Aotutaro, dressed in blue and white prison garb, tugged at the iron ball connected to his handcuffs and shackles, taking two difficult steps forward. His face showed no fear or sadness, but rather a calm resignation.
Being an undercover agent in my own village's prison—I'm probably the only one in the Heavenly Stems with such an experience.
"My dear captain, could you please hurry up? The sooner we get to the Abyss, the sooner we can finish our task," a guard escorting him complained.
"I don't want to drag my feet either. Other prisoners get to ride a warship to the Abyss, so why do I have to walk all the way?" Aotutaro replied.
"Who told you to be so tough? Out of so many people, you're the only one who resisted arrest and even injured several brothers from the Second Division. Lord Akasha specifically instructed that you must walk all the way, and now you've dragged us along, wearing out several pairs of shoes," another guard mocked.
Aotutaro remained silent for a moment before asking, "Are those brothers okay?"
"Okay? They're all still lying in the hospital! One of them even went into shock, and we don't know if he'll wake up!" The guard gave Aotutaro a hard shove, causing him to stumble but not retaliate. He simply stood up stubbornly and continued walking.
"Hey! Look over there! What's that?" Aotutaro shaded his eyes with his hand, spotting what seemed like a small hill on the distant Gobi Desert.
"Oh, that's the Seven Strokes Hook. Once we pass it, we'll be near the Abyss," the guard answered.
"The Seven Strokes Hook? Why such a strange name?" Aotutaro asked in confusion.
"You don't know? It's inscribed by the Third KazekageJinghang himself," a guard proudly explained.
"Is there a story behind it?" Aotutaro inquired.
The guard eagerly shared his knowledge. "Of course! Back then, the Third Kazekage opposed the Second KazekageShamon's decision to send troops to Amegakure and was exiled to the Abyss to oversee Master Fenfu for half a year. You know about this, right?"
"Yes, I do," Aotutaro replied.
"Later, when Master Fenfu was released, the Abyss was closed for a while. But then, it turned out that the Minister of Personnel, Kenji Shikakusa, was a spy from Iwagakure, and a group of Iwagakure shinobi responsible for bloodshed was captured. The Third Kazekage ordered the reopening of the Abyss Prison to detain criminals."
"I know about that too."
"Jinghang, moved by these events, wrote a piece of text in an unusual style. Despite its oddity, it's quite profound. It was later carved into that hill, giving the nameless hill its name. And here we are," the guard said as they arrived.
Aotutaro looked up to see lines of vermilion characters etched into the rock face, reading them softly:
"At the bridge's edge, mist thick with ominous air, the mythical beast worries, demons howl, fallen flowers no longer adorn, stench of corpses wafts close; once through this door, life ends, thus the prodigal son is crossed out.
Loyalty eternal, hearts bared in brotherhood, peach orchard wine, is it still here? Trembling behind, how to face old friends, in life and death, how to boast of honor; thus the severed friendship is crossed out.
Heartbroken, trapped in prison without freedom, wanting to express sorrow, choked with tears, wife and young child, when to join the bandits, joyful reunion only in dreams; thus the family joy is crossed out.
Regret lingers, how to repay nurturing grace, tide roars at the threshold, family shamed, unable to guard the sickbed, bowing from afar to the western journey, tears flow long at the desolate grave; thus the filial piety is crossed out.
Lovers entwined, endless affection etched in heart, true love only mine, what to seek in this life, once a prisoner, wasting away, how to endure lonely nights; thus the golden bond is crossed out.
Youthful indulgence, dancing and singing, friends abound, drink freely, drunk leaning on the willow, dreaming after wind and rain, youthful face now aged, lamenting youth's fleeting joy; thus the romantic sentiment is crossed out.
Heaven and earth vast, where does the wild crane rest, heartbroken, don't look back, tears soak the cloud paper, old man fishing at dusk, spring planting, summer and autumn harvest, feelings extinguished, heart dead, the boat drifts; thus the worldly sentiments are crossed out."
Aotutaro finished reading, feeling a deep sense of emotion. These seven strokes captured the regrets and harsh realities of life, instilling a fear of prison while subtly encouraging goodness. Despite its strange format, it was undeniably a good piece.
Great Kazekage!
In fact, this "Seven Strokes Hook" was something Jinghang had read online in his previous life, supposedly written by a talented death row inmate in Beijing. As Sunagakure's economy improved, so did crime rates, leading to multiple expansions of the Abyss after its reopening. Having "worked" in the Abyss Prison, Jinghang was deeply moved and copied the text to warn the people of Sunagakure against crime, emphasizing that the law is iron, and prison is a furnace—one wrong step, and there's no turning back.
"Delivered!" The two guards pushed Aotutaro inside the Abyss gate.
"Received!" The prison guards took custody of him.
The guards handed over a transfer document.
The prison guard stamped it, tore off a receipt, and returned it to the guards, completing the prisoner handover process.
The prison guard removed Aotutaro's shackles and iron ball, leaving only the handcuffs.
"Report to the warden first," the prison guard instructed.
The Abyss Prison was no longer as it was when Jinghang was a guard. Along the mountain walls, rows of cave-like cells had been dug out, complete with stairs and railings, stretching endlessly. As Aotutaro descended layer by layer, he was bombarded with taunts and jeers from the inmates.
"Hey, another newbie!"
"Wow, he's quite handsome. I like him."
"Rookie, I bet a pack of cigarettes you won't last the night!"
"I bet two packs he'll make it. Look how strong he is!"
"Did you come in for embezzlement? We'll have to teach you a lesson!"
"Kid, keep your ass tight, haha."
"Get lost, you pervert!"
Aotutaro ignored the vulgar comments and continued following the guard.
Looks like I'm in for some trouble, but it's still cleaner than dealing with Rifutian's gang, Aotutaro thought to himself.
The so-called warden's office was just a slightly larger, better-furnished "cave." Inside, the furnishings were simple: a bookshelf, a desk, and a screen.
A middle-aged man in his forties was bent over the desk, reviewing documents.
"Reporting to the warden, prisoner Aotutaro has been brought in," the guard reported.
"Leave him here and you may go. Close the door on your way out," the warden instructed without looking up.
Once the door closed, the warden finally looked up. Aotutaro observed him—a mature-looking man with a striking scar running from his nose across his cheek, giving him a fierce appearance.
"I am the warden of the Abyss Prison, Zhenshanbao. It must have been tough walking all this way. Would you like something to drink? Yanfeng!"
Upon hearing "Yanfeng," Aotutaro was shocked. This was his codename as a special agent in the Intelligence Division! How...
"Don't be surprised. Zhenshanbao is a former Anbu veteran, even more senior than me!" a voice came from behind the screen.
As the person emerged, Aotutaro immediately stood at attention.
"Greetings, Lord Kagesa!"
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