Chapter 8: Freedom

I'm hungry.

It's cold.

At least I have her, as she held the hand of the figure embracing her.

She took out a piece of bread she has been saving as she doesn't know when her next meal would be.

She took a nibble after soaking it a bit with her saliva, as it was too hard to bite into.

As far as she could remember it's been like this all the time.

Taking the bite of bread relieved her slightly from her hunger.

But she felt horrible, as this bread was her mother's.

Every time they received rations her mother would give her a portion of her rations.

Her mother was eating less and less every time.

She recalled the time before her mother would give her a portion of her rations.

She would tell her she was too cold.

She was hungry.

As a result, she received more food, but her mother would eat less.

It took a while to realize but when she did she realized she was killing her own mother.

At that time she glanced at another young child muttering to his mother that he was hungry.

While she would just embrace him, holding back her tears of not being able to provide her son with a full stomach.

She stopped complaining hoping her mother would eat more, but nothing changed.

Instead she started to refuse to accept her mother's food, but that was wrong as her mother got angry that she should eat her fill.

Not willing to see her mother angry, she obliged.

It was quiet, just how it was every night.

The breeze would pass through the creaks of the building she called home.

Through those cracks in the house she heard footsteps, and people talking outside.

They came, why?

It's late, they never come at this time.

She took notice of people covering themselves at the sound of the lock opening.

Her mother embraced her tightly, hiding her from prying eyes.

She could see through a hole of blanket covering her.

The door opened, shedding the moonlight within the building.

She watched as the shadow of an adult slowly got smaller as they came closer and closer to the door.

In the end it was a kid like her.

—-----------------------

There at the entrance of the building Ritsu was activating his identify left and right observing the cap- no his people.

They were of significantly lower bloodline purity however that didn't matter, Ritsu was pissed.

It was the first time he has seen such things in real life.

In his previous life it was always in pictures.

Right in front of his eyes were men, women, and children; they were nothing but skin and bones.

Clearly malnourished.

Ritsu wanted to say great, they will see me as a savior and be indebted to me for freeing them.

But his humanity made them feel sorrow, sadness, and anger for what has been done to them.

Some weren't properly clothed, others had scars or varying degrees.

—---------------------------

Sensing the steps from outside the people within the building started to shuffle within their space, hoping it wouldn't be them chosen.

They heard steps of a figure coming in before stopping within a couple of steps.

The suspense was high.

The seconds felt like an eternity.

Some of the curious ones couldn't help but check why there was no movement from their owner.

However, to those who braved their chance to look, couldn't help but be stunned.

It was a boy, a young child, but the child had pink eyes, those eyes glistened with sorrow, sadness at their situation.

Anger clearly permeated from the boy's eyes however, it was not directed at them, but rather to the people who had done such things to them.

Those who looked all knew that those bright pink eyes were the result of the Karatachi clan members with high bloodline.

A man entered behind the boy, it was Kaz.

When Kaz entered all the members in the building felt their hopes and dreams crushed.

They recognized Kaz as a subordinate shinobi of the Yua Clan.

The main line of succession had fallen; the boy was a captive, made to work to the bone just as they have done for the past sixteen years.

With the low weeps heard by those who remained still hoping to not be chosen looked over, before understanding and weeping themselves, anger, and frustration.

All these years endured at the hope of being freed, but now it wasn't going to happen.

—----------------------------------

Listening to the weeps of her fellow clansmen she too started to feel bad.

Something must have gone wrong because of the boy in front of her.

The boy frowned at sound of her clansmen weeping.

Having seen that frown on her owners faces countless time, she held tightly to her mothers arm.

Too scared to close her eyes she held her gaze at the boy.

However, what she expected to happen didn't.

Instead the man behind him kneeled.

The man seemed confused at was happening however he bowed his head, just how they would bow their head to their owners.

"Master, these are all the Karatachi Clan members within the compound. I also placed all the explosion tags at the necessary points."

Hearing the man's words, the girls thought what were explosion tags?

However, with those words the room silent.

The boy postured himself "I am Ritsu Karatachi son of Nao Karatachi, we are launching an attack on the Yua Clan. I need everyone to follow my instructions, we are leaving this place."

Ritsu pointed at the door.

"Is it true, could it be that he is lord Nao's child?"

"He is wearing clothing from the Yua Clan members."

"We weren't abandoned?"

There were mutters from the clan members, but there was no movement.

She felt the embrace by her mother loosen.

She didn't know why but she stood up.

