Chapter 18: The Vulture's Ambush
"Fei'er, the dead are gone. But the living must keep living, and live strongly. Your family fought so hard for your escape because they wanted Fei'er to live a good life."
Fei'er looked at Ryouma and was silent for a long moment. "Really? But... how am I supposed to live well from now on..."
"Come back to Konoha with me. I'll speak to the Hokage." Ryouma smiled and pulled the rose from inside his jacket.
"This is..." Fei'er stared at the flower with wide, curious eyes.
"It's the gift you gave me when we first met." Ryouma looked at her and continued softly. "Life might seem meaningless at times, but only by living can you find joy. It's like how I'd never have found this flower if I hadn't met you."
He reached out his hand and pulled Fei'er to her feet. She had regained some of her strength. "Let's go. I'll introduce you to my teammates."
"Mhm~!" Fei'er nodded vigorously, finally offering Ryouma a genuine, heartfelt smile.
The two figures made their way along the road back toward the Land of Tea. Fei'er's injuries weren't fully healed, so their progress was slow, stopping and starting. Ryouma had considered carrying her, but worried it might seem inappropriate, he decided against it.
"Fei'er, you're tired. Let's rest under that tree up ahead. We're almost there." Ryouma pointed to a large tree in the distance, noticing the sheen of sweat on Fei'er's brow.
"Well... okay..." Too tired to argue, Fei'er agreed to his suggestion.
Fei'er leaned back against the trunk of the tree. She looked at Ryouma, smiled, and patted the spot next to her. "Big brother, come sit with Fei'er."
"Yeah." Ryouma smiled and was about to move when a long blade suddenly burst through the tree trunk. It pierced clean through Fei'er's back, the silver steel now stained crimson with her blood.
Ryouma's eyes widened in horror. He watched, disbelieving, as the smile faded from Fei'er's face. "FEI'ER!!!"
"Hehehe... Just as I expected, lying in wait paid off." A man in a standard ninja flak jacket emerged from behind the tree. The Sunagakure forehead protector on his head identified him clearly—it was Vulture, the jōnin who had fled the tea ceremony after realizing the mission was beyond its stated rank!
Though Vulture had left Reizan Ichi's mansion, he knew Jiraiya was there. The most likely outcome was a mutually destructive battle. Vulture had planned to be the mantis stalking the cicada, waiting to swoop in and finish off the weakened winner. He never imagined Jiraiya's power would be so immense. That strange mode he'd entered even allowed him to vaguely sense Vulture's presence!
So, Vulture hadn't dared to show himself then. Instead, he had hidden along the only route back to the Land of Tea, waiting for an exhausted victor.
And now, here was one of the main players, the leader of the Blood Gate, defenseless. The opportunity was perfect, and he had struck with a single, lethal blow!
"You're... that Konoha genin?" Vulture glanced at Ryouma, recognizing him as the young boy who had been with the Konoha jōnin in the hall. "Why are you with the Blood Gate's leader?"
"You... you actually... you killed Fei'er... I'LL KILL YOU!" Ryouma's vision tinted red with rage. He glared fiercely at Vulture, then his gaze fell upon Fei'er, her eyes closed, impaled by the long blade.
Swish!
The Instant Eye activated!
In the blink of an eye, before Vulture could react, Ryouma was behind him.
Thud...
His kunai stabbed into Vulture's back, but it felt like he'd hit something hard, and fine grains of sand sprayed out.
"This is... Sand Armor?!" A cold dread washed over Ryouma. He hadn't expected Vulture to maintain such a potent defensive sand technique constantly.
Feeling the kunai pierce his armor, Vulture was startled. He leaped forward quickly, putting distance between himself and Ryouma, and looked at the boy properly.
How did this kid get behind me? Could it be the legendary Flying Thunder God Technique? Vulture was shocked. Very few had mastered space-time ninjutsu, you could count them on one hand. And at his age? How was it possible?
"Fei'er..." Ryouma looked down at Fei'er's body, his heart wrenching with pain again.
Seeing Ryouma's distraction, Vulture, ever the pragmatic ninja, saw an opportunity. "Hey, kid," he shouted. "The bounty on the Blood Gate leader's head is seventy million ryo. After I collect it, I'll give you ten million. Consider it an acknowledgment of your strength. Since she's already dead, shouldn't we, the living, focus on improving our own lives?"
Ryouma stared at Vulture, his gaze icy cold. Fury burned within him. "You... don't get to say those words! SHUT UP!"
Swish!
He released the kunai, sending it shooting straight for Vulture's eyes!
"Hmph! You have no sense of your own limitations!" Vulture sneered, tilting his head slightly to let the kunai whistle past.
"It's not over yet!" Ryouma vanished. He reappeared right beside the still-flying kunai, snatched it out of the air, and thrust it at Vulture once more!
Clang!
The kunai clattered to the ground. Vulture lowered his arm, glanced at the small patch of sand that had flaked off his wrist, and fixed a cold stare on Ryouma. "Don't test my patience. I'm offering you money out of respect!"
"I don't need your money... But Fei'er... her memory won't be tainted by it!" Ryouma roared, thinking of the girl who, just like Hinata, had called him 'big brother' with such trust.
"Hmph, in that case... Sand Illusion: Mirage!" Vulture's eyes narrowed, then suddenly snapped wide open.
Not good! Ryouma knew he was in trouble the moment he heard the incantation. He immediately teleported to the maximum range of his Instant Eye—nearly five hundred meters away.
Hum...
The moment he landed, the world around him flickered. When his vision cleared, he was standing in an endless, barren desert.
"Damn it, I'm trapped in a genjutsu!" Panic surged within him. He frantically searched his mind for information on breaking illusions.
An idea sparked. He quickly shouted in his mind, System! Exchange for the Illusion-Breaking Eye!
"Ding~! Congratulations. You have obtained the Pupil Technique Skill: Illusion-Breaking Eye. It can dispel all genjutsu."
"Illusion-Breaking Eye, activate!" Ryouma yelled. His formerly dark pupils morphed into a intricate, lotus-like pattern.
"BREAK!"
Crack...
The world before him shattered like glass. Everything returned to normal, and Ryouma saw Vulture lunging toward him, kunai in hand!