CTS TIME: RE250.05.27 – 12:10 PM (Hikarashi Village Local Time)
LOCATION: Forest Path to the Kasai Clan
The forest was silent, the tension still thick in the air. Leaves and dirt settled back onto the ground, disturbed by the fierce battle that had just unfolded.
The bodies of two defeated Yamigawa shinobi lay unconscious against the base of a massive tree, their weapons shattered, their pride even more so.
The final attacker, still standing, stumbled back cautiously, his eyes darting between Kenshiro, Kaizen, and Jasper—each of whom had effortlessly dismantled his team.
The air around them crackled with tension.
Kenshiro stepped forward, his kunai still gripped tightly.
"You're outnumbered. Surrender."
The shinobi let out a low chuckle.
"Surrender?" he repeated, his golden eyes gleaming with a sinister amusement.
Then—
He lifted his hand, forming a single hand sign.
Jasper's instincts flared.
"He's calling for backup!"
Before anyone could react—
A small communication seal glowed on the Yamigawa shinobi's wrist, sending a rapid pulse of chakra into the sky.
A signal.
A call to someone else.
The shinobi smirked.
"You've made a mistake coming here, outsiders."
Kenshiro's eyes narrowed.
"Who did you just contact?"
The shinobi chuckled darkly.
"You'll find out soon enough. But I'll give you a hint—" he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"My feudal lord was… very interested in the sudden arrival of foreign swordsmen in Hikarashi."
Sienna's expression shifted slightly.
"Feudal lord? You mean someone from the Daimyo's court?"
The shinobi grinned.
"I've already said too much."
Jasper rolled his eyes.
"Great. More politics."
Kenshiro's grip tightened.
"You won't be reporting back to him."
Before the shinobi could respond, Kenshiro moved in a flash, striking with precise force at his chakra points.
A sharp gasp escaped the Yamigawa shinobi's mouth before his body collapsed, unconscious, onto the forest floor.
"Damn right, he won't," Serena muttered.
As the dust settled, Kaizen turned toward Ryuji, who had been frozen for the entire fight.
His crimson Yamigan eyes gleamed with irritation.
"Tch. What a joke," he muttered under his breath.
Ryuji flinched, clenching his fists.
"What did you just say?"
Kaizen didn't even look at him.
"You're pathetic. A loser. A scaredy-cat."
Ryuji's blood boiled.
His teeth gritted.
"Shut up, Kai."
Kaizen finally turned, his gaze cold.
"Or what? You'll cry?"
Ryuji felt something snap inside him.
He lunged forward, grabbing Kaizen by the collar.
"Say it again, I dare you!"
Kaizen didn't even blink.
"Loser."
"YOU BASTARD!" Ryuji roared, about to throw a punch—
But before he could swing, Kenshiro grabbed his wrist.
"Enough."
Ryuji struggled, but Kenshiro's grip was unyielding.
"Kai, stand down," Kenshiro ordered firmly.
Kaizen simply clicked his tongue and looked away.
"He wouldn't even land a hit anyway."
Ryuji's rage boiled over, but Kenshiro finally released him.
"We don't have time for this. Focus."
Ryuji took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
But his heart burned with anger.
"I'll show you, Kai. I'll get stronger. Stronger than you."
With the battle over and the enemy subdued, Jasper sighed, sheathing Dragonis.
"Well, that was fun," he muttered sarcastically.
Sienna stepped beside him, brushing a speck of dirt off his shoulder.
"You did well, Jasper," she said sweetly.
Jasper stiffened.
He knew that tone.
"Don't start."
Sienna blinked innocently.
"Start what?"
"You're gonna start teasing me again."
Sienna smiled.
"Me? Tease you? I'd never!"
Serena, from behind, snorted.
"Oh, you totally would."
Sienna giggled.
"I mean, I was just thinking… Isn't it sweet how Jasper protected me during the fight?"
Jasper's eye twitched.
"I was just stopping an enemy from stabbing you."
"Mmhmm, sure," Sienna hummed.
"You were protecting me."
"I WAS PROTECTING EVERYONE!"
Sienna leaned in slightly, her silver eyes twinkling.
