Hachi Academy, first floor
"Don't stop running! Hamato must be stopped!"
Miyabi orders, followed by the rest of her group and Homura's one.
"Eh! Don't give my friends orders!"
Homura says, her remaining friends, Mirai and Haruka, sigh.
"Homura, I don't think it's the right moment for… STOP!"
Haruka starts before suddenly stopping her cross.
The others also stop when they see an obstacle on their road, or rather two.
"It's Fumiyo and Arisa!"
Imu screams, happy to see the ones who can listen to them, but her joy quickly vanishes.
"Something is wrong…"
Murasaki says, smelling something unpleasant.
Her friends don't need to ask her for more, they've already figured it.
Both Arisa and Fumiyo's face show determination, but their eyes are empty, as if they weren't even alive.
"Girls, do you think…"
Mirai starts, but can't complete her question.
"Yes, Mirai, they're under control…"
Homura answers.
Suddenly, Arisa rises her finger threateningly.
"You are attempting to take our great master Hamato's life, for this, we are going to take your, my dears…"
She says, her way to speak hasn't changed, but her voice is emotionless.
"Yeah, completely under control, and not under a beginner's one…"
Haruka claims.
"No time to lose… Girls?"
Homura says by looking back to her friends, who smile and nod without saying a single word.
"You're fine?"
Miyabi asks her, who react in the same way.
The six girls are facing the two senior elite members, who seem about to attack.
"Let's go!"
Homura yells.
"Now!"
Miyabi yells.
Following those words, Haruka and Mirai charge Arisa while Murasaki and Imu charge Fumiyo, they both seem ready to welcome them.
"Shinobi Barrier!"
The four girls yell together, creating two distinct shinobi barrier, so, they disappear with their opponents.
When, silence.
"You think they'll be okay?"
Miyabi asks in a lightly concerned voice.
"Miyabi, as a leader, you should trust your friends."
Homura answers by smiling to her friend, who looks at her before smiling in her turn.
"You're right… Go!"
Miyabi screams before resuming her cross, leaving a surprised Homura behind.
"Eh! Wait!"
She yells before running.
Meanwhile, at Hebijo Academy
"Master Suzune!"
A low rank shinobi, student there, says by running behind Rin.
"What's going on?"
She answers in a cold tone of voice.
"H-Have you seen master Kaede? She was supposed to teach us camouflage, but the lesson should have started for an hour already, and she still hasn't come…"
The low rank shinobi explains, intimidated by Rin.
"Start without her, I'll see what she's doing."
She orders, still in a cold voice.
"Understood master! A-Also, three students are missing, since we have to report potential desertions…"
The student answers, still intimidated.
"Okay, I'll take care of it too, go train now."
Rin says, her voice is still cold, but it's possible to hear concern.
"Get it!"
The low rank shinobi responds before leaving.
Rin, now alone, can show her worry about the situation, desertions aren't rare, but three students from a same class the same day is way more."
Furthermore, she knows master Kaede pretty well, at least, enough to know she's never late for her lessons.
And while Rin was thinking, one of her students comes for her.
"Master Suzune?"
A soft voice asks.
Rin turns back, facing Bashou, one of the best student of this school, who looks worried.
"Bashou? What are you doing there, you're supposed to have a meeting with mister Uchineko with the rest of your team."
Rin claims in an authoritarian voice.
"I-I know, but he did not come, we are looking for him right now, but we cannot find him…"
Bashou answers, lightly frightened.
Now, even if she's facing one of her students, Rin can't hide how worried she is.
She's sure something is wrong, at least, even worse than usual.
"Mister Uchineko is one of our most important investor, I saw him five minutes before the meeting time…"
Rin explains an even more worried Bashou.
"You think it could be…"
Bashou starts, but hesitates to finish.
"Still too soon to confirm, follow me, I'll check something…"
Rin orders Bashou, who follows her without questioning.
A little later
"Here, the place I saw Uchineko the last time, the meeting room is over here, let's walk to see if we can find any clue…"
Rin starts, starting to walk, with Bashou following her right behind.
"Y-Yes…"
Bashou responds, becoming more and more anxious.
The two women are walking as naturally as possible, looking for anything suspicious to see, hear or even smell.
Their steps are heavy, and silence reigns over the corridor.
After several steps without anything special, Rin is suddenly stopped by her student.
"Master, please wait…"
Bashou says, even more nervous.
"What? Something's wrong?"
Rin asks, concerned.
"I… I don't know! Someone is watching us!"
Bashou answers, panicking.
Rin sighs, she forgot Bashou has stress issue.
"Calm down, it's not what a shinobi should… Wait…"
Rin starts, but suddenly stops when she feels something.
"What?!"
Bashou demands by screaming.
Rin doesn't answer, but she prudently gets close to the wall right in front of her.
She knocks it with her finger, it's empty.
"Not here…"
Rin thinks, walking along the wall and repeating the same process avery meter, under the confused look of her student.
Empty…
Empty…
She continues, while another student is coming.
"Bashou? Master Suzune? What are you doing?"
Empty…
Empty…
It's Sôji, Bashou's best friend. But before Bashou could explain anything…
Empty…
…
"Found it!"
Rin yells before slashing the wall with her giant shuriken.
"M-Master?! What are… Um?"
Sôki starts, but stops when she notices the wall wasn't empty.
The three girls freezes in terror when they see mister Uchineko's corpse, with a face distorted by a terror none can even imagine.
"I-I knew it! Assassin!"
Bashou scream panicked.
"C-Calm down, Bashou!"
Sôji tells her friend.
"Both of you! We have a murderer in our school! Order everyone to assemble outside and stay one your guard! I'll take care of the intruder by myself…"
Rin orders, her two students immediatly obey.
"Understood!"
They both respond before running.
Rin is now alone, but far to be scared.
"I don't know you are… But you picked up the wrong school…"
Rin claims, taking her scroll to transform.