Chapter 3 - 青山 (Verdant Mountain)

"You don't remember your name?"

The thief shook her head at the host's question. There was a pause, then she picked up the ragged T-shirt shed on the floor and used it to soak away the residual moisture in her hair.

For once, she was wearing clean, dry clothes. She'd hate to get it damp as well.

"Your age?" The woman asked again from the opposite side of the room. She threw a piece of firewood into the furnace. The noises made by crackling sparks grew louder for a moment before they died down to murmurs in the background.

Another shook of the head, but unlike the name, age was more discernible from appearance - using human standards, of course. The thief figured that the woman already had a guess - usually from 17 to 22, but up to 25 was also passable, given past experience.

"And you have no recollection of where you're from, what you do, and why you end up here?" Finally, the woman moved her eyes from the fireplace back to her strange guest, skepticism growing by the second.

"No, they're all blank." Amnesia was hardly the most convincing excuse, but it was one that could explain her state of foreignness the best. Elaborate lies required knowledge and facts at their foundation. Too bad that she had none.

Besides, the thief doubted that the woman took her in because she was naive enough to find her trustworthy. It was something more irrational, more personal … something riskier.

Putting down the torn T-shirt, the thief spoke up again. "So, may I ask you to elaborate on where I am and the state of the world around us?" She decided that getting more information was the top priority and considering how things were already off the rail, this was as good a time as any.

The host stayed silent for a moment, evaluating the absurdity of the thief's request and the absurdity of her own actions. But eventually, she answered, "We're in Fire Country, the Southeastern side, to be specific, close to the border of Water Country."

Fun, countries named using elements. Sounds like something you'd find in fantasy stories. For a second, the thief wasn't sure if the woman was just making up random stuff. Nevertheless, she showed a flash of curiosity on her face, telling the woman that she really did not retain much in terms of memories.

"To make things short, there's a war happening right now near this border."

Somehow, that explained so much and so little at the same time.

"A war … between Fire Country and Water Country?" The thief asked and surprisingly, the woman looked a little uncertain about what she thought to be a simple question of clarification.

"The war is being fought by shinobi villages. It's been happening for years, conflicts between shinobi villages all around the world. In this region, it's between Konohagakure and Kirigakure, the shinobi under the patronage of His Excellency, the Fire Daimyo, and the Water Daimyo, respectively." The sentences felt foreign to the woman as if she never had to explain them to anyone, and thus, never had to think too deeply about them.

In the end, the woman never did answer the thief's answer clearly. Perhaps she couldn't be quite sure of the involvement of her Daimyo and her country apart from the shinobi villages. Speaking of which …

"Shinobi?" The moment she asked that question, the woman couldn't help but widen her eyes in disbelief, even more so than when the thief didn't recognize Fire and Water Countries. This was enough to tell the thief that in this world, 'Shinobi' was a concept that was deeply entrenched in people's daily lives, something that even a child would know.

Nevertheless, the woman explained, "Shinobi are those that can use ninjutsu. They can perform … fantastical feats - raising walls of earth, spitting fire, and summoning streams of water - that are akin to miracles to us. They live in their own villages, accepting commissions like mercenaries."

With each passing phrase, the thief thought back to the boy with silver hair and lightning on his fist. She also thought back to the field of corpses, some limbs still clutched onto weapons, with a common insignia etched on their attire. She was more and more certain that those are what this world called 'Shinobi'.

The host lowered her eyes and glanced at the floor. A moment later, she commented, "In fact, the clothes you were wearing resembled the shinobi more than us civilians."

The thief only thought about it for a second, before she made the decision. She grabbed her old clothes and rose from the ground. The host tensed up for a moment when the thief approached her, only for the thief to ask, "Do you mind?"

It took the woman a second to realize that the other girl was pointing toward the fireplace. Feeling somewhat speechless, the host replied, "No, but didn't you lose your memories?"

"My memories, not my judgment." The thief threw the pile of clothes into the fire without mercy and let the flame consume them. "I don't know who I am before this, but I'd rather not be associated with shinobi if they are in the heat of a war."

