Chapter 23: Hunger and Intelligence
"You're not sick. You're just not eating enough," old man Yoshitoki explained, using an analogy. "When a person is starving, they grow thin, their mind becomes clouded, and they have no extra energy. It's the same principle. Your body has never been properly 'fed,' so naturally, it has no surplus chakra for you to use. To be precise, it's starving. And your unconscious electrical discharges are a result of this weakness, an inability to control your body's functions—similar to how a person shivers from hunger."
Dana's expression grew serious. His physical abilities were so immense that he had never associated the word "weakness" with himself. Was it possible he wasn't lacking conventional nutrients, but chakra itself?
Had he been making things worse this whole time?
Because they didn't understand his condition, the Yotsuki clan—and Dana himself—had been intentionally limiting the frequency of his chakra molding, fearing that overexertion would trigger some dangerous change in his body. They thought it would be safer to wait until he was a little older.
And now he was being told it was because he had too little chakra?
It was like having a stomach ache, not eating for days out of fear of making it worse, and then going to the doctor only to be told there was nothing wrong with him—he was just having hunger pangs.
He was completely dumbfounded.
He swallowed hard. Could I have starved myself into having a real problem?
"Of course," old man Yoshitoki added with a dramatic pause, "all of this is just a guess."
You talk for ten minutes and then tell me it's a guess?! Dana nearly leaped to his feet.
"Now, now, don't be hasty," Yoshitoki said calmly. "This is how medicine works. First, we form a hypothesis. Then, we slowly confirm it. Finally, we find a solution. This is especially true for a condition I've never seen before. The description your brother gave me was inaccurate, but that's a minor issue. However, an old man like me can't use any more ninjutsu today. If you're not in a hurry, you can stay for a few days. There are some empty rooms in the back. I'll get them ready for you."
Several of the attendants immediately stood up to help. There was no way they were letting him do it. The old man would probably be shuffling around until sunrise and still not have a single bed made.
Throughout the entire process, Yoshitoki never mentioned a fee, nor did he ask about their identities. Arashi's squad had experienced the same thing. In the end, they had just left a reasonable payment. Perhaps this was just how reclusive masters operated.
"Thank you, Grandpa Yoshitoki," Dana said politely. He was always respectful to his elders, especially one who was probably older than both of his lives combined, times three.
Meanwhile, in the bustling capital of the Land of Hot Water...
A weary-looking young man, seemingly just off work, sighed and rubbed his back as he walked towards his humble, unknown home.
A small boy ran past and bumped into him. The boy quickly bowed his head in apology and then scurried away.
The boy ducked into a dark, deserted alleyway, a triumphant grin on his face. He opened the coin purse he had just lifted, but before he could even see the money inside, the cold steel of a kunai was pressed against his neck.
"Good hands," said the weary young man from before. "But bad luck."
Seeing the kunai, the street-smart boy immediately knew he was dealing with a ninja. His heart sank. A kunai was not a practical weapon for a civilian. Without special training, a simple kitchen knife was far more effective and intimidating. Only ninja used kunai.
And ninja were not to be trifled with. They were ruthless.
"Sir, I didn't know you were a ninja! Please, spare me! I'll give you back your purse!" the boy begged, holding out the coin purse with a trembling hand.
The young man took the purse, but he didn't lower the kunai. He just stared at the boy with a blank expression, as if contemplating something. The boy had a terrible premonition, especially when he looked into the man's vacant eyes. He was looking at him as if he were an object, no different from a rock on the ground or a bug in a hole. A deep chill ran through him, and he was frozen with fear.
He's going to kill me! This ninja is going to kill me! a voice screamed in his head.
Just as the boy was about to give in to despair, a figure rushed into the alley like a whirlwind.
"Orochimaru! Lend me some money! I'm so mad! I've been losing all day!" a blonde girl cried out, latching onto the leg of the disguised Orochimaru. She then seemed to notice the boy for the first time. "What's a filthy little thief like you doing here?" she snarled, waving her hand dismissively. "Get lost before I beat you up!"
The boy glanced at the weary young man. Seeing no objection, he scrambled to his feet and stumbled out of the alley.
Orochimaru sighed and released his transformation, looking down at the pouting Tsunade.
"If I recall correctly, you brought quite a bit of money with you."
"Oh, it wasn't that much," Tsunade said awkwardly. "And if my luck hadn't been so bad today, I wouldn't have lost it all!"
As the princess of the Senju clan, Tsunade was notoriously wealthy. Orochimaru had no doubt that the amount of money she could lose in a single day was enough to give him a heart attack. He, on the other hand, was an orphan who, as the Hokage's student, hadn't had many opportunities to earn money on missions. Saving up was a slow and difficult process.
Lending her money was out of the question.
"Why don't you go ask Jiraiya?"
Tsunade's face twisted in disgust. "I saw that idiot getting thrown out of the kabuki district yesterday for not paying his tab. He's a broke loser. No way!"
"We're still on a mission," Orochimaru said coldly. "You should try to show a little restraint. If you keep slacking off like this, I won't cover for you when Sensei asks."
Tsunade was completely unfazed. She wasn't afraid of the Third Hokage. "Hehe, don't worry," she said with a grin. "The casino is full of shady characters, but it's also a great place to gather information. I wasn't just gambling. I found something out. A week ago, a Cloud ninja escort brought a large family through here. They stayed for two days. Three old people, six adults, and two children. Their movements match the intel we have on the Red Eye clan. They left for the Land of Lightning four days ago. From the size of the group, it was a full clan relocation."
Just then, a tall figure appeared on the rooftop above them, silhouetted against the setting sun. It was Jiraiya. He would have looked quite dashing, if not for the lipstick marks on his face and the black eye.
"I've also gathered some important intel," he announced proudly. "Even earlier, about a month ago, another group—suspected to be a bloodline clan—arrived in the capital with a Cloud escort. It seems the Cloud is intentionally routing them through here. Perhaps to impress the relocating families with the prosperity of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Hot Water, to win them over? According to my source, Aiko-san from the kabuki district, that clan was likely the Steel Release clan."
"And when did the women of the kabuki district become experts on Kekkei Genkai?" Orochimaru sneered. "Is your source reliable?"
"Of course!" Jiraiya said confidently. "Aiko-san said one of the men from that clan was a regular customer. He had the ability to make various parts of his body... hard. Very, very hard. Not normal-person hard. It matches the village's description of Steel Release."
Tsunade shot him a look of pure disgust, as if he were a cockroach that had just crawled out of a sewer. Jiraiya, however, was completely oblivious, puffing out his chest with pride.
Tsunade ignored him and turned back to Orochimaru. "Come on, Orochimaru, lend me some money! Just 100,000 Ryō! No, 500,000! I can win it all back, with interest! I have a feeling! My luck is about to turn! I'm going to clean them out!"
Orochimaru felt a wave of despair wash over him. How had he ended up with these two as teammates? One was a gambling addict who was constantly losing a fortune. The other got himself thrown out of the entertainment district in less than a day. Though, considering how broke Jiraiya usually was, that wasn't too surprising. The real question was how he'd managed to last that long.
Orochimaru forced his thoughts back to the mission.
The ninja world was currently in a state of "peaceful espionage." It was best to keep things quiet, especially for Konoha, which was often the target of the other nations.
Based on the intelligence they had gathered so far, they could probably submit a perfunctory report and be done with it. But as a test for the Hokage's disciples, that clearly wasn't enough.
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