Rinko snuck her way through the dense forest, her senses heightened as she scanned her surroundings for any sign of movement. The moon’s light barely managed to pierce through the dense canopy of leaves. For once, Yukikaze wasn’t by her side, but she was accustomed to working solo when duty called for it. She took cover behind a tree trunk and scrutinized the enemy’s compound. The intel indicated a small, fortified outpost, but she knew all too well that appearances could be deceptive. Rinko had learned not to underestimate her enemies.

With a quick breath in, she checked over her gear; a handful of kunai tucked into her leg holster, her trusty katana resting comfortably on her back, and her communication device, which she switched on momentarily to ensure connectivity, just in case she needed to call for help if things took a turn for the worse. However, she hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“No backup tonight,” she murmured to herself. “Got to be extra cautious.”

Her eyes fixed on the entry point, Rinko studied the guards’ movements meticulously. She memorized their pattern, timing the brief moments when they weren’t looking. Once she saw her opportunity, she quickly slipped out from her hiding place, her agility allowing her to glide across the leaf-covered ground almost unnoticed.

The mission was straightforward: infiltrate, gather intel on enemy activities, and neutralize any potential threats. But the absence of Yukikaze meant that she had to depend purely on her own abilities to pull this off.

As she reached the compound’s outer barricade, her heart thumped in her chest, not from fear but from the thrill of the mission at hand. Nothing was going to stop her from seeing this through to the end.