Kitsune Travel Record's

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Japan, Ozunu Orphanage

Ozunu surveyed Raizo, weak and barely conscious, Ozunu gaze was cold and calculating, his eyes burning with barely contained anger and hate.

"Pull him out and tie him to the pole." Ozunu commanded, his voice a cold, harsh whisper. He clasped his hands behind his back and strode towards the pole, his movements measured and powerful.

Takeshi grinned, a cruel, sadistic smile stretching across his face. 'Looks like you're gonna suffer this time, little brother,' he thought. He grabbed Raizo by the hair, pulling him out of the crate, and dragged him towards the pole.

Two other ninjas swiftly tied Raizo's hands behind the pole.

Ozunu watched, a chilling anticipation in his eyes.

"You will be the lesson that the children will never forget." he whispered, his voice laced with a venomous delight as His eyes gleamed with a chilling eagerness.

"Wake him up." Ozunu ordered as he walked to the side of the pole.

One of the ninjas picked up a bucket of water and splashed it into Raizo's face. The cold water jolted him awake, and Raizo opened his eyes, taking in the scene around him.

His eyes landed on the young ninjas, their faces a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, their eyes watching him intently.

He then looked at Ozunu, his expression unwavering, his fear long vanished. He tried to move, but his body was bound, his arms secured tightly behind him. 'Like her,' he thought, his mind flashing back to the girl who had been brave enough to live her life and escape from the orphanage. She had been brutally killed by Takeshi, making him close his eyes as her memory always haunted him.

Ozunu walked towards Raizo, his presence commanding, his eyes fixed on the children. They watched silently, their faces blank slates, ready to absorb the brutal lesson that Ozunu was about to impart to them and punishment for Raizo.

"You are an Ozunu," Ozunu began, his voice a deep rumble that echoed through the courtyard.

"You are an Ozunu. Your life, once meaningless, was given to you by the clan. Your life belongs to the clan. You will sacrifice your life for the survival of the clan. This is the deepest truth of an Ozunu ninja, and this is why we have survived for a hundred years, and will survive a hundred more."

Ozunu turned to look at Raizo, who met his gaze with unwavering defiance.

"I've dreamt of this day." Ozunu whispered, his voice a chilling mix of anticipation and satisfaction.

"But you will be more useful to me, Raizo. you will serve a greater purpose. You will be the perfect example." He turned, surveying the young ninjas, nodding with satisfaction. conveying the message hope and escape are futile in the Ozunu clan.

He had a vision, and Raizo would play a critical part in fulfilling it. His eyes then fell on Lucian, who was focused on the gate.

Making Ozunu frown.

"Asura, Come here." he called.

Lucian's attention snapped to Ozunu, his eyes meeting Ozunu. He knew he had no choice but to obey.

Lucian stood up, his expression a mask of stoicism.

He whispered to Violet and Garrett,

"In my signal, you lead the other children to the back garden and climb the wall to escape."

Violet and Garrett's eyes widened in shock. They knew this was their chance, their opportunity for freedom. They felt a mix of fear and hope, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Lucian walked towards Ozunu, bowing low. "Lord Ozunu." as He glanced at Raizo, whose gaze was fixed on his ninja garb, a symbol of power and authority reserved for those who passed the most rigorous tests.

'He had Killed people than he should at his age,' Raizo thought, his mind filled with a mix of admiration and regret.

Ozunu's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Weakness compels strength. Betrayal begets blood. This is the way of the Ozunu clan." he declared, his voice a menacing whisper.

His eyes fixed on Lucian, then on Raizo.

"You will suffer for seven days for each year you betrayed the clan." Ozunu said, his voice containing fury.

He pulled a tanto from his belt and walked towards Raizo, his movements calculated, his intent was clear. He plunged the tanto into Raizo's upper arm, his hand sharp and precise, the cut shallow but cut a small piece but Raizo endured the pain without making a sound.

'Oh shit, that's gonna be hard to heal,' Lucian thought, his eyes fixed on the wound. He knew that Raizo's healing powers wouldn't be able to mend a wound that had been cut out.

'Focus, it's almost time,' Cortana urged, appearing beside him. She kept a watchful eye on the gate, then on the surrounding grounds, her senses alert for any change in the approaching siege.

