《Tales of Shinobi》 Prologue The hardest part of writing a story is starting it. Or in this case, figuring out where to start telling a story. This is the question being pondered by the Hyuuga clan leader, Masato, as he looked down at the small boy sitting on the mat in front of him. The child waited eagerly to hear another tale of his parents. ¡°You want to hear the full story of how your mother and father saved my life?¡± The boy nodded excitedly, before visibly calming himself and hiding his hands under his legs so they wouldn¡¯t cause distractions. Not having any better ideas, Masato decided to start with a loose order of events. ¡°You see¡­ Your father and I were meeting up in a small village. We had not seen each other in a while, and he had something important to talk to me about¡­¡± ¡ª A man made his way into a town. The man was strikingly average, topped by short cut white hair, and covered in dirty but well-fitting clothes. On his back was a knapsack that carried dried food and smelly socks, which he failed to keep adequately separated. The man''s name was Kouga Hoku. He came here to catch up with a friend. The town he found himself in wasn¡¯t big, nor small. It was host to plenty of farmers, and no one carried more money than the traveling merchants. No matter the economic state, any village worth its salt usually contains the specific establishment Kouga was looking for. He meandered along the path, passing over a small ditch, until he reached his goal: a bar. Masato had found the bar an hour earlier after receiving the vague note delivered via bird. All the note had said was simply the name of the town, date and time, and the word ¡°bar¡± in a cramped scribble at the bottom. The few people that had been in the bar were giving Masato strange looks from the corners of the room, which he passed off as the byproduct of wearing neat clothing. By the time Kouga arrived, he was already half-way through his only drink. He should have known better, as the man was never punctual when it came to social affairs. Dragging mud in through the door, Kouga strode across the room, distractedly weaving around chairs and almost bumping someone''s drink off a table. He sat down at the chair in front of Masato with a vacant grin on his face. ¡°So,¡± Kouga began, ¡°My wife had a boy.¡± Before Masato could start with any greeting, he was caught off guard by the man''s introduction. Blinking away the momentary confusion, he said, ¡°Uh, nice to see you too¡­¡± Then he realised that was not the correct way to address the subject, so he amended it with ¡°I give you congratulations. Raising children is a wonderful experience.¡± Kouga scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that, Masato. It¡¯s only been a few weeks and I am ready to jump into a lake just to get some quiet. Besides, we¡¯ve known each other long enough, loosen up!¡± Kouga then looked down to see that only half of Masato''s cup was empty. ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve already drunk that much and you¡¯re still this uptight? Something must have made you worried.¡± Masato knew Kouga''s wife had been due for their child''s birth. Kouga would routinely ask about Masato''s own son and daughter whenever they met up, asking for advice on how to deal with children. He would not offer such advice lightly, as that would ruin the surprise. Kouga continued on his one-sided conversation for another minute. Masato had forgotten how annoying it was when his friend started talking non-stop. He tried to break back into the conversation. ¡°How is your wife? Is she well?¡± Kouga did not miss a beat with his reply. ¡°Reika is recovering slower than other cases. She almost broke a wall down the other day, so she is still far from normal.¡± Masato nodded in understanding. ¡°Just pray that you don¡¯t have a daughter some time later.¡± ¡°I would make no such prayer!¡± ¡°...Sure.¡± Masato took a skeptical sip from his drink. They continued to discuss happenings with their families for a while. The bar began to fill slowly as people came and went, some leaving to head back to their homes and others entering after a long day of working. Many people threw strange glances at the two friends as Masato''s appearance especially gave the pair an out of place look. A lull appeared in the conversation, letting Kouga bring his pack into his lap and pull out some bread. He broke it in half, getting crumbs on the table and down onto the floor, before offering one half to Masato. There was a strange smell Masato couldn¡¯t identify. Masato remembered that Kouga did not like to eat food that he or someone he trusted had not prepared. He took the half, watching in slight horror as Kouga bit into the loaf and chewed. The chewing went on long enough that Masato started to get concerned. Kouga then reached for Masato''s half finished drink and used it to help fight the stubborn bread. Unlike food, Kouga had no problem drinking anyone''s alcohol. Masato had watched the event unfold in broad repulsion, until Kouga glanced toward the bar entrance. Right before Masato forced himself to take a bite of the stale bread, someone came running into the bar. It was a boy- barely a man, panting and looking around the room, quickly spotting where the two were seated and hastily maneuvered through the chairs and tables towards them. He bumped into a table and almost spilled the same drink that Kouga missed earlier. Masato noted that the man was wearing somewhat fitting clothes and sported a messenger bag. The man stopped at their table. ¡°Hoku¡­ Kouga Hoku? General, sir. I am here to bring a report.¡± Kouga had stood up to watch the messenger approach. Masato did not recognise the boy, but Kouga clearly did. Masato noticed a spot of blood on the boy''s bag. ¡°Sir, the Kingdom fell under attack. It began this morning. I was told to come find you. I have orders, but I need to tell you-¡± ¡°Slow down, take a deep breath. Relay your orders.¡± Kouga interrupted. The messenger had presumably been running for hours, and was clearly not in a fit state to relay information. Masato was busy contemplating the first part of what the boy had blurted out when Kouga continued. ¡°Tell me what you know.¡± The boy took several more breaths to collect himself, then began. ¡°An army appeared out of nowhere and destroyed the main fortifications. The guards on watch were no match, and anyone else that took up arms were simply cut down. The Cinders fought with everything they had, but within an hour the entire kingdom was overrun. Sir¡­ My orders are to deliver a message from your second in command.¡± The messenger made a weary sigh. ¡°As of right now, you are likely the last Cinder alive. You must go into hiding.¡± Stunned, Kouga and Masato briefly glanced at each other. Masato could see fear quickly fall over his friend''s face, but watched it vanish and be replaced with a cold and sturdy gaze. Kouga directed his attention fully onto the messenger. ¡°Do you know who attacked us?¡± The messenger seemed frustrated. ¡°Not exactly, sir. They carried no clan markings, and they all wore indistinct masks. However¡­ Their armor. I don¡¯t know how else to explain it, but¡­¡± His focus fell to the floor momentarily before shooting back up. ¡°They wore the armor of Samurai, sir. Yet they used hand signs and jutsu, like a shinobi.¡± Masato had seen Samurai before. On the occasions that he had visited his friend in the Kingdom, young Samurai in-training would pass through on their way out of the valley. It was a common sight, according to Kouga. Kouga began gathering his things, then stopped. He carefully looked up at the messenger, before asking, ¡°Were you followed?¡± Shocked, then chagrin passed over the messenger''s face as he appeared to remember something. ¡°No, sir. Uh¡­ Your wife is with me. She is outside.¡± Masato, also shocked, had decided the situation had gone on long enough without his input, and activated his Byakugan as the messenger was giving his answer. Within moments, he too had an answer to Kouga''s question, but it was too late to warn him. ¡°KOUGA!