Way of the Sword
The sword hummed as it slashed through the air in front of Takeo's face, he back pedaled furiously as he tried to out wit his attacker. His own blade was wrought with the ancient Japanese technique that made it practically unbreakable. More Ninja were rushing towards them. He turned to his opponent, who wore a black mask in the shape of a snarling daemon. Takeo lashed out, seemingly wild but with absolute control of his weapon, it collided with his opponent's armor cutting through it like wax. Takeo turned and fled. His other assailants were far too skilled for him. He ran through the dense forest that surrounded the village. They were catching him. He knew they were jumping through the bamboo groves above him preparing to cut him off.
With his keen vision he saw five of them in the canopy and that left two on the ground. He quickly cut left through the forest and into a field. Damn he thought cant turn back now. He kept running not slowing as arrows whistled around him or when a cow blocked his way, simply vaulting over it. He was nearly at his house when a black clad figure stepped in front of him, smashing the flat of his blade on Takeo's hand, forcing him to drop his sword. The man then quickly embracing Takeo, he relaxed it was his father.
His father quickly whispered into his ear "Go, take these I will hold them." Takeo nodded; it would take more then seven ninja to take his father down.
Takeo grabbed the items his father had presented to him and rolled on the ground avoiding arrows and picked up his sword and sheathed on his back as he ran for the ocean, he didn't turn back, he knew they would not stop looking for him and his family as long as the Tikuta clan existed, the very last ninja would hunt them down until either they or he lay dead.
Takeo ran along the edge of the cliff as he looked out across the vast oceans ,that occasionally ninjas would cross, and come back being honored by the elders but not allowed to speak of their experiences to other ninja of the clan. Takeo then spotted a boat, his sister and mother stood by it holding paddles, they we're both clad in standard ninja tunics, black robes with bands tightening the area around the arms and legs so that they could move freely also with swords across their backs, his mother had his baby brother in a sling on her body.
They prepared the boat as they heard him coming, their faces hard and steely. He leapt off the shore five meters into the boat, grabbed the paddle that was thrust at him and rowed. Knowing that his father would either be dead or soon following, they kept an eye on the cliffs for any sign of other ninja clan members.
They soon reached a cave in the cliffs that was well concealed and could only be found by people sailing along the face of the cliffs. Once inside Takeo and his sister Miki jumped out silently onto the rocky cave. His mother and baby brother stayed in the boat until it hit the rock with a slight thud. Takeo pulled his face mask off and breath a sigh of relief. The cave was large enough for his whole family and more, it had been found in case of such events, even hued and polished meditation rocks were there.
Then without warring Miki turned him and hissed angrily 'How could you do this?'
Takeo blinked 'Wha-'
'Don't what me, you know full well of the dishonor you brought on our family, your foolish actions are unforgivable!' her words cut him like a blade,
'It wasn't my fault Miki, I was…'
'Was what, hmmm? Careless, clumsy, stupid?' Miki spat
'Enough, this is no time to be fighting amongst ourselves, this is a time to be helping your brother' Their mother cut in. Silence fell on the pair of young ninja. Takeo looked away, Miki turned or her heel walking up a rock to mediate.
Takeo's mother put her arm on his shoulder 'Do not fret Takeo, she is only upset that she will not be able to see her friends again'
Takeo huffed and replied 'And what friends they are, even though she has done nothing, she is still shunned by them'
His mother tightened her grip on his shoulder 'What you did may not have been your fault, but you know the code of honor, you can't just insult some one without the blame falling on your whole family'
'I know' he whispered 'I wish I could'