Unfortunately, no good thing lasts forever. A young red-haired man had began to make a scene behind of him, fully alerting the island of his presence. The dog stopped in his tracks, enraged by the boy's antics. Turning around to face the young ninja, Aro growled in a threat display. This was supposed to be easy! Now he had to fight more than he intended to! He ruined everything! Aro took one step forward, barking maliciously through growls. If this kid ignores his warning, he would strike without hestiation. The choice was his
A chilling fear gripped the ninja when the intruder, like a dog, began to bark. Was it his senses warning him of the danger ahead, or his instincts? He did not know. Ishiki was intimidated; his legs trembled and clattered against each other. With every tremor, they threatened to collapse under his weight. Ishiki knew at that moment that he lacked the power to stop the assailant. Any misstep could cost him his life and those of the ninjas around him.
The man with blood-colored hair realized he stood at a crossroads. He could listen to reason, lower his arms, release the sword in his hands, and act as if nothing had happened. He could act like a coward and live to see another day. The second option before him was to rebel and act, to prove his courage, and to demonstrate that he was a leader who was significant enough for others to rally behind him.
The intruder was far too quick for Ishiki to follow his movements. He might lose in less than a minute, but for Ishiki, that one minute would buy time for reinforcements to arrive. It didn’t take him long to make his choice :
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" Stop where you are."
Across the courtyard, at the heart of the temple, a man was interrupted during his meditation. Ishiki, his discreet and diligent student, had just shouted the word “Intruder” twice. The master, deeply immersed in complete darkness, opened his eyes, felt along the wooden tatami floor for his sword, and stood up.
It took him two strides to slide open the door, allowing the courtyard's sunlight to flood the room. The master, now visible, was dressed entirely in black, from his pants to his long-sleeved top. A turban wrapped around his head concealed his face, and a mask of the same color concealed his face. The legendary Naratara had finally appeared. With silent and determined steps, he moved toward the source of the disturbance.