Remnant bones

——In midwinter, a dense forest in the land of snow——

"Huh...huh...cough, cough cough..." The hot air exhaled from the mouth turned into thin white mist in the icy air that seemed to freeze everything, and was blown by the howling cold wind the next moment scattered.

The slightly slender black figure leaned against the root of a withered and yellow old tree that was mostly covered by the wind and snow, and let out faint gasps that were covered by the sound of the wind.The red and white animal-shaped mask covered his entire face, but the slightly trembling lonely figure appeared extremely lonely in this vast white world covered with ice and snow.

Although elsewhere, this moment is already the early spring of the recovery of all things, the moment of awakening of the earth.But in this remote snow country located in the extreme north, the winter with howling and dancing cold wind is still the main theme that will never change here.

The goose-feather-like snow drifted down, hazy covering the sight of all creatures, as if covering the forest with a layer of snow-colored white veil for the wedding of a bride.Dots of glittering and translucent hexagonal crystal flowers, reflecting the luster like fireflies, adorn this beautiful gauze, offering blessings to the winter snow.

It's just that this beautiful place like a fairyland hides an unknown cruelty under this gorgeous and seemingly pure veil.

The icicles falling from the sky absorb the rare heat in the zero-degree world bit by bit.The face covered under the mask was flushed from the high fever caused by the injury at the beginning, and as the scorching body temperature gradually cooled, it turned into a lifeless paleness.

Through the gap between the cuffs and necklines, the cold wind rushing in is like the invisible cold killer, taking away the only reliance of life in this white world.

He hangs his head tiredly. Under such a low temperature, the blood overflowing from his body has stopped due to the natural contraction of the wound.However, the loss of a large amount of blood and heat still made the black figure feel dizzy and intermittently blind.

I... might die here...

In my mind, such a thought flashed involuntarily.Running away for five consecutive days and nights not only exhausted his physical strength, but also made his spirit, which has been in a tense state, possibly collapse at any time.Even though he has undergone specialized and rigorous training, he is still alone after all... This is already the limit.

The consciousness he was holding on to gradually began to blur.A series of figures that he knew were hallucinations, but were unusually vivid, swayed in front of his eyes.A strict father, a gentle but strong mother, a cheerful and excellent cousin, and...

'Brother, it's done! The cute boy with black hair and black eyes, with eyes full of anticipation but pretending to be dissatisfied, repeatedly urged: "When you come back from the mission, you must practice with me!" '

The delicate little face was raised high, staring at him fixedly.The pouting mouth seems to be protesting the other party's various "bad deeds" of repeatedly breaking appointments.

Before leaving, the last image his brother left in his mind was so clear and profound.

I remember, at that time, I answered like this... I flicked my slender and calloused fingers on my younger brother's white forehead, leaving a light red mark.With a gentle and pampering smile, the corners of his mouth overflowed involuntarily: "Definitely, brother promises you." '

……

I promise you... His dilated pupils shrank instantly, and he shook his head violently, trying to drive away the drowsiness circling in his mind.

The oath I once made echoed in my ears over and over again.The face under the mask, although still deeply tired, has a faint smile on his lips, but there is a touch of unshakable firmness.Is it reminding him to abide by the agreement... Anyway, no matter what, let's fight!

Anyway, there would be no worse situation than this... Feeling the numbness and coldness coming from his whole body, he took a deep breath and poured down the cold wind in his stomach, which made people alert and refreshed immediately.At least, get the job done!

Die at the line of duty when the task fails, and die at the line of duty when the task is completed-there are two completely different results.

He didn't care about being labeled as "trash" after his death, but he didn't want to. Even a trace of disappointment and disgust appeared on the face of his proud brother.

In this situation, he absolutely does not allow it to appear on his body!A sharp light flashed across the dark eyes, and at this moment, the sound of dense footsteps came faintly not far away.

coming.

Without looking back, his quick hearing was enough for him to accurately judge the number of people on the other side and how far away he was from himself.There was no time for him to dawdle any longer, so he reached into his arms and confirmed that the mission items were still there.He gritted his teeth, and after using the acquired cognition to identify the direction, he dragged his scarred body and started another round of life-and-death pursuit.

The staggering thin figure gradually disappeared in the white snow.

️

Half a month ago, he, code-named "Yehuo", and his partner "Yinya", received a task assigned by the upper echelon - to steal the secret scroll in the Daimyo Mansion of the Snow Country.

