Chapter: Behind the shadows

° Rin's view °

Rain pelted the supposedly empty streets, like that night. But the paths were not empty; on the contrary, they were full of silent observers, the shadows. I know them well, they are like people, only they don't talk with voices. The dark beings speak with thoughts and they are very eloquent, only you have to be able to understand them. Few people manage to converse with their thoughts, it is almost like an art of its own, for which you have to train hard. Bored, I jumped off my roof. The big, dark house I lived in wasn't always my home. I actually only lived here for a year since I decided to do a ninja training. If you see the gloomy facade, you think I lived here alone. It was true in some way, but I wasn't all alone. I never made friends with the shadows in my house, but I did have Kage. He is my best and only friend, a demon. Since the incident, he's the only one I still trust.

* What are you up to, Rinny? *, came the familiar voice of the shadow demon in my mind.
* Go in. *
* But you like rain so much? *
* Yes, but I would have shriveled up if I had stayed here longer. *
The same bitter cold awaited me inside as outside. My clothes were oozing and I took off my coat.
* What do you think the Ge-Nin from Konoha are like, Kage? Now that we're divided into teams, it would be handy to know about them. *
* Rinny ... don't worry, you'll get along with them. You don't have to make such close friendships right away, it is enough if you make friends with them normally. *
*But still…*
I looked thoughtfully at the clock. The evening was breaking.
* It will be that time again soon ... * I noticed.
* Yes ... I am really sorry for you because of the pain. *
* I've got used to it.For 8 years now ... *
Time flew by while I was talking to my friend.
It was now nine in the evening when my headache started.
The familiar, dreadful feeling tingled in my body again. My body started to go into a resting phase when I suddenly felt Kage's chakra inside me. A blinding pain flashed through my body and I stayed in a cramped position for a few minutes, while it slowly disappeared again. When I opened my eyes again I saw the silent darkness that haunted me every night, Kage's thoughts. His soul had taken over my body again. He calmly put on the black and white carnival mask.
* Will you go hunting again? * I asked curiously.
* I think so * came the answer and he extended his demonic claws.

There was an agonized meow as the wildcat breathed its last. With relish, Kage thrust my sharp canines into her artery and sucked the warm blood out of her body. Our senses sharpened and our common pupils narrowed when the strange red fluid entered our bloodstream through a special vein. Giggling angrily, Kage dropped her body lifelessly to the floor.
* Did you have to kill her? *
* Hey, you liked the blood too! *
* I just mean ... the poor cat ... *
"Who are you?" Suddenly came a voice from behind us. Undeterred, Kage turned and stared at the blond cheeky boy.
* He looks like a Ge-Nin! If you say something now, he will know your voice ... and will recognize us when we are teaming up the day after tomorrow! *
* Alright, Rin. *
Without wasting a moment, Kage jumped up to the stranger and pushed himself off his shoulders to buy time and at the same time press the boy against the ground.
* Hopefully he won't follow us ... *

° The boy's vision °

A restless rustling could be heard in the bushes.I walked carefully into the darkness, following the noise. There was a strange kind of screaming, or rather a meowing?
*What the…? *
My steps quickened and I soon saw disturbing splatters of blood clinging to the leaves. When I saw the picture behind the bushes, my pupils dilated with terror.
"Who are you?" I asked horrified while I stared at the lifeless body of the sucked wildcat, but before I could prepare for an answer, the stranger with the mask jumped at me and pushed me to the ground while he himself disappeared. My body came up rudely and winced.
"What the ...?" I mumbled while I got up and looked in the direction in which the killer had fled. But the only thing I saw was the darkness between the streets.

° Rin's view °

The night was cool, a raven crowed somewhere. Like that night ...

