"Don't be afraid. I'm just passing through,"Raizen raised his hands, trying to look harmless—which, given the fresh corpses behind him, was probably a lost cause.
The villagers shrank back anyway, eyes darting between him and the blood-stained snow."Th-thank you, Lord Ninja! Thank you, Lord Ninja!"
They dropped to their knees one by one, bowing until their foreheads hit the dirt.
"Oi, enough with that already."Raizen sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not some noble handing out salvation coupons. Get up. I just need to ask something."
He helped the eldest villager to his feet, the old man's hands shaking like dry leaves.
"If you've got questions, Lord Ninja," the elder stammered, "we'll tell you anything we know."
"Then start with this," Raizen said, brow furrowed. "Your village's right under the Miko's protection, yeah? So how the hell did bandits get this far?"
The old man froze. His expression darkened, eyes drifting toward the distant shrine on the horizon.
"I'm afraid," he murmured, "this world is nearing its end."
"…What?" Raizen blinked. "That escalated fast."
The old man's gaze clouded as he spoke."Five years ago, the creature known as Sprite—a monster sealed beneath the altar—tried to break free. Four men tried to unseal it, using the chaos of childbirth, when the Miko-sama was giving birth to her daughter, Lady Yūge."
Raizen straightened, suddenly serious.
"The Miko managed to reseal the Sprite… but she was weakened after childbirth. Her power was nearly spent. The seal wasn't perfect, and the guardian monuments were shattered. In the years since, her health has only worsened. She can't fight anymore. And Lady Yūge, the next Miko, is only five years old—far too young to take up the seal."
The old man's voice quivered."With no one strong enough to hold the Sprite back, the people believe the end is near. Despair makes monsters of men. Bandits plunder what little remains while the Miko's guards focus only on preventing the seal from breaking."He looked at Raizen with hollow eyes."It's not just our village, Lord Ninja. The whole Land of Ghosts is dying."
Raizen went quiet. The name "Sprite" clawed through his memories—he'd seen it in the old Naruto movies of his previous life. An ancient demon, something like a tailed beast without a host. Its chakra corrupted humans, twisting them into living weapons.
"Great," he muttered. "As if the Uchiha and Senju weren't enough, now I've got a damn movie villain to deal with."
The old man chuckled bitterly. "There's no escaping fate. If not by war, then by the Sprite's curse. Either way, we're all finished."
Raizen knelt slightly, meeting the man's eyes. "Listen, old-timer. The world's not ending on my watch."
Was he sure of that? Not even close.But the idea of some overgrown chakra-blob wiping out the world before he could climb to the top—that was unacceptable.
If the Sprite broke free, someone would have to stop it.And right now, that "someone" looked suspiciously like him.
He left the village soon after, traveling toward the Miko's domain. The cold wind nipped at his face, and each step through the snow echoed like a countdown. Within an hour, the shrine village came into view.
"...Yeah. Something's off."
Shutters were bolted even in daylight, and not a single soul walked the streets. The place looked less like a holy village and more like a graveyard that hadn't realized it was dead yet.
Raizen stepped forward—then snap!
A sharp whistle split the air.Dozens of arrows streaked toward him from the rooftops.
"Typical welcome party."
He twisted aside in a blur, chakra bursting through his legs. The arrows struck the ground where he'd stood, splintering against stone.
When he landed, he was surrounded—dozens of shrine guards, weapons drawn, expressions grim.
"Identify yourself!" barked one of them. "You've entered the Miko's village unannounced!"
Raizen exhaled through his nose. "I'm a ninja from the Land of Fire, on orders from the daimyo. Escort duty for the artifact tied to the Sprite's containment."
He reached into his pouch and produced the sealed scroll bearing the daimyo's crest.
The guards stiffened. Their leader stepped forward, examined it, then quickly bowed."My apologies, Lord Ninja. We've been on edge since the seal began weakening. Miko-sama has been expecting your arrival. Please, follow me."
Raizen pocketed the scroll again, expression tightening. If even they're this jumpy… things really are bad.
After passing through multiple layers of barricades and checkpoints, he finally reached the Miko's residence—a large wooden hall draped in talismans and incense smoke.
He stepped inside, carrying the sealed relic.
And froze.
The Miko seated at the altar wasn't the serene young priestess he'd imagined.She was old—white-haired, skin as pale as parchment, body frail and trembling under the weight of her robes.
Her eyes, though—sharp, tired, and still burning with divine resolve—met his.
For the first time in a long while, Amamiya Raizen found himself silent.