"Just as I thought, nothing at all..."
Under the dim candlelight, Chiba slowly set down the scroll in his hand. After rubbing the bridge of his nose, he let out a silent sigh.
It was already close to ten at night. Darkness had completely fallen, and the sky was a murky black without a trace of starlight or moonlight.
After talking with Kushina and finishing dinner, he had gone upstairs and resumed his research into the Caged Bird Seal. But without any foundation in Curse Mark Jutsu, relying solely on his knowledge of Sealing Jutsu had finally exhausted even his faint hope. He realized that without understanding Curse Mark Jutsu, the Caged Bird Seal was simply out of the question.
I wasted my time...
Chiba felt some regret. Clinging to that slim hope that he might discover something if he researched it, he had essentially wasted the entire evening.
If I'd known, I should have gone to see Hyuga Yukyō tonight. After all...
With another sigh, Chiba's gaze shifted slightly and fell on the envelope Hyuga Shinsuke had left for him, tucked between the scrolls.
Had he not spent the day researching the Caged Bird Seal out of misplaced hope, he had planned to visit the secret room again and ask Hyuga Yukyō about the signal hidden in the letter.
But it was already so late. Tomorrow, he was to assume his post as acting Hokage assistant, and he might even have to go to the Third Hokage that evening to study Curse Mark Jutsu. He needed to rest early and restore his energy.
It was only his second day back, and although the string of events piling up had left him no time to feel tired, he knew that he needed to rest.
Otherwise, he would not have spent