Chapter 174 : Hollow Traces

The sun barely pierced the low clouds as the sea waves brushed against the shore of the now-lifeless coastal village. Silence reigned supreme. No birdsong, no whispers of wind between rooftops. Only the light footsteps of three ANBU as they moved through the deserted homes.

Borei led the way, silent, his cloak brushing the damp sand. Kagero followed closely behind, while Ame had taken the liberty of kicking a rusted bucket, sending it clanging into a wall.

"Ugh… another empty house," she scoffed. "This mission is boring me to death."

Kagero cast her a quick glance. "Not a single corpse. No signs of a struggle, no objects displaced. Just... emptiness."

He turned to Borei, who was studying the charred facade of a sealed inn.

"What do you think?" Kagero asked.

Borei didn't answer right away.In his mind, images flashed—fragmented, broken."I don't remember anything like this from my past memories."Then his grip on the tanto tightened, the muscles in his hand rigid.

"What could make an entire village vanish… without anyone noticing?"

"This whole thing reeks," he finally said, his tone flat. "If there's nothing here, we need to check the surrounding villages. Someone might've seen or heard something."

Ame stretched her arms overhead. "Finally, a bit of movement. Let's hope there's someone to slice this time."

"Let's move," Borei said without turning.

The three young ANBU disappeared into the coastal mist, leaving the ghost village behind.

° Team Suiren – Mizubashi Swamp°

The fight had already begun.Swamp water splashed everywhere as blades clashed violently. Wooden and porcelain masks with hollow eyes moved swiftly, surrounding the group.

Kurara swung her kurasigama through the air, but her strikes were dodged or blocked by a silent, agile foe. Her moves were precise, but each missed blow drained her precious energy.

A few meters away, Shin spun on his heel, a bone staff protruding from his arm blocked two swords at once. With a grunt, he shattered one of the enemy's blades, unbalancing its wielder.

"Kaguya clan…" muttered the masked man before being knocked back by a chakra-infused kick.

Shinji, waist-deep in water, created coral barriers around the enemies' feet. Every trap exploded into shards, creating perfect openings to strike.

"They're more organized than I thought!" he shouted, narrowly dodging a lateral slash.

Suiren, in the heart of the skirmish, was calm. Her sword spun in her hands like a flowing river. Every strike was measured. Every parry, deadly. Two enemies were already down—one stunned, the other unmoving.

But it wasn't their strength that worried Suiren.

The fighting style. The masks. The silence.

"These... resemble the Pranja. But they don't seem like the same group."

She studied their movements. Too coordinated for bandits. Too silent for mercenaries. Too... trained.

Behind her, Kurara stepped back.Her opponent was gaining speed.Her parries were slowing.The mud weighed her down.

One of the masked enemies raised both swords.

Kurara hissed through her teeth. "Damn it…"

° Later – Forest near the Next Village°

The forest at the edge of the next settlement was dense. The canopy bent downward as if trying to seal the road shut, like fingers interlaced to guard a secret.

The three ANBU advanced wordlessly.

Borei led the formation. Kagero followed a few meters behind, while Ame moved freely, occasionally hopping between low branches as if searching for something to break the monotony.

But something had crept into the air. An instinct. A sixth sense.

Borei said nothing. He activated his chakra field. His body lowered slightly, fingers tensed at his side. He kept walking as if nothing had changed.

But within his chakra—something shivered.

Suddenly, he vanished.

A blur in the mist. A wingbeat. When he reappeared, he was behind two figures hiding among the gnarled roots of a tree.

Gone before a breath could be drawn.

A second later—two thuds among the bushes.

Kagero and Ame arrived, weapons half-drawn—only to stop in place.

They were children.

A boy and a girl, covered in mud, clothes torn. Their eyes wide, shining with fear. The older no more than six. The younger, maybe four.

They trembled.

"Please…" the boy sobbed, shielding his sister with his body. "Don't hurt us. We just want to find our parents…"

A heavy silence fell.

Borei stood still. His mask reflected the pale mist-light, yet nothing about him seemed threatening. Just vigilant.

Ame stepped forward, confused. "Disappear? What are you talking about?"

The girl stammered, "Mom… Dad… everyone... they're gone."

"Easy now…" Kagero's voice softened, almost fatherly. "No one's going to hurt you."

His tone dropped, but it carried weight.

"Can you tell us where you're from?"

The boy hesitated. Then nodded. Slowly.

He pointed a trembling finger southward."There's a village… not far. Near the coast. But…"

"But?" Borei pressed.

The boy lowered his eyes. Shut them tight.Then said, "Everyone disappeared from the village."

- - -

Kurara staggered back, breath short, her kurasigama clenched tightly. Her opponent was fast—precise. His twin blades sought out the smallest misstep, and she was beginning to feel the pressure.

One slash came dangerously close to her side. Another forced her to one knee. But her eyes… never wavered.

"That's enough," she whispered.

Sliding the chain of her weapon along her arm, she launched it in a wide arc.

"Katon: Hibashiri (火遁・火走り, Blazing Dash)!"

Her chakra ignited.

Flames surged along the chain, racing like a fiery serpent toward her opponent. The fire spiraled around him, searing the air, his clothes, his confidence.

The masked figure faltered, caught off guard by the sudden blaze. He cried out, shielding his face, and tumbled into the mud, rolling away to extinguish the flames.

The field was bathed in crimson light. The fire flickered across her teammates' faces.

Shinji stood gaping.

Shin furrowed his brow.

Suiren slowly turned, her gaze locked on Kurara. "Katon…?"

But there was no time to react.

The enemies exchanged a silent signal.

And withdrew.

Swift, disciplined, they vanished into the underbrush in less than a heartbeat.

Suiren didn't hesitate. She surged forward, propelled by a wave of water beneath her feet. Her figure blurred between the trees.

Then—a dull thud.

One of the masked attackers rolled through the mud, halted by a precise slash.

Suiren's blade hovered at his throat.

"One… didn't get away."

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