“Mama, what do the Shadow Men do?” a young Tencho boisterously inquired, one hand pointing to the hooded men standing opposite Tenzo, and the other tugging at his mother’s sleeve. His mother gently pulled her sleeve away from her son, and tucked him away into a seat in the back of the Kage room. He puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms. A cloaked apparition suddenly manifested beside Tencho. Tencho jumped in his seat and let out a small whimper. The figure towered above the other hooded men, and casted an overbearing shadow, causing a dim light to fill the room. The large Shadow Man turned and looked down at Tencho. He wore a dark grey face mask, and the hood was lowered, making his eyes barely visible. Tencho could barely make them out, but they seemed hardened and foggy. They made him think of two small, shimmering river stones. The man extended his hand towards him. His arms were thick and coarse like withered tree branches. Tencho slightly retreated into his chair, and the giant playfully rustled Tencho’s hair. A familiar warmness filled the pit of Tencho’s stomach. Tencho opened his mouth to speak, but the man placed a finger on the mask where his lips would be and made a soft shushing sound. Tencho grinned and did as he was told. The Shadow Man turned towards Tencho’s mother. She smiled warmly at him and nodded knowingly. Tenzo took his seat at a large round table and motioned him to sit down. He sat in front of Tenzo, and the others faded into the background, becoming charcoal stains on the wood paneled walls.
I can’t remember much else of that day…

“Okay, that’s fine. There’s no need. Don’t strain yourself. So how old were you when they died?”
“Eighteen.”
“Uh-huh, her voice gently drawled. So today makes it seven years then?”
Tencho looked up at the hooded woman behind the wooden desk. Her thick, smoky hair was neatly parted to the right side of her face, leaving only the left side visible, and her skin was a porcelain shade of white. Tencho’s eyes hung low.
“Yeah…” He murmured.
“Try not to look so glum, hun.” She lightly jested.
Tencho could see the thin outline of a smile behind her face mask.
“Hey, 89, Tencho began, I’ve been coming to you for years. Why can’t I know your real name?”
89 let out a deep sigh. “I think we both know the answer to that question, 43.”
“But why? He insisted. I’m well aware of the code and ethics of the Shadow Men, but how can we even trust each other like this? I mean, I don’t even know who you really are…will you tell me?”
89 averted her only visible eye away from him. The rest of her face became silhouetted as the rest of her thin bangs gently dropped down. This was just part of the routine. He would ask, and she wouldn’t respond. She never did. And Tencho hated it more than anything. Tencho stared at her with a hard expression – his brow furrowed; eyes narrow. He was losing his temper again.
Answer me.
No response.
Please…answer me.
Still no response.
He could feel it. His robe started to feel cold and moist against his forearm, and the atmosphere was becoming hazy and saturated with his own disillusionment. Tencho’s chest started to heave, and his breathing had become erratic and shallow. Despite what was occurring, he still kept his gaze upon her; every one of his heartbeats an arrhythmic and electrical pulsation against the slender frame of his body. Tencho jolted out of his seat, sending it a few feet across the floor in a jagged slide. 89 darted her attention back to Tencho, the sudden motion revealing the left side of her face again. Her eye was like a shallow azure pool, with a vibrant sliver of gray strung along the iris. Tencho could see himself shaking in those waters as he raised a gnarled finger at her.
“Tell me.” He breathed.
“43-”
“ANSWER ME, DAMN IT! WHO ARE YOU?”
Before Tencho could make an inch forward, the room suddenly violently turned over and all of the air left his lungs. There was a sharp pain darting across his chest. He peered upward to find the source, only to find 89 on top of him; her knee buried in his chest, and the crescent blade she kept concealed in the gauntlet on her right forearm against his neck. The vein from his jugular gently throbbed against its sharp edge. Her facial expression was blank, but her eyes trembled. The sliver of grey in it seemed to dart around aimlessly. It was haunting; like a lost soul swimming in the underworld. Tencho tried to lift himself up, but felt the cold steel of her blade press deeper into his neck. He winced as the weapon drew a small amount of blood. It trickled warmly down the side of his neck. Tencho’s breaths were still shallow, and were quickly becoming hoarse. He needed to get away. He didn’t care how he was going to do it. All he knew was that he couldn’t stay in that position for much longer.

