Death

Rei was woken from his sleep as he heard the sound of a bell echoing through the village into his room. "Huh?" Feeling groggy he slowly opened his eyes only to see that his room had an orange light coming from his window. "What is that light…" Shoving the covers off of his body while getting out of bed Rei slowly made his way to his room's window.

"What's happening." Looking out the window Rei saw embers floating in front of his vision. Dozens of buildings throughout the village were on fire. Realizing what was happening Rei froze for a moment before quickly running to the side of his bed.

Placed next to his drawer was a katana his father gave to him fitted to his size just in case of emergencies. 'Right father!' Grabbing the katana he ran out of his room slamming the door open. "Mom! Dad! Wake up!" Yelling down the hallway Rei's scream caused his parents to immediately open their eyes as the sound of the Village warning bell reached them.

Coming out into the hallway Rei's dad quickly looked around only to see Rei staring at him down the hall. "Dad the village it's on fire!" Hearing his son Rei's dad quickly made his way to the front door and opened it. Indeed like Rei had said the entire village was almost completely engulfed with flames. "What the hell is happening." Whispering under his breath he turned back to Rei.

"Rei, go get your mother, this isn't just a fire. That bell means there are intruders as well." Nodding Rei got his mother as his father ran to the back room of the house. In that room perched on an altar was a sword. This sword was a long Katana with a purple handle along with a brownish-orange sheath and an oval-shaped guard.

This was the sword that had been passed down to each Kuro clan leader. While it was said to be forged by their ancestors no one truly knows the truth due to so much being lost in translation and to time. However, this sword was special in one way and that was it was supposedly indestructible and incredibly sharp.

Even over these years it has never rusted or dented no matter how much blood it has shed. No sword in the Clan could compare in the pure cutting ability it easily broke any blade that dared it could contest it. Feeling the urgency of the situation Rei's dad didn't hesitate to grab the sword off of the altar as he ran back to the main hallway where Rei and his mother were already waiting.

"Rei I want you and your mother to head to the underground Shelter and meet up with the rest of the villagers." Listening to her husband Rei's mom nodded until Rei spoke up. "What but dad I can help let me fight with you." Looking at his son Rei's dad bent down on one knee and patted Rei on the head.

"I know you could. I even bet you could send packing by yourself. But I need you to protect your mother and the other villagers. Even if we beat the bad guys if they make it to that Shelter then no one will be safe do you understand."

Hesitating Rei clenched his fist around his Katana's sheath. "Yes, father." Rei's dad's eyes turned soft as he ruffled Rei's hair. "Don't worry I'll take care of them quickly and catch up with you guys when it's safe. You keep your mom safe alright."

Closing his eyes for a moment Rei opened them once again nodding his head firmly. "Alright good now go." Standing up Rei's dad was preparing to leave before Rei's mom ran up to him and hugged him. "Be safe and don't do anything stupid." Looking at him with worry in her eyes he laughed. "Oh please like they're going to be able to kill me."

Giving Rei and his mom a thumb's up he ran out of the house towards the center of the village. Staring in his dad's direction for a moment Rei grabbed his mom's hand. "Ok, mom lets go." Leading his mom through the back door they began to make their way to the village's underground shelter.

Meanwhile, in the center of the village, everything was chaos. "Help somebody!" A woman carrying her baby in her arms was running from a ninja dressed in grey. Holding a Kunai in hand the ninja aimed directly at the back of the woman's head. Throwing the Kunai in his hand the woman could only huddle her baby close to her chest and close her eyes.

However there was no pain, instead, a clunking sound rang out as the woman opened her eyes. "Are you okay?" Looking up behind her she saw Rei's father wielding the unsheathed sword passed down to each Clan leader. "Yes thank you Clan leader." Crying as she thanked him he nodded his head towards her before telling her to leave.

Turning his attention back to the ninja who threw the Kunai Rei's father looked at their headbands. "Sound ninja?" Narrowing his eyes Rei's father was about to speak to the sound ninja until the ninja suddenly attacked. Pulling out another Kunai he prepared to kill Rei's father however the opposite happened.

Taking the same stance he took when sparring Rei's father enhanced his entire body. At a speed that the ninja could not react to. Whispering a single word Rei's father moved at a speed beyond normal. "Nadegiri." With his arm becoming a blur the ninja froze in place. Suddenly the ninja's body began to split as a black line appeared across his body. A second later the sound ninja split into half both sides falling onto the floor.

"You all have some nerve attacking my Clan like this." Turning around as the burning buildings reflected a flame in his eyes he gazed at a group of seven sound ninjas. "I hope you're ready to pay with your lives." It was only then that a male's voice came among the sound ninja's.

"Heh, you're just as strong as Lord Orochimaru said you would be. Of course, you're still no match for me." A sound ninja with six arms and purple rope tied bow along with black shaggy ponytail looked at Rei's father with an arrogant smile. "Oh is that right and what would your name be?" Hearing the man's tone the six-armed sound ninja smirked. "The name's Kidomaru though it won't matter since you'll be dead in the next couple seconds." Taking note of his name Rei's father revealed a cold glint in his eyes as he prepared for a fight.

