A giant palm extended from the ring on Haruki's finger, reaching out towards Konan.
"Rika!" Haruki stopped Rika with a shout.
Rika's massive figure emerged from behind Haruki. She hunched over, shielding Haruki beneath her, and reluctantly withdrew her hand.
"Yuta, don't be angry."
"Yuta, don't be angry with Rika."
Rika's voice was filled with urgency, as she frantically circled Haruki, explaining.
"I'm not angry..."
Haruki quickly appeased her, afraid Rika might tear down the house if she got too agitated. Rika clung to Haruki, helpless like a child.
"I just don't want other women near Yuta..."
Haruki comforted her, "Rika, I won't be angry with you."
"Konan is my family. If you hurt her, I'll be sad." Haruki looked at Konan and said to Rika.
"No..."
"Yuta, don't be sad..."
"Rika doesn't want Yuta to be sad..."
Rika anxiously tried to reach out and touch Haruki's face. Haruki was quicker, reaching out to gently stroke the upper half of Rika's face.
"I will never be angry with you."
Haruki promised his companion Cursed Spirit, Rika. Rika was his guarantee of survival in this world.
How could he possibly be angry with her?
"Rika loves Yuta..."
With the assurance, Rika's voice showed joy, and she obediently returned to Haruki's ring.
Jiraiya, who had witnessed the entire scene: "..."
He stared in shock at Haruki and the ring on his hand.
"It..."
Jiraiya struggled to regain his tongue, which had been paralyzed by excessive shock.
"She is my deceased fiancée—Rika Orimoto." Haruki introduced her to Jiraiya with great seriousness and solemnity.
Jiraiya: "..."
Was something wrong with his ears, or was Haruki talking nonsense?
Are kids these days so... open-minded?
No. This was no longer a matter of being open-minded.
Jiraiya was brainstorming.
About three minutes later, he slowly managed to sort out his thoughts.
"The one who killed the ninjas... was that... Rika? Is that right?" Jiraiya asked tentatively.
Haruki thought for a moment, shook his head, then nodded.
Jiraiya: "..."
Don't toy with poor Jiraiya-sensei!
"Rika doesn't cut people. It seems to be another curse..." Haruki said hesitantly.
Rika's existence needed a reasonable explanation. Jiraiya wasn't that easy to fool.
To get Jiraiya's guidance, he had to give something in return.
The existence of Cursed Spirits certainly couldn't be hidden, so it was better to tell Jiraiya proactively and earn his trust.
"Another curse?"
Jiraiya repeated his words, then with a solemn gaze, repeated the term from Haruki's mouth. "Curse?"
Haruki pursed his lips and chose to first tell Jiraiya the love story of Yuta and Rika.
"Rika and I knew each other when we were very young."
Jiraiya listened attentively. He knew Haruki wouldn't start telling a story for no reason. So, this story must be related to the "curse" Haruki mentioned.
"At that time, we promised to get married when we grew up."
As Jiraiya listened, he felt the story's direction was not good.
"But later... she died."
Jiraiya: "..."
"I refused to accept Rika's departure."
Haruki looked at Jiraiya with determination and said, "So I cursed her."
Jiraiya's pupils widened. "Cursed her?"
Haruki nodded under his shocked gaze. "Yes, cursed. I don't know why this happened, I only know that Rika came back to life and lives by my side in this way, protecting me and accompanying me."
Haruki gave Jiraiya a shy, innocent smile. "Rika and I both like this way, so we can be together again."
"..."
Jiraiya opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
Logic told him to applaud the deep affection of the young couple.
Logic?
What the hell is logic?!
How is this possible?
The dead cannot be resurrected!
How could she turn into a monster?
So, the key point is indeed Haruki?
Jiraiya focused his gaze on Haruki.
The power of the curse...
Is this a secret technique?
Or a Kekkei Genkai?
"This time, I felt a new curse appear." Haruki's words startled Jiraiya.
"Did a new curse kill the ninja?" Jiraiya pressed.
Haruki nodded, his eyes filled with confusion, as if he himself didn't understand.
"At that time, Rika was far from me, and the ninja's weapons were less than an arm's length from my neck. At that moment... the killing intent the ninja had towards me gave birth to a new curse..."
Jiraiya was horrified. So, curses are born from emotions?
Jiraiya speculated in his mind.
"Have you seen the new curse?" Jiraiya asked gravely.
Haruki shook his head. "I haven't seen it."
Jiraiya took a deep breath. What a puzzling, headache-inducing ability.
After rubbing his temples, Jiraiya looked at Nagato's eyes again. He once again sighed inwardly, realizing that staying this time was the right choice.
These two children... are both extraordinary.
Haruki, with his cursing ability, desperately needed someone to guide him onto the correct path. Otherwise, he, who grew up in the distorted war, would head towards destruction. It would be both his personal ruin and the demise of the Ninja World.
And Nagato, who possesses the Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths...
Jiraiya instantly made up his mind.
Fate had him meet Haruki and Nagato, perhaps to lead them onto the correct path.
He looked at Haruki, Nagato, and Konan in front of him, and said to them, "Starting tomorrow, I will teach you ninjutsu."
Konan's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at Jiraiya.
"Firstly, it's to give you the ability to protect yourselves, and secondly, I hope you can all control your powers well."
Jiraiya looked at Haruki and said, "After learning ninjutsu, there will be no need for Rika and other curses to come out, and you will also be able to control the curses better."
Haruki nodded obediently.
Late at night.
Haruki lied on the bed, eyes closed, trying to fall asleep. His consciousness continuously sank. But he didn't sink into dreams. Instead, he sank into a pool of black and red water until an entirely unfamiliar voice echoed in his ears.
Haruki woke up with a startle and suddenly opened his eyes. What met his gaze was not the ceiling of the wooden house, but boundless dark red.
He blinked, and his gaze shifted downwards, meeting a pair of red pupils.
Curiosity, amusement, and mockery flickered within those pupils, making Haruki feel like a toy.
Haruki: "..."
"As my 'master', you're actually this weak?"
Sukuna felt it. The binding between him and Haruki. It was very strange. He couldn't break this binding, nor could he defy it.
Sukuna stared at the human in front of him, clicking his tongue lightly.
Truly terrifyingly weak!
The thought of being dragged down by this human and completely disappearing was extremely irritating.
Sukuna tried to launch a slash. Nothing unusual appeared before him. Just as he thought, the slash failed.
Attacks against the 'master' are always ineffective.
"Next time we meet, get a little stronger. Otherwise, I'll find it very boring."