Chapter 48: Triple Update for Monthly Tickets! We, who are suffering, are still full of hope!
Ren Arakawa's consciousness gradually cleared from its hazy state. He felt a bone-chilling cold permeate his entire body.
"Hey! Wake up!" a rough voice shouted in his ear. Immediately after, Ren Arakawa felt a gush of ice-cold water pour over his head, waking him completely.
His eyes slowly opened, and his vision gradually sharpened from a blur.
He found himself in a dim, cold prison. All around were ice-cold stone walls, and the air was filled with dampness and a musty smell.
He shook his head, flicking the water droplets from his face.
Looking up, he saw a dark-skinned jailer standing before him.
He held an iron rod in his hand, a malicious smile on his face.
"Spill it! What did Iron Head Torin Fuller tell you?! Otherwise..." The jailer tapped the prison bars with the iron rod, producing a dull thud. The threat was self-evident.
Ren Arakawa wiped the water from his face and looked coldly at the jailer. His calm demeanor held an unquestionable resolve. "Otherwise, what?"
The jailer sneered, his eyes gleaming with cruelty, "Heh heh, you'll have your turn to suffer!"
He swung the iron rod in his hand, seemingly enjoying the power to beat people as he pleased.
"I have nothing to confess." Ren Arakawa's voice was calm and firm. His gaze met the jailer's directly, without a hint of fear.
He would rather die than reveal what Iron Head Torin Fuller had told him.
That man was his benefactor, the one who taught him Iron Body.
The jailer's face sank. He clearly hadn't expected the prisoner before him to react this way.
The jailer's expression grew even gloomier. He decided to teach Ren Arakawa a lesson.
Raising the iron rod high, he brought it down with full force toward Ren Arakawa's head!
The expected sound of a cracking skull never came.
Instead, when the iron rod struck Ren Arakawa's head, it emitted a dull metallic clang, as if hitting a solid piece of iron.
"Still daring to use Iron Body?! You really have a death wish!" the jailer roared in anger.
Realizing that his strength alone couldn't subdue Ren Arakawa, the jailer immediately called over his companions.
Together, they grabbed a bucket of ice water and unhesitatingly poured it over Ren Arakawa's head.
Although Iron Body could defend against blows, it couldn't fend off the piercing cold.
The ice-cold water streamed down Ren Arakawa's hair, and a layer of chill immediately enveloped his body.
Ren Arakawa shivered uncontrollably from the cold, his teeth chattering, but he still clenched his jaw, not letting out a single groan.
Seeing this, the jailers decided to intensify their efforts. They signaled for the prison's air conditioning to be turned on and set the temperature to its lowest setting.
The cold wind howled out from the vents. Ren Arakawa felt a bone-piercing chill, as if even his blood was about to freeze.
His breathing became rapid, and his body trembled more violently against his will.
The jailers watched Ren Arakawa suffer, cruel smiles spreading across their faces.
"Let's freeze you for a week, little brat, and see if you'll behave!"
With a clank, the prison door shut.
A voice echoed in Ren Arakawa's mind.
Stephen Fang: "I can't take this! I can't stand it! I can't bear to watch this! Let's fight them! Killing one is breaking even, killing two is a profit!"
Pirate Ren Arakawa slowly opened his eyes. "No. I haven't figured out Soru yet."
"Because he taught me the Six Powers, Iron Head Torin Fuller was imprisoned in the Blazing Hell. If I don't master Soru and sync it to you all before I die..."
"...I would be letting Torin Fuller down, and I'd be letting you all down too..."
He shivered and continued, "Observation Haki, Armament Haki, the Six Powers, Devil Fruits..."
"This world has so, so many things that can greatly increase our chances of survival."
"I can't act on a momentary impulse and snatch away your hopes. I have to endure. Even if it means being a coward, I'm willing!"
In a private gambling room, Uchiha Boyu, bare-chested, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes.
Tsunade, the medical ninja in front of him, frowned.
"Brat, endure it! If you can't even stand this much pain, what kind of ninja are you going to be?!"
"Lady Tsunade," Uchiha Boyu nodded slightly. "I can endure it. I can."
"Smack!"
Tsunade slapped Uchiha Boyu's back with her palm.
He let out a "Wah!" and coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
Hatake Kakashi hastily ran in.
Tsunade put away her tools. "Orochimaru's Cursed Seal is very complex. I can't remove it in a short amount of time, but for now, I can at least guarantee this child's life is not in danger."
Kakashi bowed slightly. "Thank you for your trouble."
After speaking, he gave Uchiha Boyu a flick on the head. "Hurry up and thank Lady Tsunade! If we hadn't coincidentally run into her here, your life might have been lost!"
"Hmph." Uchiha Boyu reluctantly bowed and handed over the large bag of money Kakashi had lent him.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Shizune, holding Tonton in her arms, took the money, didn't even count it, and put it in her bag.
This was Tsunade's way of survival after being away from Konoha for over a decade!
What did her so-called "Fat Sheep" nickname rely on?
It wasn't her bloodline as the granddaughter of Hashirama.
Nor her vast family fortune.
And certainly not her title as one of the Sannin.
What she relied on was this body of medical ninjutsu.
Treating people was an incredibly profitable business!
Uchiha Boyu even suspected that Hiruzen's massive financial deficit was filled by Tsunade's "healing fees" after she took office.
"See you!"
Watching the great medical ninja leave, Uchiha Boyu looked huffily at Kakashi. "You're too prejudiced against Orochimaru! I felt like my whole body was full of power back then! There was nothing wrong with it! Why did you make her seal it away?!"
Kakashi gave Uchiha Boyu a smack on the head. "The Cursed Seal of Heaven will turn you into something neither human nor monster! You'll become a killing machine without your own consciousness! Didn't you see what those five brats looked like? How disgusting!"
"Hmph, I only care about getting stronger. The rest doesn't matter!"
"Orochimaru is a rogue ninja." Kakashi looked at Uchiha Boyu with rare seriousness. "If you let power blind you and you walk down a path you shouldn't..."
"Then, I will personally cut you down!"
Uchiha Boyu's body stiffened. He gave Kakashi a sharp salute. "Teacher, as long as I can become stronger, I can also love every inch of Konoha's soil! Let my Will of Fire burn! Can you teach me a new jutsu? I want to learn offensive Water Release! Please!"
"Is he really normal in this state?"
"N-No, I don't know. First... let's just spray some of this medical spray on him."
In the hallway of the engineer's master bedroom, Zhang Jie and Daniels stared at the chunk of flesh growing from the thirty-centimeter-long gash on Ren Arakawa's back. It was both disgusting and deeply unsettling!
This situation made it clear it had nothing to do with Fu Ming; it was a problem with Ren Arakawa himself.
Looking again at his faint, tattoo-like spots, no matter how they looked at it, they felt like Ren Arakawa had been possessed by a ghost.
I will compile a list to thank everyone for the monthly tickets. Today is also a triple update. Thank you all for your support!
(end of chapter)