Kapitel 101: Slaughter, Conspiracy and Root
_________ POV Narration _________
Now, Minato and Kushina didn't know what to think at first.
They expected a big fight, they expected to witness a large-scale conflict, to get a taste of the war without actually being deployed in it yet.
The last thing they expected was... A one-sided slaughter.
In all fairness, all the signs were there. Since the beginning, Ken hadn't even flinched when faced with that many Shinobi.
He tore through men and women alike with ease, his hands moving so fast that blood barely even stained his fingernails. Well, they seemed more like claws now.
The opposing shinobi had tried to fight back, some using water jutsus, creating a small lake and numerous water dragons, which forced Minato to grab Kushina and jump further away.
He hadn't let go of her from the moment the terrain around them started getting destroyed, he was faster so he was able to help her dodge any stray attack.
Kushina also didn't seem to dislike it, so she didn't say anything about it, she just continued watching from the distance, while in Minato's arms.
The water dragons looked a bit intimidating to her, but they didn't even seem to phase Ken. He just ran through the powerful streams of water without any issues, without even stopping or slowing down.
The two genin also noticed the scales covering Ken's skin, he had turned into a monster completely, and his tail also started tearing through his enemies.
And when he grabbed a sword from one of the fallen shinobi?
Well, the scene became even more chaotic, as he seemed to be more skilled with a blade than with his hands.
Moonlight reflected off of his dark, jade-green, scales. He looked like a moon-bound monster, an abomination that thrived while soaked in the blood of his enemies.
But strangely, neither Minato nor Kushina felt intimidated or scared by the sight.
It was unnerving at first, sure. They weren't quite used to seeing that much blood. Although they weren't exactly strangers to death.
But at the end of the day, the person they were looking at fought to protect them. He had shown them respect, kindness.
If they were to fear him, then they truly would've been ashamed. They had found him creepy at first, but that was before they understood that he had good intentions.
Regardless, the fight was over very quickly.
Be it fire, water, earth, or lightning, nothing seemed to actually injure Ken.
The lightning seemed to be the only thing managing to slow him down slightly, but he seemed to be able to force his muscles to move even if slightly paralysed.
Even so, the shinobi didn't get the time to try their hands at more powerful Jutsu, as he was too fast for them.
The entire fight had only taken one minute, and that entire part of the forest was ruined, but Ken was the only one left standing, sighing while atop a pile of dead bodies.
His clothes were a bit wet, a bit burnt, a bit dirty. They were more like tattered rags now, but they still held up.
Ken's hair was pristine, however, not even a speck of dirt or blood on it. It also still perfectly hid his face.
It was clear from the beginning that he would win. There was never any doubt or fear in his mind, just a strange sense of... Melancholy and regret?
Did that mean he would feel bad for killing so many people from now on? Maybe. But he certainly wouldn't feel bad for killing some people.
But could he stop killing? Not really...
The entire world was still at war, despite his efforts to stop it. He was still caught in quite a bloody conflict.
'Maybe after things calm down, I'll be able to lay down and relax for a bit...'
It was a nice thought, ideal even. But as things stood, it was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Ken didn't like getting involved in the Shinobi Wars, but one couldn't avoid them when making deals with Shinobi. They were inevitable.
It was apparent that breaking the strongest alliance in the war didn't do anything to stop it as he had hoped.
So the Assassin was a bit stuck on what he could do to quell the thirst that some Shinobi leaders had for carnage and profit.
It seemed impossible really, to the point of making Ken feel dejected.
At first, he only felt bad for civilians. But now, because of Minato and Kushina, he didn't even know if he was right in thinking all Shinobi 'had it coming'.
It might've been a strange thought from him all along. Sure, some shinobi did deserve to die, as the Mist Swordsmen did.
But not everyone chose to become a shinobi with a clear and conscious mind, most shinobi were likely brainwashed by the adults around them to become like that.
'So much for peaceful ideas and not harming innocents... How does one even decide who is innocent and who isn't?'
The assassin could only shake his head and turn around towards the two Genin he fought to protect. They seemed to be staring at him in... Awe?
He hadn't expected that. He was expecting more fear, or at least something similar.
He had let out all of his frustration on the unfortunate group of Shinobi that was lying dead underneath his blood-soaked sandals.
It was certainly a gruesome scene.
Then again, Minato had killed before, and Kushina didn't seem that phased about it even then...
'I guess things will never be as simple as black and white...'
The assassin slowly stepped over the bodies and walked back to the duo, who were still observing him with stars in their eyes.
"T-that was amazing!" Kushina huffed as she was still held in Minato's princess carry.
"I'm glad the two of you enjoyed the show." Ken just sighed and gave up on trying to judge the character of the people standing in front of him.
"Show indeed, I doubt even Teacher Jirayia is that strong!" Minato also seemed impressed, the name he mentioned also made Ken turn his head towards him slowly.
"Jiraiya? The Sannin?" The assassin tilted his head as he flicked some blood from his hands on the ground.
"Yep, Teacher is pretty amazing!" Minato nodded as Kushina tapped him on the shoulder, likely finally realizing her situation and getting embarrassed.
The young man seemed to get the message and finally allowed her to stand up on her own.
Kushina patted the dust off her clothes as she looked up at Ken once more, smiling with some shyness.
