The atmosphere inside the wooden cabin grew increasingly tense.
The four Tsuchigumo ninja wore grim expressions. The air was so heavy that even their breathing could be heard.
After a long silence—
The clan leader slowly lifted his head. His weary eyes fixed on Shiranami, searching for an explanation.
Shiranami's father—the former Forbidden Jutsu Guardian—was known for his loyalty, integrity, and dependability.
His death had struck a heavy blow to the Tsuchigumo Clan. It marked the beginning of the clan's decline.
"Heh." Shiranami let out a faint chuckle, saying nothing, his expression calm and unbothered.
Seeing this reaction, the Clan Leader and Hotaru turned to the Grand Elder.
Wearing his black hood, Uchiha Yu also glanced at the Grand Elder, silently signaling him to continue.
The Grand Elder glared at Shiranami, pounding his chest in grief and fury.
"That day, when your father was attacked by rogue ninja—I was among the first to arrive at the scene.
As he lay dying—
His final words—
Were to warn us: Beware of Shiranami!
Since then—
I've done everything I could to investigate and gather evidence against you. What you didn't expect was that someone survived in one of the nearby houses where you committed your crime. They fled fast enough to escape your purge.
Back then, I didn't expose you immediately because I had no proof.
But on this recent trip with the merchant caravan—
I found that family."
As he spoke, the Grand Elder pulled out a black scroll from his robes and continued:
"This is their testimony describing the battle over the forbidden jutsu. As for the witnesses—I've arranged for them. They can confront you face-to-face anytime."
He unrolled the scroll and placed it next to the clan leader. Hotaru glanced at its contents, her pupils widening in shock.
The Grand Elder had intended to bring this matter to the chief the moment he returned, but so many events along the way had delayed him.
"Do you have anything left to say?"
The Grand Elder's aged eyes locked onto Shiranami. With Uchiha Yu present, he had no fear of confronting the traitor.
Clearly, this return was just Bailang's attempt to seize the forbidden jutsu. Fortunately, the chief had made the wise decision to entrust it to Uchiha Yu.
After hearing the Grand Elder's declaration—
Everyone in the cabin turned their eyes on the suddenly reappeared Shiranami.
"Cough… cough… You killed your own father—for the forbidden jutsu??"
Clan leader trembled with fury, his lungs spasming with violent coughs.
"Grandfather!" Hotaru furrowed her brows, kneeling by the old man's side and gently patting his back.
"Hahaha…"
Shiranami suddenly laughed, shaking his head with a chilling, mocking tone as he glanced around the cabin.
His gaze lingered briefly on Uchiha Yu, then swept over everyone else with disdain.
"That's right. I killed my father. And yes—it was for the forbidden jutsu: Fury!"
Beneath his black hood, Uchiha Yu remained calm.
Clang—
The four Tsuchigumo guardian ninja turned toward Shiranami, assuming combat stances and drawing gleaming kunai from their pouches.
Patricide—murdering his father—was unforgivable. Shiranami was to be treated as a rogue ninja and punished accordingly.
"Kh–!"
Clan Leader's pupils bulged, panic flashing across his face as another fit of coughing overtook him. His face turned ashen. He clearly wished to execute this ungrateful wretch with his own hands.
The Grand Elder sighed, his tone full of sorrow:
"If you had simply stayed in the clan… once your father grew old, you would've naturally become the next Forbidden Jutsu Guardian. Why the rush?"
Shiranami's expression steadied. He looked each of them in the eye and spoke in a deep voice:
"Wait? A human life is painfully short. One's prime lasts only a few fleeting years. You insects do nothing but cower in corners.
You have power—but do nothing with it.
If I possess Fury—
I can reshape the entire ninja world.
I will lead the Tsuchigumo Clan to glory. Anyone who dares stand in my way shall be annihilated by Fury.
You're all weak.
And my father—he was even weaker. Again and again, he rejected my vision.
He deserved to die.
And all you old fools—
Deserve to die too!"
"Sigh…"
The Grand Elder's face darkened as he shook his head. This man was beyond saving.
"It is powerful… but not as powerful as you think. That jutsu alone isn't enough to conquer the ninja world…"
Clan Leader, half-sitting up with Hotaru's help, looked at Shiranami with a mix of pity and regret—his words sounding like the last counsel of an elder to a wayward youth.
