Rain lashed outside. The trees swayed with the wind, which howled through the boughs around the warrior. He held his sheathed katana close to him, staring out from beneath his hood. The countryside, bright and lush in the day, was dark and foreboding under the cloak of night and the tempests rage; his eyes pierced through the darkness, searching for what he knew was coming. He need only wait out the storm…

-An hour later-

Four men strode down the road, heading towards Tokyo. Katsua laughed and continued. "So I held the man down, in front of his wife, and cut off his fingers, right? She begged me to leave him be, that she'd do anything…and, well, you know." He grinned maliciously, his ugly scar contorting across his tanned face.

One of his companions, Muto, a burly type carrying a spear, scratched the stubble on his chin. "No, Katsua, what is it?"

The criminal glared at his sorely ignorant lackey and replied through gritted teeth, "Sex, you lack-wit. I fucked the shit out of the bitch, GET IT?!"

The two other men, twins with long ponytails, snickered as Katsua smacked Muto repeatedly; Foi and Kinn, they enjoyed watching the torments of others, and very much enjoyed causing much of the grief.

"Huh? DO YOU GET IT NOW, YOU DUMB BASTARD?!" Katsua roared with maniacal laughter as Muto rubbed at the bruises now on his face . His laughter was cut short as they passed into the shadow of a large sakura tree…and a figure leapt down from the limbs.

Standing tall, the stranger pulled his hood off, revealing the face of a young man. He had a slim build, and wore a strange garb, it seemed; not a kimono, but a loose shirt with a grey jacket with a hood, and blue pants. In his hand was a blue-sheathed katana with a black and gold grip, which he handled with familiarity. His dark eyes honed in on the leader, the one with the scar…his target.

"What the hell? Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Yeah, what the fuck do you want, huh?"

The stranger tossed his bangs from his face and addressed the band with calm. "Not very polite, are you guys? I was just dropping in to say hello, and deliver a message to one Katsua Onishizuka. Is there anyone here who know where I can find him?"

The leader smirked and stepped forward. "Gaijin, if you have anything to say to me, say it before I get bored and kill you." He fingered the tip of the katana at his side as he spoke; the large brute behind him hefted a large spear as the twins both began to slide their weapons from their sheaths.

"I tend to get bored easily."

They advanced on the young man, clearly inexperienced and foolish, thinking he could merely approach a known and wanted man without more caution.

The stranger smiled cheerily and answered. "Very well. Go to hell, you ragtag piece of shit."

Katsua's rage was clear from the snarl on his face as he drew his sword. "Kill that bastard!" His three companions charged, yelling and whooping for the kill to come.

It was the last mistake they'd ever make, and it was over in seconds.

Foi and Kinn came at him from either side and both swung their blades; the stranger leapt high, avoiding them, and in one fluid movement drew his and slashed at Foi coming down. Crimson blood flashed in the air as he spun low and swung twice more, felling the other twin with a slash to the throat.

Muto jabbed at this newcomer with his spear; the answer was a sidestep and a ram in the gut with the blade's point. Muto couldn't gasp in pain before his arm was gone and he was stabbed a second time through the back. The brute fell with his death rattlem strangely loud in the morning air.

Needless to say, Katsua was scared shitless. The stranger advanced slowly, calmly, almost ignoring the blood dripping from his sword tip and staining the road. The bandit tried a frantic swing and missed; he swung again, and the stranger just weaved again. Frustrated, Katsua took his katana up with both hands and cried, "Die, damn you!" and swung down. His weapon met the horizontal block of the stranger's, who replied, inches from his face:

"You first."

A backslash...gushing blood...screaming pain from his chest...Katsua spun in slow motion, landing heavily on his knees, coughing up blood and grasping nobelieving at the slash in his chest, his kimono staining rapidly from his own blood. He breathed heavily, clawing at the last dregs of life that were slowly seeping away as the world faded from view. The warrior knelt before the dying bandit and spoke, his dark eyes boring holes into Katsua's soul.

"Rutaro Mattan. Remember my name, so the devil will know who sent you."

And with a flick of the katana, Katsua's head was sent flying, his body dropping forward onto the ground.

In the distance, a flock of crows took flight in the distance, filling the air with their melancholy cries.