Ninja Pot Shadow

At first, he didn't take it seriously. Dou's lips curled into a smile that seemed gentle but was actually more like a mockery. But as he listened, his attention was gradually drawn in. At first glance, it sounded like a child's nonsense, but upon closer inspection, he felt that there seemed to be something he didn't know in these words.

He felt that Ino might have misused the words and asked, "Why do you say that? The ninja world is indeed not peaceful now, but it's much better than the Warring States period. You know the Warring States period, right?"

“I know.” Ino nodded and said in a casual tone, “Actually, I can’t say for sure. Our mountain clan can use secret techniques to sense the energy contained in this world. Ancient books have recorded this energy, which is called natural energy. I don’t know what it was like before, but in my opinion, this natural energy is all very volatile, violent, and even evil. If a normal person absorbs it, he will become extremely crazy and his body will be occupied by a bloodthirsty desire to kill.”

Kabuto glanced at her without making a sound, a slight ripple stirring within him.

At this moment, he paid even more attention to the ancient ninja clans like the Yamanaka family. These clans, which have been passed down from ancient times, certainly have something to offer!

As Orochimaru's assistant, Kabuto Yakushi was well aware of just how violent Orochimaru's energy was, and he cooperated in conducting countless experiments.

He had once asked Orochimaru why this energy was so violent—was the world disgusted with them, or were they disgusted with the world? Why had this energy, absorbed from lush mountains and clear waters, become like this? Orochimaru hadn't given a definitive answer, only saying it had always been this way. He hadn't thought about it much afterward, but now, hearing this, could there be another secret behind it?

Kabuto was very interested in this knowledge. He didn't want to reveal too much about himself, but he wanted to keep listening, so he deliberately put on a serious listening expression. In his opinion, children of Ino's age have an extremely strong desire to perform, and he didn't need to ask them; they would just spill all the information they knew.

Ino indeed thought the same thing as him, sighed, and began to talk on and on.

"I think the root cause is still chakra, Kabuto-senpai. You should know that our chakra is composed of two parts: physical energy and spiritual energy. The body will decay, and spiritual energy will also disappear. If you die of old age, that's fine, but if you die on the battlefield..."

Her tone was full of pessimism: "How should I put it? I think that when a ninja is about to die, at the moment of death, his spiritual energy will reach its peak. When the body dies, his resentment, pain, and madness before death will remain in this world through the channel of chakra. In fact, there is very little personal emotion involved, but there are so many ninjas who die in battle. Little by little, our world is slowly surrounded by negative things like killing intent and madness."

Is this the explanation? This is the first time Yakushi Kabuto has heard this explanation.

If the deceased's chakra still exists in the world, does his adoptive mother also transform into chakra and continue to watch over him?

He suppressed all his emotions, his face remaining calm as he waited for Ino to continue.

Ino picked up a piece of paper and held it horizontally: "The book says that our world was originally very normal. At that time, there was something called reincarnation, just like this piece of paper. Our ninja world, samurai, daimyo, and commoners all lived on the front side of the paper. When life ended, the soul would turn into pure energy and go to the back side. After that, it would either be reincarnated or become other substances and come back to the front side. We have been in this cycle ever since."

She picked up a pen and pierced the white paper in her hand: "Originally, there should have been a passage between the two worlds, so that when we die we could go to that world, and some things from that world could also return to this world. But... now the passage is blocked! We can't go down, and we can't come out from the other side."

Ino's theory of the true underworld did not conform to Kabuto Yakushi's worldview, but he remained silent and let Ino continue, while he racked his brains to find flaws in the theory.

Ino continued in a tone of pride, as if she had just gotten a perfect score on a test and was showing off to an adult: "...Actually, it might not be a hole. It could be something else? I don't know. The book says that the god Yama, or the god of the underworld, who controls the cycle of life and death, has also gone wrong. The cycle of life and death in our world has been disrupted, and the resentment cannot be resolved. It can only accumulate infinitely on the front of this piece of paper. The more people die, the crazier the world becomes, until finally, it's completely hopeless, right?"

...I've heard that in the ancient Land of Wind, there was an organization called Baroque Workshop. They once tried to find Yama, the King of Hell, and restore the cycle of reincarnation, but ultimately failed. Perhaps this god has already left us, or perhaps the author was just making things up? Hahahaha—"

Ino's initial intention in deceiving Kabuto was to try to free Yama from the enslavement of the Rinnegan, befriend him using the Yamanaka family's secret techniques, and then control him... However, she didn't have much hope for Kabuto's attempt to obtain the Rinnegan, as the difference in their strength was too great.

More than anything, it was a test, a probe to gauge the Sage of Six Paths' level of attention to the whole affair, and to see how much strength this terrestrial deity still had left.

If Kabuto is in front, even if the Sage of Six Paths jumps out to stop him, Kabuto will be the one who suffers.

Ino finished speaking, but Kabuto remained silent for a long time.

Absurd! That was his first reaction, but when he thought about it carefully, he couldn't think of any obvious flaws.

