Shinokai

Shadow

Japan 1736 year. The Edo period. April 13. Rescue of a hostage.
"Kenji, Yoshina, and Takeshi take up position in the second line. Hidekatsu and Tadao keep watch"
"Yes, your honor" A man's voice rang out.
This time, we must take everything absolutely seriously and make sure that no mistakes are made. Even though it's a collaborative effort, I still need to prove my abilities. I need to convince myself that I'm worth more before I can earn a promotion. The consequences of failure are too high. There can be no margin for error. This is my destiny. The fate of a ninja.

I have dedicated my entire life to this purpose, and I cannot leave or abandon. I have devoted countless hours and tireless effort to become the best in the art. I have faced many battles and survived many injuries, but my dedication has never wavered. And I'll carry on. I ought to. Even if I'm not a beginning yet, I'm still not where I want to be. As a "middle ninja" at that point, Tyunin, I fall somewhere between the junior and senior ranks. Even though Iʼm capable of supervising junior ninjas and handling more challenging assignments, I lack the strength of a jonin, or senior ninja, who were skilled fighters and commanders. I'd like to. I ought to become into this. There's no turning back now. No way back.

With guns in hand, the squad and I exited our sanctuary. Every day we meet in the same area. Beneath the tumor, a hidden underground storage.
For now, we have a mission. One of the senior commanders' children was abducted. It was retaliation for the earlier times when the Arashi clan was subjugated by the commander-in-chief, the great-grandfather. Their clan was liberated in due course, but it makes sense that even after all these years, they still don't offer us peace.

Kidnapping a child is too much, they want our tribe to fall apart and be destroyed. But at the same time it's unclear what they want to gain from this. It is unlikely that murdering a child will benefit them, instead, they will probably seek retribution in an effort to weaken our authority.

"I'll use a smoke bomb to distract them while you sneak into their headquarters"

I looked at the interlocutor racing beside me. This was my childhood friend. Our parents were acquaintances, so we spent a lot of time together. However, the most of our time was spent training together, where we worked day and night.

"Understandable" I replied, glancing at my comrade, whose hand was already quivering slightly on the hilt of the sword, but there was no fear on his face.

"This is our one opportunity. Their headquarters is more highly guarded than we expected, and without this distraction, we will not be able to get through"

I carefully examined the dark woodland surrounding us. The opposing position's commotion was barely audible, but we realized we had little time. I took a deep breath and braced myself for action. He placed his hand on my shoulder. Our childhood was over, and we were now just soldiers on a mission. Our friendship became less important than the work at hand.

"We'll get by" I said gently, so only he could hear. We nodded and went forward together.

"I'll give the signal when I'm ready" —Ishida replied, drawing out a smoke bomb from his belt. "As soon as you detect smoke, get moving. Their focus will be on me, and you will take the time together to create your way"

"Hmph. Don't underestimate us. We'll get the job done before you can even finish scratching your head, got it?"

I could detect the worry in his eyes; he was aware that it wasn't a joke. If we make one mistake, it's possible that neither of us will return.

"Ryo, it will be tough. There are clearly more fighters present in their base. You need to be prepared for every possibility. We aim to locate the commander's offspring and return him. They abducted her with a purpose. If we fail, it may result in the loss of thousands of lives."

I glanced around and realized we were nearing our destination. Over thirteen individuals were chasing after us.

"What was the reason behind their abduction of her? Ishida continued by asking. What significance does it hold for them?"

I paused briefly in thought. This question has been bothering me since the start. The foes were disciplined and merciless. Their plot to harm our family has been ongoing for years, and this particular one has lasted for centuries. However, they have now chosen to attack our most vulnerable spot.

I replied thoughtfully . "it could be the solution to something greater. Their goal is power, and the leader's offspring is the successor. By taking a child away, they can manipulate it or bring disorder to our group"

Ishida remained silent and then gazed into my eyes.

"We must not allow them to succeed. We will rescue"

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We made our way to the monastery in complete silence. Every decision we made was deliberate, every footfall was hushed. The forest grew quieter, the air seemed to pause, anticipating our strike. This location was not simply an empty building—it was packed with dangers, sentries, and adversaries prepared for battle.

"A monastery?!" exclaimed a companion, struggling to contain his surprise. He has always been seen as an underdog, but surprisingly he is skilled in combat. It's not clear how he became a ninja despite failing to stay silent during a crucial moment.

"Be quiet" one of the men behind him said, pushing him sharply in the back. The whisper was grating and the stare intense. Everyone was determined not to be found out prior to taking the initial step.

The leader of our troops examined his surroundings with great attention. The monastery, situated within the depths of the dense forest, was a substantial size of approximately 2,000 meters, encompassing multiple structures and possibly subterranean passages. He was aware that we would face a challenging battle if we were unable to eliminate them swiftly and silently.

"Without a doubt, this location is their main headquarters. We need to act swiftly and together» Speaking in a quiet voice, he exuded a strong sense of resolve. «Our primary team will use the eastern entrance, as it is likely the least monitored. Be cautious of traps, but don't delay."

The leader of the military took out a map displaying the design of the monastery. He separated us into different groups.

"The western team" -he gestured towards the western side, "is coming from behind. Broken windows and a balcony providing access to the interior are necessary. Your objective is to swiftly infiltrate and eliminate any guards that could be found on the lower levels"

Everyone in attendance nodded in comprehension of the assignment.

"The group in the north will skyrocket. Hidden ventilation passages can be found that direct to the main hall. It is already common knowledge that the enemy employs them to swiftly transition between rooms. Utilize these tunnels to covertly enter without being noticed. There will be many traps, so exercise extreme caution"

The shadowy northern squad silently nodded and quickly headed towards their designated entrance.

"And now, it's our turn" - he stopped briefly, looking towards the east entrance. "We need to enter through the additional door located on the east side. This route is extremely dangerous, but it takes you straight to the center of the base. Get ready with the smoke bombs. We need to cause disorder and allow other groups to sneak in"

My friend removed a few smoke bombs from his bag. This served as a crucial tool for diverting our attention. An abrupt release of smoke can result in confusion, leading adversaries to momentarily lose their bearings - providing a window for our assault.

"We will utilize smoke bombs to cause confusion, allowing our team to infiltrate their headquarters and locate the main hall. The presence of key documents and top leaders is essential"

We positioned ourselves close to the entrance on the eastern side. The noises in the forest faded away, leaving us enveloped in complete silence. We hurried inside as ninjas threw smoke bombs and the white curtain lifted. In an instant, we were no longer able to be seen, as though we had vanished into nothingness.

The northern ninjas were already stealthily climbing through the roof like shadows, while the western group entered through the shattered windows. Our plan went precisely as planned. Now, it all hinged on our ability to act with the required speed.

We found ourselves in a narrow passageway that extended far into the monastery. We quietly stepped on the old creaking boards as we moved discreetly, keeping up our pace.