Published at 21st of September 2024 12:07 pm

Chapter 144 Echoes of the Forgotten Clan: 2 Whispers in the Shadows

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The Hidden Leaf Village bustled with its usual energy, but for Ryo Takeda, it was all background noise. He had slipped in unnoticed, a wanderer in a place that had long since forgotten his clan. Disguised as just another merchant passing through, he kept his chakra suppressed, careful not to draw attention to himself.

Ryo had never spent much time in the larger villages. The Takeda clan had raised him in seclusion, and their distrust of outsiders had become ingrained in him. But now, with the ominous words of the void spirit fresh in his mind, Ryo needed information, and there was no better place to start than the Hidden Leaf.

His destination was a small, unassuming tea shop on the outskirts of the village—one of the few places where rogue shinobi and outcasts could exchange information freely, so long as they weren’t stupid enough to cause trouble. It was run by an old woman known only as Sari, who had connections to every major shinobi village. If there was any news of people searching for forgotten power or ancient clans, Sari would know.

The bell over the door jingled as Ryo stepped inside, and the warm scent of tea and herbs greeted him. Sari sat behind the counter, her wrinkled face partially obscured by steam from a freshly brewed pot of tea. She barely glanced up as Ryo approached, but her sharp eyes flicked over him, taking in every detail in an instant.

“Another wanderer passing through, eh?” Sari said, her voice gravelly but not unkind. “You look like you’ve come a long way. What do you need?”

Ryo pulled out a small pouch of coins and slid it across the counter. “Information,” he said quietly. “I’m looking for rumors about a clan that used to live in the mountains north of the Land of Fire. The Takeda clan.”

Sari’s hands stilled as she picked up the pouch. Her eyes narrowed, and for the first time, she gave Ryo her full attention. “Takeda, you say?” she murmured. “That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”

Ryo waited, his heart pounding. This was the moment—he could feel it.

Sari set down the pouch and leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Most people think the Takeda clan is just a legend, you know. A ghost story to scare young shinobi. They say your people disappeared without a trace, consumed by their own forbidden power.”

Ryo clenched his fists under the counter. He had heard those stories too, but they weren’t the truth. His clan hadn’t disappeared—they had hidden themselves, sealing away their power to protect the world from its dangers.

“What else do you know?” he asked, his voice tight. “There’s more to it, isn’t there?”

Sari’s eyes gleamed with something like amusement. “Oh, there’s always more. Recently, there’s been talk of a group—shinobi who’ve been poking around in the old ruins of the Land of Fire’s northern territories. Rumor has it they’re looking for an ancient weapon. Some say it’s connected to the Void Release.”

Ryo’s breath caught. So the figure in the clearing hadn’t been lying. There were others already searching for the power of the Void, and they were getting close.

“Who are they?” Ryo asked, leaning closer. “These shinobi?”

Sari shrugged, but her expression turned serious. “That’s the tricky part. No one knows for sure. They’re not tied to any of the major villages, but they’re dangerous. And they’re organized. If they’re after your clan’s power, you’d better be careful.”

Ryo thanked her and stood up, his mind racing. He had more questions, but lingering too long in one place would attract attention. As he moved to leave, Sari’s voice stopped him.

“You remind me of someone,” she said quietly, her gaze lingering on him. “A man who came through here many years ago. He had the same look in his eyes—determined, but haunted by something.”

Ryo paused, turning back to her. “Who was he?”

Sari’s face softened, her voice lowering to a more distant tone. “I don’t know his name, but he was Takeda too. He asked about the same things. Never saw him again after that.”

Ryo’s pulse quickened. Could that have been his father? The man had disappeared years ago, leaving only cryptic warnings about the dangers of the clan’s powers. Ryo had always assumed he had been killed during a mission, but now doubt gnawed at him.

“Did he say where he was going?” Ryo asked, his voice hushed.

Sari shook her head. “No. But he mentioned something about a hidden place in the northern mountains—a shrine, I think. Maybe that’s where you’ll find your answers.”

Ryo thanked her again and left the tea shop, his mind buzzing with possibilities. The northern mountains. It had to be the same area where he had found the monolith. The shrine was likely connected to the seals on the Takeda clan’s Void Release.

As he moved through the crowded streets of the Hidden Leaf, his senses remained sharp. The village was peaceful, but Ryo could feel a tension beneath the surface. The figure in the clearing had warned him—others were after the same power, and if they found the shrine before he did, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Suddenly, Ryo sensed it—a flicker of chakra, faint but unmistakable, following him through the crowd. He turned a corner into a narrow alley and quickly scaled the wall, taking to the rooftops. From his vantage point, he spotted two figures moving stealthily through the crowd below. They were good—expert shinobi, judging by their control over their chakra.

Ryo cursed under his breath. He had hoped to avoid trouble in the village, but it seemed his presence hadn’t gone unnoticed. Whoever these shinobi were, they were tracking him now, and they weren’t from the Hidden Leaf.

Leaping silently across the rooftops, Ryo made his way toward the village gates, planning his next move. He couldn’t afford a confrontation here, not with so many innocent lives at risk. His only option was to lead his pursuers out of the village and confront them on his own terms.

As he neared the outskirts of the village, the sky began to darken, and the wind picked up, carrying the scent of rain. Ryo paused briefly, gathering his thoughts. He had no idea who these shinobi were or what they wanted, but he was done running.

Stepping into the open, Ryo waited, his senses on high alert. Within moments, the two shinobi emerged from the shadows, their faces hidden behind masks.

“You’ve got nowhere to run,” one of them said, his voice cold. “We know who you are, Takeda. Surrender, and we’ll make this easy.”

Ryo smirked, his kunai spinning in his hand. “Sorry, but I’ve never been good at doing things the easy way.”

With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed his chakra, and the air around him seemed to distort, darkening as the power of the Void began to stir.

The battle was about to begin.

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