Warning: POV Changes, incest, fem-slash, slash, gender confusion, camouflage, murder, seduction, missions, caltrops, Japanese words, Real Ninjas Doing Real Ninja Stuff, like all of the previous mentioned to get certain missions done, etc. If that offends you in any way then you are not a real ninja; go back to Ninja Tech or get goffik for serious.
Dictionary: Which is needed because someone will eventually bitch about it, but this is generally as much Japanese as you'll find in the fic.
Name-Sama
Name-Dono
Name-Hime
Shinobi
And Yos-, er, the ninja from the other crossover speaks in Sanskrit at the end, saying a piece of the final verse to the Heart Sutra.
Now that sarcasm is out of the way, here's a better warning:
Story focuses on multiple characters, so one chapter may be about Ayane, but the next about Rikimaru, then about Kasumi and so on, in that specific order. Thus, DOA, Tenchu, DOA, Tenchu is the formula. This story is a Multi-cross, as you will soon read, but two of the crossovers don't really matter to the fic. This story does not follow the DOA Storyline of the ninja's very much. This story has some elements of Ninja Gaiden, but because she didn't fit I had to remove Hayabusa's wife from the story. He is not married. Yes, read again, he is not married.
If you have never played Tenchu Z, you will not understand a large part of the later story, so feel free to read this pretty much basic summary to understand the game: Bad man go sell drugs on ninja property, ninja no likey, ninja send in student to stop bad drug cartel man, scribble de dibble de, insert war and conquering business evil bad guy here, bad drug cartel evil bad guy conquering business land man hire bad ninja to stop good ninja from ruining business, bad ninja no match for mad ninja skillz, bad ninja kidnap stoopid lame partner, partner die cause fail skillz ninja no longer haz mad skillz :(, ninja do ninja things, ninja fight bad drug cartel evil bad guy conquering business land tycoon man, bad man's bad ninja turn stoopid and stab employer in da back, bad ninja angry about no longer getting pay, leaves studio in a Sephiroth burning down town scene, game ends on sour note.
For serious, it's something as simple as that.
And if you really read all that, I pity you. :3 Here's a virus cookie. -gives-
Ayane sat heavily in the Mugen Tenshin main house, her pink eyes ringed with dark circles. Before her sat Hayate, Head of the Mugen Tenshin Clan, her older half brother, her older half cousin. He looked equally as tired as her, his brown hair limp and his outfit ragged, his eyes baggy and barely focused. The two were in a meeting, one that had happened sixteen times in the last month, one that would hopefully be the last of its kind.
It had started towards the beginning of the month, a cold day in the mountains with a bad omen in the air. Ayane would always recall it vividly; it went from peaceful to destructive in a blink of an eye, a good portion of their shinobi vanishing by the time the surprise attack left. Veterans, families, allies; all destroyed in an instant, taken away by some new people claiming to take revenge for the destruction of DOATEC.
The Hayabusa Clan had been hit the hardest, with Hayabusa Ryu losing his apprentice, Momiji, in the confusion of the battle. It was currently unknown where they were taken, why they were taken, or even if anyone was still alive. During the aftermath of the cleanup, Hayate had come to her for help, knowing that they had to salvage the situation to their best abilities. Save their allies? Leave them? It was hard to answer those questions.
"We cannot leave them," Hayate murmured, taking a sip of the tea before him. "Not in this situation-"
"We do not have the life to spare," Ayane interrupted, stating the same argument she had many times before. She wanted to save them as well, but they were at wits end. They knew nothing about this new threat aside from the fact that they were in league with the old DOATEC. They didn't know their motives, what they were after or even why they were after it. "We cannot walk blindly into another trap."
"Sitting here will get us nowhere," he countered, his face grim. "We should have moved the village after the first attack against us." Ayane snorted, bringing a dainty hand to her tired eyes. It was a point both had brought up in the very first meeting, though each knew the answer as to why they hadn't in the first place. The elders in the clan thought themselves invincible, not knowing just how serious the situation was becoming. Too many people were beginning to know of them; they were ninja. They were not supposed to be known.
"We have to move the clan," Ayane murmured with conviction, her eyes snapping up to meet his own. Resignation shined within his eyes, though he nodded nonetheless. "We are in agreement then?" She questioned aloud, wanting a verbal confirmation.
"Yes," he agreed quietly.
"Then we should begin the preparations to move the clan immediately." Hayate breathed in deeply after the words, his hand moving to massage his head. "Hayate," Ayane soothed, grabbing his hand to stop it. "I know this is not a conclusion the others will support us on, but you know what's at risk. DOATEC has ruined us." Cloned them, perverted their arts, made their location known and tricked them constantly; how long would it be before someone else came to see if ninja still existed?
How long would it be before someone else came to challenge their existence?
"You are right, of course." Hayate pulled his hand away from hers, once again in control of his movements. There was a sheen to his eyes, however, that Ayane knew hers lacked. For him, this town was home, a lifetime of good memories; she'd never had such a luxury. "But we cannot move with so many of us scattered about; scouts, artifacts, traitors-"
"And Kasumi?" The purple haired kunoichi wondered, her voice going bland. The Mugen leader stiffened at once. "What do we do about her?" She continued, already knowing the answer long before it was said.
