Chapter 25: The Second Brainwashing

Inside a secluded courtyard marked with the character "A" at the martial arts hall, an old man and a young man stood facing each other.

"Zero, you did it on purpose, didn’t you?"

"On purpose? I don’t understand what you mean, Father."

"Why didn’t you kill him just now?"

"Him? Who? Kuroha? Using forbidden techniques against him was already unfair."

"Don’t you realize that leaving such a prodigy alive means he will be a formidable rival to you—and a great threat to the Koga clan?"

"In the future? That’s none of my concern. Father, have you forgotten the promise we made?"

"Promise?"

Akimoto No furrowed his brows, clenching his fist beneath his long sleeves.

"Four years ago, when I first entered the competition, we agreed that if I helped you win three consecutive matches, I could leave Koga and live the life I want. Today was only the second match."

Akimoto Zero paid no mind to the change in his father’s expression, quietly reminding him.

"You are my son, the next head of the Koga clan!" Akimoto No’s voice dropped low and firm. He had initially thought his son was just being emotional, but now, hearing him mention leaving Koga again, his face darkened immediately. Zero, as his heir, talking about abandoning the clan to live his own life?

"I have things to do. I’m leaving."

Without waiting for a response, Akimoto Zero turned and left.

"Stop!" Akimoto No commanded loudly.

But Zero had already vanished beyond the courtyard gate.

"Krak."

A massive three-meter-tall tree inside the courtyard snapped in half from Akimoto No’s powerful punch. It bent and crashed towards the gate with creaking sounds as branches and leaves rubbed against each other.

Finally, it fell to the ground, scattering leaves everywhere.

"Master, are you alright?"

Hearing the noise, the guards outside rushed in, gripping their samurai swords, alert and cautious.

"I’m fine. Clean this up," Akimoto No waved them off, his voice grave. He then entered a nearby room, closing the door behind him.

"Feipiao, find out who Zero has been meeting lately. I need to know why he harbors such thoughts."

Akimoto No slowly sank into an old armchair, closing his eyes and resting his hands on his thighs, trying to steady his emotions stirred by Zero’s defiance.

For a ninja, the state of mind is paramount.

In a corner of the room, a bulky samurai resembling a sumo wrestler sat quietly. Hearing Akimoto No’s order, he opened his eyes, grabbed the sword beside him, stood up, and swiftly leapt out through the side window, his movements agile despite his size.

The tournament had ended with Koga’s victory once again. The Koga warriors were all radiant, heads held high, basking in the glory as if they had just fought themselves.

The results were immediately posted online.

In the Sakura Country, both the righteous and the underworld figures quickly received the news, already planning their next moves.

Members of the Iga clan were not disheartened. They began dismantling the arena, restoring the martial arts hall to its original state, preparing to reopen it. Though they lost this match, Iga’s overall strength still surpassed Koga’s. Rather than mourn, they felt a strange excitement.

The Koga clan head’s unique secret technique, the "Ghost Shadow Blade," had been unexpectedly replicated by a mere fourteen-year-old from Iga, and learned instantly during battle. The "Ghost Shadow Blade" was Koga’s signature move, and its value far exceeded the loss suffered in this match.

The name Kuroha Itsuki was deeply etched into the hearts of both Iga and Koga members present.

Kuroha Itsuki, recognized by Inoue Izumi as Iga’s successor, was a prodigious youth with a legendary mimicry ability rivaling the greatest martial arts geniuses. At just fourteen, he had forced the famed Akimoto Zero to resort to forbidden techniques in combat.

Given time, defeating Akimoto Zero would be no challenge for him.

Among all, Inoue Izumi’s feelings were the most complicated. Sitting by the tea table, holding a cup of tea, he gazed at Kuroha resting on the bed, gently blowing the steam from his tea before taking a sip.

He was pleased because he had witnessed the potential he had long hoped for in Kuroha.

He regretted the rapid unraveling of Kuroha’s hypnotic conditioning following the match.

"Who are you? Who are you?" murmured Kuroha, eyes closed, as if speaking in his sleep.

