect him. Minato was the kind of man no one could bring themselves to dislike.

"Of course I trust you, Big Brother Minato. You wouldn't hurt me, would you?"

Minato looked into Mo Jingxian's eyes and saw sincerity, openness, and a young man's spirited confidence.

Minato smiled.

He trusted his own judgment, and he trusted the boy lying in the hospital bed.

It wasn't arrogance. From the first moment he'd met Mo Jingxian, he had sensed that the boy was different.

Different from everyone else.

Of course, most importantly, Kushina hadn't sensed any malice from Mo Jingxian with her Mind's Eye of the Kagura.

"Xian, tell me what happened when you were attacked. Think it through carefully, and try not to leave out any details."

Mo Jingxian tilted his head slightly, as if recalling what had happened.

Then he described the situation.

"After I parted ways with you, Big Brother Minato, I headed back. I passed..."

He recounted the entire sequence of events in detail, without letting his personal feelings color the account. His narration was entirely objective.

Of course, he left out what had happened after his deal with the Balance of Fate. He only said that he'd been knocked out after he was hit.

Minato lowered his head and thought for a moment.

"Describe the other person's weapons in more detail."

"One was a long needle-like sword. It vanished as quickly as it appeared and was incredibly fast. The second could release lightning, and it had tooth-like blades branching off from the tip..."

At last, Minato was certain that the attackers had been two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

He looked up and stared at Mo Jingxian in surprise for a long time, leaving him confused.

"What is it, Big Brother Minato? Is something wrong?"

"I don't even know how to tell you this. All I can say is, you're one lucky kid."

"Did you figure something out, Big Brother Minato?"

Minato smiled and shook his head.

"Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki—elite shinobi from Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen. I have no idea how you survived. Maybe it really was just luck."

Even Minato couldn't believe that Mo Jingxian had survived the attention of two elite enemy shinobi, especially with the Nine-Tails Chakra incident mixed in.

Mo Jingxian must have been dragged into the fight against his will and knocked unconscious right at the start. As for why the enemy hadn't finished him off, it was probably because they had a more important opponent to deal with: the person who possessed the Nine-Tails Chakra.

That was what Minato thought.

The events were shrouded in mystery, and he had been ruled out immediately.

Mo Jingxian acted stunned and remained silent for a long time.

"Enough. You don't need to worry. This wasn't specifically aimed at you, so... you understand."

Mo Jingxian rolled his eyes. Even Minato was making jokes now.

At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to get through this hurdle.

"Big Brother Minato, what about the Uchiha..."

"Lord Hokage's decision is to let the matter end here. I know you may feel you've been treated unfairly, but we still have to put the bigger picture first."

Mo Jingxian nodded.

"I'll listen to you, Big Brother Minato."

"Of course, we can't leave you empty-handed either. You'll be compensated. Think about what you want, and I'll discuss it with Captain Fugaku."

That got him interested. Back when he'd been with the Uchiha, even pledging himself to Yashiro had only earned him a few basic, low-level ninjutsu.

He had coveted Uchiha genjutsu for a long time. How could he let this chance slip by?

"Hmm, I'm not greedy. I'll just ask for a few techniques... Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change, Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique, Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death, and Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique."

He counted them off on his fingers, leaving Minato with a rueful smile.

"You think Uchiha genjutsu grows on trees? You're listing them like dishes on a menu! Just wait...I'll go talk to them."

"Why not take what they owe me?"

Mo Jingxian said it with complete conviction, and they exchanged a smile.

Minato left.

The hospital room fell quiet again.

Thanks to Minato, he'd gotten through that hurdle easily. But what about the next one?

He hadn't forgotten that he'd risked almost his entire life just to escape certain death.

Was it worth it?

Of course it was. What use was a Golden Finger if he was dead?

He silently opened his personal status.

