Naruto: I Have Cursed Spirits!

Shiratori looked at Hanzō.

At this moment, Hanzō was full of spirit and heroic passion. He truly was an exceptional leader.

His gaze caught Hanzō's attention. Hanzō crouched down and looked at him, warmth flickering in his eyes.

"I believe that one day you'll become a stronger ninja than I am. But before you can become that, you have to survive first. This isn't a place for a child like you."

Shiratori looked into Hanzō's eyes, then lifted his head to glance at Chiba, tugging on the sleeve of his robe.

Chiba quickly explained, "Hanzō-sama, his entire family was killed in the war. I brought him back because he has a special talent."

Hanzō looked at Shiratori, something heavy settling in his chest.

Everyone in his family… died in the war?

He must be the one to end the war in Ame.

But… a special talent?

He knew Chiba well. This subordinate would never lie. A trace of curiosity flashed in his eyes. What kind of special talent could it be?

Chiba continued, "He possesses powerful medical ninjutsu. If not for him, I would've died on the way back."

Hanzō stared at Shiratori in shock, pupils widening.

Shiratori smiled at him. "I'm here to help you, Hanzō-sama. I also want to contribute my strength."

The child's clear voice echoed in Hanzō's mind. He pushed down the complex emotions in his heart, stood up, and looked at Chiba.

A child this young knowing medical ninjutsu… it sounded like a fantasy. But Chiba didn't seem to be lying, and he wouldn't deceive him.

His gaze fell on Shiratori again. The child's eager eyes made him feel a moment of disorientation. It had been so long since he had seen such vibrant children in Ame. The war had left wounds too deep on this village and its children. Neither the village nor its children could smile anymore.

He took a deep breath, and said, "Come with me."

Shiratori nodded and followed behind him.

Chiba walked beside Shiratori.

Hanzō led them toward a tall iron tower. The smell of blood in the air grew stronger and stronger.

Shiratori's gaze passed through Hanzō and landed on the iron tower ahead. He had already guessed what this place was, the place where wounded soldiers of war were gathered.

Hanzō had brought him here to verify the truth of Chiba's words. He didn't open the door immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Shiratori behind him.

Because he was still small, Shiratori had to look up to meet Hanzō's gaze.

"What is this place?"

He tilted his head slightly, curiosity bright in his expression.

Half of Hanzō's face was hidden behind a respirator; only his eyes could express emotion.

"Behind this door are countless ninjas who were wounded for the sake of Ame."

His voice came through the respirator into Shiratori's ears.

Shiratori's eyes widened as if he'd only just processed the word "wounded." His small hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Hanzō-sama! Please let me go in and heal them!"

Looking at the raw emotion in the child's eyes, Hanzō felt something stir in his chest. Yet his eyes revealed no trace of it.

"Aren't you afraid? Some of them have lost legs, some are blind… and others…"

Color drained from Shiratori's cheeks, but his jaw set with determination.

"I'm not afraid!"

His voice cracked slightly but carried frim resolve. His small frame straightened, shoulders squaring despite his obvious youth.

There was not the slightest doubt in the truth of their words.

"I'm not afraid!"

"They were injured protecting Ame!"

"They are heroes!"

"I'm going to save them!"

Each sentence grew stronger, more certain, as if he was convincing himself as much as them. His eyes blazed with conviction, no trace of the fear that had momentarily flickered across his features.

Looking at the child in front of him speaking with such conviction, Hanzō's pupils widened, and for a moment, he was dazed. It was as if he saw his younger self, resolute and determined when he chose to implant the poison sac into his own body.

This child… was just like him back then.

[Reminiscence detected: Hanzō +3000 points]

[Energy transferred to Choso]

[Development progress: 13%]

"..."

He didn't know exactly what just happened, but he was starting to understand how to earn reminiscence points from Hanzō and Chiba.

The key was a single word: Performance!

"Good!"

Hanzō's large hand landed on Shiratori's shoulder with approval.

Shiratori gave him a brilliant smile in return.

Hanzō then opened the heavy iron door in front of them. The stench of blood trapped behind it immediately surged out like a flood.

Shiratori's breath caught in his throat. He stared at the scene before him, his hands trembling at his sides. Even though Rika and the system had already brutally trained his tolerance, this sight still caused his stomach to lurch violently.

In front of them, injured ninjas were sprawled across the floor in complete disarray. Just as Hanzō had said, no, even worse than what he described. The wounds on these ninjas far exceeded what an average person could endure.

He stood frozen for a moment, his face pale but his feet planted firmly.

Hanzō and Chiba silently observed his reaction.

Inside the tower, the only two remaining medical-nin turned to look at them. They stopped what they were doing temporarily and walked toward Hanzō.

"Hanzō-sama."

When Shiratori saw their faces, he inhaled sharply. They didn't look much better than the wounded themselves. Just how badly had they been overworked?

"You've worked hard," Hanzō said to them.

The two medical-nin shook their heads with mechanical movements. They no longer had the strength to even speak.

Shiratori took a deep breath, his small chest rising and falling as he steeled himself.

"Hanzō-sama, please let me treat them!"

A flicker of relief passed through Hanzō's eyes. He nodded: "Go ahead."

The two medical-nin stared at Shiratori in confusion.

He walked toward the nearest injured ninja. He crouched beside the ninja and began examining the wounds.

This particular ninja had severe injuries on both legs. The legs were completely blackened, like two charred pieces of wood.

Most likely burned by a Fire Release technique. These were injuries that ordinary medical ninjutsu couldn't hope to heal. Even if someone managed to heal the surface, the ninja would be crippled for life.

But Reversed Cursed Technique was different. This technique could convert the negative energy from damage into positive energy with regenerative power. As long as the person wasn't fully dead, the technique could produce miraculous healing effects.