Discovery

"Who's there?!" Miao's gaze instantly turned razor-sharp. He spun around like lightning, shielding Haku behind him as he stared fixedly toward the woods behind them. The noise from earlier had come from there.

But the moment Miao looked, he was stunned. A woman stood in the grass not far behind them. She had a fair, lovely face and smooth, shoulder-length hair. She was a mature, beautiful woman—Haku's mother.

At that moment, Haku's mother stared at Haku behind Miao in utter disbelief. Her hand tightly covered her mouth, and the bamboo basket she had been carrying had somehow fallen to the ground. The sound from earlier must have come from it.

"It's Aunt Shunzi. Oh no, she must have seen Haku's Kekkei Genkai just now!" Miao's heart jolted. Seeing Shunzi's expression, he knew she had witnessed everything.

"Mother!" Haku was startled at first, but upon seeing her mother, she immediately cried out happily and ran toward Shunzi. "Mother, why are you here? Did you see that? Just now..."

"Hey, hey, didn't I just say no one could find out?!" The corner of Miao's mouth twitched, his expression helpless. Fortunately, it was Haku's mother. If it had been a stranger, Miao would have killed him. This secret absolutely could not be exposed yet, or it might draw the pursuit of Kirigakure Ninja.

Miao was secretly shaken as well. He had been too focused on Haku's Kekkei Genkai and had failed to notice someone approaching from behind. That was too careless! This is already the second time! Has a comfortable life really made me dull? Miao silently warned himself.

Haku had already run up to Shunzi. Her rosy little face was brimming with excitement. Because her mother had to work at home and rarely had time to play with her, Haku was especially happy to see her mother here. Miao also revealed a faint smile.

But what greeted Haku was not her mother's usual caress, but a fair palm. Slap! The crisp sound resounded beside the silent river, exceptionally piercing.

Snowflakes continued drifting slowly down from the sky, while the rushing sound of the river flowed endlessly. Miao stared at the mother and daughter in the distance with a shocked expression.

Haku was stunned too. At some point, a bright red handprint had appeared on her fair little face. "Haku!" Miao's expression changed, and he rushed over at once to shield Haku behind him.

Haku's little face was full of desolation, tears already welling in her eyes. Miao looked nervously at the woman before him and said, "Aunt Shunzi, let me explain what happened just now. Haku was only playing around. She didn't mean anything else..."

But Shunzi seemed not to hear Miao at all. Her face was filled with sorrow, and she muttered blankly, "Why? Why did Haku inherit that kind of bloodline? Why did this happen?! Our mother and daughter only wanted to live peacefully! Ah!" By then, Shunzi was sobbing uncontrollably.

Seeing her mother like this, Haku immediately forgot her own sadness. She stepped forward and supported her crying mother. "Mother, what's wrong? Please don't cry anymore! It's all Haku's fault! Don't be like this!" As she spoke, Haku began to cry too.

Miao watched silently from the side. Of course, he knew why Shunzi was like this. In the Water Country, Kekkei Genkai represented sin, a symbol of curses. Under the Fourth Hokage's policies and indoctrination, Kekkei Genkai had become the source of disaster and had to be eradicated. This belief had already taken deep root in the hearts of the Water Country's ordinary people. If Haku were discovered to possess a Kekkei Genkai, it would bring about her death.

After seeming to calm down, Shunzi silently wiped dry the tears on her face. She looked at Haku with extreme seriousness and slowly said, "Haku, you must never tell anyone about this ability, including your father. Do you understand?"

"Mm!" Haku nodded and said softly, "Miao already told me not to let anyone else know about this."

Hearing Haku's words, Shunzi looked at Miao in surprise. Miao smiled and nodded as well. Seeing his expression, Shunzi revealed a faint smile. "Thank you, Miao. If I hadn't come here today and you hadn't been here either, the consequences would have been unimaginable. I only hope Haku can live peacefully. Thank you for always protecting Haku."

"I understand, Aunt Shunzi. I won't tell anyone about this," Miao said, nodding lightly as he made a solemn promise.

"I'm sorry. One of Haku's father's relatives came to our home today and told Haku to hurry back, so she can't play with you," Shunzi said softly, looking at Miao apologetically.

"It's okay. Family comes first. Haku, Aunt Shunzi, you should head back quickly, so Uncle and the others won't worry," Miao said with a smile.

"Mm, Miao, see you tomorrow." Haku looked back at Miao standing behind her, her eyes full of reluctance as she gave him a sweet smile. "See you tomorrow!" Miao gently waved at Haku, watching as Haku and her mother gradually disappeared down the snow-covered path.

Gradually, the smile faded from Miao's face, replaced by a grave expression. "Just as I thought, Haku's Kekkei Genkai was inherited from her mother, and it only awakened recently. This is extremely dangerous. If no one teaches her how to control it, she'll be discovered sooner or later!" Miao's heart felt very heavy.

Ninjutsu would not activate as long as one did not form hand seals or mobilize Chakra. It was nearly impossible to tell what kind of Ninjutsu a Ninja knew merely by appearance. But Kekkei Genkai was different. It was inherited through the bloodline. If one could not control it, it might reveal itself during ordinary daily activities. And Haku's Kekkei Genkai should only be in the early stages of awakening. As it awakened more completely, the demands for control would grow higher. That was what worried Miao. Haku's mother, Aunt Shunzi, was not a Ninja. After the mother and daughter had turned around earlier, he had observed them with his Sharingan. There was not a trace of Chakra within Aunt Shunzi. She should be a descendant of some Kekkei Genkai Family, but she did not have the aptitude to become a Ninja. Could she teach Haku how to control her Kekkei Genkai?