The dead of night cast an eerie silence over the rooftops as Raiden and Ash darted through the shadows, their silhouettes barely discernible under the pale glow of the moon. Raiden, his curiosity piqued, whispered to Ash as they ran.
"So. tell me about this Katsuo guy. How did he end up ruling this place?"
Ash's voice was low but carried a weight of emotion. "The ninja organization wasn't always like this. Decades ago, it was led by a man named Katsuhiko--a leader with a noble heart. The organization was built to protect not enslave. Katsuhiko wasn't just a leader he was a symbol of hope."
Raiden's expression hardened. "Then how did Katsuo take over?"
Ash exhaled deeply, his pace slowing as they approached the edge of the rooftop. "It started with a duel-a deadly one. Katsuo came here looking for the strongest swordsman. He didn't come to join. He came to Conquer."
Ash began recounting the story.
The island of ninjas buzzed with activity as rumors spread like wildfire. A stranger had entered their sacred land, and his aura was no ordinary man-his presence was suffocating, his movements predatory. Katsuo marched towards the heart of the ninja headquarters, where Katsuhiko, the master of the ninja society, sat on his elevated throne. Dozens of skilled ninjas stood guard, their hands ready to unsheath their swords at the first sign of trouble.
The moment Katsuo stepped inside, an oppressive aura filled the air, thick and menacing. Several ninjas staggered, some clutching their stomachs as nausea overtook them. Others fainted outright.
Katsuo's steps echoed in the grand hall until the right hand ninja of Katsuhiko appeared in a flash, his blade pointed at Katsuo's neck. "You dare defile this place?" the ninja growled.
Katsuhiko raised a hand, his voice calm and commanding. "Stand down. Let the man speak."
Katsuo didn't answer with words. Instead, he vanished, reappearing an instant later with his blade nearly touching Katsuhiko's neck. His voice was cold and precise. "| challenge you to a duel."
Katsuhiko's lips curled into a faint smile. "A duel? Why would I entertain such a request?"
Katsuo's eyes burned with intensity. " Because i'm here for the strongest. If I lose I will be your slave and if I win I will take everything you have— including this organization."
The place fell silent. Katsuhiko unshaken, nodded. "very well. But left 5he people witness this. They deserve to see their leader."
The battleground was chosen; an open field where the villagers and the ninjas could watch from a safe distance. The setting sun colored the sky orange and red as the deadly duel began.
Katsuo unsheathed his blade with a slow, deliberate motion. The sound of metal against metal rang out as his blade was already in his hands and his posture radiating confidence.
They clashed.
Katsuo's strike were brutal and unrelenting, each one aiming to overwhelm Katsuhiko. But the master was no amateur. Katsuhiko parried and countered with elegance his movements fluid and precise. Their sword clashed with sparks flying with every exchange.
Katsuo lunged, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Katsuhiko sidestepped, countering with a diagonal slash aiming at Katsuo's torso. Katsuo deflected the attack spinning around to deliver a powerful upward strike.
The ground beneath them cracked as the clashes intensified, Shockwave ripping through the battlefield. Katsuo's aura flared, a visible force that distorted the air around him. Katsuhiko matched it with his own, his calm demeanor.
For hours, they fought. Blood dripping from shallow cuts on both men, their breaths ragged out but their resolve unbroken.
Then, the tide turned.
Katsuo feinted a high strike, forcing Katsuhiko to raise his blade in defense. In that split second katsuo spun low, his katana slicing cleanly through Katsuhiko's left arm. Blood sprayed in the air as Katsuhiko staggered, his expression twisted in pain.
The ninjas watching from afar gasped, some screaming in horror.
Katsuo didn't relent. He closed the distance, his blade a blur as he aimed for the killing blow. Katsuhiko parried desperately with his remaining arm, but he was losing ground. A mistimed block left him exposed, and at that moment Katsuo's blade pierced through his chest, driving deep into his heart.
Katsuhiko's body stiffened, his eyes wide in shock. But katsuo wasn't done. A dark smile spread across his face as he winged his katana again, with a single swift motion, severed Katsuhiko's head.
The master's lifeless body fell to it knees, blood pooling out of him. The setting sun shadowed the battlefield in a crimson glow, casting Katsuo's shadow over the fallen leader.
The villagers stunned in silence. From a distance, one ninja whispered "Who… who won? Is it Katsuhiko–sama?"
A figure emerged from the dust and carnage. Katsuo stood tall, blood dripping from his blade.
"Don't cry," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "I'm here now to rule over this island.
Sheathing his katana, katsuo turned and walked away leaving the ninjas and villagers to their despair.
Ash finished the story, his voice low. "That was the day our island changed forever. Katsuo turned the ninja organization into a tool of oppression. And now, I have to fight him."
Raiden clenched his fists. "And you'll win. Not just for yourself but for everyone he's wronged."
The two continued their journey, the weight of Ash's story fueling their determination.