From Darkness to Light

Tragic Nightmare

The grass crumpled under the weight of the two shinobi brothers as they scurried through the forest, their legs working hastily in a pitter-patter motion. Their footsteps were relentlessly quick, weaving through the dense thicket and across the uneven path, going ever deeper into the forest until they were completely swallowed by the isolated wilderness. The cover of night and the remoteness of the untamed nature was a shinobi's best ally after a mission was complete, a perfect environment to exercise caution and lose any possible pursuers - even if they moved at the speed of a cheetah. Every step was meticulous; both boys made sure to not leave any significant imprint in the soil or create too much noise in their thuds. The sound of their sprint was obscured by the hum of the leaves against the cool night flow while their scent was masked by dirt they had kicked up in the air. Right now, it was as if they didn't even exist - ghosts in the wind.

Hours went by. Neither spoke to the other. The only thing they did was run. As disciples of the Uzui Clan, there is never a guarantee of safety once you have crossed into enemy territory, therefore it was of the utmost importance to always be moving and changing positions to keep your opponent guessing. Neither brothers confided in the other during their sprinting - they simply kept going at break neck speeds without even stopping to catch their breath. Indeed, their bodies were made to withstand a marathon of this caliber. Every day, in the hot sun, they'd run for hundreds of miles as the sun cooked their bodies and water was made scarce. At this point in their lives, this was what they were bred to do, so their bodies moved almost automatically to the rhythm of their childhood memories.

Shinjo Castle was an twelve-day long journey from the Uzui Manor. For them, assassins trained in speed and relentlessness, they could reach the destination in just eight if they took minimal rest breaks and slept solely when it was necessary. They would be in enemy territory for quite awhile, trespassing on Lord Fuzikura's domain until about two days of running, where they reached familiar soil. Until then, they had to remain vigilant.

However, their chances of being discovered were virtually zero. That was because they were Uzui Clan shinobi, the most lethal and exceptional assassins on the planet. No one could compare to their prowess, their knack for survival, their indomitable will to do what is necessary, the ease at which they dish out death, and the training permanently embedded in their psyche that has molded them into becoming the ultimate apex predator.

Right now, Tengen and Akihiro were the kings of the land.

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Tengen was wading in the water, rinsing himself of that night's sins.

The sun had come up but the water had not yet become hot due its high heat capacity. Its cold temperature carried over from the night and was now hitting his body and shocking his system. His black robes had been set out to dry on the rocky banks while he continued to wash his chest and arms.

The location was calm and peaceful. It had been two days since he and his brother ran non-stop from the scene of their crime. While they were almost superhuman in every aspect, even shinobi need to take brief stops to gather their strength again. After all, most people would have collapsed from exhaustion after a few minutes of running at their maximum speed, so it was quite a feat for this to be their first break after running for as long and fast as they did. Tengen and Akihiro had been dead-focused on escaping Shinjo Castle; at the time immediately following their act of arson, their minds made all other thoughts superfluous and unnecessary, thinking only to keep putting as much distance between them and the castle as possible.

The rest was well-earned in that regard. Moderation is another crucial aspect to survival, after all. The two of them had picked a nice location to settle down for the time-being and also wanted to catch some much needed shut eye. To aid in their body's recovery, Akihiro was off collecting berries for the two of them, eager to put his gathering skills to the test for his big brother, who he felt closer to after pulling off the most dangerous mission of their lives together. But while Tengen's body physically existed in the stream of the river, he himself was somewhere else.