"I have…asked around the village," he began hesitantly, unaware that she knew this. Ayane had wanted to be prepared for the answer before it was delivered to her. "Even amongst the elders, many have chosen to forgive Kasumi of her crimes-crimes that plenty of us are now equally as guilty of."
"She has been captured and cloned the most of us," the Hajin Mon Head pointed out, making him flinch. Good.
"None of our assassins have ever managed to kill her," Hayate flung back, making her eyes narrow at the jab. In truth, she knew that none of the other assassins had even tried to kill the runaway girl. She was the only one that had ever truly tried, though in the beginning she had failed. As time went on, however, Ayane found herself able to best the slacking girl, who began to go to school and have a normal life.
Many opportunities to kill Kasumi had cropped up, but by then Ayane realized the true colors of the clan. Had she of taken any one of those chances and killed the girl, it would have been her on the run from them. The people still respected and loved their princess; the people came before her wants.
"Kasumi holds many of our secrets," Hayate continued, closing his eyes on her now scowling face. "And she is the most exposed out of all of us; for those reasons alone she has no choice but to come back."
"So that's it, then?" Ayane wondered. "She leaves the clan, breaks the rules and is welcomed back with open arms?"
"No." He sent her a look of irritation, one that she matched with her own. "She will be on probationary status, her rank no higher than that of a trainee. She will have a minder and be on watch at all times for a year before she is allowed to even try for a new rank, and even when she gains that rank she will have no chance to be a leader or work on missions alone. She will also have no shortcuts to gain rank; everything she earns will be from the ground up."
"What if she refuses to rejoin under those conditions?" Ayane wondered, honestly curious and a bit appeased by the ruling. She would have been the next deserter had Hayate put his family before the clan. Said man breathed out his nose, his head turning away from her at once.
"If Kasumi refuses to rejoin," he began quietly, "then there will be no negotiations. She is to be dropped where she stands. And that goes for the others as well," he looked up from his lap, his eyes boring into her wide ones. "We will need to make a list of all those who are out on missions, artifacts that we must move or leave behind, final missions to make sure no one else can find us, confirmation with allies to leave with us; I fear we will get no rest tonight."
"You are correct, of course, Hayate-Sama," Ayane nodded, showing her respect for his decision with an added title. A small smile lit the man's lips, though it faded away as he stared at her with curiosity. The purple haired teen stiffened at once, her eyes narrowing as the comfortable moment was quickly broken. "What?" She finally snapped after a minute of silence. Hayate had the decency to look sheepish.
"I apologize, Ayane, it's just…" He scratched at his cheek. "For a moment, you looked like my mother." The room plunged into silence after the words, only interrupted by the sound of a teacup breaking. Ayane's pink eyes twitched as she plucked the shards of glass from her hand, feeling a deep well of anger wash through her.
"Hayate-Sama," she grounded out after a moment. Her voice failed her quickly, though Hayate waited patiently for her to speak. After a long moment, Ayane found the words, though they weren't exactly what he was looking for. "I would advise you ask Ayame about me; no," she held up a silencing hand at him. "I will speak no more on the subject; we have more important things to do tonight." Disappointed, but in agreement, Hayate stood to gather up scrolls to write upon.
True to prediction, the two were up well past the time the sun was in the sky, rehashing details and instructions needed to safely move the clan. A lot of it would have to be changed when both weren't as tired as they were, but the rough outline at least gave them something to focus on. It began with Hayate's own duties, which was to alert the clan of the move and prepare the move. He had to find out where they were going, convince allies to come with them, interrogate for spies and traitors; the work could take years, but they didn't have years to spare.
Ayane found herself with the hardest jobs, though she understood that she had no room to complain; They were already stretched thin. Whilst Hayate worked on the village, Ayane would be working out of the village, along with five representatives from the Hayabusa Clan. Her jobs were simple, though a lot harder than Hayate's own. She had to track down traitors, the hunters who had been sent out to track those traitors, then kill those who refused to comply to the change in rules.
It would have been simple, had she not had to backtrack everyone they'd spoken to, then eliminate anyone who knew too much. Thankfully, the Hayabusa Clan had always produced exceptional ninja, so tracking them and finishing the jobs could often be split between them. This shaved off months from the journey, allowing Ayane the chance to gather Kasumi quicker than she'd expected to.
Of course, she wasn't exactly happy to be on the search for the kunoichi, but finding her would allow Ayane to finish up the other missions she'd been assigned.
Finding Kasumi was perhaps the most easiest tracking mission Ayane had ever had to do and she only felt disgusted and annoyed when she finally did find her. Those of the Hayabusa Clan waited in the trees while the leader of the Hajin Mon made her way to the school, not bothering to disguise herself with civilian clothing as they all judged the situation. The students looked at her in awe and amazement, many holding up phones and snapping pictures, whispering words of "ninja" with disbelief.
It was worse than she thought.
She doubted a disguise would have worked in the first place; thanks to the broadcasting of DOATEC her face would forever be known. Sighing, Ayane signaled those in the trees to scout for Kasumi, making them blur into action as they searched the school at once. Said kunoichi was found just a short while later, sitting on the side lines of a field game of soccer. Ayane snorted at the sight; it figured she would be noble enough to not take advantage of her skills and beat the other players.