Are people in this world getting crazier? Is that true?

If he were an ordinary ninja, he would have just laughed it off after hearing it, but he is not an ordinary ninja.

Kabuto chuckled twice: "It's an interesting story, but these claims are absolutely wrong. Under the leadership of the Hokage, our ninja world will definitely get better and better. Don't tell stories like this anymore; it's not good for the image of your Yamanaka clan."

Ino feigned sudden realization, while shifting the blame: "Oh, really? I'm sorry, I know I was wrong, I won't say it again next time. Wait, actually, this topic was started by you, Kabuto-senpai, right?"

Chapter 120 Baroque Studio and Yama

In Dou's opinion, this young lady from the Yamanaka family probably just had nothing better to do and was chatting idly, showing off information she had seen in some book. These words seemed absurd at first glance, but upon closer examination, they seemed to make some sense. However, these were things that ordinary people could not access, so they became something like folk tales.

Ordinary ninjas believe that the Sage of Six Paths is a folk legend or a myth, but Kabuto knows very well that he was a real person.

Myths have an exaggerated side, but they also have a true side.

Kabuto felt he couldn't get the answer from Ino, so he decided to ask his mentor.

……

Two days later, Kabuto secretly arrived at Otogakure and met Orochimaru, who had once been ranked as one of the "Legendary Sannin of Konoha" alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Orochimaru served as a battlefield commander for a long time, leading a large army against Iwagakure and Kumogakure, and made great contributions to Konoha in resisting powerful enemies. However, due to their conflicting ideologies, Orochimaru betrayed Konoha and became a rogue ninja.

As a spy sent by Orochimaru to Konoha, Kabuto would occasionally send back intelligence. The Third Hokage was getting older and older, and with the Chunin Exams approaching, Orochimaru's long-cherished plan to destroy Konoha was entering its final countdown.

After reporting the intelligence, Kabuto should have left, but today he hesitated for a few seconds and asked Orochimaru under his strange gaze, "Lord Orochimaru, where do we go after we die? Will we be able to meet those who have passed away after we die?"

Orochimaru was quite puzzled, wondering why he would ask such a strange question out of the blue. He valued Kabuto's abilities highly, so after careful consideration, he gave his answer: "I think we can no longer see those people. They are dead, gone, and will no longer exist in this world. Kabuto, don't have any illusions."

Dou pondered the philosophical question of "where do people go after they die" for two days. The smarter a person is, the more likely they are to get stuck on a single point, and he was one of the smartest people in the world.

Ino's true theory of the underworld didn't quite open doors or windows for him, but it did make him think about many things.

"Lord Orochimaru, I've heard of the legend of Yama, the King of Hell, from ancient times. I've heard that after a person dies..." He recounted the information he had heard from Ino, combined with the scattered historical materials he had gathered, and asked like a student facing a teacher, "Does Yama really exist in our world?"

Orochimaru gave a sinister smile, a cold laugh: "What would you do if I said I did?"

Dou stared at him and pressed, "If we find the King of Hell, will our world become normal again? Children won't lose their parents at such a young age, mothers and children won't turn on each other because of misunderstandings... Everyone can find the meaning of their existence..."

His voice grew softer and softer, and Orochimaru, who had lost both his parents at a young age, was slightly moved.

He had never met Yama, but he knew about the Rinnegan and had seen Pain's Rinnegan. According to some ancient records, the Rinnegan is the eye of a sage, and the eye of a sage can control life and death.

The King of Hell, the Rinnegan, reincarnation, the madness of natural energy—some things he had previously overlooked, now seemed to make sense to him after Kabuto mentioned them.

Is it because Yama was enslaved by those eyes that the whole world has become this horrible place?

For a moment, he really wanted to go back to the Akatsuki, cause some trouble, and then get his hands on the Rinnegan to study. However, he immediately cut off the thought. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't. Pain was too strong! He was no match for him at all, and had no hope of defeating him.

He said coldly, "Kabuto, I can only tell you that your concerns have some merit, but you are too low-level and too weak. This world is far more terrifying than you imagine. To fight against those who control life and death, you can only ensure your own survival. That's all the nonsense I have to say. You can leave now."

Kabuto lowered his head, a fleeting thought in his eyes: "...Is it because my strength is too weak? I understand, Lord Orochimaru."

……

Two days later, when Ino saw Kabuto again at Konoha Hospital, she discovered that he was not only looking at the records of difficult and complicated diseases, but also reading through myths and legends.

Ino asked, "Kabuto-senpai, why are you interested in these myths and legends? They're just for fooling children."

Kabuto sighed softly, "My ninja skills are lacking. I'm bad at ninjutsu, bad at taijutsu, and even worse at genjutsu. I don't even have much talent for medical ninjutsu. But I still want to practice my ninja way. Ino, what is your ninja way?"

What is my ninja way? My girlfriend is my ninja way? No! My ninja way is my girlfriend? No! Ino doesn't have a ninja way at all, causing trouble is her ninja way!

