Chapter 46: The Scars in the Stone
The investigation of Kirigakure stretched on for over half a month. During this time, the Konoha team had discreet, tense encounters with both the Kumo and Iwa squads. For reasons unknown, the Iwa team abruptly departed the Land of Water ahead of schedule.
Liumu's initial theory was that Isobu was hiding deep at the bottom of one of the large lakes. Yet, one by one, Orochimaru had methodically ruled out every potential watery lair.
"Could it be… the Three-Tails has already been captured by Madara?"
At this moment, Liumu was navigating a network of dark, damp tunnels that ran beneath Kirigakure itself.
It made sense. After searching for so long, they had virtually scoured the entire village above and below. If there was no trace of the beast here, that was the only remaining possibility.
"This place…"
He paused before a stone chamber ahead, its interior painted a deep, ominous red by flickering candlelight. Bowing his head, he caught a faint, metallic tang in the stale air.
Blood.
Inside the small chamber, the walls were lined with neat, parallel scratches. Many surfaces were stained with dark, dried blood, casting the entire room in a silence so profound it was terrifying. Recalling Orochimaru's report on the "cultivation" of Kekkei Genkai, a grim possibility solidified in Liumu's mind.
Tap… tap… tap…
Clear, echoing footsteps suddenly sounded from a distant corridor.
Liumu reacted instantly, his form dissolving into specks of golden light that merged seamlessly with the candlelight dancing on the wall.
"The conditioning of this batch of subjects is over half complete. There are a few promising sprouts among them."
"How many? Keep only one. We want the strongest. The defective products…"
"Understood, sir."
As the voices drew nearer, three figures wearing the Kirigakure forehead protector came into Liumu's field of view. The leading man and woman were both adults. From their posture and the woman's commanding tone, it was clear she held significant authority. The girl in white trailing behind them…
Haku?
Liumu recognized her immediately.
Why is she here?
"Han," the woman's voice was cold and instructional. "Once the training of these test subjects is complete, you will be responsible for their final evaluation."
"M-me?!"
Hearing this, the indifferent mask on Haku's face cracked, revealing a flicker of genuine fear.
"What?" The woman stopped and turned, her gaze pinning Haku in place. "You object?"
"N-no! Of course not!" Haku dropped to one knee, her voice trembling slightly. "For Kirigakure's grand plan, Han is willing to give her all. But… my lady, you promised… you promised to tell me of my origins upon my return from the Land of Lightning. It has been over ten days now, and you still…"
SMACK!
A sharp, stinging slap echoed through the stone corridor before Haku could finish.
"Remember your place," the woman hissed, the red imprint vivid on Haku's pale cheek.
Haku didn't dare lift her lowered head. Only after the woman had swept away did the man who had been silent help Haku to her feet. He looked at her bruised face, sighed, shook his head wordlessly, and hurried after his superior.
Kirigakure's… plan?
Who exactly is Haku?
A cascade of questions flooded Liumu's mind. Remembering the infant-snatching scene he witnessed on his first day, he silently followed Haku as she left the subterranean labyrinth, a stream of light trailing an unseen, heartbroken girl.
Haku led him to a simple, spartan hut on the village's poorer fringe. She pushed the door open and entered alone. Liumu flowed in through a crack, perching on a roof beam. The interior was bleak: minimal furnishings, and on the bed in this deep winter, only a single, thin blanket. Haku didn't even go to the bed. She simply slid down the wall to sit on the cold floor, buried her face in her hands, and began to weep silently.
"How… could it be like this?"
When Liumu first saw Haku, he had been struck by her unique, icy elegance. With her looks and her rare Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, in any other village, she would have been treasured, nurtured.
So why… was it like this here?
"Who's there?!"
Haku's head snapped up, her senses sharp even in her distress. In an instant, a volley of ice senbon shot toward Liumu's position on the beam.
But Liumu was in his elemental light-form, utterly immune to physical projectiles. Seeing her reaction, he didn't retreat. Instead, he surged down in a wave of light, enveloping Haku completely. Before she could process what was happening, he willed the connection open.
Time Chamber: Access.
The dank hut vanished. They were pulled into the unique space within Liumu's consciousness.
"It's… you?"
Haku stared at Liumu, who had resumed his solid form beside her. Shock warred with deep-seated wariness on her face.
This was Liumu's first time entering the Time Chamber as well. A massive, phantom clock-face dominated the center of the space, while the periphery faded into an impenetrable, swirling mist. He had no time to explore now.
He turned his focus to Haku. Sensing her chakra beginning to boil in panic, she immediately unleashed another technique.
"Ice Release: Thousand Flying Needles!"
She didn't hold back. A storm of razor-sharp ice needles flew at Liumu. He didn't dodge or block. He let them pass straight through him, his body becoming a sieve of light particles. When the attack ceased, the holes closed seamlessly, and he was whole again.
"Where is this place?" Haku demanded, her voice tight. "And why are you in Kirigakure?"
Liumu offered a small, placating smile. Under Haku's guarded stare, he simply sat down cross-legged on the featureless floor of the chamber.
"Sit. Please. I have a story to tell. I think… you'll find it very relevant."
Haku didn't move, remaining as tense and defensive as a cornered animal.
"On my first day in Kirigakure," Liumu began, his voice calm, "I witnessed a Kiri-nin kill a villager. The child he took… I suspect that child also carried the potential for a Kekkei Genkai."
"What are you trying to say?" Haku's voice was cold.
Liumu gave her a look, then continued as if speaking to himself. "I also saw what happened in the tunnel just now. I don't expect you to tell me about this so-called 'plan.' So, just listen. See how much I've guessed."
Kirigakure was cultivating Kekkei Genkai bearers. They were breeding the strongest possible ninjas from bloodline limits. Haku, with her Ice Release, was likely the sole survivor—the "winner"—of a previous batch, perhaps several batches.
She had been locked in a stone room like the one he saw from the moment she could remember. Her childhood was daily drills and life-or-death combat with other children who shared her "gift."
Haku was both lucky and cursed.
Lucky, because she survived. She clawed her way out of the darkness, stronger than her peers.
Cursed, because her entire life had been spent in that darkness. To this day, she didn't know who her parents were. The woman in the tunnel had promised to tell her after the Chunin Exams, but that promise remained unfulfilled.
"And now she wants you to participate in the next 'evaluation'…" Liumu paused, then looked up, his gaze direct and unflinching. "You must understand the reason yourself, don't you?"
"Because I lost," Haku whispered, her head bowing lower. "Because I lost to you. Even if it was called a draw… in their eyes, a failure is a defective product. Defective products… have no right to continue."
The purpose of the evaluation was to erase her. In their ruthless calculus, Haku, who had tasted defeat, had lost her value.
(End of Chapter)
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