Side Effects

Chapter 50: Side Effects

The hospital room felt somewhat oppressive.

Hyuga Satoru leaned against the white pillow, his brow furrowed as he pondered the startling news Orochimaru had brought.

He had long discovered that each upgrade of Electromagnetic Force tempered his body, but it was only now that he learned this tempering would trigger a Bloodline Regression in him.

But thinking it over, the purity of his Byakugan had indeed increased considerably. It seemed Orochimaru wasn't lying.

He wasn't looking forward to this process.

The Hyuga Clan only possessed a very small fraction of Otsutsuki bloodline. Whether continuous regression would eventually lead to becoming an Otsutsuki was hard to predict.

Moreover, this process had far too many uncontrollable factors.

After thinking for a while, Hyuga Satoru suddenly caught a key point, and his tightly furrowed brow instantly relaxed.

He almost forgot. Once Electromagnetic Force evolved to a certain level, he could control atomic arrangements on a microscopic level. When that time came, he could make himself as big as he wanted, as thick as he wanted.

The Otsutsuki were merely a node in his physical evolution. Why worry about this?

Thinking of this, Hyuga Satoru breathed a sigh of relief, and his mood gradually eased.

"It seems Wu-kun has already digested this information."

Seeing the change in Hyuga Satoru's expression, Orochimaru suddenly let out a hoarse laugh.

"Even if my bloodline is regressing, any obvious changes would be a long time from now. What matters is focusing on the present, isn't it?" Hyuga Satoru said calmly, looking at him.

"As expected of Wu-kun."

Orochimaru clicked his tongue in admiration, able only to sigh.

"How is Anko?"

"She's fine. That child is a rare genius, remarkably compatible with my abilities. When you see her again, you might even be surprised."

"That's good."

Hyuga Satoru breathed a slight sigh of relief. After all, in the original story, Anko was Orochimaru's disciple, so it was unlikely Orochimaru would harm her.

"Then I won't disturb Wu-kun any longer. I hope you recover soon."

Orochimaru chuckled and quietly withdrew from the hospital room.

Hyuga Satoru sighed and resumed training Cell Activation, his physical constitution steadily improving.

After resting for a few days like this, Hyuga Satoru clenched his fist. The surging power involuntarily sparked a pleasant thrill within him. His Life Magnetic Field had also grown much stronger, like a blazing flame.

Compared to before his injury, after training Cell Activation, his strength had actually improved considerably, and his Chakra reserves had increased as well.

As for the Electromagnetic Force experience points, because he had previously used Tyrant Mode, forcibly employing a large amount of Electromagnetic Force abilities beyond his current level, it had triggered a small surge.

Additionally, during the gaps between each mission return, he would use the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to exploit a bug once.

It was like AFK training. Although he was exhausted afterward, each time it provided him with roughly 1000 experience points.

[Electromagnetic Force Level: LV3] [Experience to Next Level: 8945/20000]

Just over ten thousand experience points left, and he could level up to LV4.

LV1's Electromagnetic Manipulation, LV2's Life Magnetic Field, LV3's Electromagnetic Furnace...

What new ability would LV4 bring?

Having tasted the thrill of the Electromagnetic Authority surge from Tyrant Mode, Hyuga Satoru now felt an impatient craving for higher-level Electromagnetic Force abilities.

In the afternoon, with the help of Aburame Shibi, Hyuga Satoru completed his discharge procedures.

Just as he stepped out of Konoha Hospital, the glaring sunlight hit him, making him instinctively shield his eyes with his palm.

"Satoru, it seems you've rested for so long that you're no longer accustomed to such strong sunlight."

Seeing this, Aburame Shibi felt a twinge of sadness.

"Teacher Shibi, don't say that. Rest is for better progress. I can't wait to take on missions."

"The Hokage is still waiting for us. We should hurry over."

"Mm."

Aburame Shibi nodded.

Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Hyuga Satoru, who had just come out of the hospital, his face full of admiration. He couldn't help but nod in praise.

"Excellent! Very Energetic!"

Opening with a "Very Energetic"—a true veteran cadre.

Hyuga Satoru couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally had no idea what Hyuga Satoru was thinking, his eyes still brimming with appreciation.

"Satoru, Shibi should have told you already. With your abilities, you're no longer suited to remain a Genin, so I've specially promoted you to Chunin."

"From now on, you can independently take on A-rank missions and below. If you have any requests, you may also bring them to me."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a long drag from his pipe, speaking in a calm, flowing tone.

In truth, he had originally planned to have Hyuga Satoru join the Anbu. After all, his Archery Ninjutsu and unique Magnet Release were especially suited for Anbu missions.

However, after considering his status as a member of the Branch Family, he hesitated for a long time before ultimately abandoning that plan.

Promoting Hyuga Satoru to Chunin and granting him privileges that ordinary Chunin did not have would not only maximize his rapid growth but also keep him from drawing too much attention.

After all, the Ninja World was far from peaceful these days!

Suddenly, as if recalling something, he revealed a worried expression and tentatively asked Hyuga Satoru.

"Satoru, I heard you used a forbidden technique with a heavy price. Has your body been affected?"

A forbidden technique with a heavy price... was he referring to Tyrant Mode?

Hyuga Satoru thought for a moment, then spoke: "That forbidden technique was something I developed by accident. It can greatly boost my strength for a short time. It was thanks to that move that I survived my encounter with those two Mist Village shinobi."

"As for the price..."

"Because the technique overdrafts life potential and squeezes physical strength in the short term, it damages my cells at the root, thereby shortening my lifespan to a certain extent."

He raised his head, eyes unblinking and heart steady, calmly meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze.

"Is that so... That's a bit troublesome."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's head began to ache slightly. Shortening one's lifespan—the price of this forbidden technique was far too great.

He didn't doubt it either. After all, the reports from Konoha Hospital had indeed mentioned cell damage in Hyuga Satoru, and matters like shortened lifespans were hard to detect with the naked eye.

Hyuga Satoru's expression didn't change, as if his earlier nonsense was the absolute truth.

Shortened lifespan?

It really did shorten his lifespan—he could maintain Tyrant Mode for a full three minutes!

Was three minutes of lifespan not lifespan?

And the pain that left him half-dead afterward, unable to earn money for days—wasn't that also a form of shortening his lifespan?

The information Anko provided only said he had survived the attacks of those two Jonin.

Hyuga Satoru didn't know whether the Hokage had sent Anbu to investigate the site of his battle, nor whether he understood the true power of Tyrant Mode. But when it came to side effects, it was safer to exaggerate.

As for Aburame Shibi beside him, Hyuga Satoru's string of nonsense only deepened his inner guilt.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, his expression complicated as he looked at Hyuga Satoru: "Satoru, you are a true inheritor of the Will of Fire. How about this—your reward for this mission will be doubled. Consider it compensation."

Hyuga Satoru's eyes lit up. In the mission book the Hokage then produced, he promptly selected three missions with the highest rewards.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face immediately turned green, but since the words had already left his mouth, he couldn't go back on them.