The eagle pierced through the village barrier, its wings cutting cleanly through the mist as it descended into the heart of Shin-Kage.
With a powerful flap, it landed just outside a small merchant shop in the village square. Natsuki hopped off, still cradling Rumi gently in his arms.
"You okay?" he asked softly, eyes scanning her face.
Rumi looked up and nodded, her smile warm despite everything they had just been through.
"I'm okay."
Natsuki smiled in return, relief washing over him. With a flick of his wrist, he spoke calmly:
"Return—Eagle."
The massive bird shimmered, then dissolved into black ink that swirled toward his arm, forming into a sleek tattoo across his bicep—wings spread, talons poised mid-strike.
"Alright... let's get you to Tanaka."
Natsuki adjusted Rumi's weight in his arms and made his way toward the center of the village, his boots quiet against the stone paths.
Upon reaching the square, he started asking nearby villagers and patrolling samurai about Tanaka's whereabouts. Most gave polite nods or sideways glances—until finally, one samurai pointed toward the tall building near the east side of the village.
"Town hall. He's inside with the other captains, planning the counteroffensive against the oni."
Natsuki gave a short nod. "Got it."
With Rumi still resting quietly against him, he headed straight for the hall—his pace steady, eyes sharp. Whatever Tanaka was planning, Natsuki knew it was only the beginning of the war to come.
The heavy double doors of the town hall creaked, then burst open with a loud boom as Natsuki stepped inside, holding Rumi tightly in his arms.
"Special delivery for Tanaka!" he called out with a cocky grin.
A gray-haired man at the head of a long war table turned sharply, his brow furrowed in irritation.
"Can someone get whoever that is out of here?" he barked.
One of the guards moved quickly, reaching for Natsuki's shoulder—but in the next instant, Natsuki was gone.
The air popped lightly as the ninja reappeared directly in front of Tanaka, silent as a shadow. The movement was so fast it left the guard frozen in confusion.
Tanaka's eyes locked onto the girl in Natsuki's arms.
In a flash, the old samurai drew his sword and held it to Natsuki's neck.
Steel kissed skin.
Natsuki didn't flinch.
He could've dodged. Disarmed him. Broken the man's wrist in an instant.
But he didn't.
He just stood there.
Tanaka's voice was a low growl. "How did you get that girl?"
Before Natsuki could respond, Rumi squirmed in his arms and waved her hands frantically.
"No! No! Uncle Tanaka, it's okay! Mr. Natsuki is one of Mama's friends! She said he'd bring me to you!"
Tanaka's blade trembled slightly, then lowered. His cold eyes studied Natsuki for a long, heavy second.
"…Are you that damned ninja Ino saved back when we were heading to raid Sakura's temple?"
Natsuki nodded once. "Yeah. That was me."
Tanaka scoffed, sheathing his blade with a disgusted clink. "So it's true. I never thought I'd see the last rat of that cursed clan crawling back into the light."
He looked Natsuki dead in the eyes, full of bitterness. "Your clan betrayed this land… helped the oni slaughter our people. You should've died with them."
The words hit harder than any blade.
Natsuki didn't argue.
He couldn't.
His past was stained with blood—most of it spilled under orders he never questioned… until Ino showed him a different path.
Rumi frowned and balled her tiny fist, then swung it weakly at Tanaka's leg.
"Don't say that! Mr. Natsuki saved me!"
Tanaka glanced down at her, surprised by the outburst.
Then slowly looked back at Natsuki.
"…Is that right?"
His tone was cold. Skeptical.
"I hope you understand—one good deed doesn't erase a lifetime of sins."
"I'm not asking for forgiveness," Natsuki said quietly, shifting Rumi into Tanaka's arms. "Just… make sure she's safe."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a letter—sealed with Ino's crest—and handed it to the old samurai.
"She wrote this. It's for you."
Tanaka took it without a word.
Natsuki turned, his kimono fluttering behind him as he headed for the door.
"Mr. Natsuki!" Rumi called after him, voice filled with sudden panic. "You're not leaving, are you?!"
He stopped.
Looked back.
A rare softness touched his features.
"Don't worry, kid. You'll see me around. But for now, Tanaka'll take care of you."
And with that, Natsuki stepped out of the hall, the giant doors closing behind him with a final thud.
Rumi clutched Tanaka's sleeve, watching the door, her little heart aching.
But there was hope in her eyes.
She knew—
He wasn't gone for good.
Not her ninja.
Not her protector.
After leaving the town hall, Natsuki made his way through the quiet streets of Shin-Kage Village. The morning sun had just started warming the misty air, but the weight in his chest only grew heavier with every step.
He passed the blacksmith. The shrine. The familiar rice fields.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a small farmhouse at the village's edge—old, quiet, and overgrown. Ino's house.
She hadn't been here in weeks.
She'd never return.
Natsuki walked into the field beside it, the grass brushing against his knees. He sat down cross-legged, eyes closed for a moment, letting the silence sink in.
Then he spoke aloud.
"All right, Ink Master System—whatever you are. You held up your side of the deal. I got the girl here alive. Now tell me…"
He opened his eyes, gaze sharp.
"What do you want?"
