Afternoon.
The wind blew cool across the empty street. Trees rustled, grass danced, and the old windmill at the edge of the town creaked and hummed with every gust.
Not a single soul could be seen in the houses lining both sides of the road—only open doors and windows swinging in the wind, creaking eerily.
There was tension in the air.
The kind that smelled like blood.
Naburo and Nakatani Yu stood facing each other in the middle of the street, hands twitching near their weapons.
"Yu, you bastard!" Naburo's voice cracked through the silence. "You actually had the nerve to kill my son?!"
His eyes blazed with fury, fists clenched, veins bulging.
"I didn't kill your son, Naburo!" Yu shouted back, scowling. "You're jumping to conclusions again!"
"Don't give me that! We found a red flower in the house. That only comes from your people."
Kuchiki, standing lazily beside Nakatani, blinked in surprise. "Huh? Why am I suddenly in this?"
Nakatani turned to him. "You didn't... right?"
Kuchiki yawned. "Flowers don't kill people."
"See?!" Nakatani snapped back. "Believe it or not, I didn't do it. I'll swear to the Kami if I have to!"
Tension thickened.
This felt less like a standoff and more like an episode of ninja CSI.
Jin finally broke the mood with a loud scoff. "Cut the crap, Naburo. Let's settle this already."
Naburo hesitated, glancing at Jin,
The atmosphere was at the breaking point. Any more talking would be meaningless.
"Fine. Jin, you go first. Boost our morale."
It was customary: strongest against strongest. The winner fuels their side's fire.
Jin nodded and stepped forward.
On Yu's side, Kuchiki stretched lazily.
Of course, it had to be him.
Kuchiki squinted at Jin through his dark shades. "Did you kill Yoichiro?"
Jin exhaled slowly.
'Sharp one,' he thought.
"What if I did? Got a problem with that?"
Kuchiki shook his head. "Nah. Just saying—stick around long enough, you'll get killed anyway."
Jin smirked. "So you do know how this ends."
Kuchiki tapped his temple. "I get weird flashes sometimes. Like I've lived this scene before."
Fragments from ancient battles flickered in his brain—residue from Black Zetsu's meddling over the centuries.
Jin cracked his knuckles. "I'd love to study that brain of yours."
"I'm not planning to die just yet," Kuchiki replied, mouth twitching into a smirk.
They locked eyes.
Then moved.
Kuchiki's fingers blurred into hand seals.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
A stream of fire the size of a sink basin hurtled toward Jin.
He kicked off the ground, flipping over the flames.
Behind him, Naburo's men weren't so lucky—two were caught full-on, screaming as fire engulfed them.
Kuchiki was already preparing another jutsu.
But Jin was faster.
Crack!
A shot rang out.
A chakra-suppressing bullet pierced Kuchiki's shoulder.
His chakra went haywire, his limbs locked, and he dropped like a sack of rice.
Jin landed beside him. "You really didn't want to fight me, did you?"
Kuchiki stared blankly, then flopped on his side like a pro at playing dead.
Faking—he knew it well.
Naburo's troops roared in triumph.
"Go! Attack!" Naburo bellowed.
Samurai blades and crude ninja tech clashed as his gang charged Nakatani's people.
Yu was fuming. "Kuchiki! You useless potato couch! One hit?! That's all it took?!"
His own group was outnumbered, and the sudden shift in morale made things worse.
"Damn it! Fine! Time to use Plan B!"
He signaled to the back.
A covered wagon rolled forward.
The tarp flew off, revealing a brand-new, shiny Gatling gun.
Naburo's eyes widened. "Oh come on! You bought one too?!"
Yu cackled. "Haha! What? You thought only you got shiny toys?"
He pointed. "Fire it up!"
The Gatling rattled, bullets tearing through Naburo's front line.
Screams erupted as bodies hit the ground.
Naburo panicked. "Damn it... I should've waited till my Gatling arrived."
Then—
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the field.
Fire and smoke consumed the carriage, Gatling, and gunner.
Yu stumbled backward, eyes wide. "What the hell?!"
From the side, Naburo smirked.
"Charge! Now's our chance!"
Swords clashed again as both sides returned to a chaotic melee.
In the corner, away from the madness, Jin sipped from a bottle in the tavern.
He'd taken out the Gatling with one shot.
Easy.
Beside him, Kuchiki sat slumped against the sidecar of a motorcycle.
A machine gun pointed at his chest. His hands were still bound.
"I'm not gonna run, relax," Kuchiki muttered.
