Ozunu Part 3

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Japan, Ozunu Orphanage

The fire was bright in the night as it spread all throughout the orphanage, a hungry beast consuming everything in its path. Shadow and light danced in the flickering flames, casting eerie patterns on the walls.

Raizo surveyed the room, spinning his kusarigama his senses on high alert, listening, watching, waiting.

He had been through this training countless times. Raizo knew Ozunu's methods, his tactics, his unpredictable movements.

As the orphanage fire continued rage, shadows and light flickered with the flames.

He heard a sound and swung his weapon, but Ozunu appeared behind him, katana flashing. A gash opened on Raizo's back, blood welling. Before Raizo could react, Ozunu vanished.

"Again." Ozunu's voice echoed.

Raizo's eyes widened as he felt a presence beside him. Ozunu was there beside him, Ozunu's katana was fast slicing through the air, leaving a bloody wound across Raizo's chest.

Ozunu then launched a kick a powerful, unstoppable force connecting with Raizo's stomach.

Raizo knelt down to the ground and his body was in full of pain. He spat out blood, his eyes fixed on Ozunu, a mix of anger and determination in his gaze.

Ozunu looked at him straight in the eyes, his black eyes were emotionless and unreadable.

He repeated his words, "Again." his voice was cold, unyielding command.

"WRAHH!" Raizo screamed, his voice raw with pain and rage. He stood up, his movements were full of rage as he swung his kusarigama towards Ozunu with anger.

Ozunu merely frowned, steps aside dodging effortlessly and disappearing again.

His voice, a ripple in the air, carried his lesson.

"The perfect ninja kills silently."

Ozunu reappeared behind Raizo, who spun around swinging the kusarigama.

Ozunu this time didn't dodge but sliced through the chain, sparks flying then took a step back as he vanished.

"The perfect ninja controls every part of his body." Ozunu's voice whispered, his words a deadly lesson. He reappeared at Raizo's side slicing his arms making a wound appear as blood gushed out.

Raizo gritted his teeth enduring the pain full of determination and steel resolve. He swung his kusarigama but Ozunu with a swift move slashed it again sending sparks flying.

Ozunu stepped back, vanishing into the shadows.

"The perfect ninja uses his weapon like a part of his body." Ozunu's voice echoed again throughout the room.

Ozunu appeared in front of Raizo, his katana aimed at Raizo's legs. He ducked his movement fast and swift as he slashed sideways, wounds appeared on Raizo's legs.

Making Raizo stagger but he didn't fall. Raizo gritted his teeth to force himself to stand up full of unwavering determination. Raizo refused to yield rise up but Ozunu had vanished.

"The perfect ninja controls their very presence, disappearing in plain sight." Ozunu's voice spread throughout the room.

Ozunu reappeared his katana was pointing at Raizo the tip of the blade hovering just above Raizo's carotid artery.

Raizo's eyes widened in fear but he didn't yield. He moved a slight shift and a small cut appeared on his neck.

Ozunu with a flick of his wrist pulled back his blade.

"Why?" Raizo asked, his voice laced with uncertainty his mind struggling to comprehend Ozunu's actions.

Ozunu didn't answer. He launched a kick, a powerful force that sent Raizo flying, crashing through a wall, destroying it.

Raizo rolled into another room, spitting blood struggling to rise.

Ozunu surveyed the fallen ninjas of both the Ozunu and Arashikage clans his brow furrowed before he turned his attention to Raizo.

Raizo his kusarigama still in his hand, swings it to strike again but Ozunu was already moving.

He slashed his katana cutting through the chain of the kusarigama.

Sparks flew, the chain snapped. Raizo's eyes widened in shock. Ozunu had been striking the same spot, weakening the chain with each blow.

Raizo had no time to be stunned as Ozunu disappeared again before appearing in front of Raizo before he could react the blade of the katana plunged deep into his stomach. He gasped in pain shooting through his body.

He grasped Ozunu's arm stopping Ozunu's movement, his eyes fixed on Ozunu's, a mix of anger and confusion in his gaze as blood gushed from his mouth.

