"What? My daughter is going to be sold?!" Gio roared, slamming his fists on the table. The room shook with the force of his rage.
"Let's all calm down here," the Spiritual King said sternly, raising a hand to settle the tension.
"We can't calm down!" Azar shot back, his eyes blazing. "She's one of us! We have to get her!"
Zanden stepped forward. "We must go after her. No hesitation."
Taro nodded firmly. "We all need to protect her. No matter what."
Azar clenched his jaw. "I promised her I'd always protect her... I don't want to break that promise."
Zanden blinked. "Wait, you promised her?"
"It will be fine," the Spiritual King said softly, though his expression grew grim.
"No, it will not be fine if you don't act!" Gio shouted. "If you won't do something, then I will!"
"Gio, I need you to calm down," the Spiritual King repeated, firmer this time.
"You just don't understand what it's like to have a child," Gio muttered, voice cracking.
"Calm down!" the Spiritual King barked, silencing the room.
Okata let out a long sigh. "Ah man… here we go."
The Spiritual King took a breath and spoke with authority. "She's a ninja of this village. That auction will be erased. I swear it. It will never exist again."
Gio stared at him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay. I trust you."
"As you should. Every soul in this village is under my protection."
"Alright," Gio said again, finally breathing easier.
"Then we can't waste time. We need to begin planning now."
"We're ready," Azar said without hesitation.
The Spiritual King nodded. "Good. I have a special request for a team to be involved."
Taro glanced up. "Who?"
Scene Change — Team 1 Training Grounds
"So listen up, guys," Kaji said, hands on hips. "We've got training today!"
Ryju blinked. "What is it?"
"Where's Kuroyami?" Rei asked, looking around.
"You're right," Shun added. "I haven't seen him all morning."
"Why does that matter?" Kaji huffed. "Anyway, first training is… I dunno."
"You don't know?" Goro blinked.
"I might love this sensei," Kenshiro muttered under his breath with a smirk.
"How do you not know?!" Goro asked.
"Because I just don't!" Kaji said, throwing his arms up.
"Man…" Ryju groaned.
From the distance, a voice called out. "Hey guys!"
"Huh?" Ryju turned.
"It's Azar," Rei said, spotting the group approaching.
Azar jogged up to them. "We need you all to come with us. The Spiritual King is requesting your team."
"See?" Kaji grinned. "First training is going to visit the Spiritual King. Boom!"
"Wow, so cool," Rei said sarcastically.
"What happened?" Ryju asked, now serious.
"We'll explain on the way," Azar replied.
Scene Change — Spiritual King's Office
"So, you're probably wondering why I called you here," the Spiritual King said, hands folded.
"Oh, we're definitely wondering," Kaji muttered, chewing on a rice ball.
"Could you shut up and swallow?" Okata snapped.
"Where did he even get a rice ball?" Ryju whispered.
The Spiritual King stood. "Misa has been kidnapped."
"What?!" Rei gasped.
"How?!" Ryju exclaimed.
"Have you found her location?" Kenshiro asked, standing tall.
"Yes," the Spiritual King said. "Her location is… let's say… in the middle of nowhere. Quite literally."
"Seriously?" Kenshiro blinked.
"You're also probably wondering why I've chosen Team 1 for this mission," the Spiritual King continued. "It's because of Ryju."
"Me?" Ryju frowned.
"Yes. Your clan."
"My clan?" Ryju repeated. "What do you mean?"
The Spiritual King began to explain, his tone now ceremonial. "The Kojima and Kurata clans have been rivals for over ten thousand years—since the founding of this village. The original Ryju created this village, and the original Kuroyami sought to destroy it. Both names were passed down."
"Huh? I'm confused," Rei whispered.
"Misa," the King continued, "is a descendant of the Kurata. And the auction is being run by a member of the Kojima clan."
Azar's eyes narrowed. "Wait… so what does that have to do with Misa?"
"Everything. The Kojima and Kurata possess special eyes. Red for Kojima, like Ryju's. Blue for Kurata—like Misa. And like Kenshiro."
Azar's voice lowered. "Okay… I think I'm starting to understand."
"If you take Ryju," the Spiritual King added, "he'll be treated like a VIP at the auction. You can bring five others—enough for your whole team."
Rei looked puzzled. "How do you know so much about this?"
Ryju stood, fists clenched. "When do we leave?"
The Spiritual King smirked. "I've already planned everything."
Rei blinked again. "Seriously, how do you know all this?"
The Spiritual King turned, walking away. "Let's just say… I've been there before."
To be continued...