Standard disclaimers apply.
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Chapter 1: Defending the Kitten
Tetsuo wove through the traditional moves of his Hidden Sword technique, his sword's blade flashing here and there as the light touched it. But the flashes lasted for only a second, making the technique seem...hypnotic.
Koneko watched her father quietly, his back to her. She had seen his technique countless times, and the hypnotic effect no longer worked on her. But it was still breath-taking to watch as her father twisted and turned, using his body to block the light that would otherwise reveal his sword. It was an amazing use of stealth and shadows; become more unbelievable when done in the daylight.
She loosened her grip on her basket, her feet unconsciously mimicking her father's movements. It felt good to finally be at ease with the technique. She had been practicing it for years, constantly trying to get the feel of it. Her joy at finally being able to execute the maneuvers without stumbling was dampened only by the fact that her father wouldn't recognize it. He never does.
Koneko forced herself to stop, clutching her basket tightly. She was wasting time practicing when she was supposed to be walking. Reluctantly, she pried her eyes away from her father.
"I will be going to the market, father." she said out loud. "I need more vegetables for dinner."
She waited a moment for her father's acknowledgement, which never came. Sighing at her optimism, Koneko turned and left the hut.
Koneko always knew nothing would change her father's opinion of her. He had wanted a son, but all her mother could give him was a daughter. To say that he was devastated would be mild - especially when her mother died while escaping to Kyoto. So she grew up with a father who never acknowledged her and a constant flow of strangers who were told to ignore her. The little attention she wanted, she never got.
Koneko pushed away the memories of her life and thought instead, of the vegetables she would need. Chihiro-san would have most of what she needed. But for the mushrooms, she'll have to go to the other end of the market.
She stopped as she entered the market, wondering at the number of people talking in groups. The air around the place was tense, tinged with fear. Koneko slipped a hand to the handle of her dagger, hidden in her kimono. She continued walking to Chihiro-san's stall, keeping herself alert for any danger around her.
"Konnichiwa, Koneko-san!" Chihiro's cheerful greeting floated to her through the crowd.
"Konnichiwa," Koneko greeted back, making her way to the portly woman standing beside a wooden stall filled with vegetables. "Has something happened?"
"Hai," Chihiro nodded, her grin faltered. "Those men...those men from the Ranmyaku-gumi. They've been causing all sorts of trouble."
Ranmyaku. She knew that gang. "What trouble?"
Chihiro nervously wrung her hands. "They come here asking people where Hiroshi is and destroying the stalls when they don't receive an answer."
"And ruin your wares?"
The portly woman shook her head vigorously. "Not just that. Sometimes...sometimes they kill the people too."
Koneko's eyes narrowed. "Why won't you fight back?"
"They're too strong for us. Too fast. We only sell our crops, we do not fight."
Koneko regarded the woman, knowing well what she was imploring. Chihiro had seen her fight before. Had seen her defend herself against would-be thieves. It was why she always told Koneko the troubles she faced. Even if Koneko didn't always help her out.
But Koneko knew that Chihiro was right. Just as she knew the Ranmyaku. The people at the market do not usually have time to train in any combat and members of the Ranmyaku have been known for their prowess. Her assent would be the only thing that would soothe Chihiro's fears. And knowing them, the other merchants in the market would be appreciative of her defense as well.
But Koneko had other duties.
"I have need of your crops, Chihiro-san." Koneko said carefully, keeping her voice calm.
Chihiro's hopeful gaze fell on her wares, nodding dejectedly. "They are the same price as before, Koneko-san."
Koneko gathered the vegetables into her basket, picking out the best of the lot. Her experienced eyes found the small bumps that many people would look over. And her hands easily noted which ones were of the right size for her needs.
She had almost filled her basket when she felt the tension increase - and the unmistakable crash of a wooden stall being beaten to the ground. She also heard the sound of footsteps and jeering laughter coming closer to where she was.
Chihiro gasped in fear, stepping behind her stall.
"How about you, girl?" a snotty voice spoke behind Koneko. "Would you know where Hiroshi is?"
"I do not know of anyone named Hiroshi." she replied calmly. "Please move on, you are disturbing my friend."
"Your friend?" Snotty voice stepped closer until he was beside her. "Girl, do you know who we are?"
