Consolation Prize
"Abai, all these years, you've gone from an ordinary white-feathered chicken to a Luan Bird. Haven't you learned any way to attack?"
Abai shook her head. "No. What would I need an attack technique for? I have you. Who could possibly make it all the way to the Yunzhong Clan Grounds?"
Torifu smiled. Abai was family to him, too. She had helped him hatch Qingyun and Liufeng, which was no small contribution.
Now the two little ones, Qingyun and Liufeng, were both quite powerful, and the clan had grown and flourished.
But they had never forgotten Abai, their mother.
Whenever they found something good in the Shinobi World, they always gave it to Abai first.
Even so, after all these decades, Abai still hadn't learned a single ninjutsu.
Apart from becoming more beautiful and more extraordinary, she hadn't changed much at all.
Torifu hadn't expected anything, though. Perched on a branch behind the pavilion, Abai's long tail feathers shimmered with rosy light as they hung down.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Torifu was some kind of immortal, with Abai as his spirit beast.
In truth, she was just a "white-feathered chicken" that had lived a little longer than most.
Before long, Torifu heard a commotion outside, and several people entered the Yunzhong Clan Grounds.
They were Nawaki, Kagami, Dan, and Sakumo.
"Master! Did you know from the start that we'd lose? And lose that badly, too!"
The four came before Torifu, and Nawaki immediately began to complain.
Torifu took a sip of tea, making no comment.
"Sit down."
Once everyone had taken their seats, Torifu looked at Nawaki. "You remember our bet, don't you? You have to get married within a year, and I want to see your child within three."
Nawaki nodded helplessly. "Yes,