Book One: The Era of Change

Chapter Fourteen: To Take Another Life

Third pov

Team Two approached the camp under the guise of night, Akiko and Aoi in the lead. They made quick work, covering as much distance as possible.

"We're almost there," Aoi told everyone.

"Get yourselves ready," Kaoru warned.

As they approached the camp, Kaoru signalled for the four to take their stations around the camp.

Leiko took a deep breath and proceeded to take her position opposite Shiori. She then signalled Kaoru that she was ready.

Akiko and Aoi both gave their sensei the ready signal as well.

Kaoru's signal to start the attack came in the form of a senbon to one of the men's solar plexus. He was dead before he hit the ground. Shouts immediately flew around the clearing as the men tried to identify who the people were. Around ten people crowded around the cage to try and watch the people in it who were drugged unconscious to make them easier to move.

The five kunoichi leapt out of the trees, entering the fray without giving the traffickers time to react.

Several men fell in Kaoru's direction immediately, victim to her chakra blades, which were one of the few light sources in the night.

The men had put out any fires to make a stealthy retreat so the only things that were glowing was the moon and the five kunoichi's chakra.

Akiko and Aoi jumped into the fray to help Kaoru, whilst Shiori and Leiko advanced on the men surrounding the cage.

One smirked, "And here I thought they were gonna send some big shot after us. It's just a few girls."

"These two ain't bad looking. we can add them to our collection," Another added with a laugh.

It was Leiko who lost her temper and struck first, flashing forward to strike the man in the shoulder. Surprisingly, she was blocked, but still closed off a tenketsu point in the man's arms. He grunted and they continued to trade blows.

Meanwhile, Shiori was carefully watching the duo fight with her Sharingan, unnervingly still.

She came to two conclusions.

One, these men must have had some type of ninja training to be able to fight with Leiko even if she was a genin. But they were still nowhere near proper ninja.

Two, Leiko was holding back from dealing the killing blow, despite the numerous chances she had.

Shiori bit her lip, looking back at Akiko and Aoi who were just short of being overwhelmed because none of the people they put down would stay down.

"Hey girly. You're not gonna do nothin'? Give your friend a hand. We like feisty ones," one cracked their knuckles as they stepped forward with a dagger.

Shiori gritted her teeth.

She had to do this.

Poising her katana in front of her like she had done so many times, she rushed forth with the same burst of speed she been praised for on numerous occasions. The grip of the blade felt eerily familiar within her grasp, the motion was identical to how she had practised it everyday.

Pffft---slash!

Three pairs of eyes watched in horrified awe as their teammate's blade easily pierced through the first man's heart and sliced through another's neck before either could react.

Thud.

Thud.

Both men hit the ground, their blood splattered on the girl who had taken their life.

When she looked up again her face was emotionless, but her eyes were spinning wildly. The crimson orbs shined brightly in the darkness, reflecting the image of the fully matured Sharingan.

She didn't pause to think. She couldn't. It was almost as if she was in a trance and that she wasn't actually aware of what she was doing.

Another man fell.

And that seemed to trigger a signal.

This time, the man who was trading blows with Leiko received a gentle push to his heart, stopping it completely.

Leiko leaned backwards in her gentle fist stance as vein bulged around her temple. 

"You are within my range," she said coldly.

Blue chakra danced around her fingertips as they left soft touches on the tenketsu points of the enemy, shutting off, vital organs in a single strike.

This time, the men that Akiko and Aoi put down didn't get back up.

A kunai found itself in the centre of one man's forehead, courtesy of Akiko. Akiko couldn't bring herself to look at the dead man and simply moved onto her next target to distract herself. It was a self-perpetuating cycle of terror.

Aoi's adrenaline keeping her going she opened a scroll.

"Unsealing Method: Shuriken," she announced.

True to her words, the scroll which she threw into the air opened and rained shuriken down on the bandits.

The green of the leaves were dyed red with the guilt of death, heavy on everyone's shoulders.

The battle was over before it had even begun. The bandits were no match for the shinobi trained in the ninja arts. All that was left were scattered bodies the young girls didn't dare to look at.

Kaoru wiped a splatter of blood off her cheek and look at her genins. Akiko and Aoi had theirs eyes glued shut now that everyone was dead with the exception of those who had run off into the woods.

Neither Shiori or Leiko had their dojutsu on anymore, Leiko looking at her feet and nowhere else. Shiori simply stared into thin air.

Kaoru instantly felt a pang of both pride and regret. Proud of the obstacle her genin had overcome. Regretful they had to kill at such a young age.

"Is everyone alright?" Kaoru asked.

A few hesitant nods.

"We're...I'm fine..." Shiori muttered, only daring to speak fro herself at this point, "let's get these people out before they wake up and see all this."

She gestured to all the bodies causing Akiko to flinch.

Kaoru nodded slowly, "Let's go."

---

Loading the women and children onto the cart was a silent affair other than the occasional muttering from Aoi to herself, that she would be fine.

Leiko shook her head at the whole ordeal as she plopped another child onto the cart next to a woman. Just what had she done. It shook her to truly understand how easy it had been for her to kill someone. So easy. The thought made her uneasy. She tried to not let it show.

Kaoru nodded to her students to hop into the cart as well. She swung herself up onto the horse which had survived all the weapons being flung around and grasped the reins. Setting off along the forest path, they headed towards the Takumi village.

The entire ride, no one said anything, just giving each other silent looks when they thought no one was watching. Akiko kept casting her glance to Shiori. After all, she was the first one to do it.

To take another life.

To clear up as to why they didn't just knock the bandits out and chose to kill them instead. The task said neutralise which is basically euphemism for 'kill them'.

(Also, as traumatising as this is for someone killing for the first time, it's still a C-rank as it doesn't involve ninja)

Vote <3

Comment

Follow