Kaguya Sachiko, now known as Takenaka Sachiko, was the eldest member of the Kaguya clan, already eighty years old.
When Hiashi Hyuga saw her, his face showed a hint of respect.
Upon hearing this, Takenaka Sachiko sighed and slowly said, "Lord Hiashi, everything happened too suddenly. I'm not quite sure what's going on either. The Mist Anbu suddenly appeared, shattering our peaceful life.
Little Kui led the clan in a desperate resistance, but the clansmen haven't trained in a long time, and their strength is lacking. Under the powerful attack of the Mist Anbu, they couldn't hold on for long.
All these years, we just wanted to live ordinary lives, but we didn't expect to still be unable to escape the Mist's pursuit. Little Kui is probably already in their hands."
As Takenaka Sachiko spoke, her eyes were filled with anger and helplessness.
"Grandma Sachiko, Lord Hiashi is here, maybe there's still a chance to rescue the clansmen."
Kaguya Tsuki spoke up at the right time.
"Nonsense! The Mist sent dozens of people, how can Lord Hiashi rescue them? Going there would only add unnecessary casualties!
And I haven't even addressed you yet! Do you know that you now bear the responsibility of carrying on the Kaguya clan? You dared to leave on your own just now, do you think you're worthy of the responsibility Little Kui entrusted to you?"
"I..."
Seeing Takenaka Sachiko angry, Kaguya Tsuki didn't dare to say much.
Hiashi then looked at the other Takenaka clansmen in the cave.
At this moment, their eyes were filled with fear.
Facing thirty Mist Anbu, Hiashi Hyuga really didn't dare to attempt a rescue.
His status prevented him from acting recklessly.
This matter was too risky.
Even if he wanted to, for the sake of the Hyuga clan, he couldn't go.
If they failed, it would mean losing a Hyuga clan head and three Hyuga Jonin.
Even the Hyuga clan couldn't afford such a loss.
"I apologize, but I'm afraid I'm truly unable to carry out the rescue. Moreover, based on the Mist Anbu's usual practices, your clansmen are probably all dead by now."
The Anbu were always ruthless, and the Mist Anbu were even more so.
Unless there was a specific mission requirement to capture them alive, the chances of the Kaguya clansmen surviving were indeed slim.
And the Mist always aimed to exterminate bloodline limit clans, so there was no such thing as capturing them alive.
"Sigh, Lord Hiashi, there's no need to apologize. I had already anticipated this. I come from the Mist and understand their methods better than you. Now, I only hope to ensure the safety of these children. They are the future of the Kaguya clan."
"That's not a problem. I will take you to a safe place."
"Thank you, Lord Hiashi. Haha, it was like this five years ago, and it's still the same five years later. I guess the Kaguya clan is truly destined to fade away."
Takenaka Sachiko smiled sadly, but when her eyes swept over Kimimaro, she was suddenly startled!
"You! You are... Kimimaro!"
Their eyes met, and Takenaka Sachiko's eyes were filled with surprise.
As an elder of the Kaguya clan, she naturally knew of Kimimaro's existence.
Back then, Kimimaro's birth was a major event in the Kaguya clan.
Especially his Shikotsumyaku power, which was so strong that it terrified even his fellow clansmen, and was ultimately sealed in a cave by the clan leader himself.
Takenaka Sachiko was one of the witnesses at the time.
She would never forget Kimimaro's appearance.
Even though he had grown up, she still recognized him at a glance.
She originally thought he had perished in that clan extermination battle, but she never expected to see him alive now.
"I didn't expect anyone to remember me."
Seeing this, Kimimaro didn't deny his identity.
"It's really you! You're alive!"
Takenaka Sachiko was both surprised and delighted, her face full of disbelief.
"No, it's impossible. Even if you didn't die in that battle back then, your bloodline disease would have taken your life. How could you have survived until now?"
Back then, Kimimaro's bloodline disease had been confirmed by the Kaguya clan, and he wasn't expected to live past twelve.
How could Takenaka Sachiko believe that the boy with monstrous talent was still standing alive in front of her?
"Grandma Sachiko, he is indeed the Kimimaro from back then. He was lucky enough to encounter a skilled doctor who suppressed his bloodline disease, allowing him to live until now and even join the Sound Village.
It was because of this Chunin Exam that I learned he was still alive. I brought him here to let him know that there are still survivors of the Kaguya clan, that he's not alone. I just didn't expect to encounter such a situation."
As Hiashi spoke, he also felt a sense of sorrow.
Hearing this, Takenaka Sachiko was still skeptical.
Kaguya Tsuki, on the other hand, was confused, only vaguely feeling that the name sounded familiar.
"Are you really Kimimaro?"
Kimimaro didn't explain much, extending his right hand, a pure white bone blade emerged from his palm.
Shikotsumyaku!
Nothing was more convincing than this.
Takenaka Sachiko's eyes flashed with joy, and she finally believed that the person in front of her was Kimimaro.
"It's really you! That's great! If the clan leader in the Pure Land knew his child was still alive, he would be overjoyed."
Takenaka Sachiko was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes.
Kimimaro could feel that she was genuinely happy for him.
This elder of the Kaguya clan valued the continuation of the Kaguya bloodline the most.
"Welcome back, Kimimaro."
Takenaka Sachiko immediately expressed her welcome to Kimimaro.
"Grandma, I think you misunderstood. I don't really care if there are any survivors of the Kaguya clan. And I have no intention of returning to the Kaguya clan.
The reason I came back this time is solely to obtain all the medical records related to the Kaguya clan's bloodline disease. I want to live, and these medical records are still useful for treating my bloodline disease. If you know where the records are, could you please hand them over to me?"
Kimimaro stated his purpose very directly.
"You! You don't want to return to the clan?"
Takenaka Sachiko was shocked.
"The Kaguya clan abandoned me back then, wouldn't it be strange for me to return now?"
"As a member of the Kaguya clan, you should have the awareness to sacrifice your life. What do you mean the clan abandoned you? That was your honor!"
"I'm sorry, but I don't want that kind of honor. I repaid the life I owed to the Kaguya clan that night. Now, the Kaguya clan has no right to demand anything from me."
"You!"
Seeing that the two were about to argue, Hiashi quickly intervened.
"Grandma Sachiko, Kimimaro, now is not the time to argue. The Mist Anbu might discover this place at any moment, we should evacuate first. We can discuss anything else later."
Takenaka Sachiko suppressed her anger and said in a low voice, "Alright, I'll follow Lord Hiashi's arrangements."
Kimimaro didn't say anything, which was considered an agreement.
Seeing this, Hiashi breathed a sigh of relief and immediately led everyone away.
The journey was smooth, as if the Mist Anbu had given up on this group of Kaguya clansmen.
By nightfall, they had reached a safe area.
"We're now within the Land of Fire's警戒线. The Mist Anbu definitely wouldn't dare to launch a large-scale operation here. Everyone, rest here for the night, and we'll make further plans tomorrow."
Exhausted from the day, everyone quickly fell asleep, but Kimimaro didn't. He was organizing all the information he had gathered so far.
After a long while, he came to a conclusion.
"They're all actors."
(End of Chapter)