Jin Arashi: The Storm Amongst the Mist

Chapter 5: Childish Anger

The realization of what he'd done only hit home when the body crashed to the ground with a sickening thud, the muddy water splashing up around it.

I killed someone...

Jin had thrown the Kunai without thinking, only wanting to protect Suiren. He hadn't thought about it.

Seeing Suiren walk toward him, he tried to say something, an excuse or explanation for his actions. Suiren only nodded in thanks before vanishing in a burst of speed, causing water to shoot up into the air. Jin watched as it came crashing back onto the mud.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Jin turned toward the corpse less than two dozen feet away. With morbid interest, he watched the blood merge with the rainwater.

He'd killed someone... he was a murderer.

Jin had no idea how long he was standing there before something touched his arm.

Whirling around, Jin drew a Kunai and swung wildly.

Suiren leaped back, raising her hands in the air as she evaded Jin's blade.

"Calm down, Jin!" Suiren shouted over the howling storm.

Noticing the boy's empty look, she approached him carefully, realizing he was in shock. "The fight is over, Jin."

She hurriedly gestured to Unmo to freeze as he landed on the ground nearby. He frowned at her in confusion before looking at Jin, who had started to lift his Kunai.

He watched Suiren with a raised eyebrow as she carefully moved toward Jin. It was obvious the boy had lost it, but surely she didn't need to be that careful. After a couple of moments, Suiren got close enough to Jin to slowly pry the Kunai out of his hands and slip it into her own pouch.

"Jin... focus... focus Jin." Suiren whispered loudly, couching down in front of the grey-haired boy and waving her hand in front of his eyes. Jin jerked slightly and lifted his head, looking at her. She could see the terror and agony in his eyes. Jin would be out of it for a while.

"Are you okay, Unmo?" Suiren asked as she stood, and Unmo nodded.

"I took some hits, but nothing too serious."

Suiren untied her headband and adjusted her wet hair before retying it. "We need to move. The mission is a bust, they went for the cargo first."

"Agreed," Unmo replied, rotating his shoulder in an endeavor to lessen the pain. "I'm going to go get Kajika's body, at least we can bury that..."

Suiren nodded, and Unmo walked off, disappearing in the heavy rain. Patting Jin on the shoulder, Suiren surveyed their surroundings. Nearby were two dead Loyalists, submerged in muddy puddles filled with their own blood. Jin had killed one of them, one she hadn't seen. More likely than not, she owed Jin her life. The realization made her chuckle dryly.

Two dead, on a low-risk mission, of course, this would be the one that got them, Suiren thought sadly. She and her team had successfully completed high-risk mission after mission. Many times they'd all come precariously close to dying, but they'd done it.

Now, Hitode and Kajika were dead. She hadn't seen Kajika die, but she'd seen Hitode step on an explosion tag at point-blank range. He'd been little more than bits and pieces in less than a millisecond.

Spotting Unmo returning, a body thrown over his shoulder, she tapped Jin on the arm. The boy slowly looked up at her, his blank expression unchanged.

"We have to get moving, Jin."

The boy slowly nodded.

Karatachi Estate, Kiri City, Hondu Island, Land of Water, EN.