Disclaimer: all characters belong to Hideki Yamada, and Tamsoft and Marvelous Entertainment respectively. GrimGrave makes no money out of writing fiction.
A/N: Just something I decided to throw together after having watched through Senran Kagura. It'll have a plot, though I use that term loosely. Let me know what you think.
/
Senran Hiken-chō
Chapter 1 – The Enrollment in a New yet Familiar World
Japan. Edo Period, year unknown. It was summer and the sky was clear, and the sun stood high. It was midday. A faint breeze helped endure the heat.
Under the reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate, women live in fear, an unjust life that benefits few; women's worth is based on their breasts. Big breasts guarantee wealth and popularity; flat ones means that you're not worth anything.
It was nothing but oppression of the people by the lecherous old men who worked in the shadows. A clan made up of shinobi, ninjas, dedicated to enforce this law – this absurd way of life – was created and had flawlessly upheld its assigned duty for many long years…Until recently.
Basking in the sunlight, in the middle of the vast forest of central Japan, the clash of steel broke the silence. Five days and four nights ago, an event occurred and shook the clan and its foundations to the core, and this battle was one of the many results that had and would happen.
The clash of blades pierced the silence yet again and the combatants were in a deadlock. Muscles tensed and sweat ran down pale skin under the scorching sun.
A lone breeze swept by.
"I'm only telling you this one more time, Chifusa!" one combatant said to the other. She was tall with short, white hair and amber eyes, dressed in black that gave her an ominous appearance. "Return the scroll, and I might just let you get away with only a few cuts and bruises."
Chifusa – the other combatant and the polar opposite of her enemy with long, black hair and hazel eyes, dressed in a loose red kimono and white scarf – glared back. "I will not return nor hand over the scroll, sister Kagefusa!"
Kagefusa broke out into a twisted grin. "I'll happily grant your wish by executing you here instead of back home, and taking the scroll from your cold body, sister dear!"
Sisters – sisters by blood through a common father; a father who had decided to name Chifusa as the successor to the clan, to the older sister's displeasure. Having grown a hatred for the unfair system for their land, the would-be successor stole the family's secret scroll – the one thing that contained everything the clan stood for – and deserted her home.
Her sister had just waited for an excuse to have her killed anyway.
The ninjas exited the deadlock and jumped back, the split second used to trying to read each other's moves. As soon as they landed they ran in circles, waiting for the other to make a move and counterattack.
A worried attendant with short, blonde hair watched from the side-lines with the hope that her master, Chifusa, would win.
The two sisters charged at each other, slashing swiftly and accurately as the snake as blades grind once, twice, thrice… four times. They circled each other, jumped into the air as steel met steel once again, and landed without a scratch.
"You've got some skills, Chifusa," the older sister remarked. "But what about speed?" Kagefusa dashed as swiftly as the wind.
Chifusa evaded to the side but her cheek tingled with pain. Her sister had managed to graze her with her blade. Ignoring the crimson trickle on her face, she rushed sideways, her older sister in quick pursuit –
The brunette dodged two throwing stars but Kagefusa was already within arm's length after having thrown them.
–and slashed at her, forcing Chifusa to parry her attack once, twice, before jumping out of the way. The blanche-haired woman had always been persistent and fast, able to track and hunt down people with ease. While her younger sister was no slouch in that area, Kagefusa had always been one step ahead in terms of speed.
Well-aimed throwing stars stopped Chifusa in her tracks. She spun, knowing full well what was coming, and found herself trapped between a tree and the deadlock against her sister's sword. Her attendant yelled, but it was impossible to hear over the older ninja's pleased chuckle.
"You have a long way still to go!" she mocked. "Unfortunately, you won't live long enough to improve!"
The younger sister gritted her teeth in frustration. She was trapped in a corner. If only Kaede had a weapon –
"Ch-Chifusa-sama!" the blonde screamed; her voice was that of fear to the point that even Kagefusa turned her head. "Watch out!"
Before she comprehended what her attendant had meant, the world around her became warped, distorted. Kaede ran to her aid, into the warped mess that surrounded them, and the three fell into blackness.
x.x.x.x.x
Everything was spinning. The dark-haired shinobi stirred – someone was shaking her – and she cracked an eye open. Kaede met her gaze; she looked worried.
It was still sunny.
"Chifusa-sama!" the blonde exclaimed. "A-Are you alright?!"
"To tell you the truth, I've been better…" the brunette managed. "What happened?"
"I don't know," Kaede replied. "There was a strange light and the next thing I know, we're here… It looks like the forest, but there are strange sounds in the distance…"
Chifusa looked around. It certainly looked like the forest, but something was definitely off: it wasn't as dense as the area they had fought in, and the noises her attendant mentioned were a nightmare on her ears!
