Kapitel 13: Chapter 13 Aftermath

Approaching the land of rain, kakuzu walked slowly while holding his chest.

Truth be told, Kakuzu didn't even want to kill Riku. The bounty said dead or alive and he would've preferred to not kill a child.

Kakuzu isn't necessarily evil, he does what he does for money. The sole purpose of greed, which in itself is an evil; but he has a code. He doesn't just kill to kill, he kills for money. As does any other shinobi in the end, they get paid to go out and kill targets.

So to be honest, Kakuzu could've easily killed Riku, but he wanted the kid to have a chance at least. And so his guard was down, he didn't expect his summon to be so powerful and for underestimating his summon, he paid the price.

…

A little while later, he was face to face with Pain and Konan; who had learnt of Kakuzu's loss but not in full detail.

"What happened, Kakuzu." Konan inquired, she was disappointed that Kakuzu had lost a fight; but the idea of a shinobi capable of defeating Kakuzu sparked a light of desire whithin her.

"I was defeated by someone I had taken the bounty for, or well, I was defeated by his summon." Kakuzu replied shamefully, he didn't want the fact he was defeated by a child to be public news so he'd stick to saying it was the summon who defeated him.

"Hmm?" Pain hummed while looking at Kakuzu with discerning eyes, "His summon? And who was he?" Pain asked, a hint of impatience in all powerful eyes.

"He was… he was a child." Kakuzu stumbled over his words due to the embarrassment of losing to a someone so young.

"A… child?" Konan looked at Kakuzu dumbfoundedly while pain massaged his temples 'He lost to a child?' Pain thought.

"His name?" Pain asked with a sigh, he couldn't be bothered with such a pathetic situation.

"I don't know, but I know his last name is Kuroshiro. Here is his information in the bingo book I took." Kakuzu said with some thought before handing the bounty poster to the pair.

Konans eyes went cold as she looked at Kakuzu dead in the eye, 'He tried to kill such an adorable little kid?' Konan thought, some of her bloodlust even seeping through.

Konan wasn't necessarily evil, her goals just didn't align with what the world saw as good and so she was classed as evil. But the truth was she still had a heart and she was very soft towards children and seeing Kakuzu tried to kill someone so young, and for what? Some money?

On the other hand

Pain looked at the paper with furrowed brows, '40 anbu? At eight years old? And wait, a Jinchuriki? How could this be… all 9 of the Jinchuriki have all been located so how could this be? And yinyang kekkei genkai? What the hell…' Pain thought with squinted eyes, this news was definitely interesting to say the least, such a young child being capable of even defeating Kakuzu and 40 anbu at just 8 years old was definitely nothing to just look past.

"Describe the battle, in full detail." Pain ordered with a nonchalant gaze yet it was enough to make Kakuzu falter and so, the battle between Kakuzu and Riku was described to the pair.

…

'Such swordsmanship?' Pain had a hard time believing such a story, he didn't think something as meagre as swordsmanship could've had such a large role in the battle.

And all Konan could think about was somehow bringing the child to their side, but the fact he was a potential Jinchuriki was an issue. She would need to meet this kid in order to determine what they would do.

Kakuzu continued the telling of the battle, he spoke of how Riku's summon easily dealt with one of his masks, which only increased Konans intrigue.

After learning the whole story, the only thing both Pain and Konan could think about was 'How could such a child just appear out of nowhere, under no guidance of one of the hidden villages nor even a mentor, just a no name kid from a no name clan from the middle of nowhere.' They thought.

"What about him being a Jinchuriki? Was that information true?" Pain finally asked, his gaze cold and as nonchalant as ever. "I think so. I could sense two chakra sources coming from him, one much larger and more violent, reminiscent of a tailed beast." Kakuzu replied, his embarrassment forgotten as he replied with newfound confidence in his information gathering capabilities.

'Interesting.' Pain thought, his anger at Kakuzu also faded due to this new information as he beckoned for Zetsu to enter his office, to which the man with the Venus flytrap like thing covering his body entered.

