Chapter 31: A Warrior’s Path and a Funeral’s End

[Ranmaru's POV]

The battle between Raiga and the Konoha ninja was unlike anything I had ever seen. The sheer power of their jutsu, the speed of their movements, and the skill behind their swordplay—every part of it was overwhelming. I had never imagined people could be this strong.

And deep inside, I felt something strange—something I hadn't experienced before.

Jealousy.

All my life, I had been too weak to even take care of myself. But these two were altering the very battlefield with their strength. I wanted to be like them. I wanted that power.

I focused on the fight, warning Raiga when the Konoha ninja vanished into the shadows and reappeared for an attack. My vision let me see through his tricks, but even when I caught him in my genjutsu, he broke free too quickly. Then, his giant summon—Nue—attacked, unaffected by my illusion. It was as if its mind was protected by something far greater than I could comprehend.

And then, in a blur, the ninja in black appeared before me. He had short, messy black hair, and his crimson eyes—similar yet different from mine—glowed with something I couldn't quite name. Excitement.

Like he had just found treasure.

That look made me uneasy, but before I could even react, shadows swallowed me whole. I was dragged into the darkness, sinking into an abyss that felt endless.

It was terrifying.

Even with my vision, I couldn't see anything—only shifting forms moving like living nightmares around me. A primal fear took root in my chest. But just as I felt myself being consumed, I was pulled out, back into the real world.

And what I saw next shattered something inside me.

The village—my village—was gone.

Not a single trace of the settlement remained. The land was burned, wiped away by the battle's destruction. My thoughts spiraled, my emotions swirling into chaos.

I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't know who to follow.

I turned to the Konoha ninja, the one who had dragged me here. The only thing I could ask was the one thing that filled my mind.

"Why… did you save me?"

He looked at me and smiled—calm, natural, as if this was all just another day for him. "Because you're just a kid caught up with the wrong person."

I wanted to deny it. I wanted to say he was wrong.

But then, he asked me to look inside him—to see for myself if he was telling the truth. He didn't care if I used this moment to attack him. He was letting me decide.

I activated my vision, and for the first time in so long, I saw something different in a person.

Not fear. Not disgust.

Hope. Excitement. Life.

It reminded me of the girl from my village—the one who tried to help me even when her father forbade it. She had that same light inside her.

He asked me to follow him. He promised that he wouldn't just support me, but also make me strong enough to walk this world on my own.

He promised me the one thing I had always wished for.

I didn't know what to say. But before I could answer, he turned to me again and spoke.

"Do you want to see Raiga?"

I blinked in surprise. He could have lied. He could have hidden the truth or killed Raiga in secret to make me come with him.

But he didn't.

He was giving me the choice.

Shinji carried me on his back as we moved through the ruined land. The silence between us felt strange, almost… peaceful.

Then, out of nowhere, he asked, "Can you manipulate iron with your eyes?"

I frowned. "No… I don't have that ability."

He hummed thoughtfully. "You should try one day. I met someone with similar eyes before. They were strong—stronger than you'd think."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded. I had never thought much about my eyes beyond what I already knew.

Before long, we reached Raiga.

He was barely alive.

His body was covered in burns, his breath ragged. One of his arms was missing. He looked like he had already accepted his fate.

And for the first time, I saw something new in his eyes.

Satisfaction.

"Ranmaru," he rasped, coughing up blood. "Don't trust anyone… especially a ninja."

I swallowed hard. I had only known Raiga for a short time, but he was the only one who had ever tried to save me before Shinji.

Raiga forced a weak grin and gestured to his weapons. "Take my swords. Leave this place. Never go to Kirigakure… they'll kill you the moment they find out what you are."

His voice was growing fainter, his life slipping away.

And yet, I did nothing to stop it.

Because I knew—this was what he wanted, too.

I took the Kiba blades. They were heavy in my hands.

Raiga smiled at me—his first real smile.

And then, he was gone.

Shinji watched quietly before speaking. "Give me the blades. I'll store them in a seal for now. If people find out they exist, we'll have more problems than we need."

I hesitated, gripping the hilts tightly.

"Don't worry," Shinji reassured me. "I'll give them back when you're strong enough to wield them."

I searched his face for any deception, but there was none. I handed him the swords, watching as he sealed them into a scroll.

Then, he used his jutsu to dig a grave.

"The funeral-loving man… smiling at his own funeral. How ironic."

I stayed silent as he covered Raiga with soil.

I don't know how long I stood there before finally asking, "How do you know so much about us?"

Shinji didn't even hesitate. "I did my research. And I knew about your eyes beforehand."

It made sense. But still, there was one more thing I needed to know.

"What's your name?"

He smiled again, tilting his head slightly. "Shinji Murakami, Genin of Konoha."

[Yamato's POV]

The moment the Kiri Anbu attacked, I knew things were spiraling out of control.

Then Shinji ignored orders and flew off to fight Raiga alone.

I would make sure he was punished when we returned to Konoha. But right now, I had my own fight to deal with—Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist.

Wielding Kubikiribōchō, I engaged him in close combat while Akane and Akira provided long-range support with fire and wind jutsu. But Zabuza was fast, slipping just out of my range while countering with swift, precise attacks.

"You don't know how to wield that thing properly," he mocked.

Then he moved. Fast.

In a single motion, he disarmed me. I barely had time to react before he grabbed the massive blade mid-air and rested it on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't use a sword you can't handle," he taunted, eyes gleaming. "This one belongs to me."

I clenched my jaw, readying myself for another attack. We fought fiercely trying to end the fight fast but each time one of us goes for a final strike the oyher couters it and this goes on for some time with no one coming out on top even with the support of Akira and Akane. But then, something happened that froze us all.

A massive explosion erupted in the distance—the same direction Shinji had gone.

The village was gone.

"Shinjiiiii!"

Akane screamed, her eyes changing as one tomoe Sharingan appeared in her eyes spinning wildly as she tried to rush toward the destruction. Akira held her back, his own face pale with shock.

Zabuza smirked. "Well, damn. That kid must've been something else for them to wipe out an entire village."

But all I could do was watch, my stomach sinking with dread.

'Shinji…'