Kitsune Travel Record's

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Japan, Ozunu Orphanage: Forest

"What in the blaze happened here?" Storm Shadow growled, staring at the headless, handless bodies of the Kurokos littering the forest floor.

He saw the children, along with Blind Master, Jinx, Satomi, and a couple others, finishing off the remaining ninjas.

Storm Shadow unsheathed his katana and charged towards the fray, the Arashikage ninjas at his heels.

Scarlett, left behind, shook her head. "Boys," she muttered, her eyes scanning the scene. She tapped her glasses, a frown creasing her forehead.

Her gaze landed on the children and the Kurokos. She raised her crossbow, aiming it at the remaining Kurokos and pulling the trigger.

*Swish* A bolt arced through the air, striking a Kuroko in the head.

The Kurokos's head snapped back then just turned towards Scarlett, looking towards her direction fixed on her.

Scarlett's eyes widened, but her resolve hardened as she continued firing. "Now I understand why they were all decapitated," she muttered, her finger pulling the trigger again.

Another bolt found its mark, but the Kuroko remained standing, its movements jerky and unnatural.

Storm Shadow, charging forward, sliced off the ninja's head with a single, swift stroke. The other Arashikage ninjas moved in, systematically killing the remaining Kurokos.

Storm Shadow approached Jinx, a question etched on his face. "What happened here?"

Jinx met his gaze, her expression serious. "A monster appeared," she said, her voice a low rumble.

But before she could elaborate, she felt a sharp pain in her leg. She glanced down, seeing Anya glaring at her, her face fierce. "Take it back," Anya growled, her voice laced with anger as she scrunched her nose making a tough expression. The other children echoed her sentiment, their eyes fixed on Jinx.

Jinx coughed, her face slightly flushed. Tommy, ever the observer, raised a brow in question.

"Another ninja clan," Jinx said, changing the subject. "They were interested in the Ozunu children."

Footsteps echoed through the forest, and Scarlett emerged, her gaze sweeping over the scene.

Noshiko followed closely behind, dragging a struggling Seung-Jo by his collar. His stomach was stabbed through by Noshiko's katana, a silent threat that made the air crackle with tension.

Noshiko looked at Satomi, her expression concerned. "Are you okay?"

Satomi offered a small smile, her hand resting on her friend's shoulder. "I'm fine. What about the kid?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and worry.

Noshiko shook her head. "I saw him heading that way," she said, pointing towards the direction where Lucian and Talia had disappeared. "On Talia's back." A smirk played on her lips.

Satomi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously? That boy really..." She struggled to find words to adequately describe Lucian.

Noshiko finished her sentence with a chuckle, "That boy is tough." She turned back to Seung-Jo. "Shall we go get him?"

Satomi looked at the children, the surrounding forest, and then the Arashikage ninjas. 'They're safe now,' she thought. 'Time to get that kid back.' She nodded at Noshiko.

Violet, watching this unfold, stood up, Garrett at her side. "We'll come too!"

The other children followed suit. "Yeah, me too," one of them said. "Us as well."

Satomi's eyes widened. She knew, having seen how much these children had endured, that they wouldn't back down.

She looked at Noshiko, who raised a skeptical eyebrow at the eager group.

"You guys can go, but stay behind us," Noshiko said, walking past Seung-Jo, who was staring blankly at the stars, minimizing his presence.

The children hurried to obey, nodding quickly.

Noshiko shook her head at them before turning back to Seung-Jo. Her gaze flickered between him and the children, her voice cold and measured. "When I saw you I can only think of what you guys had done to these kids, how much they suffered, makes me really want to kill you." She knelt before him, holding the handle of the katana as her eyes glowed.

Seung-Jo's eyes widened with fear. He tried to plead. "Wait ple-"

A surge of lightning crackled through the katana, electrocuting him.

Seung-Jo screamed, his body wracked with pain as the electric current seared through his flesh. Noshiko watched him suffer, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes.

She pulled out the katana making him bleed, while the lightning on its blade fading, and took a final look at the children.

"You are not worth living," she whispered, raising the katana, ready to end his life.

But before she could strike, Blind Master stepped forward, his face impassive. "Lady Noshiko, the Arashikage Clan hope to take this man as a prisoner," he said, bowing slightly.