"I'd like you to keep an eye on the child." Pain ordered. He knew this was lightwork for Zetsu, however to his surprise, Zetsu replied "I don't have a clue where he is. After the battle, his summon placed him on his back and was about to reverse summon, when the Jinchuriki for the seven tails, Fū, ran at the duo with a rusty sword crying. But before she could attack, the child and his summon had successfully reverse summoned somewhere unknown to me, along with the Jinchuriki of the seven tails." Zetsu said with a chuckle.

But despite his jolly words, Pain, Konan and Kakuzu alike were all shocked at the news, none of them had imagined that the kid would have some relation to the Jinchuriki of the seven tails.

"What is his relation to the Jinchuriki of Chōmei?" Pain asked, standing up from his chair with utter shock. Not only was the kid a potential Jinchuriki himself, but he could have ties to one of the 9 other Jinchuriki.

However, Zetsu just shrugged "dunno, but she seemed pretty upset the kid was hurt." Zetsu said with slight amusement in his voice.

Pain returned to his once nonchalant expression as he returned to being seated before asking "Do your best to gather more information." Pain ordered with a cough of embarrassment.

…

In the Kumarai territory which was located within the land of rivers, inside of Nariko's abode lay two children on the floor of his home.

One was feminine in appearance but was certainly male. He had long black and white hair that coalesced with his fair skin, his face was circular but his jawline was strong which added some masculinity to his feminine features. He has long eyelashes that along with his small nose and plump, pouty lips that all further added to his feminine charm. But despite his feminine face, his body had defined muscles that weren't built in a gym, but built over the months of hunting and building. This along with his taller stature for a child added to his clear masculinity which contrasted nicely to his feminine face.

And the other was masculine in appearance yet clearly female. She had shoulder length mint green hair being held up with an orange hairclip that synergised nicely with her tan skin. She has a strong jaw, well-defined facial bones, and an overall somewhat masculine look that speaks to strength and resilience but her long eyelashes and petite nose betray her masculine appearance. Her body, however, becomes softer and more feminine in nature with its softer curves and her graceful petite silhouette.

The pair was Riku and Fū, one was the Jinchuriki of Kokuenryū, an elder dragon of black and white flame. Who was brought here willingly and with purpose, and the other was the Jinchuriki of Chōmei, one of the 9 tailed beasts. Who was brought here unwillingly and on accident.

Nariko had been forced to knock Fū out due to her outburst, but here he stood looking down at the pair while holding his chin. He didn't know what to do.

Not only had he let Riku get in harms way, he had also brought some random kid to their territory, and now that he had knocked her out, he couldn't just leave her outside their territory since she seemed like she was close with Riku, who he thought of as someone pretty close to him.

Placing the pair onto a comfier surface, Nariko left his quarters.

…

Within Riku's mind, there was a battlefield.

On the battlefield was a large man. His long scruffy dark brown hair and his almost orange hazel eyes matched the ground and sky perfectly. The bright orange full moon hung in the sky behind the man, its colour matched his eyes and the dirt ground matched his hair.

In his hand was a larger variation of a Ninjato, its blade was glowing with a pale orange and followed the man as he slowly walked towards his opponent, an equally as large man with black hair and blue eyes. He was the prince of the Glacier kingdom, Lawrence Glacier, the enemy of the kingdom Ren belonged to, and so, the man before him was an enemy.

In the heart of a desolate battlefield, where moonlight casts an eery glow upon the scarred earth, the two figures facing each other. The air is thick with tension, with a silent promise of the clash to come. Ren Arden stood, his scarred body showed traces of numerous battles. He was a magic swordsman with the mysterious power of lunar magic. Standing opposite him was Lawrence Glacier, with all the bearing of a man produced from the furthest reaches of the north. He was known throughout the world as a white wolf, a prince of Glacier Kingdom, and was regarded as invincible under the heavens with a sword.

It was a desolate, open area of battlefield with broken rocks and a minimum amount of foliage. The moon was low in the sky, casting that surreal, golden light upon the scene. The silence was deep, disturbed only by the faraway howl of the wind. Neither Ren nor Lawrence said anything; their eyes locked in understanding, knowing full well this was a fight to the end.

