Longing Across Time and Space

"Run!"

After hearing the nightmare-like call for them to stay behind them, the fleeing couple ran as if the wind were beneath their feet.

They should have known better than to take the shortcut along the main road. Before coming, they had heard rumors of masked heroes robbing travelers here, shouting "Hello, fellow townsmen!" while being vicious beyond compare.

They had thought it was merely a local joke. Now, it seemed there was truth to it.

Uchiha Gin naturally would not miss such heaven-sent guides. With a flash, he chased after them and called out warmly,

"Fellow townsmen~ Fellow townsmen~ Please wait!"

Hearing the call drawing closer and closer, the man instinctively glanced back. What he saw was a ghostly figure weaving through the rain curtain, frightening him out of his wits. His legs immediately began to tremble, his face full of despair.

"Great bandit, we're just ordinary civilians!"

"Tap~ tap~ tap~"

Laughing as he caught up with the fleeing couple, Uchiha Gin lifted the hood covering his head and gave them what he thought was a friendly smile.

"Hehe, ordinary civilians are exactly who I'm looking for~"

"Don't!"

Unbeknownst to him, that smile looked like a butcher's savage grin in the terrified couple's eyes. The Purple-haired Woman screamed, slipped, and fell backward.

"Honey, watch out!"

The husband swiftly caught his wife, but the child in his arms slipped free as a result.

"Ah!"

As the purple-haired infant, her ignorant eyes wide open, was about to crash into a sharp rock jutting from the muddy road, the helpless mother squeezed her eyes shut in agony, unable to bear witnessing the tragedy.

"Thump~"

At the moment of truth, a pair of large hands suddenly appeared and steadily caught the baby just before her face could be ruined.

"Whew, that was close~"