ALL NOVEL Chapter 53: The First Murder
Chapter
53: The First Murder
The two ghost brothers didn't know
much. The only valuable information they confirmed was that Kado was indeed
their employer, and he seemed to have hired other, more powerful ninjas. This
revelation was somewhat below Kakashi's expectations and made him further
adjust his assessment of the mission's difficulty.
"It seems they really don't
know much more. Okay, you two can start, but don't force it. This kind of thing
takes time to get used to," Kakashi said after determining the ghost
brothers were of no further value. He turned to look at Menma and Sasuke, who
were waiting behind him.
Menma and Sasuke appeared calm, but
their bodies couldn't help but tremble slightly at Kakashi's words. In such a
cruel and dark world, the first time you kill someone, you must overcome the
psychological burden.
If someone could kill without any
emotional disturbance on their first try, they would be an extremely terrifying
individual on a psychological level. Although Menma and Sasuke were
strong-willed, this was still their first time. Even if Menma had lived two
lifetimes, in his previous one, he had never even killed a chicken. Now, he was
about to kill a person. If he wasn't apprehensive, he would be a humanoid
monster.
Menma knew he had to go through
this. The opportunity in front of him was the most suitable. His previous
battles, whether against Mizuki or the ghost brothers, didn't put any real
pressure on him due to his strength. But against evenly matched or stronger
enemies, any hesitation could lead to defeat.
'This is the path I want to choose!'
Menma thought as he took a deep breath. He drew out a kunai and approached the
Mist ninja on the left. His raised right hand trembled slightly, but without
hesitation, a strong murderous intent flashed between his eyebrows. He fiercely
stabbed the Mist ninja in the chest.
"Puff!" The sound came as
the kunai penetrated the Mist ninja's chest, the blade sinking in. Blood
splattered everywhere, and the ninja's life force quickly ebbed away. In less
than a few seconds, the Mist ninja tilted his head and died from Menma's kunai.
Menma had taken a life. Sasuke,
beside him, delivered a blow to the throat, killing the other ghost brother on
the spot. They both glanced at each other, blood on their bodies, sharing a
new, significant experience.
Kakashi nodded secretly, seeing
Menma and Sasuke complete their first kill. As official ninjas, they had to go
through this. The mentality of recent genin was worse compared to Kakashi's
time. Many new graduates either died in battle or had mental breakdowns, unable
to continue being ninjas. Kakashi had initially worried about Team 7, given
Konoha's long peace. But at least Menma and Sasuke didn't need any concern in
this area, despite initial hesitations.
"Well, good. Let's go
back," Kakashi said softly.
"Yes!" Menma and Sasuke
nodded, responding simultaneously.
Before they left, Kakashi formed a
hand seal. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." A low-level fire technique
incinerated the corpses of the ghost brothers, turning them to ashes and
blowing them away.
They returned quickly. Kakashi had
used genjutsu to extract information within minutes, and Menma and Sasuke
hadn't wasted any time. As they neared Sakura and Naruto, the faint smell of
blood on them made the two's expressions turn uneasy. Menma and Sasuke seemed
different.
Tazuna looked at Menma and Sasuke with a newfound
understanding of what a ninja truly was. 'They're only 12 years old...' Tazuna thought silently.
"Okay, let's go," Kakashi
said, noticing the slight changes in team dynamics, which he saw as a normal
development.
With a wave of his hand, the group
of six resumed their journey toward the Land of Waves. Unlike the joy when they
first left the village, the atmosphere became solemn. Naruto, usually lively,
grew silent, as did Sakura. Only Menma and Sasuke remained calm, their
differences from the others becoming more apparent. They were on different
paths.
Menma glanced at Naruto, feeling his
heart turn cold. From that moment, he abandoned any unrealistic expectations.
'Sure enough, I can only rely on myself,' Menma thought silently.