The usual disclaimers: I do not own any of these characters or Suikoden in
general. Konami does and they rather not share with me. Ah well, on with
the show!
Letting Go
The tall birch and cedar trees that kept the hamlet of Rokkaku Ninjas hidden swayed gently in the midsummer morning breeze. A thin mist, formed from the cool air from the night before, clung stubbornly to the parched undergrowth. It curled its lazy tendrils around the broad trees like fingers admiring a treasured figurine. The thirsty bushes and grass finding solace in the morning dew while it lasted.
Before long the rising sun quickly banished the fleeting mist just as it had the day before, and with it came the promise that the day would be as hot and dry as its predecessor. The light eventually fell on the quiet ninja village. Some of the sun's warm radiance snuck through the thin wooden panels that covered Sasuke's room window to dance on his sleeping face.
Sasuke frowned in his sleep and turned on his side, grumbling incoherently. Yet morning would not let him off that easily. The young ninja's eyes cracked open at the playful chattering of a pair of songbirds that had decided to perch just beyond the blinds. To anyone else the couple's song would pleasantly caress the ear of the lucky ninja who heard it, but to Sasuke it merely grated irritably on his restful silence.
With the loud groan, Sasuke rolled out of bed with a grace unbecoming of a ninja. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and shambled over to his window. A quick twist of his wrist opened the blinds and let the sun greet him. He squinted at the glare as the birds took flight at the sudden motion. After his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he looked down to the plain courtyard that marked the center of the hamlet.
He saw several young children running across the square to play under the small grove of cherry trees near Hanzo's home; no doubt pretending to be ninjas. Other birds filled the air with song, which no longer bothered Sasuke for he was, by now, fully awake. For what little the sun and morning air did to wake him, the aromas of sweet rice cakes and miso soup brought him completely out of his sleepy stupor. The smell of food made his stomach grumble in protest of last night's fast.
Sasuke quickly washed his face and changed into his black and blue shozoko before leaving his house through the hatch leading to the roof. Unlike other parts of the world, the small houses of wood and bamboo found in Rokkaku did not have doors. Instead, exits existed in the form of hatches on the roof of the building. This was partly done because of the village's ninja population, who could make the leaps from ground to roof as well as they could walk. A cynical view would be to say that it also kept outsiders from nosing into someone else's home and business. From his roof, Sasuke easily dropped down from his house and landed gracefully onto the hard earth.
Mondo had offered to prepare breakfast today, Sasuke recalled mentally. Walking past the homes that stood between his house and Mondo's, Sasuke marveled at the tranquility of the village. The fresh scent of grass and wood mingled with the light perfume of flowers. He breathed these in along with the warm air. Morning birds sang together with the laughs of the kids playing not far behind him. If it weren't for the rising heat, it would have been a perfect day.
At least, that was what Sasuke believed until he reached Mondo's abode. He saw that Hanzo and Kasumi had already arrived, thus making him last and therefore, late. They lounged casually on Mondo's thatched roof, a wide tray topped with two plates of sticky rice cakes and four bowls of chilled miso soup sat between the three ninjas. Mondo, in his usual white shozoko spotted the young ninja first and greeted him with a lazy wave. Sasuke waved back and saw Hanzo, the head ninja give him a nod. Nevertheless he barely saw them, his attention focused on the third member of the party.
Kasumi on the other hand hardly glanced in his direction. She was still angry with him. The sting of her slap still hung to his cheek. He had deserved it, and her ire. He shouldn't have said what he said. It just spilled out in a mess, like almost everything else he wanted to say to her, like almost everything else he wanted her to know.
"Come on up, Sasuke. We've only just started breakfast," Mondo called to him. An almost effortless jump brought Sasuke to his peer's roof. He greeted them in his usual solemn manner before he sat across from Kasumi with Hanzo to his left. Hanzo casually reached for a rice cake, which the others took for a cue and reached for their own meals. They ate in silence for the first few minutes. Only after each had at least a cake and some soup in their belly did idle conversation begin. Sasuke did not pay it much attention. In his mind, the events from the day before kept repeating in his mind's eye.
Mcdohl had sent a message to Kasumi five weeks ago that said that he was on his way to the hamlet for a visit. The missive also said that he would arrive in four weeks. Since that deadline, Kasumi had waited at the village entrance when she was not training or running the village. Whenever he saw her there by the gates, waiting patiently, he felt an anger rise from his chest. What right did that guy have for making her wait so? What right did he have to her devotion?
Last night he saw her by the gate once again and thought it best to keep her company. He had tried to maintain a conversation but her mind was preoccupied. Her eyes were always trained towards the darkness beyond the glow of the hamlet's lanterns. Not more than once did she look his way, and that had been when he had first arrived. In annoyance he told her that it was pointless waiting for someone who had forgotten about her, who didn't care about her.
Hanzo and Mondo often traded jesters and insults between one another as well as with Kasumi and himself. He often took it with much more offence than the others and usually resorted to snapping an angry retort, which only invited more jokes at his expense. His words however were not out of light-hearted jest, but out of spite. He knew it the moment the words flew out of his mouth like a cave of bats in the twilight. She heard it as well. Her eyes told him that he had wounded her deeply. Those brown doe eyes brought a pain to his chest far greater than any he had ever felt. The slap paled in comparison.
"Is there a cricket in your soup, Sasuke?" Mondo's gruff but mirthful voice brought him out of his reverie.
Sasuke looked up from the bowl cradled in his hands. "Oh, no. Everything is fine," the young ninja replied absentmindedly. Hanzo chuckled into his soup. Sasuke glanced towards Kasumi. She had turned away from them, her gaze towards the village entrance.
She would have normally joined in with Mondo's teasing, but not today. Hanzo and Mondo both sensed that something had transpired between them and dutifully avoided comment. It did not look to Sasuke that Kasumi had told them anything about last night. He wanted to apologize, but his pride kept him from doing so in front of Hanzo and Mondo. Especially Mondo. Sasuke resisted the urge to wince at thought of his peer berating him about the subject of women yet again.
