It had been a long journey—hours of traversing dunes, endless dry heat, and silent tension—but the trio had finally made it. Before them stood a forest just a few hundred meters from the village gates. Tall trees swayed gently in the warm breeze, their leaves catching the last light of sunset as the sky turned a deep orange.
Aang, flying low now, slowed the air scooter's movement as they passed beneath the canopy. The golden light filtered through the leaves, dousing the forest in a warm glow. As they neared a small clearing, Aang steadily decreased the size of the air scooter. This time, he was mindful. Kira had suffered enough already—he didn't want her crashing face-first like Kenka had before.
Kenka noticed this small gesture from the corner of his eye. A vein popped on his forehead. He didn't say anything, though. He simply shot Aang a long side-eye, then wordlessly made his way toward a nearby river.
Crouching beside the riverbank, he leaned over, peering into the water. His reflection stared back at him—a spiky raven-haired boy with tired black eyes, a Konoha headband slung loosely around his neck, and a green flak jacket layered over his white hooded jacket. 'I keep forgetting that I'm only 14 in this world… Seeing my face is still startling even after all these months…'
He dipped his hands into the cool river water, letting it run through his fingers before cupping some and splashing it onto his face. The sensation was refreshing. A much-needed reprieve. Spending time with Aang and an enemy had left him mentally frayed. He exhaled deeply, letting the breath clear the tension in his chest.
Behind him, Aang stood beside Kira, who had managed to rest during their journey. Though still incredibly weak, she had recovered enough to stand and move with assistance. Wordlessly, she removed the Sand Village headband from her forehead and placed it gently into her bag. Then, one by one, she tossed her weapons aside, the metal clinking softly against the forest floor.
"That should do. They won't catch onto a thing if you walk straight through the gates!" Aang said, bright-eyed and optimistic.
Kira didn't share his enthusiasm, but she offered a faint smile, almost melancholic. 'I'm in no position to pick and choose. Either I was to die back there or give myself a chance of survival. Either way, my fate is now in his hands.' Her gaze drifted to Kenka's back, still crouched by the river, unmoved by their presence.
Rising to his feet, Kenka dusted off his pants and strode back toward Aang. He gave the boy a firm pat on the shoulder. "The village is only a few hundred metres away from here. You can get going now."
Aang's face lit up, clearly thrilled. "Make sure to look after her! Anyway, I'm ready to be sent back!"
Kenka nodded with a smile, "Whenever you're ready, go ahead."
Aang blinked. "Go ahead? Aren't you going to send me back?"
Kenka shook his head, a smirk pulling at his lips. "You could've gone back whenever you wanted. You're free to leave, just will it."
Kira raised an eyebrow, clearly confused, but remained silent as she watched the interaction.
Aang's face flushed with embarrassment. "So you're saying I could've left at any moment?!" he shouted, his fists clenched.
Kenka quickly brought a finger to his lips, eyes darting toward the trees. They were close enough to the village that Leaf patrols could be lurking nearby. "Shhh," he hissed.
Still, Aang looked unimpressed.
[Relationship Status Updated: Avatar Aang – Fractured]
[Passive Ability "Speed Boost" Temporarily Removed]
'Fuck off system.' Kenka rolled his eyes and smirked to himself. 'I don't need a temporary speed boost if the dude will be gone any moment now.'
Aang exhaled slowly, shaking his head, and then closed his eyes.
[Aang is ready to leave.]
[Aang is leaving..]
As Kenka watched the notification, he could barely contain himself. The corners of his lips twitched as a wave of freedom washed over him. It felt like a chain was being removed from around his neck. Every step, every word had felt like it was being observed. But now—now he was finally free.
Aang's body began to darken, starting from the chest and spreading outward until his entire form was pitch black. A perfect silhouette. He turned to Kira and grinned gently. "See you later, Kira. I hope you can get home safely." Then, facing Kenka, his expression turned deadly serious. "You better make sure she leaves the village safe."
Kenka, already done with the performance, waved him off dismissively. "Yeah, yeah whatever."
The sharpness in Aang's eyes lingered for a few more seconds—but there was nothing left to say. Slowly, his silhouette began to sink into the ground, inch by inch, until there was nothing left. No sound. No light. No trace he'd ever been there.
[Aang's Return was successful!]
[New Drop!]
Kenka's eyes darted to the screen. His lips parted slightly. 'A drop? I remember it saying the summon had a 100% drop rate, but I didn't initially think much of it… Does it mean drop, as in loot, like a videogame?'
As if on cue, another notification flashed.
[New Drop: Airbending!]
[Chunin Kill: Uncommon Spin!]
Kenka's jaw dropped. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Airbending?!" he shouted, staggering slightly.
A sudden surge hit his brain. Knowledge—clear, precise, structured—flooded into him like a dam had broken. Breathing patterns, movement styles, spiritual philosophy, techniques… it all poured in, and then, just as quickly, it stopped.
Kenka's face steadied. His mouth closed. His expression returned to neutral—but a grin began to stretch slowly across his lips. 'Aang… Maybe you weren't so bad… I never would've thought you'd leave me with such a gift…'
He turned to look at Kira, who was still staring at the ground where Aang had vanished. She looked bewildered, trying to process what she'd just witnessed. 'I'm in such a good mood I might actually spare her…'
"H-how. Where did he go?!" Kira finally asked, her voice cracking from confusion.
Kenka's smile widened as he reached for his pouch, slowly pulling out a kunai. He began walking toward her. "I'm surprised you were worth an Uncommon Spin, but that's good for me," he muttered.
Kira's expression shifted immediately from curiosity to survival mode. Her body tensed, her eyes locked on the weapon. "So you planned to kill me the entire time then?"
Kenka nodded, placing the edge of the kunai gently to her neck. She was far too weak to resist, and he didn't bother pretending otherwise. "Y'know, something good happened to me, so I was considering letting you live, but I can't risk the village seeing me as a traitor, or missing out on a summon, don't you think?"
Kira opened her mouth to reply, but she was too slow.
In one swift motion, Kenka drove the blade into her neck. Blood sprayed out as her body jerked, then crumpled.
"Too slow!" he laughed, withdrawing the kunai and letting her corpse fall limp into the dirt and leaves.
'What sort of ally would I be if I gave mercy to a sand ninja? The ninja from the village who killed my teammates.' His gaze darkened as he wiped the kunai on her robe and slid it back into its pouch.
Standing up straight, Kenka inhaled through his nose and closed his eyes briefly. Then, raising his hands, he performed the movements Aang had once used. The air bent beneath his fingertips, swirling into a circular platform.
The air scooter formed perfectly beneath him.
With a satisfied grin, Kenka hopped on and shot off through the forest, now only a few meters away from the gates of Konoha.