Although this task is classified as S-level, in fact, because Snow Country is only a vassal of Water Country, it is a little-known small country.Although it has its own Snow Ninja Village, not only are there only a few Jonin, but there is not even a Kage-level powerhouse sitting in the town.Its strength is uneven, and the number of people is even less than one-twentieth of the Ninja Village of the Great Country.

So in fact, the real evaluation of this mission is only A-level, even if Anbu only sends a team of two people, it is considered too cautious.What's more, they were the ones who received the task.

Among the two, after this mission, he can be promoted to the team leader, becoming the youngest captain-level member in Anbu's history.Although Yin Ya is registered as an ordinary player in the file, his strength will definitely not be inferior to other team leaders.It's just that for some reason, he has been reluctant to be promoted.

There is no need to doubt the strength of their group, which is equivalent to two captains of the dark section being assigned to complete an A-level mission at the same time. The result, in the eyes of everyone, is completely guesswork.

However, the reality is always changing rapidly.

The difficulty of this task, when the fog ninja figure appeared in the opponent's snow ninja, it has already left the range of A level.Let alone S rank, I am afraid that SS rank is the lowest estimate.

The information was wrong, there were no less than five Kirigakure Jōnin ambushed in the Daimyo Mansion of the Snow Country, far more than the dozen or so Yukakure Jōnin that should have been there.The opponent knew their purpose from the very beginning and was ready to encircle and suppress them!

There are traitors! ——In almost an instant, the experienced two people looked at each other and immediately judged the situation at this time. However, even though they knew it was a trap, they could not terminate the mission at will.

Obeying orders is the bounden duty of a ninja. ——Even if it is clear that continuing is a dead end, this is the dignity of being a ninja.They are never allowed to back down... They will use their own strength to prove themselves to the enemy!

Under the intentional and careful arrangement of the other party, without any hesitation, they still took away the scroll of the mission target after paying a huge price.Moreover, he escaped from the crisis-ridden Daming Mansion alive, at least without leaving any body parts.

During this period, at least three Jnin from the enemy died and one was seriously injured.Eighteen Chunin died and seven were seriously injured.The Ninja had the fewest casualties, but it was because of their strength that they simply couldn't get close to them.

Compared with their losses, they can almost be regarded as negligible.Not only are they both alive, they're halfway through the mission.As long as they can successfully hold the scroll, reach the intended pick-up point, or destroy the scroll before being captured by the enemy, they can be regarded as successfully completing the mission.

...It seems so on the surface, but in fact, it is not as optimistic as imagined.

Three broken ribs, a damaged lung, the right shoulder was pierced by a sharp weapon, and the silver tooth with a severe back injury and a cracked left leg.The injuries of these two people cannot be described as light at all. At this moment, they can barely exert [-]% of their original strength, which is already good.They will also face the pursuit of countless fresh troops of the Cunin, and the hope of safe evacuation is almost zero.

In desperation, they couldn't get any assistance because their communication equipment had been tampered with, forcing them to choose to split into two routes and return to the headquarters by detour from two directions.

The mission scroll is carried by Yehuo, who is good at ninjutsu and illusion and has a higher chance of survival.Yin Ya was responsible for leading him away from the first wave of [-] Chunin pursuers, and the rest of the way, life and death were up to fate.Those who can go back alive are luck, and those who can't... No one can blame anyone! ——This is an unspoken rule among Anbu members, and the two of them know it well, and they have no complaints or regrets.

On the second day after being hunted down, the two separated.

According to the planned route, Yehuo traveled day and night to the borders of the Land of Snow, the Land of Water, the Land of Fire, and the Three Kingdoms.Although there is a high possibility of encountering more Mist Ninjas there, it is also the fastest route back to the Land of Fire.As long as you can return to your home country, you can ask the nearest ninja stationed at the border for support.However, the number of enemies far exceeded his expectations.

The Chunin, who was lured away, re-locked him as the target five hours later.There are more than one group, as if they have already anticipated their marching route, there are constantly new recruits to replace the tired colleagues, and continue to hunt and kill.In just three days, he encountered no less than seven sieges, large and small!

It's really a big deal... The other party obviously not only bribed the upper-level personnel who sent the mission, but also fumbled through the pre-planned retreat route.The simultaneous cooperation of the two aspects basically cut off all their escape routes.This is not simply a provocation between countries that are unhappy with each other.It was a well-planned and long-planned conspiracy!

