Hyuga Ryosuke looked up, a broken roar escaping his throat. The veins around his eyes bulged, looking as hideous as earthworms.
The pain receded like a tide, replaced by an unprecedented sense of fullness.
Aokawa withdrew his hand, wisps of white smoke rising from his palm.
Hyuga Ryosuke panted heavily, sweat instantly soaking the back of his clothes. He subconsciously touched his forehead—on the skin beneath his forehead protector, the green "Manji" curse seal was still there, appearing unchanged.
But he knew it had changed.
That Sword of Damocles that had been hanging over his head at all times was gone.
At the same time, he could feel that he seemed to have gained a new ability.
"Try it out. You might not be able to feel spirit particles yet, but you should be able to condense a Spirit Bow by using Chakra to compress Natural Energy." Aokawa pulled over a chair and sat down, his expression looking slightly weary.
Hyuga Ryosuke swallowed hard and raised his right hand tremblingly.
No hand seals were needed; he simply followed the new instinct deep within his Soul, a thought sparking in his mind.
Zzzzt.
The Chakra within his body gathered rapidly.
Though weak and distorted, a pale blue light bow, only the size of a palm, formed crookedly in his hand.
"Is this... the new power?"
Hyuga Ryosuke looked at the light bow in his hand, his eyes suddenly reddening.
This was a power that belonged to him.
It was no longer the Gentle Fist, no longer the Caged Bird Seal; it was a power that truly belonged to him and could break his fate.
"It's too ugly."
Aokawa commented mercilessly, "Your control is too poor; you couldn't even kill a chicken with that."
"Heh... heh heh."
Hyuga Ryosuke dispersed the light bow and grinned, laughing like an idiot as tears streamed down his face. "I'll practice slowly... anyway, my life is yours now, I have plenty of time."
Aokawa glanced at him but said nothing.
The first seed had been planted.
The prototype of the Sternritter would begin with this member of the Hyuga Branch Family who didn't even know how to shoot an arrow yet.
Hyuga Ryosuke chuckled as he repeatedly condensed the Spirit Bow, playing with his newly acquired power.
"What is this move called?" he asked without looking up, staring at the beautiful Spirit Bow in his hand.
"Spiritual Particle Cluster." Aokawa leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest. "All Quincy skills are performed based on this foundation."
"Quincy?" Hyuga Ryosuke mulled over the word. "Quincy? Is that the name you gave to those of us with this power?"
"I suppose so." Aokawa didn't deny it.
In this Ninja World, he was the source, so naturally, he made the rules.
"Sounds pretty intimidating. Is there a story behind it?" Hyuga Ryosuke scratched his hair and grinned.
"A story?"
"I mean, what's the meaning of this name? It can't just be random, right?"
"The meaning of Quincy..." Aokawa sat up straight. The dim oil lamp cast his long shadow onto the tent fabric like a pitch-black statue of a god.
The sound of the wind outside seemed to stop.
Two flames were reflected in his eyes, glowing a ghostly blue.
"With my bow, I quiet the cries of all living beings."
"With my arrow, I extinguish the root of evil."
"This is what it means to be a Quincy."
The smile on Hyuga Ryosuke's face froze.
Going that big?
He looked at his childhood friend. The face was the same, but at this moment, he felt Aokawa was terrifyingly unfamiliar.
It was like having a bucket of ice shards poured over his head—chilling to the bone, but also sobering.
Quieting the cries?
Extinguishing the root of evil?
This wasn't just explaining a name; this was a manifesto!
Who were "all living beings"?
Who was the "root of evil"?
Gulp. Hyuga Ryosuke's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.
He had originally thought Aokawa just wanted to start a small group for mutual protection to survive a few more days on the Battlefield.
Now it seemed this guy was going to punch a hole in the sky.
"You're... planning to do something world-shaking."
He muttered to himself, his playful grin gone, replaced by a mix of fear and excitement in his eyes.
"Getting cold feet?" Aokawa glanced at him.
"Like hell I am!"
Hyuga Ryosuke slapped his thigh hard, a fierce look in his eyes. "My life was a gift anyway. Better to go crazy with you than to be a dog on a leash!"
"As long as you have the resolve."
Aokawa stood up. "Since you've accepted the Quincy power, the rest follows naturally."
He pointed to the cot. "Lie down and don't move. I'm going to scrape that layer of curse seal out of your brain now and completely destroy the Caged Bird Seal."
At the mention of the Caged Bird Seal, Hyuga Ryosuke's body stiffened instinctively.
It was a shadow etched into his very bones.
But he didn't waste words; he lay flat, his hands gripping the edges of the bedsheet tightly.
"Do it!"
Aokawa didn't waste time either. He reached into his ninja tool bag and pulled out a Sealing Scroll.
Poof.
As the white smoke cleared, a row of cold metal instruments appeared on the table, along with several dark brown medicine bottles.
"What the heck are those?" Hyuga Ryosuke stared at the sharp needle.
It felt like a ball of cotton was stuck in his throat.
"Anesthetic." Aokawa picked up the syringe.
He flicked the side of the syringe with his index finger, and a thin stream of liquid squirted from the tip.
"The conditions were too poor when I performed surgery on myself last time, so I had to endure the whole thing."
"With the current conditions, there's no need for you to be awake to experience the feeling of your brains being stirred into a porridge."
Hyuga Ryosuke let out a long breath, his tensed muscles instantly relaxing halfway.
"That's good, that's good..."
"You have no idea, I was already thinking about what words to carve on my epitaph."
Aokawa didn't acknowledge the bad joke.
He skillfully inserted the needle into the vein and pushed the medicine; the cool liquid entered the bloodstream.
Hyuga Ryosuke's eyelids immediately became as heavy as lead.
"Remember... if the surgery fails... give all my secret savings to..."
Zzzzz—
Before he could finish, a faint snoring sound began.
Confirming that the guy had completely blacked out.
Aokawa clapped his hands together.
Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Bang!
White smoke exploded.
A figure identical to Aokawa appeared by the bed.
As soon as the Shadow Clone landed, it first looked at the unconscious Ryosuke.
Then it looked at the original body holding the Scalpel, and its face immediately soured.
"Great, I knew it." The Shadow Clone rolled its eyes.
It plopped down onto the nearby chair. "The original body gets to go out, act cool, and kill people with infinite glory."
"And I have to stay in this dark room doing this delicate needlework."
"So I'm basically the chosen laborer, huh?"
Aokawa glanced at him, his tone flat. "Stop whining."
"This surgery has a very low margin for error and requires someone to replenish spirit particles and Soul Power at all times."
"I can't handle it all by myself."
The Shadow Clone curled its lip, blue light spinning rapidly at its fingertips.
"You're the boss, you call the shots."
"But let's get one thing straight: once this surgery is done, I'm not dispelling."
"You have to give me a break. I'm going to town to have a massive meal and then find a place to have a good soak."
Aokawa nodded in agreement; the request wasn't unreasonable.
"No problem."
"As long as the surgery is successful, I'll give you two days off when we get back."
"For real?" The Shadow Clone's eyes lit up, and it instantly perked up.
"The boss is generous! May the boss strike it rich!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to work! Don't keep our little guinea pig waiting."
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