svetikya Chapter 124 Mental Imbalance, A Changed Future
Chapter 124 Mental Imbalance, A Changed Future
Chapter 124 Mental Imbalance, A Changed Future
Misa Hayama has been discharged from the hospital.
She has fully recovered and is even stronger than before, but according to regulations, she still needs to rest and observe at home for a week.
Her apartment was on the west side of the village; it was an ordinary studio apartment.
The room was very clean, with no unnecessary decorations except for ninja tools and essential furniture.
Misa was wiping the long knife. The cool blade helped to slightly cool her feverish blood.
Since receiving the Thousand Hands Serum, her body temperature has remained above 38 degrees Celsius.
That's the heat generated by cells dividing and metabolizing at high intensity.
Her senses also became unusually sharp, to the point of being somewhat neurotic.
"Knock knock knock".
A knock came at the door.
Misa frowned slightly. She didn't like being disturbed.
open the door.
A man was standing outside the door.
He had short black hair, bright eyes, and a gentle yet resolute face.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
The eldest son of the Third Hokage, an elite member of the Anbu, and one of the strongest contenders for the next Hokage.
He was dressed in casual clothes, carrying a fruit basket and a bouquet of flowers.
"Meisa, I heard you were discharged from the hospital, so I came to see you."
Misa paused for a moment.
She and Shinnosuke were both squad leaders in the Anbu, so they were colleagues and ninjas of the same generation.
To be fair, Shinnosuke is a good person. He's gentle, responsible, and capable, and he doesn't have the arrogant airs often associated with wealthy young men.
But right now, her attention wasn't on Shinnosuke. Misa's nose twitched when the bouquet of flowers was presented to her.
She didn't smell the fragrance of flowers. Instead, she smelled something—rotten.
That's the smell of a plant slowly dying after its roots and stems have been cut off.
"What's wrong?" Shinnosuke asked, a little embarrassed that she hadn't taken the flower. "Don't you like flowers?"
"No----"
Meisha took a half step back, her brow furrowed as she felt the physical discomfort.
Since being injected with that so-called serum, her senses have undergone a dramatic transformation.
She can hear the plants "breathing".
To her, the cut-off bouquet of flowers looked like a pile of corpses.
This made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Thank you for your kindness, Captain Shinnosuke."
Misa did not accept the flowers, but simply stepped aside to make way for them.
"Come in and have a seat. The flowers can be left by the door."
Shinnosuke was a little disappointed, but he still maintained his composure and placed the flowers on the cabinet in the entryway.
The two sat down in the living room.
The atmosphere was somewhat somber.
"Misa, I heard about what happened with the clan. Ryoma Chunin returned the five million ryo today."
Shinnosuke broke the silence, his tone sincere.
"The elders are too hasty in their actions, and I also dislike their method of using money to bribe people."
"I apologize to you on their behalf."
He looked at Misa with sincere eyes.
"However, their initial intentions were good."
"Meisa, you know. Our generation has sacrificed too many lives."
"We don't want to see you too—"
"Besides, Father already knows about what happened at the front. You did a great job."
"To protect the students, he faced the elite troops of Iwagakure alone and managed to hold out until reinforcements arrived."
"You are a hero of Konoha."
"Therefore, the Sarutobi clan will cover all your medical expenses. This is a small sacrifice to protect the village's elite."
"You don't need to feel guilty."
"Come over for a meal when you've recovered. Your mother has been saying she wants to see you."
Misa remained silent.
She dislikes roundabout ways, but that doesn't mean she's simple-minded; she understands this matter very well.
This isn't just about paying money. This is about soliciting.
The Sarutobi clan is the ruling family of Konoha. They need fresh blood, especially strong blood.
Misa Hayama possesses the physique of the Senju (Thousand Hands) and is a powerful Jonin with a clean background.
She was the perfect marriage partner.
If she marries into the Sarutobi clan, her children will inherit the best qualities of both, consolidating the Sarutobi clan's dominance in Konoha.
This is a political marriage.
Misa looked at Shinnosuke.
This man is outstanding and gentle; he is the dream lover of countless women in Konoha.
In the past, she might have considered accepting this offer. In this cruel ninja world, finding a powerful clan to rely on was the best outcome for a female ninja.
Especially for a female ninja like her, who came from a common background and had no family to rely on.
But now—
Misa instinctively pressed her hand against her heart.
The blood of the first generation flows there.
That power was immense and ancient, carrying the scent of a primeval forest.
She felt herself becoming another kind of being. A being that no longer belonged to the human race.
This growing sense of loneliness and panic made her lose all interest in worldly love and romance.