¡± A voice boomed just outside of the bar as the front doors, which normally swing out, were broken inward. Reika walked in through the now empty doorway, a small bundle cradled in one arm and a sack swung over the other. Masato could see the handle of a sword poking over her shoulder, pushing aside a long braid of blonde hair. Masato had no problem keeping his Byakugan active, only experiencing a minimal strain in his eyes as he brought his ability to full might. Expectations mean that anyone within the Hyuuga clan who could not use their heritage to its fullest extent would be seen as weak, and Masato was not weak. Kouga moved around the messenger swiftly towards his wife, avoiding the more packed and interested bar crowd. They had been listening in on the dialogue between the messenger and the friends. A few had left the bar quickly after learning of the alarming information, while others had stayed to watch more. Kouga got to his wife and inspected her from top to bottom, presumably checking for damage. Masato was more focused on the surroundings. The Byakugan allowed Masato to view the entire village in a full 360 degree sweep around himself, which he had not been anticipating doing whatsoever. There were no threats as far as he could tell. He continued his search for danger far beyond the boundary of the town, but saw no reason to begin moving immediately. Masato understood that Kouga was in a dire situation, and he needed to make sure that nothing happened to his friend and now his family. Masato began moving towards the entrance, grabbing the sleeve of the messenger as he slipped past the bar''s full tables. Kouga and Reika had been conversing quietly while he made his way to them. When he got to his friend''s side, Kouga had a stricken look on his face while Reika continued her account of the situation. ¡°...There was no time to evacuate anyone. It was your second who came and brought me to the tower after the main walls had fallen. I had only grabbed a few things¡­ Kouga, we must go back. There are others, we can regroup-¡± ¡°No. This is my decision. We are going to get you and Kotetsu out of here. I am not putting either of you in danger.¡± Kouga cut Reika off mid-statement. ¡°Masato, would you give us a hand? My family needs a place to stay while I check out what happened.¡± ¡°Should I assume that my clan will be paid for this service?¡± Kouga looked sharply at Masato. His face relaxed slightly when he saw the small upturn of Masato''s smile. ¡°You will be paid in gratitude, which you should value much more than money right now. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± After Kouga took the lead and started moving the group away from the bar entrance, Masato froze in shock at a sudden intrusion. Over two miles away- closing in fast. Moving on instinct, he grabbed Reika and made for a jump while throwing a warning at Kouga. ¡°Eight o¡¯Clock, coming in behind the bar! Kouga!¡± Were the only words he got to speak. Reika suddenly dropped the other bag she had around her shoulder. He only got to move a few steps away before the entire set of rough wooden buildings behind him suddenly and violently exploded. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. All mayhem broke out as Masato jumped, Reika yelling in his ear to put her down. He continued to make a series of jumps away, splitting his focus on escaping and watching the sudden brutality unfold behind him. He needed to put Reika down so he could go back and help Kouga. Being in a sudden mortal fight was not in his list of to do items for the day, or even the week, but sometimes these things just happen. Masato heard a soft cry coming from the bundle Reika kept closely to her chest. That¡¯s when the debris stopped flying enough for Masato to finally make sense of what had hit the buildings, and he was shocked all over again. In the middle of the dust stood Kouga, and¡­ Someone else. A samurai. Masato had not actually seen the full attire of a samurai before, but looking at it now filled him with a certain sense of dread. The armor was coated in red from neck to foot. The blood of who knows how many people, both of warriors and innocents staining the plating. At their legs was the crumpled body of the messenger, who¡¯s entire upper body was twisted too far in one direction. Other bodies littered the surrounding destruction, some clinging to life and others not. Screaming began to fill the late summer air. Masato kept jumping until Reika finally got his attention. ¡°Let¡­ Me.. Go!¡± Reika demanded. ¡°Your husband has entrusted your safety to my people. I have to get you and Kotetsu out of here.¡± ¡°No..! You can¡¯t leave him! He needs his sword! He¡­¡± Masato was monitoring the skirmish behind him and making his way out of the town. He carefully landed and aimed to make his next jump, only to be surprised at the sudden and forceful gut punch he received from Reika. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she got the angle correct, but it was enough for him to loosen his grip around her legs and shoulders. Her feet fell and stomped into the ground, letting her gain leverage and move away from him. ¡°You are not fully recovered. I cannot let you leave by yourself.¡± Masato realised he could have chosen his words more carefully. His own wife never liked having her temporary weaknesses after childbirth pointed out. Before Reika could get any words out, Masato had to turn around and get between her and the startlingly fast samurai. He didn¡¯t know why the samurai had chosen to move his way, but getting around Kouga should have taken¡­ Ah. Masato understood that Kouga wasn¡¯t just sidestepped, as he saw in the short timeframe he had been stunned by Reika, Kouga had been embedded into a farmhouse. He had no time to think as the samurai seemed to slide across the ground straight towards him. By reflex, he formed the hand signs for a water style technique, something fast to gain distance- only to be disrupted by an arm sliding between his hands and rushing towards his chest. He anticipated the momentum of the samurai to send him flying straight back, straight into Reika, but instead¡­ Nothing. There was no push, no force, or anything. Instead, the samurai held a firm grip on the front of his shirt. Masato tried to lock up the samurai by grabbing his wrist and twisting, but gripping the samurai''s arm was like holding wrapped steel. They stayed like that for a few seconds. Then the samurai spoke. ¡°Hyuuga. I am not here to kill you. My objective is those who you foolishly protect. Stand aside, and you will not die today.¡± Masato was only surprised by the deep and rasped voice of the samurai. He was very happy that they weren''t a woman as that would mean he was touching a woman, which he would not do. Yabadabadoo The samurai''s voice was deep and rasped. His words clipped, yet his breath remained steady. Masato remained calm as he assessed the situation. While his eyes were locked onto the samurai''s mask, his attention was on Kouga, who was busy extricating himself from the wrecked building. Masata watched as Kouga began to move further into the building, making his way towards the back, when the Samurai spoke again. ¡°I have given you my choice. Now it is up to you to make the correct decision.¡± The samurai let go of Masato''s clothing. Neither moved from their position. Reika stood directly behind Masato. Kouga made his way out behind the barn and moved parallel to the row of buildings between himself and Masato, until he was directly behind the now vacant building that stood beside the three. Then, Kouga raised his left hand with two fingers, and lowered his right with three fingers. Masato could hardly believe that they were doing this. Masato kept his tone neutral as he spoke. ¡°You are mistaken. I cannot abandon them.¡± ¡°You mean you will not abandon them. You are not bound to these individuals.¡± The samurai intoned. ¡°No, I do mean what I said. I will be paid a hefty sum to fulfill my duty.¡± ¡°Then you will die without your reward.