Noshiko narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp and dangerous. "Oh, Blind Master, does your Arashikage Clan have an interest in these parasites as well?" she asked, her voice laced with venom.

Blind Master shook his head, his expression unreadable. "No, the Arashikage would never rely on such things but we hope to gather information about their clan," he said, hoping Noshiko would understand their reasoning.

Noshiko turned back to Seung-Jo, a flicker of pity in her eyes.

"You are lucky this time." She sheathed her katana and nodded at Satomi, walking towards the direction where she had last seen Lucian and Talia.

The children, still shaken but still followed behind. Blind Master watched them go, his gaze was troubled.

Jinx and Tommy approached him, their faces serious. "What are you thinking about, old man?" Storm Shadow asked, his eyes fixed on the Blind Master.

"I fear we are too late," Blind Master said, shaking his head. He turned to the Arashikage ninjas.

"Secure him, and follow them," he ordered, pointing at Seung-Jo. Two ninjas stepped forward, restraining the whimpering prisoner.

Seung-Jo who was getting dragged was screaming internally 'what we did, what we did is just die probably that Kurokos couldn't even take one kid' he thought sadly.

As they followed Noshiko and Satomi, Scarlett remained silent, her fingers tapping against her glasses as she surveyed the scene, capturing everything in her camera.

Finally, they spotted Lucian. He stood there, his back rigid, pointing a curved blade at Talia who was in full wolf form.

Noshiko and Satomi gasped, their eyes widening at the sight of Lucian, his face and body covered in blood, a severed head clutched in his hand.

They hurriedly pushed the children back, shielding them from the disturbing scene.

Storm Shadow's eyes widened, recognizing the kid he'd seen on the street with Takeshi and the others.

Blind Master sighed. "He's barely conscious," he said, his voice heavy with concern.

Jinx was astonished. "But, he still standing?"

"Yes, and not only that, his body is still tense. It means if any sound comes at him, he might attack," Blind Master explained, watching Lucian with a troubled expression. Storm Shadow continued to observe, his eyes narrowed.

"Sir, are you seeing this?" Scarlett asked, her voice a mixture of shock and disbelief as she stared at Lucian. She turned to General Hawk's earpiece.

The radio crackled. "That's what I want to know too," General Hawk's voice boomed from the speaker.

"Who is that?"

Just then, a helicopter buzzed overhead, its spotlight scanning the forest floor. It landed directly on Lucian, highlighting his blood-soaked figure.

He instinctively pointed his weapon towards the sound of the helicopter, his body locked in a rigid, unconscious stance.

The mission's peaceful ending had evaporated. Tension hung heavy in the air, a palpable sense of unease filling the forest.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

Japan, Ozunu Orphanage: Forest: Helicopter

"Who is that?" General Hawk asked, his gaze fixed on Sen, who remained silent. "Seeing how close that wolf is with that kid they probably know him, that means you have information," he said, unaware that Talia didn't even know the kid in front of her was Lucian, the very person they were trying to find.

Sen frowned, her eyes drawn to Lucian's bloody figure. She thought of Ozunu's words, 'The new Tōryō of the Ozunu clan,' she mused, slightly troubled.

Looking at the bodies scattered around, she contemplated his potential. She couldn't tell if he would be an ally or a headache, just like the Ozunu clan had been.

Finally, she turned towards General Hawk.

"The real question, General Hawk, is what are you going to do?" Sen said, shifting the responsibility to General Hawk.

Even if they killed Lucian, who was probably the one Noshiko was searching for, it wasn't her problem.

Sen needed to think about the clan's future. She didn't know if it was a good thing that a kid like him was rising up but she wouldn't make that decision alone.

She needed someone else to do it.

She had to save the clan's reputation and perhaps, prevent future problems.

General Hawk's eyes narrowed at her. 'Old fox,' he thought, before focusing on Lucian, observing his youthful height.

The radio beside him crackled to life.

[Sir, are you seeing what I'm seeing?] Maslow's voice sounded laced with shock and fear.

[We have a clear visual, sir. Do you want us to shoot?] Maslow asked, seeking confirmation.

General Hawk remained silent, his gaze shifting to Sen.

Akiko watched them both, then spoke. "Lady Sen, he's a kid." Akiko said, hoping to persuade them to stop.

