47 horrors 1

As Chosuke approached his destination, trudging through the increasingly cold terrain, he calculated his arrival time with carefully. Snowflakes began to fall around him, and he knew he was nearing the land of lron, a snow-covered region where the temperatures dropped quickly.

Fatigued from his journey, he decided to hunt for a meal, spotting a deer grazing peacefully in the clearing. Expanding his hand, he prepared to catch it only for his approach to be intercepted as a figure suddenly rushed forward, blocking

his path with impressive skill.

The man, clad in a traditional battle kimono and wielding a katana, stood firm. Chosuke took a defensive stance, his keen eyes analyzing every detail of his opponent's posture.

"Are you a samurai?" he questioned, sensing a unique presence in the man's stance with an air of calm authority, the samurai replied, "Yes, I am. And I cannot allow you to harm the animals here. not even for food."

Before Chosuke could explain, the samurai lunged at him his kataa gleaming in the fading light.

Chosuke quickly dodged, his expanded arm retreating as he prepared himself for the encounter He reinforced his fists with chakra and aimed a punch at the samurai's side, but the samurai twisted his body in a blur, deflecting the strike with his blade.

'"What brings you to these lands?" the samurat demanded mid-fight, his voice calm but curious. "'m here to stop a group of bandits from raiding a nearby village,' Chosuke replied honestly, hoping to resolve the misunderstanding. He sidestepped a swift cut and followed with a jab, which the samurai blocked smoothly.

There was a glimmer of contemplation in the samurai's eyes as they continued to spar, but something seemed to stir in him, a hidden bitterness simmering beneath the surface.

With a sudden, forceful strike, the samurai's attack grew fiercer, his stance more aggressive. "Do you fight only because you're paid to? Are you just another pawn for those who take lives for gold, indifferent to the consequences?" His words were laced with bitterness, as if unearthing painful memories.

Chosuke held his ground, blocking a series of rapid strikes. He looked the samurai directly in the eye,"Yes, I'm paid to protect others, but I don't kill for greed or mindless orders," he replied.

The samurai's face hardened, his voice cold as he demanded,

"Who are you, exactly?" "My name is Chosuke Akimichi." Chosuke replied. just as he blocked another swing of the katana. The moment the name left his lips, the samuraï's expression twisted with something close to disgust.

"Akimichi? So you're not just someone who fights for coin; you're part of a clan that gives others coin to kill for your gain" the samurai spat, his strikes becoming sharper and more vicious, each blow meant to wound as much as to accuse. The words stung, each accusation a blow of its own, and though Chosuke tried to dodge, he felt his composure waver, the question sinking deeper with each breath. The samurai's voice rose with fury, his shouts ringing out over the snow-covered ground . "I had to kill my own brother because of people like you! You and your clans-they're irredeemable! They don't care who they hurt as long as they get their way."

The weight of his words hit harder than his blade as the memories of the as

samurai's pain fueled each attack. Chosuke, overwhelmed and distracted, struggled to keep up, barely managing to deflect the strikes. But then, he caught the katana in his hands, his grip tight around the cold steel.

His voice shook, but his words were clear, as he met the samurai's gaze. "I don't know what clans like mine did to you or what happened to your brother. But for whatever it's worth-l'm sorry, I truly am."

The samurai faltered, and Chosuke, feeling the weight of his own words, slowly lowered himself to his knees on the snow. "People are counting on me;" he continued, his eyes reflecting his resolve. "If it means saving them, l'll come back here and face you again. You can have my life if that's what it takes."

For a moment, the only sound was the cold wind whistling through the trees. The samurai's hand trembled, his grip loosening on the hiit as he looked down at Chosuke. There, in the kneeling boy's eyes he saw a look that reminded him painfuly of his own brother.

With a slow exhale, the samurai lowered his blade, the rage in his gaze softening, if only slightly, He decided to spare Chosuke, allowing him to continue on his mission.

---

The samurai chose to accompany Chosuke, the tension between them easing as they moved along. "If you want any chance of making it, head straight to the village. You're probably running late," the samurai suggested as they altered their route according to Chosuke's map.

As they walked, Chosuke, curious, broke the silence. "How strong are you, really?"

"Once defeated a Kumo chunin… back when I still cared about such things."

Intrigued, Chosuke shared a bit about his own life—stories of his sister, his friends, how he spent his days training or laughing with them.

The samurai listened in silence, daydreaming as though transported to another time. Catching the look, Chosuke ventured, "You seem like you understand. What was your life like?"

The samurai glanced at the horizon. "My brother and I were close. When he was young, he loved catching butterflies. I wanted to be a warrior for the Land of Iron, to make our parents proud. He wanted to be a spy. We completed so many missions together. I thought I'd spend the rest of my life watching out for him."

"There was a time when the Land of Iron was ruled by a wise kage, strong but just," he began.

"Then a new ruler emerged, defeated the kage in ritual combat. The man who took over… was no ordinary leader. He was ruthless, a radical who dreamed of turning the Land of Iron into one of the great nations."

The samurai's expression darkened, memories seeming to stir. "Under him, the Land of Iron began amassing armies by recruiting civilians from war-ravaged villages. He forced us to carry out mission after mission, conquering smaller territories, expanding our territory. It wasn't about honor anymore; it was about power."

Chosuke saw the pain in the samurai's face and asked, "And you… you were ordered to carry these out?"

"Yes," the samurai replied, his jaw clenched. "Mission after mission, I ended lives that didn't need to be taken. It wore me down, broke whatever I'd once believed in. The kage's demands grew darker, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he asked something I couldn't live with."

He paused, his gaze distant. "Then, he gave me a mission to eliminate a foreign spy. I didn't question it. I did my duty, brought the spy back to him, thinking it was just another mission. But when the kage ordered me to remove the spy's disguise…" The samurai's voice faltered. "It was my brother, Chosuke. My own brother."