Kasumi's sudden leap from their perch took them all but surprise. Mondo hissed a curse as he dove for the tray to keep it from sliding off the roof. Hanzo slid his legs from under him and to the side and easily spun to face the direction the vice-chief ran towards, his bowl of soup surprisingly undisturbed by the quick motion. Sasuke followed his chief's gaze, which fell on the village entrance.
From under the red arch at the front of the hamlet, Sasuke spotted a man and a woman entering the village. The man wore green and had long blonde hair that he tied back, most likely to keep strands from blocking his vision. A large single bladed battleaxe hung from the man's belt. The woman was also blonde haired, but a slightly darker shade. He quickly recognized the stylized red armor and the thin saber to belong to Valeria. She had visited Rokkaku many times in the past as their liaison between the hamlet and the Toran Republic. The man, Sasuke guessed to be Gremio. But where was Mcdohl? If what he remembered about those two were correct, Gremio would not allow himself to be separated from his master willingly. The young ninja sensed trouble ahead and went to follow Kasumi, who was already with the newcomers.
"-had to escape and find help," Sasuke overheard Gremio say when he reached them.
"Show me where it is. We'll set out immediately," Kasumi said.
"Wait a second," Sasuke spoke up. One shouldn't rush headlong into anything and this was exactly what she planned to do. "What's going on? What is the matter?"
"Tir's in trouble. We have to help him. Come on, we can't waste any more time," Kasumi replied curtly, ready to drag Gremio and Valeria if she had to.
"Hold, Kasumi," Hanzo bade her calmly before Sasuke had a chance. To Valeria and Gremio he performed a quick bow and welcomed them, "Greetings Valeria, Gremio. We were not expecting you this early Valeria, or you this late, Gremio. You both look troubled. I doubt that there is time to invite you for breakfast and tea so we shall speak here. Please, tell me what the problem is."
"Greetings, Hanzo," Valeria replied courteously. "Gremio and I, along with Lord Tir went to investigate a cave near the edge of these woods. Within we found remains of a strange ruin and an entity that overpowered us. Lord Tir stayed behind to keep it at bay with his True Rune but we don't know how long he can last without help."
"Why would he go to the cave in the first place? Is he so easily sidetracked?" Sasuke asked which he regretted instantly for it earned him a haughty glare from Kasumi.
"It was my fault," Valeria interceded. "I asked him to accompany me when he visited Gregminster. None of us knew what we would encounter. We've only heard strange rumors from travelers who have ventured near the area."
"Please, any help you can lend us would certainly help. But we must get back to the young master soon," Gremio added with an anxiety that matched Kasumi's.
Hanzo nodded thoughtfully. "I know of this cave," he said after a few moments. "To the elders of this village, it is known as the Cave of Truths. The cave itself is a twisting labyrinth of mirrors that protect the ruins. It is said that those who enter with a heart heavy with untruths are confronted by the spirits and are not allowed exit."
"Why haven't we heard of this cave before?" Kasumi asked.
"I too would like to know," Valeria agreed, surprised that Hanzo had not informed the Republic of the cave's powers.
Hanzo shrugged his shoulders. "Since before my birth and that of my predecessor the cave has been sealed. Even the spirits themselves forbid entrance into the ruins. There was no reason to inform anyone of its existence. I would guess you encountered such a seal and carelessly dispelled it, am I correct?"
Valeria and Gremio exchanged guilty looks. "We did," the Toran General said simply.
The ninja chief nodded and looked to Kasumi, "Nevertheless, Lord Tir needs our assistance. I'm sure you are anxious to go. But remember to stay focused. You will be of no benefit to Lord Tir if you let your feelings cloud your judgment and skills. And remember this, for it is the key to the spirits within the cave. They act as fire. Feed the flames and it will only become stronger. Starve it, and it will become a candle in a typhoon."
"I understand," Kasumi said, grateful to be on their way.
"Oh, and one more thing," Hanzo added, almost as an afterthought after the three had turned towards the forest. "Sasuke will accompany you as well."
"What?" Both Sasuke and Kasumi exclaimed, and then glared at one another embarrassedly.
"Why must I go?" Sasuke argued. "They should be able to handle themselves well enough."
"One should never underestimate an adversary, Sasuke. Perhaps you will be of some help to them. Perhaps you will not. Regardless, you will go."
"Can't Mondo come instead?" Kasumi asked her chief. Sasuke winced slightly. That hurt, coming from her.
"There isn't time, as you recall," Hanzo replied smoothly. "You must hurry for we do not know how long Lord Tir can manage. And Sasuke is here now, thus removing the time needed to find someone else. In fact, arguing about it is another waste of time. I suggest you go soon if you intend to go at all." Kasumi knew that he was right and grudgingly agreed. Sasuke was just as begrudged as they left the hamlet towards the Cave of Truths.
Despite the dry heat, the group progressed quickly through the forest with Valeria's directions and the ninjas' familiarity with the woods. Throughout the two hours it took for them to reach the mouth of the cave, Kasumi ignored Sasuke, much to his chagrin. He could not blame her, and tried in vain to form the words to apologize. Yet even if he could have, he wondered if she would have heard, so intent was she on reaching the cave.
They found the cave nestled between two sharp outcroppings near the foothills of the Dana mountain range. The cave mouth stood no more than five feet high with only a foot more across. It leaned at an angle which let the day's light shine a good fifty feet into the tunnel. From the surface, they saw an uneven and rocky passage, but nothing out of the ordinary. The rough granite and thick brush surrounding the entrance helped to keep it concealed. Had Valeria not known exact where the cave laid, they could have missed it entirely. The general explained that they passed through the tunnel, into a maze of mirrors and into the ruins themselves. That was where they last saw Tir and also their destination.
"Do you think what Hanzo said about the spirits to be true?" Sasuke wondered.
