The Sarutobi Ninja Scrolls “““Whooooa!””” Winter was around the corner, and the new-moon night was really getting chilly. However, the air inside the traveling performers’ tent in a park in Drachen’s commoners’ district was practically sizzling with excitement. “Damn, how long’s this troupe had that cutie?” “What kind of diet does she use to keep her skin so smooth?” “She’s got a great rack, but her body’s all sorts of toned, too. I-I’m into it!” Drachen’s commoner laborers were cheering. Work had finished for the day, so they were treating themselves to an acrobatics show while guzzling beer. Drachen was a major hub for the performing arts, so shows like this one were common. The crowd was unusually excited today, however. The reason for their fervor stood at the center of the tent. The spectators’ eyes were bloodshot from how intently they stared. The alluring girl twirling her body in front of the tent’s support post was just that beautiful. Although she was on the shorter side, she was plump in all the right places, and the contrast between her peach-blond hair and her tanned skin only made her more radiant. Her outfit was adorned with jewels and had only barely enough fabric to count as clothing. If she shifted even slightly, you could see under her skirt. It was designed precisely with that in mind, actually. Clad in the lascivious outfit, the performer bounced her disproportionately large breasts in time with the music, then turned her crotch toward the audience and suggestively opened her legs wide and swayed her hips. Her risqué dance hit the male laborers right in the libido, and they got fired up like never before. The crowd grew so large that it couldn’t be contained in the tent. The girl proved so attractive and deft at captivating the audience that she had to be the troupe’s main dancer… …but she wasn’t. She wasn’t part of the troupe at all. Although the girl’s skin was bronzed a shade darker, she was undoubtedly Shinobu Sarutobi, prodigy journalist. “Hey, she just winked at me!” “What’re you on about, dumbass?! She was obviously winking at me!” “You wanna go, big guy?!” Obviously, Shinobu hadn’t come just to pole dance. She was here to retrieve a wayward teammate, Masato Sanada, and his apprentice, Roo. That was easier said than done, as Freyjagard was trying to forestall any move the Prodigies might make. Helping free Yamato had made Neuro an outright enemy, and war had already begun. Security checkpoints leading to Drachen, the enemy capital, were strict. Shinobu was skilled enough to find a way around them, but their sheer number would have made that a huge amount of work. It also would’ve required a lot of time, and detours always carried their own risks. Ultimately, Shinobu elected to brazenly stroll through the checkpoints. She’d joined with a caravan that already had permission to enter Drachen and blended in as one of its members. Facial recognition software was centuries away on this world, and the troupe’s members weren’t going to expose Shinobu and risk delaying their own journey. Shinobu’s plan worked like a charm. She moved deep into enemy territory—all the way to the commoners’ district on the outer edge of Drachen, no less—and all without a fight. Masato was in Drachen’s imperial castle. His phone was turned off, but Ringo had modded the Prodigies’ mobile devices to ping her satellite with their current locations every so often as long as they had a charge, so at least Shinobu knew where he was. The only obstacles were the two fortress walls separating the commoners’ district, the nobles’ district, and the castle. Both of the structures were impressively tall, but Shinobu could scale a building with only the tiniest handholds. Even rust was enough for her to grip. She’d be over the walls in no time. However, it was too early in the evening. Commoners were still awake drinking. There were too many watchful eyes for her to try anything. She’d have to wait until the city was asleep. Until then… …I gotta make sure I really get things popping in here—to make it up to the girl I replaced, if nothing else. “““What…?!””” Not a moment later, a different kind of stir ran through the hyped-up audience. The people looked aghast. Shinobu had been moving to show off her body’s curves, but now her movements were quicker. She shifted from pole dancing to raw feats of athleticism. “Damn, how’s she moving like that?!” “That upper-body strength is nuts!” “I can’t believe what I’m seeing…” With one hand clamped on the tent’s support pole, Shinobu took a stroll in midair as casually as she might walk on the ground. Then she coiled her legs around the pole and twirled at an incredible pace. To top it all off, she held her whole body out like a flag. On Earth, pole dancing was strongly associated with