Chapter 333: Hatsuko? My Daughter?
When the little girl stepped fully into the light, Kyosuke's eyes lit up.
"What a beautiful child."
Her large, bright eyes shone even in the dim light of the cave. Her chubby cheeks, combined with her small stature—she couldn't have been more than a meter tall—made her incredibly adorable.
Kyosuke, who wasn't particularly fond of children, felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to hug the black-haired, black-eyed girl.
But before he could act, she saw through his intentions. She looked up at his awkward smile, hesitated for a moment, and then opened her arms.
Her innate, powerful ability to sense emotions told her that this human meant her no harm. That, and the delicious food he had given her, made her willing to trust him.
Kyosuke carefully squatted down and picked up the small figure. Looking into her large, curious eyes, he asked in a gentler voice than he had ever used before, "What's your name?"
"I'm Hatsuko," the little girl, Hatsuko, replied, her voice muffled as she stuffed her face with food.
Bits of food sprayed onto Kyosuke's face as she spoke and ate at the same time, but he didn't mind at all. He held her happily, asking her questions.
From Hatsuko, he learned that she had never left the cave since she was born. Her mother had told her that there were bad people outside who would take her away if she wasn't careful, and she would never see her mother again.
The innocent girl believed her completely. So, even though it was boring in the cave, she obeyed her mother and never stepped foot outside. Kyosuke was the first outsider she had ever met.
Hearing this, Kyosuke silently chided Tagitsuhime for her parenting methods, but as an outsider, he couldn't say much. He changed the subject and asked about her father.
"Hmm, Daddy?" Hatsuko tilted her head in thought, her eyes dimming slightly. "Mommy says Daddy isn't in Ryuchi Cave. I asked when he's coming back, but she won't tell me."
"Maybe... maybe Daddy doesn't like Hatsuko, so he doesn't want me anymore..." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
Kyosuke felt a sharp pang in his heart. While silently cursing the irresponsible father, he gently comforted the sad little girl.
It took a while, but he finally managed to calm her down. Just as he let out a sigh of relief, the sound of rushing wind came from outside the cave.
His sensory abilities told him that Tagitsuhime was approaching at high speed. Still holding Hatsuko, who had turned her attention back to the food, Kyosuke turned to face the beautiful figure entering the cave.
Years had passed, but Tagitsuhime remained as beautiful and elegant as ever, seemingly untouched by time. Seeing her return, Hatsuko mumbled through a mouthful of food, "Mommy, you're back!"
"En," Tagitsuhime replied coolly, then turned her gaze to the smiling Kyosuke. "Long time no see. When did you arrive?"
"Not long ago." Kyosuke reluctantly handed Hatsuko back to her mother and explained the purpose of his visit.
"Don't worry. I'll check on your student when I have time," Tagitsuhime said, then turned and walked out of the cave. She returned a moment later carrying a huge boar leg, which she unceremoniously shoved into Kyosuke's hands.
"I haven't had your roast meat in so long. I can never get it right myself," she said, sounding slightly annoyed.
"That's not true! Mommy's roast meat is delicious! Way better than that cold food!" little Hatsuko chimed in, defending her mother.
Tagitsuhime smiled and patted the little girl's head, who leaned into the touch with a blissful expression. "Daddy's roast meat is much better than Mommy's. You'll see when you try it."
She sniffed the air subconsciously, clearly looking forward to the meal. But then she froze. Her neck turned stiffly as she looked at the two gaping figures before her.
"Just now..." Kyosuke stammered, trying to confirm if he had misheard.
"You heard wrong," Tagitsuhime said expressionlessly.
"But I clearly heard..."
"You use your Mangekyo too much. Your hearing is deteriorating."
"Bullshit! The Mangekyo affects eyesight! And I've already awakened the Eternal Mangekyo..."
"You heard wrong."
The two of them stood there, staring at each other, one desperate for confirmation, the other stubbornly denying it.
It was little Hatsuko, still in her mother's arms, who dealt the fatal blow. "I heard it too! You said he's Daddy!"
She looked at Kyosuke with expectant eyes. "Are you my daddy?"
"I..." Faced with the little girl's soft, questioning voice, Kyosuke felt a lump in his throat. He wanted to answer, but only Tagitsuhime knew the truth.
From her reaction, he had already guessed the answer, and his mind was in turmoil.
"When did it happen? Why don't I remember?" He racked his brain, trying to recall their time together.
Suddenly, he remembered the incident in the Snake Pool, when he had almost been torn apart by natural energy.
He had been confident that his curse mark would protect him, but the natural energy in the pool had been far more volatile than he expected. Just before he lost consciousness, he had clearly seen a naked figure diving into the pool.
He had thought it was a hallucination, and Tagitsuhime had denied it later. But now... it seemed it was real.
And Hatsuko must have been conceived during that incident.
Hearing her daughter's hopeful question, Tagitsuhime let out a helpless sigh and finally told the truth.
As Kyosuke suspected, Hatsuko was indeed his daughter, a result of the accident in the Snake Pool.
Following the White Snake Sage's instructions and trusting in Kyosuke's abilities, Tagitsuhime had agreed to let him train in the pool. But things had gone wrong.
If she hadn't intervened decisively, Kyosuke would have either exploded from the natural energy or been transformed into a mindless snake.
Neither outcome was acceptable to her, if only for the sake of the roast meat she had yet to taste. She couldn't leave him to die.
The rescue method wasn't what Kyosuke had imagined. It involved physical contact to absorb the rampaging natural energy from his body into her own.
However, there was a risk. In the process of absorbing the chakra, she had inadvertently absorbed some of his genetic material as well. Unfortunately, she had been "hit."
She had realized it when she pulled him out of the pool, which was why she had hidden the truth from him.
As a snake, her values were different from those of humans. But she was intelligent enough to know that humans had a fierce protective instinct towards their offspring. If Kyosuke found out, it would cause unnecessary trouble.
To preserve her peaceful life, she had kept it a secret.
Fundamentally, there had never been any romantic feelings between them. They had always interacted as friends. Tagitsuhime felt this way, and she believed Kyosuke did too.
But now that Kyosuke had unexpectedly arrived and the truth could no longer be hidden, she decided to come clean after a brief moment of consideration.
After hearing her explanation, Kyosuke felt a wave of relief. He didn't detect any hidden emotions in her tone, which meant she didn't have special feelings for him. If she had, he wouldn't have known how to face her.
His feelings for her were mostly gratitude, not romantic love. He was already committed to Saori, and there was also Nagisa... Kyosuke shook his head silently and thanked Tagitsuhime again in a soft voice.
Whatever the circumstances, the accident was a result of his own actions. He felt indebted to her. But since she preferred a quiet life and didn't like to go out, he didn't know how to repay her.
Glancing at the silent Kyosuke, Tagitsuhime smiled faintly. "No need to feel guilty. It's not a big deal. Besides, I'm happy Hatsuko is here. Everyone in Ryuchi Cave loves her."
Looking at Hatsuko's pouting face, Kyosuke smiled, letting go of his worries. Overcome with emotion, he hugged the sobbing girl tightly. "Daughter... I have a daughter..."
"Waaah... Daddy, you finally came for me! Hatsuko has a daddy now..."
"Yes, I'm sorry I'm late."
"Daddy?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"I want to eat Daddy's roast meat!"
"Hahaha, alright! Daddy will make it for you right now."
In the dimly lit cave, a fire crackled. A man focused intently on turning the meat on the rack, while a woman beside him sniffed the air with a look of anticipation.
Between them, a small figure chattered happily.