After packing the tent into a space-time scroll and changing into a fresh set of clothes, Rorin prepared to set off.
He headed north toward the Land of Fire. His target this time was Jūgo, who was currently at the northern hideout. At the beginning, he had the system remove the Curse Mark power from his body, worried that Orochimaru might have tampered with it. But now that Rorin had obtained the Deprivation Device, his first thought was to regain the power of the Curse Mark.
While traveling, Rorin raised a question to the system.
"System, you said that All-Killing Ash Bones is a Kekkei Mōra that I can only master after reaching Six Paths-level power. So does having all-nature chakra come before All-Killing Ash Bones, or once I master All-Killing Ash Bones, will I naturally gain all-nature chakra as well?"
[Replying to host: In theory, that is correct. Once you master All-Killing Ash Bones, you will naturally possess all-nature chakra.]
Rorin nodded slightly. In other words, it wasn't necessary to first obtain all-nature chakra before mastering All-Killing Ash Bones—he only needed to reach the Six Paths level. With that realization, a faint smile appeared on his lips. That meant his next goal was now clear.
Heading north all the way, thanks to Kimimaro's memories of the exact location of the northern hideout, Rorin didn't have to wander around aimlessly like a headless fly.
After a week of long travel, Rorin finally arrived near the northern hideout. Standing atop a small hill, he quietly activated the Byakugan. Thanks to consistently using the new type of facial mask over the past year, his veins no longer bulged when using the Byakugan. Combined with the disguise of cosmetic contact lenses, no one could tell he was using it.
After confirming the defensive layout of the northern hideout, Rorin leapt down from the hill. Moving with ease, he skillfully avoided most of the guards. When it couldn't be helped, he took action swiftly—after all, he didn't want to cause a big disturbance.
At this moment, inside the northern hideout prison.
A young man with orange hair, dressed in a thin shirt, curled up on the floor with shackles around his ankles. He was Jūgo of the Cursed Seal. Muttering to himself, he said,
"Will the next person be a man or a woman? If it's a man, I'll kill him… kill him… kill him…"
As the source of the Curse Mark, Jūgo feared losing control, so he had locked himself inside the northern hideout.
Since the system had erased everything related to Kimimaro, Jūgo's remaining memories were that Orochimaru had found him in a village. Curious about the Curse Mark power within him, Orochimaru extended an invitation. Jūgo, interested in Orochimaru's promise to research a way to control his violent impulses, willingly cooperated.
However, during this period, because of the Konoha Crush plan, Orochimaru had his arms sealed by Hiruzen Sarutobi and then hurried off to seek a new vessel, leaving him with no time to care about Jūgo.
As a result, Jūgo had grown increasingly anxious, and with the growing amount of natural energy he absorbed, his emotions became more and more unstable.
Sensing something unusual nearby, Jūgo slowly raised his head. He clearly heard the sound of the door latch being opened.
His gaze turned increasingly ferocious. Suddenly, he sprang toward the entrance, his Curse Mark transformation activating.
Click!
The door opened. Rorin slowly pushed it open. With the Byakugan already activated, he had stepped back before Jūgo's attack could reach him, dodging it with ease.
Jūgo's fist slammed heavily into the ground, cracking it apart.
Rorin steadied himself, gazing at Jūgo as he spoke calmly,
"Hello, my name is Kaguya Rorin. I mean you no harm—I'm here to help you."
But Jūgo didn't listen. His mind was filled with nothing but the urge to kill.
With his upper body covered in Curse Mark patterns and the left side of his face already mutated, Jūgo locked onto Rorin. His left hand also began transforming.
Jūgo lunged forward, smashing the ground with his transformed arm. Rorin used Body Flicker to evade the attack, his brows slightly furrowed.
Rorin sighed inwardly. Looks like he'd have to knock Jūgo down first.
Bone spikes suddenly sprouted from his body, encasing him as he activated a technique.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Brambles!
Bone vines shot toward Jūgo. Just as they were about to bind him, Jūgo instinctively reacted and dodged at the last moment.
Rorin was surprised. After a brief moment of thought, he realized he would have to get serious. He had only used half the power of Dance of the Brambles just now. A faint smile appeared on his face—he had truly underestimated Jūgo.
Rorin's expression sharpened. Holding a bone blade in each hand, he opened the Eight Gates.
Eight Gates: Third Gate—Gate of Life, open!
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Clematis!
Rorin's bone blades struck Jūgo in rapid succession. He then hurled a bone spike marked with the Flying Thunder God seal behind Jūgo. Activating the Flying Thunder God, he instantly appeared behind him, delivering a powerful blow using both the bones from his body and those erupting from the ground.
Jūgo was sent flying three meters back, crashing into the wall as dust filled the air. Of course, Rorin had held back his strength.
With Flying Thunder God integrated, the improved Dance of the Clematis was even faster, leaving Rorin quite satisfied.
As the dust settled, Jūgo's figure reappeared. He looked disheveled, his Curse Mark receding. Panting heavily, he stared at Rorin with caution and asked,
"Who are you… and why are you looking for me?"
Seeing that Jūgo had calmed down slightly, Rorin retracted his bone spikes and used Body Flicker to appear in front of him. Spreading his hands, he replied calmly,
"Didn't I already say? I mean you no harm. I'm here to help you. Let me introduce myself again—my name is Kaguya Rorin."
Jūgo frowned in confusion. "Help me? I don't even know you. Why would you help me for no reason? And how do you even know I need help?"
Rorin shook his head. "We didn't know each other before, that's true. I learned about your situation. Your problem is the emotional instability caused by the Curse Mark, right?"
Jūgo paused. He didn't sense any malice from Rorin, and what he said did pique his interest. He nodded.
"Go on."
Rorin spoke softly, "I have a way to free you from the Curse Mark's power, so you won't have to suffer from emotional instability anymore. It just depends on whether you're willing."
He had no intention of forcibly suppressing Jūgo and taking his Curse Mark power. Instead, he wanted Jūgo to decide for himself. After all, he didn't dislike him—Jūgo was, at his core, a very kind person.
Jūgo looked at Rorin with doubt. Though he didn't fully believe him, he still held onto a sliver of hope regarding the problem that had long plagued him.
"…Can you explain your method?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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