All characters are property of their respective owners. I am NOT getting paid to do this, so please don't sue me.

Chapter One.

Ein swears the universe hates him. The truth that he was having rotten luck just reassured that he should have never gotten out of bed. The early mornings were never an issue. Ein enjoyed waking before dawn in hopes to begin his training. But, for some odd reason, he had over-slept. He not only missed out on his training but on breakfast. Ein stuffed his head back into his pillow and groan.

Breakfast did not fare well either. Ein was never a great cook. He was kept away from the kitchen for a reason. His latest attempt ended with his food burn to a crisp. Ein could have tried again. He would have if there was any food left over to cook.

Going shopping was even worst. Ein rarely ever shopped for groceries. There was always someone else who did that at home. When it came time to pay, Ein realized he had forgotten his wallet home. He could have easily returned home to fetch it until he noticed the time. He left the groceries back at the shop and headed straight for work.

If it were any other day, Ein could have skipped out on work and return back home. Yet, the only reason Ein ever bother to show up at all was that he had promised to look after the dojo.

Ein had fortunately managed to arrive just in time to change into his gi. He was the last of the instructors to arrive, leaving the changing room empty. Ein sighed in relief. He had grown tired of several of his newest peers how he got several of his scars on his body. He had nothing to tell them anyway.

Work would soon start. Ein opens his locker and shoved all his belonging inside a little too roughly. The picture he had hung on the door came loose and fell out the locker. Before it had a chance to hit the ground, Ein caught it in mid-air. Ein glanced at the photo. A smile crept on his face and all the things that happen that morning were no longer relevant.

The picture was that of him, a few years younger, and his then-girlfriend embracing him from behind as they sat in front of her father's dojo. Ein recalled how Hitomi pleaded with him to take a picture with her before she ventured off to her first day of college. To keep her from frowning at him, Ein agreed. What Ein didn't know was that Hitomi had set him to take not one but multiple pictures. He couldn't help himself as he chuckled over that memory.

'Hitomi.'

She treasured every single moment with him. For what she thought that one day he would walk away from her, forever. He vowed that would never happen. There was no place to go. Not that he could remember.

Seven years ago he was found. Stripped of all his memories and name. Ein wasn't sure how he came to be. He had wandered aimlessly in the Black Forest for who knows how long until he ran into Hitomi.

Though he may not have known how he came to live in Germany, Ein was content to have somewhere to call home. It was all thanks to her. That girl who found him in the woods. That girl who helped him in his time of need. That girl he fell for...and the one he married.

Hitomi was a pretty brunette with hopeful baby blue eyes. She was the first person Ein saw when he first opened his eyes. Ein wasn't able to forget that laugh of hers when he had confused her with an angel. Though Hitomi was no real angel, in Ein's eyes she was. Always.

When he had asked what had happened to him, Hitomi explained that he had collapsed in front of her, possibly due to dehydration. He was confused why he wasn't able to remember anything of his past or his name. At any attempt to remember, Ein had received bad headaches that had him laying down to ease the pain. Hitomi stayed at his side. Nursing him until he was able to rise on his own. She would grab his hand into her own and she said that "everything will be alright."

It was…for a while.

Until he was able to remember his name, Hitomi decided to give him a temporary name. Ein. Though meant to be temporary, Ein never expected to be so fond of his new name. Perhaps because it was Hitomi who gave him that name. Hitomi was embarrassed when he told her that. She only came up with the name when she was skimming through a magazine article. Regardless, Ein loved his name. It was better than being left nameless until his amnesia went away.

Ein was allowed to stay as a guest with Hitomi and her family. They had accepted him inside their home after hearing of his tragedy. They wanted to help him by asking their friends and neighbors if they were aware of him. Sadly, no one knew who he was. They had even gone to the authorities to see if anyone had declared him missing, yet no one came forward. Ein knew it would take time before anyone came. He just didn't expect what happened next.

Ein restlessly waited. He waited for someone to find him, to tell him who he was. But, no one ever came. Ein thought that those who might have known him were unable to locate him. Yet after months, Ein stopped waiting and moved on. Perhaps there truly was no one out there searching for him.

It didn't matter now. He had Hitomi.

Ein learned a lot from her. He even grew close to her, something that her parents approved of but not several of his peers at her father's dojo. They grew jealous of him, but he ignored them. His focus was only to the girl he fell for.

When Hitomi graduated from high school, Ein thought she would study abroad and he would be left alone. He prepared for the worst. It never came. Instead, Hitomi moved in with him in his apartment and attended a university not from where they lived. Not long after, Ein decided to marry Hitomi. He proposed to Hitomi after she graduated university. She joyfully accepted. Ein was the happiest man alive.

