Saruto | The Bloodline Prophecy (Part 1)

Chapter 1: Out of the Shadows

The darkness of the night luminated in the presence of the pearl white moon. As I looked up to feel the coldness of it like I would with the sun, I took a deep breath to take the beauty in. There were no stars, only the moon. It was relaxing. The moon always comforted me as well as the sun. Something about the two just gave me a sense of control in my chakra. Like they fueled it. I felt at home and in my element.

"We have eyes on the targets," an abrupt but soft tone echoed in my earpiece.

Turning my gaze away from the moon, I perched myself on the edge of the tree leaning towards the figures running across the ground. I stood patiently as they passed in a superhuman speed before leaping to the next tree in silent grace. I followed them. Soon two more dark figures on either side of me joined in the chase. Did the targets know that they were being followed? This was too easy.

Suddenly, I heard a shift in the air as the tree moved 100 yards away from our position.

"Movement 91.4 meters east."

The two figures turned to give me a nod as I broke off from them to investigate the disrupting. In the corner of my eye, I saw as they continued north towards our targets. As I circled back around the disrupting to make sure we weren't being followed, I noticed the figure slow down. Stopping on a branch I scanned my surroundings, listening to the wind. It was quite as a silently dropped to the ground to feel it. The vibrations showed faint footsteps approaching from in front of me. I squatted low to the ground, allowing the bushes to give me cover. Listening, I began to question the figure knew I was here.

I could suddenly hear a rustling in the leaves. It was too easy. This guy either was an amateur or wanted me to find him. Soon a walk turned into a run as it bolted to my position. From the faint view over the bush, I could see the figure's eyes. He was of the Otsutsuki clan no doubt. His white physique made it obvious.

Slipping my kunai from out of my pack, I waited for him to come closer. Reaching a clearing he stopped and hung his head down low. I observed how his hair seemed unkept which was unlike the celestial-like nature of the Otsutsuki. Something was wrong. As I squinted up and down his figure I noticed him start to shake. Soon the slight shaking turned to a horrendous convulsing. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as he contorted his back towards the sky. It was like he was praising the moon. He began to laugh as his clothing ripped and the bones of his spine peered through the cracks. Contorting back and forth he laughs turned hysterical until he began to cry. But they weren't tears with water but blood. His blood turned into a black goo as it stained his garments.

Abruptly he started to tear his shirt open to reveal a symbol on his chest. It wasn't like any other symbol I had ever seen before. It gave off a stench of evil chakra. The aura seeped its way through my mask and into my nose. It was horrendous. It made me feel uneasy and violated. But as time passed, I realized this smell made feel light-headed. Like it was being absorbed through every part of my body. Infecting me.

Okay, this guy is going down.

Stumbling forward and out of the bushes, I caught myself before darting at him. He seemed to ignore as he mumbled words under his breath as he swayed back and forth. Soon my run blurred into an inhuman speed as I leaped over him to pounce. Trying to lock on his gaze, I noticed his eyes dart back and forth. But then they reverted to normal before locking back on to mine. There was no questioning now that he knew of my presence. There was no fear in his eyes, he just smiled before closing them and releasing built-up chakra energy in the sky. Darting out of the way, I skidded to the ground as I noticed a black beam of light shoot up at the moon. As it soured up and finally hit it, the moon contorted and formed black. I watched as the chakra corrupted and sent the sky into a pit of darkness. Without the light of the moon, my sight grew challenged. But I was to force on the state of the sky.

Suddenly I felt the vibrations of his figure moving Darting my eyes to his position I listened for his movements. Without the light of the moon, I was moving blind. Activating my byakugan, I was surprised with a blow to the head as the figure swung at me. The blow sent my flying against a tree, breaking it and then tossing me half through another one. Using my byakugan, I was able to dodge a second blow as he lunged himself at me. Bolting out of the way, I climbed the trees to evade his attacks. There is a chance he won't be able to see me. I don't get, people of his clan had never been a problem before as I easily defeated Chishiki. Something was different about this one. He was more...inhuman.

"Shikadami, Inoji," I alerted into my earpiece as a frantically searched for the figure in the darkness, "we have a problem."

My eyes glanced up at the sky as I saw a bleeding moon.