Chief Soga simply watched Sakura in silence, and she watched him back. For a moment, the room was filled with a strange, heavy quiet.
"—Haaaah," Chief Soga finally sighed. "Aren't you going to ask why I hid things from you before?"
"There's no need," Sakura shook her head gently. "It's your clan's secret. I was the one being too forward."
Chief Soga shook his head. "Since I asked for your help in researching how to break the curse, I should have been clear with you. But I've heard about the wars on the continent—I've lived over a hundred years, after all. That's why I withheld information about Seijutsu. As for why I didn't mention it tonight... it was because that girl was present."
"You mean Karin?" Sakura asked.
"Yes," Chief Soga nodded. "My trust in you doesn't automatically extend to others, even someone who might be very close to you."
"I understand, Chief," Sakura nodded.
"Regarding the history of Red Island I told you last time," Chief Soga continued, slowly closing his eyes, "I actually concealed a part of it. There was another section in that book, but I tore it out decades ago."
"I am a descendant of the Tsugami people," he stated calmly. "Our clan's history can be traced back tens of thousands of years to ancient times. We are a branch of the Tsugami. According to the records, in those ancient times, there were only two kinds of people in the world: Tsugami and humans."
"Tsugami was the name humans gave our ancestors. Over time, we adopted it ourselves. Essentially, we are no different from humans; all Tsugami were originally human. The ability to use Natural Power was what distinguished us."
"The history in between is vast, but the book only records a few sentences. Originally, the Tsugami and humans coexisted peacefully. The Tsugami used their Natural Power to help people. But after an unknown number of years, the Tsugami began to enslave humans. It was then that a true distinction formed between Tsugami and humans. Later..."
"Later? What happened?" Sakura pressed.
"Later, one day, humans discovered that the Tsugami had vanished completely. Aside from some Tsugami architecture proving the existence of this powerful race, not a single Tsugami could be found. That day became known as the Tianbian—Heaven's Change. People believed it was divine punishment for the Tsugami's wickedness," Chief Soga explained.
"Wait, but aren't you Tsugami?" Sakura asked, confused.
"We are only a branch of the Tsugami, as the book records it. You could say we are Tsugami of impure bloodline," Chief Soga clarified.
"So how did the Tsugami actually disappear? Does the book say?" Sakura asked.
"No," Chief Soga replied. "But later generations speculated it might have been because of Seijutsu." He gestured towards the wooden carvings on the table. "These carvings represent the fifteen most powerful Tsugami of that era. The three cylinders represent the three lords who led the Tsugami. Their power was said to be world-altering; no other Tsugami could harm them in the slightest. Yet even such mighty beings vanished on that day. That's why the only explanation seemed to be Seijutsu."
"How powerful were they? Could they split a mountain?" Sakura thought of the First Hokage's legendary feats.
"I don't know," Chief Soga admitted. "That's just how the book describes it. These carvings have been passed down through my ancestors. This is the information I withheld from you last time. Although I've practiced Seijutsu for decades myself, my power is nowhere near what the legends describe."
"Ah well," Chief Soga suddenly relaxed, chuckling. "Whether these ancient stories are true or not is impossible to verify. Who knows how old that book really is? Just think of it as a story. Perhaps it was just some myth concocted by one of my bored ancestors... Hahaha..."
Sakura stroked her chin thoughtfully. Chief Soga's information came entirely from that book. As he said, it could easily be a fabricated tale. She recalled how figures like the Japanese Emperor in her old world sometimes wove mythology into historical records to legitimize their rule.
Perhaps Soga's ancestors had mastered Natural Power and invented the Tsugami origin story to solidify their authority. Maybe the Tsugami race existed, but not necessarily as Soga described. If the timeline was correct—tens of thousands of years ago—weren't humans basically still cavemen then?
She figured she could only trust about half of what Chief Soga recounted from the book; the other half might well be fiction.
"Seijutsu was also recorded in that book," Chief Soga added. "But later, I found that neither my father nor my grandfather knew it. It was only when I discovered it myself and tried practicing it… My longevity is also related to Seijutsu. This power should ideally benefit the common people, but if it became known, it would only lead to more frequent wars and inevitably drag Red Island into the conflict."
So Seijutsu also increases lifespan, Sakura thought. That definitely makes it something that can't be casually spread. It really could trigger the Fourth Shinobi World War prematurely.
"Rest assured," Sakura said firmly, "I won't spread this knowledge."
Chief Soga nodded. "The fact that my attempt to retrieve the stone tonight failed proves that you already possess Natural Power."
"Hm?" Sakura tilted her head. "Natural Power? You mean the Power of Gelel?"
"Correct. These carvings only resonate with Natural Power. Since they resonated with the Gelel Stone, it proves that the stone must be composed of Natural Power. Therefore, it should have no side effects on me." As he spoke, Chief Soga reached out and picked up the Gelel Stone from the box on the table.
Sakura started to protest, but it was too late. Chief Soga held the stone firmly in his hand, his expression unchanging. He indeed seemed unaffected.
