A Lethal Observer - ALW Saga Book 2

Chapter 20

The next morning, the two Uchiha girls set on their way towards a small village close to the clan in search of information on the stone. Hanako had wanted to take the assignment by herself, but Amane insisted on coming with her. The two girls had travelled for almost an entire day before they arrived at a remote place filled with civilians.

It looked like a big farm, with rice fields covering most of their land. Hanako approached one of the farmers. "Excuse me," Hanako smiled when he looked up at her. "We're looking for someone. We wanted to know if you haven't seen any irregular activity?"

The farmer straightened up. "Irregular activity?" He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. You girls are the first visitors in a while. It's not even harvest season yet."

"Oh, I see..." Hanako bowed at him. "I'm sorry to interrupt. We'll be on our way now."

The farmer sighed and put down his tools. "I have heard rumors about neighboring territories." Both girls looked at him. "They claimed they have been attacked by a demon. Of course, it's hard to believe."

Hanako and Amane looked at each other.

"What do you think about it?" Hanako raised an eyebrow.

Amane shrugged. "There's only one way to find out."

With a smile, Hanako turned to the old man. "Show me the way."

* * *

Madara and Izuna finished their meal as they stared intently at the man that had come days ago asking for help. After Hanako and Amane left to look for his master Utah, he had become silent.

Izuna decided to break the ice. "So, your master. What was he like?"

Kenji looked up at him, but soon he felt intimidated and looked back down. "Utah-sama was a really concerned leader. He ruled, aiming for the benefit of all of us."

"That stone..." Madara asked. "Where did he find it?"

Kenji shrugged. "It was passed down to him by his father. He had known he had to take care of it. He knew it must never fall on the wrong hands."

Izuna smirked. "It seems to me like it did fall on the wrong hands."

"Utah-sama was a really curious person," Kenji added. "He wanted to know what the stone had sealed in it to be so valuable."

"He tampered with the seal, and freed some sort of being that possessed him and now he's causing a mess." Madara closed his eyes. "You basically fucked up for not listening to your predecessors. And now you want us to clean your mess."

Kenji flinched at Madara's bluntness, but nodded. "I apologize in the name of Utah-sama."

"It's too soon to thank us," Madara said, his lips curling up. "One last question... where are you from?"

Kenji closed his eyes. "A small country not too far from here. It's known as the Land of Ancestors."

* * *

"Here?" Hanako smiled widely while looking at another farm. The neighboring village the old man mentioned was closer than they thought. But, unlike the place they had come from, this village was destroyed. The rice fields had been burnt down, the houses were torn apart.

Amane let out a breath. "Whatever Utah freed from that stone is no joke." Her eyes glanced around, she noticed there were also bodies buried under the ashes of the burnt rice fields. "No one's alive. This was a carnage..." A single tear fell down her cheek. "So many innocent people killed by a single monster."