Kaizen followed behind Uzumaki Ayame, their footsteps soft against the forest floor. The sunlight streamed through the canopy above, casting dancing patterns of light and shadow that shifted with the wind. Though Ayame carried herself with a carefree aura—humming softly and swinging her arms as she walked—Kaizen could tell she was alert. Every so often, her eyes darted into the trees, scanning for movement. She was confident, but not careless.
Despite how much time they'd spent together over the past few days, she remained a mystery to him. She hadn't revealed much about herself beyond her clan—Uzumaki—and her name. But her battle instincts and chakra control hinted at someone with real field experience.
After nearly an hour of walking, the woods began to open. The dense trees gave way to a small, moss-covered clearing. At its center stood an old, abandoned shrine. Weathered stones and decaying beams surrounded it like forgotten guardians from another era.
"Hey! Look who I brought!" Ayame called out cheerfully, waving toward three teenagers lounging near the shrine steps.
Kaizen squinted. The three figures rose at her call, but something about the way they moved made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Their posture, their expressions—they were too composed. Too controlled.
They didn't greet Ayame. Instead, they slowly began to circle around her and Kaizen, their movements subtle but coordinated. Like predators waiting for the right moment to pounce.
"Hey, you!" Ayame snapped, her voice shifting from playful to serious. "What are you doing? Why are you unsheathing your blades?!"
The answer came in cold steel. All three drew their weapons simultaneously and lunged.
Kaizen instinctively stepped back, heart pounding. But Ayame moved like a blur, chakra flaring from her body as two glowing crimson chains burst forth from her back, intercepting the attackers mid-charge. The clanging of steel against chakra echoed through the clearing.
"Please don't blame us," one of them said with an eerie calm. "It's just a mission."
"Shut up! Stop talking to them and attack!" another barked, surging forward again with deadly intent.
Kaizen stumbled back further, jaw clenched in frustration. He couldn't reveal his strength—not yet. Not until he was strong enough to crush everyone standing in his way. For now, he could only watch.
With a puff of chakra smoke, the three dropped their disguises, revealing older, scarred faces and worn flak jackets. Their transformation complete, their true identities were clear.
Chūnin. Stone Village ninja. Iwagakure.
Ayame's gaze sharpened. "So you're not even pretending anymore…"
She lashed her chakra chains toward the first attacker. He ducked and slashed with his short sword, but she twisted mid-air and landed a powerful knee strike into his abdomen. He crumpled, gasping for breath.
The second enemy came in from the side, attempting a flanking strike, but Ayame whirled and drove her elbow into his jaw before spinning into a sweeping kick that sent him crashing into the shrine's wall with a thunderous crack.
The third, a kunoichi with dark eyes and a jagged blade, approached silently and fast. Her upward slash grazed Ayame's shoulder, drawing blood.
Ayame hissed but didn't flinch. With one quick seal, she unleashed an explosive burst of chakra, hurling the woman back and smashing her into a broken pillar.
Kaizen watched everything unfold, unmoving. He said nothing. He did nothing.
The three attackers groaned on the ground, bruised and broken but still alive.
Kaizen finally stepped forward. "Are they…?"
"They're alive," Ayame said, panting. "Barely."
She dropped to her knees beside the first one and slapped his cheek, forcing him to stay conscious. "Who sent you? What was the real mission?!"
The man chuckled weakly, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "You… won't get far…"
Ayame's brows furrowed. Something wasn't right. She opened her mouth to question him further but the man died.
A suffocating presence fell over the clearing like a tidal wave of dread.
Kaizen felt it before he saw it—a pressure so intense it made the air feel heavier. His body stiffened as his instincts screamed danger.
From the shadows behind the shrine, a tall figure emerged. A Calm. Radiating power.
A Jōnin.
He stepped forward with deliberate ease, his voice cold and mocking. "Tch. These kids are useless. Making me come out and finish the job myself."
Then, without warning, he vanished—blurring from sight and reappearing with a thunderous kick that connected directly with Ayame's chest.
"Ughk!" Ayame gasped as she was sent flying. Her body slammed into a tree with a sickening thud, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Kaizen's eyes widened in horror.
"Oh? A Konoha kid?" the Jōnin said, turning to him. "You couldn't even protect your comrade. What good are you, huh?"
He laughed—a harsh, cruel sound. "Should I kill you now? Or let you run and tell your little village what happened?"
He studied Kaizen's appearance—his plain clothes, small build, and dull chakra signature. A weakling, the Jōnin thought. A waste of effort.
He took a step forward, slowly drawing his blade.
Kaizen's face contorted—part fear, part pain. He backed up, shaking, his hands trembling.
The Jōnin burst into laughter. "You really are pathetic! What are you, a failed Genin?"
"Die," he snarled, voice dripping with disdain.
He leapt forward.