Chapter 23: Laying A Trap, Beauty In Arms

A full moon rose like a bright light, hanging high in the night sky. In the forest, Hyuga Chiryo was walking with an expressionless face.

Tree shadows from both sides of the road were cast on the ground, giving off a cold and eerie vibe. Chiryo came to the waterfall, and a nostalgic look flashed past her eyes.

When she was young, her mother would often bring her here for picnics. When she got dirty, she would run to the river below the waterfall to bathe herself. If she was lucky, she would even catch a fish or two.

She never came here again ever since her parents passed away. Chiryo slowly crouched down and touched the slightly wet dirt underneath. The scene of Tonan tutoring her on her homework played in her mind.

“Explosive Tags are often laid out in advance and used as traps. Because of this, the effects the surrounding has on the Explosive Tag should be understood.”

“First was the humidity. If the humidity was too high, then the Explosive Tag was likely to get wet, resulting in it failing to go off. But oftentimes, we may be limited by unavoidable geographical factors. That would require special treatment.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Ordinary Explosive Tags can be wrapped in dry leaves, slowing the moistening process. One can also sprinkle a layer of chalk on the surface. If it’s humid, but you had ample time to prepare, then you can also get dry soil and wrap the Explosive Tag in it.”

“But of course, you don’t need to do all this if you use expensive damage-proof Explosive Tags.”

Chiryo opened the cat food bag and took out the dry soil from inside, spreading it on the ground. Then, she took out three Explosive Tags from her pocket and placed them on the dry soil. Finally, she sealed them off with the rest of the dirt while also hiding them with the surrounding dead leaves.

“Tonan-kun, please don’t blame me for this.” After she was done talking to herself, she walked step by step to the creek, taking off her clothes as she walked.

Splash

Chiryo dipped her naked body into the water. With both hands on the bank, she kept her eyes on the trail, waiting for Tonan’s arrival.

At this time, Mina returned home as well. As she entered the door, she froze seeing the kitten’s corpse on the floor.

“Yuki…” Tears welled up in her eyes as she scrambled towards the kitten. Its abdomen had been crushed into a mass of gore and it had a horrified expression on its face.

“Who did this? Who…”

This kitten meant a lot to Mina not only because it was adorable and intelligent, but also it was the first gift Tonan gave her.

Immersed in her grief, her eyes suddenly fell on a note on the ground. She reached out with a trembling hand and opened it. It read:

Sad? If I can’t have it, I’d rather destroy it. I left a note under my desk in the classroom. It has my current location on it.

“Chiryo, I’ll kill you!” Mina gritted her teeth. She wiped her tears but suddenly noticed a change in her vision.

In Mina’s eyes, a single tomoe was turning slowly. She finally awakened the much-desired Sharingan but she couldn’t feel the slightest pleasure. Instead, she got up and rushed straight towards the ninja academy with great urgency.

The forest path was dappled with the shadows of the branches. Tonan strolled through the path expressionlessly, taking each step exceptionally lightly without making the slightest sound. Just like a beast stalking prey in the night.

He suppressed his body’s aura, ready to launch a thunderous attack at any moment. Other than the Forest of Death that was sealed off by a barrier, the forests near Konoha were free of any large beasts. Despite that, Tonan was accustomed to being vigilant.

Coo coo

The call of birds rang out in the dark forest. Chiryo and Tonan’s agreed meeting time was 9:00 pm. Naturally, Tonan had to arrive on time so he could give her enough time to prepare.

Splash

Once he was near the waterfall, he could hear the sound of Chiryo splashing in the water under the loud crashing of the waterfall.

When he looked over, he saw a silhouette in the darkness with her hands on the bank and body submerged in water, staring at him with fascination.

“Tonan-kun, you’re here.”

Tonan pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and pretended to be nervous.

“Sorry, I came at a bad time.”

After saying that, he immediately turned around.

Seeing Tonan at a loss, a smug smile appeared on Chiryo’s lips. She softly said, “You’re just on time, Tonan-kun. Please wait for a moment.”

“Chiryo, you should hurry and put on your clothes. Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything.”

After saying that, he heard the sound of moving water, and then of bare feet on dry leaves.

“I’m done. You can turn around.”

When Chiryo’s voice came from right behind him, only then did he move. But Chiryo suddenly embraced him, burying her head deep in his chest.

“You…” Seeing Chiryo still naked in his arms, Tonan froze in place, petrified.

“Tonan-kun. I like you, did you know that?” Chiryo closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

Tonan looked at the ground behind Chiryo. He saw a trail of water from the shore to here. He said in a nervous tone.

“I…I know.”

Chiryo tightened her arms around Tonan a little more and asked, “Are you in love with Mina?”

The corners of Tonan’s lips curved slightly. Reaching up, he gently caressed Chiryo’s smooth back with his left hand and said in a warm voice.

“What made you think that? I’ve always thought of her as a little sister.”

Whether it was Tonan’s answer or his actions that did the trick, Chiryo wasn’t as high-strung anymore.

“I hate it so much. Why did I have to be a Hyuga? Did you know the Hyuga clan doesn’t allow its members to marry outsiders? Especially since I’m from a branch house, I was branded with the caged bird from birth. Sometimes, I feel like I am a bird in a cage.”

“All my life, I’m destined to be controlled by the clan, with no freedom or future, not even the right to pursue love.”

“There must be a way out of this,” Tonan said, as his left hand slowly slipped down the wet curve and did not stop until he reached Chiryo’s thin waist. Then, with his right hand, he patted her back.

Chiryo could feel Tonan’s warm hand roaming around her back and she nuzzled his chest comfortably.

“My parents were weak, but the main house still ordered them to participate in the war. They had no right to refuse. Even when my father died on the battlefield, no one notified me. They don’t think of me as human at all.”

“From a young age, they instilled in me the idea of being loyal to the clan. But I wouldn’t have it. I had no choice but to act soft and meek, to fool them into being sorry for me, into thinking I was useless. Maybe then they might remove my mark and expel me from the clan.”

Tonan looked down at Chiryo with a hint of mockery in his eyes, and said, “How naive.”

Chiryo’s eyes were closed so she missed his expression, and continued talking by herself.

“It’s true. I’m too naive. Sometimes, I even think about killing myself. But I couldn’t bear to leave you. Your appearance gave me the courage to live. You’re so gentle, so kind.”

Tonan continued patting Chiryo’s back and said in a slightly cool tone, “Really? You’re not planning to kill yourself anymore?”

“I… please, keep holding me for a while longer, just like this.”

Tears flowed from Chiryo’s eyes, wetting Tonan’s chest.