"A-Ayane!" Kasumi stood at once, having heard the noise and looked over. Unfortunately, her shout also turned everyone else's attention her way, where she was quickly joined by the five scouts sent with her. The noise dropping from a once happy field of students drew attention from those in their classrooms, who began to peer out the windows and gesture to their friends. Ayane pinched the bridge of her nose as Kasumi tentatively dropped into a fighting stance, her eyes nervously traveling to the friends she had made during her exile.
"Stop that this instant," Ayane snapped, glaring daggers at her entourage as they immediately prepared for a fight. They quickly snapped to attention, though Kasumi refused to drop her stance. "If you continue to be hostile, then I'll have to get hostile too."
"Why are you here?" Kasumi wondered, her courage rising slightly as she moved to block the watching students. Ayane tossed her head in annoyance, honestly offended by the gesture.
"As if I need a group and hostages to defeat you," she snapped. "I'm here on official clan business." It was obvious to anyone that the missing shinobi didn't believe her, though that was the reason Ayane had chosen such a public place. Kasumi was a noble person, perhaps too noble for their line of work, and she wouldn't runaway when people could be harmed by her absence. In such a way, she was trapped into listening to Ayane's demands, though only by her own mind.
"What business?" Kasumi wondered warily, her stance slowly relaxing.
"By order of Hayate-Sama," she began at once, taking a scroll from her pouch and tossing it to the once traitor girl. "Mugen Kasumi, you are hereby summoned to council to be reviewed, evaluated and placed on probationary status within the clan." Kasumi cautiously opened the scroll, her eyes traveling over the restrictions that would be within her probation. The look on her face was satisfying.
"Should you refuse this," Ayane stated after a moment, grabbing her attention again. "Then I have orders from Hayate-Sama to drop you where you stand." Immediately after, Ayane shifted into the Hajin Mon frontal stance, showing that she was serious. Witnesses or not, Kasumi would die if she denied this request. Personally, Ayane was hoping that she would refuse; Getting rid of Kasumi was something that she'd always longed for, even after finally becoming far stronger than her.
"There is no need to fight!" Kasumi smiled tearfully, her hands shaking on the scroll within her hands. "I wish to return!"
"Damn," Ayane muttered in disappointment, before plastering on a blank smile as she stood from her stance. "Gather your items," she spoke louder. "And do not leave your watcher's sight at any moment; not even to use the bathroom. Hichuune will be your minder until you make it back to the clan, then you will be escorted to Hayate-Sama for further instructions." A slender woman stepped from her entourage and nodded in greeting to Kasumi, before following her into the school as she prepared to return to the only place she ever considered home.
"Master Ayane-?"
"The four of you are to wait until she leaves, then set up the explosives around the building," Ayane instructed the others. "In the meantime, gather up those cell phones the students have and bring them to me; I'll be at the safe house."
Grabbing Kasumi ended the mission of finding all of the missing ninja belonging to the Mugen Clan, though writing the paperwork detailing everything that had happened wasn't the means to an end. In fact, by the time Kasumi was escorted back to home, Ayane had a new mission to work on. One that was much more costly and time consuming. Unfortunately, her team was useless for this mission, as none of them knew about technology, and she wasn't that good at it either.
Which meant she needed some help.
It took nearly two months to find that help, though it was mainly thanks to Lisa and a very reluctant Helena that that help was found. After all, tracking down and paying Christie to help them right the wrongs DOATEC had brought to her clan wasn't exactly in the assassin's job description. Thankfully, Lisa was good at keeping the two women away from each other and repentant enough to aid in erasing all the data DOATEC had on her clan.
Despite all of their efforts, however, the internet was a worldwide sensation. No matter how many times they managed to crack into and delete websites, photos or videos, someone else still had it on jump drives or books. Still, with Helena at the head of DOATEC, at least she could say that it was all computer generated. In such a way, it could at least buy her some time for the clan.
The last bit of effort Ayane had to make before returning home was locating the new threat to her clan, along with the missing members of their allies. Surprisingly, it was Christie that had discovered their whereabouts and intentions, though she had charged for the information; bitch. Millions lighter, Ayane had heard about something called Devil Genes, an insane man trying to harvest said gene, the Hayabusa Clan having something similar to this gene, mass production of this gene, and so much more.
Thankfully, the Mishima Zaibatsu was currently in a crisis, fighting amongst themselves for a position at the top. It was surprisingly easy to use those problems to her advantage, sabotaging their data, killing experiments too far gone and rescuing those still there. Thankfully, she'd also found Momiji and a man known as Yoshimitsu, who was a ninja in an ally clan that peacefully shared the mountains with them. He looked…
"I will escort them back to their villages," the deformed and demonic looking man rasped, cradling a comatose Momiji in his hands.
"Thank you," Ayane demurred, trying not to show her anxiousness at his appearance. Still, the Manji Clan were allies; she had no choice but to trust him. While the survivors made their escape, Ayane gathered and destroyed the data on the Mugen Tenshin, Hajin Mon, Hayabusa and Manji Clan, then rigged the rooms full of C4 Explosives once she was done. By the time the explosives went off, she would be in one of Helena's offices, overseeing the last bit of her nearly year long mission.
