(Images are not included in the book.)
His strength surpassed that of the deadliest bear, and his speed was far superior to any cat. This assassin moved like a nightmare. A towering, fearsome shadow in the night, with a devilish grin that stretched beneath cold, unfeeling eyes.
He lured the orphans to one side of the playroom while wielding a monstrous sword that gleamed in the dim light. Then, with a single, blinding stroke, the massacre began.
Steel howled through flesh and bone. Screams tore through the room as blood sprayed across the walls. Limbs fell. Bodies collapsed. The wooden floor was drowned in red, soaked with shattered innocence.
Flames erupted amidst the slaughter, devouring everything in their path. Childlike garbs fueled the inferno. The air thickened with the stench of burning flesh. Black smoke twisted to the ceiling, smothering the lights.
Amid the devastation, the assassin stood motionless. His chest rose and fell with each breath, savoring the fumes of youth and despair. A twisted masterpiece, painted in suffering. But he wasn’t finished.
His gaze swept through the flames, eyes dark with insatiable hunger. “Shino...” he said.
Huddled between two walls, a boy clutched his tattered haori so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Ash clung to his hair, turning black strands gray. His gray eyes, dark as the smoke, scanned the room. The orphanage. Everything good, everything familiar—gone.
The heat pressed against him like a giant hand. The smoke thickened. He couldn’t breathe.
No. I can’t die here. He thought.
Shino slid his arm free from his sleeve, pressing the fabric against his nose. A desperate attempt to filter the roaming smoke. He inhaled deeply.
The stench hit him hard, like a punch. Copper. Sulfur. Rot.
His stomach lurched. His body convulsed, and his vision blurred as his lungs locked up, refusing another breath. His world darkened, and his consciousness faded to black.
Out of nowhere, he felt a burning sensation swelling within his head. His body jerked. He gasped for air as his eyes snapped open. I’m still alive!
Shino’s head hung low, and he winced at his fingers curling around his best friend’s yellow shirt—one he didn’t remember grabbing. Despite everything, a faint smile tugged at his lips. There’s still hope... Nix will stop him. He has to!
Then a floorboard creaked.
Shino froze. Peering through the cracked wall, he saw the assassin looming nearby. His monstrous blade dripped with blood. His eyes, hidden beneath his dark bangs, gleamed with twisted delight.
Shino’s fingers brushed against something cold and sharp.
Sabo’s kunai—with this, Nix can save us!
The assassin moved slowly and deliberately as blood spattered across the walls while he twirled his blade with sickening elegance.
Shino held his breath and crouched low. Then a shadow fell over him as the enormous sword came down. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the blow—“Gah!” A cry rang out.
Shino’s eyes flew open. His breath caught in his throat.
His best friend, Nix, lay before him, the blade impaling him through his chest. Blood poured from his wound, pooling beneath him.
The assassin loomed over the boy, “Where’s Shino?” his voice low, almost amused.
Nix’s eyes widened, refusing to look toward his friend’s hiding place. He forced a smirk, even as blood bubbled from his lips. “Chicken-shit... Go seek the Reign Master...”
The assassin’s eyebrow twitched. “Yeah, sure thing, kid.” With a slow, cruel motion, he pressed the sword deeper.
Nix screamed—a raw, piercing sound.
Shino shook. Tears ran down the side of his face.
Then—stillness.
Nix lay still, blood trailing from the corners of his mouth. His eyes remained fixed on Shino’s hiding spot, as if seeing him... or recalling him. His lips moved softly, silently sending a final message only Shino could understand. Though muffled by the crackle of flames, the subtle smile that followed conveyed enough.
The assassin ripped his sword free, lifting Nix’s limp body like a ragdoll. “Tsk... smartass. Could’ve given ya a quick death.” He tightened his grip. Then, with a brutal swing, he hurled Nix through a wall. The wood exploded outward. Beams crashed down. Fire surged.
The assassin crouched near the wreckage, breath heavy with delight. “Remember the pain of loss—never forget it.” He reached down, fingers curling into Nix’s chest.
Nix’s scream split the air.
Shino clamped his hands over his ears, but the sound drilled into his skull, echoing, ricocheting inside his mind. His body shook. His heart ached.