strip shows, but it originated from a wrestling-based form of gymnastics called Mallakhamba. The grueling exercise explored the limits of the human body using a single pole. It required immense strength, even from a ninja. Sweat beaded on Shinobu’s beautifully outstretched legs and proudly displayed breasts. The droplets glistened in the light of the tent’s bonfires. However… “““………””” …none cheered as they had previously. The men still watched Shinobu, but the lust had faded from their eyes. They waited with bated breath for her to finish the performance. Rather than fervor and enthusiasm, there was tense silence, which persisted until Shinobu spun her way down from the very top of the pole. She concluded her show by landing soundlessly upon the ground with her legs in a perfect 180-degree split. “““WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!””” The audience offered an earsplitting round of applause. “That was INCREDIBLE! You’re somethin’ else, Shino!” “That last part! Whew! I couldn’t tear my eyes away!” “I watched so hard, I accidentally sobered up! I’ll take another round!” Erotic dancing existed as a way for apprentice acrobats to get crowds excited despite lacking the perfected skills of a master. Seeing a show begin that way and then become something much more was a huge surprise. Shinobu’s performance earned the most excitement of any that night. The crowd cheered even harder when she waved and smiled. The booze practically sold itself. Shinobu’s work for the troupe she’d infiltrated ended as a rousing success. “All right, everyone, that’s a wrap!” “““Cheers!””” Once the audience cleared out of the park, the troupe members celebrated the show’s completion. Shinobu took part as well, of course. She emptied her wooden tankard of ale in a single swig… “Whew! That hits the spot after a hard day’s work!” “I gotta say, Shino, you really saved our butts today.” “No kiddin’. When our dancer went missing out of nowhere, we had no idea what we were gonna do tonight. Who’d’ve thought a bona fide virtuoso like you would show up and agree to fill in? I guess we’ve still got a bit of luck left.” …and the troupe leader and his wife thanked her from their seats beside her. Shinobu was behind the apprentice dancer’s disappearance, but the couple had no way of knowing that. It was only natural for them to be so grateful to the disguised Shinobu, who’d approached the troupe claiming she wished to join the world of performing arts. The journalist ninja smiled without the tiniest bit of guilt. “Ha-ha-ha. Please, I’m no virtuoso. Just a girl from the countryside with big dreams of being a dancer.” “Nah, Shino, you’re something else. That pole dancing of yours was in a league all its own.” “Those geezers were giving you some of the sleaziest looks I’ve ever seen, but for those last bits, they were so captured by your performance that sex was the furthest thing from their minds.” “Hey, lemme check out your arm for a sec. I wanna see how ripped someone has to get to hold their whole body up the way you did.” “Whaaat? C’mon, I’m no muscle head.” “Yeah, yeah, we’ll see about— Wait, it’s so thin!” “No way. How did you swing around so freely when your limbs are that dainty?” “See, the trick there is you gotta kind of use your whooole body,” Shinobu explained. Before she knew it, the entire troupe was gathered around her. It was the first time any of them saw a trick like that, and they peppered her with questions about how much she worked out and gawked in astonishment at her slender arms. If anything, Shinobu’s arms were skinnier than those of the average girl on the street. However, just beneath the skin was a layer of the most pliable muscle around. The Sarutobis had been a ninja clan for generations, and they’d developed a training regime that focused on muscle quality instead of mass. Beauty was an important weapon in the kunoichi arsenal, so it had to be preserved. Shinobu had used that training to its utmost and cultivated a body that, much like a leopard’s, appeared lithe at first glance but was rich with unseen power. It was the perfect ninja build. On top of that, Shinobu’s martial arts enabled her to augment her physical abilities in all sorts of other ways. She could support her body with her bones instead of her muscles or use centrifugal force to counteract some of her weight. With all those factors combined, an unrehearsed dance was child’s play. None of it would’ve been possible if she wasn’t a genius hailed the world over as a prodigy, though. Understanding Shinobu’s techniques was one thing, but replicating them was impossible. The troupe leader must have realized that, for he donned his business face. “Shino, what do you say to becoming a permanent member?” He couldn’t let talent like hers get away. The