Really! It's Really True!

It was another day of being challenged by Ibiki Morino.

After beating Ibiki until he doubled over in agony, Uchiha Ling whispered to him, "After school, wait for me at Training Ground No. 13 beneath the West Wall."

Morino Ibiki was sweating profusely from the pain. The sweat ran into his eyes, but he was too absorbed in the corrosive pain to care, and his eyes shone with anticipation.

There was a second round today? Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!

After school, Morino Ibiki rushed excitedly to the agreed-upon location, only to find no one in the Training Ground.

"Here!"

Uchiha Ling waved to Ibiki from the Forest beside the Training Ground.

Ibiki eagerly crawled into the small Forest.

He looked at Uchiha Ling with feverish excitement and said, "Come on. Let me feel the pain to my heart's content!"

Resolve flashed through Uchiha Ling's eyes. He had to deal with this nuisance, Ibiki, today. He needed to challenge Might Guy in class and continue his Taijutsu training.

"Come on, Ibiki. Come a little closer."

They were surrounded by lush Forest and dense undergrowth. People outside couldn't see what was happening inside.

Ibiki's face was flushed with excitement. As he walked forward, he said:

"Uchiha Ling, I know you definitely didn't use your full strength during our sparring lesson. After all, it wouldn't look good to go too far in public.

"I really like the place you chose. No one will notice us here.

"Come on. After I experience pain beyond my limits, let the compensatory Dopamine surge!"

Ibiki took a few more steps forward when he suddenly heard Steel Wire slicing through the air.

Uchiha Ling pulled the Steel Wire taut. More than a dozen strands rose from the ground and surrounding tree trunks, binding Ibiki.

His wrists, ankles, shoulders, waist, abdomen, knees—all his vital joints were locked down by the Steel Wire trap.

Ibiki became even more excited!

"Binding, huh? Tie me up and make me feel the pain! Come on! Come!"

Seeing Ibiki's excited, almost feral expression, Uchiha Ling was somewhat baffled.

Was he really this sick?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Forest filled with the dense sounds of fists striking flesh.

Uchiha Ling focused his attacks on Ibiki's head and face, as well as his exposed arms and legs.

In a very short time, he had beaten Ibiki until his head was split and bleeding. His face was swollen like a pig's head, his eye sockets were ruptured, and his body was covered in patches of blue, purple, red, and swelling.

After he grew tired of beating him, Uchiha Ling took out a length of Steel Wire and came behind Ibiki. He looped it around Ibiki's neck, turned his back to him, and tightened it.

"Don't be nervous, Ibiki. Dizziness is normal... You must really enjoy the thrill of suffocation, right?

"With your brain deprived of oxygen and carbon dioxide building up, your body will urgently secrete large amounts of endorphins amid the dizziness. Under the stimulation of those hormones, you'll experience dizziness, hallucinations, euphoria, and excitement.

"I also tightened the Steel Wire around your carotid sinus. Can you feel your heart rate dropping sharply..."

Several minutes later, Uchiha Ling left the Forest, lowering his head as he tidied the Steel Wire covered in blood droplets.

Morino Ibiki twitched in the Forest behind him, strange giggles escaping his throat.

After an unknown length of time, Morino Ibiki crawled to his feet and staggered home.

When he returned to the courtyard, Morino Ibiki saw Mori no Kosai beneath the eaves. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Father, I experienced the ultimate pain today. I feel like my spirit has grown stronger again."

"Oh? Do you even know what ultimate pain is? Have you ever seen a spy beg for mercy on the verge of death?"

Mori no Kosai charged forward and began beating Morino Ibiki.

Morino Ibiki hurriedly begged for mercy. "Father, I really reached my limit today. I can't..."

Mori no Kosai punched Ibiki in the mouth, bringing away a fistful of blood.

"Pain is our Ninja Way! How dare you claim you experienced the ultimate pain!"

Morino Ibiki couldn't speak. In despair, he watched his father's expression grow more and more feral, more and more excited.

Several minutes later, Morino Ibiki could no longer feel any compensatory pleasure from the pain. He felt as though he was about to die.

Just then, a figure used the Body Flicker Technique and landed.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A high-pressure blast of wind shot out, sending Mori no Kosai flying and saving Morino Ibiki from the ground.

Seeing Morino Ibiki's miserable condition, Uchiha Ling carried him on his back and hurried toward the Hidden Leaf Hospital.

In the courtyard, Mori no Kosai was still roaring, "Who is it?! Who interfered with me practicing my Ninja Way?! Why did you interrupt me teaching him my Ninja Way?!"

When they reached the Hidden Leaf Hospital, Uchiha Ling handed the blood-covered Morino Ibiki over to the emergency Medical Ninja.

"What happened to this child?! Why is he in such terrible shape?!"

"His surname is Mori no."

Uchiha Ling had looked through the Military Police Force's files. Morino Ibiki had been hospitalized several times after being beaten by his father.

Sure enough, as soon as the emergency doctor heard the surname Mori no, he stopped asking questions.

Hidden Leaf Village had many strange and eccentric ninja. A former Torture Division ninja who was obsessed with interrogation and punishment—any child raised by him was bound to suffer.

Uchiha Ling handed over all the pocket money his second older brother, Uchiha Jing, had given him to the Hidden Leaf Hospital: a full fifteen thousand ryō.

Late that night, Morino Ibiki awoke. In a daze, he saw someone sitting beside the window.

After looking carefully, he realized it wasn't his father, but Uchiha Ling.

"Why are you here? Where's my father?"

Uchiha Ling turned his head and said, "I know many people in Hidden Leaf Village come from terrible families, but yours is far worse.

"Some have parents who suffer from severe depression, severe anxiety, or severe bipolar disorder after years of ninja missions. Some have schizophrenia. There are also Orphans who have barely taken care of themselves since they were two or three years old.

"And you have it worse than all of them."

"I...I...I'm not miserable. You don't even have parents. I still have a father."

Uchiha Ling was so angry that he almost laughed. Even at a time like this, Ibiki was bullying him for being an Orphan. He said, "You saw the look in your father's eyes during those final blows, didn't you?

"He wasn't teaching you the Pain Ninja Way. He was a complete failure, venting all his frustration onto you.

"Morino Ibiki, stop lying to yourself.

"Stop begging for a scrap of nonexistent paternal love and catering to your mentally deranged father.

"You have no paternal love, and you have no home. You need to learn to kill your father in spirit. Otherwise, you'll die."

Uchiha Ling left behind a Scroll.

Two of Morino Ibiki's fingers were broken. He tremblingly opened the Scroll and saw a research record.

Uchiha Ling explained, "There are plenty of lunatics in the Uchiha Clan. Many people have tried using pain to increase their spiritual energy, but all of them failed."

With that, he left the hospital room.

Morino Ibiki stared blankly at the ceiling.

Pain couldn't strengthen the spirit. Really? Was it really true...

"Hahaha! It's true! It really is true!"

Outside the hospital room, Uchiha Ling stood leaning against the wall. He was terrified that Morino Ibiki would go insane.

[There is a ninja nearby who has suffered a defense break. The Defense-Breaking System is activating...]

Suffering itself had no meaning. As long as one was willing to endure hardship, there would always be more hardship to endure.