2 Chapter 2- Yes, baby, let's party

Contrary to what one might think, my injuries were much more severe than initially thought. Blood was slowly trickling from various lacerations on my body, and the pain was unbearable. If it weren't for the timely arrival of the rest of the clan, it could have been my end, as I had passed out in a few breaths.

The days dragged on slowly, as if time had lost its meaning. My blood loss and the leg injuries hadn't fully healed, and I was growing impatient lying on that wooden bed.

My mind wandered as I stared at the ceiling of my room. The house, a simple structure, was a typical countryside home. The dark wooden walls and exposed beams conveyed a sense of solidity.

The hand-carved furniture revealed a common practice among Seimei clan members. Many of us found in wood not only a way to furnish our homes but also a form of deep relaxation. It was an activity that helped us confront the negative thoughts that sometimes haunted us.

While I was lying in that bed, the door to my room creaked slightly, and through the partially open gap, I caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes silently observing me. A chill ran down my spine; the feeling of being watched was profoundly unsettling.

In recent days, as I was recovering, Ayame, better known as my mother, repeated these silent observation rituals. I wondered what the reason behind this was. Did she really intend to harm me? I was desperately hoping not.

Though I tried to remain calm, impatience began to eat at me. How long would she stand there watching me? Internally, I forced a strained smile and finally decided it was time to break the silence.

"Ahem, well... why don't you come in, mother?" I asked with a quivering voice.

Silence remained my only response.

"I know you're there," I sighed, realizing she might think I was just bluffing.

After a few tense breaths, the door finally opened. To my surprise, Ayame held a bowl of porridge in her hands. Whenever I woke from sleep, a plate of food was placed on the nightstand beside my bed. Knowing that only the two of us lived in this house, I knew she was responsible for these meals. However, this time, I couldn't help but question.

"Did you want to bring me the porridge? Why stand outside like that?" I asked, trying to overcome my fear of her.

As she placed the bowl of porridge on the furniture beside the bed, Ayame kept her distance cautiously.

"I-I was waiting for you to sleep," she replied, gripping the hem of her dress with tension.

"Wouldn't it have been better to bring it earlier? That way, the food would have stayed warm," I tried to engage and understand her thoughts.

She shook her head and said, "I didn't want to disturb your recovery. Perhaps getting closer would be counterproductive."

I looked at her silently for a moment before relaxing my position and saying, "Do as you wish."

Curiously, Ayame still stood there, and every time my gaze shifted away from her and returned, her hands were slightly extended, but she withdrew them upon noticing my look.

"What is it?" I asked my peculiar and eerie mother, noticing that her eyes seemed fixed on the top of my head.

I ran my hand over my head, briefly worried that the last fight had left me bald without me noticing. Fortunately, not a strand of hair was missing, so I wondered what she really wanted.

Maybe...

Maybe she wanted to stroke my hair? But I quickly dismissed that ridiculous idea. Although Ayame treated me kindly, she always maintained a physical distance from me. It was an unspoken agreement between us, an agreement that made us more comfortable.

Make no mistake, only I can say how traumatic it can be to let one's guard down near that woman. Even now, my muscles were slightly tense with her relative proximity.

After releasing the hem of her dress, Ayame spoke before leaving with a tense smile, "If you need anything, just call me."

Fortunately, my recovery was surprisingly swift, thanks to the natural energy that continually enhanced the healing abilities of this unique body.

...

Gathered at the center of the clustered houses, the Seimei clan stood as a united assembly. Everyone had been summoned by the clan leader, and the number I could count hovered around forty individuals. It was a relatively small number, and to be honest, compared to other clans, it was evident that we were on the brink of extinction.

Lost in my own thoughts, I only realized the conclusion of the leader's speech, which resonated: "~Your battles will be remembered. Our brothers now rest with our ancestors. Their torment has come to an end."

"Their torment has come to an end," echoed in unison through the Seimei Clan folks, concluding the leader's words.

With a torch solemnly held, the clan leader initiated the funeral pyre, feeding the fire with carefully prepared wood. All clan members watched in silence, their gazes fixed on the four bodies that had perished during the attack by the Iwagakure ninjas.

Among these victims, only one had been directly killed by the invaders. That was the inherent risk of going into a frenzy, the danger of harming or even taking the lives of members of your own family and clan.

Among us, there were those who had a greater resistance to spiritual corruption, and so a classification was established to identify the most dangerous or psychologically unstable individuals.

My mother, for example, was categorized as a "catastrophe," the highest level of danger within our clan. Fortunately, she hadn't had a crisis in a few years, but caution was always advised when dealing with any member in this classification.

