A Dog Without a Home

"My family..."

Hearing the leader before her disregard both the potential threat and the mistakes he had made, then suddenly begin speaking of his family's history, Chino was truly caught off guard and at a loss.

At the same time, a flicker of sorrow passed through her eyes, but she quickly concealed it, replacing it with flustered unease.

"Wait, let's talk about this after we deal with Lockfront Village's invasion."

"Since those ninjas dared to do such a thing despite the risk of our retaliation, there must be other forces supporting them from behind."

"If, if we leave this alone, it'll definitely have an even greater impact."

But Arata merely shook his head lightly at the girl's suggestion. Rather than answer directly, he continued on his own:

"The Chinoike Clan."

"They were originally a ninja clan that lived in the Land of Lightning. They possessed a special Kekkei Genkai, the Ketsuryūgan—a unique bloodline ability that awakened after immense emotional trauma."

"Its abilities were similar to the Sharingan. Both possessed extraordinarily powerful genjutsu, and their ocular techniques were said to be inescapable once one had fallen under them."

"They had once been a powerful clan among the foremost ninja families. But the daughter of their clan head at the time was framed by the Land of Lightning Daimyo's principal wife, causing the entire clan to be saddled with baseless charges."

"To successfully suppress this powerful ninja clan, the Land of Lightning's upper ranks hired the Uchiha Clan, whose abilities resembled theirs."

"In the end, the Chinoike Clan was suppressed and exiled to Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water."

"I apologize to you for what my predecessors did."

"Whatever compensation you seek, I will do my best to provide it."

Arata did not mention the Chinoike Clan's final fate. Yet