[Host: Mo Jingxian]

[Life: 31]

[Nature: 15]

[Skills: Uchiha Swordsmanship, Water Dragon Technique, Water Substitution Technique (Modified), Water Body Flicker Technique (Modified), Mist of Vitality, Wind Release: Vacuum Blade, Principles of Sealing Jutsu]

[Talent: Water Element Mastery (Intermediate)]

[Available for Trade: Fortune, Soul, Water Substitution Technique, Water Body Flicker Technique, Wind Release: Vacuum Blade]

[Reputation: 32]

"Mist of Vitality" and "Wind Release: Vacuum Blade" had been successfully added to his status, and his Water Element Mastery had advanced to intermediate.

People often spoke of the great terror between life and death.

He hadn't expected to experience it himself.

None of that mattered. The most important thing was "Principles of Sealing Jutsu."

The trial card had lasted only a minute, but the memories had stayed with him. That was the greatest reward of all.

Seeing himself from the perspective of a Kage Level expert had given him a lofty, far-reaching view.

That was why he'd been able to master two techniques so quickly.

And there were benefits beyond that.

Looking back at Sealing Jutsu, the obscure and difficult parts now made perfect sense.

His Chakra's nature and quantity still kept him from using any specific techniques, but the principles remained the same. He could find another way to incorporate them into his own ninjutsu.

His Water Element Mastery had reached intermediate, bringing him one step closer to mastering all the waters in the world.

Mo Jingxian gave a slight wave of his hand.

A few meters away, the clear water in a vase rose up and flew into his palm.

There wasn't much—just a stream as thin as a pencil.

But it was a qualitative breakthrough.

It wasn't a ninjutsu, and it used no Chakra. His understanding of water alone let him control the small pool of water in his palm.

The stream spun rapidly, forming a tiny vortex.

Mo Jingxian gradually added Chakra.

The water vortex changed, and a miniature Water Flood Dragon took shape.

A horn sprouted from its head, its scales grew finer and denser, and four claws emerged from its flanks. It looked wondrous and uncanny.

This was the Water Dragon Technique, an upgrade of the Water Python Technique.

Compared with before, the technique had become more versatile and much easier to control.

Its offensive and defensive power had increased, of course, but the most important change was that the technique had completely broken free of hand seals. He could cast it with a thought.

It was practically a hand-seal-free technique.

The miniature Water Flood Dragon coiled around his fingers and flicked its tongue, looking remarkably lifelike.

Mo Jingxian controlled it through a few difficult maneuvers, then focused his thoughts.

The Water Flood Dragon turned into vapor, spreading through the entire hospital room.

"Mist of Vitality."

The transition between the two techniques was seamless, and Chakra efficiency was close to one hundred percent.

This was the talent granted by reaching intermediate Water Element Mastery. It would be crucial to him as he prepared to enter the battlefield.

On the battlefield, every bit of Chakra could become a trump card that saved his life.

The rewards were gratifying, but the price had been devastating.

Mo Jingxian had only one year of life left.

It was almost laughable. He had once congratulated himself on securing a peaceful year to train.

Who would have thought his words would come true in such a way?

It turned out that this was what that year meant.

It was as if fate had played a cruel joke on him.

He didn't want to wait for death, and he wasn't willing to give up. No matter what, he had to fight for a way to survive.

One idea after another surfaced in his mind, only for him to reject them.

In the end, he settled on Hashirama Cells.

He knew the story. Obito, who would one day ignite the Fourth Shinobi World War, had used Hashirama Cells to keep himself alive.

As long as he used Yin Release Chakra to suppress the Hashirama Cells' devouring nature, he could achieve the same thing.

The question was how to obtain Yin Release Chakra.

If the Balance of Fate could trade for Water Element Mastery, then it must also offer mastery over both Yin and Yang.

He silently drew up a list.

Hashirama Cells, Yin Element Mastery, and a large amount of reputation.

He had to gather them all within a year!

It would be incredibly difficult, but did he have any other choice?