"A little late for that, don't you think?" The woman muttered, reminding the thief that at least one pair of eyes had seen the suspicious state she was in.

But the thief merely answered, "yet, you let me stay," despite knowing the warring states and having seen the marks of violence on her torn clothes.

"What's the worst thing you can take from me, my life?" Surprisingly, the woman looked the most relaxed she had been since meeting the intruder in her backyard. She waved around the cottage, showing the thief nothing but old tools and baskets of muddy plants. "I don't have anything else that's worthy of being robbed or stolen."

There was a hint of amusement in the woman's voice when her gaze landed back on the thief. "Maybe except for the clothes," she added.

A stretch of silence filled the room as the amusement in the woman's tone faded while her eyes remained glued on the yukata that she had allowed the thief to wear. The thief said nothing, giving the woman all the time in the world to revisit her memories and impulses.

Eventually, the woman pulled herself out of the swirls of dreams and asked, "What do you want to be called?"

"What do you want to call me?" The thief suggested instead and it made the woman's breath halt.

"I had a younger sister. Actually, those are her clothes that you're wearing. Her name was Aki," the woman said slowly as if each word required a great deal of courage. "Can I call you Aki?"

"It sounds nice," 'Aki' replied. Very lightly, the woman nodded in agreement.

-o-o-o-

The woman's name was Haru. Other than a sister named Aki, she also had a husband - Hiroshi - who no longer breathed in this world.

None of those things were told by Haru, nor did 'Aki' ever plan to ask. But it wasn't hard to deduce the basics from the chatter of the villagers, who had no idea that another soul was listening behind the fences - again, Haru wasn't planning to tell and 'Aki' wasn't planning to invite questions and trouble.

Besides, the signs were all there. Amongst the clothes that Haru would wash - soaked in water that boiled mugwort and hung with care - there were clearly garments for men.

Hiroshi was supposed to be the only healer in the village, with rudimentary herbal training handed down from his family. But it seemed that he had passed away before the skills could be passed on.

The widow, Haru, did the best she could to prescribe herbal treatments, using whatever knowledge she had observed from her husband. But with the war around contributing to a plethora of problems - lack of supplies, deficient nutrients, spreading ailments, fearful environments - the recovery rate from illness was practically nonexistent, and so the air of death shrouded the village.

"Haru-san, I'm leaving the village. The feudal lords are always looking for workers. I plan to find a job there, in a village closer to the capital." The conversation inevitably travelled into the backyard. 'Aki' didn't even pause in her task, spreading the washed herbs onto a large carpet made of straws, allowing them to dry.

By the sound of it, it was the same man who held the funerary service for his mother a few days ago, when 'Aki' first arrived here. He already made a visit to Haru yesterday, thanking her for providing the herbs to be burned at the funeral. So, clearly, this visit was for something else.

"I see, Toshi-san. I wish you well in the future." Haru's voice sounded next, and then, there was a stretch of silence. She could almost imagine the way Haru stood by her door, waiting patiently for Toshi to reveal his real intention.

"After my mother passed, there's nothing in this village that makes me stay other than your well-being." The man rushed the words out, the nerves clear in his voice. "Come with me, Haru-san. I can never hope to match up to Hiroshi-san, but I promise to treat you well."

That was when 'Aki' paused, her hand stopped in mid-motion while her body leaned forward a little. While she waited for Haru's response, her loose braid slipped by her shoulder and fell forward like a ribbon. The tip of the braid brushed against the herbs, making them misalign.

It would be a convenient outcome for Haru - for both of them, 'Aki' thought as she flicked the braid to the back and realigned the plants. She wasn't planning to stay forever. She was thinking of leaving for a busier town anyway, where new sources of information could be found,

Haru was kind enough to tell her the basic orders of this world, but it was clear that she knew very little of affairs that involved shinobi and their war - for example, the causes and initiators of the war, who had the advantage, and how close it was to an end.

'Aki' decided that compared to finding a way back to her old world, surviving in this new one might be an easier task. For that, she had a lot of catching up to do.

