199X...
The sight of a great explosion only ever seen by an atomic bomb burned the surface of the Earth, leaving ruins and scorched soil behind.
Mankind fought a war with itself and destroyed the very land that sustained them.
Images of men armed with all manner of weapon, from battle axes to machine guns, flashed through.
The innocent perished while the powerful gained possession.
Images of feeble villagers, dressed in haggard clothing clutched at malnourished children, desperate to keep them alive, only for blood to cover the image and slowly blot out everything.
A prophecy was made, but never fulfilled, of an End of Century Saviour. A man that would bring divine punishment down on the wicked...
Graves were seen, wooden crosses and piles of stone marked masses of fields as more and more died through the ages.
Centuries passed and a man titled The Sage of Six Paths came, creating a series of abilities that levelled the playing field between innocents and evils. But, in time his story was also forgotten.
The images of various ninja, entire clans, clashing and wiping each other out flashed.
Three Great Wars passed between the descendants of the forgotten ages leading to a time of supposed peace. But, the Earth knew this peace was fragile and once again she cried out for her Saviour...
Chapter 1
KLANG-KLANG KLANG-KLANG!
The sounds of a warning bell stirred awake an entire village. The village, while humble, had become the target of a crooked entrepreneur named Gato. Small and humble homes, no more than dilapidated shacks, were quickly claimed by petrified farmers and fishermen. The town consisted of only simple folk. All dwellers in hiding merely wanted to live a peaceful life, to be free of the tyranny.
"It's Gato! He's coming with an army this time!" screamed a young man, pulling at a thick brown rope to alert the rest of the villagers.
Gato, a short man that relied on a sturdy black cane to walk, flexed his shoulders before adjusting his business suit and grinned in a deceptively kind manner. "Azuma," the businessman addressed as he looked to his right. "Kindly stop that annoying ringing."
Azuma was a tall, muscular man with several dragon tattoos across his torso. He smirked like the devil he was name after before grabbing hold of a polearm, a streamlined glaive, and shouldered the weapon. "Gladly, Mr. Gato," answered the man as he hurled the weapon through the air, the sharp tip - commonly used for slicing - turned into a skewer, piercing through the bellringer's chest and impaling the young man to a support pillar immediately behind him.
"GAK!" the surprised young man stared down at his own dying body in awe, totally astonished by the fact that he was to die so soon. Light slowly faded from his eyes and he slumped forward, expended of a precious gift.
Gato patted the arm of the spear chucker with a wide grin. "That's my boy!" he cheered, earning a proud grin from the man. "Now then, what say you little pissants get out here and greet me with the proper respect that I deserve!" Gato demanded in his nasally voice, irritated that these common villagers thought they could hide from him.
Slowly, with dread and defeat in their eyes, the first family strolled into the street, an old man with two frail granddaughters, the little girls clutching tightly at his pant legs.
Gato grinned like a lawyer at the three. "I'm a very generous man," Gato praised himself as he stood before the scared old man and even went so far as to reach out for one of the girl's heads.
When the frightened child shied away, moving behind her grandfather's leg to prevent being touched, Gato growled and withdrew his hand making a gesture to Azuma. The tall, muscle bound man flashed forward, burying his fist into the old man's gut.
The elder fell to his knees like a sack of potatoes, gaping feebly as he tried to regain his surprised breath. His watery eyes looked up at Gato and his henchmen as they grabbed his two little girls. He moved to raise a hand to protect his granddaughters, only to feel the sting of pain as he was stomped on by another thug.
"Why don't you just stay there on the ground, gramps!" chortled the man grinding his heel into the elder's exposed back.
"Bahahaha!" came the excited laughter from several thugs as they tossed the two young girls back and forth like a pair of beach balls. "Ut tut tut! Don't drop em now!" was Asuma's chastising voice as he kicked the old man in the gut ensuring he wouldn't be moving anytime soon.
Gato coughed softly, pausing the men from their games as they set the two girls beside Gato. "Now then. Get out here and stop cowering like cockroaches!" getting no response, Gato pulled a small knife and held it out in the light. "I'll kill these little girls right here and now! I'll rip them into little tiny pieces and paint this dirt road red!" he challenged.
As with the first family, doors were cautiously opened and groups of people slowly came out, fear in everyone's eyes as the frightened people lined up along the thoroughfare. Not a single gaze was raised to meet Gato nor his thugs' eyes. It didn't matter if they were children, teenagers or adults, all trembled in fear of the man that had broken the town's spirit...
The last three to arrive came forth trodding the most reluctantly, an older man in his fifties with a straw hat and fading pants and shirt, a beautiful woman in her mid twenties with long black hair and a presence that screamed caring mother and the last, a petrified boy, no older than eight years in a pair of overly worn out overalls, a dingy shirt and a yacht hat.
Gato immediately narrowed in on the three. He knew who they were. Oh he knew them well! Tazuna, the bridge builder, was trying to create a land bridge between this isolated island and the mainland. If the man were to succeed, he might be able to get the assistance of mainland forces, forcing Gato to back off the village.
