Hey guys, I'm Sage Pagan, and this is my first DOA fic. I've been on the site for a year, and was for awhile strictly a Tekken writer, but I gotta try new things, right? So, this might not turn out too well, but I just wanna see how well I can do with DOA. In my story, there a few details changed around, but the basic ideas are still intact. Kasumi is still the runaway ninja, Hayate is still trying to kill her, and Hayabusa is still the super ninja that saves everybody, w/e. I don't need any flames, just praise and good suggestions if you guys have any to offer. If you simply don't like my story, then don't read it. Easy as that. I don't want to deal with some annoying jerk's comments. There's also no mention of the DOA tournament in here, because the story takes place in feudal Japan and focuses mainly on the ninjas of DOA: Kasumi, Hayabusa, Hayate, and Ayane.

Later on there will be romance between Hayabusa and Kasumi. In my opinion, Ryu and Kasumi are an ok couple (not the best, I'll admit, but if I had to choose, then I choose them to be together), and if you disagree then that's fine. I just want you guys to judge my story based on the writing and not the pairing, like so many other Tekken readers have done (ugh). So here goes. Enjoy, and please review if you can.

Note: The title, "Kokoro no Shinobi" means "Heart of the Ninja" or "Ninja's Heart."

Betrayed

A shinobi is never to love, nor must he feel any sympathy or regret when he takes a life. A heartless, cold-blooded assassin, a shinobi is never to cower before a foe, nor hesitate to eliminate an enemy—even if it is but a mere child. Killing is his way, the only life he has ever known. He must be swift, he must be cunning, strong, and constantly on the move. But above all he must never be seen by his adversary. He must be as a shadow, a soft breath of wind, a mere flicker of light. He must remember that his life is unimportant, that Death is always around the bend waiting to trap him, that he is a mere servant to his lord, and to disobey or to fail is to invite Death itself. He must never display his lust unless it will aid in the success of a mission, and above all, a ninja is never to share his heart with another.

I mentioned this twice, did I not? But it is true. Love only complicates things and that single emotion can destroy a lifetime's worth of training. I have seen my fellow comrades fall to such foolishness, and Sensei Miyagawa mercilessly destroyed them all without remorse once he'd found out.

"It is up to you now, Ryu. You alone have proved your worthiness," he had once told me years ago.

It is a burden, being the strongest shinobi Japan has ever seen. I can silence a man without him knowing of my presence, slice his throat one hundred feet away with a single shuriken (Ninja throwing star). No doubt I am a good killer, often the protector of innocence, and I take orders well—but I never did find joy in the deed. I just did it because I had to. I am no saint, and I am no murderer, but if Sensei Miyagawa orders me to a task, I undertake it—and I've never failed. Without question or complaint, silently and swiftly, that is my way.

It never occurred to me that perhaps I was but a mere puppet in Miyagawa's world, expendable and worthless, nothing more. His sugarcoated praises were meaningless, and he was nothing but the puppeteer that had molded me into a slave, that continued to manipulate me to do all that he willed. I loved him too much to notice these flaws, these truths, and it wasn't until much later that I began to question my life under his rule. It wasn't until much later that I began to sever the puppet strings from my back…

Orphaned at age six, I had no life, no future, and spent my days living off the sewage in my hometown of Osaka. Miyagawa Toshi found me soon after and took me in, raising me in the way of the ninja, and since then he has been the otosaan (father) I'd never had as a child. I would do anything for him.

"A war threatens to erupt in my country, Ryu. You know of this, do you not?"

I nodded, keeping my eyes lowered. "Hai, Sensei. You have warned me many times."

"Look at me, Ryu. What would you do in my position if your home was in jeopardy?" Miyagawa asked, his small black eyes piercing as they burrowed into mine.

Hesitating, I searched for the correct answer. He was like a father, loving and filled with praises at times…but I could not forget that above all else he was my teacher, ruthless and cold, and one wrong word, one wrong move, and he could easily end my life.

"I would undertake all means possible to prevent a war from occurring, Sir," was my final reply, and I waited, eyes lowered.

Apparently it was the right one, for Sensei smiled and refilled my sake cup. Disguising my soft breath of relief with a smile, I lifted the alcohol to my lips politely but did not drink any more. I had to remain as sober as possible for this conversation.

"Precisely, precisely, Ryu; you've a quick mind. And so you would trust me in everything I would do to stop this future war?" he asked, his face beginning to redden as the affects of the sake settled in.

"Hai, everything, Sensei. I do not question your decisions."

"Good…you are the only one I can trust, Ryu. Of everyone else, you alone have never failed to give me as I wished. You have grown into a strong shinobi. How many years are you now?"

"Twenty-five come this aki (autumn), Sensei," I replied.

My teacher rubbed his chin slightly, examining me with those dark, penetrating eyes of his. I wondered what he was thinking right now…

"You are no longer the little orphan I picked up from the streets, are you now? You've a strong wa (aura/spirit), Ryu. Don't ever lose it to something as stupid as love or fear," he growled slightly, and he sipped at his sake once more.