Her eyed widened. Speaking of fighting –
Chifusa turned to see her sister sitting next to her. "Took your time waking up, huh?"
The black-haired shinobi studied the pale-haired one. The latter hadn't drawn her weapon. If that was the case, the younger sister wouldn't draw hers either.
She sighed. "What was that, back then? This area looks familiar, but something is different…"
"I don't know…" Kaede repeated. "My first priority was to wake you up, so I haven't scouted the area…"
"She's awake now, isn't she?" Kagefusa chided. "I hope for your sake that this isn't some kind of weird jutsu you pulled in the last second."
Chifusa glared at her. "How would I even do that?" She didn't bother waiting for a reply and got up before jumping up to the trees.
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. The forest, while big, wasn't near as wide as when they had first entered it. It was surrounded huge stone towers that touched the heavens, and broad stone paths allowed quick-moving creature passage as they roared in their wake. It was a thunderous, ear-drum splitting noise that made Chifusa's hair stand on edge; just what kind of beasts were they?!
There were people walking around, but what were those odd-looking clothes they were wearing? Were they even in Japan anymore?
Kaede screamed, garnering her companion's attention, and pointed to the sky, terrified. "W-What is that creature?!"
The sisters turned to the sky. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. What kind of bird was that? It screeched without pause and dominated the sky.
"What kind of world is this?" the blanche-haired woman inquired.
"It's not ours," Chifusa stated, appalled. "It can't be." And how could it, with such otherworldly creations all around them?
"Is this… Hell?" the blonde girl asked. Her master turned to look at her; poor girl was frightened to the point that she quivered.
"Don't worry, Kaede." The black-haired shinobi smiled reassuringly at her attendant. "We will find a way back." At least she hoped so. Where would they even start?
Her train of thought was quickly disrupted when she evaded a throwing star in the last second. She jumped down from the tree and unsheathed her blade. "Kagefusa…!"
"I don't know what kind of trick you pulled, but…" the pale-haired woman stated with a grin. "I will escape from this place, and I'll be taking the scroll with me! You two will only slow me down anyway."
"Kagefusa! This is hardly the time for this, and I didn't cause this! We need to –!"
"Pray tell, why should I listen to the words of a traitor?" the pale-haired woman chuckled. "Enough of this. I will take the scroll back one way or another."
Those words were the only warning Chifusa got before she parried her sister's attack. She dashed to the side, blocked another strike, and kept running in an attempt to encircle her sister –
Throwing stars embedded themselves in the ground before the brunette and she stopped for but a moment before jumped to the trees, resuming her dash. Kagefusa had always had good reflexes and keen eyes – attacking from her blind-spot would not be easy, and head-on was just as risky.
"I already know what you're trying, sister!" the older shinobi yelled.
Startled, Chifusa changed tactic; she reached for her pouch and found the small, sphere-shaped object perfect for the situation, and threw it at her sister's feet. The explosion itself wouldn't harm her, but the cloud of smoke that emerged would give the brunette an edge as she dove right at her –
´If I can just knock her out for now…´
A ´click´ and a ´bang´ shattered that hope as something flew by Chifusa and grazed her arm. She fell down to the ground, clutching her right arm as her sister sauntered over, a rifle slung over her shoulder.
Good reflexes, keen eyes, and an excellent markswoman. Kagefusa smirked.
"A good attempt." She aimed at the brunette, straight between the eyes. "Complain in the afterlife, if you so wish."
Chifusa glared right into the rifle's maw. Her sister was quick enough with her trigger-finger to rule out any hope of escape. Her mind swam through memories – memories of times long gone, her childhood, up to this exact moment.
´Mother…!´
Just as the situation looked bleak, a violent smokescreen engulfed the area in the blink of an eye. When it settled, a man was standing in front of the brunette with his back turned, holding Kagefusa's rifle.
"Just what is going on here?" he said with command in his tone. "What are you girls thinking, starting a fight in public and without a Shinobi Barrier?"
´"Shinobi Barrier"?´ Chifusa wondered but her concerns were quickly focused elsewhere; the man before her had managed to disarm her sister without effort!
Kagefusa peered around, her bravado faltering for a second before she cracked a wicked grin. "My, my, looks like I'm outnumbered. But don't think you've won just yet!" She met her younger sister's gaze. "Your luck won't last forever, Chifusa!"
She vanished without a trace.
"Looks like the troublemaker got away." The man turned to Chifusa. He had stern-yet-gentle eyes and white hair, though he didn't look that old. "Can you stand?"
The brunette nodded and got up, still clutching her right arm. She bowed. "Thank you for your help, sir."
"Don't thank me just yet. I still have to contact your academy and let your superiors know of what happened," he replied. "Which academy are you from? Gessen?"
"´Academy´?" Chifusa and Kaede exchanged looks. "If you mean clan, then we're from the Manyuu clan, sir. Or, rather, we used to be."