Inoue Izumi narrowed his eyes, set down the cup, and approached the bed.

"Kuroha!"

He reached out and pressed his right hand against Kuroha’s wrist.

"Huh?"

Kuroha’s eyes snapped open.

"Bad dream again?"

"Yeah, I dreamt of a woman. She seemed so familiar, yet I can’t recall who she is."

Kuroha propped himself up on the bed, shaking his head, his mind foggy as he tried to grasp the faint memory.

"Don’t dwell on it. It’s just a side effect of the forbidden technique."

Inoue Izumi gently patted Kuroha’s hand, then went to the wooden table, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to him.

"But Master, it felt so real, as if I truly knew her."

Kuroha sensed that the woman’s connection to him was far from ordinary—perhaps family.

"Drink this. Once finished, we’ll return to Iga and let Doctor Mariko examine you, just to be safe."

Inoue Izumi picked up a set of casual clothes prepared for Kuroha from a nearby rack.

"Alright."

With his master’s instructions, Kuroha no longer lingered in bed. He drank the tea in one gulp, swung his legs over the side, and took the clothes from Inoue Izumi, dressing swiftly.

As they left the youth martial arts hall, all the Iga disciples came to see them off, eager to familiarize themselves with their future head. The older ones, already in their sixties, warmly called Kuroha "senpai," making him somewhat embarrassed.

Only after Inoue Izumi’s command did they return to their posts, resuming normal life at the hall.

With the match over, Inoue Izumi departed, and the covert sentries around the hall withdrew as well.

Residents, previously evacuated under the guise of disaster drills by the police, gradually returned.

Outside the youth martial arts hall, Kuroha climbed into a black Hummer with Inoue Izumi. After hours of bumpy travel, they arrived at a remote dock where a cargo ship was moored.

"Master, where’s our boat?"

Kuroha looked around curiously. Had it been delayed? The white speedboat they had come on was nowhere in sight; only the cargo ship remained.

"Don’t look any further. This is it. It’s the supply vessel for the island."

Inoue Izumi stepped out of the car, hands clasped behind his back, and walked toward the ship.

"Ah? Isn’t the island self-sufficient in supplies?"

Kuroha had always believed the island produced everything it needed.

"No, only a small portion is self-produced. Most goods are purchased from the mainland. If it were fully self-sufficient, it wouldn’t be called an island but a country."

"Country?"

On the voyage back, Kuroha leaned on the railing, gazing at the blue sea where dolphins occasionally leapt above the waves, silently pondering Inoue Izumi’s words.

Iga Island, fourth floor of the hospital.

Kuroha lay in a luxurious bed, drifting into a deep sleep.

"Is there anything abnormal?"

Akani Mariko asked as she examined Kuroha’s body.

"No, but it seems he saw something..."

Inoue Izumi recounted the events during and after the match to Mariko.

"It must be the forbidden technique. It caused him to see past memories within a dreamlike illusion. The hypnosis only seals his original memories and implants new ones. Over time, the seal weakens. His willpower is strong; normally, the first seal lasts over a decade. Unexpectedly, Akimoto Zero’s forbidden technique accelerated the weakening, allowing those visions. To be safe, I can perform a second hypnosis."

Akani Mariko retrieved two wires from nearby equipment and placed them on Kuroha’s head.

"Alright."

"But with each hypnosis, the effect’s duration shortens. After the third time, it won’t work anymore, meaning the seal disappears and all memories return."

"What’s the effective period of the second hypnosis?"

"Five years."

"Begin then."

"This time, I will set a hidden point in his mind, defining the identity of that woman. Even if he recalls her, he’ll think of the person we predetermined. Who should we choose?"

"Yui Maeda, her grandmother."

"I knew it," Akani Mariko said, sitting up with a hint of grievance in her eyes as she looked at Inoue Izumi.

"Inoue Izumi nodded silently, his gaze fixed on Kuroha lying there.

"I’ll handle this."

"Alright, I’ll wait outside."

...