VII

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Arc VII Chapter 8

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Equipped with a pair of binoculars, Tatsuya observed the ominous mansion from a distance. The mansion was extensive, dwarfing the surrounding buildings with ease, towering over Konoha's smouldering ruins. The villa survived the invasion and the subsequent devastation remarkably well, while the surrounding streets fell prey to the flames. Heaven spared her home.

“...” Tatsuya grumbled. Fate was indeed a cruel mistress. Life was unfair. The invasion flattened his recently bought apartment and evaporated his savings. He had to pay off his loans, meanwhile the princess kept her royal palace. The Minami princess got richer and richer, while grunts like him remained poor for all eternity.

Tatsuya watched the perimeter. He distrusted the peace. The mansion gave him an uncomfortable feeling. Doubt and uncertainty nagged at the back of his mind. The black walls. The black wood. The black marble. The mansion exuded an ominous atmosphere. As if a malevolent spirit haunted the place. The night covered Konoha and the sparse street lamps illuminated the streets. Their monotonous light flickered in the darkness.

The eerie aura distressed him. Something was wrong here. Something dangerous lurked in the darkness and watched their steps. They sent Shiba and Fumimaro to investigate.

Their mission was an unconventional assignment. It was a secret mission. Orders came directly from the village council. His team survived the invasion and was now tasked with guarding the area. They were ordered to report anything suspicious while a full contingent of ANBU stormed the mansion. They were apparently dispatched to apprehend a fugitive girl.

ANBU, fugitive girl, village council, secret orders. The entire affair felt fishy.

Next to him, Sosuke noticed his troubled expression. “Tatsuya, is something wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing.” Tatsuya observed the mansion.

“Come on, Tatsuya, we have known each other for ages. I can tell when you are lying.”

Tatsuya sighed. “I wonder why we are here. This mission doesn't make any sense ...”

Sosuke nodded. He understood. “Same here, but I might know one or two things.”

Tatsuya raised an eyebrow. “I am listening.”

“I heard rumours, Tatsuya.”

...

...

...

Tatsuya broke the uncomfortable silence. “What do they say?”

Sosuke answered, his smile was strained. “The council identified the one responsible. They identified the culprit.”

A giant fireball engulfed the sky and demolished Konoha's suburbs. Entire platoons, companies perished in the blink of an eye. The demonic purple flames devoured friend and foe alike. Konoha's losses were staggering, and the numbers kept climbing. Hundreds of brave ninja vanished without a trace. Konoha triumphed today, but the price for victory was high and paid in blood.

Tatsuya hoped that his little brother was fine. Hisaaki received his mobilisation orders last week and was deployed close to ground zero. He hadn't heard from him yet, nor from his unit. “Who is responsible for this catastrophe, Sosuke?”

“A girl. A kunoichi. She was one of us.”

“...” Tatsuya fell silent. He couldn't believe his ears. Someone from Konoha was behind this devastation.

“They say that the girl is a traitor. A crazed psychopath. The girl was only waiting for the day to slaughter us all. She continued where the fox failed thirteen years ago. Apparently, Danzo faced and fought her to save the village from an even bigger calamity.”

“Who is the girl?” Tatsuya shivered. He had a suspicion.

Sosuke hesitated. “The ANBU call her the Black Princess.”

Tatsuya stiffened. His blood froze. Every Konoha ninja worth their salt knew her name. Konoha's grim reaper, Konoha's black winged angel of death, the Black Princess. Her reputation preceded her.

Kosuke sweated. “It's her.”

Sosuke agreed, “Probably. The description fits her perfectly.”

“...” Tatsuya clenched his fist. He knew it. He knew it. He knew it. This entire operation was fishy.

Tatsuya rose. Time to leave. “Sosuke, we are going. We get Shiba and Fumimaro, and leave. We need to get out of here ...”

“Oh my, you leave the party early. Don't you want to stay a bit longer?” A sinister giggling interrupted him.

Tatsuya turned, staring right into the darkness, her dark purple eyes greeting him. Her blade gleamed in the night, her purple plasma dancing in joy.

They ... were ... done ... for.

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Konosuke explored the mansion before being interrupted by one of his men. It was Mitsuhide, a fellow ANBU. Young, fresh, energetic, recently admitted to their ranks, eager to prove himself, but his constant questioning got on his nerves. The newbie annoyed him.

Konosuke smiled behind his mask. “Mitsuhide, have you found her?”

They scanned the mansion, but their search yielded no results. The collective forces of ANBU and jonin hunted a single girl. The village council ordered such, but Asami vanished into thin air. No trace of her.

The circumstance didn't surprise Konosuke. It saddened him that things had to end this way. Every ANBU worth their salt was familiar with Asami, and they long speculated about her mental state. The amount of butchery the girl witnessed in the name of Konoha defied reason. Her ANBU career was short, but blood accompanied her every step. Her hands administered death. Her shoulders carried a heavy weight. Maybe it was too much for her to bear.

Mitsuhide scratched his head. “Negative. We turned every stone upside down, but we found nothing besides swords, swords, and more swords.”

Konosuke furrowed his eyebrow. “I guess that's hardly surprising. Her preference for swords is well-known ...”

The door knocked and Konosuke stiffened. His eyes turned at the door. Someone knocked in the middle of the night when the entire mansion should be guarded. This was far from normal.

Knocks echoed across the room.

“Heiji, Thoki, Kasumi, Asuka, open the door.” Konosuke ordered, and they obeyed.

His men protected the door before a startling light rewarded them. A blast ripped through the walls and ripped the ANBU apart in a shower of mutilated flesh.

The door was opened, and a girl paid the petrified ANBU a visit. The pale moonlight revealed her petite figure, her shimmering purple eyes, her terrifying grin. The princess had arrived. “Greetings, the hour is late, I am here to reclaim what is mine.”

Konosuke uttered a single thought, “Fuck.”

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