The Hidden Tide

It had been a week since Rudra left his last destination. The road to Salice Town had been uneventful, save for a brief skirmish with a band of foolish bandits. Dispatching them with little effort, he pocketed their stolen money and continued his journey without a second thought.

Now Rudra sat quietly in the Shirotsume Town railway station, a one-way ticket to Salice Town held loosely in his hand. The platform buzzed with the activity of travelers, but Rudra remained detached, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings without interest.

When the train arrived, Rudra boarded and sought out a window seat, settling into it with practiced ease. Deciding to make use of the journey, he opened his status screen to check his progress.

###

Status

Name: Rudra

Age: 19

Race: Human / Demon

Title: Sage / Demon Hunter

Bloodline: Uchiha / Senju / Sparda

Class: Swordsman / Ninja

Abilities: Perfect Body / Soul of the Sword / Emotional Resonance

Stats

Strength: S

Endurance: SS

Dexterity: SS

Agility: S

Intelligence: S

Willpower: SSS

Chakra: SS

Chakra Control: S

Chakra Nature: Fire / Lightning / Earth / Water / Wind

Shop: Available

Coins: 150

Quest:

###

Rudra's eyes lingered on the word "Demon" under his race classification. His thoughts drifted to Yamato's appearance, the incident that had likely triggered his transformation into a half-demon. "So, that explains why my race changed," he murmured under his breath, his tone thoughtful.

Next, his gaze moved to the Demon Hunter title. A quick tap revealed its description:

Demon Hunter:

Demons fear you. The more demons you slay, the stronger this title becomes.

Rudra smirked at the text. "Not bad," he mused, the thought of demons cowering in his presence giving him no small amount of satisfaction.

He then clicked on Emotional Resonance, curious about its specifics:

Emotional Resonance:

Grants enhanced control over emotions and provides resistance to mental corruption.

Rudra leaned back, closing the status window with a flick of his hand. "So, that's why I was able to keep my head clear after that incident," he thought. His mind replayed the harrowing moments of his transformation and the calm that had followed.

Looking back at his stats, he noticed their recent growth. "This must be from my demonic side awakening," he reasoned. "My endurance, dexterity, and willpower all shot up significantly. Guess there are some perks to this change."

With a quiet sigh, Rudra leaned into his seat, and he closed his eyes.

Moments later, a soft voice interrupted his peace.

"Excuse me. May we sit here?"

Rudra opened his eyes, gaze falling on two young women standing before him.

The first, Kagura Mikazuchi, stood tall and composed with a katana in her hand. Her long purple hair was cut in the traditional Japanese hime (princess) style, her brown eyes sharp and full of quiet confidence. She exuded an aura of discipline.

Beside her was Millianna, a stark contrast in energy and demeanor. With short, wavy brown hair and cat-like whisker tattoos markings on her cheeks, she radiated playful enthusiasm. Yet, her bright cat-like eyes held a flicker of curiosity as they lingered on Rudra.

He gave a brief nod before closing his eyes again.

"Thank you," the two said in unison, settling into the seats across from him.

The quiet of the train was soon filled with their conversation.

"Nya, do you think that massacre was really just a fight between two dark guilds?" Millianna asked, leaning toward Kagura.

Kagura frowned slightly, considering the question. "That's what the newspapers claim."

Millianna pouted. "Nya, maybe, but there's a rumor going around."

"What kind of rumor?" Kagura's tone shifted, curious but cautious.

Millianna hesitated, then shivered slightly as she replied, "Nya, they say it wasn't guilds. They say the town was destroyed by a red-eyed man. Doesn't that sound terrifying?"

Kagura shook her head, calm and composed. "Rumors like that are baseless. Don't waste your time on them."

Millianna looked unconvinced but didn't press further. Their conversation soon drifted to lighter topics, though Millianna's gaze occasionally flickered toward Rudra, who remained silent and motionless.

After about an hour, the train pulled into Salice Town. As the brakes screeched and the train came to a halt, Rudra opened his eyes, stood, and made his way toward the exit without a word.

Millianna's eyes followed him, her expression shifting to one of unease.

Noticing this, Kagura smirked slightly. "What's with that look? Don't tell me you're interested in him."

Millianna shook her head, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "Nya, it's not like that. There's something... off about him."

Kagura frowned, her gaze now lingering on the empty doorway. "Off? In what way?"

Millianna lowered her voice. "I don't know, but whenever I saw him, my cat intuition told me he is dangerous. He's definitely not a normal traveler."

Kagura raised an eyebrow, skepticism in her voice. "Maybe you're overthinking this."

Millianna hesitated before nodding. "Nya, maybe..." she replied, though her unease lingered.

As they stood to disembark, Kagura glanced at Millianna. "Come on. We've got work to do at the guild."

Rudra stepped off the train at Salice Town's station, blending into the busy crowd. He took a moment to assess his surroundings before creating a few shadow clones. "Go gather information," he instructed, watching them disperse into the town, each using Transformation Jutsu to blend in.

With some time to kill, Rudra decided to stop at a nearby restaurant for lunch. He enjoyed a quick meal, the warmth of the food providing a much-needed break from his travels. After finishing, he paid and left, heading out to explore the town.