"I'm grateful for your kind words, Toshi-kun, but I don't plan to leave this village," finally, Haru answered. To make her point clearer, she added, "I plan to stay here until either the village or my life meets its end."

'Aki' had senses slightly more superior than normal humans, so she could hear the sigh that escaped Toshi's mouth. "You're still a young woman, Haru-san. There can still be much in life for you. I'm sure both Aki-san and Hiroshi-san would agree."

He probably shouldn't have said that.

"If that'll be all, Toshi-san, I have some chores to do. I wish you a safe journey." The door was shut with a light clink after that. 'Aki' could somewhat imagine the way Haru lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together, the same expression she would make when she was dissatisfied with the qualities of herbs.

Once again, the braid slipped past her shoulder unnoticed. But this time, 'Aki' caught it before it could disturb the herbs and pushed it back. Just then, footsteps sounded behind her while the door to the backyard creaked open.

It all seemed to happen so naturally, as Haru knelt down behind her and took her braid into her hand. With gentle touches, she twisted the braid into a bun just above the girl's neck, not too tight, not too loose.

Haru searched around with her spare hand until she found a small branch lying on the ground. Carefully, she pushed the wooden piece into the braid and pinned the hair in place, like she had done for someone else countless times.

Haru's hand lingered on her hair for a moment longer before she stood up and said, "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that without asking." A little lighter, she added, "You are your own person, after all."

From the moment Haru decided to give her Aki's name, she was trapped again by nostalgia. Rationality told Haru that nothing good would come from pulling the threads of the past. She was so close to cutting the strings - so so close - but a moment of weakness was all it took for her to give in to that small spark of desire. And now, it smouldered.

'Aki' shook her head, telling Haru that there was no need to apologize, not for anything. Instead, she asked in a quiet tone, "Do you really plan to stay here until the village's demise?"

"You heard all that, huh," Haru muttered, not at all surprised. "Those that are still left in this village are either those that are not fit to leave or their caretakers. My healing knowledge is not much, but I can't just leave them."

There were maybe about two dozen left in this village - mostly the sick and the elderly. Haru told her that from a few years back when the conflict first started, shinobi from Konohagakure did arrive periodically with warnings, advising them to move while they still could. Very few followed their advice in the beginning, but as the war dragged on, those that still could leave made the wiser decision.

"But none of that applies to you," Haru said all of a sudden as she turned around and headed for the small basket of yam placed near the door - that would be this week's food. "Are you … thinking of leaving?"

"Bigger villages have more information. News travels faster there and people spread them more carelessly," 'Aki' answered with honesty, watching Haru's movement slow down even if she tried to hide her attention by focusing on washing the vegetables. "I can't avoid what I don't know, nor can I defend against what I don't understand."

Haru couldn't help but let out a chuckle when she heard the girl's reasoning. "You're so logical and collected, even though you have no memory of who you are. Your calm personality must have persevered."

"Who I used to be," 'Aki' emphasized, telling Haru that she had no intention of searching for who she was. She might have lied about losing her memories, but her old world had no doubt been cut and left behind in the past.

Whether that was Heaven's idea of a solution or simply an unforeseen mishap of fate, it seemed to solve a lot of things if she never returned.

"When do you plan to leave then?" Haru asked in a whisper as if she was hesitant to hear an answer.

"Not now, unless I'm causing too much trouble." 'Aki' answered as she picked herself up from the ground along with the axe resting near a stomp. They needed more firewood both for cooking and for keeping the house warm.

"Nothing more than the trouble you've already caused," Haru replied, but 'Aki' still heard the sigh of relief from Haru, perhaps even without her awareness. With a swing of the axe, the blade cut into the wood and split it in half like butter.

-o-o-o-

'Aki' heard the noise of harsh wind tilting over the basket in the backyard, making the weighing stones inside roll out in a clatter. A second later, the door was pushed open as Haru hurried inside.

"You're … awake." Even in a rushed state, Haru couldn't help but slow down when she saw 'Aki' already tied the last knot in the tasuki, gathering the sleeves of yukata like they would when doing chores.