It was the usual conversation, but I nodded nonetheless.

"And that is exactly why, Ryu, that I've chosen you alone to this ninmu." (mission)

I leaned in, the adrenaline already seeping into my blood, anticipating my next task.

"Our allies, the clan of Hajin-mon, are still our friends—as of now. One thing to remember however: do not trust anyone, not even your allies…not even me."

He said this last word with a little smirk and leaned back. The gold embroidery on his ebony kimono flashed as he moved, like the eyes of some great serpent, and looking at him once more, I realized that I'd nearly forgotten how much terrible power this man wielded.

"I hear that Ayane has challenged Tokuwa Hiro for leadership," I murmured.

Miyagawa emitted a harsh laugh. "What a joke! A mere woman believes she can actually lead the powerful clan of Hajin-mon? Ha! That idiot whore Ayane."

I didn't like how Sensei disrespected Ayane this way. She was a very strong woman, the most powerful and talented kuinochi of her clan, and I respected her for her tenacity and courage. Secretly, I wished for Ayane to defeat Hiro and take her rightful place as leader of the Hajin-mon. However, I kept my silence as Miyagawa continued to laugh.

"Master, if there is inner turmoil, then we need not worry too much of the Hajin-mon clan. They are too busy worrying about themselves to become involved in this war," I remarked.

Miyagawa's laughter finally abated. "True, true. Demo (but/however)…our other allies of the East, the clan of Mugen Tenshin…"

My stomach clenched and I prayed that Miyagawa had no ill news of the Mugen Tenshin clan.

Sensei's eyes met mine once more, his expression grim, and I knew that my worries were true. "That's right, Ryu. Hayate has betrayed us. He has turned his back on the truce and seeks my power and my clan. Do you understand? Hayate means to destroy me, and with me, you as well, for are you not the strongest member of this clan?"

Swallowing hard, I did take a little sip of my sake then. Perhaps Sensei was lying.

"It is difficult, I know. But things change, and, as I mentioned before, a shinobi trusts no one. Your best friend Ieto Hayate is no different."

I had no reply, and felt icy cold fingers slither up and down my skin. No, it could not be…not Hayate…

"Do my words deter your will, Hayabusa Ryu?" asked Miyagawa after a moment, his voice soft yet his eyes as hard and cold as the mountains in winter, "Shall I assign a different man to this mission?"

I glanced over at him. "Not in the slightest sir, and no sir. I am grateful for this task."

Lies. All lies. And I didn't even know what my mission was anyway, though I had a very good idea of its possibilities.

He smiled. "Good. You have proved your loyalty many times."

Yes, a great many times. But is his "loyalty," as he calls it, truly worth the blood of the hundreds I have slain? Perhaps this "war" was merely a childish paranoia of his. Had his lust for power and fear of death finally driven him to insanity?

Or had my friend Hayate and his clan truly betrayed me?

"What would you have me do?" I asked after a moment, trying to keep the quaver from my voice. This was the first mission I desperately did not want to hear.

"I know it will be hard for you, Ryu, but remember it was I, not Hayate, who gave you food and a roof over your head. He is not your best friend anymore. You must forget your past with him, for as of now, Ieto Hayate is your enemy, and so too is every member of his godforsaken clan. Kill him at once, and all those loyal to him. I give you no more than a month to carry this out."

Unable to speak, I could only sit there on the hard tatami mats, fists clenched, and Sensei Miyagawa leaned forward. Surprisingly, his eyes had softened.

Gently, he said, "A month is a long time, Ryu. It is a good, long time to bid your farewells. Am I not generous? Can you not see my mercy? I know how dear your friend is to you, but now he endangers the wellbeing of the Mitsamune. Wakarimasuka?" (Do you understand?)

There was a stone in my gut, sand in my throat…the sake set fire to my body and I stared over at my teacher, being careful to keep my face free of emotion.

No, never! Damn you, Sensei! I would never take the life of my friend, a man who has become the closest thing to a brother I've ever had, I thought, and my nails dug deeply into my palms…

"Wakarimashita." (I understand.)

Ieto Hayate and I have been best friends since I first began my training to become shinobi. At the time his sensei, Lord Asano of the Mugen Tenshin, and my sensei, Lord Miyagawa of the Mitsamune, were close allies. The Mugen Tenshin powers lay in the east, while the Mitsamune controlled most of the west, and decades ago, perhaps centuries, I am unsure, both the clans had created a truce to keep the borders and the peace. Every three years or so, sometimes annually, Asano would visit Miyagawa to reinforce the laws, perhaps sit down for a cup of sake if there was extra time. It was all contentment and tranquility back then. The katanas (swords) remained clean of blood, the naginatas (long spear type thing) lay dusty in their boxes, there was barely a need for assassins, and lives were rarely taken.

That is, until now, where heresy and hatred has erupted and a ninja's blade is rarely silver but stained crimson with death.

We were both ten when we first met, Hayate and I. What caught my eye was his auburn hair, something I had never seen before on a Japanese, yet there it was, clear as day on his head.

