YAWN!
Kuro opened his eyes as he let out a long yawn. Looking around, he found Lady Mito sleeping on a chair. He could see the exhaustion in her closed eyes.
'What happened that made even this hulk of an old woman tired and exhausted?' Kuro thought to himself.
Not wanting to get clobbered by Mito, Kuro made his way out of the villa. He stepped outside as the cool evening breeze brushed against his face. He watched the fading orange glow of the sunset, slowly giving way to the dark purple sky.
Kuro looks at the sky with nostalgia. 'It has been more than a year and a half since I arrived in the Shinobi world. I wonder how long this peace will last.'
Kuro knows that the shinobi world was bloody with small skirmishes to large world wars.
The Shadow Bird flew over with a chirp and rested on his shoulder. Kuro has the shadow bird keep an eye out on the surroundings while he is training in the villa. While on lookout, it has been hunting small bugs and insects as its level increases to level 6.
With the bird on his shoulder, Kuro made his way back toward the Nara compound.
After walking far away from the villa, a sudden notification halted Kuro step.
Tti-ring!
[Emergency Quest: Survive]
Kuro instinctively looked around as the Shadow Bird feathers twitched in warning, its eyes scanning the environment, sensing something amiss in the air.
"What the hell is this about?" Kuro muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. He didn't have time to waste. He needed answers, and he needed them fast.
Before he could process his next move, the Shadow Bird suddenly fluttered its wings and let out a sharp chirp, pointing its beak in a direction of the forest.
Kuro summons his katana as he grips the handle, preparing to counter anything that may jump at him.
He is quite a distance from the villa and the village. He decided to hold his ground and be prepared than to show his back to a dangerous enemy.
He could feel the training coming into play. Instead of panicking at the sign of danger, he was calm and collected.
Then there was a flicker.
Kuro brought the katana over his face on reflex. The next second, a kunai hit the blade and created sparks.
"TSK" Kuro heard someone click their tongue.
The Shadow Bird let out a chirp, its sharp gaze locked onto the forest, but there was no sign of the attacker yet.
"Who's there?" Kuro called out, his voice steady, betraying no hint of fear. He knew this wasn't a random strike. Whoever was out there had been waiting for the right moment.
Another rustle in the trees. A shadow flickered across the ground, moving with fluid precision. Kuro's katana gleamed faintly under the light of the setting sun, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Then, a voice came from the darkness. Cold, almost mocking.
"You're quick," the voice said, barely above a whisper. "But that won't save you."
Kuro didn't hesitate. He followed the sound of the voice and quickly sprang into action, dashing to the side and crouching low, expecting an ambush. His katana sliced through the air in a calculated arc.
The Shadow Bird took to the air, its wings cutting through the air, circling high above. Its keen eyes searched for any sign of movement, ready to alert Kuro the moment something shifted.
A flash of movement caught Kuro's attention—a silhouette darted from behind a tree, too fast for the eye to follow. He reacted instinctively, slashing downward with his katana in a wide arc. There was a dull thunk as his blade met something solid, but not the target he expected.
The figure had vanished once again, leaving only the faintest whisper of movement. Kuro's breath came steady, his mind focused. He knew this wasn't just some random rogue shinobi. This was someone with skill.
"Come out," Kuro said, his voice lowered this time. "I'm not interested in playing games."
A chuckle echoed in the surrounding. "You think you're ready for this, kid? You haven't seen anything yet."
And just like that, the figure lunged from a tree, faster than Kuro could react.
Kuro's instincts kicked in, but the figure was too fast. The air seemed to bend around them as they closed the distance in a heartbeat. Without a second to spare, Kuro twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the oncoming strike.
The figure's fist grazed past his shoulder, but their sheer speed forced Kuro to stagger back, his feet sliding across the forest floor.
In that split second of vulnerability, the figure pressed their advantage, drawing a long blade from their side. The weapon gleamed in the dim light, the steel moving with an almost fluid grace as it swung toward Kuro's chest. But Kuro was already in motion, his katana raised to intercept.
The clash of metal rang out through the night air, the force of the strike pushing Kuro back. His boots dug into the ground, and his muscles screamed with the effort of holding his ground against the relentless assault. The attacker was relentless, their speed and precision pushing Kuro to his limits.
"You're faster than I thought," Kuro grunted, barely able to keep his katana steady against the overwhelming force. "But speed alone won't win this fight."
The figure didn't respond with words. Instead, they twisted their blade, aiming for Kuro's side with deadly intent.
The attack was swift, but Kuro managed to twist his body, using his katana to deflect the blow and redirect it into the earth. A flash of movement caught his eye—the Shadow Bird diving toward the figure from above, its talons extended.
The attacker, however, was too skilled. They twisted mid-air, avoiding the bird's talons by mere inches, and killing the bird with a swipe of their blade..
Kuro took that moment to fire a few Shadow Bullets at the figure, catching it off guard. It was the skill Kuro developed over the last 3 months of training. It even impressed Lady Mito.
Kuro's fingers tightened around his katana's hilt, a burst of energy surging through his body as he formed the hand seals with practiced speed. He didn't hesitate for a moment. From the shadows, a series of small, sharp energy bullets shot toward the figure, crackling with dark energy.