“Get off of me. I can’t breathe!”
“Calm down first!” She demanded.
Tencho started to become restless. His blood thickly sloshed around in his veins, and his vision became blurred.
“Pl-please! He pleaded, “I need to get off of the floor!
“No. You need to calm down right here.”
“How the hell am I supposed to do that with your knee in my chest?!
“Just trust me!” she insisted.
“Trust you? Tencho asked with a snarl. That’s a bit ironic, don’t you think? Besides, what makes you think that you can restrain me?”
“You know very well that I can’t!” she cried, revealing the right side of her face with her free hand. Tencho’s face turned pale at the sight of it. The right side of her face had several burn marks and scars. The eye was white and was lazily being held by a singed piece of skin, which he assumed were once her eyelids. Tencho studied it carefully. There was no sliver of gray in this one. It was colorless; bland; soulless. Tencho felt his breathing gradually return to normal, and the hysteria that hung so thickly in the air was replaced with a dreary sense of defenselessness. Tencho felt queasy.
“That’s enough, Tencho.” she whispered. Please…”
Her voice took a softer tone. Tencho looked away from her. Damn it. What’s wrong with me? 89 raised her knee off of him and rose to her feet. She pulled a tiny switch at the side of her gauntlet, and the blade was swiftly swallowed up by it. Tencho remained lying on the floor for a few seconds before she extended a hand to him. He graciously grabbed onto her hand. He struggled to regain his equilibrium as his body felt drained and pressurized from what had just occurred.
“Look, she began, this whole anonymity is for the sake of what we strive to eternally preserve – the safety of our housing village. We are the shadow of this village. A shadow must be unseen; unrecognized, whilst closely treading behind the footsteps of the one casting it. Only the Elders of the Shadow Men know who I am, and the same goes for you. We are their shadows. It’s been that way since the beginning, and that’s something you have to accept. A shadow can only be known to its caster. Do you understand?”
Tencho hesitated. “Yes, I understand.” He said quietly.
89 stood silently in front of him for a few moments. She placed a hand on his shoulder. She gave it a soft squeeze. “I miss them too."
"He just let them die, he said through gritted teeth, why did they allow the invasion of Nadregakure?"
"Tenzo had violent ideals. But it was ultimately for the sake of preserving the principles we as the Shadow Men have inherited from the Elders. Your parents died clinging onto that. Their deaths were nothing but honorable.”
Tencho gave a weak smile. “Honor, huh? I often question what that word even means.”
89 stared at him knowingly, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Tencho’s eyes widened and his face turned a light shade of red.
“Well, that does it then. She said clapping her hands together. We’ll continue this next week. Let’s say the oath, so you can be on your way.”
As per the weekly routine, Tencho arose to his feet and stood beside 89. They faced each other, placed the middle and index finger of their left hands to their mid section, and the other two fingers on their right hands pointed to the sky.

“I hereby solemnly swear to remain loyal, truthful, and diligent to my fellow man. And if turmoil is to arise against them, or myself, I will stand firm against my worthy adversaries and overcome them. Even if my own brother were to turn his tongue against me, I shall boldly correct him; the courageous correct those that they love, and if I do not, his consequence will be the result of my own hand. I promise to fight for my principles, and what is righteous and morally just. As my predecessors have conquered their goliaths, so shall I. Finally, I vow to never admit defeat. I know that even if my heart is stricken with fear, and death is looming in the air, I will strike quick and without mercy from the shadows. To be truly courageous, I must persevere; like a tree bending, but never breaking in the most vicious of storms, I shall remain. For if I cannot stand up for what I believe in, I will surely fall for anything. Such is the oath of the Shadow Men.”