Ozunu, relishing the pain he inflicted, continued his torment, his words dripping with malice.

"For seven days...we...will...take from you, as I have. Everyone here will take from you. Piece by piece." He turned, his gaze sweeping over the young ninjas, his voice echoing through the courtyard.

"you will live through it, you will feel it all, as you watch the birds feed on you piece by piece."

He then turned back to Raizo, his face a mask of twisted satisfaction.

"You will know pain like no human being ever known before." he said, his voice a cruel whisper, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. He struck Raizo in the stomach, his fist connecting with a sickening thud, a blow aimed at the nerve endings, designed to inflict maximum pain.

Raizo screamed, a raw, primal cry of agony, his body convulsing violently. But Ozunu was not finished as he twisted Raizo's abdomen, causing violent spasms.

Blood gurgled in Raizo's throat as it started leaking out his mouth splattering on the ground, as he writhed in pain, his face contorted in agony.

Ozunu watches Raizo spit blood as he continues,

"Your death will be remembered for a thousand years, a testament to the will of the Ozunu clan, and a warning to traitors." He looked at Raizo with disdain.

He then handed the tanto to Lucian.

"You will be the first to punish him. You are the heir of this clan." He intended to use Raizo as a stepping stone for Lucian while teaching him a brutal lesson that betrayal to the clan was unforgivable.

Lucian looked at the tanto, sighing. He couldn't refuse. when he took it from Ozunu,

Raizo finally spoke.

"You don't have to follow his words, kid. You shouldn't be afraid of him."

"Shut up" Ozunu frowned as he didn't want Asura to be affected by Raizo words with fury he strikes Raizo on the stomach again. making Raizo cough with blood.

When Raizo coughed blood, a small metal cylinder rolling out of his mouth, landing with a soft clatter on the ground.

Lucian, his eyes widening in shock, saw the cylinder. It blinked with a faint, ominous glow.

Takeshi, who had been watching the spectacle with a mixture of sadistic pleasure and detached curiosity, noticed the cylinder.

"Lord Ozunu!" he shouted, his voice filled with a mix of panic and disbelief.

Ozunu's gaze snapped towards Takeshi, then towards the cylinder, a flicker of fear creeping into his eyes. He glanced back at Raizo, his face twisted with a mixture of fury and disbelief.

"What have you done?" He spat the words, his voice laced with a raw, primal anger.

His carefully laid plans were crumbling.

Raizo, his body racked with pain, glared at Ozunu, his eyes burning with a defiance.

Ozunu, his eyes blazing with fury, turned towards Takeshi, about to issue a command. But before he could speak, a deafening explosion shook the courtyard.

The gate of the orphanage, splintered and shattered, collapsing inwards, as the smoke and dust spreads out.

The attack had begun.

The kids panicked, their shrieks echoing through the courtyard, their ears ringing. Lucian watched them, a look of grim determination hardening his features.

He couldn't afford to hesitate.

He glanced at Violet and Garrett, their faces etched with fear, but a flicker of hope shone in their eyes.

"Now!" he yelled, his voice a powerful bellow that cut through the chaos.

He kicked Ozunu with all his might, his foot connecting with Ozunu's chest. The impact sent Ozunu sprawling backward crashing against the pole surprising him momentarily.

Taking advantage of Ozunu's momentary shock, Lucian moved with lightning speed, his hand slicing through the air. He cut through the ropes binding Raizo's wrists.

Raizo stretched out his hands, his body aching from the bind, his eyes meeting Lucian's.

He nodded, his expression a mix of gratitude and grim determination.

Lucian without a word, pulled up his mask, hiding his face. He tossed the tanto he'd been holding to Raizo.

Raizo looked at Lucian, and then took the tanto offered by Lucian who drew his katana from his back and facing Ozunu.

Ozunu frowned, but his attention was drawn to the smoke he knew the situation had spiraled out of control but he was not a man to surrender.

He vanished into the shadows, his silhouette disappearing into the darkness.

Takeshi, his expression twisted with a sinister glee pulled up his mask, hiding his own calculating face he unsheathed his katana, its blade gleaming ominously in the moonlight.

"Looks like I'm gonna have some fun like the old days, little brother." he said, his voice dripping with malice. while the other ninjas beside him unsheath their weapons.

