Lend Me Your Strength

Early the next morning, as soon as Lin Chongshu entered the rest area, he saw several orphans leaning against the wall.

They probably thought Lin Chongshu's words from yesterday were just empty threats. Even Lord Orochimaru had not killed them, so how intimidating could Lin Chongshu possibly be?

Lin Chongshu did not waste words. With a lift of his hand, he controlled the grit to surge up from the ground. Sand poured into their collars, wrapped around their joints, and pinned their entire bodies to the wall, leaving them unable to move.

Their expressions shifted from provocation to terror, then from terror to pleading. "We were wrong! Lord Chongshu, we were wrong! We'll go to the dungeon right away!"

"Mm. I accept your apology. Be more careful in your next life." The grit tightened, swallowing their pleas beneath the sand. Once the human-shaped statues had completely solidified, the corridor fell silent.

Lin Chongshu turned and headed for the dungeon.

The two chunin guards at the dungeon entrance saw him and immediately stepped aside.

Lin Chongshu had been taking people out for experiments every day lately, and the dungeon guards had long grown used to it.

He pushed open the iron door and entered. Members of the Fuma Clan and the Phantom Nether Clan were confined in their respective holding areas, their hands and feet locked to the stone walls with heavy iron chains.

The Sound Ninja orphans stood on the other side. Jirobo was wrapped from head to toe in bandages, Tayuya had a strip of white cloth around her head, and Kidomaru stood beside Sakon and Ukon.

Kimimaro stood closest to the dungeon entrance. As Lin Chongshu passed him, the system sounded.

[Detected strong negative emotions toward the host from Kimimaro: resentment, anger. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Bloodline Limit +1]

Lin Chongshu did not stop walking, merely curling his lips into a smile. Since he had already acquired Shikotsumyaku, he was no longer afraid. He would have plenty of time to give Kimimaro extra training in the future.

He walked to the center of the dungeon and looked around.

More than twenty chunin stood guard around the area. When the members of the Fuma Clan and Phantom Nether Clan saw him enter, their chains rattled as they shrank back.

He smiled, took a small booklet from his robes, and patted its cover. His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly through the dungeon.

"Everyone, listen up. Anyone who can use Fire Release, stand up immediately."

He flipped the booklet open to a certain page and tapped the list with his finger. "I have everything recorded here. Don't make me call you out one by one."

The members of the Fuma Clan and Phantom Nether Clan exchanged looks.

The scrape of chains dragging across stone continued for several seconds before someone rose hesitantly. Then a second, then a third. Around twenty people stood scattered about, their faces tense.

Lin Chongshu glanced back toward the orphans. Behind Tayuya, Kidomaru, and the others, four or five people also rose uncertainly.

"Come on, everyone. Raise your hands." Lin Chongshu walked up to the first standing Phantom Nether clansman.

The man was half a head taller than him, but with his hands and feet chained, he could only raise his hands to chest level. His eyes were filled with alarm and confusion, unsure what this researcher, who came every day to select people for experiments, wanted this time.

"And then..." Lin Chongshu slammed a fist into the man's abdomen. As he bent over clutching his stomach, Lin Chongshu followed up with several swift kicks to the groin.

The man let out a warped scream and collapsed to the ground, doubled over.

[Detected strong negative emotions toward the host from the target: fear, pain. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Fire Release: Flame Tornado +1.]

Lin Chongshu brought his elbow down on the back of the man's neck. The man did not even groan again before falling face-first onto the stone floor.

"Please lend me your strength!"

[Detected strong negative emotions toward the host from the target: fear, pain. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Lightning-nature Chakra.]

"Oh? Good heavens, you're a dual-nature talent too!"

Lin Chongshu looked down at the Phantom Nether clansman sprawled on the ground, wiped his hands on the man's clothes, and turned toward the next person.

The remaining Phantom Nether clansmen had all gone pale, and some of their legs had already begun to tremble.

People were often taken away, but no one had died in front of them before. Yet now they had watched that man get beaten unconscious by Lin Chongshu, and they were next.

The system notifications began ringing in rapid succession.

[Detected strong negative emotions toward the host from the target: fear, shock. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Constitution +1]

[Obtained: Constitution +1]

...

Delight appeared on Lin Chongshu's face. As expected of the Phantom Nether Clan, born with bodies made for experiments. Their physical constitution was truly strong. The Constitution stat on his panel was already rather high, yet it could still steadily increase.

Sure enough, the strength of the masses was the greatest. This system had to follow the path of the people.

Immediately afterward, Lin Chongshu strode up and threw a heavy punch at the second man. "Don't blame me! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for knowing Fire Release."

The man clutched his stomach and staggered half a step back, his voice trembling. "My lord, is knowing Fire Release a crime?"

"You dare talk back?"

"My lord, I was wrong! Ah..."

[Detected strong negative emotions toward the host from the target: fear, pain. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Fire Release: Flame Meteor +1]

[Obtained: Constitution +1]

[Obtained: Constitution +1]

Who said Orochimaru was bad? This place was incredible. Just like the Hidden Sand Village, everyone here was a talent, and they spoke so nicely.

The entire morning passed.

Every member of the Phantom Nether Clan who could use Fire Release had been beaten to the ground, sprawled across the floor in all directions.

Lin Chongshu stretched his shoulders and neck where he stood, rolled his wrists, then turned his gaze toward the Fuma Clan.

Unlike the Phantom Nether Clan, the Fuma Clan did not have an advantage in physical constitution. What they excelled at was Ninja Tool Manipulation, using chakra threads to control Wind Demon Shuriken and all kinds of long-range weapons.

Lin Chongshu walked up to the first Fuma clansman who knew Fire Release. Before the man could say a word, the fist had already arrived.

[Detected strong negative emotions toward the host from the target: fear, pain. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique +1]

[Obtained: Wind Release: Blade of Wind +1]

"Oh, another dual-nature genius."

[Obtained: Ninja Tool Manipulation +1.]

Kidomaru huddled in a corner and muttered quietly to Sakon and Ukon beside him, "Isn't he even going to take a break?" Sakon and Ukon did not answer.

Jirobo, wrapped like a mummy, leaned against the wall. Through gaps in his bandages, he watched Lin Chongshu knock down the Fire Release users of the Fuma Clan one after another. His voice emerged muffled from behind the bandages.

"Do you think this Lin... has some kind of grudge against people who know Fire Release? Good thing none of us know Fire Release."

Tayuya held the wound on her head, where the stitches had not yet been removed, and said nothing. Kidomaru gave an awkward laugh, but it barely escaped his throat before he swallowed it back down.

It was not just them. Everyone in the dungeon was secretly rejoicing at that moment: fortunately, they did not know Fire Release. If they did, they would be completely doomed.

Lin Chongshu knocked the last Fire Release-using Fuma clansman to the ground, straightened up, and dusted off his hands.

He turned to face everyone still standing, opened the booklet, flipped through an entire page, and then closed it.

"Alright. Now, everyone who knows Earth Release, step forward."