Mirai Uchiha's words left Chino completely stunned in place.
As Lord Emperor, he wasn't punishing her for her transgressions—instead, he was actually offering to reveal the secrets she had long desired to learn.
This…
was just too incredible?
Not even in her wildest dreams would Chino have expected something like this to happen.
Seeing Chino lost in thought, Kazamatsuri quickly asked on her behalf, "Lord, do you know the truth about the Blood Pools Clan?"
"Would you tell us?"
According to their investigation, the Blood Pools Clan had been imprisoned in Hell Valley by the Uchiha Clan.
Therefore, they naturally assumed that the Uchiha were responsible for the annihilation of the Blood Pools Clan.
But now, perhaps there was more to the story?
Observing their eager gazes, Mirai Uchiha calmly replied, "Yes."
After a brief pause, he began his account.
"The earliest records I've seen regarding the Blood Pools Clan date back to the Warring Clans era."
"At that time, before Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha established the one country, one village system, daimyos from different lands employed powerful ninja clans for protection."
"Among them, the Blood Pools Clan served the Lightning Daimyo of the Land of Lightning."
"During that period, a woman emerged from the Blood Pools Clan who caught the attention of the Lightning Daimyo. He took her as one of his consorts."
"Because of her extraordinary beauty, the daimyo favored her greatly, provoking jealousy from his first wife."
"Soon after, when the daimyo suddenly passed away, his first wife blamed everything on that woman from the Blood Pools Clan, accusing her of causing his death."
"In this situation, the woman was executed, and the entire Blood Pools Clan was condemned along with her."
"The Lightning Daimyo used ninja from the Uchiha Clan to exile the Blood Pools Clan to Hell Valley."
After hearing Mirai Uchiha's account, both Chino and Kazamatsuri were shocked.
So this was really what had happened?
In other words, the true culprit behind the destruction of the Blood Pools Clan was actually the Lightning Daimyo's first wife?
Taking a deep breath, Chino respectfully bowed to Mirai Uchiha, saying, "Lord Emperor, thank you for clearing up my confusion."
"I wrongly accused you. Since the true culprit behind the Blood Pools Clan's annihilation is already dead, I'm willing to accept punishment for my actions."
The Warring Clans era…
That was an age separated from the present by two eras entirely. Of course, the Lightning Daimyo's first wife must have died long ago.
However, unexpectedly, Mirai Uchiha shook his head with a smile, "Although the Lightning Daimyo's first wife exiled the Blood Pools Clan, she didn't actually carry out a complete massacre."
The harsh conditions of Hell Valley may seem inhospitable, but they actually allowed the Blood Pools Clan to survive and continue their lineage.
Upon hearing this, Moegi Kazamatsuri couldn't help but ask curiously, "Right! If the environment of Hell Valley had truly led to the annihilation of the Blood Pools Clan, there wouldn't even be any descendants of the clan alive today."
"Mirai, how exactly did the Blood Pools Clan get wiped out?"
Her words made Chino and Kazamatsuri realize the same thing, and they both looked at Mirai Uchiha with anticipation.
Seeing this, Mirai Uchiha continued speaking. "A long time ago, there was a loving couple from the Blood Pools Clan. They lived in Hell Valley, yet still held hope for life."
"Unfortunately, the man's wife was forced to her death by members of their own clan for reasons never recorded."
"To seek vengeance, the man slaughtered the entire Blood Pools Clan, causing their complete annihilation."
Chino immediately clenched her teeth in anger. "Who was that man?! Is he still alive?!"
Mirai Uchiha said coolly, "Of course he is. You two know him quite well."
Chino and Kazamatsuri were both taken aback. "We know him well?"
Mirai Uchiha nodded and slowly spoke, "The man's name is Homura Mikado."
"What?!"
Both Chino and Kazamatsuri cried out in shock simultaneously.
As members of the combat arena, they knew Homura Mikado all too well—he was their commanding leader.
They'd never imagined it was him who killed everyone from the Blood Pools Clan!
"Damn it!" Chino couldn't help but clench her fist tightly.
Ever since she could remember, she had followed Homura Mikado. He placed her and many other orphans together, forcing them into constant battle against each other.
Those who lost would be denied food.
Although Chino hated that environment, she always believed Homura had given her shelter and raised her.
That's why, even when she tried to escape in secret, she'd never dared to rebel against Homura Mikado.
Yet now she learned he was the one who murdered the entire Blood Pools Clan!
"I'm going to kill that scum right now."
Seeing Chino grit her teeth and say that, Mirai Uchiha spoke again.
"Chino, have you ever thought about why Homura Mikado killed every member of the Blood Pools Clan, yet spared you?"
Chino paused for a moment before replying, "Maybe because I was too young to know anything, so he could keep me in the dark forever?"
"That's not it," Mirai Uchiha shook her head. "When the Blood Pools Clan was annihilated, you weren't the only infant in the clan."
Confused, Chino asked, "Then why did he spare me?"
A faint smile appeared on Mirai Uchiha's face. "Because… you're his child — the only child of him and the wife he killed."
"What?!"
Chino, Kazamatsuri, and Moegi Kazamatsuri all stood there, stunned, their mouths hanging wide open.
Was Chino actually the daughter of Homura Mikado?
This... this was simply unbelievable!
"How could this be... I'm actually the daughter of Homura Mikado..."
Dazed, Chino dropped to her knees, whispering incoherently to herself.
Ever since she was young, she'd believed she was an orphan, always deeply caring about her parentage.
Precisely because of that, when Chino learned she was the last surviving heir of the Blood Pools Clan, she immediately chose to flee from the combat arena she had lived in all her life.
In Chino's heart, if she was an orphan, then the members of the Blood Pools Clan must logically be her family!
That's also why she had always wanted to avenge those clan members she'd never even met.
But now, the very clan she had been desperate to avenge turned out to be the ones who drove her mother to her death.
And the killer who slaughtered her clan... was actually her own biological father...
All these complicated relationships intertwined in chaos, leaving Chino dazed and unable to process everything.
Even Kazamatsuri and Moegi Kazamatsuri were completely stunned.
What had seemed like a simple matter just hours ago suddenly had so many unexpected twists behind it?!
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