offer was the rational choice for a troupe leader, and all his members voiced their approval. “Good call, boss! C’mon, Shino, we’d love to have you!” “With you as our main dancer, the sky would be the limit. We might even get shows in the nobles’ district! At least think it over, okay?” However, Shinobu gave them an apologetic reply… “Oh man, that’s so kind of you to offer. But I can’t. I want to see if I can join Luvirche and really put my skills to the test.” …and fed them the same lie she’d used to join with the group in the first place. The troupe members all slumped. “Yeah, that figures.” “If Luvirche’s on the table…then I guess we can’t stop you.” Luvirche was one of the biggest performing companies in the empire. Its theatrical focus differed a bit from this troupe’s acrobatics. Still, Luvirche’s plays tended to incorporate flashy, intense action scenes, so they certainly had need of nimble employees. There was no point in trying to talk “Shino” out of auditioning with one of the industry leaders. A two-bit show that earned its keep shilling drinks to manual laborers couldn’t compete. Still… “A-are you sure about this? Luvirche is the big leagues, yeah, but their test is no joke. Plus, even if you get in, it’ll be ages before you’re big enough to make it on their billboards. Why put yourself through all that hardship when you could just stay with us and have a good time?” …the performers hated to see Shinobu go. Considering how young and attractive Shinobu was, some of the troupe members might have developed feelings for her. Whatever the reason, they didn’t want her to leave. However… “Leave the girl be, Ted.” …the troupe leader’s wife told off the member who’d spoken up. “With talent and skill like Shino’s, she’ll be up on them big Luvirche posters before you know it.” The troupe leader nodded. “Missing out on one so able sucks, but if she’s made up her mind, then she’s made up her mind. I’ll be rooting for you, Shino. Break a leg on that Luvirche application test.” Shinobu smiled. “Thanks, boss! That means so much!” Shinobu felt pangs of guilt for all the lies, but she was a consummate ninja and didn’t let it show on her face. “But if you don’t make it into Luvirche, you’ll always have a place here with us,” the troupe leader added. “Ha-ha. If I fail, I think I might take you up on that.” After the attempts to recruit Shinobu died down, one of the middle-aged performers started twirling his mustache with a grim expression. “Luvirche, huh… For bein’ the best troupe in the empire, feels like I haven’t heard much good about them lately.” The troupe leader and his wife nodded sagely. “Ah, right. That thing about them going up to Elm and putting on a show criticizing Emperor Lindworm.” Shinobu heard about that back when she visited Elm. One of the Reform Party candidates, Glaux, had put together a dastardly scheme, and part of it involved Luvirche drumming up favor for the armed attack on the emperor that the Reform Party sought at the time. “People are even saying that the Bluebloods put Lurviche up to it.” “The Bluebloods got stamped out in the civil war. I wouldn’t be surprised if Emperor Lindworm and the Four Grandmasters put down Luvirche for supporting them.” Luvirche had definitely picked the wrong side in that conflict, and the company could find itself ostracized from the nobles’ district for it. The troupe began talking shop, noting they’d have to be careful who they supported in the future, too. However… “This is ridiculous.” …a young stagehand drinking on a wooden crate was having none of it. “You really think that the War Emperor is petty enough to care about little stuff like that?” “What do you mean, Flit?” “Emperor Lindworm is far more broad-minded than any of you give him credit for. No other ruler can surpass him.” Something about Flit the stagehand’s statement caught Shinobu’s attention. It wasn’t her ninja instincts at work but the intuition she’d honed as a journalist. There was something more than blind faith behind his words. Where did it stem from? Shinobu was never one to let a hunch go unexplored. “Wow, Flit. You think really highly of Emperor Lindworm, huh?” “Of course I do. What sort of good imperial citizen doesn’t believe in their emperor?” “Is that all there is to it, though? I dunno, it just sounded like you had some specific reason for your faith…” The question was pretty intrusive, so Shinobu softened it with an adorable tilt of the head. A cute girl could loosen guys’ lips easily, and Flit was no exception. “Well, both of them are dead now, so I guess it’s probably fine to talk about,” he said. “I saw something back during the Yamato War. Something that showed me just how great he is.” “Oh yeah, that’s right. You served in those days,” the troupe leader’s wife