Violet and Garrett, their minds racing, exchanged a panicked glance. They saw the panic in the eyes of the younger children, the fear etched on the children's faces.

their eyes filled with struggle but something else was stirring within them a sense of purpose that quickly hardened into determination as they thought of the younger children.

they knew they had to act, that they had to protect the younger kids.

They started pushing the kids towards the back of the courtyard, one by one.

"Go, to the garden, climb the wall, escape from there!" Violet yelled, her voice ringing with urgency. She pulled close to the kids her age, the orphans who had been her closest companions.

"Take them with you." she shouted, pointing to the younger children, the ones who couldn't fend for themselves.

The kids who was initially stunned,

nodded, their eyes wide with fear but their movements filled with a newfound determination.

They started pulling the younger children along with them, their small figures a blur of motion against all of the chaos.

Garrett, with a fierce urgency, kept pushing the older kids towards the back.

"Go! Fucking go!" he yelled, his voice raw with emotion, his movements fueled by a desperate need to save them.

Seeing their efforts, the other kids rallied, a silent understanding passing between them. The older kids took charge, leading the younger ones to safety.

They pushed, pulled, and shoved, their actions a silent testament to the bond they shared.

Lucian, watching the scene unfolding, felt a wave of relief wash over him. He knew that they would be able to escape, that they would survive.

A reinforced military Humvee, its engine roaring, crashed through the cloud of dust and smoke that billowed from the gate.

The vehicle, a hulking behemoth, turned on its blinding headlights and lights on the roof, illuminating the scene.

Takeshi and the other ninjas, their movements swift and silent, vanished into the shadows.

They knew that they couldn't stand against the firepower of the military in the open.

More vehicles poured through the gate, their lights slicing through the darkness, the sound of engines a chilling symphony of destruction.

Soldiers jumped out, their weapons at the ready. They pointed their guns at the escaping ninjas, a barrage of gunfire erupting.

Maslow, the agent who had been following Raizo, jumped out of one of the vehicles, his gun pointed at Lucian.

"Surrender." he said, his voice a low growl.

"Or I'll blast your face off before you disappear." He knew that the Ozunu ninjas had a way of slipping into the shadows,

and disappearing into the darkness.

'Shit,' Lucian thought, seeing the soldiers aiming at him and the fleeing children.

'You can't escape, wait for the right time,' Cortana said, knowing he wanted to help but also wanting to prevent him from risking his life. She urged him to wait for a better opportunity.

Raizo raised his hands, blocking Lucian from the soldiers' sight.

"No, he's a kid." Raizo told Maslow.

"But he's one of them." Maslow retorted, his grip tightening on his gun. He knew the Ozunu ninjas were capable of anything, and he couldn't afford to underestimate them.

Before Maslow could react, a hand clamped down on his gun, stopping him.

The owner of the hand, Mika, continued to walk towards Raizo, her eyes fixed on Maslow.

"What are you doing? It's a kid." she said, her voice filled with a mixture of concern and frustration.

Maslow sighed, his frustration evident. He gestured to his men.

"Okay, lower your guns and hunt down the remaining ninjas." he commanded. Then he turned back to Lucian, his face a mask of hostility.

"You need to stay still here. Otherwise, I'll shoot you myself." he said, his voice a low growl as he threatened Lucian.

Lucian was about to retort, but a flurry of shurikens ripped through the air. The shurikens, sharp and deadly, zoomed towards the vehicles a barrage of projectiles aimed at the lights on the roof.

*Shewish* The shurikens struck, shattering the lights, leaving only the vehicles' headlights piercing the darkness.

"Fucking bitch." Maslow cursed, ordering his men to fire. The sound of gunfire erupted – *bang, rat-tat-tat-tat* – as bullets flew.

Lucian thought 'These guys might kill the kids!' He saw soldiers struggling to hit Takeshi in the darkness.

Then the soldiers started firing incendiary grenades.

Boom! The explosion sent incandescent phosphorus flying, setting the orphanage ablaze.

"Again." Maslow commanded.

He continued firing, his anger fuelled by a mixture of frustration and a desperate need to take down the Ozunu ninjas.

