The scent of blood lingered in the air like a twisted perfume, mingling with the smouldering remains of Aokage Village. The bodies of warriors, elders, and innocents lay strewn across the once-sacred grounds, their lifeless eyes reflecting the moon's cold glow. This place—this wretched village that had bound me in chains of weakness—was finally silent.
I walked forward with measured steps, each one a whisper of finality, my cloak of shadows billowing behind me. The village head's house stood untouched amidst the carnage, waiting like an altar for the final offering. My reward lay within—the secret scroll of Aokage, the key to the forbidden path. Immortality. Power beyond comprehension.
But before I could reach the door, the sharp whistle of steel cutting through air reached my ears.
Pathetic.
Without turning, I extended a hand, and the shadows obeyed, rising like sentient beasts to shield me. The katana meant for my back was knocked aside with a force that sent it spinning through the air, clattering onto the blood-soaked ground.
A voice, dripping with rage and betrayal, shattered the night.
"SUO!"
I turned slowly, my crimson-stained gaze locking onto them—Rozu, Hana, and Kaya. They stood amidst the ruins of our childhood, the fire behind them illuminating their expressions of disbelief, fury, and sorrow.
Rozu's grip on his sword was tight enough to draw blood from his palm. His body trembled, not from fear, but from the weight of the truth settling in. "You… You really did it…" His voice wavered, yet there was a sharpness to it, like a blade poised to strike. "You slaughtered them all."
Kaya's face twisted in disgust. The warmth she once held for me was gone, replaced by a loathing that burned through her glare. "You're not even human anymore." Her voice dripped with venom. "You're a monster."
I tilted my head, a slow, calculated smile stretching across my lips. "Am I?" My voice was silk, smooth and deadly. "Or have I simply become what I was always meant to be?"
Only Hana stepped forward, her hands trembling at her sides. She did not draw her weapon. She did not glare at me with hatred like the others. No, her eyes—those sorrowful, desperate eyes—sought something else.
"Why?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet it cut through the night like a dagger. "Why did you do this, Suo? What happened to our promise?"
A promise…
A bitter laugh escaped my lips, low and dark. "A promise?" I echoed mockingly. "Tell me, Hana, what is the worth of a promise made by weaklings?"
Her lips parted, her breath hitching. "We were supposed to be together. All of us." Her voice cracked. "We swore to grow stronger—together!"
I took a slow step toward her, my smile never fading. "Together?" I mused. "Tell me, Hana… when was I ever truly with you?"
Her brows furrowed in confusion, but I continued, my tone growing colder.
"I was always behind Rozu, wasn't I?" My eyes flickered toward him, watching as his grip tightened around his swords. "Always in his shadow, always ignored, always cast aside." I exhaled, my amusement curling in my voice. "The great Rozu, the prodigy. The one everyone admired. The one you—" I looked at Hana "—always looked at first."
She flinched, shaking her head violently. "That's not true! You were never behind anyone!"
"Bull shit!!!!" I snapped, "I did my very best, every single day without giving up, hoping for everyone to recognise me for who I am!" I turned toward Hana, "for you to look at me, to realise why I was working so hard."
I let out a sigh, deep and hollow. "And yet, no one saw me. Not even you, Hana!!!" I placed a hand on my chest, my voice dipping into something almost melodic, a mockery of sadness. "Tell me, Hana, what is the worth of bonds that only serve to suffocate?"
I lashed out looking towards the night sky, "I hereby reject these needless bonds."
Hana's eyes welled with tears, her fingers twitching, desperate to reach out, but she hesitated. Foolish girl.
Kaya sneered, stepping between us. "You're nothing but a jealous coward," she spat. "Is that why you butchered them? Because you were too weak to accept reality?"
My laughter rang through the burning village, a sound devoid of warmth. "Weak?" I repeated, tilting my head. "Tell me, Kaya, do the dead call me weak?"
Her face twisted with revulsion. "They would call you a traitor."
I sighed, shaking my head in mock disappointment. "Such harsh words." Then, with a smirk, I added, "Not that their opinions matter anymore. They're nothing but corpses now."
Rozu took a step forward, placing a steadying hand on Hana's shoulder before turning his gaze back to me. "You could've walked a different path, Suo." His voice was filled with unyielding resolve. "You didn't have to do this."
I arched a brow. "Didn't I?" I spread my arms, gesturing to the carnage around us. "This is where I belong."
I took a deep breath, the scent of blood intoxicating, and hummed softly:
"The lone wolf who loves blood,
Bathes in crimson under the moonlit flood.
Fangs bared, he shreds through bone,
In death's embrace, he walks alone."
A choked sob escaped Hana's lips, her body trembling. "You… You're not Suo," she whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it true. "Not the Suo I knew."
I chuckled, tilting my head. "Then perhaps the Suo you knew never truly existed."
Kaya clenched her fists, her entire body trembling. "You bastard…"
Rozu exhaled sharply, eyes burning with finality. "Then there's nothing left to say." He unsheathed both swords, their gleaming edges catching the fire's glow. "I'll put an end to this."
The weight of those words sent a thrill down my spine.
"Yes…" I breathed, lowering into a crouch, my fingers curling around my weapons. "It's time to sever the last ties to my heart…" My voice dropped into a whisper, a vow to the darkness itself. "…and become a true demon."
Then, with a burst of inhuman speed, I lunged forward, ready to carve apart the last remnants of my past. And become "Mashin no shinobi