"But mostly me, right?"
Jasper groaned, rubbing his temples.
"I swear, you're impossible."
Sienna beamed.
"That's why you like me so much."
Jasper choked.
"EXCUSE ME?!"
Serena was already laughing so hard she had to clutch a tree for support.
"Oh my god, this is gold."
Aiko giggled behind her hand.
Even Kenshiro let out a rare smirk.
Sienna, meanwhile, simply walked ahead cheerfully, humming to herself.
Jasper glared at Serena.
"Not. A. Word."
Serena grinned devilishly.
"Oh, don't worry, Jasper. I wouldn't dare bring this up again."
Then she turned to Aiko.
"But I totally will."
Aiko nodded seriously.
"Same."
Jasper sighed.
"I hate everything."
Sienna glanced back, still smiling.
"Hurry up, slowpoke! We've got a long way to go!"
Jasper, reluctantly, followed.
"This is gonna be a long trip."
The group finally took a break, settling beneath the shade of a massive sakura tree in the heart of the forest. The air was fresh, carrying the faint scent of blossoms, and the soft rustling of leaves filled the silence.
Kenshiro leaned against the tree, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
Nearby, Sienna sat on a fallen log, typing at an impossible speed on her holographic panel. Her silver eyes scanned through her research, collecting data on their battle, the enemies they encountered, and even the nature surrounding them.
Jasper, as usual, pretended not to care—but his eyes flickered toward her every few seconds, mildly annoyed that she was still acting normal around him.
"Why isn't she mad at me?!" he thought, glaring at her.
Serena, sitting cross-legged nearby, smirked knowingly.
"He's losing his mind over this," she whispered to Aiko, who giggled in response.
Meanwhile, Kenshiro spoke up.
"We need to stay alert." His voice was firm. "The Yamigawa shinobi made one thing clear—their main target is Sienna. Which means they'll be back."
Ryuji, who had been silently fuming after his argument with Kaizen, tightened his fists.
Kaizen, sitting on a rock, ignored him completely.
The tension between them was electric.
Serena looked between them, then whispered to Aiko, "Ryu and Kai are gonna explode soon. Watch."
Aiko nodded seriously. "It's like a thunderstorm waiting to happen."
As Sienna continued typing, she suddenly paused and turned to Kenshiro.
"Kenshiro," she said, her silver eyes narrowing slightly. "You're not from the Kasai Clan, right?"
The air grew still.
Kenshiro stiffened.
Everyone looked at him.
His headband, which was usually tilted over his right eye, concealed something underneath.
His black mask covered half his face.
Even his chakra felt… different.
Jasper, leaning against a rock, raised an eyebrow.
"Now that you mention it… yeah. He doesn't look like the Kasai Clan type."
Kaizen turned toward his sensei.
"It's true. You never talk about your origins."
Sienna's gaze remained locked on him.
"And yet, you wield the Akarugan."
Kenshiro exhaled slowly.
"It's… a long story," he finally said. "One I will tell you later."
Jasper clicked his tongue.
"Typical. The classic 'It's a long story' excuse."
Kenshiro ignored him.
Sienna didn't press further. She had gotten her answer.
He was hiding something.
And she would find out what.
While the others were deep in thought, Jasper was planning something else.
"I need to push her away more," he thought. "I need to make her HATE me."
Serena glanced at him, sensing something was up.
"You're thinking about something stupid, aren't you?" she asked flatly.
Jasper smirked.
"Always."
Serena sighed.
"This is gonna be good."
Aiko suddenly turned to Sienna, curiosity in her bright eyes.
"Sienna, you're a Pro Hero, right?"
Sienna looked up from her panel.
"Yes. Why?"
Aiko grinned.
"So… how strong are you?"
Everyone turned their attention to Sienna.
Even Kenshiro raised an eyebrow, curious about the answer.
Sienna tilted her head thoughtfully.
"I'd say… about 200 or 300 people's worth of strength, if I had to compare it."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
"EXCUSE ME?!"
Jasper nearly fell off the rock he was sitting on.
Serena, Aiko, Ryuji, and Kaizen all stared at her in shock.
Even Kenshiro's expression changed slightly.
