Release Me

"I've done this so many times before— he's just another target, so why can't I do it? Why can't I just kill him?"

Akira is a ninja commanded by his master, Lord Inouye, to keep an eye on a certain man— Hatanaka Ren, a herbalist with a warm smile and fondness for playing the flute, a man well-loved by the people of his village. After watching him for some time, puzzled by how such a person would pose a threat to the higher-ups, final orders arrive for Hatanaka Ren's assassination. Can Akira comply to his master's orders just as he usually does, or has the young ninja's heart become attached to the very person he's supposed to assassinate?