Meanwhile, Rei and his mother had almost made their way to the underground shelter. "Mom we are almost there, the shelter is just down this road." Making their way over a large hill Rei suddenly froze as a putrid smell entered his nose. Lying before him burning away was the underground shelter. Feeling the need to throw up Rei fell to the ground on all fours.

"Rei! Rei don't look ok!" Rei's mother knew that smell was the smell that came from corpses burning. Breathing heavily Rei's young mind seemed to be on the brink of breaking. "But dad said… We have to protect the villagers but." Looking at her son Rei's mom held him in her arms while speaking to him.

"It's ok Rei, it's not your fault we just arrived too late. We should go back and meet up with your father. I bet he's already dealt with the intru-'' Rei's mom was interrupted by a man's voice. "Oh, we must have missed a few." The man with six arms wearing the sound ninja's headband was standing behind Rei and his mother.

"Oh well, I guess I'll deal with you two myself." Opening his mouth Kidomaru secreted a golden substance from his mouth forming a sword. Still holding Rei in her arms Rei's mother looked at the man with fear in her eyes. Looking down at Rei she spoke to him. "Rei you need to run!"

Looking up to his mother and then to Kidomaru, Rei remembered his father's words to protect his mother. 'Dammit if I can't save the villagers I at least need to protect mom.' Getting himself together Rei smiled at his mother as he removed himself from her arms. "Don't worry mom I'll protect you just like dad said."

Drawing his blade from his katana Rei could feel himself shaking but ignored it. "Oh, that stance?" Kidomaru smiled when he saw Rei preparing to fight him and Rei's mother tried to stop him but it was too late. "Haa!" Dashing towards Kidomaru similarly to how he did when fighting his father in their sparring match Rei went for a slashing motion.

However, despite his attack, all he did was kick up dust as Kidomaru dodged out of the way using his six arms to perform a dodging maneuver before kicking Rei in the chest. Getting knocked away Rei flew into a nearby tree before hitting the ground. "Rei!" Rei's mother cried seeing her son get hurt. Sadly it was that shout that brought Kidomaru's attention to her. "Lord Orochimaru said we only need the children."

Grinning with cruelty at the woman he slowly approached her which caused her to freeze up. "You… You stay away from us."

Tumbling to the ground Rei's mother watched as Kidomaru went up to her raising the sword he created. Feeling this was the end Rei's mother looked towards Rei who was struggling to get off the ground.

"Rei I'm sorry. Just run away!" Hearing his mother yell run Rei kept coughing as he felt as if his lungs had been crushed. "M- Mom…" Turning his head, Rei's eyes widened as he saw Kidomaru's sword fall and slice his mother's head clean off splattering blood across the ground.

Rei's face turned white as almost all emotion left his face. "What an annoying woman." Ignoring the fact he had just killed Rei's mother Kidomaru felt a slight sting on his cheek. Using one of his hands to wipe his cheek he realized there was a cut on it. 'When did this get here.' Kidomaru went into his memory for a moment before turning his gaze to Rei. "That brat!"

Feeling pissed off, Kidomaru walked over to Rei who's mind seemed to have broken. "Lord Orochimaru only said we needed a few kids for his experiments. I'm sure it'll be fine If I kill you." Standing over Rei Kidomaru ran his sword through Reis back causing the child to feel something he had never felt before.

Unimaginable pain. The pain he had never felt before made him want to scream but he couldn't. The pain was so intense he semi passed out turning limp. "What an irritating village I guess I should get back." After 'killing' Rei Kidomaru disappeared from Rei's view leaving him lying there as blood slowly began to leak from his wound into his clothes.

As his vision began to turn blurry Rei had tears running down his face. 'The pain has disappeared.' With his mind barely functioning properly Rei only had one thing on his mind. 'Dad… If I can find dad he can save mom, right? Ya of course dad can save mom.' Not accepting reality Rei ignored the pain he felt as he stood up stumbling as he went.

'I need to find dad…' Holding his stomach Rei began to slowly make his way back to the village leaving behind a trail of blood. Ignoring the burning corpses he saw on the way and the burning buildings Rei had become immune to the smell or to be more precise he could no longer smell nor could he hear.

As he made his way to the center of the village he slowly began to lose some of his senses. Using one arm to use a building as support Rei turned around the corner finally making it to the center of the village only to be welcomed with a gruesome sight.

Littering the ground were dozens of Sound ninja's bodies all of them had cuts in vital areas and some were even decapitated or cut in half. Looking at the one body the sound ninja's corpses were surrounding Rei felt as if his world was crumbling apart as images of his dad flashed in his mind.

Sitting there on his knees Rei's father has a long arrow penetrating through his neck into the ground holding his body up. As the fires raged around Rei he walked like a zombie towards his father. "Dad…"

Walking up to his dad's body he could see his dad's eyes were devoid of light with blood covering his face. "Dad are you ok." Feeling his heartbeat speed up Rei began to hyperventilate as his vision began to blur and the pain from his wound returned.

"AAAAH!" Finally, Rei let out a scream full of the pain from his wound and mental trauma before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground in front of his father.

Landing on top of his father's sword before Rei completely lost consciousness he heard a voice. "You are worthy."