Dokuro Namboku set out on a mission to the northern region with Naka Haruko and Shima Shizue. Their task was to secure new alliances and potentially alter the course of the ongoing war in favor of the newly established village.
Naka Haruko, though she looked like an ordinary woman in her twenties, had a fierce aura that could be sensed from afar. Her battle scars and tattoos around her hazel eyes, combined with her honey-colored hair, gave her a distinct look. Shima Shizue was shorter than Naka but around the same age, and they had previously gone on missions together for the Ken Tribe. Now, they were on a new mission under Dokuro's command, both strongly supporting the unification of clans to form a village. Because of their enthusiasm for peace, it was thought they would perform well in alliance negotiations. The first clan they would encounter in the north was expected to be weaker compared to the others.
After a while, Dokuro decided they should rest and set up camp near a nearby river. "Shima, scout the area and report any movement," he instructed. Shima nodded in acknowledgment. "Of course, sir."
As Naka drank some water, she asked, "What do you think, Dokuro? Will this peace really work? After all these years of fighting, it almost feels like it was all for nothing... though I can't deny it feels good to think of an end to the wars."
Dokuro replied calmly, "Nothing has truly ended yet. Don't get too comfortable so quickly. Even if we establish a village and secure peace, it's uncertain if the other clans will agree." Naka was already aware of this but wanted to remain optimistic. Just then, they heard a voice behind them: "I need backup!" It was Shima. Dokuro and Naka immediately rushed to her aid, and upon arrival, they saw two wooden puppets standing in front of Shima, with a figure wearing a white mask marked with the number 5 standing on a branch behind them. Dokuro shouted, "Which clan are you from?" Number 5 laughed loudly, "Clan? It's been so long, I can't remember. But that doesn't matter. I can't let you go any further… as for the reason? Ah, what was it? Well, no matter. Turn back or die."
Dokuro, maintaining his composure, recognized that the opponent wasn't weak. "Element: Fire - Explosive Breath," he said as he launched an attack on Number 5. He brought his hand to his mouth, took a deep breath, and exhaled in bursts, releasing fireballs from his mouth. The tree where Number 5 was standing exploded into pieces, but when the smoke cleared, Number 5 was gone. The puppets remained motionless. "It seems they're controlled by someone else," Shima said. "We'll handle the puppets. Fight without worry." Dokuro nodded silently and closed his eyes to sense Number 5's energy, expanding his energy like sound waves to locate his opponent in the trees, then quickly moved in that direction.
"Naka, you take the one on the right; I'll take the one on the left. Element: Water - Whip!" A long water whip formed in Shima's right hand. She lunged at the puppet on the left, tightly wrapping the whip around its neck and then turning it to ice, creating sharp spikes. If it had been a human, the neck would have been completely severed, but the puppet remained unscathed. Suddenly, the puppet charged at Shima and landed a powerful blow that sent her crashing to the ground.
Meanwhile, Naka rushed toward the other puppet. "Element: Fire - Infinite Flame Sword." Instead of aiming at its head, she struck at its legs. However, as if predicting her move, the puppet jumped and delivered a powerful kick in mid-air. Naka barely managed to block with her hands, but the force of the kick sent her tumbling, scattering her flaming sword. The puppet then jumped on Shima, landing punch after punch. Though she tried to shield herself, her right arm broke under the relentless blows, and her guard dropped, leaving her face vulnerable to further hits. With her left hand, she whispered, "E-Earth: Full Cover," enveloping her body in a layer of earth like armor. The blows to her face lessened in impact, allowing her a moment to breathe, though the puppet's strikes soon began to crack her armor. Despite the intense pain in her broken arm, she swung hard, landing blows to the puppet's lower body and head, finally throwing it off of her.
She slowly rose to her feet, realizing the puppet was vulnerable to physical damage. The puppet had a hole in its torso and a cracked head. Meanwhile, Naka held her guard as her puppet charged. Watching Shima's fight out of the corner of her eye, she activated "Element: Lightning - Resonance," creating yellow electricity around her hand. She extended her fingers and steadied her aim by holding her right hand with her left. She sprinted toward the puppet and struck its abdomen with all her gathered power, then moved past it as an explosion erupted from the puppet's abdomen, tearing it apart. However, as the attack landed, she also sustained a cut on her right shoulder, which began bleeding profusely. Falling to her knees in pain, she took out a cloth from her belt pouch to press against the wound.
Shima, having risen to her feet, noticed her own armor was cracked, and her right arm hung uselessly. "Never thought I'd get beaten by a puppet… I underestimated it. But I'll destroy you now, you son of a bitch!" she yelled, catching sight of Naka's injuries. Even though one puppet was still standing, its sheer power meant both of them might die there. With his right arm out of commission, Shima resolved to end this in a single blow. As the puppet charged at him, she timed his move perfectly and dodged, delivering a powerful uppercut that sent the puppet's head flying. But even headless, the puppet continued moving toward her, though now with unstable footing. She noticed a piece of paper in the puppet's torso and quickly punched it hard, causing the puppet to explode. The earth armor protected her from the blast, though it was shattered. She struggled to his feet, badly wounded, and went to help Naka.
Meanwhile, Dokuro advanced deeper into the forest. He could hear the sounds of the battle behind him but knew he had to focus on defeating his opponent first. Eventually, he found Number 5 standing in a clearing. Without hesitation, Dokuro leaped forward and aimed a powerful kick, but Number 5 disappeared and reappeared behind him, returning the kick with force. Although he was knocked to the ground, the kick wasn't enough to knock him out. He quickly got to his feet. "You're fast, but I've faced faster opponents." Dokuro held his ground, realizing any attack he attempted would be dodged. Instead, he decided to wait for Number 5 to strike.
Number 5 suddenly appeared before Dokuro and threw a punch, then disappeared and reappeared behind him. Dokuro reacted by protecting his face from a powerful kick, staggering back but staying upright. This time, Number 5 didn't teleport; he charged directly, throwing punches. Dokuro maintained his guard, dodging the final punch and landing a hard blow to Number 5's stomach, making him stagger. Just as Dokuro was about to punch him in the face, Number 5 disappeared again. "You have a limit… you could've dodged my first strike, but you didn't," Dokuro remarked. "Whatever your name is, I'll just call you Number 5."
Number 5 reappeared on a tree branch, smirking. "You're sharper than you look. That was a solid punch, but we'll continue this another time. It looks like your friends are in trouble. You should check on them, and I suggest you turn back." Dokuro grinned, "So you're running away? Who are you, and what do you want? Where is your friend controlling the puppets? Why are you attacking us?" Number 5 looked up to the sky. "Kagayaku-chi—that's the name of our organization. What we want is something within your newly founded village. It'd be easier if you brought it to me, but I won't reveal my target so easily. We won't allow you to grow stronger, so the only way you'll proceed is over my dead body." With that, Number 5 disappeared.
Dokuro, surprised, thought, "Their target is someone in the village?" He realized this was no ordinary skirmish; their enemies might have far more complex motives. As he hurried back, he saw Shima looking after Naka amidst a blood-stained scene. "Are you alright?" Shima looked at him with tears in her eyes. "If this continues, she'll die… Even if we turn back now, I'm not sure she'll make it." Dokuro moved to carry Naka in his arms. "I'll carry her. Can you keep up? Also, you should bandage your arm—it looks bad, and you could be permanently injured." Though exhausted, the thought of his friend's life gave Shima the strength to stand. She nodded, and they set off on their way back.