“Nix... I’m so sorry... I’m scared.”
The building twisted violently. Beams groaned. Fissures spread like veins, and the ceiling crumbled inward. Cinders rained from above like tiny meteors, consuming everything in their path. The floor ruptured, and massive emerald pillars shot up from beneath the boards, strategically placed to stabilize the collapsing structure. The chaos fell into an eerie silence—only footsteps approached.
A lone figure in a brown cloak stepped through the entrance.
“Sabo?” Shino whispered.
The man stepped inside, tilting his head as he observed the carnage surrounding the assassin. It was clear to the cloaked man that the assassin had enjoyed himself. He sighed and moved forward. In his hand, an oddly shaped sword with a red handle shimmered in the firelight, and his hands glowed a faint blue-green.
That’s not Sabo. Shino squinted.
“It’s time,” the cloaked man said, his voice smooth and honeyed.
The assassin withdrew his bloodied hand from Nix’s chest and dragged it across his lips. “Is that so?”
The cloaked man sighed, disappointed. “The child isn’t here,” he muttered, scanning the corpses littering the room. “You’re a mad dog... The assignment was zero casualties.”
The assassin ran a finger along a jagged scar on his nasal bridge. “So, playtime’s over?”
“Yeah... Come.” The man patted his leg. “Next time, I’m keeping you on a leash.” With a graceful leap, he vaulted through a gaping hole in the ceiling where a hearth hook once hung. He landed on the roof and peered back into the crumbling inferno. Two jeweled objects beneath his left eye shimmered under the night sky. “You’re lucky we’re not leaving empty-handed.” He lifted his sword, letting the moonlight dance across its surface.
The assassin grinned, his teeth flashing in the glow. “My mistake.” In one fluid motion, he vaulted upward, joining his comrade on the rooftop.
“Let’s go.” The cloaked man turned, and the two vanished into the night.
Shino staggered out of his hiding spot, slipping away from the orphanage just as a burning post crashed behind him. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air, his lungs crying out for relief. His vision sharpened as he stared into the distance, tracking the figures as they retreated.
“The Forest of Ash,” he murmured, seething.
Then a weak cough broke his trance.
Shino whipped around, his gaze snapping back to the blazing wreckage. All he saw was fire and ruin. The flames had grown fiercer, consuming the last of the wooden support beams. Smoke billowed, swallowing the ceiling. The building wouldn’t last much longer.
“Nix!” He shouted.
Shino plunged back inside, weaving through the inferno. He barely felt the heat. His mind was locked on one thing—his friend.
Shino found Nix sprawled on the floor in a grotesque position. Kneeling beside him, Shino’s fingers trembled as he touched Nix’s shoulder. His entire body was charred black. Only his face was recognizable.
Tears spilled down Shino’s cheeks as he clutched his friend’s lifeless body, grief wracking him.
Then—another cough. A moan.
His breath hitched as he turned. Pinned beneath a smoldering beam lay a woman with crimson hair. She wore a red and white shinobi shozuku skirt that confirmed her identity. “Vesta! Are you okay?” he yelled.
She stirred, sluggish and disoriented. Until the pain sharpened her senses, her trapped leg sent a jolt through her system, yanking her into focus.
“Fuck!” she hissed, glaring up at the ceiling. “You’re not getting away with this...” She struggled to break free.
Shino snapped into action, rushing to her side. Together, they shoved—the burning wood shifted just enough. Vesta dragged herself free and collapsed against him, her weight heavy on his small frame. Her limp was noticeable, and she was suffering from an acute injury.
As both Vesta and Shino stumbled outside, his gaze flickered toward the Forest of Ash again—and he froze.
The cloaked man stood on the distant hill, watching.
The assassin followed his gaze, then smirked. “Do it.”
The cloaked man raised a hand and snapped his fingers. All at once, the emerald pillars retracted into the ground. Robbed of its support, the orphanage groaned before collapsing inward.
Vesta’s eyes widened. “Shit!” She shoved Shino away. “Get back!”
The building imploded, unleashing a crushing shockwave. Fire and debris surged forward, swallowing them whole.
“SHINO!” Vesta screamed.
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