Experiments, funding, names of the corporations involved; Ayane had given everything that had nothing to do with her away. Gratefully accepting them, Helena gave her word that she would stall the newest threat to the already weary shinobi, and wished the young girl luck on finding a new home.
"Hopefully, we will never meet again."
It was a tired and satisfied Ayane who finally made her way home weeks later, almost a year after she'd begun, wondering if Hayate had kept up with his end of the bargain. If he hadn't, there would be hell to pay. She had already come to the conclusion that they could no longer stay in Japan, not with the way technology currently worked, nor the ignorance they displayed against it. If they stayed, then they would have to learn about computers, pictures, guns, phones; and they didn't have the time to learn it all.
The small village was morbid upon her return, the damages of their last attack still prevalent amongst the buildings, though they were full of their Hayabusa allies. Ayane breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Hayabusa Ryu, the head of his clan, with his apprentice Momiji at his side. Yoshimitsu had pulled through; thank the heavens.
"Ayane-Hime," it was Hayate who greeted her first, causing many eyes to look up. Ayane felt her brow raise at the title, but took in stride as she dispersed from the trees, appearing before the Clan Head in a swirl of purple irises. She then dropped to one knee once before him.
"Hayate-Sama," she greeted back, standing once he acknowledged her with a nod. The changes in him were noticeable, thinner, fiercer; it was obvious that he'd struggled to keep the clan together in her absence. Ayane resisted the urge to glare at everyone. "All missions complete."
"I noticed," he stated, a bit of a smile coming to his lips as he nodded to the villagers that were returned. "Come inside; we have much to discuss. Ryu?" The fierce ninja stood from his seat with a beckon to his apprentice and joined them at once, sending a nod of respect to Ayane as he made his way into the house. Biting back a sigh, the purple haired kunoichi followed after the three of them, fiddling with her favorite dark purple bandanna.
There were a lot of things Ayane hated, the top of the list included many of her clan members, though nothing beat giving reports to a room full of allies. Rather she knew the ally or not, clan etiquette stated that she had to be proper at all times. This made such meetings very formal and stifling, and long. Very, very long. Ayane pinched the bridge of her nose when they finally made it to the meeting room, feeling a headache starting.
"What is she doing here?" The Hajin Mon leader mumbled, sending a glare to a demure Kasumi. Hayate sent her a sharp look, one that she returned. "I thought she was on probation." It wasn't a question.
"She is," he muttered back. "But she is still the-" He cut off awkwardly, suddenly averting his eyes away from her. Pink eyes narrowed in confusion. "I will explain later," he mumbled. "Father, is everyone present?" Ayane resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Shiden, previous Clan Head and father to Kasumi and Hayate, answered his now higher ranking son.
"The Manji Clan has denied a meeting," he answered as the door was shut. "Though a gift of thanks was dropped off by their leader, Yoshimitsu, for aiding his escape." He produced a scroll, handing it to Hayate, who handed it to Ayane. Said girl glanced at it, noted her name, and set it to the side as she grabbed a seat. No introductions were needed for anyone in the room, everyone knew each other, though Ayane wasn't very pleased with the selection.
Hayate, Kasumi, Shiden and their mother Ayame all represented the Tenjin Mon branch of the clan, while only Ayane represented the Hajin Mon Sect. Hayabusa Ryu and his apprentice Momiji represented their clan, the young girl sitting between Kasumi and Ayane, thankfully. "As we all know," Hayate began, his mouth tight as he shot a look to his mother when she opened her mouth. "Hajin Mon Leader Ayane was sent on long term missions, which she has now returned from, successful.
"These missions came about by meetings between her and I, were orchestrated by the both of us and were entirely non profitable money wise for the clan or the carrier of the missions. I need not remind anyone that I am the leader of the Mugen Tenshin Clan and that my word here is law." Shiden's lips clenched. "You are all here for a number of reasons, the most being good faith and good will. As this decision could also affect the Hayabusa Clan, I have also invited Master Hayabusa Ryu and his apprentice, Dragon Shrine Maiden Momiji, to participate in this meeting.
"Now that we have that established," Hayate sat on his knees on a cushion, "Ayane, I would like for you to explain where you've been, what you've done and why you've done it. Do not spare any details unless you think it necessary." Standing from her seat, Ayane immediately opened up the first report she had began, detailing the tracking missions she had partook in.
"…There were a few hunters who were sent out that had to be put down," she explained some time later, looking up at the grim Hayate.
"Why?" He wondered at once, shooting a sharp look to Kasumi as she opened her mouth.
"They refused to return, or had actually been in league with those they were hunting," Ayane explained. "Some were also in possession of artifacts that they should not have had, items stolen from our vaults and homes that were never found. I sent a Hayabusa representative back with them."
"They returned with them," Hayate nodded. "Proceed." Thankfully, the Head of the Clan was kind enough to provide them with snacks and drinks; Ayane was sure her tongue was going to shrivel up from the amount of talking she had to do.
"…I was, unfortunately, not very skilled with computers, and had to ask for help. I enlisted the services of Helena Douglas, Lisa and the assassin Christie in order to track down the information about our clan and to find the new assailants against us. It cost millions."
"What?" Shiden protested at once.
