The rain still hadn't stopped. It drummed relentlessly on the roof of the inn, as if trying to pierce the sleep of those taking refuge inside.
In room number 4, darkness reigned, broken only by the dim flicker of an unstable lantern. Takeshi lay on the futon, shirtless, his eyes open and fixed on the ceiling. Beside him, Anko was half-asleep, still wary, a kunai hidden beneath her pillow.
But as the night deepened, the atmosphere changed. A creeping tension began to slither along the walls. The silent bells of shinobi instinct rang out in Takeshi's mind.
They were coming.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then turned his head slightly toward Anko. "Don't do anything," he whispered.
She opened her eyes abruptly. "What?" she asked in a low voice, already poised to spring into action.
"You feel it too? Ten chakra signatures... they're heading straight for us."
"I know. Let them come in."
"Have you gone mad?!" she hissed. "Kid, I came with you only to get Orochimaru's head. If you're planning to die, do it alone…"
Her voice betrayed restrained confusion. She rose slightly, kunai now in hand.
Takeshi turned his head toward her slowly, his eyes calm but sharp as blades. "Move, and I'll snap your neck before they even open the door."
Anko froze. It wasn't an empty threat. She knew it—and what made her most uneasy was how the boy she had once beaten now had the strength to threaten her.
She prepared to make him regret it, but just then, the door slid open—quietly, with no sound.
Ten figures stepped into the room with surgical precision. Their faces were covered, weapons drawn, but there was no immediate hostility.
One of them, likely the leader, raised his hand, pointing at the two occupants. They were taken without a word, escorted down the empty corridors, then out into the cold night.
The group moved through dark alleyways, past sleeping homes. A cold wind blew, and lanterns flickered in their wake. After a few minutes, they reached the edge of the village, where an ancient stone shrine stood, half in ruins.
They descended a staircase hidden beneath a sliding slab. The passage led to a wide underground chamber, lit by torches fixed to the rough stone walls. The walls were etched with ancient symbols—remnants of a forgotten cult. In the center, a large circular stone slab, surrounded by broken pillars, now served as an interrogation platform.
Anko and Takeshi were placed in the middle. Around them, ten shinobi formed a silent circle.
Then she arrived.
Karui.
She entered the stone archway like a storm, shoulders squared, eyes blazing. Her cape was soaked, her hair clinging to her skin. She stopped a few paces from Takeshi, gaze sharp as a kunai.
"Who are you?!" she snapped. "And what were you doing at the edge of our territory?!"
Takeshi, still calm, raised his eyes to her without standing or showing a hint of fear.
"No greeting? I see we're not welcome. But I could ask you the same thing. Why did you capture a ninja from Konoha?"
Karui clenched her fists. "You're not the one asking questions here! You were on our land. You killed ten of our men like dogs. You really think we'll let you walk out of here alive?"
Anko, beside him, observed the scene cautiously. This wasn't what she'd come for—and if an opening presented itself, she'd take it.
But Takeshi didn't flinch. His voice was low, calm, and razor-sharp.
"Who said I killed your men? And besides, you're the ones who messed up first… Kumo made a mistake. You captured a Konoha ninja. You interrogated him, maybe even tortured him. I'm just restoring balance. We're even. Let's just say this was a reminder."
A heavy silence fell.
Then one of the squad's shinobi—a burly man with a torn headband—roared in rage and lunged forward. He couldn't take the insult from a mere boy.
"You little—!"
He threw a chakra-charged punch at Takeshi. Anko moved instinctively, but didn't have time to intervene.
Takeshi barely moved.
With a simple motion, he blocked the punch, twisted, and drove his hand into the attacker's stomach, chakra pulsing through his palm. The impact knocked the man back several steps. He doubled over, coughing up bile and blood.
Silence returned. The others tensed, but Karui gave no order.
Takeshi slowly wiped his hand on his pant leg, then raised his eyes to her.
His voice was ice.
"I'm alone. I entered your territory without anyone noticing. I came in, I killed, I left. This isn't war. It's a warning."
Karui clenched her jaw, breathing faster.
"You really think you can do this alone?"
"I don't think. I do."
He briefly looked at Anko.
"And her? She has nothing to do with this. Let her go. Or bear the consequences."
Anko frowned, surprised by the almost protective tone in his voice.
"Oh, please…" Karui's tone turned cold. "Kill them."