Chapter 26: Karin and Her Mother
Yugito's eyes quickly scanned the scrolls. Most of the jutsu recorded on them originated from the Five Great Nations. They were just ordinary techniques, however, the kind that the Hidden Cloud had already "borrowed" long ago.
She did find two scrolls of interest.
One was titled Dragon Life Reincarnation. It was clearly a high-level secret technique, one that allowed the user to transfer their own life force to another, a heaven-defying ability that could even bring back the dead.
But as she read further, Yugito's brow furrowed. It was a Kekkei Genkai ninjutsu, developed based on the unique bloodline of the Hidden Grass. In theory, it was impossible for an outsider to master it.
Yugito considered for a moment, then took out a small, pre-prepared camera and photographed the scroll. Perhaps the shinobi back in the village could gain some inspiration from it.
Then, she turned to the second scroll.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Yugito's eyes narrowed as she carefully unrolled it.
The first thing she saw were several illustrations of a square box, its four sides carved with grotesque demons and monsters, giving it a sinister and malevolent appearance.
The rest of the scroll detailed the history of the box and the results of the Hidden Grass's research.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss had fallen into their hands centuries ago and had been passed back and forth between the "Fruit of the Grass" and "Flower of the Grass" factions. Three years ago, it had been taken to Hozuki Castle by Mui, a high-ranking member of the "Fruit."
According to the scroll, opening the box would grant the user one wish.
Yugito scoffed at the notion. Grant one wish? That was a power reserved for gods. Even the Sage of Six Paths, who was said to have created the box, might not have been capable of such a feat.
For years, the Hidden Grass had been secretly studying the box, hoping to open it. But while their goal was the same, the two factions' ideologies were completely different. The "Fruit" hoped to use the box to rule the shinobi world. The "Flower" intended to use it to negotiate on equal terms with the Five Great Nations.
"The exact method of opening the box is unknown, but it is suspected to be related to chakra?"
Yugito's eyes narrowed further. The box was certainly not as miraculous as the scroll claimed. But it was, without a doubt, a Treasured Tool of the Sage of Six Paths with an unknown purpose. Judging by the fact that the Hidden Grass had been unable to open it for so many years, it was likely no less powerful than the five Treasured Tools in her own village.
Just as she was about to take a picture of the scroll for later study, a shout suddenly rang out from outside the office building.
"Intruder!"
The quiet building instantly erupted into a flurry of activity, the sound of chaotic footsteps echoing through the halls.
I've been discovered? But when?
Yugito's expression changed. Her first thought was that the nearby Grass-nin had found her. But she couldn't figure out where she had slipped up.
Swoosh!
There was no time to take a picture. Yugito grabbed the scroll and stuffed it into her ninja pouch.
With a tap of her toes, her body shrank, and in mid-air, she transformed into a black cat. The cat deftly slipped out the window and scurried onto the roof.
"Quick! Don't let him get away!"
On the street below, a dozen Grass-nin were shouting as they sped through the village. More and more shinobi appeared, all of them heading north.
The black cat ran for its life, only slowing down when the inn was in sight. But Yugito noticed something strange. The commotion behind her was fading.
She stopped and climbed a telephone pole, looking back.
She saw all the Grass-nin, a whole swarm of them, charging toward the northern district of the village.
It was only then that Yugito realized: it wasn't she who had been discovered. It was Neji.
"Meow!"
Yugito's fur stood on end, and she bared her fangs. What is Neji doing? Even if his infiltration had failed, he shouldn't have caused such a huge disturbance.
She shook her head and leaped nimbly across the rooftops, heading north.
In a small, drafty wooden cabin, a single, flickering lamp cast dancing shadows on the gaunt figure on the bed. A woman leaned against the wall, her expression filled with sorrow. She was not yet thirty, but streaks of white already ran through her long, blood-red hair.
"You bitch! Let me have a bite!"
Shōshirō kicked the door open, his face a mask of malice as he snarled at the woman.
Her face went pale with terror. She instinctively crossed her arms in front of her, the sleeves hiding a mixture of old and new bite marks.
"Karin, close your eyes... It'll be over soon..." the woman whispered, shielding the small girl behind her with her frail body as she held out her arm.
A trembling Karin peeked out from behind her mother. In the dim light, Shōshirō looked like a demon crawling out of hell as he stalked toward them. With every step he took, Karin's heart beat faster.
She saw the bite marks on her mother's arm, and an instinct stronger than fear compelled her to move.
"Go away! Don't touch my mommy!"
At the sound of the trembling, childish voice, Shōshirō looked up in surprise to see the small girl charge at him. Caught off guard, he was knocked to the ground. He had never expected it. The mother was so submissive, but the child dared to fight back.
"You little mutt! You got a death wish?!" A look of pure rage crossed Shōshirō's face. He lashed out with his leg.
Karin's small body was sent flying, crashing hard against the wooden wall. Pain shot through her entire body.
"Karin!" the woman screamed, rushing to hold her daughter.
"Hmph!" Shōshirō snorted in contempt. He strode over to the woman, roughly grabbed her arm, and opened his mouth to bite down.
"A descendant of the Uzumaki clan... is this how you use them?" a cold voice suddenly said.
Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear!
Shōshirō's brow furrowed, but before he could even turn around, a spear of brilliant blue lightning pierced through his body.
A spray of blood blossomed in the air, and Shōshirō collapsed. The spear had missed his heart. The wound was grievous, but he was still breathing.
The woman glanced at the man lying in a pool of his own blood, then turned back to her daughter, holding her tight as they cowered in the corner.
Neji studied the woman. She had a full figure and a pitiful, fragile air about her. But from her pale face and the bite marks on her arm, it was clear that she and her daughter had been living a miserable life in the Hidden Grass.
"You know what will happen if you stay here," Neji said, his voice even. "You don't need me to tell you."
"Come with me."
The woman looked up at him, stunned.
Neji could see the hesitation and fear in her eyes. "Ma'am," he said, his voice firm, "you don't want your daughter to be bitten, do you?"
At his words, the woman fell into a deep thought, the worry on her face slowly fading. The Village Hidden in the Grass was a wolf's den. The miserable life they had led here for years was not something she could describe to an outsider. Now that a Grass-nin was dead, they would only face even harsher torment.
They had nowhere left to go. This was their only chance.
For her daughter.
"As long as you can protect Karin," the woman pleaded, her voice trembling as she clutched her daughter, "I'll do anything."
Neji shook his head. "You're wrong," he said, his voice serious. "I'm not just protecting Karin. I'm protecting both of you."