-Sixteen years later-
A girl, almost eight years old, ran through the forest, wounded and terrified, her face locked in panic as she fled from something she dared not look back at. She dashed desperately through the trees until her foot struck a jagged piece of wood hidden beneath the leaves, sending her crashing to the ground with a sharp cry as pain tore through her leg.
Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to stand, but the moment she shifted her weight, her injured foot failed her completely, leaving her trembling on the forest's land, unable to rise.
Unable to stand, she dragged herself forward on the ground, scraping her palms against the dirt, desperately crawling away in sheer panic.
Suddenly, the forest began to shake violently.
The ground trembled, the trees began to rattle violently, trunks groaning as the earth itself shuddered. Meanwhile fear surged through her, forcing her to crawl even faster as pain burned through her injured foot and the trembling of the forest grew stronger beneath her.
Just then, the darkness between the trees tore open and a massive rogue bear forced its way through, and in an instant its obsidian-dark went locked onto the girl who was desperately attempting to crawl away.
The girl was frozen mid crawl, her body locking in place before slowly she turned her head and lifted her eyes until they met the towering black bear looming far behind her.
Watching the girl, the bear rose onto its hind legs and unleashed a thunderous, violent roar that shook the forest itself. Then the bear crashed back onto all fours and launched itself forward, charging straight at her.
The girl stood frozen in sheer terror, staring at the advancing bear. Tears streamed down her face as fear overwhelmed her, until she finally squeezed her eyes shut and surrendered to fate closing in on her.
For a heartbeat, the world went silent. The forest held its breath.
Then a heavy thud slammed into the ground, followed by another thud which was far stronger than the first, sending a violent tremor through the earth beneath her.
Gathering what little courage she had left, the girl slowly opened them.
The severed head of the bear lay at her feet while its massive body was sprawled behind the head, lifeless and still.
As the shock settled in, her trembling gaze drifted past the bear's corpse where a hooded assassin stood a short distance away, frozen in the stance of an after-strike.
The assassin's body was still and disciplined, as if time itself had halted around him. The katana in his hand remained extended at his side, its blade dark with fresh blood while an armband bearing a rising sun was wrapped tightly around his bicep, stark against the shadows.
Maintaining his stance for a moment, The assassin stood straight before giving the blade a controlled swing through the empty air, flinging the blood away before sliding it back into its sheath.
Then with gentle grace he turned around toward the girl revealing a half face ninja mask concealed his face, leaving only his eyes visible, a clear, piercing shade of blue that met her gaze.
Locking eyes with the girl, the assassin began walking toward her and once reaching her, he lowered himself gracefully to his knees. Despite his gentle movements, the girl remained frozen, terror still clinging to her face.
With a gentle motion, he drew back the hood and lowered his ninja mask, revealing the face of an eighteen year old boy. His black hair fell loosely around sharp features, his blue eyes, striking moments ago in the dark, now holding a calm clarity.
Watching the girl with soft eyes, the assassin offered her a reassuring smile
"Are you injured?" he asked quietly.
The girl nodded, her face tightening as pain surfaced in her eyes. "Yes. My leg hurts," she replied.
"Can you stand?" The assassin asked to which the girl slowly shook her head in answer.
The assassin smiled and rose to his feet, carefully scooping the girl into his arms.
"Don't worry," he said gently. "I'll take you back to your home."
With that he began to walk away, curiosity flickered through the fear in her eyes. She hesitated, then asked softly, "Who are you? What's your name?"
A faint, gentle smile touched his lips.
"I'm Uzin Minamoto," he replied. "An assassin from the Sugiyama Kingdom."
On his armband, the emblem of the Sugiyama Kingdom was visible, a rising sun marked clearly against the fabric.
Suddenly, the forest erupted with another bear's roar. The sound tore through the trees, and the girl flinched violently in his arms. Uzin, however, did not slow his steps. His posture remained relaxed, his grip steady, as if the sound meant nothing to him.
"Please," the girl pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation. "My family is in danger too. They need help."
Uzin's faint smile did not waver as he continued walking away from the forest's depths.
"I'm pretty much sure they won't be needing my help in this one." he said calmly with confidence lacing every word…