In Their Shadow

Chapter 51

The moon was beginning to wane and dip below the horizon, preparing the sky for the suns entrance so to speak. The interchange between twilight and dawn, those few short yet beautiful hours were a time when most ninja would be sleeping.

But then again...

Ibiki Morino was not an average ninja.

One of the top ten in his class, Ibiki was no doubt talented. A reputation that exceeded him even before graduating the academy, stellar performance on every mission he was sent on, and fiercely loyal to the village. Ibiki Morino was a man of many talents.

However unlike his other exceptional colleagues, he received little praise. On the contrary, most people viewed him with fear, caution and a hint of disgust. Why you ask?

Simple, Ibiki Morino, was the Head Interrogator of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Aka, a professional torture master.

And a goddamned good one at that.

But sadly, it was a profession that not many heaped praise upon. It was a thankless job. One mired in blood, dirt, and darkness. Never the less, Ibiki took pride in his work, even if no one thanked him for it. What he did day and night was a necessary evil for the sake of the village.

Torture however, was not what Ibiki Morino was up for at this hour. No, as Head Interrogator, he was one of the many responsible for the security and safety of the village. And on this day, security and safety was at the forefront of his mind. For today...

Were the day the Finals for the Chunin Exams would take place.

It being such an important day, the entirety of the Anbu force and security team as well as the...Root...were up and at em' in full force. Every Ninja ranked Chunin and above were on standby for the day, leaving the elite forces and security groups to be in charge of village security for the day.

So, at the crisp hour of five in the morning, Ibiki Morino was heading to his station in the sub sector of the Hokage Tower to monitor the village for the day. He was used to being awake at this hour, and yet for some reason, he had this odd feeling in his chest.

'This feeling...Its like my instincts are screaming at me...is someone watching me?'

Ibiki looked all around himself, unable to shake away the anxiousness gnawing at him was beginning to drive him crazy. But no matter how many times he looked behind and around himself, he couldn't shake the feeling away.

'...sigh, must be morning jitters...'

He continued his walk, choosing to pay his instincts no mind, until...

*Crunch*

*Skitter*

*Woosh*

Three distinctive noises sounded out, each one followed up by another. Ibiki froze, a crawling sensation overtaking his entire being. It felt as if...

Over a million tiny eyes were staring into him.

He drawed a raspy breath, a wave of killing intent beginning to ooze from his every pour. He wasn't used to this feeling, and it angered him. The noises continued to ring out, driving him mad.