"I hope nobody here is superstitious," Valeria replied jokingly. The young ninja felt his face become red and muttered irritably that they should move on.
The cave itself turned out to be rather straightforward, for there were no forks or intersections. Sasuke felt a slight incline to the tunnel and guessed that the ruins lay deep beneath the surface. The air became staler as they went on. Venturing deeper, they eventually encountered the so called maze of mirrors. To have called it a maze would not have been accurate. The sight of the chamber that the tunnel gave way to took their breath away. The great cavern stood at least twenty feet over their heads and stretched the length of Rokkaku in width and at least twice that in length. Radiant, tree sized crystals jutted from the cave floor and ceiling, clustering like the forest above them. The crystalline pillars shined softly with a pale white inner glow that lit the entire cavern with its majesty. The glow caused the surface of the crystals to become reflective and combined with their many facets, created a dizzying effect of light and motion. A single drop of water would have become a down pour.
"There is another shorter passage after this chamber," Valeria told them. "It opens into the cavern where the ruins are hidden."
"We must hurry then," Kasumi suggested while she gazed admiringly at the sparkling wonder before her but then quickly returned to the task at hand.
"All right everyone, stay close. It is very easy to become lost here," Gremio warned.
The effects of the maze of mirrors became apparent the moment they set foot beyond the first jagged columns. At one point Sasuke looked over Kasumi's head to find Gremio walking towards him on a crystal that hung overhead. He tried hard to not let his eyes wander and kept them straight ahead, at Kasumi slim shoulders. He thought of how she has been ignoring him and how much it bothered him. All because of his big mouth. He could not even get it to say that he was sorry.
"What did you say?" Kasumi asked him suddenly.
Sasuke blinked in confusion before the realization hit him. He had actually said the words while he had been so engrossed in his musings that he did not even notice. He looked at her uncertainly, for he had managed to catch himself off guard. They had stopped and both Valeria and Gremio were looking at him questioningly. Yet he refused to back down. "I-I'm sorry," he said again and the rest came out like an uncorked bottle. "I'm sorry for what I said last night. And earlier. I never wanted to hurt you. I just hope that," his gaze fell to his feet, "that you'll forgive me."
He heard his voice echo throughout the chamber, and then her sigh followed by silence. Maybe I had crossed the line. Maybe she'll never forgive me; he thought when Kasumi finally spoke. "You picked a strange time for apologizing," she said lightly.
Sasuke heard the teasing tone in her voice and knew at once that she had indeed forgiven him. He looked up to find her grinning, to which he shrugged weakly and mumbled a half-hearted, "It was a now or never thing."
Kasumi giggled and ruffled his hair, to his annoyance. "Come on, we still have to hurry and find Tir."
The young ninja nodded in agreement and replied with a much more enthused, "Right!"
They quickly traveled the rest of the way through the maze of mirrors. Sasuke wondered why they still haven't encountered any of the spirits yet and voiced his concerns, but no one had an answer. When they reached the entrance to the second tunnel, they heard the sound of howling winds and spine chilly shrieks coming from the other end.
With their goal close at hand, they rushed into the tunnel. Because of the passage's wider girth, Sasuke was able to keep up with Kasumi as she ran to the head of the pack, their ninja training letting them easily outpace Valeria and Gremio. The path soon opened once more to reveal a room that had the look of an arena. Large, faded murals depicting rituals lined the exposed walls. Much of the room had been buried under tons of rock, destroying much of the decaying artwork on the walls and floor. It even covered a corner of a raised dais in the original room's center. Like much of the floor, the platform was a host to hundreds of intricate runes. Some had been chipped or worn away with age, but most laid intact. From their position at the tunnel entrance, they beheld the source of the winds and screams.
The light from Tir's Souleater rune shined with a dark golden light that maintained a shimmering dome of light. That dome seemed to be all that was protecting the rune bearer from an equally bright radiance that seemed to press down on Tir's shield. His face held the strain of immense effort as he fought to keep the raging energies back, but they saw that he was reaching his limits. Already his legs would no longer hold him and he was forced to his knees.
The force from the violent wrestling match had kicked up winds and dust that now lashed at them furiously. "What do we do now?" Sasuke shouted over the howl.
"I don't know, but we have to do something," Kasumi shouted back as Gremio and Valeria reached them.
The Toran general pointed off to the side of the room with a shout of, "Beware!" that caught Sasuke's attention. He turned his head towards the direction Valeria had pointed to find a glowing apparition, appearing vaguely human. The spirit then flew straight towards the young ninja as two more bluish specters split from the writhing mass that assaulted Tir's shield and darted at them.
Sasuke hurled a shuriken at the wraith and dove to one side in a single fluid motion. He ended his dive with a roll that left him back on his feet in time to see his blade whip around the glowing specter and sail right back at him. Letting out a startled curse, Sasuke just barely managed to dodge his own missile as the spirit closed in on him. As he threw himself to the side to avoid getting rammed, Sasuke saw that his companions had similar problems. However, what caught his attention was Gremio. The man's left shoulder bled from a gash that looked suspiciously like ones made by an axe. He remembered what Hanzo had said. Like fire, starve it and it will extinguish.
Praying that he had reasoned correctly, Sasuke stopped dodging and stood passively as the spirit made another charge at him. The apparition flew headlong towards him but just as he had hoped; it slammed into an invisible barrier inches from his body and shattered into hundreds of tiny motes of light. Sasuke let out a cry of relief and shouted his discovery to the others who quickly, though apprehensively followed suit with no worse than Gremio's minor shoulder wound.
With the immediate threat overcome and the key to saving Tir found, they struggled to get close enough to the rune-bearer to help. As they inched closer, the force of the winds grew stronger. They shouted his name, but the howling masked their voices. They reached the first steps on the dais before they could press on no more. Even then, their voices could not carry over the winds. An idea formed in Sasuke's mind, which he swiftly heeded. Standing behind Kasumi, he was buffeted by less of the winds and used the extra strength to push Kasumi even further; close enough for Tir to become aware of them.