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Masato kept both hands to his sides during the back and forth. Before he spoke what he hoped would not be his final words, he put all of his inner focus on the jutsu he would cast. In order to be faster than the samurai, he needed to perform the technique with a single motion. Moving with all the precision and speed he could muster, Masato clapped his hands into a single formation. At the same time, the samurai brought one arm up and reached over his shoulder, unsheathing a black blade that bore little reflection. The samurai moved with the leisurely speed of someone who knew they were in a position of overwhelming advantage. That¡¯s when the building between them and Kouga was suddenly consumed in a conflagration of flames that rushed toward the group. Masato kept his attention on the chakra he had formed at his feet; transforming and manipulating it into a hollow column of water that rose over a dozen feet into the air, separating and surrounding Reika and himself from the samurai, who barely had time to turn and witness the inferno before it engulfed all of them. Masato shut his eyes reflexively and turned from the blazing white flames that were kept at bay by his water. Counting the seconds, he willed his eyes open and reached for Reika, pushing her toward the back of the column. The wall suddenly shifted, revealing an escape from the cool water that surrounded them. Masato attempted to pick Reika up again, but relented when she threatened him with a kick. The two moved as fast as they could. Staying behind slightly, Masato kept watch with his Byakugan on the unfolding chaos. From what he could tell, the Samurai had somehow deflected the onslaught of fire and escaped with only minor scorch marks across his body. Kouga attempted to keep his distance while maintaining his offensive push. The struggle got desperate when it was apparent that the Samurai seemed able to slice through the blazing fire around him with his black sword. Masato and Reika exited the village and made their way into the surrounding forest. Brush and low branches were dodged as the pair continued to move as fast as they could, Masato directing their passage with short commands from behind, while simultaneously watching their flank. Though Masato knew only a few minutes had passed since leaving the fight, it was the longest few minutes of his entire life. He cursed his inability to do more for his friend. He mourned the people of this village who were just trying to live life. He felt the fear of the unknown. Watching Reika''s back, he could feel the stress and sadness emanating off of her in waves. He could see the tension in her shoulders as she too wondered at the fate of her husband. All of these thoughts swirling in Masato''s head were suddenly overridden by the immediate and intense feeling of danger. Focusing behind, he spotted the problem in the shape of the Samurai moving at speeds that made Masato''s head spin. Then he noticed the Samurai clutching a leg, and the attached body getting slammed through branches and being drug across the forest floor. He had seconds to act. Those seconds were wasted. Masato was left stunned by the terror that gripped him. In those crucial seconds, he did nothing. In his panic, Masato had stopped moving, causing Reika to also stop and turn to ask why he stopped. When she saw his face, the look in her eyes went from weary to dread. That look gave Masato a jolt. He thought of his own family. In that moment, he regained what little composure he had left and turned to face the approaching threat. Seeing the Samurai move through the trees towards him, he racked his brain for any solution. A way to win, or even just a way to escape. A way to not die. The samurai suddenly froze in mid-air, sending a powerful blast of wind over the two, knocking Reika to the ground and causing Masato to stumble. The Samurai released the body he was carrying, causing it to ragdoll forward and skid across the foliage. The near unrecognisable body of Kouga was battered, cut, and caked in blood that was air dried by the violent transportation. Masato did not take his gaze away from the Samurai, who seemed to stand above the ground and in the air itself. Reika let out a cry as Kouga lay unmoving on the ground. The Samurai stood, appearing to appreciate his handiwork for a moment, before falling softly to the ground. He took slow and deliberate steps toward Masato. Masato noted that the black sword was neither being held or in its sheath on the Samurai''s back. The Samurai stopped just out of arms reach in front of Masato. ¡°You were warned.¡± The Samurai croaked. Masato observed that the Samurai seemed almost too casual. When he spoke, the words came out strained. He knew Kouga did not go down without a fight. Masato began to back up. ¡°Do you really need what these two have? It seems like you are plenty strong by yourself.¡± Masato said. ¡°My strength came with a price. And it is not power that I am after¡­ But knowledge.¡± The Samurai said between heavy breaths. ¡°Knowledge? You need to burn down an entire kingdom and slaughter hundreds just to learn something?¡± Masato said. The words came from his righteous pride, but deep down he knew that some knowledge was truly worth a pool of blood. He could see the end approaching. ¡°Your words mean nothing to me. In the end, I will have what I desire and you shall join this family in the dirt.¡± The Samurai spat. The kick was so fast that Masato wasn¡¯t even sure what leg he was hit with. From one moment to the next, the Samurai''s entire body turned into a red blur that ended in a sharp snap that resonated through Masato''s chest and back. However, it wasn¡¯t the kick that surprised Masato; it was his own reaction. His right arm moved at nearly the exact same moment, using his middle and pointer finger to make contact with the side of the Samurai''s leg, sending a shockwave of power through his opponent''s knee. Masato was sent crashing through a bush and into a tree with a loud crunch, causing a web of cracks to move up through the tree. Masato was out for only a few seconds. He woke to find his body moving of its own accord, and soon found himself standing despite the pain that racked his chest, back and head. He looked ahead to see the Samurai hobbled on his left leg, looking down and cursing the other leg. Masato hoped it was enough. Masato stumbled toward Reika, who was still laying on the ground after the shockwave of wind swept her off her feet. The small bundle of their son was cradled in her arms, protected from the fall by arms that could break wood. Kouga''s sword had slipped over her shoulder and was left forgotten for the moment. ¡°Are you hurt? Is the child okay?¡± Masato''s head felt like it had been struck by lightning. ¡°We¡¯re both fine. But¡­¡± Reika turned to look at Kouga. His body lay unmoving, except for the small movement in his chest from breathing that told them he was just barely alive still. ¡°We need to mo-¡± Masato tried to coax Reika from the ground when he was interrupted by an unexpected source. ¡°Masato.¡± Kouga''s body lay unmoving. His head stayed planted on the ground, but his mouth moved. His voice was calm and collected, as if he hadn¡¯t just been dragged through a mile of sharp sticks and hardwood. ¡°Would you please bring me my sword?¡± Masato could hardly believe that it was Kouga talking, and thought for a second it was somehow the Samurai that was speaking. But after Kouga began to slowly move, pushing himself up off the ground into a sitting position, Masato felt the blood in his head beat faster. ¡°Honey- Remember what we practiced a week before you had our son?¡± Kouga continued the conversation as if there wasn¡¯t a murderous Samurai standing between them. Reika looked up at Masato. Masato saw the exact moment Reika figured out what Kouga was talking about. Her entire expression slipped from confused and worried to understanding, panic, anger, then finally, acceptance. Looking up at Masato, she got to one knee and offered the packaged baby to him. Masato quickly reached out and carefully extracted the child from her arms. The blanket was covered in splinters and mud. He looked down into the small face as it looked back up at him, using his sleeve to wipe the fresh tears and drool falling down the baby''s face. The boy had his mother''s eyes. Reika had grabbed the sword that fell to her side and stood up with it. Turning toward the Samurai and Kouga, she made the move to toss the sword toward Kouga. But right before throwing the sword, she quickly threw the sword backward, straight at Masato. Masato quickly threw out one hand to grab the sword just before it flew past him. