Naruto, all the ninja women love me, and Konoha depends on me.

Chapter 020: The Runaway Girl

As if that call had some effect.

Senju Wakama actually stopped between two towering trees ahead and turned to look at the girl.

Noticing that Senju Wakama had stopped, the girl slowed her pace as well. She reached up and untied the bandage covering her eyes, then closed her eyes and walked slowly toward Senju Wakama.

She opened her mouth, about to speak.

"Click" Her foot stepped on something.

"Boom" A large tree nearby toppled over.

The girl sensed the danger and tried to retreat, but it was too late. The trunk of the tree slammed down on her lower body, pinning her before she could escape.

With the girl trapped and half-crushed by the tree.

Senju Wakama walked over expressionlessly.

Even as he approached, Senju Wakama remained in a "stealth" posture, crouching in the shadows nearby.

In just three seconds, Senju Wakama could activate the "Shadow Technique."

Once the Shadow Technique was activated, Senju Wakama's figure vanished into the darkness, with only his voice lingering in the air.

Senju Wakama whispered, "...Do you have any last words?"

The girl lay flat on the snow, her lower body pinned to the ground by the tree.

If it were just that, she could have used many methods to free herself.

But she found that her legs were immobile, and she felt no pain at all. Her body was gradually losing sensation.

This delayed pain was not something she was experiencing for the first time.

She knew that if she survived, it would take at least another night before she felt the pain.

But would this cold-hearted boy let her live?

Unlikely, right?

At this moment, the girl closed her eyes. Facing the shadowy canopy above, she softly said, "If possible, could I ask you to deliver my belongings back to my clan?"

"No, I'm a coward who fears death," Senju Wakama replied in a light tone. "I've already done my best by listening to your last words instead of finishing you off immediately."

Senju Wakama knew that the girl was most likely a member of the Hyuga clan.

He refused her request without hesitation.

The girl was young but quite strong.

A girl with such strength would undoubtedly be an outstanding figure in the Hyuga clan.

If Senju Wakama were to return her belongings, he knew without much thought that he would be attacked by the entire clan.

"Is that so? What a pity..." The girl opened her eyes, her pale purple Byakugan calmly gazing at the sky as she murmured, "Then... could you talk with me?"

"You have half an hour," Senju Wakama replied, his tone unchanged.

This calm demeanor was truly remarkable, something other peers couldn't match, right?

The girl didn't dwell on it further. Her empty eyes stared at the sky as she said, "My name is Miyu, from the Hyuga clan..."

Senju Wakama listened quietly, his figure completely blending into the shadows, as if he had vanished.

The girl softly recounted her experiences, and Senju Wakama didn't know whether her story was true or false. He could only listen to it as a tale.

The girl, who called herself Miyu, claimed to be the daughter of the Hyuga clan's leader. Her mother had suffered severe mental trauma during her birth and could no longer conceive.

Thus, from a very young age, Miyu had taken on the responsibility of inheriting the family's legacy.

She trained hard and grew up striving for this goal.

However, Miyu never expected the world to be so cruel.

Not long after it was confirmed that her mother could no longer bear children, her mother passed away.

Her father, the clan leader, remarried.

Within a year, Miyu's half-brother was born.

At first, Miyu was as delighted as her father about the arrival of her adorable brother.

But gradually, Miyu's joy faded.

The Hyuga clan had only one main family line throughout its history, and all others were branded with the Caged Bird Seal.

The birth of her brother had altered Miyu's fate.

If there was a male heir, the family naturally needed to be inherited by him.

In other words, as long as her brother grew up safely, he would inherit the family, and Miyu would be branded with the Caged Bird Seal.

This was a future Miyu could not accept.

Miyu had always held herself to the standards of a clan leader, cultivating herself with great determination. Without consulting anyone, she simply ran away from home.

Leaving the clan, the world became even harsher.

Proud and unwilling to compromise, Miyu refused to turn back unless absolutely necessary.

After enduring countless hardships, Miyu hid her Kekkei Genkai with bandages and became an assassin to survive.

Even now, she still felt fear.

But to keep herself alive, she had no choice but to point her blade at countless strangers.

Miyu rambled on, as if doing so could slow the passage of her life.

Senju Wakama listened silently, never interrupting.

The sky gradually darkened.

Miyu's voice grew softer.

The cold, her injuries, her despair, and the loss of sensation in her legs plunged her deeper into hopelessness.

The slow fading of her life filled her with increasing dread.

The environment was quiet, with only Miyu's faint voice and the sound of falling snow lingering in the air.

Miyu thought Senju Wakama had left, leaving her to her fate.

But just as Miyu stopped speaking and awaited death, she felt something hard and lumpy suddenly appear in her mouth.

The lump gave her a taste of a sweetness she had never experienced before.

At the same time, Miyu heard Senju Wakama's voice.

"...Running away from home, escaping the Caged Bird Seal has your life been happier than if you had accepted the seal?"

Senju Wakama had been listening all along. This girl reminded him of his own sister.

If it weren't for his sister Tsukishiro's miraculous healing abilities, her fate might not have been much better than Miyu's, right?

Faced with Senju Wakama's question, Miyu remained silent.

Perhaps she didn't want to admit that the path she had chosen was wrong.

Or perhaps Miyu simply didn't know what her life would have been like if she had accepted the Caged Bird Seal and stayed in the clan. There was no way to compare.

In fact, her father had never explicitly said he would brand her with the Caged Bird Seal. It was all her speculation.

She couldn't wait for things to happen before taking action, so she had acted preemptively.

Seeing her silence, Senju Wakama continued, "Would putting down the burden, relying on your father, your brother, and your clan, make you feel unbearable pain?"

Miyu finally spoke, "I... don't know..."

Senju Wakama went on, "Following your parents' arrangements, letting your younger brother take on the responsibility of leading the clan, and being branded with the Caged Bird Seal while staying in the clan perhaps that wouldn't have been such a bad ending for you."

"Once you came of age, your parents would have arranged a marriage for you. As the clan leader's daughter, they wouldn't have paired you with someone unworthy. You would have lived a safe life under the protection of your father, brother, and clan. Is following fate really so bad?"

Hearing Senju Wakama's words, Miyu slowly turned her head. The veins around her temples bulged, and her Byakugan stared intently at Senju Wakama, who was now hidden in the shadows.

Her lips moved slightly, and she whispered something...

________________________________________

If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 30 advanced chapters available on Patreon

patreon.com/Leanzin