"Well then, I guess this is fate... I am currently staying in the Leaf because I've commissioned him for a mission."
Minato's eyes seemed to widen once more, he scratched his chin as he tried to remember if he had been informed of such a thing.
"That's unusual... Usually, teacher is the one to choose his missions." Minato wasn't unhappy, just a bit confused from what Ken could feel.
"It is a special circumstance, I brought the Hokage a deal he couldn't quite refuse..." Ken smiled a bit as he remembered the Hokage's face when he had claimed to ruin the 'Cloud-Rock-Waterfall-Mist Alliance'.
It was an amusing reaction, even the 'small scroll'(disguised summon) on the Hokage's desk had reacted oddly.
"I see... Well, I doubt the teacher can refuse a direct request from the Hokage, and I'm sure he'd be more than glad to help you, you seem like a nice person!" Minato clapped once as his gaze wandered back to Kushina.
"Seriously. Thank you for helping us. Maybe we could have dealt with two more shinobi, but I doubt we would've been able to do much against their reinforcements..." The young man then bowed to the assassin/monster, there was no shame in showing his gratitude after all.
Kushina was startled for a moment though, before she also bowed her head. To her, it was even less shameful as he had even agreed to ask her brother to visit her faster.
"It truly wasn't a big deal. These types of fights bore me more than they inconvenience me." Ken just waved them off with one hand before crossing his arms and turning his head back towards the ruined 'battlefield' behind him.
"Besides, I don't even know if they were related... They were acting weird throughout the fight, but they weren't panicked.
They clearly didn't fear death. This will be something that the Hokage has to investigate, however, as I have no desire to find out more."
Ken ended up just shrugging and walking forward, away from the battlefield.
Kushina and Minato stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other and at the broken corpses that were strewn across the field.
The possibility of the Shinobi belonging to different factions hadn't occurred to them, they had just assumed that they were.
Granted, it was the logical assumption to make.
But Ken had a bit of extra knowledge that they weren't quite privy to...
'All the shinobi I just killed had a strange seal on their tongues... I'll tell the Hokage about it, but I don't recall any organization that is known to do that.'
Granted, it was difficult to find public information about hidden Shinobi organizations. Even the Anbu were filled with secrets.
But Ken had been around plenty of Anbu, and he hadn't felt that seal on any of them. If he had, then he would've recognized it.
He could guess its purposes, and he'd probably even be correct about a few guesses, but without actually studying it closely he wouldn't be able to find its actual functions.
'Unfortunately, my involvement in this matter will have to end here... The seal seems to disappear upon death, so there's nothing to study in this group anyway.'
As he was pondering those things, Minato and Kushina started following his steps.
They walked behind him, looking at his long ponytail which swayed in the wind, and at his wide back.
They proceeded to ask the assassin a few more questions. Some the Assassin answered honestly, some he kept vague.
He didn't outright give his identity to the two children. But he was sure they'd learn about it regardless.
Neither boy nor girl was upset about the man avoiding answering their questions fully. They were still very thankful for his help.
Eventually, the three of them returned to the village, going directly to the front gate, where panicked shinobi greeted them.
Well, they greeted Minato and Kushina, quickly taking them into the village and to the hospital to run a few checks on her.
They were clearly concerned that the kidnappers had done something to the Jinchuriki, at least that was how Ken saw it. But he knew everything was fine with her, so he had no reason to worry.
Now, what about him?
Well, he was treated about as well as any foreigner in a hidden village during war times was treated.
At first, he was suspected of plotting something. A few Anbu even suggested he be incarcerated and interrogated by their top torturer, they were also odd...
As in, Ken could feel the same seal on them. In the first place, the seal could be felt because it affected how one's chakra moved inside their body to a minimal extent.
The seal itself was well hidden, Ken couldn't properly sense it unless the target's mouth was open and uncovered.
He had the opportunity of making some of the shinobi he fought scream in pain after breaking their masks, so he was able to notice the seal.
With the Anbu he met now, he could only say they felt similar and speculate at best. Regardless, something foul and shady was going on, and Ken wanted to have nothing to do with it, at least not yet.
So, the assassin kindly refused the incarceration suggestion, telling them to fuck off and take him to the Hoakge.
He also dispelled his clone which was still lounging about in his temporary residence there. And identified himself by taking out his mask from his wrist and putting it on.
The Shinbi were a bit flabbergasted when seeing a stranger claim to be one of the most powerful assassins alive, but there was someone there to vouch for him.
And it was surprisingly... The young leader of the Uchiha?
"All of you, retreat for now, I'll make sure to take him to meet the Hokage." Fugaku huffed as he told off the gate guards and shinobi that had gathered.
They had no other choice but to listen to the leader of the Military Police force. Even the Anbu backed off.
Fugaku sighed as he proceeded to look back at the Assassin, shaking his head a bit.
"I don't know what you did, but you seem to have caught the attention of the Root... It's better if we meet up with the Hokage, I'll ask him to stop whatever else he has been doing."
Ken was a bit surprised to receive the man's help, but it was clearly a matter of great importance.
The assassin also somewhat understood that the Root was some sort of organization within the leaf.
'This is looking shadier than I thought...'
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Hope you liked the chapter!
Sorry for the hassle again, I'm only getting to write really late in the night as of late due to extra work. I gotta go to sleep soon cuz I'm kinda tired
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