📖 Chapter 7 — "Custodians in the Shadows"
Mornings in the residence of the northwest district were usually peaceful. But that morning, Rei felt a silence heavier than usual. When he came down from his room, he didn't find Sayuri reviewing reports or organizing her commercial itinerary. Instead, a note awaited him, written in her neat handwriting:
"An important trip forces me to leave for a few days. Don't worry, you'll be well taken care of. Remember to train, and don't isolate yourself too much. With love, Sayuri."
Although he had experienced separations before, this one felt different—like the stillness of the house was hiding something else. Something moving between the walls.
When he stepped into the courtyard, he found her: a woman with dark hair, smooth skin, jade-green eyes, and an expression as firm as tempered steel. She wore an adapted civil guard uniform with discreet armor. Her bearing was that of someone who not only knew how to fight but had lived through extreme situations. She introduced herself without preamble.
"My name is Shuri. From today until your mother returns, I'm in charge of your safety and supervision."
"Are you a ninja?" Rei asked, subtly gauging her chakra. What he sensed was… a deep, steady reserve, like a hidden lake between mountains.
"I was a chunin in my youth. Later, I chose to work for your mother. I never stopped training."
She didn't need to say more. Rei, who was already starting to distinguish levels of skill, knew that this woman could kill him before he could blink. And yet, he didn't sense hostility. Rather… an invisible pressure, as if he had been watched and evaluated from the very first second.
Days passed. Shuri didn't interfere, but she was always nearby. She supervised his training with Hanzo, stepped in when his food burned because he was too focused on seals, and mysteriously appeared at the entrance whenever Rei went for a walk alone through the alleys.
One night, Rei dared to ask:"Have you been my mother's friend since before?"
Shuri looked at him. It wasn't a maternal gaze, but it was a careful one."No. Just a subordinate. But I respect her. And I respect you as well. Even if you still don't know who you are."
That answer left him more unsettled than satisfied.
One day, during a break at the training grounds, Hanzo approached Shuri while Rei drank water.
"Did you know his chakra control improves every day? But there's something strange… he doesn't follow the same internal rules as other kids. Sometimes his energy seems to multiply or… fragment," Hanzo whispered.
"I know. That's why I'm here. He doesn't notice it yet, but something inside him changes with every dream, every silence, every faint memory. And if the day comes when he loses control…"
"…It won't be a child we'll be facing," Hanzo finished.
That night, Rei couldn't sleep. He had felt an echo in his seal—a faint hum in his left ear and a sensation of splitting.
He got up, crossed the silent hallway, and stepped out into the courtyard. There was Shuri, sitting under the eaves, watching the stars.
"You can't sleep," she said without looking at him.
"Something is… awakening. And I don't know if that's a good thing."
Shuri glanced at him sideways. Her voice was softer this time."Your mother once told me that special children must have silent guardians. Not to stop them… but to hold them if they ever break."
Rei didn't reply. But for the first time since Sayuri had left, he felt accompanied.
And in his inner world, deep within his subconscious, one of the smallest doors vibrated for a second—As if the bond with his new guardian had left an invisible mark.