Swords of Neutrality

Swordsman, a word possessing various definitions that depend on the country one visits. As swords are direct bridges to the master's heart, to call oneself a swordsman was a relative decision. There exist warriors who utilized their sword as a tool for quelling immense bloodlust, while others used the sword as a guardian meant to protect those closest to their hearts. Regardless of the purpose, clashing blades is the physical materialization of battling desires and flaming passions. And in such instances, only the one whose heart burned hotter emerged victorious. Once, Kirigakure often taught shinobi to use the sword as a method to express one's inner wrath. The sword was valuable in obtaining the pleasures gained from murdering and killing, hence the various S-Rank swordsman who abandoned Kirigakure during the previously decades. However, once reform came in the appearance of a fiery haired beauty, swordsmen of Kirigakure were taught to imbue their weapons with different emotions. Ultimately creating generations of swordsmen whose purposes range throughout the emotional spectrum.

Among them existed a swordsmen, referred to as the Phantom of the Hidden Mist, whose swords committed countless atrocities and sins for a greater purpose. But the Phantom knew that a sin was a sin regardless of it's intention. And so, his sword was filled with both a burning passion for peace and a great burden. However, he remained unfazed by the curse the heavens placed upon his soul; continuing the divine orders told to him through her death. A mandate from heaven declaring the demon a vanquisher of evil. The gods above gave orders through a number of conduits, with one being his various superiors. One demand revolved around the capture of a suspicious individual. Recently, Kirigakure entered an age where those of a specific bloodline were to be apprehended. Despite the pleas of a hero and the actions of a silent guardian, the damage done by Uchiha still held effect generations after their destruction.

The Phantom received word of one of their kind traveling through the Land of Water, causing a stir as the various criminal organizations fight for his service. Orders were to apprehend the individual immediately and remove the suspicious activity from the Land of Water. As per the usual, the Phantom traversed the Land of Water while the moon shined brightly above with minimum light piercing through the mist. He dashed through the wet forest towards a town located upon the outskirts of Kirigakure. A small settlement meant for those who appreciated festivals yet found displeasure in large villages. It was a town infamous for criminal activity, enough to repel the officials of Kirigakure on various occasions. The Phantom knew his way through the small town as he used it to gather information for criminal activity. However, the Phantom had a different purpose for visiting.

The Phantom arrived during the nightly activity famed in the town. Music blasted from various establishments, overpowering the pigs laughing heartily with beautiful broads in their arms. The smell of expensive liquor coerced with the sweat of drug addicts and sexual deviants. The Phantom could smell the lewd acts being performed around him, mixing with alcohol. And the rancid stench was amplified by Kirigakure's natural wetness. Meanwhile, the Phantom's lavender eyes scanned the area from atop a wooden house. Sharply piercing through the mist and towards the crowded streets. He's here somewhere, the one with crimson eyes. The Phantom wondered. If the intelligence is correct, the Uchiha is guarding Shinobu Yamazaki of the Yamazaki sect which means I'll find him somewhere in the gambling district. The Phantom vanished with a wave of mist blown by gentle winds.

He reappeared upon another, slightly larger, manor where many gathered in celebration. However, the Phantom peered deeply into a specific building where a tattooed gentleman sat surrounded by abused beauties hungrily looking at their master. The Phantom continued to survey the area, taking note of various alleys, doors, buildings empty shops, and other prime locations for evasion. He also scanned the area for a specific individual, the one who matched the man in the picture given to him earlier. Luckily, the Phantom managed to remain out of sight due to the height and mist. Yet his eyes rested on a man whom he believed to be the target.