Ozunu simply stared back with his still black expression and his emotionless eyes. He repeated his words,

"Again!" with a swift movement, he withdrew his katana creating a gaping wound in Raizo's stomach.

Raizo screams as pain wracking his body.

"Again." Ozunu said, his voice was cold and emotionless. "This time, with katanas." He kicked a katana laying on the floor from the pile of dead bodies towards Raizo.

Raizo whose body had weakened as his strength was waning, looked up at Ozunu. He took a deep breath his vision blurring.

He reached for the katana his hand was trembling as he stabbed it into the floor, using it as a crutch to slowly rise.

Ozunu frowned, his brow furrowed, his eyes fixed on Raizo who was struggling. He kicked another katana towards Raizo.

Raizo, without a word, took the katana and used it as a support. reached the katana and stabbed it into the floor, his movements slow but steady, he then slowly stood up although his body was aching and his resolve was hardening.

Raizo took deep breaths trying to calm his racing heart trying to focus his mind.

Raizo opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on Ozunu and he charged. He moved with a speed and ferocity he hadn't displayed before. He swung his two katanas, aiming for Ozunu's head and chest.

Ozunu waves his katana at a fast speed blocking Raizo's attack.

He simply looked at Raizo, his eyes were cold, and his face was still expressionless. "Again!" he shouted.

*Clang!* "Again!" Swish! "Again!" The clash of steel echoed through the room. Sparks flew with each parry, each block, each desperate swing.

Each clash Raizo's face softened, his movements becoming more fluid and fast as he became calm while Ozunu remained expressionless.

Raizo launched a final attack, his movements became much faster as he raised his katanas aiming for Ozunu's head but Ozunu, with a powerful unyielding force blocked the attack.

Ozunu whispered, his eyes now filled with seriousness, "Again." He used the force of Raizo's attack to push him back.

Raizo stumbled back and his body was exhausted, his mind struggling to keep up with the relentless onslaught but he wasn't giving up.

He knew he had to push himself harder to dig deeper to fully control the true power within him, copying Ozunu.

He relaxed his movements becoming more fluid and more instinctual. He closed his eyes as he took a step back and he vanished.

Ozunu's eyes narrowed. He had been expecting this anticipating Raizo's next move.

"Why?" Raizo's voice whispered in the shadows, echoed through the room.

Raizo reappeared behind Ozunu, his katana slashing through the air, a bloody gash appearing on Ozunu's back.

Raizo, faster than Ozunu, vanished again. He reappeared in front of Ozunu his katana raised ready to strike.

"Why?!" Raizo's voice echoed, filled with a mixture of confusion and anger. He waved down his katana slicing through the air, landing another blow on Ozunu's chest

Raizo reappeared behind Ozunu, his eyes blazing with determination, and slashed.

A wound appeared on Ozunu's back. Raizo vanished and reappeared, continuing his relentless assault.

Ozunu didn't defend. He let Raizo attack. Each time Raizo reappears, each time Raizo asks, 'Why?' a new wound opened on Ozunu's body. His clothes were stained crimson, his body weakened, yet he didn't flinch.

He simply took the blows, his gaze fixed on Raizo, his expression was unreadable. Ozunu coughed, blood staining his lips. He knelt, stabbing his katana into the floor for support.

Raizo's movements slowed down as he finally appeared stopping in front of Ozunu holding his katana.

"Why are you still teaching me?!" Raizo asked, his voice laced with confusion, his grip on the katana tightening.

He had reached a decision to kill Ozunu so he could break free from the pain and violence and live his life but he had to know why Ozunu was doing this.

Ozunu spat blood before he talked his voice a raspy whisper and looked at Raizo.

"You are an awakened human, capable of copying any physical action. You were meant to be the perfect ninja." Ozunu said, his voice was still emotionless but his words were a statement of fact a recognition of Raizo's potential.

"But it looks like I'm wrong." Ozunu said, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

He looked in a certain direction his brow furrowed before he turned back to Raizo. He knew Raizo's intentions and goals.

