The once desolate land, with rundown fence and collapsed door, filled with peoples clad in uniform, while the yellow line separated the two world.

A man stepped on the dry soil, carving his mark on the ground. An officer straightened his back like a pole and place his palm on the temple, with venerable face respecting the man.

The man neither a frail elder who shook his bone everytime he strolled, or a wild youngster who sat on the chair same like he sat on the heated pan.

His eagle-like eyes looked around, checking the shabby environment that bored his mind. He halted beside an oceanic blue Toyota Prius c, a hybrid car closed to top of its kind, capable to last long on a single run but quite lacked on the punch. He bent his lanky back, peeking through the transparent gla.s.s then inclined his thin eyebrows with a mouth curled to the side.

He traveled forward, pressing down the wooden board beneath his feet, a "tup-tup" sound clamored for every step he took. A simple entrance... with no window carved on the wall and no furniture waited on the side. He left leg crossed the yellow border, with a tanned hand he brushed the restriction above his curly hair. His right foot braved inside, taking him into the show.

A brown table on his right upheld a deck of poker cards and one rock ashtray. The man tempted to fish out his Chungwa but the lady of his life disappointed face bound his desire. One could enjoy ate lobsters and watched soap-opera in a 30-inch home theater every day but one hobby threw them all.

He strolled, a wide gap on the wall attracted his attention, debris lived outside the house with none spare inside. The man kicked the interior but it remains st.u.r.dy despite its rundown material. A broken chair under the loose flickering light, green like leaf rope joined the party.

He went inside the room, squinted his eyes at the first chance he got, homicide case's his usual lunch while the dead body's his Kung Pao, but this view... just plain disturbing.

Five bodies identified as male arranged in a circular motion, eyes gouged from their holes, s.h.i.+rts no longer on their torso, naked wound spilled out red liquid nearly from every single surface, missing ears, and nails were gone.

fifteen minutes ago, someone reported hearing a scream from an old abandoned house, by the times their officers arrived, no soul they caught beside one man, knelt on the center of this arranged corpse, grabbing a b.l.o.o.d.y scissor in hand, mumbling "I'm sorry" the whole time.

The man glanced to his officer, forensic quick-investigation said that the time of these bunch of sorry a.s.s' death separated from each individual, the latest around an hour ago and the earliest up to several minutes upon discovery.

He rubbed his rough chin while lingered on the crime scene.

Satanic ritual? Psychotic behavior? Or... a setup?

Whatever it was, it seemed beside gambling establishment, this part of the city about to get more interesting.

Three miles away from the crime scene, in the area with a scale of 5 hectares, one of its main roads called maple street and a series of a three-story house built along the path. Each distance between the residence around half a mile, separated by 10 meters of concrete wall.

Each house design followed a cla.s.sic European style with a small floral garden yet a s.p.a.cious swimming pool. Albeit the uniform of these houses, the complex developer used a built on order method, thus few of people who lived here demanded an extreme makeover like the third one from the right.

The s.p.a.ce that supposed to be a s.p.a.cious swimming pool replaced with a large garage full of expensive cars. All the house interior completely changed and the third floor consisted of only two part of a house; a bedroom and indoor pool.

The bedroom decorated with creamy painted wall and best ceramic floor. There were shelves full of books right beside the entry, followed by a set of home cinema equipment. Across from it, a queen sized bed with a white curtain stuck on its canopy made of teak, currently shaking as if a small earthquake occurred in the area.

"Yes, yes!"

On the top of a bed, a woman without a shred of cloth held the bed headboard while she laid on her knees.

"Hah, hah, take this, you b.i.t.c.h!"

Behind her, a man in his birthday suit grabbed her hip and moved his waist back and forth, creating a meaty sound upon the moment of impact he made.

"Yes, harder, I'm about to come!" The woman moaned.

*Pa!*

"Did you just order me you b.i.t.c.h, who's your master?!" The man whipped his palm on the woman's perky b.u.t.t.

"You, you, you are my master, I'm your servant!" She waved her head, making her loose brunette hair flapping around.

"Good, then accept your master gift!" The man gave the last push as he let out a roar before exploded inside the woman.

The couple breathe heavily, the man left the bed after five minutes of recovery, he went straight toward a door across the bed, a s.p.a.cious indoor pool entered his eyes, he plunged toward the oceanic colored water and swam 30 meters long before he flipped, pushed his body against the pool's wall with his legs and swam back.

He came out from the pool, wiped himself with a black towel and put on a white bathrobe, he tied it before returning into the bedroom.

The woman on the bed already pa.s.sed out without even bothered wore her clothes back, the man smirked in satisfied as if he just achieve something prideful. He reached out toward the small table beside his bed and grabbed an iPhone 5 Black Diamond.