"Get back! It's too powerful!" he shouted warily. From their proximity, Sasuke saw that his face was a river of sweat and exertion. It was clear in his voice that he was losing strength fast.
"We can stop it," Kasumi called back. "It uses the force you attack it with to attack you. You must slowly lessen your powers against it. It's the only way it can be defeated!"
Tir looked skeptical.
Sasuke felt his footing beginning to slip. "I can't keep you here for much longer," he told her through teeth clenched with effort.
"You have to trust me," she beseeched him.
"All right," Tir agreed. At first he let his power slip very slightly. After not feeling the frightfully raging mass of energy overrun his barrier he slipped his power further, and further. They watched anxiously as the spirits slowly faded with the power of Tir's rune. Finally, Tir collapsed from exhaustion. Kasumi and Gremio rushed to him while Sasuke eyed the chamber cautiously.
The cavern shook and rumbled. "All that energy must have weakened the stones," Sasuke murmured.
Valeria agreed with him. "We have to get out of here, now!" she shouted to the others who needed no more coaxing to start moving. Valeria led the way while Kasumi and Gremio supported Tir between them as they went as swiftly as possible up the tunnel and through the maze while Sasuke kept up the rear.
After reaching the surface, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Kasumi sat beside an unconscious Tir and looked around. Her eyes widened with dread, "Where's Sasuke?"
"Great. Just great," Sasuke muttered. Somehow during their flight from the cavern he had lost his way in the maze of mirrors. At least the rumbling had stopped and he was sure that the way out was not blocked. With an exasperated sigh he arbitrarily picked a direction and started walking since the reflective crystals made his sense of direction useless. He quickly became frustrated as each column looked suspiciously like the next and his image was multiplied by a hundred times from almost every angle imaginable.
He was just starting to get worried when something new shown itself in the sea of Sasukes. A flash of pink. Curious, he followed the color as if it were his only escape. The chase ended when Sasuke emerged from the maze. The young ninja took one look at the partially collapsed tunnel that led to the ruins and snapped a curse. He spun on his heel to try the maze again when the image on the crystal right behind stopped him in his tracks.
"Kasumi?" he said wonderingly. Indeed, the figure in the column, not just reflected on the surface, was that of the vice-chief. "How did you get trapped in the-"he began to say but stopped when he remembered Hanzo's words. "You're one of those spirits," he whispered. At that, the image of Kasumi nodded. She, or rather it, looked pleased to be recognized. "You think I have an untruth don't you?" Sasuke went on. The spirit nodded again. "Well I don't," Sasuke snapped brusquely and entered the maze. As he tried to navigate through the maze, he noticed the spirit followed them through the crystals. Where ever he turned it was there, following silently, almost expectantly.
Finally Sasuke threw his arms into the air and gave up. "You're not going to let me leave aren't you?" The spirit made no response save watching him with an innocent expression. Sasuke sighed. "So what if I have an untruth. What then? Do I have to tell you?" The spirit in the form of Kasumi smiled and nodded an affirmative. "And then I get to leave?" And, a nod. "And you're not going to tell me what it may be either, aren't you." The spirit actually blinked.
"An untruth," Sasuke went over in his mind. "Something that weighs heavily on the heart. What could it be?" He glanced at the spirit, at Kasumi. "Something about her then. But could that truly be it?" His feelings for her? What he had wanted to tell her for the longest time? Was that what the spirit was waiting for? That he, loved her? "I-I'm in love with Kasumi." Sasuke said finally. That was, rather easy. Why couldn't he have said the words before? They were so simple. He looked up at the spirit to find it frowning and shaking its head. "What?" he snapped. "Wasn't that it? Wasn't that what was weighing so heavily on my heart?" The spirit shook its head again.
Sasuke sighed and despaired. If not that what could it possibly be? He did love Kasumi, but he could never say so until now. Why couldn't he have spoken until now? Could it have been because it would not have been true? Was that the reason? No, that's absurd. If he didn't love her why does he always lose his tongue around her? Why does he always feel so comforted by her presence? Why does it tear at him to see her with Mcdohl? It was jealousy he knew, but was his feelings really there?
"I'm not in love with her," he heard himself say and knew it to be true. He had, for that he was sure, but no longer. Now she was a friend, a companion he could always count on. She had always been that, he admonished himself. He just could not see it. He just could not let the thought go and it confused him about her. Now he understood. He looked up at the spirit. It smiled brilliantly and slowly faded away. Sasuke managed to give it a small smile of his own before it was gone. The mirror- like surfaces of the crystal became clear and he soon found the tunnel leading out.
As he neared the glowing light of day, he saw a silhouette at the cave mouth. "Sasuke!" he heard Kasumi called out.
"I'm all right," he shouted back and stepped into the sunlight.
Kasumi looked relieved to see him, then planted her hands on her hips. "What happened down there?"
"I got lost," Sasuke replied sheepishly.
The vice-chief laughed merrily. "I had thought that you might have come to like the damp cave," she teased.
"Well, it is cleaner than my house and Mondo's too for that matter," Sasuke replied with a grin.
She looked at him searchingly; she had not expected such a light-hearted reply to her jest. But it was a welcomed surprise. She gave him a glad smile before returning to Tir's side. Sasuke couldn't help but smile as Kasumi doted over Tir, who resisted weakly in embarrassment. Gremio had his wound bandaged a watched the pair in amusement.
Valeria went up to the young ninja and clapped him on the shoulder. "You did really well down there," she told him. "How about I buy you a drink once we get back to Rokkaku?"
Sasuke grinned, "Sake is free in Rokkaku, Lady Valeria."
"Then I'll buy you many drinks," she laughed. "And stop it with the lady talk. Just Valeria."
"Right then," he conceded. As everyone readied themselves for the trip back to the village, Sasuke took one last look at the Cave of Truths and realized that the first thing he would do when he got back, was to thank Hanzo for making him go on this mission.