They lowered their hands at their sides. 89 walked back to her desk and plopped onto the chair.
“See you next week.”
“Yeah, I’ll see ya.”
Tencho turned around and stood motionless for a few seconds more. He looked down at the finger he used to point at 89. He could still see himself in her eyes. It was enthralling. Honestly, he hadn’t felt such satisfaction in a very long time. And he couldn’t seem to remember whether or not he’s felt this way before. But there was certainly one irrefutable fact about that moment when 89’s fear had suddenly become so beautifully vibrant…
“Hey, everything al-“.
Before 89 could finish her question, Tencho had become nothing more than a wispy apparition.

He felt in control.

-End-

The room was dank and tightly shut from every side. It was deathly quiet, with the exception of the gentle, rushing sound of water that was pouring from the right side of the floor. Tencho flinched as the water sloshed against his bare feet, sending icy daggers throughout his legs and backside. His body had nothing to rest against, but the metal wall behind him. He focused his gaze in an attempt to look for an exit, but it was useless. Everything was shrouded in a thick layer of darkness. Tencho tried to shift his feet to the left, but his movement was abruptly stopped by the clanging sound of his ankle banging against another metal wall.

Pop!

Tencho took in a sharp breath of air as more water splashed onto his shoulders. His breathing was starting to become shallow, his teeth clattering in between each breath. He quickly raised his hands to feel for a ledge, but was only met with the roof of the metal enclosure. Tencho whimpered at his own futility.

There’s no way out of here.

He was supine by the blindness the darkness brought. He felt all of the strength wash away from his body as the water trickled off of his fingertips; completely exasperated by his own shortcomings – they were suffocating him.

“Oh no.”

Tencho suddenly gasped. Something had occurred to him in that moment of self-loathing. He wasn’t just being suffocated by his lack of strength. He was actually beginning to suffocate. The hour of oxygen he was warned about was nearing its end soon, and he could feel his lungs start to heave in his chest as they struggled to pull from the air that was rapidly thinning. Despite the fact that the water had already formed a pool up to his waist, the corners of his mouth started to crack from dryness and he could feel blood rushing to his face, causing his cheeks to burn intensely. Sweat poured from his brow, stinging the corner of his eyes. Tencho struck the wall in front of him, causing a loud, clanging echo to reverberate in the room outside of the enclosure.

“Let me out! He pleaded. Please! I’m going to die in here!”

He received no response from the outside. Tencho incessantly stuck the wall. But it was to no avail. It wouldn’t budge. Not even an inch. The skin on his knuckles was torn, and his exposed flesh stung after each hit. The sound of bone against metal continued to echo throughout the room, until a thunderous cracking sound suddenly replaced it.

“AGH!”

Tencho gripped his left hand. It limply hung to its side and blood trickled warmly down his forearm. The bones in his wrist were shattered. Tencho began to sob uncontrollably. The water had already reached his chest and he was having double vision due to the immense pain in his wrist.

This is hopeless. I don’t have the strength to get out of here. I wish I did. I’m going to die in here.

“I d-don’t want to die in here.” Tencho hiccupped.

Hopeless.

“I-I-I d-don’t want to die in h-here.”

…Hopeless

“I DON’T WANT TO DIE IN HERE!” He shrieked.

Tencho started to weep, choking on the water that had finally reached his chin. But his crying was suddenly interrupted by a dark, brooding voice.

How dreadfully pathetic.

Tencho’s eyes widened at the sound of it. He was hoping for an answer, but certainly not from him. It was exactly what he was trying to avoid. A menacing aura slowly embraced Tencho’s small body, and the realization of the horror that was to soon befall him locked tightly in his chest.


