"Sometimes I felt it was better to die than live like this, but now there's hope again."
"I am Oyashirō Tsuki, En's father, and the head of the Oyashirō clan." In his youth, Oyashirō Tsuki had also left Hell Valley to find a way out for his clan and herbs to alleviate their illnesses. However, even after he reached adulthood, he still couldn't find a way for his clan to escape Hell Valley. And because his body grew, he couldn't leave Hell Valley and was forever trapped there. Everything could only be hoped for through his son.
But Tsuki thought that if his son couldn't find a way, he should never return to Hell Valley. This would allow him to roam freely and grow in the outside world. Generations of children had been shackled by their so-called clan, ultimately confined to Hell Valley for their entire lives. But his son was clearly much stronger than him; the now-disappeared red mist was the best proof.
"I must thank you again for saving our clan."
Torifū waved his hand: "No need. I just happened to solve it. Your internal illness still remains."
Oyashirō Tsuki's sallow face stretched into a smile: "We've long been accustomed to it. Even if we suddenly died tomorrow, no one would be surprised, since everyone has always lived in the shadow of death."
Naori stood beside Torifū, unsure what to say. Apologize? The Uchiha clan's ancestors would never allow her to do that. Besides, she didn't believe the Uchiha clan had done anything wrong. Perhaps silence was the best option.
Torifū pulled out a delicate small bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Tsuki. "The medicine in this bottle can alleviate your symptoms. There should be enough for each of your clan members to take one pill."
"However, the toxins accumulated over many years cannot be quickly eradicated. This will be a long battle." Tsuki tremblingly took the bottle Torifū offered. After opening the cap, a refreshing medicinal scent wafted out. Just a sniff made him feel much better. Perhaps they could live! This was Tsuki's current thought. Before, this was something he never dared to imagine or hope for, but now, it might truly be possible. The key lay with this child.
"Is there anything the lord wishes to command?" Oyashirō Tsuki bowed to Torifū, adopting a very humble posture.
En, standing beside him, also imitated his father, bowing to Torifū: "Is there anything the lord wishes to command?"
Torifū nodded. Although they were so frail, those who could become clan heads were ultimately clever. He wouldn't waste nearly three thousand Peace Points to save some unrelated people for nothing. "I heard that the Oyashirō clan and the Uchiha clan once had a feud?"
Tsuki's face showed difficulty. He didn't know how to answer this question. From the very beginning, he had known that this girl was from the Uchiha clan. Although the Uchiha clan and the Oyashirō clan had a historical feud, and the current miserable state of the Oyashirō clan was certainly related to the Uchiha clan, the hope for their clan's survival was right before them. One wrong move and they might lose this opportunity. And there might never be another chance.
"Indeed, the Oyashirō clan and the Uchiha clan have a deep-seated feud."
"Our current situation is also inseparable from the Uchiha, but what we hate most is the Land of Lightning's Daimyō clan! They are the culprits who caused our clan's destruction and loss of life!" Torifū smiled faintly upon hearing this. This statement was very clever, whether it was genuine or a calculation. However, getting this answer was still good.
"You should know about Konoha Village, right?" The Oyashirō father and son nodded: "Yes, we heard that the Hokage of Konoha Village's power shook the ninja world and that he was revered as the God of Shinobi."
Torifū nodded in affirmation, then walked over to Naori and said something to her. Naori's expression became serious, but then it relaxed, and she nodded to Torifū. Only then did Torifū continue speaking to the Oyashirō father and son: "It will be very difficult for your clan to recover its strength quickly. Besides En, almost all of your clan members will find it hard to achieve anything significant as ninja."
Oyashirō Tsuki understood this. In his youth, his strength was quite good, and he had awakened the Ketsuryūgan, which meant boundless potential. But after returning to the valley and being eroded by the blood mist, his strength constantly drained away like an hourglass. Now his strength was less than half of what it used to be, not to mention the other clan members, whose strength had regressed even more severely than his.
"However, the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan already established Konoha Village. They are now in a strong position. Even if you have a feud, you cannot shake them, and Konoha Village will not allow you to harm the Uchiha clan."
Tsuki gave a self-deprecating smile. He hadn't expected this benefactor to think so highly of his clan. They couldn't even defeat the Uchiha back then, and now that they were in this state, it was even more out of the question. Moreover, although the clan members hated the Uchiha clan, ultimately, it was the Land of Lightning's fault that they suffered these hundred years of pain. So, their target for revenge had always been the Land of Lightning.
"Although I cannot allow you to seek revenge, perhaps I can give you a chance at fair competition." This statement made En somewhat confused. What "fair competition"? With the Uchiha clan?
"What does the lord mean?"
Torifū continued: "Naori and I will return to Konoha Village shortly to report to the Hokage. If the Hokage permits, perhaps the Oyashirō clan can be relocated to Konoha Village."
"But all of this depends on whether your clan agrees. I won't do anything thankless. If none of you are willing, then after we leave here, we don't know when we'll come back next time."
Relocating to Konoha Village? This was unexpected for Tsuki: "Is this what the lord meant by fair competition? But what capital do we have to compete fairly with the Uchiha clan?"
"In terms of strength, you certainly aren't a match, but you can compete in terms of the strength of your new generation. I think you might not lose then."
The strength of the new generation? Tsuki looked at his son beside him. He had taught En all his skills since childhood, believing his son was no less capable than others, just lacking a good background. Being born into this living hell truly buried his talent and his life.
"I absolutely agree, and undoubtedly, the clan members will also agree. Please speak a few more words on our behalf to the Hokage." Torifū smiled: "Don't worry." Torifū was almost completely confident about this matter. After all, it was highly likely that Tobirama would adopt the suggestion he put forward.
[T/N: None of the Chinoike Clan members had "Chinoike " as clan name. There's only one mention of Oyashiro En. So the author went along with the clan name Oyashiro. Plus, it seems that the Chinoike in their name comes due to the Hell Valley. So if you see the names being used interchangeably, please understand. :) ]