Chapter 41:"There Is No Reason"
"You are… that boy…"
The father stared at Uchiha Kenzo, his expression frozen in disbelief.
His eyes widened slightly, as if trying to confirm what he was seeing.
For a brief moment, he didn't react.
It was as if his mind refused to process reality.
Then something inside him snapped.
"I'll kill you…"
His voice came out low, almost like a whisper forced through clenched teeth.
"I'll kill you."
Again.
"I'll kill you!"
His breathing grew uneven, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his emotions spiraled out of control.
Veins bulged faintly across his forehead, his face twisting into something unrecognizable.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!"
He rushed forward without hesitation, completely abandoning any sense of self-preservation.
At that moment, nothing else existed in his world.
No consequences.
No fear.
Only a single thought—
kill him.
Even if he could only wound him slightly…
even if he had to trade his life for it…
it would be enough.
Kenzo watched him calmly.
There was no change in his expression.
No tension in his body.
As if what was happening in front of him was nothing more than something ordinary.
He didn't move immediately.
He simply waited.
Waited until the distance closed.
Waited until the man had committed fully to his attack.
Then—
he stepped to the side.
A simple motion.
Effortless.
The man's attack passed through empty space.
For a split second, confusion flashed across his face.
That single moment was enough.
Slash.
Kenzo's kunai moved.
Clean.
Direct.
There was no unnecessary movement, no wasted energy.
Just a single, precise strike.
The man froze.
His body locked in place, as if something had interrupted the flow of time itself.
A thin line slowly appeared across his neck.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
the line opened.
Blood began to pour out, first in a thin stream, then faster, heavier.
His hands shot up instinctively, trying to cover the wound.
Trying to stop what couldn't be stopped.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Only a faint, choking sound.
His eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
As if he still couldn't accept what had just happened.
A moment later—
his head slipped from his shoulders.
It fell to the ground with a dull sound.
His body remained standing for a brief second longer…
before collapsing heavily.
Blood spread across the floor, slowly expanding outward.
The room fell silent.
Kenzo didn't look at him again.
There was no need.
Instead, he turned his attention to the woman.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
Observing.
Analyzing.
For him, killing was not the focus.
Understanding it was.
His system didn't simply reward action.
It required comprehension.
Each reaction, each response—
they all held value.
Even in identical situations, people behaved differently.
Some resisted.
Some broke.
Some refused to accept reality until the very end.
If there was something he was missing, it would be found here.
The woman knelt on the ground, holding her child tightly.
She hadn't reacted to her husband's death.
Not even slightly.
Her entire focus remained on the small body in her arms.
Her hands trembled faintly as she brushed her fingers across the child's face.
His skin hadn't gone cold yet.
That small detail made her movements even slower.
More careful.
As if she was afraid of disturbing him.
Tears slid down her cheeks in silence, one after another.
They landed softly on the child's face.
But she made no sound.
No sobbing.
No screaming.
It was as if all her emotions had been compressed into something too heavy to release.
After a long pause—
she spoke.
"Why…"
Her voice was quiet.
So quiet it almost blended into the silence.
She didn't look at him immediately.
Instead, she continued staring at the child.
As if hoping for some kind of response.
When none came—
she slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes met Kenzo's.
"Why would you kill a child…?"
Her lips trembled slightly.
"A child is innocent…"
There was no accusation in her tone.
No anger.
Only confusion.
A deep, unanswerable confusion.
"Why…?"
She asked again.
Her grip around the child tightened unconsciously.
Her breathing grew uneven.
"Why…"
Again.
This time, her voice carried a faint strain.
As if something inside her was starting to crack.
"Why…!"
Her shoulders trembled.
Her composure began to fall apart.
"WHY?!"
The final word came out sharp and loud, breaking through the silence of the room.
Her eyes were wide open now.
Tears still clung to them, reflecting the dim light.
But behind them—
there was nothing left.
Kenzo listened quietly.
He didn't interrupt.
He didn't react.
He simply considered the question.
Why?
To him, it wasn't a complicated question.
It didn't require a complicated answer.
"There is no reason."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
Almost indifferent.
The moment those words fell—
everything stopped.
The woman froze.
Completely.
If he had given her any other answer—
anger, justification, even a lie—
she might have responded.
She might have argued.
Clung to something.
But this answer…
left her with nothing.
No meaning.
No explanation.
No way to understand.
Slowly—
the last trace of light in her eyes disappeared.
Her body went still.
Completely still.
Kenzo stepped forward.
There was no hesitation in his movement.
No pause.
The woman didn't react.
Didn't resist.
Didn't even seem aware of his presence anymore.
It was as if she had already left.
Crack.
The sound was clear.
Sharp.
Her body went limp instantly.
It slipped from his grasp and fell beside the child.
This time—
her arms didn't reach out.
She didn't try to hold on.
Silence returned to the room.
Heavier than before.
Kenzo stood there for a few seconds.
Not out of hesitation—
but to remember.
Every expression.
Every reaction.
Every subtle difference.
Then he turned and walked out.
The rain had started outside.
Cold droplets fell steadily, hitting the ground in a quiet rhythm.
They washed over the blood that flowed out of the house, carrying it into the soil.
But they didn't erase what had happened.
They only make everything quieter.
More distant.
Kenzo moved through the village without stopping.
One house after another.
One life after another.
Some tried to fight.
Desperation gave them strength, but not enough.
Some begged.
Their voices filled with fear, clinging to hope that didn't exist.
Others froze completely, unable to process what was happening even as it unfolded.
Kenzo observed all of it.
Every reaction.
Every difference.
All of it had value.
Time passed.
Slowly.
The night deepened, the rain continuing without pause.
By the time he finished—
the village had fallen completely silent.
Not a single survivor remained.
Kenzo stood at the edge of the village.
He looked back once.
There was nothing left.
No movement.
No sound.
Only stillness.
A faint metallic scent lingered in the air, carried by the rain.
This would attract attention.
It was inevitable.
Hunters would come.
Shinobi.
Bounty seekers.
People confident in their strength.
Kenzo turned away.
It didn't matter.
As long as he continued—
as long as he survived—
then one day…
the one being hunted…
would become the hunter.