Seven-Tailed Fu (Part 2)

As the mother and daughter sat in the room, watching Mai depart, the Takikage spoke first in a low voice: "I am sorry. Back then, I only thought of doing that because I wanted you to be happy. If I had known it would only make you more unhappy, I certainly would not have done it. Besides, you are still young; there is no need to think that way. In truth, there are still people who can be friends with a jinchuriki."

"Then, my dear Mother, when will I ever find such a person? After I am dead, perhaps?" Fu seemed to have calmed down, but her tone remained somewhat sharp.

"You will definitely find one. Perhaps your future husband will not care about such things," the Takikage said, though she sounded somewhat uncertain herself.

"Is that so?" Fu whispered. "Mother, if you were asked to marry a jinchuriki, what would you do? If you knew the other person was a jinchuriki, would you agree? Think about it—the person you lie beside every night suddenly transforms into a Tailed Beast. I don't think anyone would dare to say yes. Because no one knows when a jinchuriki might suddenly lose control and turn into a beast." After finishing, Fu tilted her head to look at the ceiling, as if something there held a strange attraction for her.

"I..." the Takikage began, but Fu interrupted. "Mother, you don't need to say anything. If it were me, and the person I was to marry was a jinchuriki, I would also have my reservations." Fu's voice grew quieter and quieter.

"It is not like that. There are people who can do it; there are people who can," the Takikage insisted. Then, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, she hurriedly added, "Right! The First Hokage and his wife—his wife was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, and they were together by choice. Since the First Hokage could do it, then surely someone else can do the same."

"The First Hokage, the God of Shinobi... do you really think there is anyone like that who would like me?" Fu countered.

"As long as there is life, there is hope. Now is not the time to consider these things. You will understand when you encounter it in the future. Right now, your safety is the priority." The Takikage seemed to detach herself from those questions, and in this moment, her demeanor became firm.

"Enough, this is not the time for this. At this stage, your safety is paramount. Do not run around, and do not leave the village. I will have your father send people over. Once they arrive, you will go to Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. Sunagakure is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations and possesses great strength; you will be safe there."

"I see. And in what capacity would I go to Sunagakure? As the jinchuriki of the Seven-Tails?" Fu asked with a cold smile.

"Any capacity will do, just not as a jinchuriki. Rest assured, we made preparations for this long ago. Your father reported it years ago—the Seven-Tails of Sunagakure has long since gone missing, so you are not a jinchuriki. Once the danger passes, you can return. We only need you and your sister to live well. If there were any other way, we would never have chosen you to be a jinchuriki."

"Yes, sometimes I only feel fortunate that it was me chosen to be the jinchuriki and not Mai. At the very least, in this regard, I, as the older sister, should be the one to protect her."

"Takikage-sama, this is bad!" someone shouted from outside at that moment. The mother and daughter exchanged a glance and set aside their previous conversation; they could not expose these circumstances in front of outsiders.

"What happened? Come in."

"Takikage-sama, it is terrible. The secret vault has been breached, and all the guards inside have been wiped out," a ninja said as he entered.

"What? How could there be no alarm?" The Takikage was shocked. Ignoring Fu, she vanished from the room. Seeing this, Fu followed her out.

By the time Fu arrived at the secret location, the Takikage was already standing there, flanked by several masked ninjas—the Anbu of Takigakure. Fu looked at the ninjas lying around the perimeter and approached the Takikage. Looking up at the platform, she saw that it was completely empty.

"It seems the goal of Kakuzu and his group was the Hero Water and the sealing scrolls," Fu remarked.

"You are mistaken. If it were Kakuzu, there would be no need to do this. This place only stored the Hero Water and the forbidden techniques of Earth Grudge Fear. To Kakuzu, these things are nothing; he would not risk returning here for them. Furthermore, given Kakuzu's strength, it would be impossible for him to eliminate those guards without a sound. It seems it is not just Kakuzu who has his eyes on this place, but someone else as well—someone even more dangerous than Kakuzu. Fu, until he sends his men, you must stay in the village. Do not wander off. This time, I fear someone is truly targeting you." The Takikage gave the order that Fu was forbidden from leaving the village and tasked her Anbu with ensuring it.

This time, Fu said nothing and simply left.

After Fu departed, the Takikage began issuing orders to the ninjas standing by. "Investigate who has been near this place recently. As for these matters, as long as Fu does not leave the village, leave her be. Also, strengthen the village's security."