Ren's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, which seemed to carry with it the essence of the moon. Its blade shimmered, thinly coated with an ethereal golden light that was a sign of his magic. Lawrence, in turn, held a huge broadsword that's steel reflected the pale moon with a cold, unyielding gleam. He was a master swordsman, his art perfected through long, heavy training and countless battles.

The two warriors circled each other, movements deliberate and measured. The earth beneath their feet seemed to shudder with anticipation-the ground itself seeming to know of the monumental clash to come. Ren's eyes flashed with a soft lacing of light, signaling that the magic of the moon within him was stirred and ready to be let out.

The battle started without warning. Lawrence leaped forward in an attempt to slash the air with his broadsword, his cut reaching through with deadly precision. Ren countered with a quick parry, his blade flashing in a smooth, liquid motion, the result of which belied his muscular build. The clash of steel upon steel rent the air-a sharp, ringing blow that echoed across the battlefield.

The two men moved in incredible, almost inhumanly swift speed, agile, with their blur-of-motion swords facing each other in strike and counterstrike, each thrust well-parried. The air was filled with the sound of clashing metal-a symphony of violence that spoke volumes about their skills and determination.

The subtlety of Ren's magic turned the phases of the moon into an equally insubstantial enhancement of his reflexes: an uncanny awareness of his surroundings. He seemed to move in ways that broke all laws of physics, as if his body had become an extension of his will. As for Lawrence, he did not have any magic to make use of, but he had his own prowess: his strength was colossal; strong enough to cleave through the toughest of materials in one strike.

The fight didn't stop there, the endless waltz of death dragging along and seemingly never wanting to stop. Both men had battle scars on their bodies, which were lacerated and bruised, but neither would let up; each man equally resolved.

Ren's eyes shone bright as he called upon all of his magic. The moon above seemed to respond to his call, shining brighter, casting long shadows across the battlefield. Surging with power, Ren launched his attack: a devastating strike, with a blade that cut the air so fast it was almost imperceptible.

Lawrence met the blow head-on, his broadsword raised desperately to block. The impact was cataclysmic, a shockwave of energy that seemed to ripple through the air, sending both men staggering backward. For a moment, the battlefield lay silent; only the ragged breathing of the two combatants filled the stillness.

"Arden Swordsmanship : 1st page, Crescent Arc." A simple slash, easily parried.

"Arden Swordsmanship : 2nd page, Rising Moon." A simple upwards slash, easily blocked.

Lawrence tried to counterattack, bringing his large broadsword down with a hefty swing.

"Arden Swordsmanship : 3rd page, Celestial Counter." Ren's sword parried the strike, and then slashed open Lawrence's abdomen.

"Arden Swordsmanship : 4th page, Orbit." Instantly, Ren disappeared and reappeared behind Lawrence before slashing once more, severing Lawrence's spinal cord.

But Ren was not done. With one last, decisive strike, he let the blade fall with all the strength of his fury upon Lawrence, as if from the moon itself. The blade cleaved the air in a flash of blinding brightness, its edge falling unerringly upon its mark.

"Arden Swordsmanship, Ren Style Lunar Magic : page 13, Waning Crescent."

*NEEEOOOOWWWMMMM*

A large pale golden light erupted from Ren's blade. One singular slice projection was sent flying into the distance, going through mountain and mountain.

Before…

*SLASH*

One slash. Lawrence was sliced in two, completely incinerated as well as every mountain as far as the eye can see was also split in half by Ren's blade.

The battle was over. Ren Arden, the war slave and bastard child of the Arden dukedom risen to be a magic swordsman, stood victorious. The moon above him, like a ghostly galleon, shone its pale golden light upon the battlefield-a silent witness to the epic clash that bad unfolded beneath its watchful gaze.

Ren faced away from his downed opponent, his face expressionless. Scars on his person were testament to innumerable battles he had fought, each one a scar reminder of the life he has taken up. As he took himself away from the battlefield, the wind whispered its way through the air, carrying with it murmurs of a battle that would be noted by history for generations.