A tall figure stood behind a large glass window. Its face was hidden underneath the hood of the smoke colored robe it was wearing. Behind the figure was a small room adorned with chairs and a large, wooden round-table. The surface of the table had several small cracks, most likely due to its years of faithful service to the Shadow Men. The chairs were basic in structure; same mahogany paneling as the table, and both the seats and backrests lacked cushions. Four chairs were taken from this table, and their occupants were dressed in a similar fashion as the figure towering in front of them.

“Sir, sounds like the boy will really die this time. Let’s just leh em’ out. It’d sure save us the trouble of cleaning up!” Guffawed the man plopped in a chair to the far right of the room. This man was short, but stocky and wide set in build. His arms bulged in all of their muscular fortitude beneath his robe, and the chair he was so comfortably seated upon seemed to disappear beneath him.

“Silence, Hazumi. Show more respect to your superior.” Spoke the man seated to the far left in a raspy baritone. This man was taller and much more slender in frame, and his long arms were crossed knowingly across his chest. Although he was thinner in stature, his presence boasted a fierce atmosphere. Hazumi lazily looked at his colleague and snorted.

“Lookin’ for a fight, Alex?”

“It’s Alexander.” He corrected, his voice going an octave lower. I don’t recall giving you permission to shorten it.”

“Like eh’ matters. Hazumi scoffed. You keep talkin’ to me like tha’, and the only thing I’ll be lookin’ to shorten is yer life span.”

The men continued to bicker until they were interrupted by a smooth, sultry voice.

“Why not do us all a favor, and both of you shut your mouths?”

Despite the harshness of her words, her voice still melodiously carried itself. The woman who spoke such silky, but piercing words, was seated towards the center of the room. Her golden hair shone brilliantly beneath her hood, and the robe hugged her body in a way that revealed her various curves and supple bosom.

“This does not concern you, Misugaya-san. I’m more than capable of silencing a buffoon myself.” Alexander rebutted stiffly.

“Bahfoon!?” Hazumi roared.

The three of them began to uproariously argue, but were quickly silenced when their colossal superior jolted his attention towards them.

“All of you…, he began with a pause, be silent.”

The man hissed his last words, and his subordinates did as they were told. His voice was low, and coarse with a disciplinary tone. The robe shifted slightly off of his face, revealing a chiseled maw and a rough patch of facial hair. His arms were thick and long, and his fingers gnarled together as he clasped his hands. After he was sure he had their undivided attention, the giant continued speaking.

“We will not release him from the enclosure. He needs to get out of there using the Rokubi. It’s the only way he can get out.”

“But, Hiroshi-sama, he’s just an eight year old boy. We can’t expect him to be able to control power like that at his age.”

Hiroshi brought his attention to the gentle voice that came from his right side. The woman seated next to him was more slender than Misugaya in shape, but still carried an air of elegant beauty. The face revealed under the hood had smooth, porcelain like skin, and her eyes were like shallow azure pools with a vibrant sliver of gray that swam along the irises. Her hair, which delicately fell to her chest, was smoky in color, nearly camouflaging against her robe.

“This isn’t a matter of whether he can control it or not, Tetsuki, Hiroshi began, but whether or not he can endure it. Tencho is the first host to not be ripped apart by the Rokubi. All he needs to right now is survive.”

Hiroshi’s face turned deadpan as he finished his sentence. His eyes narrowed and his stare became hardened. Tetsuki looked out of the window at the metal enclosure down below. There were several high rank Shadow Men guarding the parameter. They were positioned in three levels: three men encompassing his enclosure; three men encompassing those men; and three men guarding the exit. She could faintly hear Tencho’s cries for help.

Tencho…


The water continued to pool at Tencho’s face. The white aura continued to plague his body. His stomach turned over and his veins began to violently throb beneath the skin of his forearms. A sickly feeling crept up Tencho’s throat, making him gag.

“Please, Tencho begged, don’t do this. I don’t want your help!”

Foolish child. I wasn’t asking for your permission. A predator does not ask his prey if he can feast on its flesh. He merely does.

“I-I-I am not your prey!”

You are certainly no predator, either. Let me show you, boy, that a predator cannot be backed against a corner.

