Family Secrets

Shiraishi Yoshijo now had only one thought in his mind: what on earth had he been doing for the past two years?

He had risked his life to raise a bug that devoured his lifespan, thinking he could make it spin a cocoon and emerge as a butterfly, only to be told now that because he lacked money, this butterfly couldn't fly.

In the end, he chose the Multi-Eye Butterfly, the Thunder Butterfly, and the Water Butterfly.

The Multi-Eye Butterfly was a reconnaissance-type Ninja Butterfly; its eyes grew on the top of its head, allowing for all-around, blind-spot-free observation of its surroundings within a range of about one hundred meters.

Shiraishi Yoshijo possessed sensory abilities himself, but the reason he still chose this type of Ninja Butterfly was that he

was afraid of death.

He could already feel the deep malice of the world, especially now.

As for the Thunder Butterfly and the Water Butterfly, both were support-type; their existence could enhance the effects of ninjutsu, and they had another benefit: they were cheap.

Seeing that Shiraishi Yoshijo was unhappy, Shiraishi Eizawa spoke up to boost his morale: "The Explosion Butterfly is actually an option, but your chakra can't keep up, so raising it would be a waste. As for the Gluttony Butterfly, our clan has flight ninjutsu."

Unfortunately, Shiraishi Yoshijo didn't believe a single punctuation mark of what he said.

Even if the clan truly possessed flight ninjutsu, it surely wouldn't be something that could be learned so easily.

The child was getting older and harder to fool; Shiraishi Eizawa felt quite awkward.

"Since you've made your choice, I shall begin. Are you ready, little one?"

As Mei spoke, she waved her hand, and a swarm of butterflies flew from her body to circle around Shiraishi Yoshijo.

Shiraishi Yoshijo nodded; after choosing the butterfly species, only the final step remained: blood extraction.

He had originally thought he would need to use a blade to slit his wrist, but he hadn't expected the butterflies to extract the blood themselves.

This type of butterfly seemed to be a Blood-Sucking Butterfly.

Books recorded that they could drain a person dry in an instant; they were very useful against ordinary people, but appeared quite amateurish when used against ninjas.

He took off his top, and the Blood-Sucking Butterflies began to cling to his body to feed. Expecting it to be painful, he even closed his eyes.

After a while, feeling no pain, he opened his eyes again and carefully observed these Blood-Sucking Butterflies, finding that other than their bellies beginning to swell, there didn't seem to be anything special about them.

Gradually, he began to feel that something was wrong; his whole body felt limp and devoid of strength, and his legs went weak, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground.

Fortunately, Shiraishi Eizawa supported him in time, and then those Blood-Sucking Butterflies began to fly out of the great hall.

"Come back to have your blood drawn every half month. You may withdraw; I am a bit tired."

After Mei finished speaking, she closed her eyes, and Shiraishi Eizawa carried him on his back as they took their leave.

Returning to the plaza, Shiraishi Eizawa didn't rush to head back, but instead asked: "Do you want to see this place? This is the Pure Land of our clan."

The term "Pure Land" appeared once again in Shiraishi Eizawa's mouth. Shiraishi Yoshijo was quite curious about this place, and as it happened, he still had some doubts.

Seeing him nod, Shiraishi Eizawa simply scooped him into his arms and said: "You chose the Gluttony Butterfly because you wanted to fly, didn't you? Actually, flying is a very simple matter."

As he spoke, dense swarms of butterflies flew out from Shiraishi Eizawa's body, combining and shifting in the air until they gradually transformed into a wide chair.

Shiraishi Yoshijo was dumbfounded. This was possible too?

Noticing his shock, Shiraishi Eizawa sat down on it while holding him: "Butterflies can dance in the sky; as Butterfly Users, we can naturally fly as well."

The butterflies carried the two of them, gradually ascending into the sky and slowly flying toward the outskirts of the village.

The speed of this method of flight was quite slow, only slightly faster than a normal person walking.

All show and no substance, Shiraishi Yoshijo thought, unable to complain.

However, no matter how slow the speed was, he was flying after all; his first flight still made him quite excited.

After flying out of the village, Shiraishi Yoshijo felt as if he had entered a fairy-tale world; everything he saw stimulated his eyes.

Under the azure sky, a sea of flowers stretched boundlessly, with countless butterflies rising and falling within the floral expanse.

A gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks, soft and pleasant, and birds flew past, letting out a few curious chirps.

Is this the Pure Land?

He had never been able to understand Shiraishi Eizawa's calm attitude toward death, but now, he finally understood a little.

If the Pure Land truly looked like this, then why fear death?

Looking at the sea of flowers beneath his feet, Shiraishi Yoshijo felt as if his soul had been purified. His heart expanded, and he couldn't help but shout out loud: "Ah~~~"

Ever since he was reincarnated into this inexplicable clan, he had felt a strange sense of tension.

As his clansmen and family members disappeared one by one, this tension had reached its peak.

He feared death, dreaded disappearance, and was terrified of the unknown.

A dying person would grasp at the final straw, and a blind man would yearn for the light.

In this moment, he felt he had grasped the future.

He knew very well that this was just an illusion, but this feeling was truly quite good.

It was a beautiful dream; no one wanted to wake up.

Hearing this cathartic shout, Shiraishi Eizawa's expression was complex; his lips trembled, but he couldn't say a word.

After a while, Shiraishi Yoshijo finally came to his senses and felt instantly embarrassed, but Shiraishi Eizawa only smiled and stroked his head.

"Uncle Eizawa, what is the true origin of Butterfly Habitat Valley? There is no record of it in the family archives. Also, it was obvious that people were living in the village just now, so why didn't anyone come out to look at us when we arrived?"