Shiranami scanned the room, sneering:
"Whether I can conquer the ninja world with it or not—that's my business.
My people have already surrounded the chief's residence. If you hadn't decided to hand the forbidden jutsu to an outsider, I wouldn't have revealed myself.
But now that things have reached this point—
Tonight, none of you will leave here alive."
With that, Shiranami's expression turned cold, just as he was about to issue his command—
The Grand Elder suddenly threw his head back in laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
His face flushed with color as he laughed heartily—a clear joy in his voice.
"Sigh…"
Clan leader let out a long sigh and gently lay back down with Hotaru's support.
Hotaru raised her head to look at Shiranami. Her golden hair fell in soft waves, framing the side of her delicate face. Her deep indigo eyes gleamed like gemstones, filled with sorrow and pity.
Of the four remaining Tsuchigumo guardian ninja, three wore tense expressions, while one appeared indifferent—as if born without emotion.
Everyone ignored Shiranami.
One by one, their eyes turned to Uchiha Yu.
Dressed in a long black robe with a hood, Uchiha Yu remained unmoved. He stood calmly beside Bailang, silently observing this dramatic scene unfold.
"…What's with those looks on your faces?"
Shiranami noticed the shift in atmosphere. His brows furrowed tightly as his face darkened. He took two steps back, scanning the wooden cabin once more—his gaze landing on the hooded figure.
If the Tsuchigumo Clan had someone to rely on tonight, it had to be this mysterious figure in black.
Shiranami scrutinized him closely—
But saw nothing out of the ordinary.
He had gathered his men tonight to launch another assault on the Tsuchigumo stronghold. As a result, he hadn't kept a close eye on the clan leader's bedroom.
By the time his forces were assembled, he had already missed the moment when Hotaru and the Grand Elder introduced Uchiha Yu.
Had he witnessed it—
Even with ten times the courage, Shiranami wouldn't have dared act rashly tonight.
Now, seeing the Grand Elder still laughing wildly… the clan leader unfazed… and Hotaru staring at him with the same pity—
"Move in!"
Shiranami steadied his nerves, let out a cold snort, and glanced up at the ceiling beams before issuing the command in a low, firm voice.
"Roger that—"
A voice responded from the rooftop. The next instant, a corpse was hurled down from above, crashing through the tiled roof and slamming into the wooden floor, forming a deep crater.
Boom—
The dust settled.
Inside the pit stood a baby-faced young man clad in gray armor. He gripped a sword in both hands, its blade driven into the chest of the corpse beneath his feet.
"What?!"
Shiranami's pupils contracted. He got a clear look at the corpse—it was one of his own men.
Before he could speak further, more than ten blood-soaked figures appeared behind him.
Shiranami spun around, stunned to realize that these people surrounding him all looked very familiar!
Uchiha Yu slowly raised his right hand and pulled back his hood, revealing sharp features and deep, unreadable black eyes.
Casting a sidelong glance at Shiranami, he spoke with cold indifference:
"Bad luck for you—my men have surrounded the area too."
"Y-You!!"
Shiranami's eyes widened, lips trembling. The moment he saw that face, fear instantly washed over him.
He turned toward Hotaru in disbelief—his heart caught in a storm.
This woman had joined the merchant caravan for the first time… and returned with an S-rank rogue ninja?!
In that moment, everything became clear to him.
Why the clan leader handed over the forbidden jutsu to this outsider… why the clan members showed no fear… His actions and threats tonight were nothing more than the antics of a fool.
"Hmph…"
Hotaru no longer feared him. Her beautiful eyes widened with anger as she locked eyes with the murderer.
Her sense of security came from Uchiha Yu.
"Haha! Compared to the Root Organization, these so-called ninja outside were ridiculously easy to kill!"
"And seriously, why do you villains always love hiding on people's rooftops?"
Tamao climbed out of the crater, grumbling aloud before turning to his older brother with a big grin.
"Uchiha Yu!!"
Shiranami's gaze shifted to Yu, spitting out his name with venom as his steps involuntarily backed away.
His entire squad…
Was likely dead.
With the situation hopeless—
There was only one thing left to do:
Fight to the death!
°°°
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