That didn't mean that the other members were entirely free from concerns. I myself, classified as a "tempest," the lowest level of danger, had to take constant precautions to avoid plunging into irreversible madness.

I recall with shame my last fight and my crippling loss of control.

I clenched my fists, determined to address this after so many years of waiting. My entire fate now depended on the successful completion of my technique.

"Before I dismiss you all, I must summon a guest to entertain our minds," proclaimed the clan leader, Jun, with a malicious smile that reverberated through the assembly.

"Hey. HEY. Touji," an annoying and energetic voice sounded beside me.

"What is it?" I replied boredly.

"Who will be our guest, huh? Who will it be? Huh? Huh? I wonder if they can sing," said the orange-haired girl who was a year or two younger than me. Frankly, I didn't care much about her ramblings.

Everyone in the Seimei Clan had orange hair. Due to our isolation, most of us had some degree of kinship with each other. This was common, as many clans married relatives, such as cousins, uncles, and nieces, to keep the kekkei genkai within the family. However, in our case, it wasn't about preserving a lineage but because no one else wanted to get involved with our clan, considered cursed.

Dragged by two members holding the ends of a chain, the leader of the invading Iwagakure squad appeared. My surprise was considerable since we didn't usually bother to keep prisoners alive. Typically, we killed anyone who threatened us and didn't concern ourselves with capturing survivors.

"Let me go, you lunatics," the robust ninja with the Stone Village headband resisted the pulls. He looked visibly worn out and dehydrated.

"Bangjuuuuuuu," one of the orange-haired onlookers cheered enthusiastically upon seeing the prisoner.

"BANGJUU," echoed the spirited response from the Seimei clan upon hearing those words.

I couldn't help but give a slight facepalm in frustration.

"Wait~" Jun, the clan leader, tried to say something, but the crowd's voice rose like a unanimous chorus, saying:

"BANGJUU!" The voices in unison echoed, drowning out any attempts Jun made to explain something. "BANGJUU, BANGJUU...."

"What's wrong, Touji?" My cousin whispered in my ear, as the noise made communication difficult. "You don't seem excited about Bangjuu. What's the matter?"

"I have no interest in these barbaric practices. What's fun about watching someone get devoured by that creature?" I rolled my eyes, recalling the meaning behind that ritual.

"Because it's exciting!" Senna, my cousin, looked at me as if I were a complete idiot. "Look at that guy; he's kinda big..."

I assessed the Iwagakure ninja, and indeed, he was a bit overweight.

"Do you think little Milly can eat him in how many bites?" Senna asked, excited.

"I don't know," I replied neutrally.

"Oh, come on," she gave me a teasing shove on the shoulder before continuing, "Don't be boring. I bet he does it in two bites."

I frowned in annoyance at her proximity but ended up glancing at the Iwagakure ninja again, and, to my own surprise, I found myself smiling...

Maybe Bangjuu was a bit fun, I reluctantly admitted.

"I bet on three bites. If I win, you leave me alone for three weeks," I made my bets.

"Two."

"Two and a half weeks," I countered.

"Deal," Senna smiled for some reason, but I decided to ignore that for now.

After the excitement subsided, Jun finally shouted, "Everyone!"

The voices ceased instantly, and puzzled looks turned to the leader.

"We won't have the Bangjuu."

"It can't be," one of the young children said, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, as if someone had taken away his favorite candy. "No Bangjuu? Why?"

Several murmurs of discontent could be heard; the crowd of orange-haired individuals was visibly unhappy with the news.

Jun cleared his throat and looked at the prisoner, saying, "He has important information for us. I talked to him before, and—"

Jun's words were abruptly interrupted by the sound of the ninja captain spitting on the ground. With disdain, he declared, "I won't utter a word to you freaks. Soon, you'll disappear from this map, and I'll be glad to know that you'll follow the same fate after my death."

With a cold expression, Jun continued, "You promised to cooperate before, Ninja-San. What happened?"

"Bastard. You can use your tricks again," he snarled with clenched teeth. "Nothing will come out of my mouth."

Jun stared at him in silence for a few moments, and the prisoner's stubbornness made him as unyielding as a rock.

After scratching his neck in frustration, Jun turned to the crowd watching him in silence. After taking a deep breath, he asked, hesitantly, "Bangjuu?"

"BANGJUUUUU!" "YEAHHHHH!" The excitement returned, creating a festive atmosphere.

The eyes of the Iwagakure ninja widened, and in desperation, he shouted, "No. Wait."

He had no idea what the heck that meant, but something told him it couldn't be good.

"I'll talk. Okay?"

The clan leader made a hand signal for everyone to be silent, and the robust ninja wondered inwardly why the heck he had accepted the mission to invade those lands.

For an annoying reason he didn't know how to enjoy a good party.