From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 290 King General
In a standard Japanese-style room, a man with a face that exudes feminine beauty kneels with his back straight, next to him an ancient sword with a crimson scabbard.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and suffocating darkness enveloped the room like a tidal wave.

Tie~ Tie~ Tie~
The crisp sound of the clapper came from afar, ethereal and monotonous, without any unique rhythm.

However, each strike creates a resonance in the air, like the whispers of a ghost in your ear, making your heart tremble with the sound of the clapper.

The handsome man, who had been kneeling on the tatami mat, involuntarily sat up straight, like a taut bowstring. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were low and dark. He turned his head to look at the door of the room and the corridor shrouded in deep darkness.

A ghostly figure appeared in his eyes.

The figure moved forward in a sporadic manner, like the ghosts in a classic Japanese horror film, sending chills down your spine.

Accompanied by the rustling sound of a clapper, the eerie voice suddenly appeared in the room.

The person was wearing a traditional Japanese Noh mask.

The mask was as pale as if it were covered in ashes, with crimson lips and sharp, ferocious teeth. A chilling smile was drawn at the corner of his lips, like a demon from hell, exuding an indescribable eeriness and sinister aura that made people feel fear and unease from the bottom of their hearts.

The graceful male, kneeling in a seated position, stared directly at the eerie figure that had entered the room, his pupils gleaming with a faint golden light.

That hideous and terrifying face was like a demon that appeared in my dreams every night. Beneath that pale Noh mask, his pupils were deep and dark, filled with cruelty, tyranny, and cunning. His wide black haori fluttered in the breeze, as if exuding a putrid, bloody smell.

An oppressive and terrifying aura, as if a vengeful ghost had appeared, swept in like a tsunami. The enormous shadow cast down gave one the illusion of suffocation, like the gaping maw of a giant beast ready to tear apart anyone who dared to step in.

And he is the leader of the Fierce Ghosts, King General.

"Thanks to you, now all eight families of the Serpent Clan know that we have designs on that student from Kassel."

The handsome man spoke softly, but his eyes were not there, as if he was recalling something, sometimes flashing with ferocious killing intent, and sometimes revealing a faint sadness.

The king, wearing a nobleman's mask, seemed unconcerned. He sat down opposite the man, familiarly flipped open the covered bowl, picked up the brewed tea, and calmly asked, "How do you feel about meeting your long-lost brother, Genji?"

"I told you, don't mention that name in front of me!"

Genjiro... no, she should be called Kazama Ruri, her pupils blazing with ferocious killing intent, veins bulging on her beautiful face, like a bloodthirsty beast, staring fiercely at the 'King': "My name is Kazama Ruri, Genjiro... is already dead!"

"Don't get so agitated, calm down."

A steaming teacup was pushed in front of Kazama Ruri. The king's tone remained calm, without the slightest fluctuation.

Why are you so fixated on that person?

Kazama Ruri didn't drink the tea, staring directly at the pale mask on the king's face, which seemed to blend into his skin: "This isn't like you. Your purpose is too obvious. The Snake Clan already knows about 'his' importance. What do you plan to do next?"

“That child…is the key to ‘God’.”

Beneath the king's mask, a bloodthirsty glint seemed to flash. His figure in the darkness became as tyrannical as a vengeful ghost. The black haori draped over his body fluttered in the wind outside: "If you are to embark on the road to the underworld and seize the authority of God, then... Adam is indispensable."

"Is he really that important?"

Kazama Ruri raised an eyebrow, indicating his strong suspicion. He had investigated 'Adam's' information, which showed that his bloodline rating was only 'B' grade, and his Word of Power sequence was not high either. No matter how you looked at it, he seemed to be just an ordinary hybrid.

In particular, among the two 'A' grade genius hybrids, Caesar and Chu Zihang, he appeared even more mediocre and inconspicuous.

However, this ordinary half-blood is the reason why the leader of the Demon Clan, 'King General', is willing to directly provoke the Snake-Headed Eight Families in order to obtain him. This action will undoubtedly ignite a bloody battle between the Snake-Headed Eight Families and the Demon Clan.

"Is it worth it?" Kazama Ruri's brows furrowed with a hint of murderous intent as she held her teacup and asked calmly, "The actions of the Demon Clan are provoking the bottom line of the Snake Clan. Given Tachibana Masamune's personality, this matter will not end so easily. On the contrary, it may even help him make up his mind to completely eliminate us."

"If we don't do it, does that mean he won't take action?"

The king chuckled softly, his pale noble mask revealing a cold, scarlet light in his pupils: "Hasn't Tachibana Masamune always wanted to completely sever the curse of the Serpent Clan? Since that's the case, then let's grant his wish. The path to the underworld will surely open, and the gods will surely return to the world."

"Yes, it all has to come to an end eventually."

Kazama Ruri lowered her eyes, spoke softly, and drank the tea in the bone china bowl in one gulp.

He put down his teacup, slowly stood up, picked up the ancient sword with its crimson scabbard, and said calmly, "From the moment we embarked on this path, there was no turning back."

The Snake-Headed Eight Families and the Fierce Demon Clan are like a person and his shadow.

Those bloodlines inherited from dragons are not a superior bloodline for the Snake Clan; rather, they are a burden and a curse.

Once one's bloodline becomes unstable, they will be monitored by the Snake-Headed Eight Families until they are over forty years old. However, some people are unwilling to do so, or they pursue the path of the dragon, thus creating a conflict with the Snake-Headed Eight Families who pursue the path of humanity. The Demon Clan was born in the shadow of the Snake-Headed Eight Families.

For thousands of years, the Fierce Demon Clan and the Serpent Clan have been entangled in a deadly conflict. It is a curse passed down through bloodlines, and also a curse from the gods buried in the abyss upon their descendants.

A mobile ramen shop on the streets of Tokyo.

In Japan, pushcart-style food stalls like these are quite common, especially popular among intoxicated people at night.

Suddenly, the curtain was lifted, and a boy with short black hair walked in and sat down in a chair.

"What do you want to eat?"

The ramen chef was an old master, with deep wrinkles on his forehead, who looked very kind and gentle.

"Specialty Lanzhou noodles".

The boy with short black hair sat there, his eyes always following the ramen chef.

Soon, a steaming bowl of ramen was placed in front of me, with some scallions, three thick slices of char siu, and a soft-boiled egg on top, emitting a delicious aroma.

However, the black-haired boy did not touch his chopsticks, but continued to scrutinize the ramen chef, a faint smile seemingly playing on his lips.

This strange behavior surprised the ramen chef, who stopped what he was doing, wiped his hands with the towel around his neck, looked at the black-haired boy, and asked, "Young man, why are you staring at me instead of eating your noodles while they're hot?"

The black-haired boy chuckled softly and said, "I never expected that the former 'King of Shadows,' Uesugi Kotsushi, would now be making ramen on the street."

(End of this chapter)