She stammered and couldn't explain clearly, and Dou wasn't going to let her answer.

"I wanted everyone to be safe and happy, so I learned medical ninjutsu. But when I discovered I didn't have the talent, I turned to studying the theory of medical ninjutsu, hoping that the theories I developed could help those medical ninjas. Unfortunately... I have no talent at all. I thought, people are suffering so much now, were people in ancient times happier? Maybe they had a panacea in their time? I want to find that medicine and cure everyone!"

Ino nodded repeatedly, but inwardly she thought, "Are you kidding me? All ten of those sentences are lies. I don't believe you!"

Dou scratched his head with a particularly cheerful expression: "Haha, no need to hide it, I know my idea is a bit naive, but I still want to give it a try."

Ino encouraged him: "Yeah, Kabuto-senpai, I support you."

Kabuto uses the tone of establishing a "Junior Detective Club" to trick Ino into joining him and developing a panacea that can solve all the world's difficult diseases.

He was in charge of the theoretical part, while Ino was responsible for finding ancient myths and legends for him.

With his abilities, he could easily search for books among the various ninja clans, doing so discreetly and secretly under the cover of night. The problem is, there are just too many books! Hundreds, even thousands, scattered among the various ninja clans. Could he really sneak around like a thief every night, flipping through them one by one? He'd be exhausted to death!

In his view, Ino was just a tool for him to find information.

To enhance Ino's sense of mission, he named the panacea "King of Hell," and the study group followed the ancient name, calling it "Baroque Studio"!

He appointed himself president and then appointed Ino as vice president.

He specifically instructed Ino not to attract too much attention, fearing that if she couldn't figure it out, she would be ridiculed.

Ino didn't want to be implicated when this guy betrayed the village in a few days, so the two sides hit it off and a highly secretive organization was established in such a childish way.

Chapter 121 On the Eve of the Chunin Exams

Kabuto is extremely serious about things that interest him, to the point that he is meticulous.

Ino takes on the role of a historian, constantly borrowing and studying ancient books from the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi families. Ninja clans value ninjutsu and don't care much about historical knowledge.

These books are authentic, but whether the records are true or not is another matter. There are many contradictory statements, but Kabuto doesn't mind. He spends every day searching through old papers for what Ino calls "historical truth."

The Sage of Six Paths, Indra, and Asura have all become myths and legends.

Ino copied down everything related to the Sage's Eye and Sage's Body, packaged it up, and handed it over to Kabuto for research.

……

As an outstanding student representative, Ino received a D-rank mission from the Konoha Ninja Academy in late June, just three days before the Chunin Exams. The mission was to teach the juniors and explain the differences between ninjas and students.

The school also approached Hyuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke, but both declined, citing their busy training schedules.

Only Ino came to the ninja academy to teach a group of students.

After she was given a pep talk, the students started clamoring for her to perform a ninja technique on the spot.

In this situation, we certainly can't bring out Fat Ino to perform a steam explosion. These students have never carried rice before, so they can't understand the true meaning of art as an explosion.

Since techniques like "Water Severing Wave" and "Water Formation Wall" were unsuitable for performance, she used a C-rank ninjutsu, "Water Release: Water Chaos Wave," in public.

Even the C-rank ninjutsu that she looks down on now is actually equivalent to the learning difficulty of a Chunin.

After the pep talk ended, Moegi held onto Ino's arm tightly and wouldn't let go, occasionally showing off to her friends Konohamaru and Udon.

Look how amazing my older sister is! Isn't she better than your older brother Naruto, whose head is full of filthy thoughts?

Konohamaru respects Naruto, but he doesn't hate Ino. Asuma is Ino's Jonin leader and also Konohamaru's uncle, so there is a relationship between them.

"Ino-neechan, did you really become Tsunade-sama's apprentice?" Moegi asked.

Ino glanced at her. This matter wasn't kept secret, but she hadn't spread it around either. How did Mogi find out?

Moegi betrayed her friend, saying, "It was Konohamaru who said it."

Konohamaru even betrayed the village chief, saying, "It was my grandfather who told me."

Moegi was incredibly excited and kept asking Tsunade questions.

What does it matter if Lady Tsunade's teaching is strict or not? What does it matter if Lady Tsunade is beautiful or not?

All sorts of gossip, but I almost didn't get the answer to how many boyfriends Tsunade has.

Ino praised her busty teacher for a while, saying that the rumors about drinking and gambling were just slander from outsiders.

"Ino-neechan, will you teach us how to shuriken?" Moegi asked expectantly.

After thinking about it, Ino realized she had nothing else to do, and at Moegi's repeated requests, she followed the three of them to the training ground and taught them how to throw shuriken.

"To throw a shuriken, you must master two skills: throwing speed and throwing accuracy. This requires a lot of practice. You're currently using a stationary target; you can try a moving target later..."

Ino first talked a lot of theories, which made the three of them dizzy. Her shuriken throwing was not as good as Sasuke's or Tenten's, but it was still up to standard and more than enough to teach the three children.