"Pegasus, let him go," Jin ordered.
The bike beeped as metal clamps retracted.
Kuchiki rubbed his wrists. "Your bike's got a brain, huh?"
Jin tossed him a drink. "Smarter than most people. You want one of your own?"
Kuchiki raised a brow. "Hell yeah."
"Then follow me to Suna. Kazekage might give you one if you catch him in a good mood.
"Are you the Kamen Rider of Sand Ninja Team Six?"
Jin leaned back lazily in his chair, sipping from his cup. "Yeah, sounds like you've done your homework. Then you should know it's better to just come quietly."
Kuchiki's expression didn't change. "Whatever. I knew I'd have to go eventually."
He tapped his temple with a sigh. "It's been buzzing in here for days. Annoying as hell."
"Then it's time you met Kazekage-sama and got that sorted," Jin replied.
The two clinked their glasses and continued watching the chaos erupt outside the tavern window.
The street was filled with screams, slashing swords, and the pounding of boots. Bodies dropped as blood painted the dirt roads. The village was drenched in violence, stretching from the marketplace to the cracked houses on both sides.
Kuchiki glanced at Jin. "You're strong. Why let them slaughter each other like this? You could end it yourself."
Jin shrugged. "Too much work. Hunting each one down would take forever."
He grinned. "It's easier to get everyone in one place and finish it in a single sweep."
Kuchiki raised an eyebrow, amused. "You're a true fisherman of chaos."
Suddenly—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots echoed down the street. The two turned their heads.
Naburo, trembling, stood with a smoking revolver in hand. Across from him, Yu ducked just in time—a bullet tore a line across his scalp.
"Naburo!" Yu's voice exploded with fury. "You bastard, I'll kill you!"
He cut down one of Naburo's men in a flash, his blade dripping red, then charged.
Naburo turned pale. He wasn't a fighter—just a wealthy warlord playing leader.
Yu, on the other hand, was a hardened swordsman who'd survived too many battles to count.
As Yu closed in, cutting through soldiers like paper, Naburo panicked and turned to run.
"Jin! Mr. Jin! Help me! Save me!"
Jin didn't move.
The old man owed him months of backpay.
He figured letting the man take a sword in the gut was fair trade.
Yu didn't hesitate.
The blade pierced Naburo's back, clean through his stomach.
"AARGHH!" Naburo screamed as blood poured out. His intestines spilled onto the dirt.
Everyone froze.
Yu gave the body a hard kick, sending it sliding off the blade and crumpling to the ground.
Naburo was dead.
Yu lifted his bloodstained katana high. "Naburo is dead!"
He turned to the remaining fighters. "You don't have to die for him. Surrender, and I'll let you live."
The surviving goons of Naburo looked around nervously.
They were just hired blades—no loyalty.
But Jin had different plans.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Jin strolled out of the tavern, still smiling.
"Yu, that was impressive."
Yu turned sharply. "What do you want?"
"Relax," Jin said, walking over bodies and broken swords. "Just watching the show."
Yu backed away, fear rising. "You want money, right? Naburo paid you? I'll double it—two hundred thousand ryo!"
Jin smirked. "You still don't get it. It's not about the money."
"Then what do you want?!" Yu shouted.
Jin's eyes went cold.
"Your life. And all of theirs."
Over six hundred mercenaries, thugs, and rogue shinobi stood across the field.
They laughed.
"You think you can take all of us?!"
Yu raised his blade. "Cut him down! Two hundred thousand ryo to whoever brings me his head!"
Blades rose. Guns cocked. They closed in.
Jin took a step back, then slapped the strange belt at his waist.
"Knight—transform!"
A card clicked into the slot.
A flash of light exploded from the belt.
Where Jin once stood, now a menacing armored Rider appeared, crimson eyes glowing.
The gangsters froze.
"A Kamen Rider?!" someone gasped.
Panic set in.
Jin raised a hand. "Pegasus—seal the exits."
The roar of an engine answered.
A sleek, black motorcycle with mounted chain guns blazed onto the scene, cutting off any escape.
It drifted in a tight circle around the crowd.
Anyone who tried to flee was met with a burst of gunfire.
Kuchiki, still strapped to the sidecar, sighed as the bike drifted. "Bro, can you slow down? I'm gonna hurl."
_______________________________
Word count: 1476
Comment below on what you think so far.
Also, if you're interested in reading some advanced chapters, you can support me on my patreon.
patreon.com/Rai_jin
Thanks for reading guys.