“NO! DON’T DO THIS!” Tencho begged.

Silence, fool. It’s much too late for you to protest. You will…

The white aura enveloped Tencho’s face, turning his eyes a wild shade of emerald.

Taste blood.

Before Tencho could continue his plea, the water consumed the rest of his body. The water began to boil as the Rokubi’s chakra dressed Tencho in a white cloak. He could feel his blood run rampant through his veins like a vicious flame, and the bones in his wrist cracking into place. The insatiable appetite for carnage rose in his body, clouding his mind and poisoning his judgment. Tencho raised his arm to the steel wall in front of him, white claws forming around his fingertips as the transformation completed. He slowly pressed his index finger into it, effortlessly piercing the wall. Tencho ripped it apart and the water poured onto the chamber floor.

“Tencho has broken through the enclosure!” barked one of the men.

“Restrain him!” yelled another.

All three men rushed at Tencho with chakra infused katanas. The first two men were swiftly slashed at their mid-sections, their blood staining the concrete floor. The last man came down at Tencho with a downward strike, but Tencho caught the blade with his left hand and thrust his right arm into his stomach. He grasped the foot soldier’s spine and could hear it crunch between his fingers. Tencho inhaled deeply – the sound was exhilarating. He cast the Shadow Man to the side while the others charged at him. He sneered and rushed towards them, knocking their blades aside and hacking away at their bodies. One of the men guarding the exit spoke into his ear piece.

“Sir, Tencho has breached the second wall of the parameter! I don’t think we ca-GAH!”

Before the man could finish speaking, Tencho slashed at his chest. The man coughed up blood and collapsed onto the floor. Tencho motioned to tear the door open, but was suddenly thrown back by a side kick to his solar plexus. Tetsuki raised her hands in a guarding position, and switch blades appeared from the side of the gauntlets on her arms. She swiftly charged Tencho and pinned him to the ground, pressing the blade against his neck. Her advantage over him was quickly overturned, however, as the cloak sprouted a tail and Tencho broke from her grasp. He slashed at her right eye, tearing off a large piece of flesh in the process. Tetsuki yelped in pain and Tencho shoved her off of him. She slid several feet across the chamber floor. Tencho motioned to finish her off, but Hiroshi, suddenly appeared in front of him like a foggy apparition. He muttered something under his breath and rammed his palm into Tencho’s stomach. Chakra burst from his back, and a seal with multiple markings appeared on Tencho’s forehead. Steam emitted from it, and the white cloak around his body began to dissipate. Tencho glared at Hiroshi as the Rokubi spoke through him.

Hiroshi Nariwagame. Do you really think you can keep me contained within this child? I alone stand at the apex. You cannot stop me. I will rip this boy apart as I did to the others, and I will make sure you are there to watch every single drop of his blood spill.

Tencho’s eyes wildly dilated as he looked up at the window of the conference room.

You ignorant fools! What makes you think that you can cage a predator!?

The aura completely faded as he finished speaking, and Tencho collapsed into Hiroshi’s arms. Hiroshi bit his lower lip at the sight of this young, tattered boy. A firm hand then clasped Hiroshi’s right shoulder.

“So I see the Rokubi has yet to kill the child.”

Hiroshi turned his head to see Tenzo standing behind him. His facial expression was blank and his eyes were focused. His presence felt so cold and lifeless.

“Sir, I don’t think I can do this anymore.” Hiroshi said softly.

“You don’t have a choice, Hiroshi. This is for the sake of the village. As it currently stands, we can’t hope to control the Gobi’s host. He reeks of resistance. We need a countermeasure if the Gobi is to step out of line.” Tenzo replied flatly.