The man eyed her, unamused. "I have never heard of that clan. Am I to believe that you're not from a Shinobi Academy?"
"I'm afraid I don't know what this "academy" of yours are, sir." Her mind reeled; the Manyuu clan were well-known, how could this man, who had to be a shinobi himself, not have heard of them? "I have to ask you, where are we, exactly?"
The man was looking at her funny now. "…You're in Japan, Asakusa neighbourhood of Tokyo. Did you hit your head in the battle?"
Tokyo? That couldn't be… That was miles away from the Manyuu clan's home, and Japan had no giant stone towers or hosted beasts like these!
By now, Kaede had already begun treating Chifusa's wounds, but the brunette's mind was elsewhere. "This is surreal…Just where are we…"
"I've already told you," the man stated, arms crossed. "If you don't belong to any academy, does this mean that you deserted it?"
"W-We're not from any academy, whatever it is!" the blonde shinobi exclaimed.
"You have to be if you're shinobi," he replied.
"If you don't mind, sir," Chifusa spoke up. "But would you mind answering a few questions? First of all, what year is it?"
"…Are you serious, girl?" The man arched an eyebrow. "The year is 2013."
Chifusa lost her composure for a moment. Nothing made sense any more, yet she pressed on. "W-What about women's role in society, are flat-chested women regarded as trash?! Are only the well-endowed ensured wealth and status?!"
The man's expression was comically baffled. He blushed, taken aback, and stuttered for a good minute before calming down. "That's… No, that's not the case at all. Women are equal to men, all things considered, although there could be some improvements… And while some people might favour a woman for her… well, bust, that's not the general practice."
The brunette and the blonde exchanged a bright smile and sighed. "That's… That's wonderful to hear…" She blinked. "My apologies, sir! I haven't even introduced myself; I'm Chifusa, and this is my friend and attendant, Kaede."
"I see…" The man smiled back. "You can call me Kiriya. I believe it is I who will be asking you a few questions now. We have a lot to talk about."
/
Hanzō National Academy. Founded 1919, this building was at first a normal school, until the Light Faction of ninjas were established and used parts of the school (those grounds are off-limits to normal students) as headquarters. While over one thousand students are enrolled here, only a handful attends as ninjas.
Two of whom are already making a ruckus.
"Asuka-chaaan!" The tone of a certain blonde's voice was the only warning the brunette shinobi had before being tackled from behind and having her breasts fondled without permission. "Time for our morning greeting!"
The brown-haired girl – Asuka, second year student – cried out and squirmed. "K-Katsu-nee! S-Stop this a-already!"
The blonde – Katsuragi "Katsu-nee", third year student – snickered into a crimson shell. "Come now, it's a daily routine by now, and you're wide awake now, aren't you?"
"I wasn't tired!"
"It's fine, it's fine, don't sweat the details!" Katsuragi replied, groping soft, malleable mounds with a sly smile. "It'll wake me up for sure –"
A soft albeit strong blow to her head had the blonde floored and Asuka freed. "Katsuragi-san, please behave yourself!"
The brunette beamed. "Ikaruga-san, thank you!"
Ikaruga – third year student and class representative – managed a smile. "Not a problem, Asuka-chan. Now get dressed, or else we'll be late."
"Got it!" Asuka responded and redressed herself. "So what are we going to do today? Is it throwing dagger throwing, or basic gymnastics?"
The black-haired girl shook her head as she helped Katsuragi up. "Neither. We are to report to Kiriya-sensei's office. Apparently, there are a couple of new students enrolling here."
The brunette smiled. "New students?"
"New students?!" Katsuragi exclaimed and cheered. "YES! Please, Ninja God, let them have well-developed bodies for me to fondle!"
"You will be on your best behaviour, won't you, Katsuragi?" The tone in Ikaruga's voice send shivers down her classmate's spines. "It's bad enough that you harassed the other four who enrolled here last month."
The blonde swallowed hard and rubbed her neck. "Y-Yes, my a-apologies… Still, it's a shame that Ayame, Muramasa, Fuuma, Siemei, and Hijikata all are on that fieldtrip…I barely got to know them…"
"They are better off without your way of getting to know people, Katsuragi," the black-haired girl stated. "If you're both done, then let's head to see Kiriya-sensei."
x.x.x.x.x
"Good, you're all here," Kiriya stated as the girls entered the room. "Although a little late…Take a seat, you three."
Doing as told, the trio sat down on the cushions, joined by the first year students, Yagyuu – a lavender-haired silent girl with long pigtails – and Hibari – a pinkette who always remained by Yagyuu's side –as all eyes turned towards the new girls.
"Oooh, niiiice!" Katsuragi exclaimed as she observed the freshmen's. "They're filling out our uniforms quite nicely, huh! Just the kind of newbies I was hoping for!"
