First fanfic but would desperately love constructive criticism pwease lovely people xx I don't own anyone or anything thing (which includes DOA & Ninja Gaiden) but my own work damit.

Story rated for later planned happenings. Also for furture reference in regards to this particular story Irene/Aileen will have died back in old Ninja Gaiden game and I know this isn't strictly true but it depends which way you perceived the old ending etc etc.

Chio stood in the centre of a vast meadow. She could feel the grass tips brushing at her knees through her thin kimono where the bright sun danced off the gold embroidered dragons that twisted and turned on the royal blue. Her pale eyes looked out, her eyes absorbing everything she saw, scoping the way the land fell away into trees and beyond that the land threw up great hulks of mountains that concealed the horizon.

Somewhere far beyond that was Japan. She could feel it, it was so close and yet was worlds away from her own. Her eyes flicked back at the sound of Gann clearing his throat politely. The Chinese monk's eyes were stern as he waved the naginata impatiently, briefly to and fro. She drew her lips tight and drew in breath before she looked down and pulled a black blindfold out from where it was tucked away in her obi. She felt the smooth silk beneath her fingertips and thought how the silkworm would have been killed by piecing it with a needle, allowing its cocoon to be unravelled as one continuous thread all just to allow a much stronger cloth to be woven. Death makes you stronger. So many lives that have been lost at the hands of so few. She swallowed and lifted the silk, placing the blindfold over her eyes she tied it and pulled it tight with a silent dull thud on her skull. She held out her hand and felt the pole of her naginata drop into her palm.

"Stand back Gann"

"As always Lady Chio." She listened to his footsteps brushing through the grass as he moved out of range. She swung the naginata round in a lateral arc, stepped, turned, swung it overhead, round, over, slicing and cutting the air. As she swung it too low she felt the grass heads buckle over the blades edge, shortened and headless. She brought the blade upwards to spare them. Something thumped a short way off. Chio froze. The wind gently rustled through the dry grass.

"Gann?" No answer, her eyes darted in vain beneath the silk "Gann?" She reached up to remove her blindfold but stopped. The grass, almost silent, crumpled underfoot behind her. She swung the blade round, the wind whistling off its edge, and thumped her opponent with the pole. She drew back so she might swing again and this time introduce flesh to blade but he dodged, she brought the pole round tight to her body and felt the blade catch enemy tissue. He gasped and stumbled away a few feet. Chio pushed up her blind fold, the ninja writhed a moment on his knees in the grass trying to gain footing. Chio kicked him onto his front, when he turned over the blade aligned with his neck. He was defeated. She looked at Gann, he lay lifeless deep in the bed of the meadow. Looking back at the ninja she drew her lips irritably tight. He flinched as she leant forwards. She grinned slyly, careful to keep the naginata in place as she ripped back the fold of his black shroud at his neck and grabbed a carved stone pendant. She snapped its leather throng. Standing up she looked attentively at its unpolished surface, the dragons head was crudely there. The ninja moved quickly. Chio stamped her foot on his chest and brought the blade across his neck. His head tumbled a short way away into the masses of grassy undergrowth.

Gann climbed to his feet. Chio kept her eyes fixed on the ninjas head and tossed Gann the pendant and he caught it.

"Ahh very good Lady Chio." He wandered over to the ninjas head and picked it up by a mess of severed hood and hair. "Another one to send via airmail to Japan?"

"Indeed." She grinned tightly.

---

Ryu set his catch on the spit and stoked a fire. It was tranquil here, a revelled escape from his life. Here there was no other but the river trickling peacefully and the distant waterfall tumbling over the rocks. He sat down and leant on his thighs. Gently he closed his eyes allowing just the sound of the water and the sharp burning smell of the fire to incense him. Memories; Hayate was now back, safe and well and, for the time being, all would be quiet. He opened his eyes as the sight of Tengu rose in them. He shook his head as though to rid himself of the image. But something else began to irritate his senses. He focused on reality again and cast his eyes about the edge of the clearing. He could not hear any sound other than the peaceful movement of the water, but something or someone was approaching. He stood up and paced the fire. A sharp whistle pierced the air. Ryu grasped his hat and threw it at the sound, slowing the arrow and caught it in his grasp. He looked amongst the trees. The presence, whoever it was, had gone. He looked down at the arrow. There was a knot of paper on its shaft. Tugging it undone he read its contents and drew his brows low in dread and concentration. It was a request to kill a Chio Niidome residing at a Chinese temple hidden in the Kunlun mountains. Ryu held the note out and let it fall from his fingers into the flames.