“But, sir. This is my son. Even for Hyougagakure, I can’t begin to think of what I’d do if I lost hi-

“And it’s precisely because he’s your son that I selected him as the Rokubi’s host. Tenzo interrupted. He’s clearly inherited your will, Hiroshi. He’s obedient and has the will to survive. A true predator isn’t just defined by his strength, but by his ability to survive; the ability to effectively outlast the others. And that’s what we will make your son – a predator. Raise him to embrace that power that roars inside of him, and teach him to protect Hyougagakure in the shadows, much like a tiger guards his territory.”

“But he’s already killed nine of my men!”

“A reasonable sacrifice. We will continue this tomorrow.” Tenzo continued, disregarding Hiroshi’s plea for clemency. Clean up these bodies. Take this one to the infirmary to get patched up.” He said into his wrist, poking an unconscious Tetsuki with the side of his heel.

Shadow Men quickly appeared before Tenzo, picking up the slain men along with Tetsuki. Hiroshi looked down at his son. His breathing was calm, as if nothing ever happened. He slung Tencho over his shoulder and made his way to the exit.

Forgive me, Tencho…

The history  of  the  Shadow Men  reaches  far  into  the  archives of  Nadaregakuren  history. During the time of Aeneas, after the fall of Nadaregakure, the economy crashed due to the lack of management. This not only caused a socio-economical downfall of the village, but it also caused the mountain village to lose the most elite of its ninja. These particular Shinobi found it extremely difficult to thrive in such harsh conditions. Their families were becoming emotionally and physically exasperated. These ninja ultimately would go off in search of a new village that would domesticate them. They first ran into a small village that wasn’t too far off from Nadaregakure. The Kage of the village was welcoming and very understanding of the situation of the rogue Nadaregakurens. The shinobi of Nadaregakure found the village to be hospitable and well suited to their tastes, so they reached a consensus to ask the Kage if he was willing to take them in. The Kage was more than willing to provide them with food and shelter. However, as a form of recompense, the Shinobi had to dedicate their lives to serving and protecting the village. The Kage warned them that the task would not be an easy one, for the village, despite the Kage’s best efforts to remain in a diligent state of neutrality, was constantly the victim of hostile invasions due to their lush and abundant natural resources; such as silver and rich minerals and metals that were ideal for forging weapons. The shinobi were at first pessimistic about having to stay under such extenuating circumstances. Many were thinking that it could lead to indentured enslavement. However, Nasuki Nariwagame, the leader of the group of these wandering shinobi, managed to appease their worried minds and convince them that staying was the most ideal option for them. So Nasuki and his people agreed to serve the Kage under his conditions. The Kage decided that it was best to keep their presence a secret as to avoid causing paranoia amongst his villagers. Due to all of the invasions, the local villagers had begun to live in constant fear of attack. The Kage recommended that in order for him and his shinobi to distinguish them apart from the locals, they should go under the guise “Shadow Men”. He suggested this name as they would essentially be living in the village’s shadow. Despite the Kage’s generosity, however, he still felt a bit cautious himself. So in addition to branding them as shadow men, he had each member branded with a number; and every other member born into that lineage. A large amount of the wanderers were not fond of this. It made them feel like second class citizens; it made them feel like cattle.

The newly formed Shadow Men eventually acclimated to their new environment over the years. That is until Hyougakure invaded their host village in a hostile takeover for their resources. Soon after that, the Shadow Men found themselves serving in a shadow that was much darker and power hungry – Tenzo’s.

The Elder 5 (founders of the Shadow Men – hierarchal order)
- Hiroshi Nariwagame
- Tetsuki Yamamoto
- Hazumi Mentriarch
- Alexander Xantes
- Misugaya Hirigake

Tencho has spent the majority of his life questioning the existence and purpose of the Shadow Men, along with his own. Having to live in such a secretive manner has caused him to deal with a lack of self-identity at times, as well as trouble trusting his fellow comrades. This large amount of emotional stress sometimes causes him to have violent anxiety attacks, thus causing him to be carefully watched by the higher ups on a constant basis. They revere him as a powerful Shinobi who would do anything to protect his village. However, a lot of them fear that his power and emotional state may reach a point that is beyond their control.