Just as the soldiers were about to launch another grenade, aiming it directly at the fleeing children,

Lucian acted. He kicked the soldier holding the grenade his boot connecting with the soldier's knee with a sickening crack.

The soldier stumbled, clutching his knee in pain.

Lucian then, with a flick of his wrist, slashed his katana through the air *swish*, severing the soldier's hand and snatching the grenade.

Raizo and Mika watched in shock as Maslow pointed his gun at Lucian, but Lucian tossed the incendiary grenade toward them.

All eyes widened.

"Cover!" Maslow yelled, closing his eyes and jumping to the side. Raizo reacted quickly, his body shielding Mika.

Lucian, his movements fluid and deadly, kicked another soldier, propelling him away, then launched himself through the air, spinning, a whirlwind of motion.

He threw shurikens, his aim perfect shattering the headlights of the vehicles, plunging them into darkness. when He landed on the ground in a flash,

he disappeared into the shadows fading into the darkness.

Hearing the shattering glass, Maslow stood, looking around.

"Fuck, we've been misled." he muttered, picking up the still-pinned incendiary grenade.

Raizo stood, looking towards where Lucian had disappeared. deep in thought.

"Just a kid, huh?"

Maslow, speaking sarcastically, walked toward Raizo.

Raizo just looked at him, his gaze fixed on the burning orphanage. The fire was spreading, engulfing the building in a blaze of orange and yellow for a moment, he saw Ozunu before he vanished.

Raizo frowned, knowing he needed to finish this to move on with his life.

Just as he was about to act, a barrage of shurikens erupted from the orphanage, slicing through the air, killing almost half the soldiers.

The soldiers, caught off guard, scrambled for cover.

"Cover and fire again!" Maslow shouted, his voice laced with a mixture of rage and fear. He knew they were losing ground, that the ninjas were outmaneuvering them.

Maslow pulled the pin on his grenade and tossed it.

Boom! A deafening explosion erupted as another incendiary grenade detonated, its blinding white phosphorus illuminating the night sky,

They were outnumbered and outmatched.

"Again!" Maslow ordered, knowing they were losing. The ninjas were far more numerous, and without light, it would be a massacre.

Takeshi and the others didn't wait, rushing from the orphanage and blending into the shadows before the soldiers could react. Before Takeshi and the others could attack, however, lights from the sky shone down, and the sound of helicopters filled the air.

Takeshi and the ninjas were shocked Takeshi tried to hide again. The soldiers and Maslow on the ground fired, but the ninjas had vanished getting back inside.

"Fire the grenade again!" Maslow yelled in anger.

His radio crackled to life.

"No more grenades until the children evacuate." a man's voice ordered.

"But sir, these ninjas will get away if we don't kill them now! This might be our only chance." Maslow protested, eager to finish the Ozunu clan.

"The mission was to eliminate the Ozunu clan, not the kids, do you understand?" The voice held unquestionable authority.

"Don't worry no Ozunu clan will escape." The sound of helicopters and lights surrounding the orphanage confirmed this.

"Yes sir, General Hawk." Maslow said, his voice laced with resignation. He glanced at the orphanage, its flames casting an eerie glow on the scene.

"Don't let any of them get out." he commanded, his voice a mixture of frustration and determination.

The soldiers, their guns trained on the orphanage, spread out, their ranks closing in, their eyes scanning the shadows, searching for any sign of movement.

Raizo, his eyes fixed on the flames, a sense of urgency driving him, began to walk towards the orphanage.

A hand clamped down on his arm, stopping him.

"What are you doing? You don't need to go in there. They're already trapped." Mika said, her voice laced with concern.

Raizo smiled, his expression a mix of determination and sadness.

He gently pushed her hand away, his eyes fixed on the burning building.

"But I need to do this myself." he said, his voice barely a whisper. He knew he had to confront Ozunu, to face him, to finish this.

Maslow, his eyes fixed on the flames, noticed Raizo moving towards the burning building.

"Don't die in there." he warned, his voice filled with a mixture of respect and concern.

Raizo smiled, a faint, almost sad smile, and continued walking towards the orphanage, his steps deliberate, his movement a testament to his inner resolve.

He knew that he was walking into the heart of the flames, but he also knew that he had to do this. He had to confront Ozunu, to face his past, to reclaim his future.

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Next Chapter 36: Revenge

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