"What's wrong with your hair?" I'd asked in greeting, and Hayate had smirked.

"What's with your eyes?" he'd retorted just as quickly as he examined my unusual jade-green irises. (A/N: In DOA3 and Ninja Gaiden Ryu has green eyes, and that's kinda weird, seeing how Asian men don't come with green eyes…but oh well. He retains this trait in my story).

We'd become friends then, and nearly every week Hayate would visit. Asano and Miyagawa believed this friendship to be good, not because we were children and needed companionship but because it further strengthened the truce between the two clans. You see: even as small children Hayate and I had been pawns. We didn't understand this at the time, and even as we matured, we were too blinded by love and loyalty to know the truth behind our senseis' smiles.

Hayate was only sixteen when he killed his first victim. He had come to me, stony faced and silent, bowed stiffly to Miyagawa, and then, only when we were alone, did he allow a few tears to stray from his eyes.

"Daijobu, Hayate-san. We all must get used to it," I'd consoled, one hand on his shoulder.

"No! A shinobi does not weep like a woman. I should have been proud, Ryu, fearless, like my master taught me. But as I plunged the katana into his belly, as his blood stained my skin, all I felt was sadness and confusion. I am not a shinobi," he'd said fiercely, fists clenched.

I could say nothing more, knowing that my words would be of no comfort. Hayate would have to get used to killing on his own if he truly wanted to remain a ninja.

As for me, as I saw the anger and torment on his face, I could not relate. When I had taken my first life, I had felt next to nothing, only slight triumph and pride for my success. I had felt no guilt or confusion, no remorse or anger, and perhaps this is why I am such a ruthless and talented shinobi.

However, as I grew older, my feelings changed. I was stronger, my skills increased tenfold, but I began to loathe the sight of death. I never told my master for fear of being turned away, but I still could not deny that I hated killing people. I'll do it quickly and without hesitation, but that doesn't mean I enjoy the job.

Hayate and I did everything together. Hunted, fished, sparred, talked…I'd been the quieter one, but we balanced one another out easily. Once, when we were eighteen, his sister, Kasumi, had come along on one of his visits, and all that day I couldn't stop staring at her. She was very pretty and shared the same auburn hair as her brother. She was quick when we sparred together, not too strong, but swift and very precise with her attacks. Hayate had laughed once when she'd beaten me, and all that day I'd refused to talk to him. It was never anything serious, just wounded pride, but he learned his lesson and never laughed again.

Those were good times, when our worries were small and our lives fruitful and relatively safe. Kasumi came back a few more times, which I enjoyed, but after I turned twenty-two, Hayate's visits became more and more rare, until one day he never came again. I was a little disappointed, sometimes lonely, but I understood that the life of a ninja was busy and often difficult. In the end, friendship is one of the last priorities on a shinobi's list.

A year later, news came of Lord Asano's death. He had named Hayate as his successor, and at only twenty-three years of age, my best friend became the leader of the most powerful clan in the east. I was proud of him, happy, but when we met again that same week, Hayate acted as if we were strangers. It hurt, but I assumed that it was just his little act, the façade he had to put on in front of the others to prove his worthiness as leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan.

And now, not even a year and a half later, he has supposedly betrayed me. He has betrayed all that we used to have, our friendship, the truce, and it was now up to me to get rid of the one friend I'd ever had. And it wasn't solely Hayate either. It was his warriors as well that I had to kill, his advisors, his lowly servants…

Even his pretty sister Kasumi.

Here was one mission where there was a definite possibility of failure.

There was barely a whisper of the sun in the sky and already I was awake and alert. After washing my face with cold water, I quickly tied back my long hair with a leather thong, tightening it until my scalp ached. Stripping off my bedclothes, I donned my black and gray clothing of the shinobi, sheathing my arms and legs into the heavy armor that hugged my body tight. Slowly unsheathing the long katana from its scabbard, I admired its expert craftsmanship, revering its cold silver gleam, then quickly restored it back to its proper place. I had enough shuriken with me, plenty of poisoned darts and small hand grenades…

Sliding back my room door, I departed my home silently without a backward glance, knowing that this single task would alter my life forever. I knew not what it would bring, what I would even do once I reached the Mugen Tenshin territories, if I would even listen to Miyagawa and kill my friend…

Nevertheless, I continued on, the trees murmuring by as I passed them, their emerald leaves falling gently to the forest floor. The air smelled of the earth and the wind, and the trickling laughter of the river was music to my ears, yet I did not stop even once to linger in their beauty.

After awhile, I realized that I'd passed the same river more than three times, and I finally allowed myself to stop, knowing that I was going around in circles. My mind wasn't clear, my feet unable to take me elsewhere, and I decided that tomorrow would be a better day.

It would take no more than two weeks to reach the Mugen Tenshin territories, sometimes even five days if I was really motivated. But Sensei had given me a month, and I would take advantage of this offer. Right now, I needed to think; killing could be postponed for just a little while yet.

Leaning my body heavily against a tree, I recalled to my mind the great memories of the moments Hayate and I had shared, and dozed off with a faint smileon my lips.