Oh, the mousy tyrant hated that man! But, he couldn't kill him. Don't get Gato wrong, he could have his army slice and dice the man a hundred times over, but that wouldn't be good enough. Gato wanted to break the man's soul. He wanted Tazuna to tremble and beg and plead at his expensively covered feet!
No, Gato considered, anything less simply would not do.
A sick grin grew upon Gato's face, spreading out his wickedness like a wildfire, as a thought occurred. Oh he just might get his wish today! "Azuma, grab the boy and bring him here!" Gato thundered, making certain all heard his words.
"What?!" Tazuna gasped, fury raging in his eyes as he stood defiantly in front of the thuggish rogue, arms crossed as if daring the man to try harming his grandson. "You will never lay a hand on my grandson or my daughter so long as I draw breath!" the bridge builder declared loudly, boisterous with his claim.
Gato growled, gritting his teeth. Tazuna was definitely pushing the small man's buttons and loathe to admit it, Gato was reminded of a moment in his past. A moment when he was just a scrawny kid, bullied and taken advantage of.
"Never again..." Gato swore under his breath, glaring death at Tazuna. He'd teach that ornery old fool!
As Gato raised a hand, pointing at Tazuna, the sound of shuffling feet and grunting men was heard. All eyes turned quickly to the distraction.
Some drifter was stumbling through his gang, a brown woolen cloak covering his upper body while obscuring most of his face in a shadow.
"Hey, idiot! Watch it!" shouted one man with a glare, making ready to withdraw a sword.
The drifter paid the threat no mind as he ambled his way through, stopping to kneel at the injured grandfather's form. He gently withdrew a withered, tattered cloth and pressed it to the elder's hand. "Grandfather, are you okay?" the man asked softly, his voice hoarse, dry and raspy as if rarely used.
Neither Gato, Azuma, nor the horde of oppressors were impressed by the display. Several gasps were heard from the villagers at the stranger showing a kind hand in the midst of a turbulent storm.
"Who is he?" "Does he realize what he's doing?" "Someone ought to get that guy outta there before Gato sees him" came the assorted, hushed whispers of the solemn villagers.
The old man started to rise again, a single tear in his eyes as he looked at the kind man helping him. "I-I'm fine," three elder replied, his leathery voice and harsh breathing clearly indicating otherwise. "It's not me to worry about. Please, my granddaughters, they're all I have left!" the man begged, pleading with his voice and eyes as he clasped his wrinkled hands over the drifter's.
A boot came down harshly on the elder's back.
Or rather, it would have, but the drifter's own arm stood in the gap, taking the impact with little give.
"W-what the hell?! Ya think yer tough or sumthin?!" yelled the man to whom the boot belonged to. He raised his foot to strike the drifter more directly. "Take this!"
The drifter said nothing as the kick slammed into him. He gave no grunts, no cries of dismay or pain as he took the brunt of the attack head on.
In fact, the drifter only rose to his feet.
The wind picked up, blowing harshly, and was the only sound in the village as all eyes fell on the lone entity. In the breeze, the drifter's cowl came away from his face, revealing a shock of black hair, a weather worn face with cracked lips. It was as if the man had spent the last five years in the desert... Yet, the Land of Wave was nowhere near so harsh a climate.
Gato growled lowly and pointed at the man. "K-Kill him! Kill that insufferable bastard!" he cried out in fury, spittle flying from the man's mouth in his rage.
The group of mercenaries gave a lecherous series of grins. "Oh yeah, I'm gonna enjoy this," came the reply of one man in the crowd gaining several grunts of agreement.
As one, the horde surged forward, weapons drawn and began the onslaught. The air rang heavy with the clanging of steel on steel and the grunts of exertion.
Indeed for all that were watching the drifter turned their heads away, shame on the visage at not doing anything to stop it, yet fear holding them still. The figure of the would-be be hero vanished from sight, washed away in a sea of humanity...
"Grrr... Heh heh Hahaha!" Gato chortled, starting out angry and finishing in ecstasy.
The sight of the thugs stepping away from where the drifter should lay beaten to a bloody pulp, only increased Gato's laughter. "AHHHH HAHAHA!"
"H-hey... B-bosssss... BLEGH!" That is until Azuma spoke, the last word being a cry of agony as his body literally ripped itself apart, splitting down the middle in the most gory fashion anyone had seen.
Gato froze, his mouth still wide, caught in mid-laugh. Azuma dying was not a part of the plan... In fact, he watched as the entire group of thugs started to stand and move away from their grouping, revealing an unscathed drifter, his cowl lying over his shoulders lazily, his pitch black eyes boring an accusing hole into Gato's soul.
"W-what are you all doing?! He's still standing!" Gato shouted in anger, slapping his staff against the dirt road. "I said to kill him! Now, do what I pay you to do!" Gato screamed, fear gripping him in its cold embrace.
The villagers watched on, unable to turn away from the train wreck unfolding before them. Thugs and footmen alike began strolling towards Gato, their eyes hollow, vacant as the men strode towards the employer.
Gato stumbled, tripping over his own two feet, landing on his butt with a solid thus as he tried to desperately flee backwards. "This-this is impossible!" the weasely voice declared, fear causing his eyes to search all around.
