After my talk with Black Zetsu, I go back to my room when Ko meets me halfway there.
"Hinata, your father is requesting your presence in the ritual chamber."
"Ritual chamber?" Or in other words, where every branch member is being branded.
"Yes. It seems like you will finally be aknowledged as true Heiress of the clan."
"I see." Not that I am all that happy about it.
"Ko I need your help with something while I am gone. Could you bring me storage seals that I could easily transport with me? I would like to have Mr. Fluffykins and other tools, like my calligraphy set, always with me."
"I will look for a simple solution for you."
"Ah. Maybe make sure to have it be as unassuming as possible. I don't want to be known as the crazy girl that always has to have personal pillow with her."
"As you wish Hinata."
"Thanks Ko!"
Five minutes later and I find myself inside of the Brandin- Ritual Chamber.
The room is full with children of the branch family and of course the main families elders.
As it is expected of me, I position myself next to my father and await further orders. One of the elders then starts talking.
"Today we have assembled to witness the glorious birth of our clans heiress.
As it is her duty, she will witness the mark that all Hyuga have to bear to keep our bloodline safe from thieves." Yes 'all Hyuga' except the main family.
"Bring the children to the center."
While one by one the children are branded with the caged-bird seal, my father starts talking to me without looking into my direction. His tone is even worse. No affection as it used to have in the past.
I guess that is it then right?
"Daughter. You are expected to test the caged-bird seal on these children."
Are you serious?! I have to activate the seals, which could literally fry their brains just to see if they work? Wait. They are testing me. Again.
"Activate your Byakugan and pay attention to my chakra flow and handsign."
I do as I am told an inspect the weird handsign Hiashi does. It is like he is trying to break every finger of his with each other. I have no idea how to describe what he is doing, especially when looking at the way the chakra is flowing as a result.
If I had to describe it then there would only be one word for it: Disgusting. The chakra flow is twsting weirdly and it feels revolting. Only seeing that abomination makes me want to vomit.
You teach that gross stuff to your children?
"At this point you simply have to let the chakra flow through your hand and direct it into the caged-bird seal."
"Hn."
"Now that everyone bears the mark of a true Hyuga, we only have to test it. That honor will go to our Heiress. Please step forward."
I take a look at the people in the center of the room and I can see one familiar face: Neji.
Damn.
Everyone of them is frightened and I could swear someone pissed himself already. I would do the same in their position.
I start with the left side so that Neji will the last person. Am I evil for doing so? No. I am merely practicing with the others until I can make it less painful than the others before him.
"Take in mind that the seal has to activated for at least 10 seconds for it to be fully functional."
Fuck you. 10 seconds? Are you sure you don't just want me to kill them directly? Or would that be too merciful?
"Hn."
I do the finger-breaking handsign and start twisting my chakra. Ugly. Gross. Disgusting. Nasty. Utterly vile. There is no other way to describe how my chakra feels to me right now.
The chakra is pushed to into the seal of a 4 year old girl and I fucked up with the ratio.
She screams. Her fingers go up to her hand and she trying to scratch away the seal, but upon touching it, the seal forces more chakra out of me and it increases her pain.
I couldn't count the seconds. All I could hear in my mind were the screams of that girl. Agony. Pure agony. Her bloodshot eyes.
But then our eyes meet. Hatred and fury.
Once again the seal increases in strength without me doing anything.
Her screams stop.
She is unconscious.
"What a shame. It has only been 7 seconds. At least the seal seems to function. Wonderfully done Hinata. I didn't expect you to increase the chakra you were providing. Especially once she started looking at you with pure hatred."
I look up to the elder that was talking to me and see the faces of the other elders. Bliss.
What is this?
Is this the true side of the Hyuga clan?
Only now do I register what was said mere seconds ago.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"I- I didn't-"
"Ah~ Don't worry. We would have done the same."
There still nine other children.
That thought alone scares me.
What if I mess up again? Will they also end up like the girl? What if I damaged parts of her brain?
'Usagi. I need your help with my chakra. I don't want to have it be more painful than it needs to be.'
'Aiye Boss!'
And she is still as cheerful as always.
My next victim is a little with shoulder long hair boy.
"My name is Yuki! Ne, Sis. Are you going to hurt me too?"
Wha- why are you talking to me?!
My thoughts must have been perfectly reflected on my face as he starts to speak again.
"I just- can you please- please not like you did with my sister? My father told me what happens *sob* with children that can't make it to the 10 seconds. The seal damages them. *sob* My sister might never be the same again."
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"I- I-" with a choking voice her continues "don't want to be a cripple. Please. Please sis be gentle *sob*"
I can hear laughter from the elders in the background. They set this up. This whole thing is a farce.
Wait. I look at Hiashis direction to see his reaction, ready to plead with him. But what I instead see is him, looking for the first time since my mothers death, directly into my eyes. His Byakugan activated and completely serious.
"Do it, daughter."
How could you.
"It is your duty."
How could you betray me like this.
I close my eyes and turn back to the boy.
"I will be as gentle as possible Yuki."
"Thanks Sis!"
I push my chakra to his seal.
Again the agonizing screams. I perfectly control my chakra and only the minimum is used.
The screams are not as brutal as before and I know I can do it.
Yuki you can survive this!
"aARRARARRRRRRRRRRRGGGHH"
NO! What is happening? I am not using my chakra?
"ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHH"
Shit! Shit! Please stop! He won't make it this way!
"SiSSsS YooOOUu LIIIED WHHHYHYY?!"
