Conflict (sequel)

Chapter 6 | Memories

It all happened so fast, too fast to comprehend.

Just a moment ago, one precious breathe ago, everything seemed so peaceful, so tranquil. It was quiet in the house as Kouta sat on the couch with one of his toys, which previously belonged to Keiji's son, while Asami was putting the supplies which Keiji brought in earlier away.

Nobody would have thought that something terrible would occur that evening.

Unfortunately, of the five people who were present at the well-hidden residence, three died, including Asami and Kouta.

Asami had always been afraid for intruders. It happened before, but never had there been so much thirst for blood and death. Those three people, who easily forced themselves into the house after breaking down the door, weren't just there to steal or take the house to have a place to sleep, like most rogues Asami encountered.

These people were out to get their hands dirty, wanting them covered in a beautiful red as the thick liquid dripped down on the corpses whom the blood belonged to.

They weren't just rogues.

They were coldblooded murderers, who enjoyed the act of taking others' lives.

The moment the door broke down, Asami was startled by the sudden incursion and accidentally dropped the box with supplies, which drew Kouta's attention. The boy looked up, seeing his mother frantically open one of the drawers.

Never had he seen her so panicked, so afraid, as she took one long bread knife in her hands, holding it firmly as if her life was depending on it.

And it was.

Asami's hands trembled, but she held the handle firmly, determinedly. Determined to protect her son and herself, although this resolve would crumble to nothingness only a few minutes after this.

She yelled at Kouta, but what words she had chosen at that time was something neither of them remembered. The anxiety they felt at that moment must have caused them to forget.

Kouta climbed off the couch, nothing but fear visible in his dark eyes. He hesitated, unsure of what to do.

Asami yelled again, this time much more urgently, desperately as the two men and one woman slowly closed in, careful to avoid the knife as Asami swung it around to keep them at a distance. It was when Asami shouted for the third time, that Kouta's legs started to move, and he left the living room as quickly as possible, following his mother's directions.

Asami spared the door one more glance before she moved her gaze back to the intruders in front of her. The Uzumaki had never been a great fighter, and after leaving Konoha, she never trained and only fought when needed, which made her unconfident of her own skills.

''Go after the kid.'' One of them said, and the one on the left nodded, turning away and walking toward the door to the hallway.

Asami's eyes widened, and panic and anxiety set in once more. More instinctively than rationally, she threw the knife.

The sharp tip of the serrated knife buried itself in the man's neck, and he let out a horrific scream which filled the whole house. While it must hurt a lot, it didn't go in far enough to kill him.

Asami gritted her teeth and reached for the drawer with the cutlery to grab another knife, but the other male took her arm with bruising strength, twisting it before forcefully pushing her onto the ground. Asami closed her eyes tightly as she took the blow, her head hitting the wooden floor quite hard.

Not wasting any time, the Uzumaki reached into her kimono and took one of the small scrolls she kept there. She brought her other hand to her mouth and bit her thumb, causing it to bleed.