This kind of conclusion inevitably made Yehuo feel chilled by the upper class of his village, and felt a little bit self-deprecating for being abandoned by the village like this.

After all, under such a careful and ruthless plan, it is a "miracle" to be able to survive till now.

Although I have always been conceited, I still have the karma of being conceited and don't want to admit it.But I still have to make the only one evaluation of the reason why I can last so long - luck.

Really, luck.

Yehuo is very strong, at his age he can achieve such an achievement, in a few more years, it is definitely not a dream to reach the movie level!Even, almost everyone will take it for granted.

But he's a human being, not a god, and technically, for a ninja, he's not even just coming of age.He will be in pain, suffering, and tired... He is just a child with great strength, proud and forbearing.Hiding pressure, pain, troubles, and pretending to be indifferent, but still can't change the fact that his heart is also fragile and soft.

He is very tired, really, very tired...

Wandering in this abyss quagmire called "family", unable to move.He was forcibly tied to the title of so-called "genius" and let those elders and patriarchs who were obsessed with interests fiddle with him.Everyone ignores everything he has paid for these, sweat, blood and tears, dreams, life, and even soul... A "genius" ruthlessly erased all his efforts.

For the family, for the family, for the family... All his actions will be branded under the banner of the crew, no freedom, no human rights, no self.

He had doubted more than once, what was the purpose of his birth?Is he just him, or... an "appendage to the family"?

This filthy and filthy bloodline is the curse of those who have been bound by the family for more than ten years!If it wasn't for this blood, why would he be alone in the empty training ground over and over again while other children were laughing and playing, repeating those boring and boring exercises?Why is he already armed and on the battlefield when other children hide behind their parents and are loved and protected?Why... If even the only "bondage" of the body no longer exists, what is left of me... Not bad, what...

He didn't understand that life was so fragile.Why are there so many people, for those hypocritical and misty interests, become existences that obliterate life!Why do you want to kill...why do you have to be killed again...when will this endless darkness end?

If... If there is no "he", if he is not a "brother", perhaps, he would rather sleep forever under the layers of frost that no one knows about.

He still remembers the first time he saw that young life with the closest bloodline was born.The vacant corner in my heart seemed to be filled unconsciously. It was warm and warm like never before.

Perhaps it is not meaningless to be born in this world.

Brother, the reason why he came to this world earlier was to protect his younger siblings who were born later. ——He is so convinced because the identity of "brother" is the only thing that belongs to him and does not have the name of "family".So, in order to defend his last reason for survival, he persisted until now.

only……

"My 'good luck' seems to have come to an end here..." Looking at the steep cliff in front of him, and the indifferent face behind the fire mask, he couldn't help showing a wry smile.Because the previous siege cut off his retreat, he had no choice but to change his route.But he didn't notice that the other party forced him here on purpose.

Maybe he doesn't intend to keep alive...Ye Huo gave up the unnecessary struggle, knowing that he must die at this moment, he felt a kind of relief like relief.

The fluttering dense snowflakes swirl down, between a piece of silver-clad heaven and earth, as if the world has become nothingness and ethereal.The ice has cooled the uninhabited dead silence, and the loneliness is enough to make people's heart cold.

A piece of crystal clear ice fell lightly into his palm.In the intersection of black and red, that touch of white is eye-catching.Staying there, not seeing it disappear for a long time, it is not eternity, but his hand, which has long lost the temperature of being a human being.

Icy, assimilated with snow.

It's beautiful... this pure whiteness without any pollution.Looking at the snowflakes flying in the sky, Ye Huo was slightly absent-minded.In the Land of Fire, which is like spring all year round, except for the border with the Land of Water, it never snows.Thinking of his younger brother's novel and excited expression, if he sees such a scene, he will be very happy...

"Hand over the scroll!" After stopping for a moment, the figures of five Xue Ren appeared behind him.

The soft eyes have returned to the coldness of the past, and the dark eyes, under the alternation of red and black, change again and again, flickering cold and murderous ruthlessness.

If he still has CKL, it would be a good choice to die together.It's a pity... You can't reveal any secrets about the village. Even if you are captured and there is no hope of rescue, you can't even leave the corpse to the enemy.

In the astonished eyes of the other party, Ye Huo jumped down without hesitation, and behind him was the bottomless and boundless canyon.The dark figure quickly disappeared into the slowly white abyss, and the biting wind blew away his last whisper: "I'm sorry, Sasuke..."

Brother, missed the appointment.