He surfaces through his contact list as he walked toward the other side of the bed, in front of him, stood a full-gla.s.s door led into a balcony.

"Sorry, the number you called does not answer, please try again later."

The man wrinkled his eyebrow, he walked toward the concrete guardrail and leaned his broad chest on it, he tried to call several times more but the answer he received still the same.

"What the f.u.c.k is he doing?!" The man twitched his mouth.

After he watched a great fight between Lin Ruoxi and Naruto, he immediately sent his subordinate to handle the blonde man, his initial plan was to convince Naruto to destroy and conquer Lin Ruoxi together, as a man who lived and saw the dark side of the world, he does not believe in any righteous and just action, everything just about price and benefit, so long your activity yielded you a greater prize, you will do anything, thus he believes Naruto can be bought, so long he met the right price.

But, if he rejected his offer, then he didn't have a choice but ordering his subordinate to 'take out the trash', eliminating the only threat for him to conquer Lin Ruoxi.

Remembering her cold temperament yet hot alluring body, his skin flushed red and arousal rose within his guts. If his people still not answering the phone for the last time, he decided to play with his flirtatious woman again while imagining about her.

"Sorry, the number you..."

"Whatever, he'll call me on his own."

The man put down his phone and canceled the call.

"Beautiful night, right?"

"Holy mother!"

The man almost threw his phone away as he frighteningly turned around, under the guise of the moonlight, a figure perched on the rooftop of his house, overlooked him with a serene face like not even a single wave could break it. The man's body became pale, is not just because the person sudden showed up, but also due to he recognize the figure.

"W-what are you doing here?! How can you get into there?!" He backed up against the guardrail.

"I climb," The man simply stated, he jumped down from the roof, landed gracefully into the balcony, "come on Xu Zhihong, is that how you treat a guest?"

"Stay back!" He slid toward his right, " one more step, I'll call my guard!"

"Don't bother, they all sleeping like a princess now," the man shrugged.

Xu Zhihong startled, he raised his phone and prepared to check the man's word, but he stopped midway and changed his mind, he wanted to call the authority instead, but before he managed to go far, the man swung his hands, a wind like small storm hit his hand and blasted away his special edition iPhone.

"You not even trust me, tsk, tsk, what a bad hosts!" The man shook his head.

"W-what do you want?" Xu Zhihong frowned, the pale on his skin became clearer.

"I want to kill you!" He briskly nodded.

This time Xu Zhihong laughed, but his tone still held a shaky environment, "go ahead, try! My family will not let you off!"

"Oh, you not fear of death? That's impressive!" He strolled toward the nearby rail.

"If it can cause your life in suffering, then I don't mind dying!" His eyes glared at the person. The man jumped and landed on the rail, Xu Zhihong actually impressed by how this person could jump that high without showing slightest effort. Normally, a person would build the strength on his legs first, or pressed their hand on the edge and lifted themselves, or by running.

"I see, I praise your 'n.o.bleness'..." He started to walk along the line, "Xu Zhihong, Zhong Hai city local born, your father worked as chairman in your technology company and a housewife mother, a little brother who went into Huaxia's University in central and a sister who still in a high school, Yi Zhong if I'm not wrong."

"Wh" Xu Zhihong widened his eyes, "are you trying to threaten me with my family?"

"No," he shook his head, "I know you won't care about them...

There was no benefit in holding a worthless hostage."

The man sat on the edge and dangled his legs, his body faced toward the same direction with him, he thought maybe if he fast enough, he could dash toward the man and pushed him from the ledge?

His back left the concrete fence behind him, he leaned his body, prepared to rush in motion, but the man's word cast a restraint on his legs.

"I know your secret..."

Xu Zhihong s.h.i.+vered in the instant, his eyes stared at the man's back with disbelieve, "w-what secret?"

"October, Friday 20, 2006. You went into a karaoke with a beautiful girl...

You and the girl had been known as a couple by many people even though in fact, you were considered just a friend by her...

You chased the girl for a whole year, but she always kept you in an arms-length distance, even though you tried to give her a lot of presents but she rejected them all...

One day, you find her kissing another man. While br.i.m.m.i.n.g in rage, you decided to take the matter into a force...

At the said day which exactly her birthday, you pleaded at her to let you celebrate her day and promised won't chase after her again. Seeing your face filled with helpless and powerless, the girl's heart soften and agreed to follow you into the karaoke's center.

While at the same time, you ordered your buddies, Hairy Ball, and his gang to beat up the man and crippled him.