NO NO NO NO NO NO
He collapses. Just like his sister did. The voice the elder sounds in the room again.
"5 seconds. A shame. He was such a bright boy."
No no nonononono.
"His mother called him Yuki. She wanted him to be a boy full of happiness and smiles. Who knows if he will ever be able to smile again."
Why!??!
I cut the connection to my chakra!? Why didn't it stop!?
I hear snickering behind me and look back. There he sits. That fucking animal, holding his hands in a familiar handsign.
"Oh Hinata~ you should do your job correctly."
I can't do this...
...and there are still 8 other children.
What is this sick game they are playing?
Mindfuck the Heiress?
'Hinata. I can do this for you.'
'No Usagi thanks, but I have to do it. Please, just stay with me.'
'Of course Boss!'
Number 3
Another boy, but unlike the Yuki, he is outright showing me his hate for me.
"Do it. I would collapse like the others. I won't be like Yuki. I will not beg for mercy and no one will trick me."
"I will try to keep it-"
"No fuck you. Fuck you and your disgusting lies. Just fucking do it. Kill me if you want to, but you will not break me."
I just close my eyes and try to repress any tears from falling.
I push chakra into the seal again, but unlike before I add a little more chakra to it. I don't want the elders to interfere again.
No screaming only weird grunting noises. Whimpering. I can't open my eyes, I don't want to see it.
8
7
6
I can hear him falling to the ground, but he is still making noises.
5
4
He can't keep up with the pain and finally releases a scream.
3
2
1
0
I open my eyes.
He is a complete mess. His fingers are bloody as they dug into his arms. But he is still alive and conscious. He did it!
"Ha. Haha. HAHAHA. I did it. I fucking did it. You fucking fool. I survi- AAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGHH"
The seal activates again.
It wasn't me.
He collapses.
It wasn't me.
"Well done Hinata."
It wasn't me.
"Such insolence should be punished as you did."
It wasn't me.
"Go on. There are still 7 others."
It wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me.
Number 4.
With tears in his eyes, his Byakugan faces my own.
"You did well, princess. You are fulfilling your duty."
"No-"
"Please. Just do it. It is your duty after all."
He resigned to his fate.
He is the first one that is confirmed to have died.
"9 seconds. Aaaaah~ So close. And you even killed him. What a shame~"
And the worst thing.
You killed Daichi Hyuga lv.8! Level up! You reached lv.6!
Number 5
My tears just wouldn't stop falling.
"How could you-"
A boy. The appearance as the one before.
"-kill my twin?!"
Ah twins.
"I did-"
"YES! You did! You killed him!"
"No no-"
"OH YES. It was your chakra right?! You killed him and no one interfered either! It was all you!"
"No no no no-"
"Stop being a bitch and kill me too!"
"Wa-"
"Is that not why you are standing in front of me?"
"I-"
"Just fucking do it already bitch. I would rather be dead than spend my days with you as Clan Head."
I could feel the stares of the elders. The gaze of my 'father'.
I activated the seal.
You killed Daisuke Hyuga lv.7!
Number 6.
A girl.
Here screams were the worst and loudest.
She constantly cursed my name.
I kept my eyes closed and counted down.
2
1
0
It tried to cut my connection to the seal, but couldn't. The seal kept devouring my chakra without my control.
-1
-2
Time kept going on and I started to panic.
No don't please don't. She did it already. 10 seconds!!!
-5
-6
-7
No No No No STOP
With my open eyes I could see the elders with that gleeful smile at my frantic behaviour.
-10
-11
She already stopped screaming.
The only thing moving about her, is the blood that leaves from her orifices. In only a short moment there is a whole bloody mess in front of me.
You killed Yui Hyuga lv.6!
Number 7
He did it and nothing evil happened.
I regained my hope.
Number 8
She died the most agonizing death. For some reason I couldn't push enough chakra into the seal and the elder never started counting.
Yet she still had to suffer from my failure.
Two minutes.
She survived for two minutes.
You killed Sayumi Hyuga lv.7!
Number 9
He did not even struggle.
4 seconds later he died.
You killed Tsuna Hyuga lv.5! Level up! You reached lv.7!
Number 10
Neji.
"You did well Hinata."
I can see the tears flowing down his cheeks.
"You wonderfully either crippled or killed all my friends."
Wh-
"You did not spare anyone except for the one that kept bullying us."
You can't be serious.
"I thought we were friends. I at least thought of you as a friend."
Please just stop talking.
"I will never forget this moment in my whole life. I will forever remember how you killed everyone I was close to."
No please.
"So as a proper Heiress. Shouldn't it be your duty to kill your enemies?!"
No Neji I can't.
"Why are you pumping your chakra into my seal?! Why are you not killing me like the others!? WHY AM I STILL ALIVE?!"
I can't keep listening and activate the seal.
10 seconds later and Neji survived. He not once screamed, yet he must feel the worst from anyone before.
"...why. You should kill me. If not. I will kill you."
And then he collapses.
----------------------------------------
The next day in my room.
Ko enters my room, leaves behind a small book, before leaving my room again.
I take a look inside of it and immediately start choking up by reading the names.
Yuki, Daisuke, Daichi,....
1. Can't feel her own legs nor arms. Killed out of mercy.
2. Problems with his speech. Upon discovering the death of his sister, decided to commit suicide.
3. Still in coma.
4. Dead...
I just stop reading and close the book.
A small letter falls out and I take a look at it.
You were supposed to kill them all.
Hiashi
...I have no regrets. I will come back to Konoha and I will fucking MURDER THEM ALL.