Beast Blood Boils

It was Ye Fan's first time visiting Hana Inuzuka's workplace. Mainly because of his bad reputation, he had been afraid of causing her trouble.

If Hana had not failed to return home for several days in a row, he would not have come here specifically this time.

Before long, Hana appeared in the waiting room. It was obvious that she had grown much more haggard over the past two days.

"Sister Hana, I'm not interrupting your work, am I?" Ye Fan smiled lightly at Hana as she approached.

"Ye Fan, you came at just the right time. Laiyun's condition is getting worse and worse. I'm afraid it..." Hana abruptly trailed off.

Ye Fan could guess that Aoi Inuzuka's departure had dealt Laiyun a serious blow.

"Sister Hana, don't worry. Let me give it a try later and see if I can talk Laiyun into it," Ye Fan said.

"Ye Fan, I'll take you there now." Hana did not want to waste any time. She feared that something might suddenly happen to Laiyun. If that happened, she would never forgive herself.

Led by Hana, Ye Fan arrived at a hospital room and saw Laiyun lying motionless on the floor.

Laiyun was actually a full size thinner than when Ye Fan had last seen it. If this continued, it would not be long before it was nothing but skin and bones.

"Laiyun, look who's here?" Hana tried to draw Laiyun's attention, but failed.

Laiyun lay there like a statue, utterly motionless. Even when Ye Fan walked up beside it, it showed no reaction at all.

"Ye Fan, I'm worried that if Laiyun keeps going like this... Do you have any ideas? I've tried persuading it many times." Hana spoke with a pained expression.

Ye Fan crouched down and checked Laiyun's condition. It truly was terrible. If it continued to languish in grief, it might one day follow Aoi into death.

"Sister Hana, can you let me speak with Laiyun alone?" Ye Fan asked, his expression serious.

"Alright, you two talk." Hana closed the door behind her as she left.

Only Ye Fan and Laiyun remained in the spacious room, making it feel especially cold and desolate.

Once he was certain Hana had gone far enough away, Ye Fan finally spoke. "Are you planning to wait here and die?"

There was no response. Laiyun's open eyes had no focus at all.

Perhaps this was what it meant for sorrow to be greater than death of the heart.

Ye Fan paid it no mind and continued on his own. "Dying would be fine too. You're not only making Sister Hana worry for nothing, you're wasting a lot of resources."

Laiyun remained unmoved.

Ye Fan suddenly sneered and said mockingly, "What a pity. Sister Aoi died so miserably, yet even now, you don't even know what her killer looks like."

This time, Laiyun, which had been completely motionless, finally reacted.

A fierce glint began to appear in its unfocused eyes, and its slack body tensed.

"As Sister Aoi's ninja hound, instead of thinking about how to avenge her, you've willingly sunk into depravity. Looks like that killer can secretly celebrate now." Knowing he had found a breakthrough, Ye Fan continued.

Those words seemed to provoke Laiyun. It abruptly rose from the ground, letting out a low, threatening growl.

"So, are you going to keep waiting for death, or find an opportunity to avenge Sister Aoi?" Ye Fan stared directly into Laiyun's eyes.

Laiyun bared its sharp teeth, murderous intent beginning to radiate from its entire body.

At that moment, it wanted nothing more than to tear that person to shreds!

I can't die. Not yet!

It had to find that person. It had to kill that person. It had to avenge its master!

Hatred had successfully awakened its fighting spirit.

Seeing that it was working, Ye Fan simply sat down on the floor beside Laiyun.

"If I were you, I'd kill my enemy with my own hands. I would never leave it to someone else," Ye Fan said calmly.

His words were no lie. That was simply the kind of person he was. He dealt with his own enemies himself!

Laiyun began to look directly at Ye Fan. It was deeply grateful that this boy had given it the drive to keep living!

How could it fall here while its enemy still lived!

"Want to hear my advice?" Ye Fan's lips curled into a slight smile as he continued. "If you're smart, the first thing you need to do is nurse your body back to health. In your current state, forget avenging Sister Aoi. You'd probably have trouble even walking out of Konoha."

"Getting your body back in shape doesn't mean you'll have what it takes to take revenge. Although I've never met that enemy, you and Sister Aoi working together couldn't defeat them. Do you think you can handle them alone? That's right, you're too weak. Once you've recovered, the next thing you need to do is become stronger."

"Once you have enough strength, all that remains is to find that enemy. When that time comes, you can kill them however you want. Even if you devour them alive, no one will be able to stop you!"

"A blood debt must be repaid in blood. Sister Aoi cannot have died for nothing. You will avenge her!"

At that point, Ye Fan suddenly fell silent, giving Laiyun time to digest his words.

Ye Fan's words pierced Laiyun's heart like the tip of a blade.

At the same time, they were like a spark that ignited Laiyun's blood.

Beast blood boiled!

The enemy had to die!

"Do you understand your situation now?" Ye Fan spoke again. "Stop wasting time. Every minute you waste is an act of indulgence toward your enemy. Recover quickly. Your enemy is still waiting for you!"

Awooo!

Laiyun threw back its head and howled like a wolf, as though every emotion within it had been released in that cry.

Though Ye Fan's words seemed to prick with every sentence, they were a potent medicine. Their effect was far greater than Hana's earnest attempts at persuasion over the past few days.

Laiyun's howl immediately drew Hana over. She rushed in frantically, thinking something had happened, her face full of worry.

But when she saw Laiyun, which had been listless for days, standing there with light in its eyes, she froze.

Oh, heavens!

How had Ye Fan done it?

Something she had been helpless to resolve for days had been settled by Ye Fan in mere moments.

It was unbelievable!

At that moment, Hana suddenly realized that she ought to take a fresh look at this younger brother of hers.

"Cooperate fully with your treatment. That is your top priority right now!" Ye Fan added, giving Laiyun one more instruction.

Even without that reminder, Laiyun would surely no longer be as dispirited as before.

Hana personally saw Ye Fan out of the animal hospital and asked in a seeking tone, "Ye Fan, what exactly did you say to Laiyun? Why has it changed so much?"

"For someone whose heart has died, give them a goal to live for, and they will find the courage to live. The same is true for a ninja hound!" Ye Fan said breezily.