"Thank you for your kindness, Captain Shinnosuke."
Meisha suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and said calmly.
"However, I have already paid back the money."
Shinnosuke was stunned.
"You paid it back? Where did you get the money?"
"I have no money. But I signed an IOU. Takaya Trading Company has allowed me to pay it back slowly."
"you----"
Shinnosuke is unbelievable.
"You'd rather owe the Chamber of Commerce exorbitant interest than accept help from the Sarutobi clan?"
"We're comrades!"
"Precisely because we are companions."
Misa interrupted him.
"So I don't want this relationship to change."
"Owesting money to businessmen is business. You only need to pay back the money; you don't need to repay the favor."
"But I owe you money—"
Misa looked into Shinnosuke's eyes.
"I'm afraid that before I've paid off my debts, I'll have already become a vassal of the Sarutobi clan."
"My surname isn't Sarutobi. My surname is Hayama."
"I am a Jonin of Konoha, not anyone's retainer."
That's a very strong statement.
Shinnosuke opened his mouth, but could only manage a wry smile.
He looked at the stubborn woman before him. She was still so proud, so sharp.
But for some reason, he felt she had changed. She had become more—distant.
It was as if an invisible wall separated her from her own world.
"Since you insist—fine."
Shinnosuke stood up.
"Get some rest. No matter what, the Sarutobi family's doors are always open for you."
Shinnosuke left, his departing figure looking somewhat forlorn.
Meisha closed the door, leaned against it, and slowly slid down.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
Her breathing suddenly became rapid.
A surge of heat emanating from deep within her body erupted.
My head hurts so much.
In my mind, it seemed as if countless voices were whispering.
That was the sound of trees growing, the call of the forest, an impulse to give up oneself and return to the earth.
"Who am I? — I am Misa Hayama — no, I am a tree — I am —"
Mental confusion.
The activity of the interstitial cells was constantly impacting her brain.
Her physical energy was too strong; her mental energy simply couldn't suppress this violent physical energy.
The two are severely unbalanced.
If left unchecked, she will soon suffer a mental breakdown, followed by physical madness, turning into a mindless tree.
She struggled to her feet and stumbled toward the window.
She instinctively knew that only that man could save her.
Sosuke's room on the third floor of the Kikyo-kan.
The window was smashed open.
Misa Hayama stumbled in.
Her condition was terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot, her skin had a faint green glow beneath it, and her fingernails had even begun to harden, turning into sharp, branch-like shapes.
"Help—help me—"
She grabbed Sosuke's collar, her voice trembling.
The basement of the Kikyo Pavilion.
Orochimaru was looking at a data report with great interest, which was a record of Misa's physical reactions.
Sosuke invited him.
"Mental imbalance, huh? Heh, just as I expected."
Orochimaru let out a hoarse laugh.
"Sosuke, although you neutralized the rejection reaction through your blood, you overlooked the most fundamental thing."
"What?" Sosuke asked.
"self."
Orochimaru pointed to his head.
"According to my research, Wood Release seems to gradually devour the user's spirit. The reason why the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was able to control Wood Release was not only because of his Sage Body, but also because he possessed an extremely strong will and a clear self-awareness."
"That absolute boundary between 'self and the world'."
"But your experimental subject, Misa Hayama—she's just a mortal."
37
"When her body evolved into the shell of a sage, her soul remained mortal. Like a small horse pulling a large cart, her spirit would be devoured by the instinct of Wood Release, ultimately causing her to lose herself."
"Is there a solution?" Sosuke frowned.
"There are two ways."
"First, let her cultivate spiritualization techniques or illusion techniques to enhance her spiritual energy. But this will take several years or even decades."
"Second, suppress it with external force."
Orochimaru pulled out a syringe. Inside was a pale green liquid.
"This is [Inhibitor Type I]. It's a formulation I developed specifically for intercolumnar cells; I've been conducting research in this area for some time now—"
"It can temporarily paralyze the activity of the Hashirama cells, allowing mental and physical energy to regain balance."
Sosuke took the syringe.
Thank you.
"However, Sosuke-kun—"
Orochimaru seemed to have thought of something interesting.
"You've really gotten yourself into big trouble this time."
"What's the trouble?"
"That Misa Hayama—"
Orochimaru said meaningfully.
"As far as I know, the elders of the Sarutobi clan have long since decided that she will be Shinnosuke's wife."
"They coveted her physique and wanted to use a marriage alliance to give the next generation of the Sarutobi clan the power of the Senju, thus creating a perfect successor to the Hokage."
