Treasures and Trials

In the Hidden Leaf Forest, at an abandoned Training Ground, the four of them stared blankly at the young man in the center. His voice, like a devil's whisper, lingered endlessly in their ears.

"Defying Heaven and Changing Fate..."

Hiruko unconsciously murmured along. Those words held a fatal, abyss-like allure for him, like a moth drawn to flame. Yet a faint sense of discordance made him come to his senses at once.

"What's going on? Who is this guy? Why is he here? Should we go get someone?"

Just as he hesitated, Orochimaru was the first to ask, "What exactly is Defying Heaven and Changing Fate?"

"Simple." Shin'yu spoke calmly. "If your innate potential is lacking, then find a way to take someone else's. Turn another person's power into your own. This... is the proper path to becoming stronger, and also the true nature of 'Chakra'!"

"Th-This is completely outrageous..." Tong Ren broke out in a cold sweat. This was worlds apart from what they had been taught at school. Whether teachers or seniors, they all said that one could grow stronger through training alone. But what this man said was simply absurd!

"You mean taking other people's power for oneself is the path to becoming stronger?" Orochimaru asked with a frown.

"Do you remember that Kakuzu from back then?" Shin'yu asked in return. "I tore him into eight pieces again and again. Why do you think he never died?"

Orochimaru was jolted. He had witnessed that soul-shaking, worldview-shattering scene firsthand, and even now, it remained vivid in his mind.

Shin'yu answered his own question. "Because he had many hearts. Every heart gave him renewed life force. Naturally, those hearts were taken from others. As long as he kept replacing his hearts, he would never die."

The four children's pupils trembled in unison. Such a way of surviving was simply horrifying, and the means were cruel beyond measure.

"Of course, he is merely one example. There is more than one way to grow stronger. For instance..."

Shin'yu raised one finger. "Free the soul from its own frail body and transplant it into a stronger one. I prefer to call that 'Body Seizing.' When the flesh and blood grow old, simply replace them with a younger body. Repeat the cycle, become an existence that even time cannot erode, and endlessly explore the secrets of immortality through eternal years."

"For another example, start at the genetic level. Turn your body into a furnace and directly fuse with, seize, and absorb superior genes. Let all rivers flow into the sea until you transcend beyond it all. These superior genes, I call 'innate potential'..."

He suddenly turned to look at Nian and Tong Ren. "Certain Kekkei Genkai are quite good choices."

Tong Ren dropped onto the ground, not because of Shin'yu, but because he realized that Orochimaru and Hiruko were both looking at him.

A profound darkness devoured their figures, leaving behind only two pairs of Eyes shining like golden lamps. For an instant, their gazes were strange and cold, devoid of the slightest emotion, as if they wanted to tear him apart and devour him alive!

"Y-You're kidding, right..."

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

"If there were such shortcuts to becoming stronger, why would anyone still train so hard? No, that's not right! This method is fundamentally about stealing the fortune of others, sacrificing other people to complete oneself. Even if one became stronger, their Hands would inevitably be stained with blood along the way. It's far too vicious..."

"A shortcut? Little Tong Ren, you are still too naïve." Shin'yu spread his Hands. "What I have said is merely conjecture and theory. It only offers possibilities. As for how to actually achieve it, that is an incomparably long and lonely road. Those who dare walk it need not only courage; effort and talent are equally indispensable."

"But..." Shin'yu revealed a mysterious smile. Orochimaru froze. From his angle, that smile carried a trace of slyness, a familiar feeling, as though someone else often wore that very expression.

"There is a saying that goes well: only by standing on the shoulders of giants can one see farther." Shin'yu's voice was enticing. "Someone has already crossed the threshold of this path ahead of you, and the fruits of his research are now in the Hidden Leaf Village..."

"What?"

Hiruko's heart skipped a beat. In that instant, he felt as though his breathing had stopped.

"Where?" He completely forgot his fear and hurriedly climbed to his feet, looking up at that godlike, demonic man. "Please tell me, where are those results?"

For some reason, he was deeply interested in the man's second theory.

Innate potential... innate potential...

Let all rivers flow into the sea, forged into eternity...

This mad idea was like a seed bursting with vitality. It took deep root in his mind, sprouted, and grew wildly, nearly breaking through his reason.

"Hiruko, have you ever raised a bird?"

"Huh?" The sudden turn made Hiruko swallow. He gazed up at the tall figure bathed in sunlight, his heart pounding wildly. He even overlooked the fact that the other man had called him by name.

"N-No." He opened his mouth, his throat dry.

Shin'yu clasped his Hands behind his back, his tone calm. "If you keep stuffing all its food into a fledgling's mouth, then even after it sheds its soft beak and grows full Wings, it will still be a useless bird that only knows how to open its mouth and beg."

Hiruko swallowed, his expression darkening as he understood Shin'yu's unspoken meaning.

Shin'yu said leisurely, "I can only remind you that these things are connected to a mysterious Laboratory. For the time being, let us call what lies within it 'treasure.' Find it and bring it before me, and it will count as my trial for you."

Orochimaru took a deep breath. Clever as he was, he had already realized something.

"I only want to ask: what is the price of obtaining this 'treasure'?"

"Your friends and family will see you as an enemy. The Hidden Leaf Village will see you as a Rogue Ninja. The high-level authorities will issue endless orders to hunt you down. From then on, you will become the target of condemnation throughout the village. Even children will despise you and cast you aside like worn-out shoes..." Shin'yu thought seriously for a moment. "That is probably about it."

The news shook them to their cores. Orochimaru even took half a step back.

Was Defecting the Village the only way to become stronger?

Hiruko said nothing. He merely lowered his head in silence. No one saw the strange determination flash through his eyes.

Shin'yu said softly, "If you truly have the courage to take this step and successfully obtain the 'treasure,' then I will naturally appear. I will sincerely accept you, provide you with a place to survive, and groom you as my trusted confidants."

Orochimaru's expression remained calm. "Perhaps this was your purpose all along."

"I naturally have my own needs as well." Shin'yu spoke as though it were only natural. "Do you remember the talent I mentioned earlier? It has nothing to do with strength. All of you possess this potential. In my eyes, you are all promising raw material. Perhaps you will be of great help in the future."

"Are there really things even you cannot accomplish?" Orochimaru asked, somewhat surprised.

"One tree does not make a forest." Shin'yu's tone was inscrutable. "Leave professional matters to professionals, and you can save a great deal of time."

Orochimaru fell into thought. Suddenly, he sensed someone staring at him. He turned his head slightly and caught Hiruko's evasive gaze.

"A trial...?"