As he walked through the streets, he observed the shops, people, and the peaceful atmosphere of Salice Town. The town felt quiet yet alive, with little clues waiting to be uncovered. Rudra knew that his clones would return with valuable information soon, but for now, he was content to enjoy the calm surroundings.

***

Meanwhile At the Mermaid Heel Guild Hall

After arriving at the Mermaid Heel guild hall, both Millinna and Kagura were surprised to find the place bustling with activity. Members were rushing around, preparing for what seemed to be an important task. Curious, they approached the bar, where a chubby girl with black hair, Risley Law, was busy serving as a waitress.

"Risley, what's going on?" Kagura asked, her voice steady but curious. "Why is everyone in such a rush?"

Risley glanced up, her expression unusually serious. "You've heard about the recent massacre, right?"

Kagura nodded, her gaze sharp. "Yes, Millinna mentioned it earlier."

Risley leaned closer, her voice dropping slightly. "The Magic Council finally uncovered their motive. It's worse than we thought—they were targeting children for kidnapping."

Millinna's ears twitched, her eyes widening in shock. "Nya! Are you serious?"

Risley nodded grimly. "Yes. The Council isn't taking any chances. They've decided to wipe out the dark guild responsible—completely."

Kagura's expression hardened. "Have they found their location?"

"They have," Risley confirmed. "It's on a small island just off the coast, not far from here."

Millinna's tail swished nervously as she exclaimed, "Nya! That close to us?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Risley replied, her tone unwavering. "That's why the Council has requested our assistance. We'll be moving out soon to support the operation."

Kagura exchanged a determined glance with Millinna. Without hesitation, they both responded in unison, "Understood."

Unbeknownst to them, one of Rudra's shadow clones had been listening in on the entire conversation. As the information was fully absorbed, the clone dispersed in a puff of smoke, its knowledge sent directly to the original Rudra.

***

At Rudra, as he stood atop the towering cathedral overlooking the bustling town, the evening sun casting a golden glow over the horizon.

A sly smile crept onto his face as he processed the information his shadow clone had just relayed. "This is getting interesting," he murmured to himself, taking a leisurely bite of the ice cream cone in his hand.

His initial plan had been to obliterate the dark guild himself, but with the Magic Council now involved, he realized he would need to make some adjustments. "Guess I'll have to improvise," he said, savoring another bite of the creamy treat. "This is good."

In a flash, Rudra disappeared from the cathedral and reappeared at the docks, still casually licking his ice cream. The salty sea breeze brushed past him as he approached the ocean. Without hesitation, he stepped onto the water, his movements as smooth as if he were walking on solid ground.

As he reached the edge of the harbor, Rudra broke into a sprint, dashing across the ocean's surface at an incredible speed. His figure became a blur, disappearing into the vast expanse of water.

On one of the nearby ships, a dockworker squinted at the ocean, his jaw dropping as he saw the strange sight.

"What are you staring at?" another worker asked, noticing his colleague's distracted state.

The first worker pointed at the water. "I think I just saw Jesus."

The second worker groaned, smacking his colleague lightly on the back of the head. "You've been reading too many fairy tales. Get back to work."

"But I—"

"No buts. Move it!"

The two continued their banter as Rudra vanished into the distance, the waves parting momentarily beneath his swift, silent steps.

Rudra dashed across the ocean's surface with unmatched speed, his movements so fluid that the water barely splashed beneath his feet. The horizon shifted as a dark silhouette of an island gradually came into view. Narrowing his eyes, he quickened his pace, becoming a blur as he closed the distance.

Within minutes, he reached the shoreline, his presence undetected by the pirates milling about. Activating his Camouflage Jutsu, Rudra melded seamlessly into his surroundings, his form blending into the foliage at the island's edge.

The island was a picture of lawlessness. Pirate ships with tattered flags lined the docks, their crews unloading cargo or shouting orders to one another. Armed guards roamed the area, their weapons slung carelessly over their shoulders. Laughter and coarse voices echoed through the air, accompanied by the occasional clang of metal.

Rudra crouched low, observing the chaos. His sharp eyes took in every detail—the positioning of the guards, the routes between the docks and the dens, and even the patterns in their conversations.

"A full den of criminals," he muttered under his breath. His tone was calm, almost amused. "Looks like I've stumbled onto a nest of trouble."

Glancing toward the horizon, he estimated the time it would take for the Magic Council and Mermaid Heel to arrive. "They'll take their sweet time," he mused, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "Might as well get a head start."

Without wasting another moment, Rudra formed hand signs. In a quiet puff of smoke, several shadow clones materialized around him. Each one nodded silently, awaiting instructions.

"Spread out and gather intel," Rudra ordered in a low voice. "I want every corner of this place mapped out—guard patterns, hidden caches, anything unusual. Report back to me when you're done."

The clones dispersed without a sound, moving like shadows across the terrain. Rudra remained crouched, his eyes scanning the docks. Despite the pirates' loud and boisterous behavior, he could feel an underlying tension in the air, as if they were preparing for something bigger.

"This place is more than just a hideout," Rudra thought, his smirk deepening. "Let's see what secrets you're hiding."

With his clones moving swiftly and silently through the island, Rudra slipped further into the dense foliage, his every step careful and deliberate. The hunt had begun, and the pirates were blissfully unaware that their den had already been infiltrated.