Naruto: IHCS Ch. 121

"Wonderful!"

Yahiko laughed excitedly.

The number of people in Akatsuki was increasing. And those who shared their ideals were also growing in number. Although everything had only just begun, he already seemed to see the dawn of victory.

The ninjas and samurai stood solemnly in front of Shiratori and the others.

Shiratori stretched out his hand toward the sky.

Rika shrank her massive body. Before him, she slightly lowered her head, allowing his hand to touch her forehead. He wasn't even sure if that could be considered Rika's forehead. Anyway, it was that area between her eyes and mouth.

"Yuta…"

Rika murmured longingly in a voice almost like a young girl's.

Shiratori smiled and encouraged her: "You've worked hard. Go back and rest now!"

"It's not hard!"

"Not hard at all!"

He nodded. "I know."

Rika really was such a good cursed spirit.

Her body gradually turned into thick black mist, flowing gently like a stream into his ring.

After Rika's body disappeared, he clearly noticed that the ninjas and samurai let out a sigh of relief.

The aura Rika exuded was enough to suffocate them.

"If we want to change the current situation in Aomine, we must start with those merchants."

From among the group before him, a composed middle-aged ninja stepped out.

In the shinobi world, it was already rare for an ordinary ninja to survive into middle age.

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Muramasa."

Looking at Shiratori, he continued, "Those merchants don't care whether the world is at war or at peace. The only thing they care about is money. Sometimes, they even become the driving force behind wars, all to accumulate more wealth…"

"If we want to save Aomine, we must either kill these merchants or drive them out."

"But that is difficult."

"I know you are the student of Hanzō, and that your strength is great. But most of these merchants are powerful and influential. They spend vast sums bribing the daimyō and secretly employ strong samurai and ninjas to act as their tools for hoarding wealth. Beyond people like us, these merchants also keep one special ninja, one who rarely makes a move. These ninjas are all jonin-level, and they're not easy to deal with."

He shook his head, a flash of worry in his eyes.

For defectors like them, those merchant-backed jonin could easily hunt them down.

"Then let's just wait for them to come looking for trouble."

Shiratori glanced at Muramasa, his eyes then sweeping around in search of the innkeeper.

Muramasa frowned: "They're jonin."

"I know."

Shiratori yanked the innkeeper out from behind a wooden plank.

He stood beside the man, staring down at the innkeeper who was crouched behind the board.

"What a coincidence…"

The innkeeper forced out a stiff smile.

Shiratori didn't waste words: "Find us a place to stay. Otherwise, we'll kill you."

A flicker of terror flashed in the innkeeper's eyes.

He nodded immediately: "Right! I'll find one right now! I'll find one right now!"

The innkeeper scrambled away, half-stumbling, half-crawling, toward an untouched inn not far away.

Shiratori looked back at his companions.

"Let's get a good night's rest."

Tomorrow, the merchants of Aomine would surely be in a panic.

Muramasa exchanged a glance with those beside him, then followed behind Shiratori and his group.

Nagato quickened his pace and came up beside him.

"Tomorrow, I'll stand with you. I'll fight by your side."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. His eyes stared earnestly at Shiratori.

"Alright."

He nodded.

Right now, he didn't want to think about anything. He only wanted to sleep.

Following the innkeeper, they arrived at an empty inn.

Not a single soul was inside.

A lone wooden sandal still lay scattered in the hall, its owner must have fled in fear during the earlier commotion.

That suited him perfectly.

His gaze slid coldly over the innkeeper, then he turned and went upstairs.

Muramasa and the others followed, each picking a room to rest in.

As soon as Shiratori entered his room, he collapsed face-first onto the bed.

The moment his eyes closed, he was fast asleep.

The others, however, did not have hearts as steady as his.

Muramasa and his companions sat in their rooms, unable to find any trace of sleep. The mere thought of those jonin filled them with unease.

They didn't close their eyes. Afraid that if they did, they would never again see the morning sun.

Shiratori, though, had no such worries, because of Rika's presence. If anyone tried to strike at him, she would immediately emerge, unable to restrain herself.

When she unleashed her fury, he would instantly awaken.

Not long after, the sound of snoring filled the room.

Konan's breathing gradually grew calm as well.

Nagato, however, lay with eyes shut, yet sleep never came as quickly for him as it did for the others. Shiratori's words kept replaying in his mind, again and again, like a whip lashing across his body.

Tonight, Aomine was destined to be a sleepless city.

---

Meanwhile, the wealthy merchants, resting peacefully on their soft beds, were suddenly jolted awake by a thunderous noise.

They immediately opened their eyes, sitting upright, scanning the room warily.

But the room was empty.

Moonlight crept in through the window. A familiar shadow flickered, then perched upon the windowsill. It cast a deep black silhouette across the floor.

The merchants' wildly pounding hearts began to settle.

"So late at night… what happened?"

Their voices broke the silence of the room.

"A person of considerable status has come to Aomine."

The ninja's voice was cold, raising goosebumps across the merchants' skin.

"Who?"

They immediately thought of the brat who had caused such a stir in the city earlier that day.