'Aki' didn't know why she was surprised. It wasn't like the knock that came in the middle of the night was subtle in the first place.

"I'm so sorry for disturbing you, Haru-san, but Matsue has developed a fever and it's not coming down." 'Aki' had heard a raspy male voice sounding behind the door as Haru listened from the inside.

Without a delay, Haru headed out to examine the patient.

'Aki' might have pretended to be asleep, if she didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching mixed with heaving breaths. Only one set of footsteps could be heard, so Haru wasn't being chased. Then, it was probably because she needed something from her cottage. That, she could help with.

But Haru didn't go for the stash of herbs nor the blackened pot used to brew concoctions. Instead, she searched for an empty basket by the wall, before grabbing the chipped dagger and the small shovel, and throwing them in.

"Matsue-san's fever is worsening, but I don't have any shirayuki grass left for relieving the fever," Haru explained when she finally couldn't take the staring that bore into the back of her head. "You don't need to come. The forest at night is difficult to traverse for those unfamiliar with it."

"All the more reason that I should." Unfortunately, when Haru turned around, 'Aki' was already standing by the door, holding the long stick that Haru used to swat away dense branches - also the same one that Haru pointed at 'Aki' when they first met.

"Shirayuki grass has white markings along the veins of its leaves, hence the name," Haru explained, crouching to get through a thick crown of leaves while 'Aki' followed. "It's not very visible at night, unfortunately, much like everything - roots, holes, stones that you can trip over."

Haru wasn't very subtle with the way she bit her syllables, telling 'Aki' that she really, really wished that the other girl would listen and head back.

"White markings, got it." 'Aki' pretended she didn't hear, while pushing apart a thick brush with the wooden rod. "Are they supposed to be in season?"

Haru paused in her step and her expression soured. Ah, I see. There was a reason why she didn't have the herb in stock. Nevertheless, Haru tried, "... they're easier to find when the weather is less humid, but it's not impossible. Just got to pray for some luck."

'Aki' hummed in understanding and they moved their attention back to the thick woods and continued their search.

The forest at night could be just as lively as during the day. When the sun set and the cold moonlight took over, different breeds of creatures woke, filling the woods with the sound of their motions, eerie to those who trespassed, but comforting to the ones that knew their symphony.

'Aki' wasn't bothered by the fist-size centipede that crawled out of the tree and climbed down the trunk. The insect inched closer to the hand that she kept on the tree to keep her balance. Swash, 'Aki' swiped the long stick sharply, clearing the thick bush to reveal the plants hidden underneath. Startled by the sudden event, the centipede only grazed Aki's finger for a moment before it scurried off into a hole in the trunk.

Haru, on the other hand, didn't have a heart as big. She tried to minimize the distraction around her, but she couldn't help but be cautious of every foreign movement from the forest, not just around her, but around 'Aki' too.

With every patch of the forest they searched that came out empty, Haru's agitation built a little more. Fever, rather than an ailment itself, was a manifestation of many potential ailments. Haru didn't know what caused the fever, but she did know that for Matsue-san, whose body was past its prime due to age and common sickness, the damage from an unquenched fever was already a concern.

"We might need to travel further out." Haru decided after some thought. How many minutes had passed since they left the village? She couldn't be sure. 'Aki' gave the area one more scan before she nodded as if confirming that there indeed was no shirayuki grass in the area.

The forest was poorly lit, only spared by moonlight. Haru could hardly distinguish any pattern without bending down and getting closer. Yet, 'Aki' focused her gaze on the broader landscape as if she could see much more than Haru's imagination.

Yet, for all that confidence, if only the girl could care more - fear more - of her surroundings.

The first thing that startled 'Aki' this evening wasn't any of the animals that were shifting constantly in the forest. In fact, she heard the rustling sound that was encroaching near her feet. Sleek, smooth, and barely audible; it was the sound of a snake.

Was it threatened by the sudden intrusions around its nest? Was it attracted by the warm blood, wanting to take a bite at her ankle? 'Aki' glanced down for a second, seeing the snake coiling up its body, baring its fangs open. Probably the latter.