Hitomi was the greatest thing that could ever happen to him. He couldn't picture a life without her. Whoever was his family in the past no longer concerned him. Hitomi was his family. Soon there would be another joining them.

He fixed the collar of gi as he closed his locker door but not before he removed his wedding band off his finger. The last thing he wanted was to damage it. Ein had a job to do at his father-in-law's dojo so he shouldn't daydream about his wife.

He will treat her when they are home alone and no one was around.

As he entered the main room, Ein cringed when he saw his rival, Diedrich, lounging around waiting for him to appear. He was a very tall and muscular man donning a similar gi to that of Ein's. Ein undoubtedly believed that the man consumed some drugs to get his intimidating physic. The man was always causing trouble for Ein especially when Hitomi was the subject of Diedrich's desires. The man was unlucky gathering Hitomi's attention. Maybe it was due to his reputation as a well-known womanizer and sexual deviant.

"Ein!'' Diedrich smirked as Ein approached him.

Ein sighed. "What is it, Diedrich?"

"Are you ready?" The man crossed his arms over his chest.

'Oh great this again,' Ein mentally snarled.

"Ready for what?" Questioned Ein.

"To forfeit my beloved Hitomi so that I can claim her!" Diedrich laughed.

Ein scowled. "You are delusional, Diedrich."

Diedrich continued to laugh maniacally. "To you maybe, but we all know Hitomi would have been my woman if you never showed up."

"You wish," Ein growled with annoyance.

Diedrich had never liked him. Like he, Diedrich had grown to love Hitomi. Or lust for was more likely. Ein also thought that Diedrich didn't like him because he became a Master of the dojo before Diedrich. Even though Ein had only been studying Karate for a few years, Ein was a much better fighter and mentor than Diedrich who had been training since he was a child. His ego was always the obstacle of Diedrich's path to victory.

"Diedrich, when will you get it through your thick skull that Hitomi is my wife? It's been a few years now since I married her. I will never leave her." Ein proclaimed to his foe.

"You were never fit to marry her!" Diedrich raged, "All these years and you still can't remember your past. No one knew who you were or where you came from. For all we know, you could be faking this whole amnesia nonsense and be a murderer waiting to stalk your next victim."

Ein snarled at Diedrich's remark. "If I was stalking my victim, don't you think I would have done so already? Your claims are ridiculous."

Diedrich looked confused. That was another reason why Ein doesn't like Diedrich, he fights like a warrior but has the brain of a brute. He was too stupid. Ein was convinced now more than ever that the man was in fact on drugs.

"Look Diedrich stop asking me to leave Hitomi because you were too stupid to make a move on her for the last few years since I've been here."

"I am not stupid!" Diedrich roared.

Diedrich's outbursts were drawing the attention of their students. A few began to snicker in the parties. Ein mentally sighed as Diedrich continue to rage on. He wished Diedrich would stop. No, he wished he just stayed home with Hitomi and then maybe Ein would not have had such a terrible morning. Diedrich was only making things worst.

"A Master and mentor should never act in such a way in front of his students," Ein said, "Let's leave this for another time, more people will start showing up for training. Unless you want to make yourself into a greater fool, be my guest. Maybe they haven't lost all respect for you."

Don't make a fool of yourself or they will lose all respect for you."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Diedrich hollered, "My students will pummel yours to the ground!"

"We are teaching the same group," Ein stated

Diedrich quickly became silent.

'Diedrich, you are definitely a moron,' Ein thought to himself.

"Uhm whatever, let's get ready but mark my words Ein. Hitomi will be mine!" Diedrich declared as he scurried to a group of students.

Ein sighed. The class has not even started and Diedrich had already exhausted him. Maybe he should have risked a stern telling off from his father-in-law if it spared him that awful day.

"You handled that pretty well, Ein." A feminine, cheerful voice stated.

Ein turned his head over his shoulder to see his wife with a smile on her face.

"Hitomi, what are you doing here? I thought you would stay home today?" Ein questioned.

Hitomi giggled. She embraced Ein as best she could, and gave him a kiss. "I wanted to see how things were going with the new students. Dad insisted that I should come. Master Shen is even going to a demonstration. I didn't want to miss out. Also, I wanted to make sure you haven't burned the dojo to the ground."

Hitomi's father had fallen ill a few months back and wasn't able to cater to his dojo. He kindly asked his son-in-law to step in for him. Hitomi would have been his main choice since she was his daughter. Yet, she was in no condition herself to train anyone.

"And here I thought I was actually needed here today. You could have told me you know," Ein deflated. All the turmoil for nothing. "I'm going home."