remarked. All eyes were on Flit. “What was it? What’d you see?” someone asked. Flit seemed to enjoy the attention, and he ostentatiously cleared his throat. “There was a coup staged during the Yamato War, you see, and a savage attempt was made on Emperor Lindworm’s life. It failed, though, so I guess I should call it an attempted coup, but still. “The whole thing was put under a gag order, which is why no one heard about it. But I was there. It was on a moonless night, like this one, and the attack was orchestrated by Granzham von Blumheart. “He had a coconspirator, and if you can believe it, it was a man who was later granted a dukedom and became one of His Grace’s most loyal retainers—Oslo el Gustav.” “?!” Not even Shinobu could hide her surprise. That was the last name she’d expected to hear. Flit watched her reaction with great amusement. By his account, the Lindworm dynasty started a war three years ago to demolish the neighboring country of Yamato and to seize control over the entire continent. The Freyjagard ambassador’s covert operation succeeded better than all expectations, and after dealing a crippling blow to the Yamato empire, the imperial army pushed into enemy territory, crushing the routed samurai as they went. After a month, Freyjagard nearly secured victory. There was a handful of warriors still fighting using guerrilla tactics, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time until they fell. But that confidence made the imperials complacent, lax. All of them, from the knights, to the mages, to the lowliest grunts, let their guards down. And on the day in question, when Flit was protecting Lindworm as he slept, he got sloppy, too. That’s when the coup happened. The emperor’s guard was thinnest after he retired for the night, and Blumheart and Gustav—just the two of them—decided to spring their surprise attack then. For a coup, the plan was pretty simple. As Lindworm stood at the tent’s entrance on his way to bed, Gustav would approach from behind and hurl Rage Soleil at him. Gustav was already the Imperial Prime Mage by this point, and the attack hinged on his outstanding combat capabilities. The coup required only two people, and no one else knew of the scheme. Flit, who stood next to the tent’s entrance, braced himself for death when he realized what was happening. However… “He parried Rage Soleil with a sword…?!” Flit nodded as Shinobu gaped in disbelief. “That’s right. He took Gustav’s trump card, the war magic spell Rage Soleil that had burned a Yamato base to the ground in a single night, and shattered it to pieces with a swing of his massive blade.” Lindworm’s golden sword was as long as he was tall, and when the Rage Soleil bore down on him, he pulverized it effortlessly. Blumheart and Gustav had believed the plan already succeeded and were so astonished to discover the true outcome that they forgot to run. Nearby soldiers surrounded them in moments. It took a few men apiece to pin the pair of insurgents to the ground, but once they were subdued, Lindworm posed them a question. He wished to know why they’d turned against their master, a man they ought to revere. What had driven them to action? By that point, the two failed assailants had already accepted their fates. Their failure was absolute, and they saw no point in trying to resist. They told the emperor they’d done it for the powerless masses, to create a world where everyone could live in peace without fear of oppression. They told Lindworm about how hordes of people were suffering under his militaristic rule. Plenty of blood had been shed between the civil war against the old administration and the empire’s invasions and annexations of its smaller neighbors to the south and the west. Blumheart and Gustav demanded to know when Lindworm would be sated. The casualties continued to pile up as Freyjagard advanced into Yamato, a nation with nothing to offer the empire. Lindworm was a lion running roughshod over the entire world, and as Blumheart and Gustav saw it, they had a duty to stop him. Flit and the other soldiers got ready to run the two rebels through. Freyjagardian society operated on survival of the fittest, and this pair had gone against the strongest man in the empire. Extenuating circumstances or not, it was a crime deserving of execution. However… …Lindworm spoke. He faced those who’d threatened his life and said, “Release them.” Lindworm’s inexplicable order sent a stir through the troops. Still, they weren’t about to disobey a command from the emperor. They immediately released the two captives and sheathed their swords. Blumheart and Gustav couldn’t make sense of Lindworm’s actions, regarding the man with bewilderment. “Y-Your Grace?” “…What’s the meaning of this, Emperor Lindworm?” Lindworm responded with a