"Behave, Katsuragi!" Kiriya scolded. He cleared his throat. "Everyone, I would like introduce you to your new juniors who, due to certain circumstances, are starting today. They have…" He paused. "They are from a hidden Shinobi Village that's secluded itself from the outside world. Treat them well."
The black-haired freshman bowed before them. "My name is Chifusa Manyu. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Kaede Manyu," the blonde one said next as she bowed. "Pleased to meet you!"
´Chifusa-chan, huh?´ Asuka observed the brunette. ´She looks older…Is she really a freshman?´
Ikaruga was talking about something about her being the class rep, likely going through what her duties were, but Asuka ignored her for the time being and observed the raven-haired freshman. She was rather handsome, in her own way with the more mature look and build; her face, posture, and the look in her eyes emanated reliability and matureness.
Especially that sharp gaze in her hazel eyes that looked around, studying and-
…met Asuka's tawny ones?
-chestnut orbs focused on each other and the raven-haired girl cracked a small but breath-taking smile.
´Whoa…´ Asuka forced herself to look away. ´She's pretty…´
"Leave it to me!" Katsuragi boasted, leaving her brunette classmate confused (what on earth had the conversation been about to get the blonde all fired up? She must've spaced out a lot longer than she thought) "Chifusa-chan, I'd be happy to show you around after this!"
"Oh? Why, thank you, that'd be –"
"I believe I'm better suited for that than Katsuragi-san, Chifusa-san," Ikaruga interrupted. "It'd be troublesome if my friend here were to try anything… non-consensual." She ignored the blonde's little outburst at her statement. "But I think we're all due for a little bite, no?"
x.x.x.x.x
It was sunny outside. The sunlight filtered through the window as Chifusa basked in it, nibbling on her sushi-roll as she did.
"You're not going to join the others, Chifusa-sama?" Kaede asked behind her.
The raven-haired girl shook her head. "Not now. I need to be alone with my thoughts for a bit."
The blonde giggled. "You and me both. I guess we just have to try and adapt, huh?"
"Adaption…Yes, I guess you're right."
Of course Kaede was right; what else could they do in this new yet familiar world?
Her mind reeled.
/ "I told you, the Tokugawa Shogunate has been over for many, many years. And there are no historical records whatsoever about this "Manyuu Clan" you're referring to." /
She sighed. "I should be glad that my clan doesn't exist in this time. I guess, without the scroll, they fell into decline."
"Let's hope that's the case." Kaede smiled and took a big bite out of her sushi-roll. "Ooh! This is good!"
Chifusa chuckled. "It is, isn't it?"
/ "But what can we do? We know nothing of this world. We don't belong here…"
"If what you're telling me is true, then let me first ask you this: have either of you killed someone?"
Chifusa and Kaede looked at each other./
"We're lucky that Kiriya-sensei is such a kind man!" the blonde mentioned. "I mean, to think that shinobi still exist in this time…We have a place to belong!"
"Yes… that's right."
"Chifusa-sama? What's the matter?"
"There's just a lot on my mind, Kaede. Don't worry…" Her voice trailed off as she stared into the distance. "…Kaede."
"Yes, Chifusa-sama?"
The raven-haired ninja let out another sigh. "We were indeed lucky to end up here, but… This world is nothing but mystery to us… Where do you think Kagefusa went?"
/
Elsewhere, Asakusa neighbourhood. The sky was painted gold and crimson with the sun setting in the horizon. A chill wind blew by.
´Just what in the Hell is this?´ the blanche-haired shinobi wondered as she studied her surroundings; these stone buildings were absurd, and people – women! – walked around without a care, wearing clothes that didn't befit their low status!
She had hid herself in the shadows of two buildings, watching, planning. Before she could escape from her sister's technique, she had to retrieve her family's secret scroll from her traitor sister.
But before any of that, she had to find food and replenish her strength. She stepped out of her hiding place –
Something bumped into her and, while Kagefusa didn't know its name, it was short, had long black hair, and was already very annoying. "H-Hey! Watch where you're going!"
She glared daggers at the little girl. She wore an eyepatch – cute. "Excuse me? Don't you know your place, flat-chest?"
The girl sputtered. "F-Flatchest?!"
"Oi, Mirai," someone called and Kagefusa turned towards the source: four women approached them, the source of the voice being a girl with emerald hair. "Is something the matter?"
"Th-This woman bumped into me, and then called me flatchested!"
"Well," the brunette of the group began. "While she is correct about your bust –"
"Homura-san!"
"…I don't appreciate her trying to pick a fight with us."
Kagefusa merely grinned. "Think you can take me on, girl?"
The girl – Homura – chuckled. "Shinobi Barrier!"
This would prove to be a fun pastime.