Chapter | XXXI |

They moved like shadows through the castle, their steps as silent as whispers, and their presence concealed in the darkness. Each step was measured, every movement calculated to perfection. Like ethereal spiders, they clung to the ceiling, navigating the wide and sprawling hallway with supernatural grace.

Behind the heavily fortified door, stifled cries of despair echoed, trapped souls yearning for liberation. Rumi's fingers danced elegantly across her bow, while Naruto, a blur of motion, stealthily closed in on one of the guards, rendering him lifeless with a swift and lethal twist of the neck.

A black arrow, guided by Rumi's unwavering aim, found its mark in another guard's skull, and with uncanny precision, two Kunais found their way into the remaining sentries' eyes. The guards crumpled soundlessly to the floor, leaving the path clear for them.

Asashi's heart pounded within him; the weight of his first kills was heavy, but he mustered the strength to suppress the maelstrom of emotions that threatened to consume him. A solemn nod to his comrades conveyed his resolve to stand with them.

Kakashi, the master tactician, unrolled a sealing scroll with skillful precision, erasing any evidence of spilled blood. Asashi, harnessing the power of Earth Style, made the bodies vanish without a trace, ensuring their passage would remain veiled in secrecy. The once-muffled cries had now diminished to silence, the captives' suffering quelled by their audacious saviors.

Kakashi signaled the team with a subtle hand gesture, weaving a series of signs that materialized a crimson red knife in his hand.

'Fire Style: Compressed Knife.'

The blade glinted with an eerie glow as it sliced through the lock as if it were made of the thinnest parchment. A fleeting moment of stillness followed, an understanding passing between the group, and then they moved like apparitions, slipping through the opened door and dissolving into the shadows.

Within the dimly illuminated room, a voice laced with confusion sounded, and a man cloaked in darkness stood up. As he approached, the gut-wrenching sight of five women, mere teenagers, shackled to a pole, came into view.

Their tattered and soiled garments offered little protection, their dignity stripped away. Bound by ropes, their voices muted, and their eyes devoid of hope, these innocent souls stirred an inferno of fury within Rumi. Kakashi's stoic gaze observed the rising intensity in her eyes.

"Rumi," he said calmly, "on my signal."

'They're from the village,' Naruto thought with a grim face.

As the tension mounted, Rumi's patience waned. At Kakashi's silent command, she unleashed a Netherite Arrow at the man. But in a display of eerie skill, he snatched the arrow from the air, shattering it as if it were fragile glass.

"Nice try," Kakashi praised with a small smile.

Before the man could retaliate, Kakashi, an enigmatic serpent, struck with a lethal Kunai attack, silencing the man forever.

Disappointment washed over Rumi, her spirit humbled by the gravity of her actions. Naruto followed Kakashi's lead, and Asashi, his inner turmoil concealed behind a mask of determination, trailed behind. A heavy sigh escaped Rumi's lips as she exited the room taking a final glance at the wide-eyed teens.

They slid into the shadows again and ventured further.

At the end of the dimly lit and foreboding hallway, Team 7 confronted an awe-inspiring sight - an enormous door guarded by a formidable array of sentries. The team, their determination palpable, prepared themselves to breach the towering entrance.

Before they could proceed, however, the underground cave seemed to tremble and quake with an unexpected force. Debris and sand cascaded from the ceiling, widening Kakashi's eyes in astonishment and apprehension.

In a heart-stopping moment, the colossal door began to rumble, and with a resounding crash, it collapsed inwards, obliterating the guards who had been stationed before it. Their futile screams were drowned in the chaos of the colossal metal slab.

"Quick! Move!" Kakashi's urgent command echoed through the chamber.

With the cave threatening to collapse around them, Team 7 and a few cloaked figures sprinted towards the exit, but the team displayed unmatched speed, leaving the others in their dust like an unstoppable force.

As they ascended the winding stairs, a gripping sense of dread settled in their hearts. Naruto briefly glanced behind him, and his horror intensified; standing at the gates was a man with haunting crimson eyes, wielding a gleaming silver blade, locking his gaze onto Naruto.

Reacting with lightning reflexes, Naruto's body flickered as he attempted to elude the menacing figure, but Kakashi was even faster. He snatched all three members of the team and moved with extraordinary agility, chanting a spell that unveiled a concealed entrance. The squad darted through the narrow opening just as the enormous door came crashing down, sealing their path with finality.

A thunderous explosion of dust and rubble erupted as the ground shook violently, and the once imposing cave disintegrated in front of their eyes. The squad retreated to a safe distance, witnessing the cataclysmic event with awe and trepidation.

After what felt like an eternity, the dust gradually settled, and a long-lost sunlight bathed the vast field beyond the cave, as if breathing life into the darkness that had plagued it for centuries. The team, breathing heavily, approached the 900-meter-wide crater that bore testament to the powerful clash.

As the clearing skies brought forth the first rays of sunlight, a wave of relief washed over them. Asashi couldn't contain his emotions any longer, "I-Is it over?"

Kakashi's gaze lingered on the crater for a solemn moment, then he turned to look at the newly blue sky and calmly replied, "It seems so."

They all took a seat, their bodies weary and minds still processing the intensity of the ordeal. Rumi shook her head, "I thought we were done for." Naruto silently nodded, the haunting image of the man with crimson eyes etched in his memory, though he chose not to share it just yet.

A soft smile graced Kakashi's lips as he looked at the trio - Asashi, Rumi, and Naruto. "You all did well."

Overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment, Asashi's tear of triumph trickled down his cheek, knowing he had just completed a B-Rank mission, a significant milestone in his journey.

"Let's claim our reward and get the hell outta here," Kakashi suggested, urging them to focus on their next step.

In unanimous agreement, the team basked in the praise of the villagers and their chief before embarking on their journey back to Konoha.

The following week brought a mix of lesser missions and training as Kakashi diligently sought the perfect new assignment for his team, ensuring they would continue to grow and excel.

***

As the days passed, a silver blade emerged from the rubble, followed by the emergence of a young, enigmatic figure with crimson hair. The teen's eyes glinted with a chilling intensity as he studied his blade with a sense of purpose.

"Silversteel... Hungers for more," he murmured, inhaling the air for traces of his next prey.

His eyes bore a mesmerizing allure as he climbed up the crater, his gaze fixated on a distant village.

"Blood," the teen whispered.