In 1218, amidst the chaos of feudal Japan, a group of samurai quietly marched and concealed themselves deep within a dense forest. Their stealth capabilities were astonishing, moving so softly and skillfully that they seemed to merge into one single entity with the surrounding mountains and woods.
In the distance, the creaking of cartwheels echoed as a supply convoy escorted by carriages approached. Surrounding the convoy were numerous fully armored soldiers, tightly gripping their weapons and carefully guarding every angle. Right in the middle of the procession were carts loaded with precious bags of provisions.
When sensing the moment had come, from the towering treetops, something small suddenly dropped to the ground. It was a tiny bronze bell, softly striking the ground and producing a clear, ringing sound that shattered the stillness of the forest.
This unexpected sound instantly triggered the combat readiness of the entire troop. Sharp swords were immediately unsheathed amidst the extreme panic of the guards.
"This is bad! Order the horses to stop immediately!" the captain shouted loudly.
But it was too late. From both sides of the road, a series of dark figures suddenly dashed out from the thick bushes; they were the ambushing samurai.
"You bastards, go die!"
"An ambush! Protect the food carts at all costs!"
The sound of clashing metal echoed continuously, harsh and bloody. Because they were taken completely by surprise, the transport convoy had no time to react, and all of the guards were swiftly slaughtered.
Immediately afterward, satisfied laughter erupted from the victorious samurai.
They quickly cleared the battlefield, piled up five graves for the five unfortunate soldiers who had died in battle, and then proudly dragged the entire food convoy away from the scene.
At a grand castle, flickering candlelight spilled out along with the lively singing and laughter of a victory banquet.
"Hahaha... In the last battle, I cut down eleven men all by myself!"
"Not bad! Drain this cup of wine!"
"Cheers, my lord!"
They were completely unaware that at this very moment, on the dark tiled roof of the castle, a dark figure was quietly present. It was a Shinobi—an expert in infiltration, espionage, intelligence gathering, and silently executing targets in the gloom of night.
He gently flipped a roof tile. From the gap, a stream of light shone upward, accompanied by the extremely lewd moans of a woman echoing from the room below.
It was the samurai leader who ruled this castle, a crude man with a thick mustache. He was stark naked, exhausting his remaining strength to aggressively violate and fuck a forced woman.
But he would never know that from the rooftop, a drop of lethal poison had silently fallen into the cup of wine placed beside the bed.
After expending all his energy and satisfying his lust, the lord panted heavily, reached for the cup of wine next to him, and tilted his head to drain it dry.
Just as he stood up and sluggishly put his garments back on, his vision suddenly blurred and he staggered, unable to stand steady. Just like that, his muscular physique collapsed onto the cold floor, his mouth beginning to foam white at the edges.
The young woman panicked, hastily pulling her disheveled kimono over her body and screaming in horror:
"Ahhhh... Help!"
But the Shinobi on the rooftop had already vanished into thin air, leaving the space immersed in chaos.
Upon returning to another hidden fortress, the young man entered the main hall and met a middle-aged man with a long beard, dressed in luxurious, noble attire.
"The mission has been accomplished, master."
The man smiled with satisfaction, his eyes filled with cunning and smugness.
"Hahaha, well done! You truly live up to the training I poured into you." He clapped his hands, then ordered:
"Take the troops and go collect the spoils of war for me."
The young man bowed and retreated to a private room. He stripped off the pitch-black tight-fitting suit, revealing an extremely handsome and youthful face. Afterward, he changed into a more comfortable everyday outfit.
Suddenly, a cold breeze blew through the ajar window. A figure appeared; it was the elderly master, standing quietly there all along.
The young man glanced out and spoke calmly: "Does master need something from me?"
"Kid, you did exceptionally well this time."
"Yes, I will keep it in mind." The young man bowed respectfully on the surface.
Waiting for the master to leave, he stepped over to the wooden cabinet, took out a straw doll, placed it neatly on the bed, and pulled the blanket up tightly as if someone were sleeping underneath. Then, he nimbly climbed up onto the sturdy ceiling beam, resting his arms on his forehead and letting out a heavy, weary sigh.
"This world is truly too chaotic and rotten..."
This is Kirito, having just turned eighteen years old this year. In reality, he is a transmigrator from the modern world who arrived here as an infant, having lived in this feudal world for eighteen full years. When he was eleven years old, both his parents perished in a bloody raid; fortunately, at that time, he was taken in by a reclusive martial arts master and began his journey of training to become a professional Shinobi.
