"Are you alright?"
Yūhi Kurenai couldn't help but ask.
Shibukawa understood their thoughts and sighed helplessly. "It's a curse on our village... Sigh... You've all seen what happened to me. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I'd advise you not to enter the village."
"A curse? Don't you want to be cured?"
"Please don't joke like that. We've consulted people about this illness—there's no cure. We couldn't even identify the cause," Shibukawa muttered in despair.
In his previous cursed state, his mind was clouded, so he clearly hadn't retained much of what Kyoichi had told him.
"Shibukawa-san, my teacher's medical ninjutsu is famous across the entire shinobi world. Even if he couldn't help, our village still has Tsunade-hime. If she makes a move, it's at least a million in fees—assuming your people can even afford it," Kurenai said with a hint of annoyance.
To think someone would doubt her teacher's medical skills in this day and age...
Unbelievable!
If she didn't snap back, she wouldn't feel at peace.
"Kurenai, don't say that..."
Asuma chided her, but in his heart, he quietly gave her a thumbs-up.
Kyoichi cleared his throat. "Your condition is indeed difficult. Most of the time, you're calm and kind, but there's always the possibility of a sudden rampage, right?"
"Yes, exactly! Sigh, everyone's normally very gentle, but once they go wild, there's no stopping them. In the past, people would stagger their time outside the village on purpose, but in recent years, it's been harder and harder to control."
Shibukawa sighed heavily. "Because of how extreme our mood swings are, outsiders call us the 'Scales Clan,' but truthfully, we're not one clan at all—just a bunch of drifters who ended up settling here."
They weren't from the same bloodline, yet all displayed the same symptoms.
That's why they believed it was a curse.
Shibukawa's voice began to crack with emotion.
"If my future children suffer from the same affliction... what am I supposed to do? One day, I swear I'm leaving this cursed place!"
"You have children already?"
"No, I don't even have a wife yet."
"Uh..." Kurenai was speechless.
Thinking about kids when you don't even have a partner…
Wow, talk about planning ahead.
This man was kind and talkative under normal circumstances—so drastically different from the rampaging berserker from earlier, it was hard to believe it was the same person.
"If you call it a disease, then yes—it is one. But the treatment's actually fairly simple," Kyoichi began to explain.
But Shibukawa suddenly panicked and waved his hands. "Please wait! I'm broke! I really can't afford an expensive treatment. If you'd please come into the village and explain this to the others..."
"Sure."
Kyoichi smiled.
He hadn't planned on charging them in the first place, but since the man was so enthusiastic, it'd be rude not to.
They followed Shibukawa into the village.
Every household here had a basement. Most doors along the streets were shut tight, with only a handful of people gathered in small clusters.
"Those folks over there have milder symptoms. They help manage the village."
Shibukawa pointed toward a group in the distance.
When those villagers saw Shibukawa return, they frowned, visibly displeased.
An old man leaning on a cane grumbled, "Shibukawa, out of the village again? What if you injured an outsider?!"
"Village Chief, they're shinobi from Konoha—they came on their own. And this one here is apparently a renowned medical ninja across the entire shinobi world. He says he can treat us."
Shibukawa explained, then gestured toward Kyoichi.
The village chief was Hara Takeshi.
He had fled here only a few years ago due to the wars, so he was one of the newer residents.
Kyoichi sensed his condition.
This old man had very little natural energy in his body, meaning he hadn't undergone any transformations yet—but ironically, that made him more dangerous. If he ever entered a cursed state, it could be fatal, as his body wouldn't survive the strain.
Hara Takeshi stepped forward, cautiously examining Kyoichi's forehead protector.
"You… You're really a shinobi from Konoha? Can you truly treat us?"
"There are two options."
Kyoichi held up two fingers. "First, you can move out of this place. The illness won't be cured, but your descendants won't inherit it. I won't charge you anything for this advice."
"And… the second option?"
The elder hesitated. Free sounded nice, but also too simple—it felt unreliable.
"The second one is expensive. Not even a million or ten million will cover it, because it involves a secret about this place—and a secret technique."
Kyoichi smiled faintly.
These villagers were a huge problem, but also potentially a huge asset.