"I don't know the origin of Butterfly Habitat Valley either, and no one in the family can explain it clearly. It has just been passed down from generation to generation like this. Perhaps Lady Mei knows something, but..."

Shiraishi Eizawa hesitated, leaving his sentence unfinished: "In any case, there is no need to worry about the affairs of Butterfly Habitat Valley. You only need to know that this is our summoning ground. As for the village, those who live there are not people, but Ninja Butterflies—they are all our deceased clansmen."

"Cocoon Binding Technique? Ninja Butterflies living like humans? If they are clansmen, why won't they come out to meet us? And how exactly do you distinguish between Ninja Butterflies and Summoning Butterflies?"

"Ninja Butterflies are a race formed after clansmen use the Cocoon Binding Technique, while Summoning Butterflies are butterflies that the Ninja Butterflies help us cultivate. Most of them have no consciousness and have short life cycles."

"As for why they won't see us, it is because many things have happened here."

"Can't you tell me?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo was truly curious; everything here was unheard of and had never appeared in the entire Naruto world.

"It's not that. You will encounter these problems in the future anyway, so telling you now might allow you to make some preparations."

Shiraishi Eizawa hesitated for a moment, then probed: "Now that you have an understanding of this place, what do you think about living here as a Ninja Butterfly after death?"

"It seems... quite nice?"

This was a lie Shiraishi Yoshijo told against his own heart; he wanted to live as a human, not a butterfly.

"It is indeed quite nice here, but in the past, not everyone in the family thought so."

"They believed the family had been bewitched by the butterflies and that only by staying away from them could the family be saved. For generations, the clan has been divided into two factions arguing over this issue, and there is still no result to this day."

"As for the reason, it is the suicidal behavior of the clansmen."

Suicide?

Shiraishi Yoshijo was stunned.

"Everything here is too beautiful, almost like living in a dream."

"The outside world, however, is the exact opposite. The chaos and disorder brought by war, along with the sinister nature of the human heart, are constantly battering the spirit of every clansman."

Shiraishi Yoshijo was lost in thought.

Flowers that are too enchanting are often poisonous; the human heart is unexpectedly fragile. Even stones battered by wind and rain will develop cracks, so how could people of flesh and blood be spared?

"During times of peace, the suicidal behavior of the clansmen is relatively rare, but once war breaks out, this behavior reaches its peak. Every generation of clan heads has racked their brains over this matter without finding any solution."

Hearing this, Shiraishi Yoshijo couldn't help but say: "Wouldn't it be fine if we just stopped passing down the Cocoon Binding Technique?"

"It is not that simple. A ninja's corpse hides a significant amount of intelligence, and only by using the Cocoon Binding Technique can we prevent that information from leaking."

"The Butterfly Manipulation Secret Technique has no bloodline restrictions. Once outsiders learn of it, not only the family but even this place will be invaded."

"Butterfly Habitat Valley is the family's greatest foundation; no matter what, we cannot lose this place."

"Even if the family is defeated and the clansmen are scattered until only one person remains, as long as we have this place, we can make a comeback."

At this point, Shiraishi Eizawa sighed: "If you want to revitalize the family in the future, these are all problems you will have to solve. Do not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Revitalizing the family—this topic had drifted a bit too far.

"What does the suicidal behavior of the clansmen have to do with the Ninja Butterflies in the village refusing to see us?"

Shiraishi Eizawa's expression was complex: "The more people in the clan who committed suicide, the more people there were who held those thoughts. About a hundred years ago, they used the Reverse Summoning Technique to come here and launch a massacre."

"They wanted to destroy this place to prevent the clansmen from committing suicide. Although they were suppressed later, the relationship between the family and the Ninja Butterflies—or rather, the relationship with Lady Mei—dropped to freezing point."

"After several years of easing and mediation, Lady Mei finally reached a reconciliation with the family, but she set down many rules."

"Non-direct descendants are not allowed to enter here; violators will die. The Ninja Butterflies will no longer fight for the clansmen, only cultivate Summoning Butterflies for us. There are also many assessment systems; if you cannot pass the assessment, you cannot learn the secret techniques."

"However, since there are only the two of us left in the family now, your assessment is no longer necessary. Do you remember the summoning scroll I had you sign?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo nodded.

"That scroll was originally capable of summoning all the Ninja Butterflies, but now, even if you summon them, they will not respond."

"Unless it is a direct blood relative, such as your parents, but even then, anyone beyond three generations will not respond."

"Moreover, even direct blood relatives are not allowed to help us fight. Any Ninja Butterfly that violates the rules is not allowed to return here and must stay in the ninja world forever."

What kind of ridiculous rule was this? Shiraishi Yoshijo was speechless.

Although he didn't know how strong the Ninja Butterflies were in combat, if they couldn't participate in battles, what was the point of signing that scroll?

Thinking of this, he asked directly: "So, are we raising the butterflies, or are the butterflies raising us?"

It was no wonder he would ask this. The clansmen used the Cocoon Binding Technique to become Ninja Butterflies, and now the Ninja Butterflies wouldn't fight for the clansmen, so who was really raising whom?

"A butterfly's life lasts from a few months to a few years at most; compared to humans, it is far too short."

"We use our bodies to raise the butterflies, creating the Ninja Butterfly race, and their lifespans are extended because of us."

"Without us, they are just ordinary butterflies without consciousness, and their numbers would never increase."

"Without them, we would lose the secret techniques that allow us to gain a foothold in the ninja world. We are in a mutually dependent relationship; the question of who is raising whom does not exist."

Is that really the case?