question. “Blumheart. Gustav. You spoke of cutting me down for the sake of the people, but what then? Would you two take the throne yourselves? Do you believe that would create a world free of suffering?” “Gustav and I would put in the necessary work to—” “It would fail.” Lindworm silenced Blumheart. “Slaying me and ending the war with Yamato won’t stop all conflict. So long as impostors lacking the necessary qualities pretend to be kings and members of the rabble with no capacity to rule act as nobles holding dominion over others, there will be bloodshed. Jealousy and greed will drive them to it. You two will only become another pair of links in that chain. If you truly care for the populace and wish for a world where none need suffer, then know this: “What this world needs is a flawless ruler. One who will not be beaten. One who will not perish. One who will not err. “A world of hegemony, ruled by Lindworm von Freyjagard and Lindworm von Freyjagard alone.” ““………!”” Lindworm’s declaration struck Blumheart and Gustav speechless. “Your Grace, you believe that none can defeat you?” “I do. Not you, or the nobles, or the rulers of any foreign states.” “And you…you trust that no matter how much time passes, you won’t die?” “I do. Peace that only lasts a generation is but a trifle. I shall reign over this world as its ruler in perpetuity.” “A-and…you believe…that your decisions are always correct?” “I do. You need only follow me with faith.” “This is DERANGED!” Blumheart had finally managed to squeeze questions from his pale, trembling lips, and upon hearing Lindworm’s fantastical delusions, he turned furious. “I was right—you need to be stopped! All the blood you’ve shed, the bodies you’ve left in your wake, it was for…this lunacy?! You, a single man, seek to rule the world forever? That’s impossible!” If Freyjagard bought into this madness, the empire would fall. Blumheart drew the saber hanging from his waist and leveled it at Lindworm. “In all my days, have I ever spoken a single falsehood?” “I…” “…” Lindworm focused his gaze upon Blumheart and Gustav, and the look in his eyes was so enthralling, they forgot to breathe. There was no false bravado to be found in him. Lindworm wasn’t bluffing. He spoke with true conviction—the belief of a man who knew where he was going, who trusted his legs to get him there. In his eyes, his goal was attainable. “You may not believe me now, but once this war awakens the true power within me, my capabilities will be plain to all. Everyone will see who this world truly belongs to, and when that time comes, I will abolish the imperial aristocracy and take on the totality of the burdens too great for my subjects to bear.” Blumheart didn’t have the faintest clue what to make of that. However, Gustav fell to his knees as though struck by lightning. Lindworm strode calmly between the two… “In all of creation, I am the sole being fit to rule from on high. Put your faith in me and in me alone.” …and left them behind. “…It was crazy talk. We all knew that Emperor Lindworm was strong. Hell, he might even be powerful enough to unite the whole world. But still… Getting rid of the foreign rulers is one thing, but there’s no way he could govern the world if he abolished the aristocracy on top of that.” It simply wasn’t realistic. Blumheart and Gustav had known that, as did everyone else present for the speech. Flit recalled how he and the rest of the soldiers had agreed with the two failed assassins. “But at the same time…there was something about him that made you believe he could do it.” It should have been easy to write Lindworm off as a babbling fool, yet no one present had managed to denounce him. That unwavering confidence brooked no argument. It was as though Lindworm knew he was more than human. If he truly was a flawless ruler who would never fail or die… “…Then I want to live under his rule. Don’t get me wrong—Duke Gustav took things too far. But his belief in Emperor Lindworm was justified. “Those Republic of Elm fools ramble about freedom and independence and commoners becoming emperors, but will that really make them happy? The emperor’s right. There aren’t that many people worthy of governing others. “All that stuff about how making commoners into rulers will lead to a government that’s kind to all…that’s just as much bullshit as Freyjagard. “When someone gets power, they cling to it. They grow suspicious of others and suppress enemies to solidify their strength. It’s in our nature. The only difference is the people can’t complain because they asked for freedom. Empire or Elm, if both are gonna feed me the same crap, I’d at least like to live under an absolute ruler I can trust.” “………” Shinobu voiced no agreement or opposition. She had nothing to say. Flit was describing the ultimate