(Book the Fourth) In the Shadow of the Red Dawn

The Suspicious Village

FOR ALL WHO HAVE VOTED, FOLLOWED, ADDED, AND COMMENTED ON ANY OF MY BOOKS FROM DECEMBER TO NOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH!I I'm sorry for not personally thanking you, I just haven't found the time recently. Thank you all so much! I have seen every one of you in my notifications! This REALLY is a personal message to YOU!

Sorry for the slow updates, thank you all for your patience. I'm not surprised that some readers have dropped out, but thank you to all who have remained patient and kept my book in your library. I will try to move the plot along quicker.

Rin's POV

"You sure I can trust you?"

"Please, i don't give out the names and faces of my customers...even though you aren't showing your face or your name."

I smiled behind my mask at this guy's dry humor, "That's a relief then." I put a scroll on the desk, "here's the body of the camoflauger-nin."

"Quite the small fry."

"I don't need big money."

The man smiled and fished out a sack of money, "Three hundred ryo for this murderer," he slid it into my hands, "good luck kid. The sky's gonna turn quite dark for you."

I was confused, "What do you mean?"

"Not sure if this is you, but there have been rumors of a kid who just storms into small villages and kills the people. Everyone's on their wit's end on every single child visitor to each village. You best not reveal that you're a young ninja." The man smirked, "A lot of hatred has been stirred up over this issue."

I stored the sack of ryo into my bag, "I'll watch out..." I said slowly, "...see you next time then."

"Bye."

I ducked my head and walked through several passageways. I shielded my eyes as I pushed apart branches and walked into a sunlight lit forest. To think this guy would be as smart as disguising the entrance to an innocent animal pit trap. It would be troublesome if the ANBU happened to step on it...

I slowly walked through the forest. When I left Konoha I had been training with Ama, moving from place to place. Then I started to take on missing nin, from really small fry, to now. Always seeking a new opponent, and using the money for my living expenses. I've been really careful too. Never showing my face when others would know I was a ninja, giving fake names to people. 

But still....the thing about some kid killing people is starting to bother me. Who would do that, espcially if it's a kid my age? Besies the fact that that was messed up, it might cause trouble for me as well. I might be branded a missing-nin for things I never commited. It's best if I confront this kid and tell him or her to stop whatever he's doing. And if by this time the ANBU have placed a bounty for the kid's head, it would be bad for me, but it would also be a good chance for me to fight him and clear my name, as well as earn some money.

"I wouldn't get overconfident, runt."

I smirked. And although painful, I still had that thing as back up. HokaNoJiko would never let off a good fight. Maybe that was a result of compressing my wild personality into a consciousness like her.

"Overconfidence?" I said with a smile, "That's why I've been training all this time." I looked around me, "Let's head deeper, until we're far enough away from everything else." I picked up my speed. With the way I was training...I would become troublesome if anyone ever saw. Because I had the best sparring partner, one with at least five hundred consecutive wins, and as for me?

I had at least five hundred consecutive losses.

***

I threw my bag and cloak down and stretched, "Alright...I've been running for a mile, which is enough for a little warmup. Let's begin," I told my partner.