Origin

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At that moment, Hong pulled the smile from her face and stared at Naraku with a wary expression.

Anma Yakumo, Hong was sure, was known by many villagers; after all, the Anma clan was a second‑tier family in the village, and Yakumo, as the former head's daughter, being widely recognized was hardly surprising.

But Hong didn't buy it. Naraku showed up in the middle of the night just to ask who Anma Yakumo was.

Seeing Hong's guard up, Naraku spread his hands and said, "Miss Hong, you don't need to worry. I bear no ill will toward Yakumo. I originally came here on a whim, but seeing how defensive you are, it seems you're also aware of Yakumo's spiritual matters, so I've found the right person to talk to!"

"What do you mean? What's this 'Yakumo's spiritual matter'? I don't understand what you're talking about, and it's getting late. Please, Naraku‑kun, go back now!"

Feeling uneasy, Hong immediately ordered Naraku to leave.

"Miss Hong, I've already said I have no malice. Please hear me out before you kick me out!"

Naraku ignored Hong's dismissal and began to recount how he met Anma Yakumo during the day.

"During the day I ran into Yakumo sketching outdoors. At first I just wanted to say hello, but then I sensed something off about her body. She showed no outward signs, yet I could clearly feel that the person standing before me wasn't just one individual, but two!"

"At first I thought someone was hiding nearby, so I quietly activated my Byakugan. There was only her there. I trust my Byakugan never errs, so the only possibility is that there's something wrong deep within her soul."

"After returning home I told my father about it. He didn't know much either; he only mentioned that a few years ago the Anma clan's head and his wife mysteriously perished in a fire, and their daughter vanished, locked away in the Riken Hill manor!"

"Oh, and he also said you, Miss Hong, were Yakumo's private tutor. If there's any hidden background, you'd know more, which is why I thought it appropriate to disturb you."

Naraku, of course, didn't claim to know every detail about Yakumo; he simply said they had a chance encounter, he noticed something amiss, and then followed the trail to Hong.

After finishing, Naraku lifted his teacup, took a sip, and waited for Hong's reaction.

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After hearing Naraku's story, Hong gradually lowered her guard.

"So that's it. What exactly do you hope to learn from me this time?"

Hearing Hong's question, Naraku set his teacup down and said, "Before I left, I asked Yakumo for her newest painting. At first glance it looks like a simple landscape—blue sky, white clouds, green hills, clear water. But if you look closely, every shadow on the rocks and trees seems to be filled with resentment toward this world."

As he spoke, Naraku produced the painting he had been carrying and handed it to Hong. She examined it for a moment, then sighed helplessly, "Ah, I never imagined Yakumo's bitterness would grow so heavy!"

Then she suddenly asked, "You say you can sense two souls inside Yakumo? How is that possible? Even with Byakugan, you can't directly see another person's soul, can you?"

"That isn't due to my Byakugan, but another power I possess. I'm sorry I can't disclose the details," he replied.

"Indeed, today's youth are something else. So you came here to learn about Yakumo's past?"

"Knowing her past is only part of it. The more important thing is figuring out a way to separate—or even kill—the malicious soul that dwells within her."

"Otherwise, the longer we wait, the more that evil soul will grow stronger, and eventually the true Yakumo will be consumed. I'm sure Miss Hong doesn't want to see that happen," Naruku said, revealing his true intention.

"That's impossible!" Hong bluntly rejected his proposal.

"In fact, a few years ago the Third Hokage entertained the same idea, but every attempt failed. The creature hides deep inside Yakumo's soul; using force would inevitably hurt Yakumo herself."

Hong then recounted the whole background.

Every few generations, the Anma clan produces a member with abilities far beyond their peers, and this generation's prodigy is Yakumo.

However, Yakumo was frail from childhood; even a short training session would leave her exhausted. Her parents therefore withdrew her from the ninja academy, brought her home, and hired Hong as her private tutor.

After meeting the girl, Hong, worried about her health, persuaded her to abandon the ninja dream and live a normal life. Yakumo's parents, not wanting their child's condition to worsen from overexertion, agreed. But this sowed resentment in Yakumo; a monster of desire and revenge—Id—began to fester in her heart.

One day, after yet another failed plea to become a ninja, the other self inside Yakumo broke free from its mental shackles and set the house ablaze, killing her parents. Yakumo, protected by her brain's self‑preservation mechanisms, completely forgot the incident. She mistakenly believed the Third Hokage had sent assassins to kill her parents—and now herself.

Because of Yakumo's terrifying abilities, Konoha isolated her at the Riken Hill manor. Hong, as her mentor, visited often, but Yakumo grew increasingly distant.

The Third Hokage and Hong could only temporarily seal Id together with Yakumo's powers.

"Ah, so that's how it is!" Naruku, who already knew everything, deliberately acted as if he'd just realized it. Such vivid acting—he should be an Oscar winner, not just a mere actor.

"So your plan to separate or destroy Id is fundamentally impossible. In principle, they're one and the same; forcing them apart would only harm Yakumo and could even strengthen Id. That's the conclusion both the Third and I reached after many discussions," Hong said with a hint of resignation.

"Actually, I might have a way to help eliminate Id!"

Naruku thought for a moment, then spoke slowly to Hong.

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