Letting Go
The tall birch and cedar trees that kept the hamlet of Rokkaku Ninjas hidden swayed gently in the midsummer morning breeze. A thin mist, formed from the cool air from the night before, clung stubbornly to the parched undergrowth. It curled its lazy tendrils around the broad trees like fingers admiring a treasured figurine. The thirsty bushes and grass finding solace in the morning dew while it lasted.
Before long the rising sun quickly banished the fleeting mist just as it had the day before, and with it came the promise that the day would be as hot and dry as its predecessor. The light eventually fell on the quiet ninja village. Some of the sun's warm radiance snuck through the thin wooden panels that covered Sasuke's room window to dance on his sleeping face.
Sasuke frowned in his sleep and turned on his side, grumbling incoherently. Yet morning would not let him off that easily. The young ninja's eyes cracked open at the playful chattering of a pair of songbirds that had decided to perch just beyond the blinds. To anyone else the couple's song would pleasantly caress the ear of the lucky ninja who heard it, but to Sasuke it merely grated irritably on his restful silence.
With the loud groan, Sasuke rolled out of bed with a grace unbecoming of a ninja. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and shambled over to his window. A quick twist of his wrist opened the blinds and let the sun greet him. He squinted at the glare as the birds took flight at the sudden motion. After his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he looked down to the plain courtyard that marked the center of the hamlet.
He saw several young children running across the square to play under the small grove of cherry trees near Hanzo's home; no doubt pretending to be ninjas. Other birds filled the air with song, which no longer bothered Sasuke for he was, by now, fully awake. For what little the sun and morning air did to wake him, the aromas of sweet rice cakes and miso soup brought him completely out of his sleepy stupor. The smell of food made his stomach grumble in protest of last night's fast.
Sasuke quickly washed his face and changed into his black and blue shozoko before leaving his house through the hatch leading to the roof. Unlike other parts of the world, the small houses of wood and bamboo found in Rokkaku did not have doors. Instead, exits existed in the form of hatches on the roof of the building. This was partly done because of the village's ninja population, who could make the leaps from ground to roof as well as they could walk. A cynical view would be to say that it also kept outsiders from nosing into someone else's home and business. From his roof, Sasuke easily dropped down from his house and landed gracefully onto the hard earth.
Mondo had offered to prepare breakfast today, Sasuke recalled mentally. Walking past the homes that stood between his house and Mondo's, Sasuke marveled at the tranquility of the village. The fresh scent of grass and wood mingled with the light perfume of flowers. He breathed these in along with the warm air. Morning birds sang together with the laughs of the kids playing not far behind him. If it weren't for the rising heat, it would have been a perfect day.
At least, that was what Sasuke believed until he reached Mondo's abode. He saw that Hanzo and Kasumi had already arrived, thus making him last and therefore, late. They lounged casually on Mondo's thatched roof, a wide tray topped with two plates of sticky rice cakes and four bowls of chilled miso soup sat between the three ninjas. Mondo, in his usual white shozoko spotted the young ninja first and greeted him with a lazy wave. Sasuke waved back and saw Hanzo, the head ninja give him a nod. Nevertheless he barely saw them, his attention focused on the third member of the party.
Kasumi on the other hand hardly glanced in his direction. She was still angry with him. The sting of her slap still hung to his cheek. He had deserved it, and her ire. He shouldn't have said what he said. It just spilled out in a mess, like almost everything else he wanted to say to her, like almost everything else he wanted her to know.
"Come on up, Sasuke. We've only just started breakfast," Mondo called to him. An almost effortless jump brought Sasuke to his peer's roof. He greeted them in his usual solemn manner before he sat across from Kasumi with Hanzo to his left. Hanzo casually reached for a rice cake, which the others took for a cue and reached for their own meals. They ate in silence for the first few minutes. Only after each had at least a cake and some soup in their belly did idle conversation begin. Sasuke did not pay it much attention. In his mind, the events from the day before kept repeating in his mind's eye.
Mcdohl had sent a message to Kasumi five weeks ago that said that he was on his way to the hamlet for a visit. The missive also said that he would arrive in four weeks. Since that deadline, Kasumi had waited at the village entrance when she was not training or running the village. Whenever he saw her there by the gates, waiting patiently, he felt an anger rise from his chest. What right did that guy have for making her wait so? What right did he have to her devotion?
Last night he saw her by the gate once again and thought it best to keep her company. He had tried to maintain a conversation but her mind was preoccupied. Her eyes were always trained towards the darkness beyond the glow of the hamlet's lanterns. Not more than once did she look his way, and that had been when he had first arrived. In annoyance he told her that it was pointless waiting for someone who had forgotten about her, who didn't care about her.
Hanzo and Mondo often traded jesters and insults between one another as well as with Kasumi and himself. He often took it with much more offence than the others and usually resorted to snapping an angry retort, which only invited more jokes at his expense. His words however were not out of light-hearted jest, but out of spite. He knew it the moment the words flew out of his mouth like a cave of bats in the twilight. She heard it as well. Her eyes told him that he had wounded her deeply. Those brown doe eyes brought a pain to his chest far greater than any he had ever felt. The slap paled in comparison.
"Is there a cricket in your soup, Sasuke?" Mondo's gruff but mirthful voice brought him out of his reverie.
Sasuke looked up from the bowl cradled in his hands. "Oh, no. Everything is fine," the young ninja replied absentmindedly. Hanzo chuckled into his soup. Sasuke glanced towards Kasumi. She had turned away from them, her gaze towards the village entrance.
She would have normally joined in with Mondo's teasing, but not today. Hanzo and Mondo both sensed that something had transpired between them and dutifully avoided comment. It did not look to Sasuke that Kasumi had told them anything about last night. He wanted to apologize, but his pride kept him from doing so in front of Hanzo and Mondo. Especially Mondo. Sasuke resisted the urge to wince at thought of his peer berating him about the subject of women yet again.