Chosuke's eyes widened in horror, but he said nothing, letting the samurai continue.

"I demanded answers," the samurai said, bitterness lacing his tone. "The kage just laughed, said he thought it would be 'fun.' And beside him, two children—stood there, laughing too, as if it was some twisted joke. My brother and I were nothing to them. Just entertainment."

The samurai's grip tightened around his katana, and Chosuke saw the fire in his eyes. "When I tried to attack the kage, shadows rose up—these dark, coiling tentacles. The last thing I remember was those kids laughing, mocking us."

The samurai's voice grew soft. "After that, I woke up outside the Land of Iron, banished… with nothing."

He looked at Chosuke, expression filled with sorrow. "That's why I don't fight for anyone else. I won't let anyone use me again."

---

As they arrived at the village, Chosuke and the samurai perched on a hill overlooking the settlement, carefully observing the crowd below for any signs of hostile activity.

The village seemed calm at first glance, Chosuke decided to eat a few snacks to calm his nerves and gather energy for the upcoming fight.

Reaching into his pouch, he accidentally pulled out a folded photograph along with the snacks. The photo fluttered to the ground. Chosuke barely noticed it as he saw a slight commotion in the crowd below. His instincts kicked in, and he bolted toward the disturbance, leaving the samurai behind.

The samurai bent down and picked up the photo, intending to return it to Chosuke. When he opened it, his breath caught in his throat. The picture showed four individuals: Chosuke, two other young boys, and a man who appeared to be their team leader. The first boy was unfamiliar, but the second boys in the photo sent a chill down his spine—Satoru.

A flash of memory overwhelmed him. The two kids who stood beside the kage, laughing as he was torn apart, their faces etched with cruel amusement.

The older one had a striking resemblance to the teen in the photo, and the younger one… the younger one was identical to Satoru.

Not similar, not close—exactly the same.

His hands began to tremble as his grip on the photograph tightened. 'Could it really be him?' the samurai thought, his mind racing with a mixture of fear and anger.

Five years ago, he had sworn vengeance on those children and the man who had destroyed his life. Now, one of them might be standing right beside Chosuke.

Realizing the implications, he stumbled forward, desperate to find Chosuke and warn him. Reaching the village, he was greeted with chaos. Shouts and screams echoed through the streets, and villagers were running in all directions as bandits began to wreak havoc.

Amidst the turmoil, the samurai spotted Chosuke in the thick of the fight. The Akimichi boy's massive fists were tearing through the enemy ranks as he defended the villagers. Despite the overwhelming odds, Chosuke fought with all his strength.

The samurai unsheathed his katana, his thoughts momentarily clouded by the memories of Satoru. He shook them away—this wasn't the time. Whatever truth lay behind that boy could wait until the village was safe.

With a battle cry, he leaped into the fray, cutting down the nearest bandit to help Chosuke.

The samurai leaped into the chaos, his chakra-coated blade gleaming as he intercepted an enemy attempting to fiank Chosuke. The clang of steel and the dull thuds of fists colliding with flesh flled the air Chosuke stood as a juggemnaut amidst the chaos, his Earth Style: Rock Gloves reinforcing his expanded

hands, allowing him to smash through waves of enemies like they were paper.

A grunt fired a poory-executed wind blade toward him. Chosuke blocked it with his massive arm, the reinforced earth cracking slightly but holding firmn. With a roar, he swiped his hand downward, striking three enemies simultaneously and sending them skidding across the dirt.

Meanwhile, the samurai moved like flowing water, his katana slicing through sneaky assailants who aimed for Chosuke's blind spots. A kunai-wielding enemy lunged from the shadows, aiming for Chosuke's neck, but he samurai's blade intercepted with a strike that disarmed and incapacitated the attacker in one

smooth motion.

"Keep your focus forward, Akimichi!" the samurai shouted, twisting mid-strike to deflect a shuriken aimed at his back.

Chosuke grunted in acknowledgment and swung his enormous rock-coated fist at another enery, sending the unfortunate grunt flying into a collapsed hut. The grunts retaliated with rudimentary fire and water jutsu. Chosuke's enlarged hands swatted away the attacks.

"These guys are too weak!" Chosuke exclaimed, frowning His punches felt like overkill against their fragile bodies. "Where are the stronger ones?"

The samurai's back pressed against Chosuke's as they fended off waves of attackers from all sides. " I don't see anyone stronger yet," the samurai replied, slashing through an oncoming enery with surgical precision.

Then, as an afterthought, he added, "I checked vour mission details. These bandits only have two leaders strong enough to balance out their numbers. They must be holding back."

Chosuke smirked at the news, his confidence surging. "Only two, huh?" he said, grabbing a grunt mid- fireball-casting and hurling them like a ragdolls across the village. "That's manageable."

The tide began to turn as the duo systematically neutralized every grunt. The civilians, Chosuke noted with relief, had already escaped to safety, guarded by the village's stationed shinobi. With the battlefield cleared of innocents, he and the samurai worked with even greater ferocity, ensuring no enemy escaped

Within minutes, the grunts were ether captured or incapacitated, lying in heaps around the vilage center.

Chosuke wiped the sweat of his brow, breathing heavily, "well that's that."

The samurai nodded, sheathing his bloodied katana. "Good work.

But as Chosuke's hand moved across his forehead, he felt something peculiar-a note stuck to his ninja headband. His brow furrowed as he removed it. The hastily scrawled words chilled him to his core.

"You failed"

Hlis heart skipped a beat, and his eyes shot towards where the civilans had gathered earlier. His breath caught as he saw it-an explosion of catastrophic proportions erupted from the center of the camp.