He grinned, a terrifying unhinged grin. "You want to kill me." he said, his voice taunting Raizo. "But the Ozunu clan will never end with me! Remember that!"

Raizo, his eyes fixed on Ozunu before closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, calming himself, a sense of peace in the midst of chaos as he thought what he had been through, he had lost so much.

He thought of Kiriko for her kindness, and her unwavering belief in him.

He opened his eyes now with determination he took a step forward as he vanished. He reappeared in front of Ozunu, his katana plunging deep into Ozunu's chest.

Ozunu, his eyes were calm as he spat blood. He looked at Raizo, his expression a mixture of calm and understanding.

"From now on, I don't need to be afraid of you." Raizo stated his voice was steady and calm.

"I will live my life." Raizo pulled out his katana watching as Ozunu bled, his life draining away.

Ozunu's grin, that terrifying unhinged expression slowly softened. He smiled calmly and an almost serene smile appeared on his face.

Raizo frowned as he didn't understand why he'd smile as he observed Ozunu seeing him not doing anything he just shook his head.

Ozunu's eyes, his gaze fixed on Raizo, were filled with a mixture of sadness and acceptance. What Raizo didn't know is that Ozunu can still heal if he focuses all his strength on healing his wounds but he didn't.

He knew it was over. He had to die. The Tōryō of the Ozunu clan had to die.

His death would be a message to the world, the end of the clan, giving the children a chance and time to grow, so they can get stronger and find their own paths.

Ozunu pressed his hand to his wounds, looking towards the howl, then up at the orphanage ceiling. He focused his remaining strength on his voice empowering it, as his words meant to be his final legacy. the final piece of his plan

Raizo, his katana still in his hand, started walking towards the door but then he heard a wolf howl a piercing primal sound contained sadness and anger echoed through the ruins.

He stopped, turning towards the direction of the forest, his mind was racing as his senses became high alert before turning to Ozunu as he heard Ozunu start to talk.

"Raizo, you are not the perfect ninja!" Ozunu shouted as he declared, his voice clear and strong despite his bleeding.

Raizo frowned before turning completely towards Ozunu, listening intently.

Ozunu just continued shouting, not caring for him.

"I was wrong. I thought orphans would only be loyal to the clan!" Ozunu said, his voice filled with a sense of regret.

"They will always think about their past families. They will always try to break free but there are those who followed orders, who were loyal like Takeshi but they cannot lead the clan to a better future!" He looked around at the burning orphanage.

Raizo, still listening, his gaze fixed on Ozunu as he feels a strange mix of emotions of confusion and curiosity as he knows Ozunu wasn't talking about him.

"Until you come along. You were an orphan like them, yet smarter, a prodigy. You never had a family, but you were different. You were a kid thirsty for power, for strength. I always knew you didn't want to stay in the clan!" Ozunu coughed, his strength waning.

"When you mastered the strength of the Ozunu clan, I always thought you were going to leave, or escape!"

Raizo's eyes narrowed as he looked towards the forest direction before taking a step as he vanished.

"But you stayed!" Ozunu said, his voice filled with a hint of pride yet his voice began to tremble. "I observed you. I knew you were worried for the kids. You were always waiting for the right time to let them go!" He coughed again, his strength waning.

"That's when I found the perfect heir of the Ozunu clan!" Ozunu's vision was fading as he gazed at the ceiling imagining the future.

"You cared for them because whether you want it or not, you will always be a part of the Ozunu. You are different from them. You will always pursue strength. And this orphanage, this was the beginning of your story. This clan will always be a part of you. Wherever you are, wherever you may go, whether you use Asura or your given name, you will always be an Ozunu!"

Ozunu's hands are weak and trembling, falling to his side. His body drained of its life force, began to succumb as he gave up on his body focusing and gathered his remaining strength towards his voice making it clear and powerful as he closed his eyes.

"NOW, STAND UP AND FIGHT! YOU ARE THE TŌRYŌ OF OZUNU! YOU SHALL LEAD THEM TO GREATNESS!"

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Next Chapter 43: Ozunu Part 4

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