"It seems my feeling was correct," Chief Soga murmured, staring at the Gelel Stone. He then took a scroll from within his robes and handed it to Sakura. "This is the scroll of Seijutsu. I've written down my insights and experiences from over the years. I hope you will destroy it immediately after you've learned from it."
Sakura accepted the scroll, nodding solemnly. "I understand."
"I have one more request," Chief Soga said. "If this knowledge ever truly gets out, I hope you will not allow the resulting conflict to reach these shores."
"I won't let that happen," Sakura replied, her tone carrying a hint of hidden meaning. "Perhaps in a few years, the shinobi world will find peace anyway."
"You may go," Chief Soga waved dismissively. "You have what you came for."
Internally, Chief Soga let out a long sigh of relief. His original plan tonight had been to steal the Gelel Stone, investigate it, and then decide whether to return it based on his findings. Getting caught by Sakura had forced him to reveal everything. He hadn't admitted to knowing Seijutsu earlier out of fear of attracting disaster.
But carrying a secret that someone else already suspected had cost him months of sleep. Now, finally, he could rest easy. Perhaps tonight's "attempted theft" was just the excuse he subconsciously needed to finally share the burden.
Sakura carefully put away the Gelel Stone and the scroll, but she didn't get up to leave.
"Is there something else?" Chief Soga asked, surprised.
"Well... yes, there is one small thing," Sakura admitted.
"Go on, what else do you want to know?" Soga sighed, feeling resigned. "But I assure you, what I've told you just now is truly everything I know. I haven't hidden anything else."
"It's not about that," Sakura said, looking at him earnestly. "Do you own a cattle ranch?"
"I do," Chief Soga replied proudly. "The largest ranch on the island belongs to my family."
"How do you normally sell the beef from your ranch?" Sakura inquired.
"How? Previously, we sent calves to Ise Town for sale. Now, we sell the fully grown cattle directly," Chief Soga explained. "There are too many merchants coming from outside now. We used to send calves to Ise Town for fattening, but now we just fatten them here and sell them locally."
"Hehe," Sakura grinned. "I'm thinking of opening a specialty beef shop in Konoha. I was wondering if you could be my exclusive supplier."
Chief Soga blinked. "Aren't you a ninja? You're allowed to sell beef?" He clearly wasn't very familiar with the workings of shinobi villages.
"Of course. Ninja can have side businesses too," Sakura said smoothly.
"That's hardly a major issue. No problem," Chief Soga agreed easily.
"Exclusive supplier," Sakura reiterated pointedly. "Meaning, if any other merchants from Konoha approach you in the future, you can't sell to them. Only to me."
Chief Soga's eyes widened slightly as he caught on. "You certainly know how to leverage your resources, don't you?"
Still, Sakura was someone he felt he could trust. She was also helping him break the curse. This small request was insignificant in comparison.
"However," Soga added shrewdly, "if anyone gives me trouble over this, I'm blaming it all on you!" He wasn't foolish; he knew this arrangement would inevitably anger some people.
"No problem! Let them come find me," Sakura declared confidently. Who would dare trouble the Hokage's disciple? Ah, the benefits of privilege...
"Alright then. One head of cattle for... let's say 45,000 ryo," Chief Soga stated casually.
"How much?!" Sakura nearly stumbled backward.
"Forty-five thousand ryo!" Chief Soga repeated.
"Isn't that price a bit… steep?" Sakura asked through gritted teeth. He's definitely getting back at me.
"Surely you know how much our Red Island beef costs? Those merchants sell it for 300 ryo per kilogram," Chief Soga said, exasperated. "Our cattle weigh about a thousand kilograms each. I sell them to others for 90,000 ryo per head. I've already given you a fifty percent discount!"
"Could you go a little cheaper?" Sakura pressed. She knew the beef was expensive, but she hadn't expected this much. Setting up a shop in the village would cost money too.
"Mmm..." Chief Soga looked troubled. He had already offered a discount because it was her. He hadn't expected her to complain about the price. "Fine, fine. Let's make it 40,000 ryo per head."
"Can't you go any lower?" Sakura persisted.
"Hey! Don't push your luck!" Chief Soga snapped, losing his patience. "It costs money to raise these cattle, you know!"
Sakura wasn't a bully; she had no intention of using the Seijutsu secret to force his hand. Besides, leaking Seijutsu wouldn't benefit her either. Since this was business, she had to follow business rules.
"Thirty-five thousand ryo!" Sakura countered.
"No! Forty thousand, final offer!" Chief Soga stood firm, suddenly all business. "The standard price across Red Island is ninety thousand per head. I'm only giving you a discount because it's you, and even that disrupts the market price. Besides," he added pragmatically, "Red Island beef already has a reputation. You'll make back double the price on just one head. If anyone else sold at this price, they'd be punished. Only I can do this because I'm the chief."
Sakura hesitated, doing a quick mental calculation. It seemed he was right. Selling just one cow could indeed recoup the cost. She gritted her teeth. "Fine. But I have one more request."
"Speak."
"Lend me 120,000 ryo," Sakura stated plainly. It was precisely the cost of three cows at the agreed price.
Hearing Sakura's shameless request, Chief Soga could no longer contain himself. He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Get out. Now."