Chapter 13

Ashidon glared at the man, causing him to shake as if he was a leaf caught in a hurricane. The other villagers too seemed to shrink in on themselves. The terror they felt was palpable and the silence was so thick that it could be cut with a kunai.

"I had asked you earlier if you had seen them, why would you put the lives of your people at risk for ninjas not of your lands?" Ashidon asked in a cold tone.

The man didn't answer, as if the words were stuck in his throat. But Ashidon didn't miss the lingering hatred boiling in the depths of the man's eyes.

The third great shinobi war is one fought between the hidden leaf and the stone villages. Other villages have taken the opportunity to engage in the conflict as well, but the majority of the conflict takes place in the territory of the hidden grass village. Just how the second shinobi war took place in the hidden rain village's territory despite the opposing forces not being from the hidden rain village.

Ashidon could understand the hatred these people felt towards the great nations. But he was a member of the hidden leaf, it wasn't his duty to look after the well-being of these people. He was simply doing his duty, let those in charge dispute the morality of things. That was what he believed.

"Crow four through seven, the enemies are in that building over there. They are likely hiding in a cellar of some sort. Take this man as a guide and capture them alive. I would like to question them before sending them on their way." Ashidon addressed his team while holding eye contact with the village head, as if daring him to refuse.

His men nodded and took the village head, who had a defeated look on his face towards his home. Ashidon did not disperse his void smoke and continued to stare into the crowd of villagers with his frightening glare. The jonin who spoke up earlier leaned into Ashidons ear to speak once more. "Captain, will you allow me to deal with the village head?"

"I have no issue with it, but don't be long. We need to move on as soon as possible. You have until I finish questioning them." Ashidon replied after taking a moment to think on the request.

The Jonin stood back with a wicked smile on his face. Ashidon did not mind as he knew the quirks of the members of his team. They were killers, and some had more sadistic tendencies. As long as they followed his commands then he had no issue with them.

[Krakaka-booooooom] At that moment a large explosion went off in the home of the village head. The intensity was enough to push Ashidon back a few steps and he raised his arm to shield his face from flying debris. The villagers fell to the ground in shock. Ashidon looked back at the home and was met with the sight of destruction. The home was completely gone, activating his soul sight he searched the area and found eight souls without their shells. Everyone in the home had died.

Anger boiled within Ashidon as he looked on at the destruction. He had failed and it caused the deaths of four of his men. He cursed his foolishness, why hadn't he considered the stone nin deciding to take their lives along with any who pursued them? Why didn't he send in his crows to root them out instead of his men? Why hadn't he warned them to check for traps before entering? These were the questions filling his head.

In his self deprecating angered state, Ashidon was vulnerable. The jonin from earlier crept beside him and spoke with gritted teeth. "Captain, this is what I was talking about. These people knew this would happen, they probably planned the entire thing with those stone scum! They aren't innocents, they are a danger to the leaf and it's forces. If we don't eliminate these threats then they could conspire against us again. Give the word and we could end them immediately. For our dead comrades."

Ashidon's mind was clouded by rage and remorse. He eyed the villagers as they stood to their feet, among their faces he could only see the hate they displayed for him and his team. Those hate filled eyes superimposed themselves on the confused and scared faces of the villagers. He snarled his next words, "Kill them all."

The jonin standing by his side smiled cruelly and looked back at the other jonin who smiled in return. What followed next could only be described as an execution. A bloody, gut wrenching one. The two jonin took great pleasure in inflicting as much pain as they could on the defenseless villagers. Ashidon just stood and watched on as they went about their grisly task.

Yet, as he watched on, and the embers of his rage began to dimm and his head cleared, he only felt great shame. He was ashamed of his impulsiveness, but it was too late to stop them. The order had been given and blood had already been spilt. It was too late to say sorry and move on. So he just looked on in numb silence.

When it was all over the village was silent. The dead lay about in various stages of mutilation. The two jonin stood in the center of the carnage panting in exhaustion while smiling in ecstasy. Ashidon said nothing as he absorbed the souls of the villagers along with his dead team and the stone nin. After absorbing their souls he turned and left, the two remaining jonin soon following after him. As they moved, Ashidon's eyes continued to glow their deathly green.