fate of democracy, something her world had witnessed many times already. It was late into the night, and all the sounds of the city were gone, save the occasional dog bark. Once they finished their party, the troupe members dispersed to the respective tavern rooms they’d booked. The troupe was kind enough to get Shinobu a room, too, and she headed there. Upon arriving, she spread out her ninja tools on the bed to confirm everything was in order for her infiltration mission. As she inspected her gear… “Lindworm von Freyjagard, huh?” …she thought back to Flit’s story. Lindworm had referred to his “true power.” From the sound of it, Neuro and the other grandmasters probably fed him a couple of half-truths to embolden him while leaving out anything that would interfere with their plan. In a sense, Lindworm was one of the grandmasters’ victims, too. Talking things out with him and winning him over like Tsukasa had suggested was still a possible option. But on the other hand… …Shinobu got the feeling that exposing the grandmasters’ scheme wouldn’t change Lindworm’s mind. From his perspective, Neuro and the others were day-one allies, whereas the Prodigies were a group whittling away at the empire’s territory and obstructing its goal of world domination. There was no question which side Lindworm would trust, and the Prodigies wouldn’t be able to prove anything until it was too late. “If he really destroyed Rage Soleil that easily…then there’s gotta be something pretty funky about Lindworm himself.” Not even Ringo’s antiair missiles could bring down Rage Soleil, yet Lindworm had smashed the spell to bits in a single motion. Whatever his deal, he was no pushover. Yggdra had told Shinobu and the others that Father required a suitable vessel and that the grandmasters waited for such an exceptional person. The grandmasters were undoubtedly a threat, but Lindworm deserved great caution, too. “An absolute ruler…” Never beaten. Never perishing. Never erring. A world controlled by an unquestionable leader meant everyone except that leader would be equal. It would create a perfect world without war. According to Flit’s story, Lindworm sought the ultimate form of monarchy. “He almost reminds me of Tsukes.” Tsukasa Mikogami and Lindworm both had their sights fixed on the same goal: a world of equality that was free of war, where people could live in peace. The only difference was the route. Tsukasa knew that people were born with evil in them, but he chose to believe in their inherent goodness, and he sought a society of people supporting one another. Lindworm believed in none but himself and desired to rule as a supreme overlord. One chose faith; the other chose fetters. The two were as different as could be…and yet… If—if—War Emperor Lindworm was genuinely unbeatable, undying, and unerring, if he was a prodigy politician in every sense, then how would Tsukasa feel about opposing him? When the young prime minister thought of those he’d let slip through his fingers on his quest to save as many as possible, how would he—? “!” Shinobu’s mind was straying to a dark place, and she clapped herself on the cheeks. She didn’t need to indulge those ideas. At the moment, she had more urgent matters. “I’ve got a job to do.” She had to find Masato and Roo, then tell them about Neuro’s plan. Shinobu had known Masato forever and understood that for all his wits and pragmatism, he wasn’t the sort to let a friend die to further his ends. He saved that for enemies and those he acknowledged as rivals. Once Masato learned what Neuro was after, he’d come back, and the Prodigies would be at full strength again. That needed to happen. Shinobu couldn’t afford any screwups. She focused and strapped on her ninja tools. Once ready, she opened the large wooden box in the corner of the room. “Mmmph……!” Inside was a girl two or three years Shinobu’s junior. Her hands and feet were bound, and her mouth was gagged. Fear shone in the girl’s teary eyes, but Shinobu seemed unaffected, hoisting the captive up and laying her on the bed. Then… “Sorry. I know it must’ve been scary.” …she offered an apology. The girl was the troupe’s usual dancer. She hadn’t gone missing—Shinobu had kidnapped her. “The nice innkeeper’ll come to the room for the wake-up call tomorrow morning. You can have her untie you.” Shinobu placed a letter of apology addressed to the troupe beside the girl, then pushed the wooden window open. The night beyond the tavern room was pitch-black. This world lacked electricity, so evenings were unfathomably dark, even more so tonight because of the new moon. There was no better time to run a covert operation. “All righty… Let’s do this.” Shinobu leaped into the dark. No roadside braziers lit her way. All Shinobu had to guide her was the faint glow