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± The Samurai spoke in clipped words. ¡°Masato, please watch over our child.¡± Reika said, turning to face the Samurai. ¡°You are all fools. I no longer pity you.¡± The Samurai moved straight at Masato, then stopped. He barely got past Reika before a bright flash covered his entire body, and he was suddenly thrust back to the space between Reika and Kouga. Masato watched in horror and amazement as the Samurai was covered from head to foot in white hot fire. He understood immediately that the two had formed an invisible barrier that burned whatever touched it. The screaming came shortly after. The Samurai moved once again, this time straight at Kouga. Masato heard the crack of bone as the Samurai slammed to a complete stop against an invisible force, sending him flying backward again, causing the flames to spread further across his body. Masato could see Reika begin to shake, and sweat started to drip down her arms and legs. ¡°YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!¡± The Samurai gasped as he crawled to his feet and stumbled toward Kouga. The fire began to diminish, but did not fade completely. Reika turned to look at Masato. Looking from Kouga, who he could tell was being held up by pure spite and determination, to Reika, who appeared completely calm now. She spoke to him over the ranting and yelling of the Samurai. ¡°Protect our son. Protect Kotetsu. Please¡­ Run.¡± With one final look at his friends, Masato turned and ran. The angry screams of the Samurai carried through the forest. He ran until the sun began to set. Chapter 1: A Third Arm A boy with messy white hair excitedly ran through a tidy collection of white and grey tents. He split his attention between watching his step and carrying a small but unwieldy sheathed blade, failing to do both. His current goal was to simply get out of the camp without accruing more cuts and scuff marks. The cleared and flattened land of the campsite led to an uneven and open field filled with tall grass and scattered trees. The boy continued his way along a barely visible path until he came to a large crevice that swallowed a stream which flows from a nearby lake. The boy began to move slower, and eventually came to a full stop. He knew that the game had started. Standing completely still, he focused as hard as he could on his surroundings. Looking for any sign of disturbance, any movement, sound¡­ Then, the cold touch of a metal blade found itself on his throat. The blade moved away quickly, as a voice came from behind him. ¡°I win again, Kotetsu. You really suck at this. I¡¯m telling you, just go back to picking berries.¡± Another boy, barely older than Kotetsu, stood behind him. He was slightly taller and lanky compared to Kotetsu, and his hair was an opposing black in color and well-kept. Kotetsu turned around dramatically and kicked dirt up from the ground. The clod lodged itself directly into the boy''s eyes. Yelping, he fell backwards as Kotetsu charged and tackled him to the ground. The two fought until the older boy got a solid grip and tossed Kotetsu to the side. ¡°You said the first one to go down loses. That means I win this time, Solomon. Who¡¯s picking berries now?¡± Kotetsu smugly declared, wiping dirt from his own face. ¡°Nuh uh! Your hand totally touched the ground first!¡± Solomon stated. ¡°Did not!¡± ¡°Did too!¡± ¡°Prove it.¡± Both boys glared at each other. Neither were going to give up the point. Solomon sighed. ¡°Dad said I have to be the adult. That means you have to listen to me. So I¡¯ll tell you what: You win this time, but just this once. Okay?¡± Solomon said, easing his glare. ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll let it go since you cheated anyway.¡± Kotetsu said. ¡°I did n-¡± Solomon began, then took a deep breath. He let it out slowly. ¡°Look. Do you want to learn sword stuff today, or not?¡± Solomon changed the subject. ¡°YEAH!¡± Kotetsu said, popping up from the ground. ¡°Okay, but we have to hurry it up this time. I have to get ready tonight for my big mission, and I don¡¯t want to be tired.¡± Solomon said, attempting to brush the dirt from his face and body. Kotetsu retrieved the blade he had dropped during the earlier skirmish. The blade itself was barely longer than a tanto, coming just under two feet in length. It had been left dulled more recently as Solomon took Kotetsu out to train regularly. ¡°You haven¡¯t been keeping the blade sharp? If dad finds out, you and I are both dead.¡± Solomon said after looking at the poor weapon. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been claimed by anyone. Who¡¯s gonna use a tiny little blade like this anyway? Now stop talking, I wanna see that sword blocking style again! Please?¡± Kotetsu said. Without much more talking, Solomon pulled his blade, and began to teach. Solomon had been taught swordsmanship from a young age; the result of being born into a clan of noble shinobi. Even though Kotetsu was barely younger than Solomon, he had not been given the same teaching as himself. Solomon had never really paid much attention to it until his father asked him to teach Kotetsu personally, where no one else could see them training. The two had been going off to train outside of the camp for the last few months ever since then. Solomon was surprised at the speed and ferocity Kotetsu took to the training, but considering he started by grabbing the wrong end of a sword at first, Solomon figured it would take a while before Kotetsu was actually good enough to fight properly. Today, Kotetsu seemed different. Where he would normally take time to rest after sparring, he instead jumped right back up and demanded to go again. ¡°Eager to get your butt kicked, huh?¡± Solomon teased after putting Kotetsu down on the ground for the 9th time. ¡°No. I¡¯m just trying to catch up. You get to go do your first real mission tomorrow. I need to get better, fast!¡± Kotetsu eagerly stated. ¡°What, so you can do missions with me?¡± Solomon asked. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Well, if you really need the help. But I¡¯m catching up so I can do missions better than you!¡± Kotetsu challenged. As Kotetsu was bent over brushing off his chest, Solomon swept his legs out from under him, sending Kotetsu down to the ground with a grunt. ¡°That¡¯s number 10, by the way.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t count!¡± The two continued to train and argue for a few more hours. Eventually, the sun got close to the horizon, bringing the red haze up toward the center of the sky. The pair found themselves tired, hungry, and happy. Solomon was happy to get away from all the talk of clan discussions, which he was now apparently required to attend. Kotetsu was happy he got to put Solomon on the ground a second time. The two walked mostly in silence back to the camp. ¡°Hey, Solomon?¡± Kotetsu asked after some time. ¡°What?¡± Solomon said. ¡°What¡¯s it like to use Ninjutsu?¡± Solomon considered the question. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s like having a third arm. You have the two right now, and you don¡¯t really think about moving them all that much. It just sort of happens. But imagine you have a third arm now. And imagine that it constantly moves around your body, changing in shape. You also don¡¯t know where it is all the time. It could be coming out of your chest, or attached to a leg, or suddenly on top of your head.¡± Solomon rambled. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Also, imagine that the only way to get this arm to move is to communicate with it using a secret handshake. You have all sorts of ways to talk to it. And talking to it in each way lets the arm do something different. Like spew water or blast a gust of wind. When you talk to the arm, you have this feeling of something building up inside of you. And when you finish your conversation, the arm does what you tell it.¡± Solomon continued. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°And if you don¡¯t tell it exactly what you want, you might get the arm to do something completely different. That is always bad.¡± ¡°I think you lost me at¡­ A third arm.¡± Kotetsu said. ¡°Well, just ask dad then. Or Emilia. We¡¯re coming up on the camp.¡± Kotetsu looked down at his hands in suspicion. The two went from a walk to a jog as they got closer to the camp. Shortly after arriving, Solomon excused himself and veered off in a different direction. Larger cleared fields separated by tents were filled with adults and older kids practicing and sparring. One group of older kids were performing one on one duels, which Kotetsu hesitantly approached. He stayed on the outside of the group of kids as they watched the spar. Kotetsu was not allowed to spar with the other kids. Apart from not knowing how to fight properly, he had been strictly forbidden by the clan elders. He watched the fight unfold. In the center of the group of teenagers stood two contrasting fighters. One was an older boy with short dark brown hair, who Kotetsu knew was just over 14 years old, barely staying in the fight against the top skilled fighter of the group. Solomon and Kotetsu''s sister, Emilia. Though she wouldn¡¯t claim Kotetsu as her brother out loud. Emilia was the same height as Solomon, with the same pitch black hair, but the hair flowed out to either side and down her shoulders. Kotetsu watched as Emilia treated the fight much like Solomon had treated their sparring earlier that day; a training lesson. The Hyuuga clan did not fight with weapons often, instead opting to use their hands and feet. Kotetsu watched in fascination as his sister did not fight with closed fists, but with open palms. Though this was the customary fighting form of the Hyuuga clan, it was rather the manner in which she hit her opponent that fascinated Kotetsu. Every missed strike was met with a loud slap to some spot on the boy''s head, which Kotetsu could see was already beet red. The fight continued on like this for only a few more minutes before the boy slumped to the ground, pleading timeout. ¡°Come on, get back up. I haven¡¯t even seen how you¡¯ve progressed with swords yet.¡± Emilia ordered. ¡°Please.. I just need 5 minutes¡­And a cold rag¡­¡± The boy pleaded. ¡°If you won¡¯t fight, then you¡¯re out. Who¡¯s next?¡± Emilia stated. She looked around the arena, watching all the boys and girls take steps back. Kotetsu was already far enough back. He watched one boy take a step forward. ¡°I want a turn, Emilia.¡± The new boy said, a sly smile on his face. Emilia turned to look the new challenger up and down. ¡°Looking to have your face beat red as well, Gakuji?¡± Emilia goaded. The boy on the ground had slowly gotten to his feet and moved carefully out of the ring. The other kids parted as he stumbled through, trying not to fall back to the ground. His eyes were almost swollen shut, which caused him to stumble right into a distracted Kotetsu. Kotetsu was pushed into someone else, who shoved him back at the swollen boy. ¡°Hey, watch it!¡± Kotetsu said. Kotetsu knew the swollen boy''s name was Niko. He consistently stuck around Kotetsu and his siblings. Kotetsu wasn¡¯t too sure why he stayed around them. ¡°Sorry, Kotetsu. Hey¡­ Could you get me some water?..¡± Niko slurred. He brought one hand up to hold his head. ¡°Emilia really put you through the wringer.. How is your face that red?¡± Kotetsu wondered. Suddenly, the sound of a body slamming the ground echoed through the clearing. Kotetsu looked back at the fight to see that in a matter of seconds, Gakuji, the boy that challenged Emilia, was flat on his back. Kids were gasping and whispering, and adults from the other half of the yard glanced over to see the commotion. Emilia''s hands were balled into fists. After standing over Gakuji for a second, she turned suddenly and strode out of the circle, all the kids in front tripping to get out of her way. Kotetsu watched her walk out of the yard and toward their family tents. ¡°I should get back before it gets dark. Try not to hit your face on anything else, Niko.¡± Kotetsu said as he turned and waved goodbye. NIko stuck his arm up in an awkward little wave. Chapter 2: Someone Peed Themselves In the family tents, Solomon was standing his ground against his father, who is the leader of the Hyuuga clan, and his mother. The clan leader, Masato, was busy fretting over his son''s first official assignment for the clan. His wife, Syuka, was sorting through all of Solomon''s outfits and equipment. Solomon put up with the onslaught as hard as he could, but could only withstand for so long. ¡°You have to be safe, which means taking everything you can to handle any type of situation. Do you understand?¡± Masato anxiously asked. Unable to keep his stoic veneer, Solomon cracked. ¡°Yeah, I know, dad. Mom, could you please leave my stuff alone?¡± He foolishly asked. Syuka turned a gaze that could boil water at Solomon. ¡°When your sister left for her first mission two years ago, she happily took all of our advice and assistance with sorting her belongings. You will have plenty of opportunities to pack your own bags, but this time let us handle it. Okay, little one?¡± Syuka said pleasantly after lessening her stare. Solomon looked at his father, silently pleading for help. Masato widened his eyes and gave a little shake of his head. "Since you have refused the trial of survival, you must take and complete an assignment before you are accepted as a member of the clan. Which means we are going to make sure you are as prepared as possible.¡± Masato said. The three continued to talk and bicker until Solomon''s sister, Emilia, suddenly entered the tent. ¡°Ah, Emilia. You have been approved to accompany Solomon on his mission. The roster is now four clan members, including you and Solomon.¡± Masato said, looking up at his daughter. He frowned upon seeing her face. Emilia said nothing as she marched through the tent, grabbed her bag she had prepared earlier that day, and left. Solomon kept his head down. Ryuka and Masato looked at each other for a moment, before Ryuka got up and left the tent. Ryuka pulled the tent flap and rushed out to catch up to Emilia. The sun began to vanish over the trees as the two walked in silence for a minute. Ryuka broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯re quite worried about him, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ryuka broached. Emilia said nothing for a few seconds before speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to get hurt. He¡¯s not ready for this. He should be with us, learning more, but dad insists he spend all his time training Kotetsu instead.¡± ¡°Your father cares a great deal about all of you. The clan elders have forbidden all of us from teaching Kotetsu, so your father is doing what he can with what he has. And what he has is you, and Solomon. You know why.¡± Ryuka said carefully. Emilia''s face scrunched up as she remembered what her father had said. ¡°Official clan members are forbidden from teaching outsiders¡­ But, Solomon is technically not an official clan member yet. I¡¯ve asked him to watch over Kotetsu for the time being.¡± Masato had told her. ¡°The mission isn¡¯t direct combat. You¡¯re just acting as bodyguards, remember? You likely won¡¯t even need to throw a punch. Not that you would need much more to finish a fight.¡± Ryuka teased, before bringing her daughter into a hug. ¡°All you have to do is trust your brother and the others. They are plenty strong enough. You are strong enough.¡± Ryuka reassured her. ¡°I have to finish getting ready.¡± Emilia said, walking out of her mother''s grasp and toward her tent. Ryuka sighed as she watched Emilia vanish into the tent. ¡ª Masato watched Solomon leave the main tent with his hefty pack in tow. He winced as Solomon almost tripped on the tent flap. A few minutes later, Ryuka returned. The two gave each other a knowing glance as Ryuka sat down opposite the small table in the tent. A few seconds later, Kotetsu wandered into the tent. He looked up to see Masato and Ryuka, looking at him in unison. Kotetsu suddenly felt like a deer walking into a trap. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m just here to¡­ Put this back and go to bed.¡± Kotetsu said, quickly stowing the small blade in a bag near the entrance before turning to leave. ¡°Sit.¡± The order came from Masato. Kotetsu froze, then slowly turned back. He stiffly walked to the table and sat down. He really hoped they didn¡¯t know about his torn pants from yesterday. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your training.¡± Masato continued, a slightly amused expression appearing on his face. Kotetsu visibly relaxed. He began to recount the day''s events, and how he definitely won against Solomon at least twice this time. He decided to leave out the actual number of times he himself lost. ¡°Do you feel like you are getting better? We haven¡¯t seen you fight yet.¡± Masato asked. ¡°I¡¯m getting really good. So good, I could probably take on Emilia now.¡± Kotetsu said with utmost confidence. Ryuka and Masato looked at each other. Ryuka spoke with a warning tone. ¡°Don¡¯t let her hear you say that. You saw Niko''s poor face tonight. That might be you.¡± She said. Kotetsu considered the warning with sudden remembrance of Niko after their ¡®spar¡¯. He wished he had seen the fight between Gakuji and Emilia. Looking up between the two adults, Kotetsu hesitantly asked. ¡°May I go eat and get to bed now please?¡± The two nodded. Kotetsu quickly got to his feet, but before he could exit the tent fully, Ryuka called after him. ¡°Kotetsu, do remember to bring those pants to the clothing outfitters so they can stitch it up, okay, dear?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Kotetsu felt his face drop as he moved faster out of the tent. ¡ª The next day, four kids of varying ages met at the western edge of the encampment in the early hours of the morning. Solomon and Emilia, plus another boy and girl. Solomon was the youngest boy at 11 years old, while the other three were all 13 and 14 years old. Emilia had been assigned as the leader. Their mission was estimated to only take three days. Emilia would have it finished in two if she could manage. Everything would depend on the group they were meant to escort. A small group of adults, including Masato and Ryuka, plus Kotetsu standing in the back, all saw the group depart. The adults quickly dispersed as they had their own tasks for the day to get to. Kotetsu planned on sleeping for the whole day. Kotetsu rushed back to his personal tent, went to get in his sleeping bag, and almost stabbed himself on the sharp blade sitting inside. Carefully grabbing at the blade, he picked it up out of the bag to find a note attached to it. He groaned as he read the note. ¡°Kotetsu, I have left training instructions for you here. Follow them closely while I¡¯m gone. Also, there is a gift for you in your clothes from yesterday. Solomon.¡± The note read. On the back were instructions. Kotetsu rolled his eyes as he read through the torture methods barely disguised as exercise instructions. Reaching for his clothes from yesterday, something hard and circular fell out of one pocket. He picked up the small wrapped disc. It was light. Unwrapping it, he found a rough cut of wood from a branch, around half an inch in length and a few inches in diameter. There was another note in the cloth wrapping. After a few seconds of reading the note, he smiled and picked up the wood disc with a new excitement while running out of the tent. ¡°Kotetsu. This wood is special. You know that Chakra is a source of power for us as shinobi. You don¡¯t know how to use it properly, though. This wood can be used to find out what your Chakra Nature is.¡± The rest of the note detailed how to use the wood, and what the results of using it meant. Kotetsu slipped the wood into a pocket, then quickly and quietly began to make his way out of the camp and toward his usual training spot. He was interrupted when an older boy suddenly stepped in front of him. Kotetsu stopped and looked up into the bruised face of Gakuji. He was by far the tallest of the group, with light brown hair that barely stopped above his eyes. There were four other boys, all crowded behind him. All five boys looked down at the small boy. ¡°Uh, I forgot something in my tent. Gotta go¡­¡± Kotetsu began to say, trying to turn around, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You disrupted our game. You have to pay the price now.¡± Gakuji said, pulling Kotetsu back with his stronger grip. Kotetsu looked up in surprise. ¡°Game? What game?¡± Kotetsu asked, looking up suddenly. ¡°A very important game. The rules are simple. Here, I¡¯ll tell you how it works. We take turns telling someone to do something, then we play Janken. If that person loses, they have to do what we told them to do.¡± Gakuji said with a smirk. Kotetsu''s eyes widened as Gakuji explained the game. As Gakuji finished, Kotetsu took a step back and held his hand forward in a fist. ¡°Okay, I wanna go first!¡± Kotetsu stated. Gakuji smiled. ¡°If you insist. I order you¡­ To climb up a tree.¡± Gakuji quickly said, then brought his arm down and opened his palm flat. ¡°I win. You gotta do that now.¡± Kotetsu looked down at his and Gakuji''s hands in surprise to find his still closed fist, and Gakuji''s open palm. The other boys all agreed that this was totally fair. Kotetsu felt sudden hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You agreed to this. That tree over there looks high enough. Get climbing!¡± Kotetsu looked up at the tall oak tree. Walking over and jumping a few times, he finally grabbed the lowest branch. He proceeded to take the next few minutes to climb to the top. ¡°Okay¡­ I did it! Let me climb down now and we can play another one¡­¡± Kotetsu started to carefully put one leg down, but Gakuji called up at him before he could move too far. ¡°Hold on, you have to play from where you are! It¡¯s the rules. I order you¡­ To jump out of that tree.¡± He stated. Kotetsu couldn¡¯t believe the rules were this strict. Hesitating only for a moment, he held his arm out with a fist again. The other boys snickered again as Gakuji quickly yelled ¡°Go!¡± and held out an open palm again. Kotetsu was left astonished that he lost yet again. Looking down, knowing this was the game he signed up for, he jumped from the top of the 20 foot tree. He attempted to aim for a bush to land in, but missed slightly and ended up rolling into a pile of mud. Kotetsu felt his legs burn from trying to absorb the landing. After trying to catch his breath, he began to get up, patting his chest and trying to remove the mud from his hair. ¡°When do I get to tell one of you what to do?¡± Kotetsu asked between breaths. ¡°When you win.¡± Gakuji said. The next hour was filled with Kotetsu trying time and time again to win a game of Janken. He did not win a single match. Each time, one of the boys ordered him to do something more ridiculous than the last. When one boy asked him to go take a dump in one of the elder''s tents, Kotetsu decided his life was more important than winning some stupid game. The boys had been left greatly amused after ordering Kotetsu around for a whole hour. Kotetsu had a slight limp as he made his way out of the camp. Remembering the wood disc, he pulled it out of his pocket to see that it had broken into pieces. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was caused from trying to lift that huge rock or falling out of the tree. He hoped the wood still worked like how Solomon''s note said it would. Walking in silence for a while, he eventually came upon the crevice. He found a suitable rock to sit down on while he examined his new bruises and the wood. He recalled the note. ¡°When you are ready, you have to flow your Chakra through the wood. You should remember this from when I showed you how to jump and run faster, though you weren¡¯t very good so it might take a few tries. Don¡¯t give up.¡± The note read. Kotetsu wondered about the feeling of Chakra flowing through his feet the first time those weeks ago. Solomon told him to imagine sticking his feet into a stream of water. It took Kotetsu that entire day before anything actually happened. Kotetsu held a piece of the broken disc in his hand, and imagined shoving his entire arm into a cold stream. He thought hard. And harder. He sat on the rock for minutes, arm jut out in front of him. Nothing happened. After squeezing the wood so hard he thought it would pierce his hand, he let it drop to the dirt. He looked down at it accusingly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you work? I want lightning powers already¡­¡± Kotetsu said to the wood. The wood said nothing back. Kotetsu grunted and stood up. He stared up at the sky, the sun beating down on his face, and let his mind wander. Something Solomon said once prodded at him from the back of his mind. ¡°...My nature lets me create and control water. I can¡¯t drink the water I create sadly, but I can make it look like someone peed themselves, which is arguably better.¡± Solomon had said. The two were taking a break from their latest spar that day. ¡°Nature?¡± Kotetsu had asked. ¡°Yeah, like water, wind, fire, earth¡­ Everyone has one. Even you. We¡¯ll try to figure out what your nature is some time. Oh, and there¡¯s also lightning¡­¡± Solomon had said. Kotetsu listened with wrapped attention. ¡°Did you say¡­ Lightning? Are you saying that I could control lightning?¡± Kotetsu asked with all the hope and wonder of a 9 year old. Coming out of the daydream, Kotetsu realised something. If Solomon had to imagine a stream of water to flow his Chakra, then maybe Kotetsu had to imagine whatever his nature was, as it clearly was not water. Reaching down, he picked up the piece of wood. Clamping down on it with his fingers, he filled his mind with the sound of thunder, and the bright flash of lightning. He loved storms. Thinking of that bright flash, he reached out, and tried to touch it. Kotetsu held that image in his head for a solid minute, just trying to touch the lightning. The flash grew brighter and warmer. Then hot. Then burning hot. Suddenly, Kotetsu heard a crack between his fingers, and dropped the piece of wood while opening his eyes. What he saw¡­ Was not lightning. The smoldering piece of wood dropped to the ground, a small fire erupting from within, leaving the splintered piece of wood as a pile of cinders. Kotetsu looked at his slightly burned hand in astonishment. ¡°I guess fire is good enough¡­¡± Kotetsu said with a slight frown after a moment. Chapter 3: Mistaken Emilia walked in front of the mission group along the worn path. Solomon walked slightly behind her, and the other two kept a few feet back. Emilia had set the tone early on by hushing everyone and staying completely serious the entire time. The group had been walking for nearly half the day now, and they weren¡¯t expected to arrive at their target location for at least another few hours. When anyone in the group had tried talking to one another, Emilia turned a death glare onto them until they shut back up. Solomon heard that she took missions seriously, but this seemed like overkill. Something was clearly wrong, and he was fairly sure that he was the cause, though he was hesitant to bring anything up. The group continued on like this for most of the day. A rumble disturbed the ground and the trees. Birds flew away, sticks and seeds fell from the sky. The rumble passed after only a few seconds, but it left the group on edge. There were very few landmarks that marked their passage to their target location, but they had just passed the last one mere minutes ago. The path had grown from worn to well traveled as it joined a larger road paved with cobblestones many years ago. They moved cautiously now, unsure of what exactly caused the disturbance, but they knew it could only mean one thing: combat. After a few minutes of walking and keeping their surroundings in check, the group stumbled into an absolute mess. A small array of stone buildings stood in a small flat clearing among the forest, with what used to be a tall tower located on the edge of the compound. The tower had crumbled, with what looked like a large chunk missing on one side, causing the entire tower to collapse inward. In most situations, a normal group of shinobi would presumably have to dig through the rubble to locate any possible survivors. This group was not normal. They were all proud members of the Hyuuga clan, and possessed a powerful ability perfectly suited to this task. Emilia surveyed the compound as veins began to visibly bulge around her eyes, as if her blood pressure had just risen drastically. Her eyes, like all Hyuuga, were a milky white in color, lacking any visible pupae. The Byakugan changed this detail. A small, stark white circle appeared in the center of her eye, signifying the full activation of the ability. The penetrating eyes were framed on her sharp pale face, exacerbated by flowing dark hair that fell over her shoulders. The entire group had activated their Byakugan. Focusing all of their attention on the set of buildings, they all fixated on the single Chakra source in the entire place. Someone was weakened at the bottom of the collapsed tower. There were no other sources of Chakra in any of the other buildings, or the surrounding area. Whatever had done this had either died, or gotten away, or hid somewhere. The group moved forward with caution and haste, working at Emilia''s guidance to clear away the rubble of the tower, until they came across a girl in an exquisite dress. The girl was unconscious, with a deep cut on one arm, but seemed to be fine otherwise. The group extricated the girl from the rubble, then went to search the entire place. What they found disturbed them deeply. There were very few residents in this place, which appeared to be a combination inn and homestead of sorts. A family was dead in the home, and multiple men and women were dead in the inn. Two more men were found dead at the bottom of the tower. The men in the tower wore similar armor, with a guild symbol that matched the group the Hyuuga members were supposed to be escorting. The same symbol was found on an arm band the young girl wore. Somehow, this girl, maybe 14 or 15, had survived a terrible disaster that killed everyone else in this town. And all the group could do was wait for her to wake up. ¡°I finished looking all of the corpses over¡­ I can¡¯t figure out the cause of death. Their bodies were punctured, but I don¡¯t know what kind of weapon leaves massive puncture wounds¡­¡± The other girl of the group, Otoha, said. Solomon and the other boy, Jimpei, were busy pulling the armored men out of the tower. Their bodies held similar wounds, large puncture marks that ran straight through the chest and abdomen and out of their backs. The men carried swords on their persons, but no other equipment. They were not shinobi. Solomon went off to clean his hands while the other three talked amongst themselves. He went over to the still unconscious girl and sat cross legged, brushing his hands off and wiping his arms down with a rag. A soft cough dragged his attention up to the girl, who was beginning to wake. Her eyes barely opened, then shut close, her face wincing. Her hair was caked in dust and debris, but it was cut shorter and clearly a bright blonde in color. Solomon called out for the others as he pulled his water skin from his pack, trying to get the girl to drink some. They had patched her arm the best they could, and at least got the bleeding to stop, but they weren¡¯t sure how much blood she had already lost. Seeing her waken this fast meant she didn¡¯t lose too much, Solomon hoped. The girl was eventually fully awake, sitting up straight, looking at the group. Her name was Shirai. She explained that she is the daughter of a powerful lord, and she was sent out to bring a peace offering to another feudal lord. Her group had contracted with a shinobi for the trip to the other lord''s township, and then had arrangements to meet with the Hyuuga members, who would take over the return trip. The shinobi had left them only earlier that day. ¡°We were supposed to be safe¡­ It was only one day. You were supposed to arrive by the end of the day, and we didn¡¯t think anything would actually happen in between that time¡­ I am so foolish.¡± Shirai said. She looked over at her two guards in sadness. ¡°If we had just contracted with that shinobi for the rest of the day, none of this would have happened..