No POV

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Sanpei stood still as Ippei yelled at him. "Bringing a person marked for death by all ninja rules set by all remaining villages?!"

"He saved my life!" Sanpei protested.

"And did it occur to you that he might have done it to use you? That he wanted an easy access to our village?" Ippei answered back.

"I don't know! You were the one who told him after challenger he is welcome in the village." Sanpei countered back. "You were the one who told me to pick him up and his friends to-"

"Enough!" Sanpei went silent. "You are lucky. If I didn't admit it, you and his friends would all be in prison cells with him." Ippei continued. "He was lucky too. I don't know why, but master decided to spare him on last second. But don't think it doesn't raise complications. People of our village demand to know more. What do you want to tell me so I can tell them." Ippei said turning back to Sanpei. "Could you also explain how one moment he didn't harm Nihei and others. And the moment Shinobu arrives to deal with him, he has such a bloodlust that if it wasn't for her skills, she would be dead. Can you explain that?!"

Sanpei went silent. He couldn't. When Sanpei watched it, he couldn't recognise the person that fought with Shinobu.

Ippei let out sigh, pinching his nose. He looked at his younger brother. Although it was a big problem, he knew his brother. He wouldn't do it without reason.

"Tell me what you know about him. Don't leave out any details."

Meanwhile, outside, everyone in group were together in one of the houses. Korrina walked around the house saying nothing. Serena made small braids in Bonnie's hair, both of them trying to think of other things. Clemont tried to draw new invention but everytime his pencil touched a paper, he couldn't continue. Serena, for a moment, looked to her side and saw Pikachu with his head and ears down. Next to him were Ash's pokeballs.

Finally, Korrina cracked the silence by knocking on the door. "Can you let us out!"

From the other side of the door, two ninjas sat. "Couldn't we just put them with the Doomed one?"

"Master and lady Shinobu said they would stay here. We are making sure they don't wonder off." The other ninja replied. "Whatever you like it or not, Kentaro. And I know you are angry because he almost defeated us."

"That is not the point Riku. I am okay with being beaten by strong opponent. What I am not okay with is not executing a Doomed one." Answered Kentaro.

Riku was about reply, but someone else did it for him. "We listen to what master says and our leader commands. He wished for the boy to live, that he was allowed was up to our leader. Do you plan to disrespect direct commands?" Shinobu appeared right before the two ninjas.

"No ma'am!" Kentaro replied.

"Good. Now return to your original posts. I will take care of them now." Both Kentaro and Riku nodded and were gone in a blur. Shinobu looked back at the door that was slightly shaking from the banging, and she could hear the yelling.

She opened the door to see the Shalour city gym leader. She could see Korrina's cheecks warm up from embarrasment.

"I would like all of you to come with me." Shinobu said.

"Why?" Serena asked as she and Bonnie stood up.

"Because I need you so your friend can answer my questions." Shinobu answered.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked again.

"I will answer on the way. Now, please follow me." Shinobu said, turning around and walking away.

Everyone in the group looked at each other, worried. Bonnie was the first one to walk. "We have nothing else to do anyway."

As they walked, Shinobu spoke again. "I assumed when I arrived to the fight and with what your friend said, you have don't know anything about why everything like this." The group nodded and although Shinobu didn't look at them, she knew. "Well, you should learn more about who you decide to follow."

"I thought we knew him well." Korrina replied back.

"Your friend has the mark of the Doomed ones." Shinobu continued.

"D-doomed one? What does that mean?" Serena asked concerned.

„As expected." She answered. „Our community has many rules. One of those rule is execution of people that so far gone in insanity or darkness that we mark them for death with the mark of broken shuriken. That mark is carved in their skins to make sure it is never forgotten. But normally when they are marked, their execution follows right the upcoming day. Latest date of their execution can be one week. And whenever they recieve this mark, they are not given any chance to change their fate since their action caused such an evil, no redemption is offered for them. Which is a very big exception for your friend. Your friend as you can see is still alive and from what I have learned, he was suppose to be dead already over 2 years ago." Shinobu stated.

Everyone was silent for a while. The group always saw Ash as a cheery guy who would be willing to help them to take away their pain. And when they started to scratch on top of the darker side Ash had, it would some sort of good side to it, most of the times.

Serena finally broke the silence. „What did those people do to deserve it?" She wanted to know how far deep Ash was in the hole they have just entered.

Shinobu turned her head around. „Serial killers of people and pokemon such as The Challenger you met. Manipulators capable of destroying communities for their entertainment. Rapists with their minds thinking of nothing else how to use girls such as you. People doing inhuman experiments on pokemon and people as well. Even one of our leaders was almost convicted to this fate for attempting to take over our village. He only avoided that fate because of my master, your friend as well." She paused. „Any idea between which people your friend belongs?"

„Ash isn't somebody like that!" Bonnie protested.

Shinobu sighed. „And what about that other one? What would you say about that one? The one that was ready to kill me?"

Bonnie wanted to protest, but she wasn't sure what to say. She then noticed they had entered a dark cave. As they entered, Korrina could feel multiple eyes on them. She noticed that there were hidden cells with a few people inside them.

As they walked, Shinobu stopped by one of cells. The group looked inside and there they saw a man in green robe with green hair and scar over his left eye and he was drinking what they assumed was alcohol.

„Izumi!" Shinobu yelled and from the above her dropped down ninja and dropped on his knee. The group was surprised by the sudden newcomer. Korrina now understood why she felt so many people watching them. „Explain?"

„I would like to, Miss Shinobu, but none of us know. We have been watching him and when we were exchanging, he suddenly had it." Izumi answered. As Serena listened him, she could hear a small ammount of embarrassment in his serious voice. „One of our man tried to take it from him, but before he could reach him, he collapsed before the prisoner."

Shinobu looked at the prisoner. He looked back finally speaking. „Would you have some food? Since I will be spending some time here, I'd like to eat and drink together. Or should I get it for myself as well?" his deep voice sounded through the cell.

Shinobu sighed and started walking again. „Get him something to eat."

Izumi looked confused for a moment, but did as told. The group continued to follow Shinobu until they made it to the furthest cell and there stood Sanpei with Ippei.

When the group turned around so they could see inside, there they saw Ash chained up with his arms and legs in X shape. He still had a few cuts on his body from the fight that were now visible as his shirt was gone. As Clemont watched all the restrains, he noticed a simple devices that forced each of his fingers to be spread out.

„Ash!" Serena yelled and grabbed the cell steel bar.

Ash looked up, giving tired smile. „Hi guys. I think it would appropriate to say I am sorry for getting you mixed up in all of this."

Serena was about to speak, but Korrina was faster. „Why all of the secrecy Ash? Since I joined you, there was always something. But this is something that is going to get you kill."

„K-Korrina is right. What was that whole underground thing about." Clemont supported Korrina.

„How did you manage to train yourself like this anyway?" Bonnie asked.

„What did you do to be treated like this?" Serena asked, her voice barely heared.

„I will tell you." Ash said. He let out a sigh, looking for a moment at Sanpei. His words from back when they were alone. „I will tell you everything about what happened for the 2 years before I met you."

A.N.: I know. A long time since last update and a short chapter for that period. But two things.
FIRST: I had important exams so I did nothing but study. (Surely)
SECOND: I wanted to make this one shorter so I can leave the next chapter for Ash's story completely. So the next one will follow right after this one.