"Yes," a voice replied, and an Anbu vanished.

"Takikage-sama, these are the names of those who have had contact with this area or attempted to enter. As for whether there are others, we are still screening; these are just the preliminary investigations."

The efficiency of the Anbu was indeed high; in a short time, they delivered a file to the Takikage. She opened it and flipped through the pages. "Who is this child, and how did he get close?" The Takikage pointed to one of the photos—it was Ye Wuji.

"He arrived here accompanying Ukyo. According to our investigation and Ukyo's own account, he is an orphan of the war who happened to run into Ukyo while fleeing, so he was brought along. Additionally, our investigation shows he came to watch the Daimyo's inauguration speech. Afterward, he encountered Fu, and because Fu was about to engage in battle with Kakuzu, she feared he would be caught in the crossfire and placed him within the barrier of the Sacred Tree. This has been verified by Fu herself. According to her, because they were under attack, she feared leaving him to wander, so she placed him inside the Sacred Tree."

"Furthermore, based on the time Fu spent fighting Kakuzu and the time she brought him out, the interval is extremely short. Therefore, while he is a suspect, the probability is very low."

"Brought by Ukyo, then? What did he do before that? Did he ever try to approach the Sacred Tree?" the Takikage asked calmly.

"In the first few days, he made no moves and stayed where he was resting. Later, he did attempt to go toward the Sacred Tree three times."

"Oh?"

"According to our investigation, the first time was while playing with some local children; someone suggested swimming over here, but they failed. The second time, he came secretly on his own and was discovered, so he was sent back. The reason he was interested in the Sacred Tree seems to be because of some local villagers. They say the Sacred Tree has a spirit and one can pray to it; he wanted to pray before the tree. The third time was the same," the Anbu reported.

If Ye Wuji were here, he would be shocked. His attempts to approach the Sacred Tree had been under their eyes the entire time, despite his belief that his actions were covert.

"Since he had such intentions, why rule him out? Even if he is a child, perhaps he doesn't even know he is being used," the Takikage said.

"Yes, we had that suspicion as well, which is why he was listed; otherwise, he would not have been included. Based on Fu's words, she acted on a whim at the time, which is why it happened that way."

"I see. Then keep him under surveillance for a few days, but do not alert them. If nothing is found, we will drop it. As for those other fellows, keep them under strict watch," the Takikage ordered.

"Yes." With those words, the person vanished.

By the time Ye Wuji waited at home until it was nearly dark, the others returned one after another.

"You're back, Ye! I was so worried about you, fearing something might have happened," Rei said happily upon seeing him.

"Indeed, Ye. When we heard you were there too, we were all very worried. Everyone was out looking for you just now. You didn't even say anything when you got back; you don't know how worried everyone was. Look, even Yuta went out to find you," Uncle Ken lectured him while describing how everyone had been concerned.

Hearing this, Ye Wuji felt deeply moved. He hurriedly replied, "I am sorry, Sister Rei, Uncle Ken, Yuta, and Sister Tomomi. I made everyone worry. It was so chaotic at the time; a ninja sister saved me and then had another ninja bring me back. When I saw no one was home and didn't know what had happened, I didn't go out to look for everyone. I'm sorry for causing you all such concern."

"It's good that you know you made us worry. I've told you many times to call him Brother Yuta; why can't you remember? It seems I need to teach you some manners again." Ye Wuji didn't feel much about calling Uncle Ken or Sister Tomomi by their titles. Even counting his past life, he had died at twenty, and those he had transmigrated to were older than him, so he felt no resistance. In truth, Ye Wuji was indifferent to titles. In his previous life, he had often seen forty-year-olds calling twenty-year-olds "brother"—it was like the underworld, where the capable were respected. Of course, Ye Wuji had never been in the underworld.

But given his current body, he was like Conan. If he couldn't adapt to these things, he wouldn't survive. Initially, he hadn't called Rei "sister," using her name directly, but after her repeated "suppression," he had changed his tune. However, calling Yuta "brother" was a matter of his own pride. Since transmigrating, the people he had called "brother" or "sister" were the likes of the Fourth Hokage or the founders of the Akatsuki. Calling someone with no fame "brother" was something he struggled to say. Of course, if the person were a beauty, that was an exception—like Konan, whom he had called Sister Konan without any discomfort. Beauty always had its privileges.

Fortunately, Ye Wuji had never called Yuta "brother," and the others didn't mind. As for Rei, she just used it as an excuse to bully him.