"Watch out!" Haru screamed just before 'Aki' planned to move her feet. As if cued by the sound, the snake pounced forward, only to miss its prey because 'Aki' took a step back at the last second.

'Aki' heard the rush of movements from Haru's side, frightful and full of panic. To her horror, she saw the older woman grabbing the shovel out of her basket, ready to swing it with all her might despite having shaky grips and shaky steps.

That won't do, 'Aki' thought. With the cluttered spaces around them, Haru was more likely to hurt herself before she could ward off the snake.

So, before that could happen, the long stick was swung in a tight circle. With a nimble motion, 'Aki' smacked the tip of the rod into the snake before it could react and fished it up, easily avoiding all the obstacles on the path. A twist of the wrist and the snake was flung into the distance, and the flight definitely wouldn't be gentle.

"What the …" A whisper from the side, followed by a thud as Haru dropped the shovel. A second later, her knees seemed to give out as well as she grabbed onto a tree branch in shock. 'Aki' rushed forward and helped her steady herself.

The woman was still shaking ever so slightly, permeating a smell of fear that 'Aki' wasn't sure was normal. Still, Haru didn't allow herself to remain traumatized for long. Shaking her head a little to clear her thoughts, Haru muttered thanks to 'Aki' before gently letting go of her shoulder, adamant about standing on her own.

"Are we still hunting for shirayuki grass?" 'Aki' opted to ask that instead of something else. Nevertheless, Haru looked like she got words stuck in her mouth - questions and explanations alike - but a second later, she merely nodded.

'Aki' never asked about Haru's life. Haru never talked about it. That was how it worked; a mutual and silent agreement. Yet, tonight, one party of that agreement decided to break it.

"I really didn't want you to come," Haru said all of a sudden. She half-knelt by the bush, reaching into the dark shades with her hand. "The forest and the land have been gracious, but it can also swallow one up."

"One day, Aki and I went into the forest to collect herbs. Before either of us noticed, she got bitten by a snake. A violent fever followed and she stopped breathing by midnight." Haru continued, but under the cover of leaves, 'Aki' could see the way her nails dug into the dirt when she thought nobody could see.

"I'm sorry to hear that." 'Aki' wasn't sure what to reply other than formal condolences. But it seemed like Haru was determined to go all or nothing because she wasn't done yet.

"There are concoctions to treat snake venom sold in big villages. They don't always work and they're very expensive, yet Hiroshi-kun always tried to trade for them whenever he could." There it was, the second scar on Haru's wound.

"But the war between Kiri and Konoha has been ongoing for a year. The merchant caravans that used to drop by every few months stopped coming. Accidents of bandits ambushing travellers spread fear amongst the people, including me. So when we ran out of concoctions, I begged Hiroshi to stay put, maybe, maybe just until the war is nearing its end." It was all coming together, the chain of events sending ripples to one another until they turned into a festering lesion that stung constantly.

"Hiroshi-kun left for a bigger village that day. Even if the chance was slim, we hoped that the gods would have mercy on us and let Aki last until his return." Haru barely managed to finish that sentence, bitterness and sorrow choked in her throat. As she said earlier, Aki never did last until Hiroshi's return, but that wasn't all.

"He never returned, did he?" 'Aki' whispered in a quiet voice. A dreadful silence ensued and Haru nodded.

"A week had passed, and I still hadn't heard from him. The village was kind to Aki, they gave Hiroshi all the money we had to buy concoctions, it was reasonable that Hiroshi owed them an answer. After another week, a few men had to go find him. Yet, all they found were his tattered belongings. The bandits - or maybe the missing-nin from the shinobi village - had gotten to him." Haru shook her head as if trying to shake off the terrible memories that resurfaced.

She took a deep breath to regain her composure, before raising herself from the ground. "So, please be careful in the forest, regardless of what you may be able to do." Lightly, she dusted off the chunks of dirt between her fingers and moved on to the next bush.