"How boring, in this era there isn’t even an entertainment phone. On top of that, the wars just keep going endlessly."
He closed his eyes, reflecting on the entire current geopolitical situation.
At this time, the Emperor had just passed away, leaving the imperial court vacant and causing factions everywhere to eye the throne and continuously rise up to fight for dominion over the country. Currently, there are five major factions holding each other at bay, among which the castle he had just visited is a crucial link for a faction harboring ambitions to unify the realm.
Kirito looked down at his own hands—this was his very first assassin test.
Normally, a true Shinobi must always hide in the shadows, never revealing their identity. Yet, he actively stepped into the light, becoming a pawn in his master’s hands. His appearance actually represented the old man’s underground power, and if anyone dared to meddle with him, they would face terrible vengeance from the master standing behind him.
As someone with a modern mindset, Kirito understood the nature of this exploitation very well, but he still smiled and accepted it like an interesting game of chess.
The next morning.
Kirito woke up to the bustling cheers outside from the army returning victorious, preparing to host a grand celebration banquet.
While taking a walk to breathe in the fresh air behind the banquet area, Kirito suddenly felt a wave of killing intent brush past his skin. Instinct warned him of danger, and he tilted his head to dodge in a split second.
Thud!
A Kunai—a specialized dagger with a special design—tore through the air and embedded deeply into the wooden wall behind him. Tied securely to the handle of the dagger was a small piece of paper. Kirito walked over, removed the paper, and read it with a cold gaze.
"Come to my room immediately."
"Is that old man calling for me again?" Kirito muttered, unenthusiastic but still returning to his room to change back into his familiar outfit.
Deep down, he had long intended to find an opportunity to eliminate this crafty old master, because no one would want to spend their whole life as a puppet without freedom in someone else’s hands.
When he reached the parlor, three other masked assassins were already standing and waiting. The master sat in the highest position, his face hidden beneath gloomy shadows.
"Master, I have arrived."
"Sit down."
Kirito took his seat in the vacant spot. The other three were all fellow assassin disciples whom the old man had meticulously trained since childhood.
"The current war situation has become extremely urgent. We need to split into factions and directions to act, so the four of you must separate from now on and operate independently."
The master coldly flicked his hand, tossing four metal medallions that clinked as they landed on the wooden table in front of each person.
"These are the tokens of Lord Orochi. In the process of carrying out missions, if you accidentally encounter Lord Orochi’s men, use this to avoid trouble."
"Our ultimate objective is to assist Lord Orochi in ascending to the throne of the realm."
"Dismissed!"
Kirito picked up the ice-cold medallion, his figure flashing as fast as a wisp of smoke, leaving the room in the blink of an eye. He quietly climbed to the top of a tall tree to gaze at the sky and clouds.
Flipping the back of the metal medallion, tucked underneath was a small piece of paper with familiar handwriting:
"Kirito... Your next mission will begin right here in this Hian castle."
"Oh? It seems I get to operate right in this old nest again? Interesting."
Kirito smirked with arrogance, having already calculated his next steps for himself.
"Right now, the opposing external factions are definitely also deploying Shinobi with capabilities no less than mine to operate in the shadows," Kirito analyzed inwardly, his cold gaze sweeping over the bustling scenery of the castle below.
"Therefore, I not only have to complete the mission but also be especially vigilant to protect the safety of this castle lord. If anything unexpected happens to him at this time, that old master of mine will surely go crazy and turn my life into a nightmare."
Thinking of this, Kirito unconsciously reached out to gently pull back the lapel of his shirt, revealing a long, sharp scar across his chest—testament to the life-and-death battles of his past.
"Although I have gone through countless grueling life-and-death sparring sessions under harsh training, the reality is that until now, I have never officially faced another professional Shinobi in a life-and-death duel. Therefore, I must absolutely not be complacent; every step must be prepared thoroughly and carefully."
He frowned, turning his thoughts toward Lord Orochi—the man behind this entire chessboard. The fact that a major figure like Orochi decided to use a Shinobi network to assassinate and clear the path early on was the fuse igniting a bloody purge, because in this turbulent era, everyone is afraid of being stabbed in the back. Yet, this lord chose such a risky move, proving that the situation had become extremely urgent.
"Lord Orochi must be facing a massive bottleneck or impasse to have to resort to this desperate measure. Or else..." Kirito narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile, "...he truly possesses a defense force strong enough and confident enough not to fear retaliatory assassinations from other factions."