The world of the present vanished, replaced by a jagged memory from four centuries ago.
A young boy sat on a floor soaked in red. He was shaking, his small hands stained with blood that wasn't his own. Around him lay the bodies of his parents—the people who had tried to kill him out of fear for the power sleeping in his veins.
"I'm scared..." the young Kage sobbed, his voice high and thin. "I didn't mean to... they tried to hurt me..."
The door creaked open. A man in a blindingly white robe stepped inside. He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't scream. He knelt in the blood and looked the boy in the eyes.
"You are not a monster," the man in white whispered. "You did nothing wrong. Just relax." He held out a hand. "Do you want to come with me? Do you want to become like me?"
The boy looked up, hope flickering in his tear-filled eyes. "Yes."
The Return
The flashback shattered. In the ruins of the village, Kaito's eyes snapped open—but they were pits of swirling, violet darkness. A terrifying, deep laughter erupted from his throat, echoing against the trees.
"Four hundred years..." Kage's voice hissed through Kaito's lips. "I am finally back!"
The battlefield froze. Mizuki backed away, her heart cold with dread. This wasn't the boy who had bandaged her wound.
"Kill that bitch!" the Flame General roared, pointing at Mizuki. "Kill them both!"
A dozen Flame Guards lunged forward, but Kage didn't even blink. With a casual flick of his wrist, the guards were torn apart, their bodies hitting the ground before they could even scream.
"So," Kage said, a sadistic grin stretching his face. "Can I start now?"
The Blood River
What followed was not a battle; it was an execution. While Kaito had fought to defeat his enemies, Kage fought to erase them. He moved like a shadow, turning the village square into a river of blood.
Mizuki stood paralyzed, watching the man she thought was a hero become a butcher. "Kaito, stop! Please, stop!"
Kage heard her. He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto hers. In a blur of motion, he was in front of her. His hand clamped around her throat, lifting her high into the air.
"Leave me... let go..." Mizuki gasped, clawing at his iron grip.
Kage's free hand began to glow with a lethal, black light. He raised it to strike her heart, but suddenly, his arm began to shake violently.
"No..." Kaito's voice groaned from within. "I won't... let you..."
Kage's face twisted in agony as Kaito fought for control of his own muscles. Sensing the opening, Mizuki reached out and hugged him tightly, ignoring the darkness radiating from his skin. Slowly, the violet glow faded. The pressure vanished.
Kage receded, and Kaito's eyes returned to normal. He looked around, seeing the piles of bodies and the red-stained earth. He began to tremble. "Mizuki... are you okay?"
"I'm okay," she whispered, though she was shaking. The little boy ran from his hiding spot, hugging Kaito's legs in terror.
The Grave-Keepers
The silence was broken by three figures stepping out of the shadows: a girl with cold eyes and two tall, pale boys. They wore the gray silk of the Grave-Keepers.
"Who are you?" Mizuki demanded, drawing her sword.
"We are the Grave-Keepers," the girl said calmly. "And we have come for Kaito."
"We have to go," Kaito whispered to Mizuki. "They are more dangerous than the clans."
Mizuki didn't hesitate. She threw a smoke pellet at the ground. A thick, acrid cloud filled the square. By the time the smoke cleared, Kaito, Mizuki, and the child were gone.
The Grave-Keeper girl didn't look upset. She looked at the blood on the ground and smiled. "We will find you soon, Kage."
A wounded Leaf Guard reached out from the dirt, begging for help. The girl looked down at him and, without a word, drove a gray needle into his throat.
The next morning, the Five Clan heads met in a state of total panic. The reports were the same from every scout: the elite guards of the Flame, Aqua, and Leaf clans had been slaughtered by a single boy.
"He isn't just a thief anymore," Lord Veridian said, his voice grim.
"He is a monster," General Pyrois spat. "He has declared war on the entire world."
By noon, the decree was sent to every corner of the map. Kaito was no longer a refugee. He was officially the Most Wanted Person in the World, and the order was simple: Kill on Sight.
The hunt has truly begun.