Yuichi looked at Sakumo, who was running at his utmost speed. His expression betrayed deep worry for Mio.
'Am I being insensitive again?'
Yuichi wasn't sure. He felt a bit of concern for Mio, but not enough to stir any emotional turmoil like the white-haired boy running ahead of him.
Keeping pace with Sakumo, the two sprinted at full speed until they reached the evacuation centre. The door leading to the underground shelter was wide open, a troubling sign. The area was deserted, and that alone made it clear that things were far worse than expected.
Sakumo looked Yuichi in the eye, silently conveying his decision. Yuichi nodded.
Without exchanging a word, they agreed to enter the shelter regardless of the danger. Their teammate could be in serious trouble, hesitating wasn't an option.
As they approached the entrance, a massive explosion erupted from the direction where Kagami had gone after someone.
The blast sent tremors through the ground and whipped up a strong gust of wind.
But there was no time to investigate. Sparing only a glance in the direction of the blast, they continued forward into the underground vicinity.
Yuichi, though a beginner in sensory techniques, pushed his perception to its limit. He sensed multiple presences ahead.
"A group of people up ahead. I can't tell if they're ninja or not," he muttered, still straining to maintain his focus.
His skills were limited, but he shared what little he could with Sakumo.
"Okay. Let's be prepared," Sakumo responded seriously. Unsheathing his blade from his back, he gripped it tightly.
Yuichi nodded, creating two shadow clones as a precaution against an ambush. He rested his hand on the hilt of the blade strapped to his waist.
***
Sakumo had felt uneasy ever since Mio failed to reach their rendezvous point.
The state of the evacuation camp only heightened his fear. And now, the explosion, they were all signs piling up, pointing towards that something had gone wrong.
He felt scared.
He'd lost too many people in his life. He couldn't bear the thought of losing another.
Ever since almost his entire family had been taken from him, he harbored a deep fear of being left alone, of being separated from everyone.
He hated the eyes that pitied him, that saw him as broken or isolated.
So, he trained. Trained relentlessly.
That was the root of his strength: he didn't want to lose anyone again.
He wanted to live a life surrounded by happiness, one far away from that cold, lonely darkness. And to protect that happiness, he needed fangs.
Fangs sharp enough to tear through anything that threatened it.
The situation before him was exactly what he had prepared for, what he had trained for. Attaining a power to protect his loved one.
And this time, he would protect those dear to him.
***
When they finally reached the cave Yuichi sensed presence ahead, the sight that greeted them was horrific.
Mio was nearly naked, her body covered in numerous wounds, both major and minor. Four men surrounded her, preventing her escape. One of them, clearly the leader, was slowly tearing her clothes with twisted delight, mocking her weak resistance.
It was a nightmare.
Mio's eyes were unfocused, her body barely clinging to consciousness as blood seeped from her injuries.
Yuichi's mind raced. He knew he had to act fast, if he waited too long, his limited medical ninjutsu wouldn't be enough to save her.
But before he could move or even fully process the situation, Sakumo had already launched himself at the attackers.
"YOU BASTARDSSSS!!" Sakumo roared, his blade flaring with white chakra.
Yuichi had always been calculated, cold-blooded even. He preferred to think before acting. But he hadn't accounted for Sakumo's raw fury.
The white-haired boy struck instantly, cleaving through three of the men before they could even react. Only the leader and one other managed to escape his blade.
"Tch… now you've ruined my mood," the leader spat, annoyed by the deaths of his subordinates.
He unsheathed his own sword, lightning crackling across his body as he activated a Nintaijutsu technique.
His speed surged, and he counterattacked, forcing Sakumo to parry with great difficulty. Still, Sakumo managed to grab Mio and create some distance.
Yuichi acted swiftly, activating his bloodline ability, Lightning Enhancement.
"Thunder Zap," he muttered, vanishing and reappearing behind the remaining subordinate, slicing him down in a flash.
Not wasting a second, Yuichi turned his attention to the leader, whose Nintaijutsu style seemed eerily similar to the ones used in the Cloud Village.
As Sakumo retreated with Mio, the enemy lunged, sword raised. But Yuichi intercepted him from behind. The man twisted unnaturally, blocking Yuichi's attack with an impossibly angled parry.
He stumbled, but regained footing almost instantly.
***
Yuichi quickly realized his swordsmanship wasn't refined enough. His basics were solid, but nothing compared to someone trained for years.
The man they faced wasn't just powerful, he was skilled.
His style mirrored theirs, relying heavily on Nintaijutsu, but he had the edge in both swordsmanship and stamina.
He blocked their coordinated attacks with minimal effort, predicting their every strike.
Despite their greater firepower, Yuichi and Sakumo couldn't land a single decisive blow. And the longer the fight dragged on, the more their exhaustion showed.
Yuichi's chakra reserves were running dangerously low. If he wanted to heal Mio afterward, he needed to end this now.
A plan formed in his mind.
"Give me a second to charge up! I'll finish him with my next move!" Yuichi shouted to Sakumo.
Sakumo nodded, stepping forward and pouring more chakra into his blade, the white hue growing brighter.
The enemy lunged with savage force, abandoning defense altogether.
"Who the hell do you think I am, you monkeys?!" he bellowed, dodging Sakumo's strike and retaliating with a devastating swing.
The force of the blow staggered Sakumo. It was exactly what the man had planned.
Forming a one-handed hand seal, he charged his lightning chakra even further, intensifying the electric arcs around his body.
He surged toward Sakumo again, but this time, he cast a quick glance at Yuichi in the back, his left hand gathering an enormous amount of lightning.
Alarm filled the man's eyes.
'He's dangerous. I have to stop him before he finishes that technique.'
Sakumo blocked the enemy's slash, but sharp pain shot through his back and shoulders. The strain was catching up to him. As he raised his blade to parry the next strike, his arms moved sluggishly.
Panic flared in his eyes.
A powerful slash cut across his chest.
The man knew it wasn't fatal enough to end his life in an instant but it was deep enough to put him down for now. He didn't waste a second more on the fallen Sakumo.
He turned his focus entirely to the black-haired boy gathering lightning behind him.