Without control over the natural energy they absorbed, they were walking time bombs. But if they could master the revised technique he'd developed, they might be able to control their cursed transformations—maybe even turn them into power.
If that happened, this village could become a hidden powerhouse.
"Can you share some details?" Hara asked hesitantly.
Clearly, he couldn't afford the cost, but curiosity got the better of him…
Kyoichi didn't answer.
Old man, you don't have to believe me—but don't expect anything for free either.
Shibukawa stepped forward and lifted his shirt.
"Village Chief, I went into a frenzy outside the village. He used some kind of technique I didn't understand and suppressed it instantly."
"What… then, can I ask—what's the cost exactly?"
Hara trusted Shibukawa's word.
And this young man—though youthful in appearance—was meticulous and clearly not someone to be taken lightly. The elder knew better than to press too hard.
"That's more like it. The cost is this—you must join Konohagakure."
Kyoichi paused. "Your problem is tied to this land. I was only able to find this place because of the unique energy here. Even most shinobi wouldn't dare touch it."
Everyone went silent, not quite believing him.
Special energy?
They'd never noticed anything like that!
"Normal people can't feel it—only those trained in special techniques. But the longer you stay here, the more frequently your fits occur. And your strength increases… dangerously."
Kyoichi continued, then asked, "How long have you each lived here?"
"Anywhere from a few years to three or four generations. I came here a few years ago during the Great Shinobi Wars—had no choice but to flee here," the elder replied.
What a chaotic background...
Shisui looked around curiously.
Someone who came just a few years ago was already village chief? That could only happen in a place like this.
"My family's been here since my father's time, but he went berserk and died a few years ago," Shibukawa added.
Others began to share their backgrounds too.
And the more they compared…
The clearer it became:
The longer they'd lived here, the worse the condition became.
Shibukawa had the worst outbursts—so bad that only the oldest residents could hold him down, and even then, not always. That's why he always snuck out of the village before losing control.
Everyone glanced around at each other, starting to believe what Kyoichi had said.
"Your solution is to teach us that technique?" Shibukawa asked.
"Correct. But it's a secret jutsu that no village would ever share freely. Unless you become part of Konoha, I won't teach you."
Kyoichi was clear and firm.
He wasn't forcing anyone.
Those who didn't want to join could just move away. While their condition wouldn't improve, at least their children wouldn't inherit it.
"Thank you, Shinobi-sama!"
Hara was overwhelmed and couldn't decide on the spot.
He wasn't exactly a strategist—just someone the village had pushed into the role of chief. Now that he understood the risks, he felt rattled.
"Let's gather everyone to discuss it. This concerns the entire village. In the meantime, we'll prepare lodging for you. Please stay as long as you need."
"Much appreciated!"
The villagers bowed in gratitude.
Hara Takeshi prepared some rooms for Kyoichi and his group, then went off to call a meeting.
…
"Sensei, do you think they'll join?" Shisui asked.
"Some of them will. Not everyone is content with being ordinary. Power this dangerous is terrifying without control—but if they can master it…"
Shisui trailed off, lightly touching his eye.
They were a lot like the Uchiha—unpredictable, dangerous… and powerful.
If these people could fully control their transformations…
They might become the next great clan.
"Whether they join or not doesn't really matter to us. Our true goal here is to train. Helping them or recruiting them is just a bonus."
Kyoichi spoke calmly.
This was his honest thought—Konoha's current strength didn't really need them. At best, their addition would be the cherry on top. At worst, they could become a burden.
Because...
Whether these people could actually learn the technique, and more importantly, how much control they could gain over it—those were complete unknowns.
By comparison...
Improving his own strength was the true priority above all else.
"You all likely don't have enough strength yet to sense natural energy out in the world. Take advantage of this opportunity to truly feel it—but remember, do not attempt to absorb or synthesize it into chakra."
"Yes!"
Everyone sat down, following Kyoichi's instructions to calmly attune themselves.
Meanwhile, Kyoichi sat quietly on the other side of the room, carefully guiding natural energy into his body.
He began attempting to absorb it—slowly converting it into Senjutsu Chakra.
Of course...
Just a little at a time. He didn't dare absorb too much.
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Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell