Anu

Inside Hyuga Hiashi's study, the candlelight flickered, casting mottled shadows against the walls.

Upon hearing his brother's question, "How many can you kill?", Hizashi Hyuga stood frozen in place. The boiling rage that had consumed him was doused as if by a basin of ice water, leaving only a lingering thread of resentment churning in his chest.

He opened his mouth, only to find he had nothing to say.

It was true. Even if he killed Hyuga Akira, there was still Hyuga Gen, and Hyuga Takashi... The old men of the Main House were deeply entrenched; could he ever finish them all? And even if he did, would the Hyuga clan not fall into internal strife?

Hyuga Hiashi watched the shifting expressions on his brother's face, a faint smile appearing on his own.

He slowly lifted his teacup, took a light sip, and his tone softened.

"Hizashi, I know you are unconvinced. I have raised Ah Hong for so many years, and my heart aches for him too. But it is a blessing enough that he returned alive. As for the Byakugan, I will find a way to get it back. Regarding Elder Akira..."

He paused, set down his teacup, and stood sideways. The candlelight illuminated his face, leaving one half in light and the other in shadow.

"Elder Akira has, after all, shed blood and performed meritorious service for the clan. Without concrete evidence, what can I do to him? If I were to punish him rashly, what would the other clansmen think? They would say I am heartless, that I strike too ruthlessly against a hero. That would cause unrest, and instead, give others an opportunity to exploit us."

Hizashi Hyuga clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "Are we just going to let it go? Ah Hong almost died by his hand!"

"Of course we cannot just let it go." Hyuga Hiashi glanced at his brother, his eyes deep and inscrutable. "But dealing with a person does not always require open blades and spears. Hizashi, do you understand what I mean?"

Hizashi Hyuga felt a jolt in his heart and looked up to meet his brother's gaze.

Those eyes were as calm as water, yet they seemed to hide a bottomless abyss.

"I... what should I do?"

Hyuga Hiashi did not answer directly. Instead, he turned his back to his brother, his voice low.

"Elder Akira is getting on in years. Having returned from the Southern Border after so many battles, his health must be far worse than before. I have decided to let him enjoy his retirement. As for his duties, they shall be temporarily handed over to Takashi."

"Hizashi, you are a model for the Branch House. It is only right that you visit him often. The young people of the clan should show more concern for the health of their elders..."

Hizashi Hyuga did not consider himself a clever man, but he understood the subtext in his brother's words.

Walking home, he looked up at the sky. He did not know when it had started, but his brother had always liked to stare blankly at the moon. He looked at the moon in the sky again and again, but could make no sense of it. He shook his head and muttered to himself.

"For the future of the Branch House, I am willing to take action against Hyuga Akira. But you, brother—what is it that you are doing this for?"

When Naoki woke from his nightmare again, the sky outside the window had already darkened.

He lay on the bed, motionless, staring at the ceiling and gasping for air.

That dream had come again.

The eerie Buddha statue, the red bridal veil, the face of Hideko covered in black curse marks, and finally, the blood spraying out when the blade sliced across her throat...

"Damn it..."

He raised his hand and found his palms drenched in cold sweat.

Just then, he noticed Aikawa Yumi sitting in a chair in the darkness, watching him.

Rage surged in his heart. Naoki rolled off the bed and moved like the wind to stand before Aikawa Yumi, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her up.

"You bitch, what did you do to me!"

Aikawa Yumi was held by the throat, suspended in mid-air with her feet off the ground, yet there was not a hint of fear on her face. Instead, she wore a smile.

"What, do you want to kill me?"

"My slave, you are truly disobedient. How dare you resist your master?"

Naoki did not respond, only slowly increasing his strength...

"Kill me, and when the reality of your dream comes to pass, there will be no one left to save you."

The woman's sudden words made Naoki's eyes widen. He released his grip and said coldly, "What do you mean?"

Aikawa Yumi rubbed her bruised throat and coughed a few times, yet that smile remained on her face.

"My slave is quite strong." She smoothed her skirt with measured movements. "But your sister saved you out of kindness, and this is how you repay me?"

Naoki ignored her, his Two-Tomoe Sharingan glowing with an eerie red light in the darkness...

Although his skill in genjutsu was nothing to boast about, he was confident he could handle an ordinary person without chakra.

However, the very next second after he activated the genjutsu, a sudden headache struck him, and he clutched his forehead, stumbling back two steps.

Seeing this, Aikawa Yumi's smile deepened.

"What, do you want to use your ninja genjutsu on me?"

"My slave, you are truly foolish."

Naoki looked up and stared at her intensely.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"I will tell you when the time is right, but not now."

Naoki clenched his fists and took two more steps back. He thought it might be better to just leave; this woman was truly bizarre.

As if she had read his thoughts, Aikawa Yumi smiled and walked toward Naoki.

"Trying to run away, are you? Aren't you afraid that what happens in your dreams will become reality?"

Naoki's heart tightened, and he said coldly, "What do you mean?"

"I bet you had a dream, didn't you..." Aikawa Yumi chuckled softly. "You think it was just a dream? That is merely the reality you will experience in the future..."

Naoki could not accept this.

Reality?

Reality is that he would kill Sakurai Hideko?

Bullshit!

He did not believe such a thing, yet deep down, he could vaguely sense that perhaps it was true...

"Why would it be like this?" he asked.

"When I found you on the beach, you were already at death's door. Therefore, I had to use some special methods. These methods have some side effects, and your dreams are one of them."

"What did you do to me?" Naoki pressed.

Aikawa Yumi reached out and patted Naoki's face, saying, "You don't need to know that. When it's time to tell you, I will."

Naoki threatened, "Do you think I don't dare to kill you?"

"Kill me?" Aikawa Yumi's smile remained unchanged. "By the time the dream consumes your soul, it will be too late for everything."

"When that time comes, don't blame your big sister for not warning you."

Naoki hated the feeling of things being out of his control, but faced with the current situation, he was powerless.

He did not believe the events in his dreams would truly become reality, yet he dared not gamble with Sakurai Hideko's life.

What if...

The time for a choice had arrived: leave this place and return to Konoha to solve the problem, or stay and play along with the woman before him?

In the dim room, Naoki's expression shifted between light and shadow, and Aikawa Yumi, standing opposite him, suddenly spoke.

"Wondering whether to return to Konoha to deal with the problem, or to stay, are you?"

Naoki remained silent.

"My little slave." Aikawa Yumi stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around Naoki's neck, their faces drawing very close. "You think those ninjas can solve your problems? How adorably naive. In this land of the Land of Hot Water, sometimes ninjas aren't all that useful..."