Taking a step back from Ein, Hitomi laughed. "You must have had a terrible morning for you to leave with an empty stomach, huh?"

"Don't remind me." Ein pleaded.

Hitomi continued to laugh. "Next time you can just wake me up. I will make the buffet that you deserve."

"You were tired. You needed your rest," Ein objected.

"I only get tired because of you," Hitomi laughed.

Ein grinned and looked down at Hitomi's growing belly. "Last time I checked, it takes two to make a baby, Hitomi."

Hitomi crossed her arms and tried to look offended, "But you were the one who wanted to have kids already. It was you! You seduced me. Poor little me."

Ein couldn't stop his burst of laughter. Hitomi laughed along with him as she embraced him once more. They held each other until the sounds of his students started to fill the room.

"Well, we better get ready. Master Shen doesn't like to get interrupted during his demonstrations." Hitomi snickered.

Ein didn't want to let her go. He just wanted to hold her close like he does every night. It appears he would have to wait until they go home. Ein let his wife go. Placing a hand on her growing belly, Ein was overjoyed with what the future was bringing him.

"Alright, let's go," Ein said, grasping Hitomi's hand to take her to his usual waiting spot in the dojo for demonstrations.

"Don't worry, Ein. Once the class is over we will talk about your vacation." Hitomi said cheerfully.

"My vacation," Ein questioned as he stopped, "What do you mean, Hitomi?"

Hitomi smiled. She reached for an envelope inside her purse he had realized she had with her. The envelope had been torn up, no doubt by her. Ein curiously took the envelope from his wife and removed the invitation inside. The invitation was pearl white. Golden letters wrote his name. He flipped the back of the invitation. On the top was a note.

"You have been invited to Dead or Alive."

I've been invited to Dead or Alive? What is Zack trying to pull?"

Ryu Hayabusa tossed the small invitation addressed to him from where he sat to the opposite side of the room. Becoming the leader of the Hayabusa Clan, Ryu held too many responsibilities to be attending a silly tournament. The only reason he attended the other ones was to help Kasumi.

"Master Ryu."

Ryu glanced towards the Shrine Maiden, Momiji, sitting across from him in her maiden robes. She held the invitation in her hand, the same one he had tossed just moments before.

"What is it, Momiji?" Ryu questioned the young woman.

"There was a message written on the other side."

Momiji handed the invitation back to her master. Ryu flipped the other side of the invitation. He quickly skimmed thru the message. Ryu released a heavy sigh. Momiji knew whatever was on the invitation was not good. She had not read it when she noticed it as it was not meant for her. Momiji worried for Ryu. Her master had not been happy over the last few weeks and the stressing had been getting to him.

Ryu rose from his seat on the mats. "Inform my father that I might be leaving in a few days. Make sure the village is safe in my absence. We don't want Genra unleashing an attack on us."

Momiji bowed her head. "Yes, Master Ryu. Will you be attending the tournament?"

"Most likely," Ryu stated, "Kasumi would suggest attending."

"I will let Master Jô know at once." Momiji excused herself, leaving the Dragon Ninja on his own.

Ryu did not remain in the empty room for long. Instead, he went in search for Kasumi to tell her of their next mission. When Ryu became the leader of the Hayabusa Clan, Kasumi insisted she aid him in all future missions. He refused at first but that did not stop her from joining him.

As Ryu was approached his destination towards the main chamber, he could hear chatter behind the thin walls. Ryu slid the door open to the room. What he saw brought a smile on his face.

Kasumi was sitting in the middle of the room playing with a toddler and his toys, resembling several ninja tools. He ran in circles around Kasumi. She laughed at the toddler's mischief. Kasumi reached for him and brought him into a hug. She placed several butterfly kisses on the toddler's face as he squealed happily.

Ryu stepped inside his room, closing the door behind him. The sound of the door sliding shut alerted Kasumi. She looked over to Ryu's direction. She smiled while Ryu approached her. Kasumi held the toddler in her arms, rising to meet Ryu.

"Look who has come to see us on his busy day, Taro," Kasumi told her son, cuddling him in her arms.

Taro looked over to Ryu with his emerald eyes. He was ecstatic to see Ryu. He extended his little arms so Ryu would hold him.

"Daddy." Taro squealed for his father.

Ryu smiled. He was always happy to see his two-year-old son, Taro, call out to him. Ryu wished he could spend more time with him, but his duties as the clan head took him away from what mattered most to him. Kasumi closed the distance between her and Ryu. Ryu took hold of his son in his arms. Ryu then leaned to place a kiss on the lips of his loving wife.

He loved his family and would do whatever it took to protect them, especially from those they once called allies.

~.~.~.~.~