Naruto: Road to Death

Chapter 9: Bloody Quest

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The house was silent, save for the slight creaking of the floorboards beneath his feet. He made his way into the main room and stopped when he saw something that made him shudder: on the table was a hastily written note. The handwriting was unmistakable; it belonged to Naruko.

"Yuta, something's not right. Akane went out on an urgent mission, but she hasn't returned. I went to find her. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Naruko."

Yuta's heart raced. Akane was a high-ranking ninja; if something had gone wrong on her mission, that meant the danger was real. And now Naruko was gone, too.

"Why didn't you wait for me, Naruko?" he whispered in frustration as he clenched the paper.

He knew he couldn't stay still. He grabbed his ninja gear, including the scroll of the Kugutsu no Tachi, and left the house. The night fog was beginning to engulf the streets, and the darkness grew deeper with each passing minute.

Yuta headed toward the exit of the village, following the trail that Naruko had surely left in her haste. He knew he was not prepared for what he might find, but he also knew that he could not stand idly by.

Inside, a mix of fear and determination drove him forward. He was aware that this could be his second great challenge outside the village, but he also knew that he would not be alone. The strength he had begun to develop in his training, along with the mysterious technique he had not yet mastered, would be his only support in what was to come.

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The fog of Kirigakure was dense, suffocating. Every corner of the village seemed to be shrouded in a whitish veil that distorted reality. Yuta advanced with hurried steps, his breathing accelerated and his mind on alert. His hands shook, not from cold, but from uncertainty. He knew Naruko wasn't reckless, but his instincts screamed at him that something was terribly wrong.

He clutched the note to his chest as he headed toward the village exit. The guards were at their usual posts, disinterestedly watching the few who ventured out at this hour. As he approached, Yuta tried to calm his breathing. He had no credible alibi for leaving Kirigakure without permission, but he didn't have time to formally request one either.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?" one of the guards, a tall man with scars on his face, asked.

"My sister went out and hasn't returned. I have to find her."

"Night missions aren't for children," the other guard, shorter and stockier, intervened. "Do you have an order to leave?"

Yuta shook his head. He knew that trying to reason with them would be useless. He had no time for bureaucratic formalities. He made a risky decision: he used the Kawarimi no Jutsu in an instant, replacing himself with a log and appearing behind them. Before they could react, he was already running down the dirt road that led to the woods outside the village.

The screams of the guards echoed behind him, but he did not stop. His priority was Naruko. His feet pounded the ground hard, driven by the anguish he felt in his chest. Akane's last mission had taken her southwest, near a river that cut through the swamps of the region. If Naruko had followed her, her trail must be there.

The path became darker as it went further away. The trees created grotesque shadows in the dim moonlight. Yuta kept his senses alert, observing every broken branch, every footprint in the wet earth. Then, he found something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

A kunai. Pinned to the trunk of a tree, trails of fresh blood.

Yuta's heart hammered in his chest. He crouched down and touched the blood with his fingertips. It wasn't completely dry. Someone had been here recently... and they hadn't come out unscathed.

"Naruko..." he whispered, feeling fear grip his throat.

Instinct told him to move forward. His legs moved on their own, following the trail of reddish stains on the ground. The night breeze carried with it an unmistakable metallic smell. Blood was permeated in the air.

Then, he saw her.

The body of a ninja lay on the ground, his Kirigakure vest covered in deep wounds. Yuta approached cautiously, his stomach churning at the sight. It wasn't Naruko. It was a ninja from the village, but there was no sign of her sister or Akane.

He crouched down beside the corpse and checked his pockets with shaking fingers. He found a scroll with a hurried report:

"We intercepted an enemy force near the river. Individuals with advanced sealing abilities identified. Requesting immediate reinforcements. Two allies injured. We retreat to the clearing to the east. Akane still in combat. -S"

The paper shook in his hands. Akane was in danger. Naruko must have read this too and followed her trail. Yuta gritted his teeth. There was no time to waste.

He stood up and ran towards the clearing indicated in the message. With each step, his breathing became more agitated. Adrenaline kept him moving, driven by the fear of losing the only family he had left.

When he reached the clearing, the scene left him breathless.

Akane was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by enemy ninjas. Her clothes were torn, her arms covered in cuts. A few meters away from her, Naruko was motionless, with a rope of glowing chakra tied to her wrists, preventing her from moving. Her eyes reflected rage and desperation.

"Naruko!" Yuta shouted, but as soon as his voice rent the air, the enemy gazes fixed on him.

One of the ninjas turned and smiled maliciously.

—Wow, looks like we have another mouse in the trap.

Yuta felt his body tense. He had no plan, no backup. He had only his will, his determination, and the Kugutsu no Tachi scroll hidden in his gear.

Naruko struggled against her restraints, screaming,

—Yuta, run!

But running away wasn't an option. Not now.

Combat was inevitable. Yuta unsheathed his kunai and prepared for the most important fight of his life.

The now bloody search began.

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