"So, is my presence here a poison or a medicine?" 'Aki' couldn't help but ask. She wanted to know if she was causing more harm by staying here longer. After all, she could make her presence quite flexible

Haru had to take a moment to process the question that came out of nowhere. But eventually, she replied with a curt laugh, "Poison and medicine can often be the same thing, depending on the dose. Who knows, maybe I found you to be both."

"Anesthesia, then," 'Aki' added, making Haru chuckle in agreement. 'Aki' nodded towards the direction to their right and suggested, "We should check over there. We haven't gone to that area yet."

Despite still having some bushes to go through, Haru decided to trust 'Aki' on this one. She followed the other girl as she waded through the dense branches. The visibility was still abysmal. A white rabbit could have hopped in front of them and Haru might not even recognize what it was.

"Well, is that it?" 'Aki's voice brought Haru's thought back to the present, only to find the girl kneeling down to brush the thick bush apart. A small patch of delicate grass sat in the shadow of larger plants, and white markings lined the veins on their leaves.

"Yes, that's it; that's shirayuki grass." Haru didn't waste any more time as she knelt down before the precious plants and started harvesting. They only needed the leaves, so she was careful with the blade, cutting only what she needed without damaging the plant beyond recovery.

Finally, when Haru collected enough for one batch of concoction, her anxious heart had been somewhat placated. Haru thought back to the words exchanged between her and her freeloader and realized why she asked the question.

"I'll admit, you're quite helpful," Haru told 'Aki'. You're really helpful, she thought. Even though I don't know who you used to be, or what you have done, neither do I find you free of suspicion, but by being here, you're really helpful to me.

It was true that Haru first wavered when she saw her, standing under the moonlight, covered in Aki's yukata, looking like a ghost that had finally returned home. Haru gave her the name 'Aki' to satiate the wave of longing that assaulted her soon after.

But she wasn't Aki, never was and never would be, so different that Haru could clearly distinguish them with ease. Yet, her brief yet temporary companionship was indeed relaxing. Hell, Haru wished she had her freeloader's temperament - oh, how easily the girl made peace with the part of her past that she had forgotten and started anew.

'Anesthesia' was correct. She wasn't a medicine that was meant to heal, but nevertheless something soothing to the pain.

'Aki' flashed her a small smile and replied. "If that's the case, you should keep me here. Maybe until I find a name for myself."

'Aki' decided that she didn't mind staying with Haru, for however long Haru wanted. A few months, a few years, until the village's demise, until Haru's demise … Even after all those time, like the verdant mountain that never loses its colour, 'Aki' would remain the same.

"Sure, take your time. Find something beautiful to call yourself," Haru said before they headed back toward the village.

Just a few hundred meters until Haru could return to her cottage and process the shirayuki grass. It was then that 'Aki' clasped onto her arm and halted her step with force. With confusion, Haru looked back, only to find the girl with furrowed brows and pursed lips.

"Mugwort smoke," 'Aki' whispered and Haru followed her gaze. She was looking at the patch of sky above the crowns of the trees.

The night sky looked like it was swaying slightly as if a thin veil of smoke had risen up, but it was too dark for Haru to be sure. Still, a faint whiff spread through the air and it was only because of the sheer familiarity that Haru recognized the scent of burned mugwort.

Haru had used mugworts on many different occasions, but when it was burned in such a harsh, raw manner, it was usually to hide the scent of the burnt flesh and dispel the miasma of the corpse. In that sense, the mugwort smoke was not really the smoke of mugwort, but the smoke of death.

"Matsue-san … No way, it's too soon." Haru tried to reason with herself. The fever shouldn't have caused death so quickly. Even if it did - Haru swallowed at the thought - the villagers wouldn't have burnt the deceased so quickly.

Then, is it someone else? What happened? When … Before Haru could find an acceptable answer, a hand wrapped around her wrist and she was pulled back and forced to catch up.

"Aki, wait!" Haru tried not to shout, but 'Aki' refused to give her any time to rest. The grip on her wrist was as strong as iron and 'Aki' was pulling her away from the village with such vindictiveness.