In truth, Rei and the others didn't realize Ye Wuji's inner thoughts, though Uncle Ken had long since figured it out, but he didn't say anything.

"Sister Rei, what exactly happened? Is there going to be a war again?" Ye Wuji asked casually. He really was just asking; he didn't know what had occurred, but since it was the era of the Shinobi World War, it wouldn't be strange for Takikage to be involved in a conflict.

Ye Wuji didn't expect that his casual question would make them think he was remembering his lost parents. Even Rei, who loved to bully him, stopped teasing him.

"No, how could there be a war? It was just some troublemakers. Don't worry, Ye," Uncle Ken said, then turned to Tomomi. "Tomomi, go prepare dinner. I'm sure everyone is hungry after such a long time." He then gave Tomomi a wink.

Tomomi was stunned for a moment before realizing what he meant. "Yes, I'll go prepare dinner right away."

Their reactions left Ye Wuji feeling confused. He didn't know if he had said something wrong or if the earlier events were classified. It was normal for people not to tell children about such things, so he stopped asking.

"Right, I am hungry. Thank you, Sister Tomomi. By the way, why haven't I seen Uncle Ukyo and his wife? Didn't they come back?"

"Mom and Dad won't be back for a few days," Rei replied. "There are matters at the Daimyo's place, so don't worry, Ye."

"Oh, I see," Ye Wuji nodded helplessly. As expected, children have no human rights; nothing is ever discussed with the children, he thought.

After finishing the meal, Ye Wuji helped clear the table. When he returned from the kitchen, he happened to overhear Uncle Ken speaking to Rei and Yuta outside the door. "Rei, Yuta, for the next little while, the Young Master won't have time to come back. As you know, the Daimyo has been injured, so the Young Master must remain there to help keep watch. To ensure your training isn't delayed, the Young Master has arranged for you to reside at the Daimyo Mansion. You will be receiving his instruction alongside Lord Takanao. Prepare yourselves today; you are to leave tomorrow. Naturally, I will be going as well. Since the Young Master is only there to teach you and lacks the time to keep you company, I shall be the one to supervise your training."

"I see. But what about Ye? He seemed to recall something earlier—it's all the fault of those assassins for making him remember those things. Leaving him all alone doesn't seem right. Shouldn't we take him with us?" Rei suggested.

"That's true. I still have my sister to look after me, but he seems to be a refugee who fled here alone. To run into something like this... it must be hard for him to live on his own. It's all those people's fault. Once I learn the Master's skills, I will definitely bring peace to the world," Yuta said firmly.

"There is no need to worry. Only the three of us are going to the Daimyo Mansion. Your sister must remain behind; after all, the Daimyo Mansion cannot accommodate so many people. Yuta, you are considered half a disciple of the Young Master and need to train, which is why you are going. Your sister, however, cannot go, but she can look after Ye. You can rest easy," Ken explained.

"Come to think of it, Ye never calls you 'brother,' Yuta. But you mustn't think of losing to him; you have to work hard! I'm waiting for the day he calls you 'brother' so I can tease him about it, hahaha!" At this, Rei giggled incessantly.

"Right, there are some things you should know. You might be staying at the Daimyo Mansion for a month this time," Ken continued.

"Why is that, Uncle Ken? And what if I miss my sister?" Yuta asked.

"Since you are going to the Daimyo Mansion, I might as well tell you: the Daimyo has been struck by a potent poison. It is said to be a very formidable toxin that no one here can neutralize. Currently, he is relying on others to suppress the poison, which is why the Young Master cannot leave—he must go out to find someone capable of curing it. On the way here, didn't we see a doctor wandering about saving people? That person is quite famous. However, due to the distance and the need for secrecy, it may take a month for him to arrive. Once he cures the Daimyo, everything will be fine. You must not speak of this to anyone else.

"Alright, go back and rest. We will head to the Daimyo Mansion together tomorrow. Also, Yuta, if you miss your sister, you can tell me, and I will arrange for her to visit you. You are currently at the stage of building your foundation and cannot afford to be distracted. As for Ye, don't worry; I will have Tomomi look after him. It is only a month or so, which isn't very long. I will make all the necessary arrangements and leave behind enough money."

Hearing this, Ye Wuji realized it was no longer appropriate to listen, so he hurried away and returned to his room to rest. As for their training, Ye Wuji didn't care; he had already decided not to become a samurai, so these things no longer concerned him, even if he did envy that secret technique, Swallow Reversal.