The bright moon was suddenly obscured by heavy clouds. Extreme darkness enveloped the Hidden Steam Village, and a terrifying atmosphere rapidly spread through the settlement.
On a small hill in the distance, a figure clad in black quietly appeared. His snow-white hair was particularly prominent against the dark night.
Mori Shiraishi stood atop the heights occupied by the Ghoul army, staring down at the village below. It was heavily guarded and thick with a solemn tension. Even with the naked eye, he could feel the suffocating suppression currently gripping the interior of the Hidden Steam Village.
It was almost time. Soon, he would be able to launch his true revenge.
Mori Shiraishi looked up at the heavy dark clouds in the sky, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts. The scene of his parents dying for him once again surfaced in his mind. Then came the sea of fire as the village burned, the ninjas slaughtering villagers at will, and the subsequent countless struggles to escape within the borders of the Land of Rivers.
Everything would reach a conclusion tonight. It was either kill or be killed.
At this moment, Mori Shiraishi's body actually relaxed completely. Suddenly, a dark shadow descended. It was a Raven.
Mr. Crow?
Mori Shiraishi looked at the Raven, and the bird nodded. His feelings toward Mr. Crow were complicated. While facing the encirclement of the Hidden Steam Ninja, Mr. Crow had helped him escape death several times. The bird also constantly guided his combat style and his development and control over his Kagune.
However, its relationship with that man seemed very close, which made Mori Shiraishi hesitate to fully trust Mr. Crow.
That man...
Mori Shiraishi's expression shifted. Merely thinking of his name made him tremble.
"So it is Shiraishi-kun, caw. Are you feeling worried about the upcoming battle, caw?"
Mr. Crow landed naturally on Mori Shiraishi's shoulder and asked in a boisterous manner.
Mori Shiraishi nodded slightly and said, "After all, revenge is finally at hand. It is normal to feel some inner turmoil."
"That is true, caw."
Mr. Crow scratched his head with a wing and spoke candidly. "Isn't this the result Shiraishi-kun wanted? Regardless of the outcome—success or failure—this is something Shiraishi-kun was destined to do."
"Actually, Shiraishi-kun can rest easy, caw. Even if something goes wrong, I, Raven, will definitely help you."
Mori Shiraishi turned his head in surprise to look at the Raven on his shoulder. He asked in a complicated tone, "Actually, I have always been curious about one thing."
"Hmm?" Mr. Crow looked at him curiously. "Just say it. Anyway, you might not survive tonight."
Mori Shiraishi's mounting emotions suddenly stalled. "Didn't Mr. Crow just say he would help me?"
Mr. Crow showed a human-like smile and shrugged. "While it is true I will help Shiraishi-kun, that doesn't mean you will definitely survive. After all, I am not omnipotent, caw."
"True enough..."
"But what I want to ask is, why are you helping me?"
Mori Shiraishi turned back and stared into the Raven's eyes, seemingly trying to discern something.
Mr. Crow chuckled. "I simply want to see what kind of choice Shiraishi-kun will make."
"Choice?"
This time it was Mori Shiraishi's turn to be confused.
Mr. Crow nodded. "Exactly. I want to know where Shiraishi-kun's future will lead. If the revenge fails, then obviously there is no more to say; it is a dead end."
"What if it succeeds? What kind of future will Shiraishi-kun choose?"
Mori Shiraishi fell into deep thought.
Future...
He suddenly raised his palm, aiming it at the distant village.
"I... I want to change this world."
His parents who died miserably in front of Sakamoto... The sea of fire lit by the Hidden Steam Ninja... The massive number of commoners dying from hunger... The nobles and merchants who hoarded food, letting it rot and mold rather than giving it out... And the ninja villages that held the highest power, looking down from above...
All of these things transformed into a terrifying rage, consuming Mori Shiraishi's heart.
"I want to make those standing at the peak feel the wrath of those at the bottom. I want this world to know true pain!"
Mori Shiraishi's raised palm suddenly clenched into a fist. In the darkness, it looked as if he were crushing the village to pieces.
Mr. Crow adjusted his glasses with a wing. "That is a very interesting future."
"May Lord Jashin protect us. May he protect us so we can survive safely."
"We are willing to offer everything to Lord Jashin. We hope Lord Jashin will bless us with survival."
On this night, countless people suffered from insomnia. Numerous whispered prayers echoed from houses. Many knelt before faceless statues, begging for Lord Jashin's gaze. They hoped that for the sake of being fellow believers, he would not harm them.
Suffocating dread spread crazily through the village. Fear germinated in everyone's heart. Regarding death, people had achieved a rare state of equality. Everyone was afraid to die; everyone had to face the fear.
Often, those with more power felt a more intense fear when facing death. Furthermore, their fear was amplified through the power they held—tenfold, dozens of times, even hundreds of times.
Consequently, countless slaves were driven into the cellars. Amidst wails of agony and under the gaze of Jashin, slaves died in large batches. The blood they shed filled the grooves constructed in the pattern of the Jashin symbol. It looked like a crimson eye radiating a bloody glow.
On this night, many nobles who were usually high and mighty discarded their dignity. They knelt before faceless statues and bowed their heads in prayer.
"With so many sacrifices, Lord Jashin will surely take notice of us. Perhaps we might even become Priests or Fathers in the Jashin Religion later..."
That was how they comforted themselves.
Amidst prayers, wails, and sighs—and within a fear that was almost suffocating—the fires of war were ignited.