"Quiet!" Hayate snapped, glaring at his mother when she prepared to open her mouth in his defense. "As per my orders, Ayane was to find out as much as she could using any means necessary at any cost necessary! The money is irrelevant, especially if there is no one around to use it!" The two elders put their heads down, conceding the point as he turned back to a rather amused Ayane. "Proceed."
"Yes, my lord." Clearing her throat, Ayane turned her eyes back to her papers. "The information DOATEC had on our clan was immense and there is no telling how much is still left out there; hard drives, jump drives, books, discs; they could have stored backups of everything a billion times over." The mood in the room darkened at her words. "To make matters worse, much of the data in the computers were broadcasted worldwide."
"By the heavens…" Momiji whispered.
"The DOATEC tournaments were also broadcasted worldwide, leading to many videos of Kasumi, Hayate, myself, Master Hayabusa, Raidou, G-Genra," she paused for a moment, "and many other clan members appearing daily upon the web. Again, there is no way to control this data, as far too many have copies, or even copies of copies, saved on devices other than computers that they can upload the moment the team I made destroyed them." She ran a hand through her hair with a sigh, removing the purple bandana and letting her hair fall.
"Perhaps even more disturbing was the data discovered by Lisa, which detailed the layout of our own, the Hayabusa, the Manji and even the Black Spider Clan's villages. The insides of our homes, the people within them, traps, weapons, poisons, antidotes, detailed instructions on our fighting styles; they had everything, with the most extensive being the Tenjin Mon branch." Kasumi lowered her head at the words.
"Tell me that was the worst of it, Ayane-Hime?" The kunoichi paused at the low words, before sadly shaking her head at the disturbed Hayate.
"Many reports detailed experimentation's, the most successful having been performed from Mugen Kasumi's own DNA, which was gathered by hair brushes, clothing ripped after fights, blood left after fights and even fingerprints left on door handles and walls." Shocked silence answered her words, though she was far from finished. "With these successful experiments, they began to want more, though the experiments only worked on people with certain DNA strands and body conditions.
"DNA from myself was found, from Hayabusa Ryu, Mugen Hayate, Mugen Kasumi, Mugen Raidou, Hajin Genra; the list only extends from there." She paused to take a sip of tea and allow that to sink into their skulls. "Along with this was another list found, detailing events extensive to the Hayabusa Clan from events that happened during the tragedies of the massacre two years ago.
"Everyone that was involved during that time, from FBI agents to fiends, were being traced and recorded."
"What about the Manji Clan?" Hayabusa Ryu wondered, rubbing at the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Is there any information on them?"
"Extensive," she confirmed, her eyes softening on him. "But as the clan did not show, I thought it would be better if I only revealed the information to Hayate-Sama."
"I would prefer it," said man nodded in acceptance of her judgment. "Even if they aren't here, they are our allies; the information will be passed along to them at a later time. Is there anymore left to say, Ayane?"
"Only data on who attacked us, Hayate-Sama, including the experiments they were trying to perform upon us and why."
"If need be, we will talk more of the who and what another day," Hayate murmured thoughtfully. "But, I must at least know why." Silence. All attention once again went to the kunoichi who had found out so much. Ayane lowered her head and pursed her lips, knowing that they wouldn't like the answer they received.
"My lord…" She hesitated. "The reason why we have been attacked once again, and even partially the first time, was simple; because it is practically legal." She looked up then, seeing the looks of outrage at once. "We are not a part of their government, yet we live upon their soil. We follow none of their rules, yet we consider ourselves under their protection. If they are to be believed, then there are talks of the Japanese Army coming to put a stop to us soon…"
Barbaric they'd called them. Living in the past, savages; in the world's eyes, they were barbarians and they were murderers.
"Do you understand now?" Hayate broke the silence before it could start. "Do you understand why it is imperative to move? Long before we started, they had us beat. They know our homes, our fighting, our techniques, when we can barely explain technology to our members. We are powerless against them…and they know this."
"But where will we go?" Momiji wondered solemnly. "We are known globally; we have nowhere to hide."
"We cannot stay in Japan," Ayane warned. "They already know where we are and how to trap us here. Helena is buying us some time to escape; it is all we can do for now."
"So what then?" Lady Ayame questioned. "We run away for the rest of our lives like cowards?"
"You should be use to it by now," the purple haired kunoichi snipped.
"Ayane!" Hayate glared at the Hajin Mon Leader, before his eyes softened. "That's enough." He then turned his attention to Ayame, a hard glint in them that many were surprised to see. "If running away keeps us alive, then it's the choice that I am willing to make. It is not cowardly to save one's life; it is cowardly to keep life from them." Ayame lowered her head, completely missing the look of realization that alighted in Ayane's eyes.
It seemed that Hayate had finally asked his mother about her.
Ayane caught his eyes, receiving a grim nod from him, before he shook his head when she made a gesture to Kasumi. Only he knew then. Oddly relieved, the purple haired kunoichi continued to sit as the others were bade to leave, opening the scroll Yoshimitsu had given her. She barely read it at first, her mind on the thoughts of why Hayate wished to speak to her, before her eyes caught sight of the picture on the scroll.
"Ayane?" Hayate questioned, a hand going to her shoulder as he saw her stiffen. Pink eyes wide, Ayane snapped the scroll closed, then looked up to him in question. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she stated, setting the scroll aside for the moment. "You wanted to speak to me?" The brown haired shinobi hesitated, his eyes darting to the abandoned scroll, before he decided to put the thoughts out of his head for the moment. With a sigh, he sat on the cushion before her, his face grim once more.
