Chapter 061: The Hyuga: The Senju Want to Devour Us Whole
Chapter 061: The Hyuga: The Senju Want to Devour Us Whole
Early in the month of Minazuki, the rainy season had yet to pass.
It was midday, and the sky was pouring rain, the drops as cold as those in early spring.
The scent of damp grass enveloped the Hyuga clan's territory.
The lacquer trees and palm trees swayed gracefully in the rain.
Deep within the Hyuga clan's main residence.
"Thud"
A large scroll was mercilessly hurled at Hyuga Miyu's forehead.
If she hadn't instinctively turned her head, she might have been left bleeding profusely.
The one who had thrown the scroll was none other than Hyuga Miyu's father, Hyuga Toshimori, the head of the Hyuga clan.
Hyuga Miyu lowered her head in silence.
The scroll fell onto the smooth dojo floor, rolling and unfurling to reveal densely packed text.
Hyuga Toshimori stood before his daughter, looking down at her with a commanding presence. In a cold, measured tone, he began, "...Two years ago, a regular customer suddenly appeared at the Bounty Exchange. Among bounty hunters, she had a rather infamous alias 'The Blind Girl.'"
Hearing this, Hyuga Miyu closed her eyes in pain but remained silent.
Hyuga Toshimori slowly began to pace around her, each step deliberate, each word cutting deep.
"It's said that 'The Blind Girl' was exceptionally skilled in taijutsu, her strength unfathomable. Though blind, her mind was sharp, and even with her eyes covered, she could perceive everything around her."
"And the year 'The Blind Girl' was active coincided with the year you left home."
Hyuga Miyu had always known this day might come, but she chose to remain silent.
Hyuga Toshimori, who had once been overly protective of his daughter, had been relieved just to have her return home safely. At the time, he hadn't wanted to dwell on the details, even though the excuses Miyu had given were full of holes.
Back then, Hyuga Toshimori had chosen to be "willfully ignorant."
Later, when he heard about Wakama Senju, all he registered was the word "elopement." He continued to be "willfully ignorant," not even bothering to ask how Miyu had met Wakama in the first place.
Then, when he discovered Wakama's extraordinary talent in taijutsu his techniques perfectly countering the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist Hyuga Toshimori thought it would be fantastic if such a talent could become the Hyuga clan's son-in-law.
Even though he suspected Wakama's identity might be questionable, Hyuga Toshimori chose to remain "willfully ignorant."
He allowed Miyu to continue her interactions with Wakama, hoping to learn the unique taijutsu style that resembled but differed from the Gentle Fist.
However…
A month ago.
Wakama Senju suddenly reached out, sending a formal letter through Miyu to Hyuga Toshimori.
The contents of the letter were so absurd that Hyuga Toshimori's suppressed intellect finally resurfaced. He could no longer overlook the glaring inconsistencies.
Hyuga Miyu's flimsy excuses no longer held water, and Hyuga Toshimori no longer believed her.
Given Miyu's history of lying, Hyuga Toshimori didn't even bother questioning her further. Instead, he placed her under house arrest and sent agents to the Bounty Exchange to purchase information.
He wanted all the intelligence on the Senju clan and their rival families over the past two years.
This time, Hyuga Toshimori uncovered the truth.
The Hyuga clan was a long-standing, prestigious ninja clan with considerable resources. With enough money, information was easy to obtain.
The intelligence from the Bounty Exchange revealed that a year ago, the Hagoromo clan had encountered an extraordinary assassin on the battlefield against the Senju.
This individual possessed unparalleled skill, capable of poisoning or removing organs from their victims without detection.
Yet, there was no information about this person's identity.
Anyone who had seen this assassin was dead.
Faced with such an invisible enemy, the Hagoromo clan was understandably frustrated.
As a result, the Hagoromo clan had hired an assassin known as "The Blind Girl" through the Bounty Exchange to investigate the Senju's mysterious organ thief.
But after the Hagoromo clan was annihilated, "The Blind Girl" disappeared without a trace.
The time of "The Blind Girl's" disappearance coincided with Hyuga Miyu's sudden return to the Hyuga clan.
As for the Senju's elusive "phantom thief," Hyuga Toshimori immediately pinned the blame on Wakama Senju.
After all, Wakama was the kind of person who could steal a living, breathing Hyuga Miyu right under the noses of the Hyuga elders.
If he could steal a person, stealing organs would be child's play.
Thus, Hyuga Toshimori made a bold assumption.
Hyuga Miyu had run away from home, concealed her Byakugan, and become the assassin known as "The Blind Girl." She had then accepted a mission to investigate the Senju's mysterious organ thief.
Once he reached this conclusion, the rest of the logic fell into place.
Hyuga Toshimori had seen Wakama's unique taijutsu, which countered the Hyuga's Gentle Fist, and witnessed his incredible ability to steal Miyu in broad daylight.
It was clear that Miyu, as a member of the Hyuga clan, had indeed tracked down Wakama Senju. But she couldn't defeat him, and her assassination attempt had backfired, resulting in her capture…
Wakama hadn't killed her.
Women are naturally drawn to strength, and someone as strong-willed as Hyuga Miyu was no exception.
Moreover, Wakama was young, powerful, and undeniably handsome.
So, Hyuga Miyu had thrown herself at him.
Once Hyuga Toshimori pieced everything together, he was furious.
He could understand Miyu's mindset, but he couldn't accept it. How could he have raised such a disgraceful child?
It was clear that Miyu's disappearance had nothing to do with eloping with Wakama Senju.
Since it wasn't an elopement, their relationship couldn't have been that deep.
That was why Wakama had refused to meet formally with the Hyuga clan or perhaps Miyu had forbidden it, knowing that a meeting would expose the truth.
Now, in Hyuga Toshimori's eyes, Wakama's letter was a sign that the Senju were trying to take advantage of the Hyuga clan.
A merger of clans into a village?
Preposterous! Unprecedented!
Hyuga Toshimori was convinced that Wakama had exploited Miyu's infatuation to slowly devour the Hyuga clan.
If Wakama eliminated the male heirs of the Hyuga clan, he could use Miyu to control the entire clan.
This was inviting a wolf into the house!
The Senju wanted to consume the Hyuga whole!
How could Hyuga Toshimori possibly agree?
He made it clear that he would only accept Wakama as a live-in son-in-law. As for the idea of merging the two clans into a village, he wouldn't even entertain the notion.
"Father…" Hyuga Miyu tried to explain.
Hyuga Toshimori abruptly formed a hand seal, silently activating the "Caged Bird" curse.
Hyuga Miyu's face twisted in agony as she clutched her head, enduring the excruciating pain without uttering a sound.
Hyuga Toshimori was too angry to listen to her excuses.
He knew why Miyu, whom he had raised as his successor, had run away from home. He could guess, but he didn't want to believe it.
His proud, strong-willed daughter, who had once fled the clan, had willingly returned to the family she had escaped all for Wakama Senju. She had even accepted the shackles of the Caged Bird curse.
In her heart, the Hyuga clan meant nothing compared to Wakama Senju. This was the reality Hyuga Toshimori couldn't accept.
As he watched his daughter's beautiful face contort into a ghastly mask of pain, a wave of rage surged within him.
It's all that boy's fault…
It's all Wakama Senju's fault…
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