The Ambition of Onmyo Seimei

To prevent Tobirama from turning from a "Forbidden Jutsu Master" into a "Forbidden Book Master," Hiugo went straight to his room to search it, then used Lightning Release to blast that book into smithereens.

Tobirama looked on, speechless; he hadn't expected Hiugo to react so strongly.

"This is for the sake of your physical and mental health. Diligently researching ninjutsu is the proper path."

Hiugo patted Tobirama on the shoulder and headed toward home.

After entering the main gate, a Dark Ninja silently appeared behind Hiugo and produced a scroll, saying, "The latest intelligence from the battlefield."

Hiugo, unfazed, tucked the scroll into his robe, and the Dark Ninja departed immediately after seeing the item accepted.

Such battle reports would soon be distributed throughout the clan, but they required screening beforehand, and only favorable news was disseminated within the clan grounds.

Because he had previously handled intelligence collation, and his father was a high-ranking member of the clan, he possessed the right to view such information in advance.

"You're back. Let's have dinner."

The Uzumaki Second Elder spoke, though he looked at the food before him with a strange expression.

Hiugo glanced at his dinner, his face shifting slightly.

The bowl in front of him was bubbling incessantly, emitting a black gas.

"Ahem, Rion made it. Although it looks a bit strange, there's nothing wrong with the taste."

The Uzumaki First Elder gave a dry cough and said.

Hiugo took a sip, feeling only a slight sweetness and a warm sensation as it went down.

"How does it taste? I have more here."

Rion came out carrying a wooden bucket.

"It's alright, it just looks a bit strange."

Hiugo replied. At first, he thought it was poison, bubbling with black gas like that, but it turned out the taste was quite acceptable.

The Uzumaki Second Elder nodded and explained:

"This is medicinal food. Rion added a bit too much of one ingredient, which is why it looks strange, but it is actually highly beneficial to the body."

"However, you are still young and cannot drink too much. Considering the Uzumaki and Senju clans are distant relatives, you can drink at most two bowls; drink any more and you'll get a nosebleed."

Hiugo looked at the bucket and asked, "What about an average person?"

"An average adult ninja can handle about one bowl. For those with bloodline limits, it varies from person to person."

"I see... I'm interested in this medicinal food. Can you teach me?"

The Uzumaki Second Elder smiled: "I cannot teach you."

Hiugo blinked; that meant Rion could teach him.

Catching Hiugo's gaze, Rion thought for a moment and said: "I can teach you, but you have to trade something for it."

"Fine, what do you want?"

"Accompany me out to play tomorrow. How long has it been since you paid any attention to me..."

"Deal."

Upon hearing this, Rion quickly wrote down the recipe for the medicinal food and handed it to Hiugo, and at his request, she even highlighted the medicinal herbs that had been overused this time.

Hiugo took the prescription, thanked her, and walked straight into his room to start searching for reference materials.

"What is he trying to do? It doesn't seem like he's interested in the medicinal food."

Rion asked curiously.

The Uzumaki Second Elder recalled the smile that had appeared on the corner of Hiugo's mouth when the effects were mentioned, and he revealed a helpless expression: "Grandpa doesn't know either, but let's hope it isn't a bad thing."

The Uzumaki Second Elder would never dream that the recipe he had casually given away would, after Hiugo's repeated modifications, become an essential item for interrogation in the Senju Clan, and would continue to circulate even after the founding of Konoha.

Later generations would call it the Soup of Honesty, leaving behind the nine-character mantra: "Do not look, do not smell, do not taste."

On the other side, after some searching, Senju Zhenyang locked onto a location called the Forest of Death.

The Forest of Death was vast and sparsely populated, filled with either giant beasts or highly venomous snakes and rodents, making it very suitable for seclusion.

When Senju Zhenyang informed the Two-Tails chakra within him of this, he learned that its main body was being entangled by someone and could not break free for the moment, and that it might even be in some danger.

Based on the description provided by the Two-Tails chakra, Senju Zhenyang realized it was Onmyo Seimei.

Is Onmyo Seimei's target the senior?

Senju Zhenyang pondered inwardly. He could roughly sense the strength of the Two-Tails itself; it was at the level of a clan head.

This meant the battle over there was being fought entirely between two clan-head-level combatants. Given that level of intensity, he, a mere elite jonin, would easily die.

And if he didn't go, the residual chakra in his body would at most leave him "severely injured" for a while, but it wouldn't take his life.

Senju Zhenyang was at a crossroads. Previously, he had sacrificed himself without hesitation to protect his clansmen because those clansmen were his brothers, friends, and family.

But now, was it worth sacrificing his life again for a giant cat?

"Kid, I don't need your help. We Tailed Beasts don't need the power of humans."

The Two-Tails chakra said calmly. It could sense the conflict in Senju Zhenyang's heart; in any case, it wasn't counting on this kid's help, as long as he chose a place to live, thereby repaying the favor of healing this kid.

Senju Zhenyang did not hear its voice, instead letting out a long sigh as he muttered to himself:

"If the Clan Head finds out, he'll likely say I don't value my life. If the Second Elder finds out, he'll call me a fool again. But what else could I do? It saved my life; I couldn't just run away while it was in danger, even if it is just a Ninja Beast."

His aura as an Elite Jonin surged abruptly. With years of accumulation combined with this internal breakthrough, the barrier to the Peak Jonin level was shattered.

Under any other circumstances, Senju Zhenyang would have been overjoyed, but now, even becoming a Peak Jonin only slightly increased his chances of survival. He was simply not on the same level as a Clan Head-tier powerhouse.

Onmyo Seimei commanded his Summoned Beasts to attack the Two-Tails with a calm expression. He possessed a total of twelve Summoned Beasts; ten had been raised by previous heads of the Onmyo Clan, while the latter two were his own.

Each one possessed strength capable of matching a Peak Jonin. If he activated the Shikigami Technique to cover their respective weaknesses, their combined strength, while not reaching the Clan Head tier, was still a cut above any Peak Jonin.

It could be said that he alone represented the foundation of the Onmyo Clan. Once he was gone, the Onmyo Clan would truly be nothing more than a mid-tier family.

"Human, what are you trying to do?"

The Two-Tails roared. Although these Summoned Beasts were quite capable, the true threat remained the human in the distance.

Onmyo Seimei chuckled softly: "What am I doing? Naturally, I am capturing you to be my Summoned Beast. According to ancient records, there are nine such beasts in total. If I can subdue them all, the revival of the Onmyo Clan will be just around the corner!"

"Heh, you think you can defeat me? Even if we truly formed a contract, I would never help you."

Onmyo Seimei shook his head:

"Our Onmyo Clan suffered heavy casualties back in the day precisely because we wanted to eliminate the need for a beast's approval to utilize their power."

"Speaking of which, I blame that lord who was half-shrouded in darkness. It was his suggestion that led to the decline of our Onmyo Clan, but because of that, we gained an incredibly strong perception of Ninja Beasts and the technique to communicate with the physical bodies of others through the soul."

Onmyo Seimei smiled: "Even if I cannot fully control you, a few incense sticks of time will be more than enough."

The Two-Tails laughed coldly: "That is a pity, for your technique is ineffective against me."

"I will decide your fate once you are subdued."

Onmyo Seimei looked displeased and formed hand seals.

All of the Summoned Beasts began to change; some sprouted wings, others grew in size, and some suddenly vanished from sight...