Koneko put down her basket, calmly turning to face him while she kept one hand on her hidden dagger. She wasn't surprised about his muscular appearance, just like the other youths with him. But she knew the difference between appearances and trained deadliness. "You are the new, untrained recruits of the Ranmyaku-gumi," she answered calmly. "And you are looking for someone named Hiroshi."
Snotty voice grinned as one of the youths muttered, "What a snotty girl."
"It's obvious you don't know how strong the Ranmyaku is." Snotty voice brought his hand to his sword. "And we have been trained. We just don't look like it."
Koneko met his brown-eyed gaze silently, letting her cynicism show in her eyes. She knew of the Ranmyaku. Some of its members had visited her father at times. And she knew that the Ranmyaku never bragged about their prowess in such a brash manner. Her hand clutched the hilt of her dagger and secretly prepared herself for a fight.
"So, you don't believe me, do you?" Snotty voice said.
"No, I don't."
"What if I show you our training then?" he sneered, drawing his sword.
"I'd put that sword back if I were you." a new voice emerged from the growing crowd of onlookers.
Koneko glanced at the red-haired man that stood casually at the front of the crowd. He was as lanky as these men looked brawny. For a second, her eyes lingered on the hilt of his sword but she silently urged him not to be heroic.
"What's this?" Snotty voice asked. "You're actually telling me to put my sword back? A short man like you?"
The rest of the youths laughed but the lanky man remained calm. "I'm not telling you. I'm asking you."
"He's asking?" Snotty voice turned to the others. "Can you believe that? He's asking me! How idiotic could you get?"
"As idiotic as you are, maybe." Koneko muttered. She could handle the handful of youths alone. Is this man trying to be chivalrous?
Snotty voice paused, turning to her again. "What did you call me?"
"You heard it the first time." Koneko stared defiantly at his suspicious glare. "Ba-ka."
This time, the rest of the youths drew their swords as Snotty reddened with rage. "We'll teach you to mess with the Ranmyaku."
"You'll teach her nothing." the lanky man had suddenly stood in front of her, hand near his sword. "If you don't want to get hurt, you will put back your swords and turn away now."
"What are you doing?" Koneko whispered in the lanky man's ear.
"Giving you a chance to leave." came his reply.
"Leave? I can take care of them myself! This isn't your fight!"
"It is now." his words were cut off when the youths suddenly shouted and charged at them.
There was the sound of a sword being unsheathed and parrying that of another. The lanky man had met Snotty's overhead strike with a block of his own. But the other youths were coming in for the attack.
In the moment it took Koneko to slip her dagger out, the red-haired man had suddenly become a blur of movement. He darted in and out, parrying attacks and making his own in the space of a heartbeat. Koneko was stunned. She had never seen anyone move so fast. But her amazement wore off when she spotted two of the youths separate from the group, heading towards a fleeing Chihiro.
Koneko ran, holding out her dagger at the last minute to drive one youth's sword away from its intended target and into his partner's path. She danced away as the two of them spun to face her, their faces angry. She parried the first youth's swing, ducked under the second's, and nicked both their sword arms. Their relentless attack told her that they were too focused on the fight to notice any stinging pain; so Koneko changed her target areas.
"Illusion of Light." She whispered, shifting her grip on her dagger and letting a bit of light shine on the blade for a second or two. The first of the youths closed the distance between them and she quickly side-stepped his blade, jabbing the hilt of her dagger to his stomach and knocking the wind out of him. Next, she alternated between twisting her wrist and blocking, letting the second youth see the flashes of her dagger. When he began blocking her swings, Koneko moved quickly. She raised her hand for a diagonal strike, letting the light reflect off her blade, and swung downwards. The youth's sword rose to block it but she shifted her arc; passing underneath the sword, bringing it around and up to bash the side of his face with the hilt. The youth fell to the ground, dazed.
She turned to help the red-haired man finish off the others but he had already taken care of all but one, a youth that was clearly frightened at the sight of his defeated comrades. Before the red-haired man could make his move, the youth turned and ran away, dropping his sword in the process.
Koneko glanced around at the downed Ranmyaku recruits. Surprisingly, there wasn't any blood.
She turned questioningly to the red-haired man only to see him looking at her. At that moment, one of the youths stirred. Koneko readied herself for another fight but the youth took one look at the lanky man and ran. As soon as the others woke up, they too, ran away without their swords. Relieved now that the fight was over, Koneko returned her dagger back to its sheath and saw the red-haired man do the same with his sword. But not before Koneko saw the blade for what it is: a reverse-edged one.