"Originally, this should have been a cliché story of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress and repaying her with his body."
"And then you interfered."
Orochimaru looked at Sousuke and smiled with a hint of schadenfreude.
"You not only stole the credit for saving her life, but you also used this method to control her body."
"You're trying to poach members from the Sarutobi clan."
Sosuke was taken aback.
Misa was the wife chosen by the Sarutobi clan for Shinnosuke?
That's just—
I see. If that's the case, then everything makes sense.
If things had followed the original trajectory, Misa might have accepted the protection of this noble family, married Shinnosuke, and given birth to a child who inherited the bloodlines of Sarutobi and Senju.
Konohamaru.
It turns out that Konohamaru's mother is Misa Hayama!
"Lord Orochimaru, you are overthinking it."
Sosuke put away the syringe.
"I'm just a doctor. My patients' bodies need me, nothing more."
Orochimaru laughed twice and then disappeared in the smoke.
"Chiba, go and bring in Jonin Misa," Sousuke ordered.
"Yes."
Misa Hayama came in and sat in the operating chair.
At Sosuke's request, she took off her top, leaving her only wearing a corset.
Her smooth back had a faint green glow beneath her skin.
Sosuke stood behind her, holding a syringe in his hand.
It contains a pale green liquid – [Inhibitor Type II].
"Are you ready?"
"Um."
Misa lowered her head and gripped her knees tightly with both hands.
"It might hurt a little. This is to neutralize the excess Yang attribute chakra in your body."
The needle was inserted into the spine.
"Well----"
The woman let out a muffled groan, her body tensing.
As the medicine was administered, the burning sensation that felt like it was about to burst my blood vessels finally began to subside.
The feeling was like a fish on the verge of dying of thirst finally returning to water. Or like a wild beast that had lost control and was now collared.
A deep sense of peace.
"call----"
Meisha let out a long sigh, slumped into the chair, sweat soaking her temples.
"How are you feeling?"
Sosuke pulled out the needle and pressed the needle hole with a cotton ball.
"Much better————"
Misa's voice was a little hoarse.
"That urge to grow—was suppressed."
"That's good."
Sosuke threw the syringe into the recycling bin.
"The power of Wood Release is not so easy to control."
"Next, you need to learn how to control it."
"6
The next day, at the training ground in the backyard.
"Wood Release: Silent Binding Technique!"
Meisha formed a hand seal with one hand, her eyes cold and sharp.
They did not produce trees in a grand manner like Yamato.
Her Wood Release technique is even more insidious and more concealed.
From beneath her feet, several thin vines, like snakes, emerged from the ground and silently wrapped around the mannequin's feet.
ankle.
Then, it tightens suddenly!
Snap. The wooden leg bones of the dummy broke.
Immediately afterwards, the vines spread upwards along the legs, instantly wrapping the entire dummy up like a rice dumpling.
"Twist!" Misa clenched her fist.
Sharp wooden thorns grew from the vines and pierced deep into the mannequin.
Wood chips flew everywhere. The dummy was torn to pieces.
"good."
Sosuke was recording the data.
"The chakra conversion rate has reached 80%. That's an improvement over before."
"but----"
Sousuke looked at Misa.
"His mental state is very unstable."
"When you use Wood Release, your brain temperature rises dramatically because your brainwave frequency is fluctuating wildly."
Misa was panting heavily.
She stared at the shards scattered on the ground, her eyes somewhat dazed.
"I heard it—"
She murmured to herself.
"What did you hear?" Sosuke asked.
"sound."
Misa covered her head.
"The sound of trees. The sound of the forest."
"They are calling to me. They want me to become a part of them too."
"That feeling—it's so warm, it makes you want to stop thinking and just melt into it—"
This is the side effect of Wood Release.
The will of the divine tree.
Wood Release originates from the Divine Tree. Using Wood Release means borrowing the power of the Divine Tree. The more you use it, the greater the risk of being assimilated.
The mind is washed away by the overwhelming force of nature, gradually losing the boundaries of the self.
That is, to be lost.
Just as Orochimaru said, in order to fully master Wood Release, in addition to having a Sage Body, one must also possess a strong mental will and self-awareness like Hashirama Senju.
"If you get lost, you will become a tree."
Sosuke's voice rang out coldly.
"Without thought, without memory, it can only stand in place, at the mercy of others."
Do you want to become like that?
Misa shivered.
She shook her head.
"In no mood."
"Then remember one thing: who you are. You need to have an absolutely clear understanding of yourself, and this understanding can pull you back to reality when your spirit is about to dissipate."
Misa seemed to be deep in thought.
Produce