Chapter 304: **Chapter 304: Maitreya's Coercion!**
"Lady Maitreya, you didn't ask me here just to share a meal, did you?" Reiki looked up, meeting Maitreya's eyes with a serious expression.
"Ah." Maitreya nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Reiki, I need you to help me with something—alone."
"The sprite has been sealed, and I've already treated your injuries from the sealing process," Reiki said, sensing her apprehension. "If this is another medical issue, I'm here to help, as that's my job. You don't need to ask for any special favor. But if it's something else…"
He trailed off, watching her closely. This time, Maitreya had no severe injuries that he could see.
"It's not therapy," Maitreya said after a moment's hesitation. "Reiki, could you… could you give me your origin?"
Reiki froze, her words catching him off-guard. The request baffled him. The origin was not something one simply gave away—nor was it clear how such a transfer would even work.
"My origin? You want my origin?" Reiki repeated, bewildered.
"Yes." Maitreya's hand instinctively moved to rest on her belly. "It's… for her."
"I can treat the fetus," Reiki interrupted, realizing what she was implying.
"What?!" Maitreya's prepared words evaporated as she stood in shock. Reiki could treat the fetus? The need for his origin, something so drastic, suddenly seemed unnecessary.
"Lady Maitreya, the child in your womb does have some complications, but they won't hinder her development. I can help fortify her health using medical ninjutsu," Reiki explained. "But what I don't understand is why you need my origin at all."
Reiki's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, studying her face intently. Maitreya involuntarily stepped back, confusion and fear crossing her features. The aura of command from the boy, barely nine years old, was unexpected and overwhelming.
"If Lady Maitreya hasn't made up her mind, then I'll be going. But if you ever truly need my origin, be honest with me," Reiki said. He bowed and turned to leave, his appetite gone.
"Reiki… please leave, now!" Maitreya called after him, her voice trembling as she turned back to the house and shut the door behind her.
Reiki frowned, even more confused by her abruptness. But he heeded her warning, quickly exiting the courtyard and returning to his quarters.
There, he gathered Shisui, Nozuki, and Hatake Sakumo and told them everything.
"Lady Maitreya asked for your origin?" Nozuki's eyes widened. "And then she told you to leave?"
"It sounds like there's more going on, something we're not aware of," Shisui said thoughtfully. "If Lady Maitreya herself feels it's beyond us, then she must be under duress."
Sakumo nodded, a shadow of concern crossing his face. "Shisui's right. If that's the case, we need to leave immediately. There's no telling what or who might be after you, Reiki."
The four quickly set off and soon vanished into the dense forest outside the city, putting distance between themselves and Fengcheng.
Back in Maitreya's room, a strange statue radiated blue chakra, filling the air with a foreboding presence.
"You betrayed me?" A voice hissed from the statue, its tone dark and menacing. "Maitreya, you know I'm the only one who can break your curse. Will you regret this choice?"
A tremor shook the room. "All I need is that boy's origin, and I can have a body in this world. I will destroy the sprite for you! Isn't that what you want?" The voice grew angrier.
"I can't do it," Maitreya whispered, pain etching her face. "He's just a child. Even as he doubted me, he still offered to help."
"Maitreya, what are you doing?!" The voice shrieked as Maitreya began forming seals. "Do you truly want to live under the shadow of that monster forever? This is your fate—stop it! You can't trap me! You will pay for this!"
"Seal!" Maitreya shouted, her voice resolute. The statue's voice was cut off as she completed the jutsu, sealing it away. Collapsing to the ground, tears streaked her face as her hands cradled her belly.
"Even if I want you to have a different path, I won't sacrifice another child for it. Forgive me…" A bittersweet smile softened her face as exhaustion took hold.
Meanwhile, the four ninjas reached a cliff overlooking Fengcheng. They could still see the city below, now shrouded in a somber silence.
"I don't sense any pursuit, only the faint presence of distant ninjas," Nozuki reported. "But nothing that seems threatening."
"Reiki, what do you think?" she asked, puzzled by Maitreya's sudden shift.
Reiki's expression darkened. "The entity threatening Lady Maitreya might not be human, but it's not the sprite either."
He paused, searching through the myriad information in his mind. Despite his efforts, most records focused on Maitreya's daughter, Shion, leaving this part of history shrouded in mystery.
"Should we go back?" Sakumo asked, eyes narrowed in concern. "If a powerful, malevolent force is involved, it could endanger the entire ninja world."
Reiki fell silent for a moment. Just then, something in his system scan lit up—a name, and with it, crucial information. His face tightened with grim recognition.
"It's that guy again…" Reiki muttered under his breath. How many more schemes had this being set in motion?
"What's wrong?" Sakumo pressed, sensing Reiki's unease.
"I know what's behind this," Reiki said, exhaling deeply. "But dealing with it is going to be… complicated."
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 520 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss
Also, leave a review FFS
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone