Arc III Chapter 5

Arc III Chapter 5

III

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Arc III Chapter 5

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Together, she and Norinaga arrived at the smouldering ruins. A macabre dance of fire and flickering shadows illuminated the night. The icy snow crunched under the weight of their feet.

Asami knelt to inspect the remnants of her deceased comrades. The explosion killed them in an instant. None of them survived.

Time passed. Burning ash covered the ground, her flames raging in the background. Her explosion proved effective, incinerating everything. Only an unintelligible mass of charred corpses remained. Their deaths were quick, painless.

Silence dominated the cold air. Other ANBU arrived. They said nothing, but their silence said more than human language ever could. The culprit was among them. One of them was behind the explosion. The question was who? The majority suspected a certain girl, her.

Asami left the scene, passing Konosuke, Ino, Koichi, Akahito on her way. “I think that we all should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. We will mobilise at dawn and attempt a breakout.” She didn't take no for an answer. Determination filled her voice. Her words left no room for debate. Her order was absolute.

Asami continued her walk, but it was Akahito who grabbed her shoulder. His vengeful glare confronted her. “It was you who killed them!!! You murdered them, didn’t you?”

Akahito's accusations didn't bother her. Asami merely smiled. “Murder is such a strong word, Akahito. Why should I kill them? A tragic death claimed their lives.”

“Don't play dumb, you crazy bitch. You killed them.” Akahito clenched his fists.

Asami objected, “Akahito, Their deaths sadden me as they do you. I have nothing to do with this. And even if I did, what proof do you have, Akahito? You have nothing besides baseless accusations. So stop bothering me with your nonsense, Akahito. You are clearly a man unable to control your emotions.”

Akahito gritted his teeth. “You ...”

“Don't you agree with me? What do you think?” Asami looked around, staring at the rest of the ANBU. Nobody spoke up. Konosuke, Ino, and Koichi averted their eyes, visibly uncomfortable. They avoided her gaze.

Five ANBU died that night, but questions were never asked. Their deaths were never investigated. The exact nature of the incident remained forever shrouded in mystery, at least on paper.

They knew that it was her. Konoha knew that it was. Everyone knew that it was, but what was missing was solid evidence, and Konoha didn't particularly care. In fact, there were those among the ranks of the ANBU that approved of her more resolute measures.

Konoha knew about Asami's capabilities and talent. The girl was a legendary kunoichi in the making, an immensely powerful weapon at the disposal of the village. Konoha couldn't do without her. It would be unwise to do so.Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com

“What the fuck? Do you see that, Kenji? Do you see the girl?” Yorikane held on to his binoculars. His hands trembled, visibly nervous.

Kenji nodded. “I do. We must leave and alert ...” His eyes widened in shock. Panic griped him.

The girl turned her head, smiling beneath her white mask. The girl spotted them

“Fuck!” Kenji shouted. The girl accelerated. Her speed increased and her hand drew her sword. The girl was coming for them.

“We have to ...” Kenji didn't even have the time to end his sentence. It was already too late, too late to run. Clad in pure innocent white, the girl stood right before him. The massacre began. Her blade was swift.

Her sword pierced Ano before beheading Tsuyoshi. Yoriko fell next. Miyoko followed, sliced apart by the demon in white. Naruhiko and Kinnosuke met the same fate. A straight thrust finished Naruhiko. A perpendicular cut Kinnosuke with uncanny precision. The demon bashed Yorikane’s skull against a tree. His cranium splintered.

His comrades, his friends all died in a matter of mere seconds. He couldn’t do anything. They were all slaughtered like ignorant sheep, and now his time had come.

Her blade struck him, piercing his chest. The smell of burnt flesh filled his nose. His body toppled over, falling onto the soft snow, but it wasn't over yet. Not yet. The demon missed. Her blade missed his heart by a hair's breath, yet it was this hair's breath that allowed him to live.

“...” Kenji gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain. He didn’t scream. He was supposed to be dead, and dead men didn't scream. His heart, every fibre of his being, thirsted for vengeance, for retribution, for revenge.

The demon sheathed her blade, careless, deceived by a false sense of security. This was his moment, the moment he had waited for.

Using all of his remaining force, Kenji threw his pouch. The pouch was filled with paper bombs, hundreds of them. He might die, but he would take the girl with him.

The tags exploded. The detonation was a sight to behold. The flash blinded Kenji. An enormous blast echoed through the entire forest.

“...” Kenji coughed, his hope s high. He did it ... He ...

The floating dust cleared, revealing a girl unharmed. The demon didn’t die. The explosion didn't even scratch her. In the middle of a crater, stood a girl, shielded by a purple humanoid skeleton. Her calculating eyes evaluated him. Her armour dematerialised, dissolving into fine purple mist.

The girl giggled, visibly amused. “You are still alive ... How curious ... How sloppy on my part ...”

The drew her sword. “This time, I won’t miss.” She didn’t. Her blade skewered his heart and his world turned black.

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