Rin, crouched in the corner, listened intently, his brows furrowing as he thought to himself.
Despite my presence and authority in the village, could my uncle still be so stubborn as to want to kill Haku?
As he pondered this, he heard Eiji’s angry whisper from the darkness.
“Tell me, Keiko, how can I marry off a monstrous daughter like her to Rin?”
Hearing this, Rin’s expression shifted from a frown to one of utter bewilderment.
What!?
What’s going on?
“Keiko! If it weren’t for you, how could Haku have become such a monster? Why did you bring this calamity into our family?”
Eiji’s expression was one of deep sorrow. He raised his hand as if to strike Keiko.
Keiko merely bowed her head and sobbed, showing no sign of resistance.
“Swish!”
With a soft sound, Rin could no longer hide. He quickly stepped out to stop Eiji’s actions.
“Rin!?”
Both Eiji and Keiko were shocked to see Rin suddenly appear. Their expressions turned flustered, and their gazes darted away.
Eiji, looking ashamed, spoke in a hoarse voice.
“You’ve been here for a while, haven’t you, Rin?”
Rin nodded his little head, then awkwardly explained.
“Actually, not very long. I came to find Aunt Keiko…”
Eiji was about to say something when Keiko, crying, bowed to Rin and apologized.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Rin…”
Faced with this scene, Rin felt at a loss, glancing at Eiji for help.
Eiji, however, wore a face full of sorrow, speaking in a low, hoarse voice.
“I, as your uncle, must also apologize to you, Rin. It’s all my fault for being so blind.”
Even now, Rin was utterly confused. What exactly had happened?
Why did it seem different from what he had imagined?
Just then, Eiji spoke again, his face filled with bitterness.
“Rin, Haku… Haku can’t marry you…”
The words hit Rin like a thunderbolt, almost making him faint on the spot!
“What!?”
Rin’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Sorry, Rin… I can’t explain the details, but Haku… she doesn’t deserve you… I hope you won’t mind…”
“No… no, what I mean is, when was it decided that Haku would marry me?” Rin hurriedly clarified.
Eiji, looking puzzled, asked.
“Didn’t your father tell you?”
Rin, sweating, shook his head. Even if he had, he couldn’t agree to it.
Eiji shook his head and sighed.
“It’s no wonder. This was a marriage arrangement set by me and your father long ago. Who could have imagined… sigh…”
Rin was speechless. He quickly said.
“Even if it was arranged, it’s impossible. Haku is my sister!”
Eiji looked even more bewildered. Rin thought for a moment and realized that in this war-torn era, with high birth and death rates, it was not uncommon for marriages between non-biological siblings.
In this chaotic time, being alive was already a blessing, and there were no moral taboos against such unions.
Rin sighed and quickly said.
“Rest assured, even though I can’t marry Haku, I won’t let her suffer any grievances.”
Hearing this, Eiji only sighed and shook his head. Keiko, on the other hand, looked gratefully at Rin, her eyes glistening with tears.
Seeing their reactions, Rin decided to come clean and spoke seriously.
“I already know what happened to Haku. You don’t have to hide it from me anymore, Uncle, Aunt.”
Hearing this, both of their expressions darkened. Eiji, stammering, spoke in a hoarse voice.
“I’m sorry… Rin… Haku… she… sigh… that calamity… it will bring misfortune to you…”
Keiko, hearing this, began to sob quietly again.
Rin, frowning, firmly said.
“Haku is not a calamity, Uncle. Even you, I won’t allow you to call Haku that.”
Both Eiji and Keiko were stunned by Rin’s words.
Despite his confrontational tone, Eiji didn’t show any displeasure; instead, he seemed somewhat relieved.
Rin didn’t give them a chance to speak further, quickly explaining.
“What’s happening with Haku is not a calamity, but a form of power, a power unique to ninjas. So, there’s no misfortune to worry about. The only ones who will face misfortune are her enemies!”
As he finished, Rin’s eyes flashed with determination.
Eiji and Keiko were left speechless, trying to process what Rin had just said.
“A ninja’s power?”
Rin nodded and continued.
“Yes, what Haku possesses is just a form of power, a power that belongs to the strong. Like this…”
Without hesitation, Rin demonstrated to make his point clear. He glanced at the nearby wall, clenched his small fist, and gathered the last bit of his energy into his fist.
“Ha!”
With a punch, his small fist struck the nearby rock wall.
“Bang—”
The previously weak rock wall cracked, with small stones tumbling down the slope.
Quickly pulling his fist back, Rin took a deep breath, his face tense, and said to Eiji and Keiko.
“See, this is also a form of power. Do you think I’m also a calamity?”
Eiji and Keiko, stunned by Rin’s display of strength, quickly said.
“No… Rin is certainly not a calamity…”
“Could it really be as Rin said… that Haku isn’t a calamity after all?”
Eiji looked at Keiko. Clearly, Keiko, whose clan was massacred, had no exposure to ninjas and didn’t understand these things.
She only knew that her clan was killed because of this power, which made her sad that Haku possessed it as well.
“Alright, stop doubting it. Go back and comfort Haku quickly. Because of Aunt Keiko’s attitude, Haku is very sad right now.”
Rin urged them, not giving them time to dwell on it.
Still in shock, Eiji and Keiko slowly walked back.
Suddenly, Eiji turned back and asked.
“Rin… what about you?”
Rin quickly put on a smile and replied.
“I’ll be back soon. I have some things to handle with my master!”
Hearing Rin’s response, they didn’t think much of it and hurried home.
Once they disappeared, Rin’s eyes reddened, and he quickly put his swollen little fist into his mouth, trying to warm it.
“Ouch… it hurts… it hurts so much!”
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