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Kuro and Sugari rounded the corner fast, before they came to a sudden stop their feet skidding slightly against the charred dirt.
They found themselves standing in the village center, or at least what was left of it. The open space was covered in bodies, most of them bandits. While blood stained the ground in dark patches, and smoke drifted lazily through the air.
At the center of it all lay a much larger man, twice the size of the others, his body riddled with holes. Parts of his torso were missing like they'd been blown straight off, and what remained of his skin was scorched black, like he'd been caught in a blast he didn't walk away from.
Kuro's eyes scanned past the mess to find two familiar figures.
Daichi and Airi stood among the carnage, both breathing heavily. Their weapons hung loose in their hands, while their shoulders rose and fell with each breath. They turned sharply in Kuro's and Sugari's direction, their weapons snapping up out of reflex, until they saw who it was.
Relief washed over both of them as Airi lowered her twin daggers and Daichi let out a tired relief.
Kuro's eyes scanned the field of corpses as he stepped forward. Some bodies were missing limbs entirely, blown off clean with their bones sticking out. Others had massive holes torn through them, the kind no ordinary weapon could make. Blood soaked the dirt in thick patches, painting the ground beneath their feet. He'd seen plenty of death before… but this? This was a massacre.
He moved slowly through the carnage, careful not to step in the pools of blood as he made his way over to Airi and Daichi. "What happened...?" Kuro asked, as his eyes flicked between the two of them.
Daichi took in a long breath before answering. "Turns out this was the Blood Ripper gang's doing...they're the ones behind the whole attack. They killed women and kids in pure cold blood... We were trying to help evacuate the villagers when a group of them ambushed us." He glanced around at the mess. "Didn't leave us much of a choice."
Kuro let the words hang in the air for a second.
He nodded slowly. "As long as you two are okay… that's what matters."
He looked up, brow raised. "Where are the villagers now?"
Daichi looked around for a moment, his eyes scanning the area until they landed on a burned-down house with its roof caved in. The structure was barely holding up, but it wasn't on fire, just blackened by smoke and ash.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, loud enough for anyone hiding inside to hear.
After a few seconds, the door creaked open.
A small group of villagers began to step out cautiously, their faces pale and covered in sweat. The moment they saw the bodies, their expressions shifted from relief to stunned horror.
At the front of the group was an older man who had short thin grey hair, and a faint untrimmed beard covering his face. He wore a long, faded brown tunic, frayed at the edges, and a pair of sandals worn thin by time and use.
Then, without hesitation, the man dropped to his knees. He didn't care about the blood-soaked dirt or the bodies surrounding him. "THANK YOU!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the open space. "THANK YOU SO MUCH! BECAUSE OF YOU—MY PEOPLE ARE SAFE. IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU… WE WOULD'VE ALL BEEN KILLED!"
He bowed low, with his forehead pressing against the bloodstained ground, his back trembling from the force of it. The villagers behind him followed his lead, their heads lowering in silent respect.
None of them spoke, but the look in their eyes said enough.
Daichi stepped forward and gently reached for the older man's arm, trying to lift him off the ground. "Please, sir… someone older than us shouldn't be bowing like this. If anything, it's an honor for us to help you," he said, his voice calm but firm.
But the man wouldn't move and kept his forehead pressed to the dirt, his body trembling ever so slightly, as if this was the only way he could truly express how much it meant.
Kuro walked up beside them, watching the man for a moment before speaking. "Are you the village leader by any chance?" he asked.
The man flinched slightly at the question, then slowly lifted his head. "Yes… I am," he replied, his voice low but clear.
Kuro gave him a respectful nod. "If you were wondering, your son is safe. He's waiting with the others at the edge of the forest. You should take your people there, find a place to rest and hide until it's safe."
He looked around at the faces of the other villagers, then back at the chief. "We'll take care of the rest. Once the bandits are gone permanently from this area, they won't ever be able to threaten your home again."
The older man took a shaky breath, his eyes fixed on Kuro for a long moment, before finally nodding. "Thank you… truly," the chief said, wiping at his face. "I know this was far more than I asked of you. If there was any way I could repay you, I would…"
Kuro shook his head and gave a small smile, raising a hand casually. "It's alright. It's our job to protect the people of the Land of Fire...so don't worry about repayment."
The chief slowly stood from his bowed position, his legs shaky from emotion more than exhaustion. Tears continued to stream down his cheeks, but his expression was filled with gratitude. "My name is Yakakuro Wakihara," he said. "And… may I ask for your names? I want to remember the shinobi who saved my people."
Daichi stepped forward first, placing a hand over his chest and bowing slightly. "Yanokoji Daichi, Genin of the Hidden Leaf."
Sugari followed, his tone relaxed but respectful. "Tadayaki Sugari, Genin of the Hidden Leaf. Pleasure to meet you."
Then Airi stepped up. "Sakume Airi, Genin of the Hidden Leaf."
Kuro hesitated for a moment. He didn't really feel comfortable giving out his full name, his first name alone should've been enough. But he knew in a word like this, shaped by Japanese tradition and formality, anything less would've come off as disrespectful, especially with someone older.
He gave a short breath and stepped forward.
"My name is Kagemura Kuroshin, Genin of the Hidden Leaf," he said, bowing respectfully before straightening up.
The village chief smiled warmly and returned the gesture with a bow of his own. "You're all splendid shinobi… truly," he uttered.
With their thanks given, the old man turned to lead his people. The villagers followed quietly, while some paused, giving respectful nods or small bows to the group before continuing on the path Kuro had pointed out, where the other villagers were waiting.