Kasumi's sudden leap from their perch took them all but surprise. Mondo hissed a curse as he dove for the tray to keep it from sliding off the roof. Hanzo slid his legs from under him and to the side and easily spun to face the direction the vice-chief ran towards, his bowl of soup surprisingly undisturbed by the quick motion. Sasuke followed his chief's gaze, which fell on the village entrance.
From under the red arch at the front of the hamlet, Sasuke spotted a man and a woman entering the village. The man wore green and had long blonde hair that he tied back, most likely to keep strands from blocking his vision. A large single bladed battleaxe hung from the man's belt. The woman was also blonde haired, but a slightly darker shade. He quickly recognized the stylized red armor and the thin saber to belong to Valeria. She had visited Rokkaku many times in the past as their liaison between the hamlet and the Toran Republic. The man, Sasuke guessed to be Gremio. But where was Mcdohl? If what he remembered about those two were correct, Gremio would not allow himself to be separated from his master willingly. The young ninja sensed trouble ahead and went to follow Kasumi, who was already with the newcomers.
"-had to escape and find help," Sasuke overheard Gremio say when he reached them.
"Show me where it is. We'll set out immediately," Kasumi said.
"Wait a second," Sasuke spoke up. One shouldn't rush headlong into anything and this was exactly what she planned to do. "What's going on? What is the matter?"
"Tir's in trouble. We have to help him. Come on, we can't waste any more time," Kasumi replied curtly, ready to drag Gremio and Valeria if she had to.
"Hold, Kasumi," Hanzo bade her calmly before Sasuke had a chance. To Valeria and Gremio he performed a quick bow and welcomed them, "Greetings Valeria, Gremio. We were not expecting you this early Valeria, or you this late, Gremio. You both look troubled. I doubt that there is time to invite you for breakfast and tea so we shall speak here. Please, tell me what the problem is."
"Greetings, Hanzo," Valeria replied courteously. "Gremio and I, along with Lord Tir went to investigate a cave near the edge of these woods. Within we found remains of a strange ruin and an entity that overpowered us. Lord Tir stayed behind to keep it at bay with his True Rune but we don't know how long he can last without help."
"Why would he go to the cave in the first place? Is he so easily sidetracked?" Sasuke asked which he regretted instantly for it earned him a haughty glare from Kasumi.
"It was my fault," Valeria interceded. "I asked him to accompany me when he visited Gregminster. None of us knew what we would encounter. We've only heard strange rumors from travelers who have ventured near the area."
"Please, any help you can lend us would certainly help. But we must get back to the young master soon," Gremio added with an anxiety that matched Kasumi's.
Hanzo nodded thoughtfully. "I know of this cave," he said after a few moments. "To the elders of this village, it is known as the Cave of Truths. The cave itself is a twisting labyrinth of mirrors that protect the ruins. It is said that those who enter with a heart heavy with untruths are confronted by the spirits and are not allowed exit."
"Why haven't we heard of this cave before?" Kasumi asked.
"I too would like to know," Valeria agreed, surprised that Hanzo had not informed the Republic of the cave's powers.
Hanzo shrugged his shoulders. "Since before my birth and that of my predecessor the cave has been sealed. Even the spirits themselves forbid entrance into the ruins. There was no reason to inform anyone of its existence. I would guess you encountered such a seal and carelessly dispelled it, am I correct?"
Valeria and Gremio exchanged guilty looks. "We did," the Toran General said simply.
The ninja chief nodded and looked to Kasumi, "Nevertheless, Lord Tir needs our assistance. I'm sure you are anxious to go. But remember to stay focused. You will be of no benefit to Lord Tir if you let your feelings cloud your judgment and skills. And remember this, for it is the key to the spirits within the cave. They act as fire. Feed the flames and it will only become stronger. Starve it, and it will become a candle in a typhoon."
"I understand," Kasumi said, grateful to be on their way.
"Oh, and one more thing," Hanzo added, almost as an afterthought after the three had turned towards the forest. "Sasuke will accompany you as well."
"What?" Both Sasuke and Kasumi exclaimed, and then glared at one another embarrassedly.
"Why must I go?" Sasuke argued. "They should be able to handle themselves well enough."
"One should never underestimate an adversary, Sasuke. Perhaps you will be of some help to them. Perhaps you will not. Regardless, you will go."
"Can't Mondo come instead?" Kasumi asked her chief. Sasuke winced slightly. That hurt, coming from her.
"There isn't time, as you recall," Hanzo replied smoothly. "You must hurry for we do not know how long Lord Tir can manage. And Sasuke is here now, thus removing the time needed to find someone else. In fact, arguing about it is another waste of time. I suggest you go soon if you intend to go at all." Kasumi knew that he was right and grudgingly agreed. Sasuke was just as begrudged as they left the hamlet towards the Cave of Truths.
Despite the dry heat, the group progressed quickly through the forest with Valeria's directions and the ninjas' familiarity with the woods. Throughout the two hours it took for them to reach the mouth of the cave, Kasumi ignored Sasuke, much to his chagrin. He could not blame her, and tried in vain to form the words to apologize. Yet even if he could have, he wondered if she would have heard, so intent was she on reaching the cave.
They found the cave nestled between two sharp outcroppings near the foothills of the Dana mountain range. The cave mouth stood no more than five feet high with only a foot more across. It leaned at an angle which let the day's light shine a good fifty feet into the tunnel. From the surface, they saw an uneven and rocky passage, but nothing out of the ordinary. The rough granite and thick brush surrounding the entrance helped to keep it concealed. Had Valeria not known exact where the cave laid, they could have missed it entirely. The general explained that they passed through the tunnel, into a maze of mirrors and into the ruins themselves. That was where they last saw Tir and also their destination.
"Do you think what Hanzo said about the spirits to be true?" Sasuke wondered.
"I hope nobody here is superstitious," Valeria replied jokingly. The young ninja felt his face become red and muttered irritably that they should move on.