"It's too strong, the scent of the mugwort. Much more herbs are being burned than what the village usually uses for one, even two bodies." 'Aki' finally explained. Haru's breathing got faster, and she wasn't sure if it was because of how fast she was forced to run, or the dawning implication. "There's something very wrong, and I'm not letting you take that chance."

Haru wanted to shout back, but the village is all I ever know - it was Aki's and Hiroshi's village. Where would we even go if not go back?

Something pierced through the air, slicing open the night with a whistling sound. 'Aki' pulled on Haru violently, and both of them fell forward and tumbled into the forest floor. Haru felt something jagged knocking into her waist and tears swelled in her eyes due to the pain.

Again, with a strong force, 'Aki' pulled Haru up from the ground and stood in front of her. In such a disoriented state, Haru could barely make sense of the surroundings, but she still caught a glimpse of the metallic shine on a tree trunk nearby.

Was that a shinobi's kunai?

"So there are two that got away," someone - an intruder - said as the figure came out of the shadow. His green jacket blended in with the background, His shoes barely making a sound on the ground. On the man's forehead, a symbol that resembled a leaf was carved on the metallic plate.

Shinobi shouldn't be killing civilians. Konohagakure shouldn't be hunting the citizens of Fire Country.

Fear, confusion, desperation … so many things melted together in Haru's brain, making her legs go weak if not for the hand that held onto her arm. My voice, Haru gagged. Pleading, praying, screaming, any sound would do, if only she could get some sort of answer about her fate. But it didn't look like the shinobi deemed them worthy of any explanations.

"I'll make it painless." The shinobi cracked his knuckle, his hand moving towards the weapon holder on his leg. It was then that Haru felt the support on her arm disappear, along with a whisper, "Run." The next second, 'Aki' dashed out, running towards the shinobi with only a wooden stick in hand.

The shinobi was only shocked for a second before he shook his head. All he needed to do was raise his fist and push. With the force of one strike, 'Aki' was flung to the side. She crashed onto a tree, making a sound that awfully resembled bones knocking against a hard surface. Then, she rolled onto the ground and stopped moving.

Finally, the invisible hand on Haru's windpipe loosened and she let out a scream.

The shinobi clicked his tongue, clearly finding the whole ordeal disruptive and inconvenient. But that was it, the two villagers in front of him were just that, an inconvenience.

At that moment, anger and hatred exploded in Haru, somehow overriding the fear that permeated every inch of her body, giving her some strength to move. Haru scrambled towards the fallen girl, despite how futile that action would be - any action would be.

Legends had it that shinobi could move faster than the swiftest wind. In the blink of an eye, the man appeared in front of Haru, blocking her path to 'Aki', another blade already in his hand. Haru's pupils constricted when she saw the metallic shine raised above her head, ready to strike down at any moment.

Crack. It sounded like a branch being snapped.

Almost on instinct, the shinobi paused what he was doing and turned towards the sound that seemed to come from behind.

Haru thought she had heard the sigh of the wind when something sailed - no, sliced - in front of the shinobi. It was as if someone had taken a giant brush and painted a crescent arc, but not with the obsidian ink, but with vermillion red.

Blood splashed out from the shinobi's neck while his body fell to the side. By the time he hit the ground, his entire upper torso was painted in that obnoxious colour of red while his face was frozen in a permanent state of shock.

Slowly, Haru moved her eyes past the corpse and towards the direction of that crescent moon. 'Aki' stood silently, her chest heaving up and down in a calm and steady rhythm, as she held what looked like a spear in her hand.

Spear? It was only then that Haru noticed the fact that a small strip of fabric tied the blade - the same blade she used to collect leaves - to the end of the wooden stick - the one she used to open a path in the forest. Haru had no idea when 'Aki' even took the blade from her basket, let alone when she connected the makeshift parts together.

As if to finish the last stroke of the painting, 'Aki' flicked her arm and the thin coat of blood that stained the spear's tip was cast off into the shadow.

She said, "we have to run."

A/N: Yeah, the main character is not getting any good experience with these so-called shinobi so far.

That's three chapters for the initial posting. Thank you for reading it!