"Success! Success! I told you, my perfect Cursed Seal could never fail!" The voice of Toshi echoed through the space, teetering on the edge of madness, standing in sharp contrast to the stunned expressions of those around him.
His eyes shone with uncontrollable excitement. Years of devoted research had finally borne the result he had longed for.
This Cursed Seal was the culmination of countless sleepless nights and meticulous effort—a masterpiece crafted to perfectly match the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan.
Just as he had predicted, Hinata's pure chakra combined seamlessly with the seal, successfully creating the one-of-a-kind Lotus Cursed Seal.
Now, everything was unfolding exactly as he had envisioned. This Lotus Cursed Seal had reached the pinnacle of its kind, and in his eyes, no one could surpass it.
"No… something's wrong!" Genya's gaze fixed on the nearly delirious Toshi, his eyes narrowing slightly as a trace of suspicion and caution appeared.
"Toshi-san, tell me straight. Even if Hinata didn't bear the Lotus Seal, nothing would have happened, right?" Genya's voice was calm, almost low, yet in the quiet space every word carried an undeniable weight, leaving no room for denial.
Hearing Genya's question felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over Toshi. He froze instantly.
His heart tightened sharply, his eyes darting away instinctively, avoiding Genya's gaze.
He cleared his throat, trying to mask his unease, forcing himself to sound composed.
"Cough… cough… The energy around Hinata's eyes has always been a hidden risk. Although the chance of it erupting has decreased, the danger still exists!"
As he spoke, his voice gradually grew quieter, his confidence faltering, completely stripped of the certainty he had shown moments ago while urging Genya and Hinata to bear the Lotus Seal.
"Well, well. You even lied to me. Looks like I've been too kind to you all this time." Genya's lips curved slightly, forming a smile that seemed gentle yet carried a faint trace of danger, as he took step after deliberate step toward Toshi.
He moved his hands, bones lightly clicking against each other, producing sharp sounds that somehow amplified the tension in the silent room.
"Genya, let's talk this out calmly! We can discuss this properly!" Toshi stared at the smile on Genya's face, feeling that the usually elegant visage had transformed into something almost demonic in its intensity.
He stumbled backward while trying to explain, "I said that earlier to help Hinata. This curse mark is all benefit to her and won't harm her. Listen carefully…"
"It's too late. Come out with me!" Genya said with a light laugh, though there was no humor in his tone.
His hand landed firmly on Toshi's shoulder.
As he moved, the space around them seemed to twist under the pressure of an invisible hand, trembling violently.
In the blink of an eye, Genya and Toshi disappeared, leaving only the faint echo of Toshi's pleading voice in the air: "Genya, let me explain…"
Only three minutes passed before the space trembled violently again.
When Toshi reappeared, Neji couldn't believe his eyes.
Toshi's face was bruised and swollen.
His once-neat clothes were now wrinkled, and his hair was messy.
His face was a patchwork of purple and blue, making him look like a completely different person.
Next to him, Genya looked calm and refreshed, as if he had just gone for a casual walk.
"You said you wouldn't hit my face! Why are you hitting my face?" Toshi said, touching his swollen cheek.
The moment his fingers grazed it, he gasped in pain, gritting his teeth.
"I like it!" Genya glanced at him carelessly.
Then he added a threat, "If you keep talking, I'll take you out for another 'walk'!"
Hearing this, Toshi, who had been about to complain, instantly fell silent, as if someone had choked him.
He cursed silently in his heart.
If he hadn't been powerless against Genya, he would have shown him why flowers bloom so brilliantly today.
The three quickly turned their attention back to Hinata.
Around her, chakra seemed drawn by some powerful force, flowing continuously toward the Lotus Seal on her forehead.
The chakra moved like gentle streams, slowly nurturing Hinata's soul while strengthening her Byakugan.
"Toshi-san, why hasn't Hinata woken up yet?" Genya asked, frowning slightly as worry flashed in his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" His voice carried a hint of concern.
If Hinata's life signs hadn't been stable, he would have taken Toshi out for another 'walk' already.
"No!" Toshi waved his hand quickly.
His swollen face made his words muffled, but he forced himself to speak clearly, "Her Lotus Seal is merging deeply with her soul right now, absorbing the chakra. Once the mark fully integrates with her Byakugan, she'll wake up soon!"
After hearing Toshi's explanation, Genya and Neji turned their gaze back to Hinata, quietly waiting.
Time passed second by second, and the atmosphere around them was so tense it was almost suffocating.
A few minutes later, Hinata's brows twitched slightly, and then her eyelids slowly opened.
"Buzz~" At the very moment Hinata opened her eyes, Genya felt the surrounding space being struck by an invisible force, trembling violently.
For that instant, it was as if time itself had frozen, and the whole world fell into a brief stillness.
In that moment, a sharp alarm rang in Genya's heart, a strong sense of danger rising within him.
He was certain that once Hinata's eyes fully evolved, her power would be immense, potentially even threatening him.
This power… it's strong!
Hinata slowly opened her eyes, and the originally pure white of her eyes now shone with a deep blue light, like an endless abyss that inspired awe and fear.
Hinata spoke softly, her voice gentle but tinged with curiosity: "Is it done? I… have the Lotus Seal too?"
As she spoke, the Lotus Seal on her forehead began to fade like ice melting under sunlight, eventually blending completely into her skin, disappearing without a trace.
Everyone present was stunned, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
"Let me see!" Hinata stood up, searching eagerly for something to reflect her image. Soon, she found a mirror. When she looked at herself, her confusion deepened. "Toshi-san, where's my Lotus Seal?"
She could clearly feel that her forehead was different from before, but she couldn't understand why the Lotus Seal had vanished.
Genya and Neji also instinctively turned their eyes to Toshi. The disappearance of the Lotus Seal was strange, unlike Neji's own Lotus Seal, and they both urgently wanted a reasonable explanation.
"I see… it's because of the Caged Bird Seal!" Toshi said after a moment of thought, his eyes suddenly lighting up with understanding as he spoke excitedly. "The Caged Bird Seal prevented Neji and the others' Lotus Seals from merging with their bodies, but Hinata's is the truly perfect Lotus Seal!"
His voice trembled slightly with excitement: "So her mark, like Jugo's mark, only appears when she uses it!"
The more Toshi spoke, the more excited he became, and even the swelling on his face couldn't hide his joy.
This was the first perfect curse mark he had ever created after countless efforts.
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