The cave itself turned out to be rather straightforward, for there were no forks or intersections. Sasuke felt a slight incline to the tunnel and guessed that the ruins lay deep beneath the surface. The air became staler as they went on. Venturing deeper, they eventually encountered the so called maze of mirrors. To have called it a maze would not have been accurate. The sight of the chamber that the tunnel gave way to took their breath away. The great cavern stood at least twenty feet over their heads and stretched the length of Rokkaku in width and at least twice that in length. Radiant, tree sized crystals jutted from the cave floor and ceiling, clustering like the forest above them. The crystalline pillars shined softly with a pale white inner glow that lit the entire cavern with its majesty. The glow caused the surface of the crystals to become reflective and combined with their many facets, created a dizzying effect of light and motion. A single drop of water would have become a down pour.
"There is another shorter passage after this chamber," Valeria told them. "It opens into the cavern where the ruins are hidden."
"We must hurry then," Kasumi suggested while she gazed admiringly at the sparkling wonder before her but then quickly returned to the task at hand.
"All right everyone, stay close. It is very easy to become lost here," Gremio warned.
The effects of the maze of mirrors became apparent the moment they set foot beyond the first jagged columns. At one point Sasuke looked over Kasumi's head to find Gremio walking towards him on a crystal that hung overhead. He tried hard to not let his eyes wander and kept them straight ahead, at Kasumi slim shoulders. He thought of how she has been ignoring him and how much it bothered him. All because of his big mouth. He could not even get it to say that he was sorry.
"What did you say?" Kasumi asked him suddenly.
Sasuke blinked in confusion before the realization hit him. He had actually said the words while he had been so engrossed in his musings that he did not even notice. He looked at her uncertainly, for he had managed to catch himself off guard. They had stopped and both Valeria and Gremio were looking at him questioningly. Yet he refused to back down. "I-I'm sorry," he said again and the rest came out like an uncorked bottle. "I'm sorry for what I said last night. And earlier. I never wanted to hurt you. I just hope that," his gaze fell to his feet, "that you'll forgive me."
He heard his voice echo throughout the chamber, and then her sigh followed by silence. Maybe I had crossed the line. Maybe she'll never forgive me; he thought when Kasumi finally spoke. "You picked a strange time for apologizing," she said lightly.
Sasuke heard the teasing tone in her voice and knew at once that she had indeed forgiven him. He looked up to find her grinning, to which he shrugged weakly and mumbled a half-hearted, "It was a now or never thing."
Kasumi giggled and ruffled his hair, to his annoyance. "Come on, we still have to hurry and find Tir."
The young ninja nodded in agreement and replied with a much more enthused, "Right!"
They quickly traveled the rest of the way through the maze of mirrors. Sasuke wondered why they still haven't encountered any of the spirits yet and voiced his concerns, but no one had an answer. When they reached the entrance to the second tunnel, they heard the sound of howling winds and spine chilly shrieks coming from the other end.
With their goal close at hand, they rushed into the tunnel. Because of the passage's wider girth, Sasuke was able to keep up with Kasumi as she ran to the head of the pack, their ninja training letting them easily outpace Valeria and Gremio. The path soon opened once more to reveal a room that had the look of an arena. Large, faded murals depicting rituals lined the exposed walls. Much of the room had been buried under tons of rock, destroying much of the decaying artwork on the walls and floor. It even covered a corner of a raised dais in the original room's center. Like much of the floor, the platform was a host to hundreds of intricate runes. Some had been chipped or worn away with age, but most laid intact. From their position at the tunnel entrance, they beheld the source of the winds and screams.
The light from Tir's Souleater rune shined with a dark golden light that maintained a shimmering dome of light. That dome seemed to be all that was protecting the rune bearer from an equally bright radiance that seemed to press down on Tir's shield. His face held the strain of immense effort as he fought to keep the raging energies back, but they saw that he was reaching his limits. Already his legs would no longer hold him and he was forced to his knees.
The force from the violent wrestling match had kicked up winds and dust that now lashed at them furiously. "What do we do now?" Sasuke shouted over the howl.
"I don't know, but we have to do something," Kasumi shouted back as Gremio and Valeria reached them.
The Toran general pointed off to the side of the room with a shout of, "Beware!" that caught Sasuke's attention. He turned his head towards the direction Valeria had pointed to find a glowing apparition, appearing vaguely human. The spirit then flew straight towards the young ninja as two more bluish specters split from the writhing mass that assaulted Tir's shield and darted at them.
Sasuke hurled a shuriken at the wraith and dove to one side in a single fluid motion. He ended his dive with a roll that left him back on his feet in time to see his blade whip around the glowing specter and sail right back at him. Letting out a startled curse, Sasuke just barely managed to dodge his own missile as the spirit closed in on him. As he threw himself to the side to avoid getting rammed, Sasuke saw that his companions had similar problems. However, what caught his attention was Gremio. The man's left shoulder bled from a gash that looked suspiciously like ones made by an axe. He remembered what Hanzo had said. Like fire, starve it and it will extinguish.
Praying that he had reasoned correctly, Sasuke stopped dodging and stood passively as the spirit made another charge at him. The apparition flew headlong towards him but just as he had hoped; it slammed into an invisible barrier inches from his body and shattered into hundreds of tiny motes of light. Sasuke let out a cry of relief and shouted his discovery to the others who quickly, though apprehensively followed suit with no worse than Gremio's minor shoulder wound.
With the immediate threat overcome and the key to saving Tir found, they struggled to get close enough to the rune-bearer to help. As they inched closer, the force of the winds grew stronger. They shouted his name, but the howling masked their voices. They reached the first steps on the dais before they could press on no more. Even then, their voices could not carry over the winds. An idea formed in Sasuke's mind, which he swiftly heeded. Standing behind Kasumi, he was buffeted by less of the winds and used the extra strength to push Kasumi even further; close enough for Tir to become aware of them.
