Setting a Trap, a Beauty in His Arms

A full moon rose like a bright lamp, hanging high in the night sky.

In the forest, Hyuga Senrin walked expressionlessly.

The shadows of branches on either side of the path stretched across the ground, creating a cold and eerie atmosphere.

Hyuga Senrin arrived before the waterfall, a trace of nostalgia flashing through her eyes.

When she was little, her mother often brought her here for picnics.

Whenever she got dirty from playing, she would run into the river beneath the waterfall to bathe.

If she was lucky, she could even catch a couple of fish.

But ever since her mother passed away, she had never come here again.

Hyuga Senrin slowly crouched down and reached out to touch the slightly damp soil.

The scene of Uchiha Tunan tutoring her surfaced in her mind.

"Explosive tags are usually set up in advance and used as traps.

This brings us to the effects different environments have on explosive tags.

First is humidity.

If the humidity is too high, explosive tags are likely to get soaked and become ineffective.

But many times, geographical conditions make it impossible for us to avoid that.

That calls for special treatment.

For ordinary explosive tags, we can wrap them in a large amount of dry leaves. This can delay the time before they get wet.

We can also sprinkle a layer of lime over their surface.

If there is enough time and the conditions allow it, we can bring back some dry soil from elsewhere and wrap the explosive tags inside it.

Of course, expensive Three-proof Explosive Tags do not require so much preparation."

Hyuga Senrin opened the bag of cat food and took out the dry soil inside, spreading it over the ground.

She then took three explosive tags from her pocket and placed them on the dry soil.

Finally, she sealed them with the remaining soil, then covered the area with dead leaves as camouflage.

"Tunan-kun, don't blame me."

After murmuring to herself, Hyuga Senrin walked step by step toward the nearby river, removing her clothes as she went.

Splash~

With the sound of water, Hyuga Senrin immersed her naked body in the river.

Her hands rested on the bank as she looked toward the end of the path, waiting for Uchiha Tunan to arrive.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Mina had just returned home.

The moment she entered, she saw the cat's corpse on the floor and froze in place.

"Koyuki..."

Tears welled up in Uchiha Mina's eyes as she threw herself beside the cat's body.

Its abdomen had already been crushed into pulp, while its face still bore an expression of terror.

"Who... who did this..."

This cat meant an extraordinary amount to Uchiha Mina. Not only was it adorable and intelligent, but it had also been the first gift Uchiha Tunan had given her.

Suddenly, Uchiha Mina noticed a note on the floor.

Her trembling hand reached out and unfolded it.

It read:

Does it hurt? If I can't have it, I'd rather destroy it.

I left a note in the drawer of my classroom desk. It has my current location on it.

"Hyuga Senrin, I'll kill you."

Uchiha Mina clenched her teeth and wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, only to realize that her vision seemed somewhat different from before.

A single tomoe slowly spun in Uchiha Mina's eyes.

But Uchiha Mina felt no joy at awakening her Sharingan. She immediately got to her feet and raced toward the Ninja Academy.

On the forest path, mottled with the shadows of branches.

Uchiha Tunan strolled forward expressionlessly, placing each step with exceptional lightness, making not the slightest sound.

Like a beast hunting in the darkness, he concealed his presence, ready to strike with thunderous force at any moment.

Although the forests near Konoha had virtually no large wild beasts aside from the Forest of Death, which was sealed off by a barrier.

Even so, Uchiha Tunan habitually remained vigilant.

Hoot, hoot~

Bird calls rang out through the dim forest.

The time Hyuga Senrin had arranged with Uchiha Tunan was nine in the evening.

Naturally, Uchiha Tunan had to arrive right on time, so as to give her enough time to prepare.

"Splash..."

As he neared the waterfall, Uchiha Tunan heard the sound of Hyuga Senrin stirring the water beneath the waterfall's roar.

Looking over, he saw a lovely figure in the darkness with both hands resting on the bank, her body submerged in the water as she gazed at him dreamily.

"Tunan-kun, you're here."

Uchiha Tunan raised a hand to adjust his gold-rimmed glasses and pretended to be flustered. "Sorry, I came at the wrong time."

With that, he immediately turned around.

Seeing Uchiha Tunan at a loss for what to do, Hyuga Senrin's face blossomed with a triumphant smile. She said softly, "Tunan-kun, your timing is perfect. Wait for me."

"Senrin, get dressed quickly. Don't worry, I didn't see anything."

As soon as Uchiha Tunan said that, he heard the sound of water behind him.

Then came the sound of bare feet stepping on dead leaves.

"All right, you can turn around now."

Only after Hyuga Senrin's voice sounded behind him did Uchiha Tunan turn back.

Suddenly, Hyuga Senrin threw her arms around Uchiha Tunan and pressed her head deeply against his chest.

"You..." Looking at the bare-bodied Hyuga Senrin in his arms, Uchiha Tunan froze stiffly like a fledgling.

"Tunan-kun, I like you. Did you know that?" Hyuga Senrin closed her eyes and tightly wrapped her arms around Uchiha Tunan's waist.

Uchiha Tunan looked at the ground behind Hyuga Senrin.

A trail of water extended all the way from the bank to where she stood.

Uchiha Tunan said in a nervous voice, "I... I know."

Hyuga Senrin tightened her embrace slightly, asking excitedly, "Do you like Mina?"

The corners of Uchiha Tunan's lips curled up faintly. He raised his left hand and gently stroked Hyuga Senrin's slick back, saying warmly, "Why would you think that? I've always treated her like a little sister."

Whether it was Uchiha Tunan's answer or his actions, Hyuga Senrin no longer seemed so agitated.

"I hate it so much. Why was I born into the Hyuga Clan? You know, the Hyuga Clan doesn't allow its members to marry outsiders. Especially someone like me from the Branch Family—I was branded with the Caged Bird Seal from the moment I was born. Sometimes, I truly feel like a bird trapped in a cage. My whole life is destined to be controlled by the Main Family. I have no freedom, no future, not even the right to pursue love."

"There must be a way to solve it."

As Uchiha Tunan spoke, his left hand slowly moved down along the slick curve of her body, stopping only at Hyuga Senrin's slender waist.

Meanwhile, his right hand gently patted her back.

Feeling Uchiha Tunan's warm palm moving across her back, Hyuga Senrin rubbed her head against him comfortably and said, "My parents were obviously so weak, yet the Main Family still ordered them to go to war. They had no right to refuse. Even when my father died on the battlefield, no one informed me. They never treated me as a person. Since I was little, I was indoctrinated with the idea that I had to be loyal to the Main Family. I didn't want that, so I could only act weak, hoping they would pity me, think I was useless, then remove my Caged Bird Seal and expel me from the Hyuga Clan."

"Naive." Uchiha Tunan looked down at Hyuga Senrin in his arms, a trace of mockery flashing through his eyes.

However, Hyuga Senrin had her eyes closed and noticed nothing. She continued, "It really was too naive. Sometimes, I even wanted to kill myself. But I couldn't bear to leave you, you know? Your appearance gave me the courage to keep living. You're so gentle, so considerate."

Uchiha Tunan patted Hyuga Senrin's back again and again, his voice faintly cold. "Really? You're not planning to kill yourself anymore?"

"I... Just like this, can you hold me a little longer?"

Tears welled at the corners of Hyuga Senrin's eyes, dampening Uchiha Tunan's chest.