A slight shiver came over my body and made Kage pause. Everything was just like it was then. I had even murdered again… or was it Kage who was to blame this time?
* Forget your fear ... *
* I can't ... it was so bad ... I can't forget something like that ... *
* But at some point you have to. A- ... *
*Be calm! Never say my name Not even in my mind! *
*Why not? *
* Because I associate it with anger, hatred and destruction ... and you know that too ... *
* Is 'Rin' or 'Ra' better? *
* At least I don't have that name ... well ... *
* Rinny ... *
A cool wind whistled around the roofs.
* Why am I still alive at all? What reason do I have to exist? *
* Everyone is special. Everyone has a reason worth living for. Just like you, some still have to find this reason ... *
*And you? Why do you still exist? *
* Well ... first of all, demons live 1000 times longer than normal people anyway and secondly, I've made it my business to protect you, help you and bring you close to life again ... ** I ... just shame people. Be honest, Kage, did I deserve a life like this? *
* Everyone has a right to live. No matter how many people you would kill, you are only human. Either you are forgiven or you are ignored. Just give people a chance to really make friends with you and you'll see you'll find your destination pretty soon. *
* I can't trust you ... I will never make steadfast friends ... *
The raven fell silent, calm now lay like a blanket over Konoha.
My body began to move again, and Kage's footsteps echoed through the streets. The only sound that you could still hear. A black cat ran silently and unexpectedly across the path. Kage stared after her when he got to my front door.
* Can we sleep again today? Sorry? *
* No, I'm sorry, Rin. My soul is nowhere near tired ... and my chakra doesn't want to go back into captivity ... you know that now is the only time when I can come out. *
* Well ... I was just hoping ... that maybe I could sleep again after all. My last quiet night was 7 months ago, Kage, my dark circles have got thicker again ... *
* I know when your last quiet night was, I live in you! Already forgotten? *
The door creaked shut behind us.
*And what's next? *
* Nothing now, we'll wait until dawn when you're back in strength. And then we'll go buy new weapons. Your broadsword is blunt again, and I don't want to risk sharpening it, I'm bad at that! *
* We could paint? *
*Because of me…*
Kage went to a large closet crammed with books and manga and took out a large scroll before grabbing a pen and setting it on the paper.
*To start! *, he ordered me and I began to guide his, or rather my hand. After a while you realized that it should be a dragon.* You always paint the same thing! * Kage rebuked me.
*What a crap! Not that long ago I painted a bird! *
* That was 10 months ago, Rin. *
*Oh really? Well, tell me what to paint! *
* Times a person! Anyone! *
* I will never paint any people, don't forget that. *
And so the conversation ended. My body tensed up when the pain started again, I felt myself taking control of my body again. Now I no longer had to concentrate to see my surroundings, I was master of my eyes again.
* Is it morning already? * I asked, confused.
* Not quite, but the moon is already gone ... *
* Oh yes, the moon ... It increases your strength, doesn't it? *
* And makes you tired, yes. But with a little training we could control that. How about *
*Yes someday.*
* You said that 2 years ago! *
*Does not matter! *
*No it is not. Do you want to be in pain any longer? *
* Not that but ... I don't know ... something is stopping me ... *
A few rays of sunlight fell through the large, half-curtained window. My bored gaze fell on the slowly filling streets. I walked calmly out of the house and began to take steps in the direction of the gun shop. The small room was full of kunai, shuriken, and other practical, handy weapons. But swords could also be seen. Saber and broadsword, katana and long sword. After a very short time, a couple of giant huriks caught my attention.
* What do you think we need some? I used to like to use them ... *
* Feel free to buy them, you are the master of weapons here. *
And so I started shopping for the new weapons. When I finished choosing, I was amazed at how many new guns I wanted to buy.
Two huge broadswords, one with a normal blade and the other black set with rubies, 8 katana, half of them set with emeralds, rubies or diamonds, around 20 giant shuriken and countless kunai and shuriken.That it all cost a lot didn't bother me in the least. I had enough money, mostly from my old village ... from all the dead ... money that I had 'inherited' because they didn't know anyone but me.
The way back was unnaturally calm. Neither Kage nor I wanted to say anything. We both felt so ... normal. And we didn't want to ... break that feeling in our minds through such a strange conversation. But as it couldn't have turned out otherwise, something unexpected happened nonetheless. A blond boy ran into me. Wait, didn't I know him from somewhere?
"Gomen! Gomen, uh ..."
"You can call me Rin. That doesn't matter, it can happen ... But ... you look like a ninja. You're a graduate of the ninja academy, aren't you?"
"How do you know?"
"I saw the headband and you look pretty happy. Like you just got the news recently that you would be starting the missions soon, right?"
"You ... you are good! Do you know that so well, right?"
"No, it's just the same for me."
A pained smile crossed my lips.
"Oh, then you will be in the team division tomorrow too?"