The Uzumaki Mother and Daughter

Boom!

In the alley, a crumbling wall half a person's height collapsed outward. Shisui had a Rogue Ninja by the throat and slammed him viciously against the ground...

Shinji shook his head. "He's already dead."

Shisui seemed not to hear. In his fury, he crushed the man's throat...

Then—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A wailing hiss cut through the air beside them. It was the sound made by the crude Kunai peculiar to Rogue Ninja—shoddy weapons, thrown hard.

Shinji did not intervene. Today was Shisui's lesson. He needed to let some resentment build before releasing it.

Though...

Even Shinji had never imagined that Kusagakure, which looked enough like a village beneath the bright sun, could reveal such a savage face under a pitch-black sky and pouring rain.

Shisui's ear twitched.

He snapped his solemn face up, his gaze sharpening.

Swish!

The instant he appeared before Shinji with the Body Flicker Technique, his Tachi left its sheath.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Shisui's blade flashed in an impenetrable blur, knocking the Kunai away. For his final stroke, he cut backward. In the darkness, frightened eyes watched a black Kunai—

Split in two!

Crack!

A plank snapped underfoot. Shisui blurred and vanished.

On the rooftops, figures crossed and steel flashed.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Blood sprayed—

Bodies fell one after another with dull thumps. Blood ran down the rooftop planks and mingled with the mud and rainwater.

Soon, there was no telling them apart.

Every head and pair of eyes peering out from the streets and alleys disappeared.

Between heaven and earth,

only the sound of falling rain remained.

"Let's go. Maybe... things will be better farther in. These settlements are just rough places clustered around the village."

Shinji finished speaking and walked on beneath his umbrella.

Only after a long while did Shisui catch up.