Naruto: I Have Cursed Spirits!

Raindrops pelted against Kageto's body. He glanced at the closed iron gate behind him and quickly dashed forward.

White smoke spread through the rain, and Shiratori returned to his true form. Basic ninjutsu like the Transformation Technique was one of the first things he copied when he started learning ninjutsu from Chiba.

He still remembered the conversation between Amanagi and the Chiba.

The enemy was approaching from the southwest. The battlefield was likely in that direction too.

He ran toward the southwest. As he leaped across rooftops, he took out a ring and slipped it back onto his finger. He gradually left the central area of Ame.

The buildings beneath his feet abruptly vanished, replaced by rain-soaked mud. The towering buildings around him turned into rolling hills.

Seeing the blood-soaked earth ahead made his heart race.

He looked forward, there seemed to be a chilling killing intent carried by the rain.

The battlefield was just ahead.

The shrill screeches of kunai and shuriken slicing through the air rang in his ears. The thunderous explosions of explosive tags echoed in front of him.

Even the ground beneath his feet trembled.

Despite the relentless downpour, the stench of blood in the air wasn't washed away. The heavy rain only prevented the bloody smell from spreading further.

He furrowed his brows, the thick scent of blood clinging tightly around him. He silently crept closer to the battlefield. Pushing aside the tall underbrush blocking his way, he peered through a gap.

The battlefield suddenly unfolded before him. The valley a few dozen meters away had been devastated by war. Tall trees were snapped in half, and massive fires raged across the undergrowth.

The ground was riddled with cracks and craters. Blood and corpses filled every crevice. Thick smoke billowed endlessly upward. Countless figures clashed and darted through the smoke and fire.

He lacked the Byakugan or any similar scouting ability, so he couldn't see the battle clearly. He could only make out blurred outlines of ninjas in combat and the afterimages left by their high-speed movements. All kinds of ninjutsu erupted on the battlefield, leaving him dazzled.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Rocks rose from the ground, forming a massive wall with a deafening rumble that hurt his ears.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A giant fireball slammed into the earth wall. With the collision, the flames roared intensely. The wall cracked all over. An Ame ninja suddenly appeared behind the enemy. The sound of metal clashing rang out like a storm.

Shiratori couldn't take his eyes off it.

Suddenly, inspiration struck him. Could he copy ninjutsu directly from the battlefield?

Wouldn't it be a waste not to copy so many jutsu being used?

[Copy activation parameters: Target must be within 3-meter range]

[Current distance to targets: Excessive for technique replication]

His excitement instantly deflated.

Within three meters?

Wouldn't that be suicide?

What kind of idiot on the battlefield would let him stand still and copy their jutsu? They'd probably throw a shuriken straight at his heart before he could do anything, and if not, then he wasn't Shiratori.

To make things worse, he couldn't use cursed energy offensively while copying a jutsu. Wouldn't that make him a delivery boy for free kills?

Once his cursed spirit level increased and he could have it fight for him while he copied jutsu, things might be different.

But for now?

Forget it.

Ninjutsu might be valuable, but life was even more so. Even if he couldn't copy ninjutsu now, he could still farm emotional energy.

He scanned the battlefield, searching for the silhouettes of Ame ninjas.

"Ah!"

A short blade pierced through a chest. The intense pain twisted the Ame ninja's expression for a moment. With his last bit of strength, he stabbed his kunai into the enemy's neck. Only after the opponent staggered and collapsed did the Ame ninja's legs give out, and he dropped to his knees in the mud.

Blood instantly dyed the entire side of his body red.

The short blade was still lodged in his chest. He knew... he was beyond saving. To be able to take down one enemy before dying, he was satisfied with that.

Coldness spread through his body. The massive blood loss made him dizzy. The sounds of fighting and sharp screams rang in his ears endlessly. But none of that mattered anymore.

He could no longer even feel pain.

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. His body slumped toward the mud.

Just then, a pair of hands caught his falling body. He felt himself being dragged.

What's happening?

The ninja struggled to open his eyes.

He saw the face of a child.

A child? On the battlefield?

"I'm Shiratori! I'm going to save you! Hang in there!" Shiratori said firmly to the Ame ninja.

The ninja's pupils shrank to pinpoints. He had heard from Hanzō that Chiba had brought back a child prodigy with extraordinary medical ninjutsu, his name was Shiratori.

Before the battle began, Hanzō had instructed them to survive at all costs and return to the village alive. This child called Shiratori could pull them back from the brink of death.

But... wasn't this kid supposed to be in the village?

Who brought him to the battlefield?

Shiratori glanced at the massive boulder behind him that shielded him and the ninja from view. He gave up trying to drag the injured ninja any farther.

He pulled the short blade from the ninja's chest, blood splashed across his face.

He immediately placed both hands over the wound. A bright green light flared to life, and the deep, penetrating wound in the chest began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The ninja stared at his chest in shock.

This child...

Now he understood why Hanzō valued this boy so highly. This wasn't just medical ninjutsu. Even medical ninjutsu couldn't heal him like this.

This... was a miracle!

[Gratitude detected: Tetsuma +5000 points]

[Energy transferred to Smallpox Deity]

[Development progress: 51.5%]

Just as expected, saving people on the battlefield earned far more gratitude than saving them in the village.

Shiratori's heart burned with excitement.

After Tetsuma's wound had fully healed, he pushed against the rocks and shifted his gaze back to the intense battlefield, eagerly searching for his next target.

"You have to get out of here!"

He turned around to see Tetsuma speaking.

"No."

Shiratori turned back to the battlefield. "I'm going to save people. No one can stop me!"

Tetsuma frowned and considered forcibly escorting him back to safety.

But before he could move, Shiratori seemed to read his mind and said preemptively, "This place is dangerous, enemies everywhere. Can you really guarantee you'll get me back safely on your own? Are you sure we won't run into more enemies on the way?"

Tetsuma was speechless. He really couldn't promise a safe return.

"If you really want to protect me, if you're worried about my safety, then stay here and guard me. Help me save people."

Shiratori turned and stared him straight in the eyes.

Tetsuma looked into the boy's unwavering gaze and couldn't bring himself to refuse. The boy had saved his life. He also hoped his comrades in the village could live on.

"...Fine."

Tetsuma swore to himself, even if it cost him his life, he would protect Shiratori.