VII

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Arc VII Chapter 8

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Equipped with a pair of binoculars, Tatsuya?observed?the?ominous mansion from distance.

The mansion was extensive, dwarfing the surrounding buildings with ease, towering over?Konoha's smoldering ruins.

The villa survived the?invasion and the subsequent devastation remarkably well while the surrounding streets fell prey to the flames. Heaven?spared?her home.

Tatsuya?grumbled. Life was unfair. The invasion flattened his recently bought apartment and evaporated his savings. He had to pay off his loans, but?the?princess kept her royal palace.

Fate was indeed a cruel?mistress. The?Minami?princess got richer and richer, while?grunts like him remained poor?for all eternity.

Tatsuya watched the perimeter. He distrusted the peace. The mansion gave him an uncomfortable feeling. Doubt and uncertainty nagged at the back of his mind.

The black walls. The black wood. The black marble. The mansion exuded an ominous atmosphere. As if?a malevolent spirit?haunted the place.

The night covered Konoha and sparse streetlamps illuminated the streets. Their monotonous light flickered in the darkness.

Sosuku gulped. The eerie aura?distressed him. Something was wrong?here. Something dangerous lurked in the darkness?and watched their steps. He?sent?Shiba and Fumimaro to investigate.

Their mission was an unconventional assignment. It was a secret mission. Orders came directly from the village council.

His team survived the invasion and was now?tasked with guarding the area. They were ordered to report anything suspicious?while a?full contingent?of ANBU stormed the mansion. They were apparently dispatched to?apprehend?a fugitive girl.

ANBU, fugitive?girl, village council, secret orders. The entire affair sounded fishy.

Sosuke?noticed his troubled expression. “Tatsuya, is something wrong?“

“Nothing. Nothing.“?Tatsuya?observed?the mansion.

“Come on, Tatsuya, we have known?each other for ages. I can tell?when you are lying.“

Tatsuya?sighed. “I wonder why we are here. The mission doesn't make any sense.“

Sosuke?nodded. He understood. “Same here, but I might know one or two things.“

Tatsuya raised his eyebrow. “I am listening.“

“I heard rumours, Tatsuya.“

...

...

...

Tatsuya?broke the uncomfortable silence. “What do they tell?“

Sosuke?answered. His smile was strained.?“The council found the one responsible. They identified the culprit.“

A giant fireball engulfed the sky?and demolished Konoha's suburbs.?Entire platoons, companies perished in the?blink of an eye. The demonic purple flames devoured?friend and foe alike.

Konoha's losses were staggering and the numbers kept climbing. Hundreds of brave ninja vanished without?a trace.

Konoha triumphed today, but the price for victory was high and paid in blood.

Tatsuya hoped his little brother was fine. Hisaaki received his mobilisation orders last week and was deployed close to ground zero. He hadn't heard from him yet nor from his unit.

“Who is responsible for this catastrophe, Tatsuya?“

“A girl. A?kunoichi. She was one of us.“

Kosuke fell silent. He couldn't believe his ears. Someone from Konoha was behind this devastation.

“They say the girl is a traitor. A crazed psychopath.“

“The girl?only waited for the day to slaughter us?all in her blind rage. She continued where the fox failed thirteen years ago.“

“Danzo faced?her and saved us from an?even bigger calamity.“

“Who is the girl?“?Kosuke shivered. He had a suspicion.

Sosuke hesitated. “The ANBU called?her the?Black?Princess.“

Kosuke stiffened. His blood froze. Every Konoha ninja worth their salt knew her name. Konoha's grim reaper, Konoha's blackwinged angel of death, the Black?Princess. Her reputation preceded her.

Kosuke sweated. “It's?her.“

Sosuke?agreed.?“Probably.?The description fits her perfectly.“

Kosuke clenched his fist. He knew it.?He knew it. He knew it. This entire operation was fishy.

Kosuke rose. Time to leave. “Tatsuya, we are going.“

“We get Shiba and Fumimaro, and leave?...“

“Oh my, you leave the party early. Don't you want to stay a bit longer?“ Her sinister?giggling interrupted?him.

Kosuke?stared into the darkness and her crimson eyes greeted him. Her blade gleamed in the night and her purple lightning danced in joy.

They ... were ... done.

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Konosuke explored the mansion before being interrupted by one of his men. It was Mitsuhide, a fellow ANBU. Young, fresh, energetic, recently admitted to their ranks, eager to prove himself, but his constant questioning got on his nerves. The newbie annoyed him.

Konosuke smiled behind his mask. “Mitsuhide, have you found her?“

They scanned?the mansion, but their search yielded?no?results. The collective forces of ANBU and jonin hunted?a single girl. The village council ordered?such, but Asami vanished into thin air. No trace of her.

The events didn't surprise Konosuke. It saddened?him that things?had to end this way.

Every ANBU was familiar with Asami, and they long speculated about her mental state. The amount of butchery the girl witnessed in the name of Konoha defied reason. Her ANBU career was short, but blood accompanied her every step. Her hands administered death. Her shoulders carried a heavy weight. Maybe it was too much for her to bear.

Mitsuhide scratched his head. “Negative.“

“We turned everything upside down, but we found nothing besides?swords, swords,?and more swords.“

Konosuke furrowed his?eyebrow. “I guess that's hardly surprising. Her preference for swords is well-known ...“

The door knocked and Konosuke stiffened. His eyes turned?at the door.

Someone knocked in the middle of the night when the entire mansion should be guarded. This was far from normal.

Knocks echoed across the room.

“Heiji, Thoki, Kasumi, Asuka, open the door.“ Konosuke ordered, and they obeyed.

His men?protected and?the door and opened the door ...

A startling light rewarded them.?A blast ripped?through the walls and?ripped?the ANBU?apart in a shower of mutilated?flesh.

The door was open and a girl paid the?petrified ANBU?a visit. The pale moonlight?revealed her petite figure and her terrifying grin. The princess had arrived.

“Greetings, the hour is late, I am here to reclaim what is mine. “

Konosuke uttered a single thought, “?Fuck.“

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