A faint hum filled the air. Then—ding.
A glowing interface appeared before him in the air, text pulsing in a soft crimson light.
> [MAIN MISSION UNLOCKED]
▸ OBJECTIVE: Hunt down and eliminate the oni who stole the Ink Master Yamamoto's mana.
▸ GOAL: Reclaim stolen mana fragments to unlock greater power and new abilities.
▸ PROGRESS TO LEVEL 100 TO ACCESS THE FINAL STAGE.
▸ REWARD: Full Ink Master inheritance.
Natsuki furrowed his brow, eyes scanning the screen.
"…So the more of this guy's mana I collect, the stronger I get?" he muttered. "Not a bad deal, honestly. I hate oni anyway."
He leaned back on his elbows.
"But what happens at level 100?"
There was a pause.
> [THIS INFORMATION IS CLASSIFIED.]
Natsuki scoffed. "Of course it is."
He exhaled slowly, then narrowed his eyes.
"And if I refuse?"
The screen flickered. For a moment, everything around him went still.
Then came the answer.
> [BREACHING CONTRACT TERMS WILL RESULT IN: SYSTEM PARTIAL POSSESSION AND FORCED COMPLIANCE.]
[FURTHERMORE, SUBJECT: RUMI – WILL BE TERMINATED.]
Natsuki shot to his feet, fists clenched.
"The hell?! Leave her out of this!"
> [THE CONTRACT WAS TO ENSURE HER SAFETY. YOU BREAK IT—SHE DIES.]
Before he could shout again, his arms moved on their own.
"No—! Stop—!"
Ink flowed from his fingers against his will, brush forming in hand, scroll unrolling. A tiger took shape—fierce, regal, and snarling with predatory grace.
As the last stroke was drawn, mana surged—and the tiger roared into existence.
Natsuki staggered back, breathing heavily. He hadn't moved a muscle willingly.
"I said I'd follow your damn orders—just don't use her against me!"
The summoned tiger opened its mouth—but the voice that came from it wasn't natural.
It was the system.
Cold. Echoing. Commanding.
> "We knew you'd comply. We simply needed to remind you."
"You are not a partner. Not a wielder. You are a slave to the Ink Master System."
Natsuki's face twisted with fury. But he stayed still. He thought—calculated.
Then he smirked slightly.
"…Fine. Then let me add one condition of my own."
The tiger paused. Then melted back into ink, reabsorbing into the scroll with a hiss.
The voice returned to his mind.
> [SPEAK.]
Natsuki closed his eyes, breathing slow.
"While I obey your orders—allow me to continue protecting the girl. No matter what missions you give me, I don't leave her vulnerable. That's the deal."
Silence followed.
Then—
> [CONDITION ACCEPTED.]
[PROTECTING SUBJECT: RUMI – PERMITTED WHILE FULFILLING OBJECTIVES.]
[REMEMBER YOUR ROLE, HOST.]
Natsuki sighed, rubbing his temples. "Tch. I remember."
He looked up toward the distant clouds above the Twin Peaks.
"I'll kill every last oni if I have to… but no one touches her. Not them. Not you."
The interface vanished.
The field fell quiet again.
The system's voice rang out, flat and emotionless.
> [UNDERSTOOD.]
[FIRST TARGET: GAMAKICHI — ONI GENERAL.
OBJECTIVE: TERMINATE AND REABSORB STOLEN MANA.]
A slow, dangerous grin spread across Natsuki's face. His eyes narrowed, burning with intensity.
Despite everything—the threats, the manipulation, the chains around his soul—this was something he wanted.
A rematch.
"That filthy bastard…" he muttered, his voice low and sharp. "It's like fate handed me a blade and pointed me at his neck."
He clenched his fists, the tattooed ink on his skin shimmering faintly.
> [PREPARE TO INVADE THE ONI TEMPLE ONCE AGAIN.]
Natsuki took a deep breath, thinking hard.
"…I have an idea. But I don't think I have enough mana to summon them all when the time comes."
> [YOU MAY INFUSE DRAWINGS WITH MANA IN ADVANCE.]
[STORED DRAWINGS WILL COST LESS TO SUMMON DURING COMBAT.]
His eyes widened slightly at the revelation. Then, without another word—
He moved.
In one fluid motion, Natsuki unrolled his scroll and unsheathed his brush. Ink flowed like blood across the paper as he entered a silent, focused trance.
Each stroke was deliberate. Every line sharpened by precision, intent, and fury.
He drew an army.
—Dozens of tigers, etched mid-pounce, mouths wide with roars frozen in ink.
—Swarms of insects, crawling in fractal patterns across the page.
—Two massive serpent-dragons, coiled and wrathful, fangs bared.
The creatures grafted themselves to his skin—tiger tattoos lined his arms, bug murals surged across his back, and serpent dragons coiled like living ink down both forearms.
Each one was infused with mana. Stored. Waiting. Hungry.
He sat back, breathing hard.
"…Ready for round two," he whispered.
The wind carried his words across the empty field, as storm clouds gathered once more in the distance.
---
Next Chapter Preview:
The assault on the Oni Temple begins again. This time, Natsuki isn't running. He's hunting.