from the stars. However, that meager light was enough for her honed ninja eyes. Commoners’ district roofs became stepping stones as she hopped silently across the city. Eventually, she arrived at a wall seventy feet high—her first obstacle. This was the barrier separating the commoners’ district from the nobles’ one. Drachen’s three sections were separated by two immense, defensive bulwarks. Freyjagard was one of the greatest military powers in the world, and its heavily fortified capital stood as a testament to that fact. Breaching the wall was impossible for most. However, prodigy journalist Shinobu Sarutobi was a different sort. This master of intelligence could infiltrate Air Force One if she so desired. She hooked her fingers into the seams between the wall stones, then climbed the vertical face as swiftly as she would a ladder. In no time at all, she was up and over, crossing the divide between commoners and nobles. Shinobu dropped seventy feet and landed without a sound. It was a prodigious feat if ever there was one. She had moved undetected. No one was aware of her presence. However… “!!!!” …the moment she touched the ground, a terrible chill ran through her. Shinobu gasped. “…” Meanwhile, a middle-aged man stood quickly from his seat at the bar in a guardroom within the fortress between the commoners’ and nobles’ districts. He was tall, lean, and blessed with an impressive beard. Unlike the rest of the soldiers, he wore a well-tailored butler uniform. “Hmm? What’s up, Mr. Ninja?” “You gotta hit the can or something? Damn, I woulda thought Yamato ninjas could hold their beer better. That’s weak, man!” “C’mon, drink up! If you don’t take this mug, how am I supposed to know you’re one of us?!” The uniform-clad man shook his head. “I wish I could accept your offer, believe me. But I fear I cannot.” “Hmm?” “It would seem that a crafty little rat has snuck its way inside. Pardon me.” By the time he excused himself, the uniformed man had vanished. “Huh?” “What?!” “Where’d he go?” It was like he’d never been there at all. Cold sweat ran from Shinobu’s pores as she raced through the nobles’ district. She didn’t bother to keep silent anymore, instead running as fast as she could. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…! Someone had noticed Shinobu, despite her flawless technique. She’d entered the nobles’ district silently and unseen, without leaving the slightest indication of her presence. And yet someone had detected her. They’d picked up on the minuscule discomfort they’d felt when Shinobu cleared the wall. No matter how expertly someone disguised their movements, it wouldn’t work on an opponent capable of doing the same. The more perfect the stealth, the easier for an ace opponent to recognize it. In short, Shinobu’s foe was a ninja. One with skills on par with hers—perhaps better. “…” Shinobu had an inkling of who it might be. During her time gathering information about this world, she’d heard about a rogue ninja from Yamato who had survived in the societal underworld on nothing but his own strength. He was an assassin who worked for anyone with coin. Shinobu had witnessed how powerful Yamato’s people were during the last war, and she knew she couldn’t afford to fight one of them now. So she headed toward the castle, moving as fast as her legs would carry her… “…” …and realized that her enemy had circled around her and waited atop the roof of a nearby mansion. “As a kunoichi, you should have known there was no escaping from Sasuke the Black Spider.” “…Yeah, that tracks.” The man before Shinobu was tall and lean, and despite the darkness and the sloped roof’s poor footing, his center of balance was solid as he stood atop the building’s peak. There was no mistaking it. This man was a ninja. Worse, the name he gave was worrying. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about you. You used to be head of the Special Forces, right?” “I fear I cannot profess to know of you… But I can tell you’re no Yamato ninja. Your face is new to me.” The man stroked his beard as he fixed his eagle-sharp eyes on Shinobu. The gesture made him look off guard, but it was clearly for show. He carefully kept his limbs slack, ready to respond to anything Shinobu tried. If she came at him unprepared, she would suffer a brutal counterattack. And so… “Well, sure. That’s ’cause I’m not a ninja. I’m a journalist.” …she readied a shuriken in each hand while keeping a close eye out for any sudden moves from Sasuke. Sasuke glared at the girl, recognizing her hostility… “Yield now or this will hurt more than it has to.” …and demanded her surrender. His voice was deep and level, like a nightjar’s cry echoing through the dark. It rang with the sound of a man supremely confident in his abilities.
Chapter 118
29 min read