"Is it true?" He finally wondered, eyes focusing on her face for any trace of lies. "Are you really my…?"
"Sister?" Ayane finished for him, making him lower his head at once. "Cousin?"
"It's true then," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. Silence stretched between them. The purple haired kunoichi continued to eye him, slightly concerned as his shoulders slumped, though said nothing. She'd had years to overcome her shock. Certainly, she had only grown more bitter, but she was overcoming that too. For a brief moment, she wondered how long Hayate had known (a month, a year?), before shaking the thoughts from her head.
She wasn't sure she wanted to know.
"Why did no one tell me?" Hayate finally broke his silence with a whisper, sounding oddly lost. Ayane's brow furrowed; she did not like to see him in such a way. "Why did she tell you and not Kasumi? Why not all of us?" Brown eyes peered at her, slightly accusing. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"And how would I have?" Ayane wondered, grabbing a teacup. "And for what reason? So that you could have grown to resent me for breaking up your happy family?"
"Ayane, you know me!" He snapped, uncurling in indignation. "I would have never-"
"You've never once helped me," the kunoichi interrupted, making him stop abruptly. A hint of bitterness overcame Ayane's face, though her words remained untainted by emotion. "When Kasumi and I were friends," her nose curled slightly at the memory, "you use to come by to pick her up with your friends. You'd smile at me, you'd both say goodbye to me, and then you would both turn a blind eye to the mistreatment of the other villagers of me.
"When I found out the truth, how was I to know that you wouldn't suddenly behave like them?" The words caused the young leader's face to undergo a multitude of emotions; Ayane preferred not to analyze them. For so long she had wanted to share the secret of her birth, her burden, with someone other than Genra. Someone she could call a friend. Now that it was actually happening, Ayane didn't feel as relieved about it as she thought she would. In fact, she was beginning to feel a bit ill. She took a small sip of tea, hoping to ease her stomach.
"Ayane…" Hayate trailed off, remorse and regret within his voice. "Do you really think of me in such a way? Do you care for me at all?" The question gave the kunoichi pause. Did she think of him in that way?
"I respect you," she murmured, looking into her cup and sloshing the tea leaves slightly. She scowled lightly at her actions; Kasumi was the one with the obsession for fortune telling, not her. "I have always respected you."
"Have you ever…" He trailed off, feeling slightly awkward. A flush started up his neck, making Ayane curious as to the question he wished to ask. However, it never came. "The villagers still argue against our decision to leave," the Mugen Leader changed the subject abruptly, "mainly because we have nowhere to relocate to. For now, I believe we will move at least to the mountains; we cannot stay here."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Ayane allowed the change, not sure she wanted to pursue the line of questioning. "Though I think I have a solution to our problems in the scroll Yoshimitsu-Dono sent; it was kind of him to notice and send aid for our problems." A brown brow rose as he took the scroll from her, opening it to see what was inside. A look of shock came to his face.
"This…this is…!"
"We will need time to perform the ritual," the kunoichi noted, knowing exactly how he felt. "Thus, we should head out at once; I trust that you have already sent out scouts for the area we will be temporarily contained to?"
"Y-yes," Hayate admitted, finally looking up from the scroll. His eyes looked a lot less grim. "Groups have been sent out at a time to relocate the barest of items to our encampment and the path there will be led by them. We were only waiting for you before we left."
"In that case, Hayate-Sama, perhaps I should go and thank the Manji Clan for helping us by giving them the data I have? I wouldn't want to keep anyone held up tomorrow."
"…Of course," Hayate mumbled, knowing it wasn't truly a question at the title she'd used. Standing, the purple haired teen made her way from the building, sharp ears picking up an intake of breath behind her. But whatever he was trying to say was silenced by his own sigh as she pretended not to hear, though her pink eyes glanced on him as she closed the shoji behind her. She admitted, if only to herself, that she was curious about what he wanted to talk to her about, though she really did need to get that info to the Manji Clan before it got too late.
The last thing she wanted to do was spend the morning traipsing around without any sleep.
By the time she made it to the Manji Clan, however, it was to see nothing more than burning empty buildings. Ayane blinked in surprise, before she tensed as she heard light footsteps behind her. "Relax," came a distorted voice. She did so at once, turning around to see the demonic face of Yoshimitsu. "I knew you would come."
"Yoshimitsu-Dono?"
"You have the details of what was done, correct?" Purple hair swayed as she nodded, reaching into her pouch to unearth the scrolls she had written. He accepted them gratefully, though his attention was still focused on her as she sent a look around his silent, burning and empty village. "They have left," he stated. "They used the method of the scroll I gave to you."
"Why didn't you leave with them?" The kunoichi wondered, resisting the urge to shift at the proof in front of her eyes. "The scroll says that it sends castors around randomly; there is no guarantee that you'll go back with your clan if you try it again."
"I don't plan on ever going back," he admitted. "Look at what I've become; I highly doubt that any new place will believe me to be human any longer."
"What will you do?"