¡± Shirai continued, beating herself up. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can¡¯t change the past. We¡¯re here now, and we won¡¯t let anything more happen to you. That is a promise.¡± Emilia said, walking over and standing in front of Shirai. She offered a hand to the girl. Shirai looked up in surprise, then took the offered hand. ¡°I must admit¡­ It is quite strange to be protected by children, especially ones so much younger than myself. I do hope you all don¡¯t hurt yourselves too badly¡­¡± Shirai gushed, looking at the group arrayed around her. Solomon felt his face flush slightly. He turned to start marching away. ¡°We have a schedule to keep. Now that we know someone is out looking to kill you, we should get moving. You are supposed to show us the way back to your father''s estate.¡± Emilia stated, walking back toward the road they came from. Shirai spent a moment brushing herself down as best as she could, then moved to catch up, her dress dragging along the ground. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. For the first hour on the road, the entire group was on edge. After the first ten minutes though, they had to deactivate their Byakugan so as not to strain themselves too much. After the second hour of walking, Shirai began small talk with the other three. Emilia kept her focus on the road in front of her, trying to ignore the blatant rule breaking the others were knowingly committing. She would punish them for their mutiny later. Shirai told the group a longer story of her travel, going into detail on the lavishness that was the other lord''s compound. Then she began to talk about her own home. She got caught up when talking about the two men that were her bodyguards. She had apparently known them for most of her life, and they were steadfast in their duties to protect her. The three Hyuuga plus Shirai all drank out of water skins in commemoration of the brave men. Eventually, night fall came. Camp was set up, and the group seemed more relaxed. Except for Emilia. Solomon went off to look for sticks to start a campfire with, but Shirai showed up with a bundle of sticks ready to go. She started a rather large campfire that Emilia balked at, but relented when all the others sat down and began telling stories of their own. Emilia moved to sit in front of her tent, a distance away from the campfire. She listened to the stories they told. Solomon began describing a story that sounded suspiciously like something Kotetsu had done, involving an anthill and a dare to eat one. She barely kept the outburst of laughter from escaping. The hours of the night went by, the fire was put out, and the group went to sleep. The next day, the group moved quickly. They were making record time, and Emilia was almost positive they could get to Shirai''s father by the afternoon. They made haste, and after a few hours, entered a section of the forest that had been trimmed over the years. The ground was more level, and the road was paved with smoother stones. Soon, a large wall came into focus, and the group came upon a huge set of metal doors. Two men atop the wall peered over the edge, spotting the group, and after seeing Shirai, began to open the doors. They had made it. The group waited patiently, taking the time to catch their breath, while a large contingent of armored men and women gathered just past the large open gate. One figure, a robed male, approached. ¡°Hello, Princess. I see the Hyuuga clan found you well. But, where are your guards?¡± The man asked. ¡°They were slain during an ambush. I barely survived, and if it weren¡¯t for these shinobi, my life would have ended buried under stone.¡± Shirai said. The robed man looked down and bowed, then looked back up at Shirai. ¡°That is what we paid them for. I am happy they could be of service.¡± ¡°Yes, that is what we paid the Hyuuga clan for.¡± Shirai turned to the group. ¡°You may leave now. There is no need for you to stay. I am safe within these walls.¡± She continued. Emilia paused. ¡°Our mission objective states we are to escort you to your father, safe and sound. None of these men look like your father. We will escort you through the compound to see him.¡± Emilia stated. She eyed the armored men and women. Some of them suddenly looked uncomfortable. Before Shirai said anything else, Emilia turned to Solomon. ¡°Stay out here. Please watch outside for any threats. Whoever attacked Shirai and her group at the tower could have followed us here.¡± Solomon nodded without any complaint. Though he did want to see the inside of the castle. Who would miss the chance to see a castle? The other two gave Solomon a knowing smirk. Solomon turned and casually walked to the edge of the clearing, looking up at the tall trees that surrounded the glade and making a series of jumps to the top of one tree with particularly sturdy branches. He sat and looked down, where he could just barely see the top of the castle and its three towers. The others won¡¯t get to see this view at least. The three Hyuuga followed Shirai through the gate and toward the inner castle. They walked through a yard filled with extravagant plants. There was a series of ponds with a variety of small fish lazily swimming in circles within. As the group walked, the small brigade of warriors trailed along behind, acting as a marching parade. The robed man walked quietly just behind the Hyuuga group. Emilia dropped behind slightly as the man asked her a question. ¡°Was she hurt?¡± The man said. ¡°Yes. Her arm was cut open, but we bandaged her up. She hasn¡¯t complained about it since then.¡± Emilia responded. ¡°Really? She has gotten much more brave¡­ Usually any small wound will send her into a fit of distress. It is too bad her bodyguards died so quickly. The lord spent quite the sum for them to follow her across the country¡­¡± The man trailed on. The group continued to walk, the sound of metal clinking on stone trailing behind them, others giving a wide berth to the group as they made their way to the center of the castle. Something nagged at Emilia. ¡°Did she know them well? The bodyguards, I mean.¡± Emilia asked. ¡°For the few months we had them, I¡¯m not sure. They spent most of their time in the bathhouse as far as I could tell. Lazy bums if you ask me.¡± The man said. Emilia was confused. She tried to piece together what she was missing when the group came to a solid set of wooden doors. She asked another question. ¡°Excuse me for asking, but who was the lord she was tasked with visiting?¡± ¡°A lord? Oh, you must be mistaken. She was sent to discuss our dealings with merchants who had sold us poor quality cloth. We won¡¯t be buying from them anytime soon. Now, I must get going, we are going to discuss the details further inside. You may leave now.¡± The man said, quickly moving past Emilia to rush toward the opening wooden doors. Emilia reached out to grab the man by the back of his robe. The man turned around, pulled his robe away, and scoffed. ¡°You will receive your payment after we discuss our dealings. Good day.¡± Emilia tried to say something, anything, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. The door closed. She stood and looked at it for several seconds, before coming to an abrupt decision. She marched right up to the door, activating her Byakugan. She reached forward to pull the doors open, when she was frozen solid by the sight on the other side of the door. It had only been seconds. She pulled the doors open, slowly. Blood spilled out from the doors into the hallway. A head rolled out of the doorway. It belonged to the robed man. The inside of the room was a chaotic mess. Multiple bodies strewn about, suddenly bleeding from massive punctures and dead where they lay. There hadn¡¯t been a noise, or even a rumble. Shirai was gone. One man, covered in gold and purple clothing, sat dead on a sturdy and ornamental wooden seat. Emilia took the entire view in one glance, then turned around when she heard a collection of gasps. The guards that stayed with them at the foot of the chamber saw the blood, and were now running toward the Hyuuga group, screaming with weapons drawn. Emilia felt her heart in her throat.