Early the next morning, Uchiha Tonan changed into Abe Seimei’s appearance and came to the Daimyo Residence. Looking at the magnificent surroundings, Tonan put his hands on his back and walked in slowly.
“Seimei-sama, please come with me.” The guards outside the Daimyo Residence were notified about his arrival earlier and led him to the study hall. Naraku and Nahara hadn’t arrived yet.
“Seimei-sama, please drink tea here, and wait for a while.”
Tonan sat down and took a sip of tea. He also instructed the attendant, “I need a whip, rope, stake, cold water, candle, and also a sword.”
The attendant was slightly taken aback, not knowing why this old gentleman wanted these things. However, he didn’t ask much and just nodded, “Alright, Seimei-sama.”
Soon, the attendant brought everything. He put the stakes in the courtyard as instructed, and the other things were placed in the corridor outside the study hall.
Half an hour later, both the highnesses walked into the study hall together. Along the way, the Nahara was playing around. He looked here and there, touching this and that. He hardly had any intention to go to the study hall.
In stark contrast to his younger brother, Naraku seemed to be a lot more sensible. When Nahara entered the door, he smiled perfunctorily at Tonan, who was sitting with his eyes closed. He then walked to the seat and casually sat down.
As for Naraku, he stood at the door and bowed to Tonan, greeting politely, “Seimei-sensei.”
Only after Tonan slightly nodded did he walk to the seat and sat upright. At this moment, Tonan opened his eyes and leisurely said, “I’ll lecture you both for three hours every day and then spend another hour testing you. Now, we’ll start the class, listen to me carefully.”
Immediately afterward, Tonan began his lecture. Naraku listened carefully. Sometimes, he frowned, and sometimes, he nodded a little. As for Nahara, his drool was already dripping on the table.
……
The time passed quickly and the lecture was complete. Tonan gave them the test papers and signaled they could begin answering. Naraku picked up the pen and recalled the lecture’s content. Adding his understanding, he began answering sincerely.
Whereas, Nahara’s drool was now soaking the test papers…
After an hour, Tonan looked at the dazzling sun outside. It was already noon. He got up and walked over to collect the test papers.
Perhaps, his movement was a bit too strong waking Nahara up. He straightened a bit and wiped the drool off his mouth. “Is the class over?”
Tonan, who had already returned to his seat, put his blank test paper aside and picked up Naraku’s test paper.
While looking at it, he said, “Second Highness, you can go back and rest.”
As if waiting to hear this, Nahara got up and left the study hall.
“As for the First Highness, you…” Tonan’s complexion became very gloomy, and raising the test paper, his frown became deeper.
Soon after, he crumpled the test paper into a ball and threw it at Naraku’s face. “Look at your answers, it’s a load of crap! Even a three-year-old child can answer better than you.”
Naraku was dumbfounded, looking at the enraged Tonan. He couldn’t understand why this teacher was so angry. He had taken the test very seriously, and all the questions were answered after careful consideration.
However, he was always well-behaved and had paid attention to etiquette. Facing Tonan’s rebuke, he could only stammer, “Seimei-sensei…, I…”
Tonan took a deep breath as if to calm his anger. He then pointed at the stake in the courtyard outside the study hall, and said with a serious look, “Take off your shirt and stand there with your back against the stake.”
Naraku hesitated for a moment but he took off his shirt and walked to the courtyard and stood. Tonan then picked up the rope and tied him to the stake. With a rough rope tied tightly around his body, Naraku was very uncomfortable. Tonan had tied him so tight that he could barely breathe.
“Seimei-sensei, why are you tying me up?”
Naraku was completely unable to move and he suddenly felt anxious. Tonan picked up the whip and replied with a cold smile, “If you don’t study properly, you have to suffer a bit.”
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
“Save me!”
Tonan was very heavy-handed. The thick whip lashed at Naraku’s body, making him feel so much pain he wanted to die. Anyone who was whipped like this would find it unbearable, not to mention a person like him, who was pampered since childhood.
“The Daimyo has instructed me that if you two don’t study properly, I can punish you as I please.”
“Why? At least, I wrote the answers but Nahara handed in a blank paper! So why am I being punished?”
Naraku was in great pain and felt injustice. He felt that Tonan was targeting him.
“You dare to talk back to me. Today, I’ll teach you what it means to respect a sensei.”
Crack!
……
After whipping Naraku for half an hour, Tonan threw the whip away. “Report to the study hall at four o’clock tomorrow morning. Remember to be on time.”
The afternoon sun was vicious. After the torture, Naraku’s face was pale and his body was sweating. When the sweat touched his wound, it enhanced the sharp pain.
“Yes…” Naraku replied and passed out. Tonan glanced at him and walked out of the courtyard. He called an attendant, and instructed, “Take the First Highness back to rest.”
The attendants had already heard the Naraku’s wailing. However, the Daimyo had ordered that they couldn’t step into the study hall’s courtyard without Tonan’s command.
As for their First Highness’ safety, they didn’t need to worry about it. After all, there were secret guards in the Residence. The attendant hastily untied Naraku and helped him leave.
The next day, at four o’clock in the morning, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was hidden in the dark, was looking at the stars in the sky, feeling bored. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He immediately raised his guard and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw Tonan, who was disguised as Abe Seimei.
“He’s the First Highness’s sensei, Seimei-dono…”
Recalling the Daimyo’s special instructions issued to everyone in the residence, Shinnosuke didn’t show up. Tonan went straight to Naraku’s residence and kicked the door open.
The First Highness, who was in deep slumber, was startled awake and fell off the bed. His head hit on the floor, making him dizzy.
“Do you know what time it is? Disobeying sensei’s instruction should be punished.”
Tonan picked up Naraku who was only wearing his nightclothes and dragged him to the study hall’s courtyard. He tightly bound him to the stake with the rope again.
“Since you like to sleep until late, you can sleep here.” Tonan picked up a bucket of cold water and splashed it on him.
Yesterday, Naraku was tortured by Tonan, and now, he was drenched with cold water. Who could endure such treatment?
He was in shock and instantly sobered up. Seeing the white-haired man in front of him, he couldn’t help trembling. Meanwhile, Tonan took a sword and a candle from the corner of the corridor and stuck the sheathed sword into the soil.
“If you want to resist me, then pick up the sword and kill me. But now, you’re not even qualified to hold a sword.”
After speaking, he lit the candle and slowly walked toward Naraku, whose pupils shrank, his face filling with fear. He struggled frantically while screaming, “Let me go… I don’t want to study… I don’t want to study.”