"I will get revenge," he stated simply. "And after that, who knows? I may simply follow the path of life, or find myself listless and kill myself. Whatever my choice, it is of no concern to you any longer, though I thank you none-the-less, Hajin Ayane." His lips lifted into a smile. "And good luck on your journey."
Unfortunately, Ayane found that luck would not be on her side the following morning.
This was mainly because of Hayate, surprisingly, and the requests of the villagers to have her become Kasumi's minder for the time being. Needless to say, Ayane was not happy, not even the praise she received by becoming the girl's minder cooled her temper. "The others feel that you are the most capable-" Hayate had tried explaining, though his words had merely fallen to her enraged back. Honestly, how the hell was she supposed to work up and train the ninja in Hajin Mon if she had to baby-sit the Princess of the Mugen Branch?
Hajin Branch was already suffering, considering they constantly had to stick their necks out for the flourishing Mugen Branch, and it wasn't going to pick up anytime soon if things didn't calm down. However, Hayate's order was law and she had no choice but to watch after Kasumi for the time being, even if the girl didn't seem to understand that Ayane wasn't going to talk to her or respond to a word she said. Hefting a backpack full of supplies, the young kunoichi made her way to the other villagers, keeping an eye out for Kasumi's movements, who moved slightly in front of her. She scowled at them all when they finally made it, before painfully grasping Kasumi's arm and frogmarching her to the front of the clan.
She silently believed that this was the real reason they wanted her to watch Kasumi; wouldn't do for the princess to lag behind others, after all.
"Ayane-Hime, please don't-"
"Hayate-Sama," Ayane interrupted, for once not caring if she showed disrespect to their leader in front of the clan. Sure enough, a few older shinobi gasped in outrage. "I just realized something else that I should go and do, so I'm afraid that I cannot watch Kasumi." Hayate's face pinched slightly, before he was the one frogmarching her away from the others, his eyes the slightest bit livid.
"Ayane-"
"You're never going to force me to get along with her here." The sharp sentence cut off whatever he was going to say as Ayane crossed her arms over her chest. "With that being said, I really did realize that I should be doing something else. It is beneficial to both parts of the clan and I am using my right as Hajin Mon Leader to break away. Have the ritual prepared before my return and be prepared to cast it when I come back; give me two weeks." With an imperious sniff, she did exactly that, vanishing in a swirl of purple irises before he could protest.
As it was, Ayane was the only one in the clan able to see the news of the outside world before they left, news that spoke of their clan and showed footage of the way they lived. The kunoichi withheld a snort of derision when she saw that it was only the Mugen Tenshin Branch that had been filmed so exclusively, with Kasumi a constant on the small televisions. Granted, having visited them for sometime herself, the purple haired teen was also on the big screen, but not as much as her half-sister.
"I can't believe it," a young boy was whispering in awe. "Real live ninja, in this day and age."
"We're not too bad looking, are we?" Ayane questioned, adjusting the bag of stolen goods on her back. The group of teens turned to her, their eyes widening as they caught sight of the young kunoichi who didn't even bother to disguise herself. Ayane tilted her head this way and that, a small smirk on her face as the boys stuttered in awe. "I wish they had caught me in a cuter dress; that one really wasn't my best. Still, I look better than Kasumi did."
"Y-y-y-you-"
"Oh well," she shrugged, hefting up the bags that she'd dropped to the ground while watching. "Hayate-Sama will be pleased to lord this over the other villagers; we were absolutely right." Loud sirens started up in the distance, making Ayane look behind her curiously. Seems like they finally caught up, she mused, sending a nod of amusement to the still stunned boys as she took off, running up the wall of the store to give herself another head start.
They would never catch her.
Laughing loudly, the kunoichi made her way back to the mountains, making sure not to drop or leave anything behind as she found her clan again. It took her less than three days to rejoin everyone, though she had been missing for over a week. Hayate looked rather relieved to see her as he broke away from the elders to meet her entrance, his eyes curious as to her whereabouts. Before he could speak, Ayane opened up the bags she held and tossed them to the ground, making many gasp in awe as they glimpsed what was inside.
"Ayane…" Hayate stared over her in surprise, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Is this-?"
"Since we're leaving here anyway," she explained herself at once, taking her backpack off her back. "I figured we could use some extra money; it's all stolen jewels, but does it matter? Think of how much they stole from us and consider it our back dues." The Mugen Leader pursed his lips disapprovingly, though it was obvious that many people were agreeing with her. As much as he wanted to, to scold her now would have been a negative blow to his status.
Ayane resisted the urge to grin smugly.
"The ritual has been prepared," Hayate muttered, gnashing his teeth together to hold back his ire. "All we were waiting on is you. Is there anything you would like to say before we head off?"
Silence.
Pink eyes darted across the cramped cave, noticing straight away that all eyes were on her with respect and wonderment; no one else had even thought of the monetary value that they would be leaving behind. That she had, and that she alone secured their unsure future financially, Ayane could tell that some stubborn people were changing their opinions about the demon they considered her to be. She resisted the urge to spit at them, knowing what she had to say next would shock them all.
"Everyone, take a good look around you," Ayane began, doing so herself. "To your left, your right, your front and at your back sit allies; Mugen, Hajin, and Hayabusa. When we leave, wherever we may appear, we will have no one to depend on but each other." Ayane paused, bitterness swelling within her as she eyed Kasumi, eyed Ayame, eyed Shiden and even when she eyed Hayate. She sucked in a deep breath. "After this moment, all bitterness, squabbles and pettiness, must be put aside.