A short while after, you and the girl spent time in karaoke's booth, you put something inside her drink, a drug that strong enough to... make her body itchy but not made her crazy. You praised her voice as she sang and made her blush many times.

In the euphoria of the pink moment, you make a move on her and she fell for your trap. After the deed was done, you successfully convinced her that you really love her and will take any responsibility.

In the other hand, Hairy Ball and his gangs made a mistake, when they supposed to just cripple the target, they accidentally killed him instead, caused a brief panic but you told them to dump his body into the river, made it look like an accident.

His dead body discovered in the next day, and the naive girl led to believe it was an accident by you, your relations.h.i.+p continued as you plundered her body many times.

You thought you actually indeed fell in love with her, but one day, a transfer girl moved into your school, she was really pretty and categorized a diva among the girl, you chased after her while still dating the naive girl.

You slept with the new girl and knocked her up by mistake..."

Naruto voice as if full of magic, his tune wandered the area as if dancing with the gentle wind, but Xu Zhihong body drenched with cold sweat instead, a s.h.i.+ver reigned on his body as he felt power abandoned his legs.

"The new girl demanded your responsibility but you're too much for a coward to accept it, not to mention your family will never agree with the relations.h.i.+p. So you choose the most possible outcome for her, abortion...

The new girl rebelled and decided to keep the baby, she threatened you that after the baby born, she will publicly that the baby was yours, with DNA and blood test, she believed it won't be hard to bring out any proof.

In fear for your family's wrath, you ordered your men to... silent her, and just did the same like the naive girl former boyfriend.

Sometime later, the naive girl find out about your deed, but she didn't have any proof, she decided to confront you and recorded your confession, you discovered her trick and beat her up, feeling betrayed, you called Hairy Ball and his men to... violate her body."

The sound he possessed smear with a hint of cold, strong enough to make Xu Zhihong kneel on spot.

"In distressed, she went home and didn't come into a school the next day, 3 hours later, someone reported that the naive girl... had hanged herself in her room, strapping her neck into the rotate fan on the ceiling.

I don't care if you truly had a feeling for the girl, but you... at that time, had destroyed three people live and cost one unborn child."

The man raised his legs and turned around, facing the white skin Xu Zhihong, he placed his elbow on his tight and rested his cheek on his knuckle, "that just one of the secret you have..." He smiled coldly.

*Bang!*

Xu Zhihong fell into the floor, curled his own body like a worm, surprisingly a sob came out from his mouth.

"Yumei... Yumei..." He mumbled in rough tone as tears streaming down his face.

The man stayed on his spot, "It's that her name?"

"Yes, I never wanted this for her... I wish I could take it all back, Yumei, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

In truth, he did really have a feeling for the girl, even though at first he just wanted to bed her, but a long time cuddling and experienced sweet moment made him realize he truly loves the charming naive girl. The rumor about him chasing the new girl actually spread by that girl herself, she was a shrewd girl who wanted to take advantage of his family fortune, this girl indeed far pretty than Yumei and he sometimes flirted with her, one day, he and the new girl accidentally met in a bar, they got drunk then went into a hotel. She's pregnant and he ordered Hairy Ball to kill her.

Then thing's started getting crazy after Yumei found out, turned out the new girl captured their lovemaking session including her pregnancy test on her phone and sent it to Yumei after she realized her life was in peril. Yumei connected the dot then she decided to capture his confession, they met up in hotel and tangled up crazily, she asked him whether he got anything to do with her former boyfriend and the new girl death, in her insistence and promised she won't hate him, he finally confessed and they started for another round.

Sadly, their movement was too wild and her bag knocked out from the table, revealing a recording device, he discovered it and the betrayal feeling rose within his guts, in anger, he beat her up till unconscious and called his buddy to teach her a lesson.

He never actually thought in the next day, Yumei would hang herself.

"Yumei was a village girl who had a family with a troubled finance, in a weekend, she would work part-time in KFC to help to pay her school tuition and earn few extra cash for herself. Even after we dated, she always rejected my offer of help, even told me not to waste money on buying a useless thing, she worked herself to death just to buy a present for my birthday... Yumei... Yumei..."

"Why did you left me behind... I always love you... I'm sorry... aaa..." the shake on his body getting stronger while the sob he let out getting louder.

The man looked at Xu Zhihong with pity on his eyes, in fact, he already knew how this man felt toward the naive girl since Hairy Ball confessed that after he found out about her news of death, he locked himself in his room for days and by the time he came out, he changed, becoming more ruthless and gratuitous, he started sleeping with any woman he fancied even not hesitate to get rid them if they ever got pregnant.