"Get back! It's too powerful!" he shouted warily. From their proximity, Sasuke saw that his face was a river of sweat and exertion. It was clear in his voice that he was losing strength fast.
"We can stop it," Kasumi called back. "It uses the force you attack it with to attack you. You must slowly lessen your powers against it. It's the only way it can be defeated!"
Tir looked skeptical.
Sasuke felt his footing beginning to slip. "I can't keep you here for much longer," he told her through teeth clenched with effort.
"You have to trust me," she beseeched him.
"All right," Tir agreed. At first he let his power slip very slightly. After not feeling the frightfully raging mass of energy overrun his barrier he slipped his power further, and further. They watched anxiously as the spirits slowly faded with the power of Tir's rune. Finally, Tir collapsed from exhaustion. Kasumi and Gremio rushed to him while Sasuke eyed the chamber cautiously.
The cavern shook and rumbled. "All that energy must have weakened the stones," Sasuke murmured.
Valeria agreed with him. "We have to get out of here, now!" she shouted to the others who needed no more coaxing to start moving. Valeria led the way while Kasumi and Gremio supported Tir between them as they went as swiftly as possible up the tunnel and through the maze while Sasuke kept up the rear.
After reaching the surface, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Kasumi sat beside an unconscious Tir and looked around. Her eyes widened with dread, "Where's Sasuke?"
"Great. Just great," Sasuke muttered. Somehow during their flight from the cavern he had lost his way in the maze of mirrors. At least the rumbling had stopped and he was sure that the way out was not blocked. With an exasperated sigh he arbitrarily picked a direction and started walking since the reflective crystals made his sense of direction useless. He quickly became frustrated as each column looked suspiciously like the next and his image was multiplied by a hundred times from almost every angle imaginable.
He was just starting to get worried when something new shown itself in the sea of Sasukes. A flash of pink. Curious, he followed the color as if it were his only escape. The chase ended when Sasuke emerged from the maze. The young ninja took one look at the partially collapsed tunnel that led to the ruins and snapped a curse. He spun on his heel to try the maze again when the image on the crystal right behind stopped him in his tracks.
"Kasumi?" he said wonderingly. Indeed, the figure in the column, not just reflected on the surface, was that of the vice-chief. "How did you get trapped in the-"he began to say but stopped when he remembered Hanzo's words. "You're one of those spirits," he whispered. At that, the image of Kasumi nodded. She, or rather it, looked pleased to be recognized. "You think I have an untruth don't you?" Sasuke went on. The spirit nodded again. "Well I don't," Sasuke snapped brusquely and entered the maze. As he tried to navigate through the maze, he noticed the spirit followed them through the crystals. Where ever he turned it was there, following silently, almost expectantly.
Finally Sasuke threw his arms into the air and gave up. "You're not going to let me leave aren't you?" The spirit made no response save watching him with an innocent expression. Sasuke sighed. "So what if I have an untruth. What then? Do I have to tell you?" The spirit in the form of Kasumi smiled and nodded an affirmative. "And then I get to leave?" And, a nod. "And you're not going to tell me what it may be either, aren't you." The spirit actually blinked.
"An untruth," Sasuke went over in his mind. "Something that weighs heavily on the heart. What could it be?" He glanced at the spirit, at Kasumi. "Something about her then. But could that truly be it?" His feelings for her? What he had wanted to tell her for the longest time? Was that what the spirit was waiting for? That he, loved her? "I-I'm in love with Kasumi." Sasuke said finally. That was, rather easy. Why couldn't he have said the words before? They were so simple. He looked up at the spirit to find it frowning and shaking its head. "What?" he snapped. "Wasn't that it? Wasn't that what was weighing so heavily on my heart?" The spirit shook its head again.
Sasuke sighed and despaired. If not that what could it possibly be? He did love Kasumi, but he could never say so until now. Why couldn't he have spoken until now? Could it have been because it would not have been true? Was that the reason? No, that's absurd. If he didn't love her why does he always lose his tongue around her? Why does he always feel so comforted by her presence? Why does it tear at him to see her with Mcdohl? It was jealousy he knew, but was his feelings really there?
"I'm not in love with her," he heard himself say and knew it to be true. He had, for that he was sure, but no longer. Now she was a friend, a companion he could always count on. She had always been that, he admonished himself. He just could not see it. He just could not let the thought go and it confused him about her. Now he understood. He looked up at the spirit. It smiled brilliantly and slowly faded away. Sasuke managed to give it a small smile of his own before it was gone. The mirror- like surfaces of the crystal became clear and he soon found the tunnel leading out.
As he neared the glowing light of day, he saw a silhouette at the cave mouth. "Sasuke!" he heard Kasumi called out.
"I'm all right," he shouted back and stepped into the sunlight.
Kasumi looked relieved to see him, then planted her hands on her hips. "What happened down there?"
"I got lost," Sasuke replied sheepishly.
The vice-chief laughed merrily. "I had thought that you might have come to like the damp cave," she teased.
"Well, it is cleaner than my house and Mondo's too for that matter," Sasuke replied with a grin.
She looked at him searchingly; she had not expected such a light-hearted reply to her jest. But it was a welcomed surprise. She gave him a glad smile before returning to Tir's side. Sasuke couldn't help but smile as Kasumi doted over Tir, who resisted weakly in embarrassment. Gremio had his wound bandaged a watched the pair in amusement.
Valeria went up to the young ninja and clapped him on the shoulder. "You did really well down there," she told him. "How about I buy you a drink once we get back to Rokkaku?"
Sasuke grinned, "Sake is free in Rokkaku, Lady Valeria."
"Then I'll buy you many drinks," she laughed. "And stop it with the lady talk. Just Valeria."
"Right then," he conceded. As everyone readied themselves for the trip back to the village, Sasuke took one last look at the Cave of Truths and realized that the first thing he would do when he got back, was to thank Hanzo for making him go on this mission.