She walked to the boy gathering her courage, she looked him in the eyes.

—-------------------------------------

Ritsu had used his command seal to control Kaz to give some information to his people, while he introduced himself and his plan.

However there was no movement from the Karatachi clan members until a child stood from her mother's embrace.

Her mother's stupor from Ritsu's words caused her to miss her chance to hold her daughter from harm.

Her innocent eyes, frail body.

It's amazing she could walk with no trouble.

She stood her gaze firm, "Is it true we can leave."

Without thinking, Ritsu nodded, which prompted her to ask another question.

"Then will there be food outside?"

Such an innocent question, yet it weighed heavily on Ritsu's heart.

Holding his emotion in place, he nodded stiffly.

Her expression brightened as she turned to her mother, "Mother there's food outside lets go."

She went to her mother and held her hand to pull her up, but how could a child pull an adult up.

Perhaps moved by her daughter's emotion she stood and they walked hand in hand to the door.

However, the mother still eyed Ritsu warily before they finally made it out.

Ritsu eyed the both of them as they walked out the door before moving his eyes onto the status floating to the side of him.

[ Yuko Karatachi - Child

Age: 5

Affiliation: Karatachi Clan

Loyalty: Karoi Karatachi 200, Clan 150

Kekkei Genkai: Self-Sacrifice

Bloodline: 19%

Talent: Water A, Lightning A, Earth B, Wind C, Sensor C, Fuinjutsu D,

Summary: A young girl, such a bright soul exposed to horrors of the world at such a young age. She grew learn of the sacrifice the elders of her clan did to keep her and the younger generation fed and maintained to the best of their ability. This child will grow to either be a foolish hero or become a solid pillar that might be needed in the future.]

'Such a high loyalty. I'll have to take care of her the following years, at least she similar in age as Ena.'

—---------------------------

The first thing Yuko saw outside were the two unconscious guards.

Then she spotted two individuals within a circle made of kunais implanted into the ground forming the figure of a circle.

Yuko led her mother forward pulling her to them as they told her to move into the circle.

She moved to them and asked where the food was.

Their reply is that they would wait for the rest of the clan members to gather before leaving to the place where they had food.

—------------------------

With time all the clansmen had exited the building.

There were maybe a little under a hundred clansmen.

All within the formation.

Ritsu looked at his curse subordinates, "You know I have a need for loyal dogs, so I'll give you a chance in….. five minutes.

You have five minutes to gather your family either persuaded, or unconscious. No mishaps or you and your family will go boom with the entirety of your clan.

Don't worry I will make sure they don't feel the same pain as you guys did when I placed the cursed seal on you."

They all nodded before they disappeared, not including Riku as he had no family or lover.

With a minute to spare they had all arrived with family members, some unconscious others clearly nervous, and in stupor that their loved one, father, or family had betrayed the clan.

However, they all stayed silent.

Once everyone was in formation Ritsu activated the formation surrounding the kunai knives.

The symbols were all leading to the two unconscious guards.

Since they clearly did not have enough chakra to transport this many people.

Ritsu formed a formation that would turn life energy into chakra, as great as it sounded if you had a way to regain said life energy back, the consequence of this technique is that it took all the life energy available from the target.

As the corpses shriveled up, aging the men to old men, before turning into dust, the formation glowed brighter and brighter as Ritsu walked to the formation there were shouts of warning coming from the celebration.

The few of the Yua clan members who were not intoxicated rushed to the glow of light, that included the Clan head albeit he had a slightly flushed face.

He saw the Karatachi Clan members were all gathered with a glowing formation, he didn't know what was happening, but he understood one thing they were trying to escape.

Looking at gathered Karatachi Clan members he saw Yua Clan members mixed within the group he assumed the worst.

They had betrayed the clan making his anger cloud his mind.

"Kill the dogs of the Karatachi clan and those traitors."

The Shinobi of the Yua clan started to sign, preparing a ninjutsu.

Seeing the approaching ninjutsus coming their way the Karatachi Clan member started to worry.

However, Ritsu knowing that the jutsu wouldn't reach them in time left them a final picture of him, as raised his left hand flicking them off while raising his head as his right hand makes the your dead gesture.

Before the Yuto could say anything they disappeared and a second later the various ninjutsu hit the location they were at.

Seeing the group in complete disappearance he yelled out in anger.

Venting on the nearest shinobi, however, as he was beating his clanmember.

Explosion resounded throughout the compound unluckily he wouldn't have a corpse intact.