The man took a deep breath, he glanced at the yellow moon on the sky, the loss of someone you truly love, their death carried your heart along, never let you heal from the curse called true loneliness. But what actually worst, that you actually the cause of their death, especially when you know it from the beginning, far before they died.

(***)

On the straight path with a soil ground, a woman clad in a white dress walked rather angrily while a man with a black robe followed behind her with a wrinkled eyebrow.

"What's wrong with you?" The black robed man voiced his annoyance.

"Humph!" The white dress woman flung her blondie hair aside while snorting.

"You were the one who told me to save that woman and now you behave like this?"

"But I never told you to let her kissing you!"

"Well, what I'm supposed to do? Besides, you tell me before that's how they expressed their grat.i.tude in this country..."

The white woman almost staggered, her voice also stammered, "anyway, you not allowed to accept any kiss from other women anymore, got it?!"

"OK...?" The man looked upward, "but what if they insist? Should I kill them?"

"No! Don't!" The woman twisted on her feet and frightened at him, "you promise me not to kill anymore!"

The man expression looked delayed, then he nodded, "true, but what should I do?"

"I don't know... Pushed them away maybe?" She scratched her cheek.

"How strong?"

"Just push them slightly away!"

"Well, OK but how that far slightly, an inch from me, two, or three?"

"An inch!"

"What should I say after I pushed her?"

"Sorry!"

"... Wait, that's it?"

"Yeah!"

They both paved their ways with a lush forest on their left and right side, birds chirping happily while some squirrel nipping on a nut. The white dress woman still walked with an angry stomped. But soon, the clear sky turned gloomy, grey clouds swarmed the entire canvas, pouring the heavy rain on the entire land.

The black robed man stood in front of a tombstone, his eyes gazed the mark with a pair of tender eyes. A gentle smile curved his usually toneless lips.

"Do you hate me?"

A white rose decorated the stone filled with a unique carving on its surface. The black robed man glanced upward, closing his eyes as if feeling the strike of numerous waters on his face. It took times for him to return his vision before he raised the black staff on his hand and stabbed it right beside the tombstone.

He formed his hand into blade fist and pale green energy extended from it, he grabbed his long blonde hair and swiped the energy across it, completely separated from the rest of his head.

He brought the hair and tied it into the black staff, strangely, even though a lot of waters poured on it, the hair remained dry as if it was unaffected by its surrounding. He let go his black robe and hooked it to his staff.

The man only remained with his tattered shoulder-length pants, he bent his body and noticed an ornament like cross hanged from his neck.

"Ah yes, how could I forget..."

He put his hand around his neck and unclasped the rope around it, he stared on the ornament, a mixed feeling roused within his heart, he took out a deep breath before smiled mirthlessly, "I don't deserve to have this..."

He placed it right on the soil in front of the tombs, "You can have it back."

The man stood from his ground, turned around and walked away. He halted once and glanced back before continued his path toward an uncertain journey.

(***)

Xu Zhihong groaning woke up the man from his memory triplane, he curled his lips, "Why did you chase after Ruoxi?"

"Haha..." Xu Zhihong laughed bitterly, "because she reminded me so much of that new girl.

Her making and figure, her cold att.i.tude and manipulative tendency..."

He startled before sneered at the man, "Oh yes... you don't know her... her true nature."

The man wrinkled his eyebrows but he remained silent.

"Ooh, you fool... you let her tricked you by acting like a righteous and proper woman.

Lin Ruoxi, is not what she looks like, her action was far from a 'good person'.

You don't know what she had done in these past few years,"

Xu Zhihong reached up to the guard fence, leaning his powerless body against it.

"If you give me, five minutes, I can show you all the proof and evidence I had on her.

Enough to ruin her name also her company.

But you must promise me that you will join my side on taking her out."

The man put his lips together and t.i.tled his underlips, then he let out a chuckle, "don't you realize you just give me more reason to kill you?"

Xu Zhihong laughed, "even if you killed me, sooner or later, someone will find that evidence, and Lin Ruoxi just going to have a fallout, all the same."

"I could just force you handing me the evidence, it wasn't so hard..."

"Sure, but what does that gain you beside a couple of files? I have a back up on me, somewhere, I can still threatening her."

The man wrinkled his eyebrows, he crossed his arm while looking at the confident Xu Zhihong, "if we work together, you erased her evidence?"

"OK, if that what's you want, don't worry, so long she married me, her life won't be difficult and her company will sustain, after all, the money she made from it quite enormous, such a shame if they're broke down."

The man turned silent, his cerulean eyes looked downward.

"So, what is going to be, Mr. Naruto? Partner?" Xu Zhihong grinned deviously.

Naruto still silent before he finally let out a sigh, he coldly stared at the man, "partner."