Impossibly, Gato found himself alone as his army, his pride and physical manifest of his might, began to fall. The men burst at the seams, swelled like over ripened fruit, gore and screams filling the air.
"A-Akuma!" Gato screamed, pointing a finger at the drifter accusingly as he trembled.
The drifter took a few steps forward, cracking his knuckles as he did, his face a mask lacking any compassion. "Why are you running away?" the drifter asked softly.
Gato could feel the cold tendrils of imminent death gripping his heart, dancing its fingers along his spine as he struggled to reclaim his feet. "S-stay away from me!" he begged, sweat pouring off of him in droves.
The drifter showed no signs of listening to Gato's orders, growing closer with each step.
"I thought you considered yourself powerful? Get up and face your fate, coward," the black haired man demanded as Gato continued his drastic scramble backward.
"P-Please! I'll pay you! I'll give you any... anything you want!" Gato tried desperately, swallowing around the lump in his throat.
To the surprise of Gato and the gathered crowd of villagers, the drifter halted, his hands landing at his sides, calmly. "Okay," he returned, his voice soft and pleased.
Gato nearly choked as he heard the answer, gaining a bit of his lost confidence, standing proudly beside the drifter with a grin as a self assured cackle built in his chest.
Of course the man could be bought off! He was only human! Everyone has his price.
"HAHA! You hear that!?" Gato shouted in pride as he pointed at the now mournful crowd. They hadn't stood a chance against Gato and his thugs /before/, and now he had some demon in a man's body at his side. All was lost...
As heads lowered in defeat, Gato missed the darkness spread over the man's face as he patted the drifter on the chest. "Heh, with your skills and my business sense, we can rule this whole island. No sweat!" Gato enthused with a sick smile on his face.
"You never asked," the drifter spoke, his voice stoic.
"Eh? What was that?" Gato asked.
The man spoke again. "My price," he answered, placing a hand on Gato's shoulder, sending what looked like arcs of electricity into the small man's body.
Gato shivered, starting as he gazed into the darkened face. A shiver went through the short man as he considered swatting away the hand. "Well, what do you want? Women? Gold? Money?"
The drifter remained stoic, slowly lifting his hand away. "I'll settle for the safety of this whole village and your death," the man spoke.
"M-my d-d-death?! N-no way!" Gato shouted, scrambling away.
Amazed at himself, Gato found his legs carrying his inconsiderable weight in a manner he hadn't been able to in years and as he marveled at the fact he was running, a dawning realization occurred.
Gato couldn't stop.
Running about in a circle, faster and faster, he looked at the drifter. "Wha-? *pant* What did you do to me?!" the diminutive tyrant demanded, his heart pumping harder and harder.
The man stared impassively as he spoke. "Since you like running so much, I've given you a gift. You can run until your heart gives out," the man addressed, turning his back and slowly walking away.
Gato grimaced, clutching at his chest as his heart protested the overusage, his speed approaching that of a well trained ninja. "B- but, this isn't-YAAAH!" he screamed out as his chest cavity swelled to gross proportions a moment before it burst followed by his head then all four limbs.
North Star: Over-Exertion Fist!
As if on a queue, the few hired thugs that remained, having stayed behind, each gave a shiver as they turned tail to run.
"R-RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" seemed the agreed upon response, before a stampede of men tore out of the town, scrambling and tripping over themselves as they fled.
The drifter made his way over once more to the elder, this time the old man was being assisted by other villagers, but they paused, swallowing nervously as the drifter approached.
"S-stay back, monster!" came the demand of a brave voice, a little redheaded child. The child was one of the old man's grandchildren; a sweet looking little girl that appeared to be identical to her sister. The fire in her eyes stirred the man's heart in odd ways.
The drifter's terrifying face softened as he knelt to the girl, extending an offering hand. "I don't want to harm your grandfather," he addressed kindly.
The first girl's eyes softened as her sister approached, placing her hand in the palm of the drifter while her eyes came alight with a new life. There was something familiar about the girl, but neither the drifter nor the girl knew why.
The elder on the ground carefully sat up, assisted by a young man in tattered clothes. "Our village owes you a great debt. Please, stay here and enjoy a night of rest," the elder offered, being helped to his feet, his eyes withered yet kind.
Tazuna approached swiftly, his gaze cautious as he slowly adapted to the one-sided fight he'd just witnessed. "Are you sure about this, Lee? We don't even know this drifter's name!" he protested as he held a hard gaze on the transient.
After a few moments of being glared at, the drifter spoke. "Kenshiro," he answered, his voice ringing through the silence of the newly freed town.
"Ah, Kenshiro. A fine name," addressed Lee as he approached, taking the drifter's hand in his own. "Please, allow us to house and feed you for the night," Lee asked as the villagers began shuffling about, cleaning the bloody street and slowly coming to the revelation that their days of oppression were finally over.
AN: Well, that's the first chapter of what I hope will turn into a great story. More gore and death to come in following chapters, along with the appearance of a certain ninja with a huge fanbase.
SSTR87
Completed 05/30/15