"We will be arriving in a foreign land, a place where there are probably people already settled, who will not take kindly to our invasion. Because yes, no matter how you look at it, what we are doing will be invading." Ayane paused, noticing the surprise upon everyone's faces, before she ruefully smiled. "At all times, we must present a united front. We must show our enemies, whoever they may be, that we are not a threat, but we are willing to become one should they target any one of us, and they don't want to have a threat like us.
"Our clans…no, our Clan is still recuperating. It will take years, years that we do not have, to get back to the numbers that we once held. I trust in you all, however, to wield the same strength that we've had through time from the moment we all touch ground. Now, take one last look around you." Ayane once again followed her own instructions, mustering up all the bitterness and rage she felt at everyone in the room with her as she took a deep inhale of breath.
The villagers that hated her.
The ninja that had forsaken her.
Shiden, her neglecting uncle.
Ayame, her denying mother.
Kasumi, her cousin, her sister.
Hayate, her brother, her cousin.
She released her breath, her hatred, her bitterness, her rage…and let it all go.
When next she opened her eyes, she saw a proud Clan sitting before her. A proud but broken Clan that needed guidance in this time of desperation. "Today, we wipe the slate clean between us," she spoke up, an honest smile on her face at the shock of her people. They knew exactly what she was talking about. "Hayate-Sama, is there anything else that must be said?" Staring at her in wonderment, and not a small amount of pride, Hayate finally turned to address his people as well.
"My friends…my family, Ayane-Hime is right." He smiled softly at the mature kunoichi, finally understanding what it was she had meant days previous.
"You're never going to force me to get along with her here."
"We have a difficult time ahead of us, a time where we will all pull together and protect one another equally. Every life here is as important as the next. Every decision, every suggestion will all be heard equally. We are all starting over, all leaving our zone of comfort and we will all take responsibilities upon us that we will have no choice but to bear.
"When we touch ground, wherever that may be, I need you all to be respectful to the people we are trespassing upon, if any. We will not build our homes, we will not settle down until we know we are wanted and safe. For now, we stick with our tents and light traveling, and we are always cautious upon who we meet. And we shall remember that we are not royalty to them, but they are royalty to us.
"They hold all the keys. They will know the layout. We are blind and helpless and we will be blind and helpless for a time." Pausing, Hayate looked to the ceiling, a serious frown upon his lips. "When we touch ground, we will be very busy. Ayane-Hime will be training up the Hajin Mon Branch, I myself will be sharpening the skills of the Mugen Tenshin Branch, and even Ryu-Sama will be training his people in the arts he chooses. We will need volunteers to help cook, hunt, and volunteers to become shinobi.
"I will not lie to you, many of you may come to despise me in the upcoming months." Hayate sighed, turning to his surprised people with a rather guilty frown on his face. "But I ask that you understand the new life we will be forced to accustom to." There was a hush amongst them, though Ayane nodded along with him as Ryu stood, drawing attention his way.
"As you all know by now," he began softly, "I intend on sticking through everything, even past the end." With a sigh, he removed his mask, getting many stunned looks from those who had never seen his face. "When we leave here today, as Ayane-Hime has said, we leave everything behind us. Our bodies once lay upon these lands, bodies that lived and died here to ensure we all survived today. I will not let their sacrifice be in vain."
"I will not let their sacrifice be in vain," Ayane repeated.
"I will not let their sacrifice be in vain," Hayate followed along, a hint of a smile on his face.
"I will not let their sacrifice be in vain!" Kasumi noted firmly, her fists clenched. The vow began to chant around the cave, echoing amongst them softly yet growing stronger by the minute. Ryu smiled at them, honestly happy to see their confidence back.
"These events may be, will more than likely be hard," the man continued. Though his words were warnings, it was obvious in the proud stances that everyone now stood in that they planned to overcome it. His smile widened. "But it will not break us. Nothing will break us."
"We have come too far to stop now," Kasumi whispered. A firm agreeing air ignited around them at her words. Ryu stared around, his eyes alighting on each person individually, before he gave a proud nod.
"In that case, I have said my peace. I am ready to walk forward now, to find home; wherever it may be."
"After you, Hayate-Sama." Ayane bowed her head to her leader, the others following suit at a deeper level, aside from Ryu who merely nodded as well.
"My trust in you, Hayate-Sama."
Thus, with duties settled and dignity intact, the group of misplaced shinobi gathered around each other, their hands gripping each other's without flinching upon contact as they bowed their heads, saying their final farewells to what was once their homes. Memories, emotions, the burned and spread bodies of their dead; all was left behind on the soil that they would never again get the chance to walk upon. Despite this, the shinobi left their world with smiles upon their faces, knowing in their hearts that they would find a new home soon.
Watching them silently, Yoshimitsu smiled, happy to see the last of his allies leave in peace.
"Tad yathaa, gate, gate, paaragate. Paarasamgate bodhi svaaha," he whispered, looking to the sky as the chanting group vanished without any sound or light. The stars twinkled at him, knowing of the deeds he would soon perform for vengeance. "Thus ends the Essence of the Transcendent Wisdom Sutra."