The figure was quick to react, but not quick enough. One of the Shadow Bullets grazed their arm, leaving a faint scorch mark on their clothing. The figure staggered back, momentarily off-balance, a look of surprise flashing across their face.
Using the opening, Kuro finally distributed some of his build up stat points. 'Guess it is finally time.'
'Add 50 each to all of my stats.' Kuro willed the system.
Tti-ring!
[50 points have been added to each of your stats.]
***
[Stat]
Strength: 89
Stamina: 92
Agility: 100
Intelligence: 158
Perception: 98
(Available points to distribute: 251)
***
Kuro felt the surge of power from his newly distributed stat points, his senses now amplified beyond the limits of a normal shinobi.
As the figure recoiled from the grazed Shadow Bullet, Kuro made his move. He didn't wait for the figure to regain composure, not when he had the upper hand.
"Time to finish this."
With a thought, Kuro activated Dash—his body shot forward in a burst of speed, the world blurring around him as he closed the gap between himself and the enemy in an instant.
The figure barely had time to react as Kuro's foot struck the ground, propelling him further into the fray. He was on them before they could even attempt to retreat.
The figure tried to dodge, but Kuro was faster. His Night Vision kicked in, and the darkening forest around him appeared in sharper detail. He could see the figure's every twitch, every muscle shift. He wasn't about to let them escape.
Kuro flicked his wrist, sending a barrage of Shadow Bullets toward the figure's side. They barely managed to dodge one, but the others hit their mark. The figure's sleeve tore, revealing a faint scorch mark where the bullets had struck, but they didn't stop. Instead, the figure immediately turns into a log.
Kuro smirked. He'd seen this move before.
He took a steady breath, drawing upon his Stealth, allowing his movements to blend seamlessly with the environment. He became a part of the darkness, his body moving with silence. The moment the figure moved, Kuro was already behind them.
Using Shadow Step, Kuro reappeared directly in front of the figure with no sound, no warning. They whirled around, too slow to react to the sudden shift in position. His max level Analyze allowed him to see every weak point in their stance, every vulnerable opening in their defense.
Before the figure could even strike, Kuro's katana flashed forward, empowered by his Ethereal Strike, cutting through the air with an unnatural swiftness and power. The blade moved through their guard as if it was a phantom strike, bypassing their defenses and leaving a clean gash across their midsection.
The figure staggered back, eyes wide, disbelief flashing across their face. But Kuro didn't give them time to recover. He closed the distance in another instant, his movements fluid and precise.
They tried to vanish again, but Kuro was already tracking them. The Ruler's Authority surged within Kuro, controlling the clothes of the figure for just a fraction of a second—a fraction of a second that Kuro capitalized on.
Kuro's katana darted out once more, enhanced with a deep pulse of shadow. The figure attempted to block, but the attack was too much. The katana sliced through their weapon, shattering it on impact, and then continued its path, leaving a deep wound across the figure's torso.
The figure let out a grunt of pain, retreating once again, but this time they were struggling, their movements slower, more labored.
Kuro stepped forward, watching them with a cold gaze, his breathing steady despite the intensity of the battle. "You've been running long enough."
The figure hesitated for a split second, eyeing Kuro, their body preparing for one final attempt at escape. But Kuro wasn't giving them that luxury.
With a final burst of speed from Dash, Kuro closed the distance. His Ethereal Strike flicked through the air again, consuming the last of the figure's strength and leaving them no place to hide.
The figure's chest heaved with ragged breaths, blood pooling beneath them as they tried to crawl away. Kuro's katana hovered inches above their throat, the dark energy crackling along the blade, ready to end it all. But he held back, a flicker of curiosity sparking in his mind.
Kuro resummoned the Shadow Bird and asks it to scout the surroundings.
Kuro's gaze remained fixed on the figure, his voice calm but tinged with cold menace. "Before you go to the afterlife, can you tell me why you attacked me?"
The figure's eyes flickered, pain and defiance still lingering despite their weakened state. A bloodied cough rattled through their chest, and they struggled to speak, their voice barely above a whisper.
"You... you're not the target..." they gasped. "The girl… was the target. You were supposed to be a bait to lure the old lady out."
"What girl?" Kuro's heart skipped a beat at the figure's words. "I don't know what girl you are talking about but the old lady is probably Lady Mito I presume."
"Hahahaha! Cough! Cough!" The figure laughed. "I thought you were an easy prey. Looks like…"
The figure went silent, unable to finish their world.
Tti-ring!
[You've completed 'Emergency Quest: Survive'.]
[Completion rewards have arrived.]
[Would you like to confirm?] (Y/N)
Kuro disregarded the system prompt as he stood over the fallen figure, his heart pounding in his chest. 'The girl... was the target. I was just bait to lure out Lady Mito.' The realization made his blood run cold.
Kuro sighed and glanced back at the system prompt that still hovered in front of him.
With a nod to himself, Kuro confirmed the quest rewards. The notification flashed brightly.
[Emergency Quest: 'Survive' Completed.]
[Rewards: ]
+1 Tower of Heavens Key
Kuro looked at the reward before his gaze went back to the body of the figure that was now oozing in black mist.
[It is possible to perform Shadow Extraction on the selected target.]
[It is possible to perform Shadow Devour on the selected target.]