38
A filthy, calloused hand emerged first, followed by a stooped figure who struggled up out of the ground. The man looked to be around sixty. Blood seeped through the sackcloth wrapped around his head, and his tattered coat was so worn that its original color was impossible to tell. The years had carved deep furrows into his face, and his clouded eyes were filled with terror and exhaustion.
When his gaze fell on Xun Uchiha and his two companions, his pupils contracted sharply. He spoke in a trembling voice as rough as scraping sandpaper. "Who... are you?"
Xun Uchiha dropped his hostility and stepped forward, softening his voice. "We're looking for something. We're not your enemies. Can you tell us why everyone is hiding here?"
The man warily backed away half a step. Only after he was sure they meant no harm did his tense shoulders relax a little. "My name is Samu." He pointed at the gray sky overhead. "The alarm sounded just now. They said the Dark Snake Legion had returned. To stay alive, we had no choice but to burrow underground like rats."
"The Dark Snake Legion?" Xun Uchiha's heart tightened. The image of Angelina being taken away flashed through his mind. That mysterious organization had appeared again.
Looking straight into Samu's clouded eyes, he pressed him on a crucial point. "Mr. Samu, why has this city ended up like this? Those... what exactly happened?"
Samu's face went pale at once. He instinctively glanced back at the dark, cavernous entrance underground and lowered his voice. "It's too dangerous outside. Everyone is on edge. Come inside and we'll talk. Don't let them hear us."
The entrance to the deep cellar slowly opened, and a cold, damp draft washed over them. The three descended the stairs, dim candlelight