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

Two Children

High school SUCKS. Where the crap did my leisure time go? Oh and manga. God, manga. It's so awesome, yet it's ruining my life. These two things have turned me into a hiatus-loving douche bag. I'm sorry guys. Thanks for your patience. I try to write a little bit each day. Thanks again!

And thank you to ALL who has followed, read, added, and commented! I have read through my notifications with a huge smile on my face! Thank you all! I'm sorry I haven't been able to personally thank you all, so here's the make up!

Enjoy!

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Every single small village was frantic. For the first time in quite a while, it was a child that was causing havoc in the shinobi continent. A small kid was going through the villages, destroying it, even defeating the ninja there, and the worst part was that there was not a single trace of a body, just a lot of blood, and some limbs. Anybody who entered the villages were to be questioned, especially if it was a child.

Someone a little ways away from the village gave a great sigh. He really shouldn't have let that one person escape. How did news travel this fast? And now kids were to be kept an eye on. He hoped there would be no ANBU in the village. Some chuuninlike before he could take care of. A team of elite ninjas... at least half would escape. If he could just take them by surprise somehow...

He stopped. He didn't want to do this anymore. The pressure was getting too heavy.

He could seriously stop. Then he would never have to deal with his Shishou ever again. But he was nearly there. He started out at two hundred a while ago, and now it was just fifteen. His life was already ruined. Turning back now would be stupid and useless.

He glanced up. He was at the edge of this small village, and guards up ahead had noticed his cloaked figure and short height. From their expressions and hasty actions, they were already suspicious.

The boy slowly breathed out. There was the slow sound of metal grating on metal as his katana drew out sluggishly. His ears rang. He might as well charge in.

The grating sound grew louder and quicker until with a violent screech, the sound stopped as the blade swung out.

Dirt flew up. The guards shouted in alarm as the light tapping of feet approached them. The sound of metal on another blade, the screaming, the crashing, the sounds grew from the village entrance and spread into one muddled mess.

Meanwhile, two cloaked figures watched in amusement. One chuckled, "Kid has a familiar face, doesn't he Itachi-san?"

"..." the other person, Itachi, spoke, "But from the looks of it, he should be dead along with that girl." His eyes narrowed, "I wonder what happened."

***

Rin's POV

I bit my thumb in frustration. There has been no safe village. I've been literally eating on a spit and fire now. I need a bath, I need a village.

Damn it, I want to go back home. If I didn't stubbornly want to train, I would have ran back a long time ago. Speaking of which, I haven't trained for a while either. Or maybe I should consider training.

I'm so stupid. Why did I only hunt weak ninja? If I had climbed up the ladder of strength in opponents more quickly, then I wouldn't be so scared of two S-Rank criminals right now. Even Kakashi couldn't beat one. How do I beat one?

'You've grown soft."

"What?"

"When you were pretending to be that shit called Sugitani Akira, you were able to fend off against a monster like Gaara. You even managed to clash against Orochimaru for a few seconds. Where did all that go?"