"You're saying you're as strong as 300 people?!" Aiko blurted out.
Sienna smiled calmly.
"More or less."
Kenshiro's eyes narrowed.
"That would mean you're easily above most Jonin level shinobi."
Sienna simply nodded.
"Well, I am an A-Rank Hyperion Defender. And I specialize in long-range weaponry and combat."
Jasper's jaw dropped.
"Hold on—long-range?"
Sienna nodded.
"Yes. Guns, cannons, energy-based weaponry—you name it. But I'm also skilled in melee when necessary."
Aiko looked at Kenshiro.
"Is that… possible?"
Kenshiro exhaled.
"The ISA and Hyperion Defenders are known for their advanced combat training and technology. But for someone to be this powerful…"
He looked at Sienna, his expression unreadable.
"You're not just strong. You're a war machine."
Sienna giggled.
"Oh, stop it. You'll make me blush."
Jasper rubbed his temples.
"I swear, every day, she gets scarier."
Serena grinned.
"And yet, you're still pretending you don't like her."
Jasper groaned.
"I need a vacation."
Sienna leaned toward him with a teasing smile.
"We could go on a honeymoon instead."
Jasper choked.
Serena and Aiko exploded into laughter.
"I HATE EVERYTHING!" Jasper shouted.
Sienna beamed.
"And I LOVE that you hate it!"
Kenshiro sighed.
"This is going to be a long mission."
Kenshiro stood up, brushing the dust from his cloak as he turned toward the group. His expression remained serious.
"We still have a long way to go. Before we reach the Kasai Clan's territory, we must first pass through Kamizuki Village."
Jasper raised an eyebrow.
"Kamizuki? Never heard of it."
Kenshiro nodded.
"It's a coastal village—one of the largest in the Hikarashi planet. It sits near the sea, acting as a major trading hub. To reach the Kasai Clan's border, we'll need to cross the Kamizuki Bridge, which stretches across the ocean."
Aiko grinned.
"Ohh! That bridge is famous! It's one of the longest in the world."
Serena cracked her knuckles.
"And let me guess—it's also the perfect spot for an ambush?"
Kenshiro sighed.
"Exactly."
Jasper groaned.
"Great. So instead of flying over it in a spacecraft like normal people, we have to walk across a giant bridge while probably getting attacked?"
Kenshiro nodded.
"That's correct."
Jasper sighed.
"I hate this mission."
Sienna giggled.
"Oh, but think of how romantic it'll be, Jasper. A long bridge, the ocean breeze, the sunset—"
Jasper cut her off immediately.
"No. Stop. Don't even start."
Serena smirked.
"Too late, she's already imagining a honeymoon."
Jasper facepalmed.
"Why am I here?"
Sienna just smiled sweetly.
"Because you love me."
Jasper choked.
Serena and Aiko burst into laughter.
As the group resumed walking, Jasper tapped his wristwatch, pulling up a holographic projection.
"Since we have time, let's check the status of the Emerald Championship."
Serena glanced over, intrigued.
"Wait, the semifinals happened already?"
Jasper nodded.
"Yeah. Talon and Dante were in the semifinals. And guess what?"
Serena raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Jasper smirked.
"Talon won."
Serena stopped walking for a second.
"Wait. Talon beat Dante?"
Jasper nodded.
"Yep. Apparently, it was an insane match. Dante pushed him hard, but in the end, Talon took the win."
Serena's expression was a mix of surprise and pride.
"Damn. That's huge. Talon really stepped up."
Jasper smirked.
"Guess all that training finally paid off."
Serena crossed her arms, deep in thought.
"I wonder how Blaze would feel about this."
Jasper's expression darkened slightly.
"Yeah… about that."
Serena sighed.
"Still no sign of him, huh?"
Sienna, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
"I've been tracking his energy readings since we arrived in Hikarashi, and so far, nothing."
Serena's heart sank.
"So he really is gone..."
Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll find him, Serena. No matter what."
Serena clenched her fists.
"Yeah… We will."
The ocean breeze began to pick up as the group approached the coastal cliffs, the scent of salt in the air.
Ahead of them—
Kamizuki Village came into view.