Kuro watched as the villagers left, letting out a quiet sigh while rolling his shoulders before turning back around, only to see the rest of the team staring directly at him.
He raised an eyebrow. "What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked, running a hand across his cheek.
Airi narrowed her eyes, squinting like she was trying to see through a genjutsu. "Are you really the same Kuro I know?" she said, suspiciously studying his face.
"That's exactly what I said," Sugari jumped in, throwing his hands in the air. He stepped closer, tilting his head and rubbing at his chin. "You look the same, but something's... different."
Daichi shook his head, confused. "What are you guys even talking about...? He looks perfectly normal to me." But before anyone else could get another word in, Daichi cut the conversation short, his gaze shifting past them. His eyes landed on the unconscious man tied up on the ground. "Anyways... who's that?" he asked flatly.
Kuro turned his head toward the tied-up man. "He's one of the bandits we managed to capture. Figured we could squeeze some info out of him," he said simply.
Airi nodded toward the unconscious body. "So... shouldn't we start questioning him?"
"Yeah, probably should," Sugari replied, cracking his fingers as he walked over. He grabbed the limp man by the collar and dragged him over to the side of a nearby well. With a grunt, he propped the guy up against the wall, making sure he wouldn't slump over.
Dusting off his hands, Sugari looked over his shoulder. "So what's the plan? Good cop, bad cop? We flipping a coin or what?"
Kuro stepped forward. "I'll handle it." he said.
During his time in the army, Kuro had picked up a few methods for breaking people. He wasn't some expert torturer, but when he needed to be... he could become someone you didn't want to lie to.
Kuro walked up to the well, grabbing the rope and lowering the wooden bucket down until he heard the splash. He gave it a firm tug, then pulled it back up with water dripping from the sides as it rose.
Daichi watched from a few steps back, arms crossed. "So… what exactly are you planning to do?"
Kuro didn't look at him. He just gripped the bucket, stepped over to the tied-up bandit, and said plainly, "You'll see."
Without another word, he tossed the cold water straight into the man's face. The bandit jolted, sputtering as his head snapped up in shock. Before he could make sense of anything, Kuro's hand came across his cheek with a slap which was hard enough to wake him, but not enough to knock him out again.
The man gasped for air, blinking rapidly as he looked around in confusion. "H-Huh—?!"
"Good afternoon, little baby," Kuro said dryly, slipping his hands into his pockets as he stood over the man. "Let's keep this simple. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you're going to answer them...Honestly."
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Don't make me do something we'll both regret."
The man gulped hard, his eyes locked on Kuro, full of fear. Then they drifted past him, widening even more at the sight of all the bodies piled nearby. "P-P-Please don't kill me! I'll tell you everything you wanna know!" he stammered, his bottom lip trembling.
'Well… that was easy,' Kuro thought, scoffing a little to himself. The guy cracked under barely any pressure. Honestly, it was a little pathetic, but also smart. If he'd tried to act tough or keep quiet, Kuro probably would've killed him without thinking twice.
Kuro gave him a faint smile. "Good. Then start talking. Why did you guys attack this village?"
The man hesitated, leaning back against the side of the well like the weight of the question alone drained what little courage he had left. "It's our new boss," he finally said. "Honestly, I liked the old days. We just robbed carriages...it was simple, low-risk, and it paid decent. But two weeks ago, this guy showed up outta nowhere and killed our boss. Then he gave us a choice...follow him or die."
His voice started shaking again, but he kept going. "After that, he started wiping out other bandit gangs. Took their men and forced them under him too. Next thing I know, we're not robbing anymore, we're burning villages and setting up outposts. I dunno why, even though I'm the captain... But honestly, I just wanted the money…" He trailed off, his eyes dropping to the dirt as his words faded.
Kuro raised a brow. 'A man single handedly taking over all the bandit gangs in area?... in just two weeks? Who the hell is this guy?' he thought, trying to piece it together. After a short pause, he looked back at the trembling man.
"Alright… and who is this boss of yours? Do you know where he came from?"
The man shrugged weakly. "Not much, but… word is, he's a rogue ninja from the Land of Wind. Always has these creepy-ass puppets with him, too," he said with a visible shiver, like just thinking about it made his skin crawl.
Kuro's eyes widened. 'A rogue-nin from the land of wind..? Sunagakure perhaphs? And a puppet master? No way… Sasori?'
"What does he look like?" Kuro asked.
The man furrowed his brows, trying to recall the image of the person. "Some older dude... black hair, pale skin and he got this crazy look in his eyes."
He let out a small breath of relief. 'Okay... not Sasori.' If it had been Sasori, they'd already be dead it didn't matter if all four of them went at him together. But even so… this guy being a rogue ninja still made him a serious threat. This mission wasn't going to be as simple as clearing out a few bandits anymore.
"A rogue-nin?" Daichi asked, glancing between them. "Should we contact the village for backup?"
Kuro shook his head. "That'd take too long. By the time word gets back to the Leaf and they send someone, this guy could be gone or worse."
He crossed his arms. "Besides… just 'cause he's a rogue doesn't mean he can't kill him. If he's working with bandits, then maybe he's not all that impressive."
"HEY!" the man snapped, clearly offended by Kuro's words.
Kuro didn't even look at him. He brought a hand to his chin, eyes narrowing slightly as he thought it through. "That rules out him being a Jonin… A Jonin wouldn't need bandits to take down a poor village like this. Honestly, it doesn't even line up with being a Chuunin either. If anything… he's probably Genin level."
The group quietly nodded, each of them processing what that meant.
"So... what do we do now?" Sugari asked, glancing between them.
Kuro let his hand drop back to his side.
"We kill him."
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