Chapter 9
Chinano spoke quietly, her tone gradually calming. Her expression was numb—she had cried before, she had despaired, but now her tears had dried up, leaving only the seething rage of hatred.
Zixu's face grew colder as he listened, and his desire to leave Konoha intensified. He had mentally prepared himself, constantly reminding himself, "Konoha is a terrorist organization—don't be surprised by anything they do." But now that he was witnessing it firsthand, he couldn't suppress his emotions.
"Is it safe for you to openly express hostility toward the main family? Won't the branch families that choose independence be eliminated by them?" Zixu asked Hyuga Chinano, his tone laced with indifference. His short crimson hair fluttered in the wind, exuding an oppressive aura.
Chinano put her headband back on, clearly hating the mark of slavery on her forehead. She shook her head slightly, pushing back her messy blue-black short hair before explaining:
"The main family doesn't dare to do it openly. Killing fellow villagers is taboo. After all, the foundation of this village is built on a fragile, false sense of equality and peace..."
There were rules everywhere, and supposed bottom lines everywhere. Konoha could be described as a den of evil where people were devoured without hesitation, yet even Konoha had its red line—murdering fellow villagers outright was forbidden.
Hyuga Chinano glanced at Aburame Hatsuizumi, who wore an expression of pure fury. She hesitated before speaking again. Looking at Hatsuizumi's innocent and kind face, she seemed to see her past self. After a long pause, she finally spoke, her tone filled with a trace of sympathy.
"The Aburame clan also has its own way of controlling its members..."
That statement dropped like a bombshell, shocking Hatsuizumi just as much as when she first learned about the Caged Bird Seal. But as Zixu listened, something felt off.
"W-what?" Hatsuizumi stood frozen as if struck by lightning, her whole body stiff, like a petrified statue or a dying person whose last hope had just been crushed.
"After all, the ability to control insects at will is extremely dangerous. Their silent, nearly undetectable nature allows them to kill without a trace—even from thousands of miles away... How could Konoha's higher-ups not implement a restriction?" Zixu spoke slowly, voicing his suspicions.