The only light came from a few oil lamps fixed to the walls. Their yellow flames flickered under an unseen draft, casting two twisted shadows that shook on the stone like crawling Guai. Somewhere in the silence, a slow dripping sound echoed, like water seeping through rock or blood falling to the ground.
Pa.
A wet, sharp crack tore apart the stillness, followed by a muffled groan and the faint sound of flesh tearing. Ryoma Tokuma stood in the center of the cell, his face harsh in the dim light, sweat covering his forehead as his breathing grew rough. In his hand was a thick leather whip soaked with cold water and blood, shining with oil as he swung it down again.
Pa.
The whip struck Takao Hyuga across the chest, where not a patch of skin remained intact. A swollen purple mark rose at once, crossing older wounds where flesh had already split open. Ryoma Tokuma shouted hoarsely, asking who else had worked with him and who ordered him to kill members of the Otsutsuki Clan Main Family and steal the Pure Byakugan.
Takao Hyuga said nothing. His body was suspended by iron chains as thick as wrists, icy cold against torn skin, with his chest and back mangled and bone visible in places. Blood seeped steadily from his wounds, dripping from his hanging limbs to pool dark red beneath him.
He clenched his teeth and endured it all. Aside from suppressed groans, he gave no plea and no defense.
Seeing the silence continue, Ryoma Tokuma swallowed, a trace of reluctance rising in his chest. When his eyes flicked toward the distant figure sitting with arms crossed and eyes closed, his face tightened, and the whip rose again with a bloody rush of air. Another strike landed, making Takao Hyuga shudder as the chains clanged heavily.
"Speak!" Ryoma Tokuma trembled as he yelled. "Was it Iroha Hyuga Ryoma or Ryoma?"
Takao Hyuga kept his head lowered, black hair stuck to his face with sweat and blood. Hearing the faint hesitation in Ryoma Tokuma's voice, he slowly forced his head up. His once clear Pure Byakugan were now stained red with bloodshot veins as they locked onto Ryoma Tokuma's face.
The look carried open scorn and a curse, sharp enough to burn. It was as if he were saying that he would never become a lackey like him. Ryoma Tokuma froze mid-swing, an uncontrollable mix of fear and Crimson giant surging up from his chest.
That feeling quickly turned into rage. He roared and lashed out, striking Takao Hyuga across the face. The crack was sharp, and Takao Hyuga's head snapped to the side as blood poured from the torn cheek and flooded his eye.
He swallowed his scream into a hoarse sound and slumped forward, gasping. At that moment, a calm but commanding voice spoke from the shadows of the room. Elder Riwugo sat there in proper Otsutsuki Clan Main Family attire, hands on his knees as if in a tea room, not a torture chamber.
He opened his eyes and rose, his cold Pure Byakugan sweeping over Takao Hyuga without emotion. Ryoma Tokuma immediately relaxed, stepping back with respect and fear, not daring to speak. Elder Riwugo walked over and stopped in front of the prisoner, his tall frame casting a full Shadow over the barely breathing man.
"It seems you have decided to test my patience with those stubborn bones of yours," he said quietly. He added that in the past he might have admired such resolve, but now it only felt false and disgusting. He bent slightly, eyes settling on the blood-soaked Caged Bird curse mark on Takao Hyuga's forehead, and asked who else had taken part.
He warned that if Takao Hyuga stayed silent, another use of the Caged Bird curse mark would follow. Takao Hyuga's body trembled faintly as he gathered his last strength and lifted his head. Blood ran into his eyes, yet he still stared straight at Elder Riwugo.
Then he spat. A mouthful of blood and saliva struck Elder Riwugo squarely in the face, smearing his mask of Arrogance and indifference. The warm, foul mess spread across his skin, and the room seemed to freeze.
Elder Riwugo stood stiff, his pupils briefly unfocused. He clearly had not expected or understood how a dying Branch Family Members could dare to do such a thing. Ryoma Tokuma turned pale with shock, stepping back without daring to breathe.
Takao Hyuga watched the disbelief on Elder Riwugo's face and pulled his lips into a twisted smile. In a rough, rasping voice, he told them to do it and said he would wait for them below. He swore that none of them would escape.
Silence returned, broken only by the sound of blood dripping. Elder Riwugo wiped his face hard with his sleeve, his expression twisting into a cold smile instead of rage. He said he would not let Takao Hyuga die easily and snatched the whip from Ryoma Tokuma.
Chakra surged over the whip as Gentle Fist force flowed through it. The strike cut through the air and slammed into Takao Hyuga's chest with vicious force, far beyond the earlier blows. Blood sprayed in a fan as the whip shattered, unable to endure the power.
Takao Hyuga finally screamed, a sound torn from deep inside as his body convulsed. Elder Riwugo stopped there, tossing the broken whip back to the shaking Ryoma Tokuma and returning to his chair. The cell filled with the sound of ragged breathing and thick bloodstink.
Ryoma Tokuma swallowed and asked if they should continue. Elder Riwugo adjusted his clothes and replied coldly that they should continue but not kill him. He said to wait for Ryoma and have him personally use the Caged Bird curse mark, adding that no sound here would ever reach the outside.
That night was unusually deep and dark. Heavy clouds swallowed the Moon, leaving only a few dim stars to cast weak light on the ground. The path leading to the underground prison of the Ryoma Clan wound through a remote and barren corner of the compound.
Three figures moved slowly along the path. In the middle was Ryoma, his eyes covered with thick cloth where his Pure Byakugan had been taken, leaving hollow sockets. His pale face was twisted with hatred as he muttered broken, venomous words about how he would torture Takao Hyuga.
Two Branch Family Members guards supported him on either side like emotionless Puppet. Their silence barely hid their exhaustion and disgust. A soft rustling suddenly came from the dark woods beside them, and Ryoma froze, clutching a guard in panic and demanding to know what the sound was.
The guards exchanged looks of weary understanding. Since losing his eyes, Ryoma had become extremely jumpy, reacting to every noise with fear. Though annoyed, they hid it, and one scar-faced guard stepped into the woods to check.
As he moved deeper among the trees, he relaxed and let out a breath. The forest was quiet, filled only with the smell of damp soil and leaves. Just as he turned back, a sudden chill ran up his spine.
Before he could react, Ryoma was already at his ear. Hands dropped silently from above, one sealing his mouth, the other locking his head in place. kacha.