Chapter 10: The Raven's Test
Night had fully claimed Konoha. Under the sparse glow of streetlamps, Shuichi Mayumi—now in the form of a whole, twenty-something man—stood on a quiet side street. For the first time in this guise, he could appreciate the simple, profound feeling of possessing both arms. He flexed the fingers of his right hand, a faint, cold smile touching his lips.
His gaze drifted upward, settling on a large, inky-black crow perched on a telephone pole. It was noticeably larger than its kin, and its dark, glittering eyes seemed unusually intelligent as they stared back down at him.
He'd come out to scout for potential new recruits, but this crow had captured his attention first.
Crows… The association was immediate. The Uchiha. Those with the Sharingan. The idea was intriguing. What would happen if he injected his demonic blood into a crow? Would it become a demonic bird? Or something else…?
Speculation was pointless. Experimentation was required.
His eyes swept the surroundings—empty street, dark windows, no telltale signs of shinobi hiding in the shadows. The coast was clear.
He looked back at the crow, a wicked curiosity gleaming in his own eyes. His arm trembled slightly, then swelled and distorted in a blink, morphing into a whip-like tentacle studded with glistening spikes. It lashed out with viper speed, snatching the crow from its perch before it could even squawk. The tentacle retracted just as fast, reshaping seamlessly back into a normal human arm.
In his palm, the crow lay stunned, several puncture wounds oozing dark blood where the cursed essence had entered its tiny body. Its eyes were closed, its expression eerily serene, only the faint rise and fall of its chest proving it lived. The entire act, from strike to capture, had taken less than a second—a blur to any potential witness.
Clutching the bird, Shuichi slipped into a nearby alleyway and set the tranquil crow on the ground. He took a step back, watching with clinical interest.
Minutes ticked by. The crow didn't move, ensconced in its unnatural slumber.
"Too little blood?" he murmured. He'd been cautious, administering a minuscule dose compared to what he'd given Dry Arrow, fearing the small creature would simply burst.
Just as he was concluding the experiment a failure, the crow's eyes snapped open. They were no longer black, but a luminous, bloody crimson, as if dipped in fresh gore.
Flap! Flap! FLAP!
It erupted into frantic motion, wings beating violently, sending a shower of black feathers drifting to the alley floor. Its body began to swell visibly, expanding until it rivaled a large rooster in size within seconds—and it showed no sign of stopping.
"Whoa. Getting a bit big there," Shuichi muttered, taking another step back to give it space. He leaned against the alley wall, arms crossed, observing.
The crow thrashed, its head whipping side to side, even dashing itself against the brick wall as if trying to escape some internal agony. Shuichi winced. Don't knock yourself out before the transformation finishes.
It grew until it was nearly the size of a large eagle, its metamorphosis finally slowing. Its form was essentially that of a normal crow, just massively enlarged. The only other changes were its eyes—those brilliant red orbs with slitted, feline pupils that dilated and contracted unnervingly. A giant, red-eyed crow.
Not exactly what I pictured, Shuichi thought, a little disappointed. First, it's huge. Is this even a crow anymore?
After a final, shuddering convulsion, the crow stilled. The haze of pain cleared from its crimson eyes. It folded its powerful wings, turned its head with an oddly graceful motion, and surveyed its surroundings. Its gaze settled on Shuichi.
The bird visibly stiffened. Then, in a comically earnest gait, it waddled forward on its black talons, ignoring the small mountain of shed feathers in its wake.
It dipped its head low before him.
"Greetings, My Lord."
It speaks. A flicker of surprise, quickly quelled. Well, there was a talking bird in the original lore. This tracks.
He could feel the creature's nervousness, a sharp contrast to Dry Arrow's initial blank stupor. This one seemed… quicker. More aware.
"Not bad," Shuichi acknowledged with a slight nod.
A crow had advantages over a human subordinate: easier concealment, flight. Its feeding would be slower, messier—pecking versus devouring—but it was a start. Perhaps this one would even surpass the useless Dry Arrow.
"From now on, you are Onigarasu. The Demon Crow. Go. You know your purpose." He didn't need to reiterate the commands woven into the Blood Curse. He had other business tonight.
"Yes, My Lord." The crow's eyes flashed. It spread its powerful wings and launched itself into the night sky, its dark form quickly swallowed by the darkness.
Almost as soon as it vanished, a faint trickle of energy—cold and thin—filtered back to Shuichi. Dry Arrow, still working. Probably found a village on the outskirts. A better hunting ground.
The new crow, Onigarasu, was neither human nor had a chakra signature. It could fly. It could likely leave Konoha with ease.
In the end, I'm the one trapped here, he thought with a wry, internal laugh. How ironic for the 'Demon King.'
But once his travel application was approved—a matter of two or three days—he could walk out the main gate under cover of night. A simple, legitimate exit.
Curious, he closed his eyes and tapped into Onigarasu's shared vision. The world swam into view from a breathtaking height. Konoha sprawled below, a pattern of lights and shadows. 'Village' was a modest term; it was a full-fledged city.
The crow's enhanced eyesight was remarkable. Even from this altitude, it could pick out individual faces on the streets below, reading expressions with crystal clarity. It was like looking through a powerful scope.
Onigarasu circled twice, its predatory instincts honing in. It locked onto a pair of young shinobi—genin, by the look of them—walking home together, chatting idly. This street was busier, closer to the commercial district, with occasional pedestrians.
A bold first choice. A shinobi. Shuichi observed, neither approving nor stopping it. The crow was fast. If it failed its initial strike, it could escape. This was a test.
Through the crow's eyes, he watched as it ceased its circling, folded its wings, and dove. It became a silent, black spear plummeting from the starless sky, aimed directly at the unsuspecting genin who had no idea death was descending from above. Shuichi's borrowed vision narrowed, focused on the approaching target. Let's see what you can do.
(End of Chapter)
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