"Shiratori, student of Hanzō. He is a genius renowned throughout the shinobi world."

The ninja's tone was flat, lifeless, like a corpse that had somehow learned to speak.

A chill swept through the merchants' hearts, though they forced themselves to remain composed.

"Strong, is he? Then you will deal with him personally! You are a jonin. Surely you're not saying you can't kill a single child?"

The merchants narrowed their eyes. If this jonin couldn't handle even that, perhaps it was time to consider hiring another.

"A genius? This world has never lacked for geniuses."

The shadow vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there at all.

The merchants exhaled slowly, then lay back down upon their beds.

---

Dawn was approaching. The world was steeped in a stagnant ink-blue stillness. On the distant horizon, a faint trace of pale light began to stir. The first glimmers fell upon Aomine.

All was silent.

A shadow stretched across the roof of the inn.

The ninja's footsteps were soundless. Their breathing long and faint, nearly nonexistent.

Shiratori… The name flickered across the ninja's mind without stirring the slightest ripple.

A murderous gleam flashed through their pupils.

[Killing Intent detected: Rasa +3000 points]
[Curse Growth - Killing Intent: 6.6%]

The ninja slowly crouched down.

Fingers reached forward.

A tile was lifted from the roof beam. Not the faintest sound escaped. Below, the room lay dim and quiet.

The air carried the scent of aged timber. The ninja's gaze was as sharp as a nocturnal predator.

Their eyes locked precisely onto the futon, where the blanket rose and fell with subtle breaths. Black hair spilled across the pillow, framing the serene features of a sleeping face.

Shiratori.

The ninja's eyes narrowed.

The boy slept deeply, utterly defenseless.

A trace of mockery glinted in the ninja's eyes.

So what if he was a prodigy? Even a prodigy might not be a true ninja.

Slowly, the long blade was drawn from their back. Muscles tensed, grip tightened. In the dead stillness, only the steady breathing of those inside the room could be heard.

The edge of the blade sliced through the air.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The ninja's pupils constricted to pinpoints. A surge of indescribable cold malice erupted without warning, like a tidal wave, flooding the narrow room in an instant.

Nagato's eyes snapped open. They met a gaze filled with murderous intent.

Someone was on the roof.

Before he could rise, black mist had already surged before his eyes.

It was Rika.

A muffled gasp of terror slipped uncontrollably from the ninja's throat.

They saw it.

Even with preparation, the sight of that monster snatched away their breath. A twisted figure emerged from the black mist. It was as though hatred and killing intent had taken form.

Its presence was so cold it was like plunging into an icy abyss.

The face bore no clear features, only a massive maw bristling with jagged fangs.

Though it had no eyes, the ninja could feel it staring straight at them.

Fear... an unprecedented fear, like countless cold centipedes, instantly crawled along the ninja's spine, gnawing madly at their will. The ninja wanted to scream, but their voice was crushed beneath the weight of that suffocating malice.

They could only watch as the monster stretched out its hand. Perhaps it could not even be called a hand. More like the talons of a beast. Seething with murderous intent.

The claw rose to meet the long blade, frozen in the air.

Crack.

The steel weapon, forged for killing, split apart.

At last, the ninja's survival instinct exploded, and they desperately tried to release the blade and retreat. Only then did they truly understand how terrifying the monster was. No matter how much preparation had been made, the moment one faced it, the malice that pierced the soul stirred a primal terror.

This was human instinct.

Resistance was futile.

"No…"

"No!"

A broken plea for mercy was forced from the ninja's throat.

The claw that had crushed the blade opened once more and reached for them. An omnipresent pressure suddenly gained form, crushing in from every direction.

When the icy claw touched their body, the ninja could clearly hear the creaking protest of their bones, followed by the unbearable crack of shattering.

Before the agony could even reach the brain, their consciousness was severed.

Organs, muscle, blood, all were caught within the monster's grasp.

Rika squeezed without mercy.

Splurt.

Blood spilled across the rooftop.

She pressed the tiles down, sealing the gap. The blood must not drip inside. It must not disturb Yuta's rest.

For a moment, she gazed gently at the sleeping Shiratori, ensuring his slumber had not been disrupted. Then, silently, she returned into the ring. The malice that had flooded the room receded like a retreating tide, collapsing back into his ring.

The chamber returned to lifeless stillness.

Only a faint trace of blood lingered in the air.

Nagato's pupils stared up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, as if nothing had happened.

Shiratori turned in his sleep, sinking once more into a dreamless slumber.

Outside the window, the light of dawn spread wider across the sky, tinged with a faint edge of gold. The day was about to break. The room was calm and still, as though nothing at all had occurred.

"Do you smell it?"

"It's obvious."

"That man is dead."

Just a wall away, Muramasa sat on the tatami, speaking with the ninja beside him.

"Terrifying, isn't it?"

"Even a jonin could die so quietly."

"Well, it was that kind of monster… Facing it head-on would take more than courage…"

"Yeah."

"Maybe we really can break free from this kind of life."

"I've long been sick of living here, this numb existence, I've had enough of it!"

"Who hasn't…"

"…"