But Sen simply raised her hand, stopping Akiko from speaking. Her eyes met General Hawk's, waiting for his decision.

"On my signal, shoot," General Hawk said, his eyes fixed on Lucian's figure. But before he could give the order, someone rushed towards Lucian, a weapon in hand.

When the soldiers surrounded Lucian from a distance, a heavy silence fell over the forest. No one spoke, the atmosphere, thick with tension. Even those who had come to find him remained silent as Talia who was still a wolf took a step back away.

But someone else did.

Violet sprinted forward, grabbing a discarded Kuroko weapon from the ground. Garrett was close behind, his own eyes wide with resolve.

"Come back! Stay away from him!" Noshiko shouted, knowing Lucian might unconsciously attack anyone who came near.

Violet ran directly in front of Lucian, who instinctively aimed his weapon at the sound of her approach.

She stood there, head bowed, her weapon held firmly in her hand.

"You can rest now," Violet said softly, her gaze fixed on the ground.

She didn't care about the soldiers, or Lucian, covered in blood and clutching a severed head. None of it matters now.

"Violet...is that you?" Lucian rasped, his voice barely a whisper, a flicker of recognition in his tired eyes.

He'd finally heard a familiar voice.

"Yeah, it's me," Violet replied calmly, her shoulders shaking slightly. She kept her head down but her voice remained steady.

"Are...you...guys...okay?" Lucian asked, his voice fading with each word.

"Yes." Violet looked up, tears streaming down her face. She choked back a sob, her gaze locked on Lucian.

"We're all fine," she pleaded, "You can rest now, please." The tears continued to flow, but her plea was unwavering.

She wanted him to rest beside her, Garrett clenched his jaw, his own eyes glistening with tears. He was struggling to hold back his own emotions.

"Is...that...so?" Lucian asked, a faint smile gracing his lips. Violet and Garrett's eyes widened, tears spilling freely as they saw the tired smile.

Garrett's eyes welled up, knowing how happy Lucian was to know they were safe.

'That's enough,' Lucian thought, his body finally giving way. He slumped forward, dropping his weapon.

Violet rushed forward, catching him under his arms.

She pulled his arms around her shoulders and carried him, her gaze falling upon the child who had been clinging to Lucian's clothes for protection. Turning to Garrett, they exchanged a silent, knowing nod, their lips pressed together in a shared determination.

It was a children's decision, one made without thinking, fueled solely by pure emotion. A decision without a plan.

Garrett picked up the weapon Lucian had dropped. Taking a deep breath, his eyes still glistening but now filled with determination, he pointed the weapon at the soldiers, at Noshiko, at Satomi, at anyone who might threaten Lucian.

"Stay back! All of you stay back!" he shouted, his voice raw with emotion. He pointed towards the helicopter.

Violet, carrying Lucian, raised her weapon, mirroring Garrett's action.

"Stay back! Don't come here! Don't ever come here!" she shouted. Their plan, their decision was to take Lucian somewhere safe, to let him rest, to protect him as he had protected them.

But they were not alone in this decision.

The other children began to run, one of them helping Violet carry Lucian on his shoulders. "Stay away! You can't hurt him!" he shouted, his voice ringing with defiance. The others took up fighting positions, facing the adults.

Anya, her eyes burning with anger, was held back by an Arashikage ninja. "Let me go! You bad guys, let me go!" she shouted, striking out at the ninja but her punches were meaningless against his strength. He didn't even flinch.

Anya was about to break down when Julianne appeared, sprinting towards them. With a powerful kick, she sent the ninja flying backward, then grabbed his katana, unsheathing it with a swift motion.

"Stay back!" she shouted at the Arashikage ninjas, her voice filled with fierce determination. She took Anya's hand, pulling her away from the adults.

As they walked toward Lucian, a ripple of shock passed through the adults. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

One by one, the children surrounded Lucian, forming a protective barrier against the soldiers and anyone else who might try to harm him.

These kids didn't have adult problems. They had made a decision based purely on their hearts, fueled by their feelings, without considering the consequences.

They only had one goal, one thought, 'protect him,' a mission they're all willing to do. Just like him, just like Lucian protected them. They will protect him with their lives. As they looked at each other, their eyes full of resolve, they roared with a unified voice.

"STAY BACK!"

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Next Chapter 49: Mission Accomplished

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