Chapter 217: Neji's Forbidden Magic Domain [Part Two] (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

"What does it have to do with you?" Inkao's attitude was unfriendly, especially when looking at Neji; his eyes were filled with hostility.

"You have a grudge against the Hyuga family, and I am a member of the Hyuga family. We are currently opponents in the competition. Do you think it has nothing to do with me?"

Neji chuckled lightly, analyzing the situation step by step. "Considering your age, you couldn't have harbored much hatred against the Hyuga family on your own. So, the source of this hatred must be someone around you. It's unlikely to be someone of the same age, meaning your resentment should stem from your elders. Judging by your disdain for the Byakugan, it's likely that your elder died at the hands of gentle fist, right?"

"Shut up!"

Inkao's eyes were red, and she drew the short knife from behind, charging towards Neji.

"Judging by your reaction now, my guess seems accurate!"

Neji moved aside, avoiding Inkao's attack. He shook his head with some helplessness and said, "Given your age, if I'm not mistaken, your elder probably died in a war, right?"

Although he phrased it as a question, Neji's expression was confident.

"War? How could he have died in a war..."

Inkao attacked Neji angrily with her knife, shouting, "My father was killed by Hyuga Hiashi himself. He came to Konoha to sign a peace agreement, but you people killed him..."

"Sign a peace agreement?"

Neji paused, swatting away the knife that Inkao was thrusting at him. His initially calm face was now filled with a murderous intent. "Your father was one of those sent by the Hidden Cloud village to kidnap my sister, wasn't he?"

"Nonsense! My father came to sign a peace agreement. You people deliberately smeared his name with accusations of kidnapping..."

Inkao gritted her teeth, not daring to meet Neji's eyes. She didn't fully understand the situation when she was younger, but as she grew older, she learned the truth. Yet, even knowing the truth, she never felt her father was wrong; instead, her resentment towards Konoha's ninjas deepened.

"So, you know the truth!"

Neji's face was dark, as if water was about to drip from it. If it weren't for those people from the Hidden Cloud village, his father wouldn't have been forced to commit suicide. Unexpectedly, today he encountered the descendant of the culprit in that incident.

"Your father came to Konoha to kidnap the heiress of the Hyuga clan. When discovered, he resisted and tried to kill Hinata. However, due to his lack of strength, he died at the hands of my uncle. How can you still blame us for this? Is it still our fault?"

Neji bit out the words with anger. Originally, he just wanted to teach this person from the Hidden Cloud village a lesson, like Hinata did. But now, it seemed like the other party was genuinely seeking his life.

"She was just a child. Even if she was taken away, what could you have done? Just because of this, you went ahead and killed my father. Moreover, you people never explained anything about this matter. The murderer was never handed over. If it's not your fault, whose fault is it?"

Inkao looked at Hinata in the stands with eyes full of hatred. "One day, I will personally dig out that woman's eyes to pay tribute to my father's soul!"

"I'm almost laughing at you!" Neji's temple veins bulged, and his white pupils emitted an intimidating gaze. "I have to say, your theory of the victim being guilty is quite unexpected. Your father wanted to harm others, and he shouldn't have died? The victim should be harmed by your father? Have you never looked in the mirror and seen how big your face is?"

"Neji, there's no need to hold back. Scum like this shouldn't exist in the world..."

Sakura and the others were infuriated as well. What a theory, blaming the victim! Should Hinata, as the victim, have been kidnapped to the Hidden Cloud village and subjected to all kinds of torture for it to be considered right?

"What's gotten into Inkao?"

The Jōnin leading Inkao's team slammed a fist into a nearby pillar, and even the Fourth Raikage's and Killer Bee's disciples had grim expressions. Although they weren't particularly familiar with Inkao in normal circumstances, they had gathered for the Chunin Exam. Despite their strained relationship with Konoha, they still maintained a basic sense of morality. Inkao's victim-blaming theory was simply a shock to their sensibilities.

"I'll apologize to Konoha. Zetsu, we can't let Inkao jeopardize the entire Hidden Cloud village!"

Feeling the killing intent from a large group of Konoha Jōnin, the Jōnin leading Inkao took a deep breath, preparing to explain things to the Third Hokage. After all, with Inkao's words, a war could easily be provoked. After years of peace, he didn't want to experience the atmosphere of war again.

"Let's go over there and explain to his comrades!"

The Fourth Raikage's disciple, Shuo, and Killer Bee's disciple, Zichuo, exchanged a glance full of helplessness. Although they weren't close to Inkao, in the eyes of outsiders, they were comrades. Their attitude toward the matter would undoubtedly be perceived the same. If they didn't explain, people might think this represented the overall stance of the Hidden Cloud village, especially considering their masters were the Raikage and his brother.

"Go ahead..."

The Jōnin leading Inkao rubbed his temples, feeling extremely frustrated. What kind of karma did he accumulate in his past life to end up with such an unlucky student?

Shuo and Zichuo walked towards Sakura and the others, but as soon as they approached, they felt a myriad of hostile gazes. Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, the smiles on their faces became stiff.

"Why are you coming over? Planning to support your teammate?"

Sakura and her team showed no emotion, radiating an icy aura, giving off the feeling that they might strike and kill at any moment.

"Don't misunderstand. We're here to apologize!"

Shuo wore a wry smile. Being treated this way, and he was on the side that was clearly at fault, resisting had no grounds. It was truly a heart-wrenching feeling.

"Apologize?" Sakura glanced at the two with a sidelong glance and asked, "Apologize for your teammate?"

"Yes!" Zichuo felt extremely awkward but could only grit his teeth and stand up. "Inkao's words only represent her personal attitude, not the stance of the Hidden Cloud village. The events of the past were not your fault, and we hope you won't harbor hostility towards the entire Hidden Cloud village because of Inkao!"

Shuo and Zichuo kept a low profile in their approach. Firstly, the incident was due to Inkao's warped perspective, making them the ones at fault. Secondly, they had both learned some details from their masters about the events of the past, and this visit was also to gather information about the person from a few years ago at the border.

Thinking about what their masters had told them, Shuo and Zichuo felt an immense pressure. Who would have thought Konoha had such a terrifying nuclear weapon? If they angered the people there, a meteor might be thrown over the Hidden Cloud village, and they would all ascend to the heavens without a chance to play anymore.

[Read at www.patreon.com/bokuboku, without ads and support the work.]

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

Next Chapter >>Chapter 218: Neji's Forbidden Magic Domain [Three]