Gamerkakashi20_

Ninjas
Prologue: The Phantom’s Return
The moon was a sliver in the sky, casting a ghostly light over the village. The wind carried the faintest trace of a whisper—an omen that the village’s peace was about to be shattered.

Kaito, known as the Shuriken Shadow, had long been a legend—a myth. Yet tonight, he returned. No longer the idealistic student of the Shuriken Shadow Clan, he had become an instrument of vengeance.

His mission was simple, yet infinitely complicated: to find and eliminate Ryuu, his former comrade, now a traitor to the clan.

The winds stirred as Kaito dropped from the shadows, vanishing into the darkness.

Shuriken Shadow

Chapter Fifteen: The Forbidden Veil

The night wind howled through the trees as Kaito stood at the edge of a towering cliff, his mind heavy with the knowledge of the coming battle. The warlords and Ryuu were gathering power beyond anything the world had seen. Aiko had given him the means to fight back, but he still felt as though he was only scratching the surface of his true strength.

Aiko approached him from behind, her crimson robe fluttering like a flame in the wind. "You're close to breaking the limit, Kaito. But you're still holding back."

Kaito clenched his fists. "I don't know how to push past it."

Aiko extended her hand, and suddenly, the air around them crackled with energy. The ground beneath Kaito's feet vibrated as a strange force surrounded them. "There's a technique," she said. "One that only a few have ever mastered. It's called Kagerō no Utsuro—the Hollow Mirage Technique."

Kaito narrowed his eyes. "What does it do?"

Aiko's green eyes glowed faintly. "It allows the user to step between the fabric of existence, moving so fast that they are neither here nor there. To the enemy, you become an illusion—untouchable, unstoppable."

Kaito took a deep breath. "Teach me."

Aiko smiled. "Then prepare yourself."

She extended her hand, and suddenly, everything around Kaito seemed to blur. The world twisted, and he felt himself pulled into a strange realm where time moved differently. Aiko's figure shifted, appearing and disappearing like a mirage.

"This is the Veil," she said. "The space between seconds. If you can control it, you will move beyond the limits of time itself."

Kaito focused, feeling the strange energy coursing through his veins. He took a step forward, and for a brief moment, he felt weightless—like he had slipped through reality itself.