At that moment, I suddenly knew why all the ninjas were practically in love with Ryu Hayabusa, and even though I really didn't want to admit it, I was now in love with him too. His lips touched mine, and I felt like a little girl who's just been kissed by her favourite actor. I wanted more and I felt so stupid! I couldn't help myself though, he was too perfect. I grabbed onto his neck, and carried on kissing him, wanting more. He kissed me back, and I wished he had the same need that I did but quite suspected his lips escaped mine, and he started chuckling. I almost felt the need to pout, but I came back to reality with Hayabusa as my brother's best friend, and my protector again.
"Kasumi, you really can be quite surprising!" Hayabusa's smile disappeared. "I almost forgot, the reason for that was meant to be a goodbye." He frowned, but I wanted to make him feel better. I hugged him tight, and dug my head into his neck. After a few minutes, I gathered my courage to give him some advice. I escaped from his arms and faced him directly.
"You'll be fine, Ryu. I know you, and you're amazing at fighting. You're a ninja, and especially a good one. Master Ryu, please listen to me." I had to catch his attention as he started looking down at his shoes. He looked up at me again, with a smirk on his face. "What?"
"Master Ryu? I'm no longer your master, Kasumi. I am no longer in Dead or Alive to look out for you. Well, I am, but it isn't the main reason. I am in it to be with you, and to help Hayate. I know I am a good fighter, and I know I can beat the Tenashu clan. Just don't worry, Kasumi. Now. Go. Hayate is waiting at the bottom of the hill to your south." I nodded, and a tear rolled down my cheek. Ryu wiped it off with his thumb, and placed his hand on my cheek. He kissed me softly on the lips, and he meant it. He quickly left after that, not wanting to see me standing there alone wearing my usual blue outfit.
I ran off quickly to the hill Ryu was speaking about. I was crying on the way, and i wanted to be in Hayate's arms badly. i desperately need comforting, and soon. My running sped up to a sprint and I completely blocked out the rest of the world. I needed Ryu alive, and with me. I couldn't bare it because if he died. I kept running, and running, not even daring to look back. It was weird, because I always thought of Hayabusa as my brother's friend who was protecting me.
I was suddenly stopped by a dark shadow who grabbed onto my arm and swung me into his arms. I was confused, but I felt comforted at the same time. I eventually looked up and this strange figure who seemed to be carrying me as if I was a little girl. He was wearing a bandana covering half of his face, but I would recognize Hayate anywhere.
"You came for me?" I asked him softly. It was reasonable that I asked, as I wasn't his favourite person.
"Don't be stupid." His voice was viscious, and definitely wasn't the usual Hayate.
"Hayate?" I asked, just making sure I had the right person. Seconds after I asked, he stopped at a sort of clearing through the trees and Ayane was sitting down on tree trunk that must have fallen down. "Ayane? What's going on?" I was definitely beyond cofused by now, and half of my mind kept teling me to run; that it was a trap. But, the other half reminded me that Ryu would never set me up. I now had two options; not to trust them and run, or stay and see where this leads to. Hayate helped with my first option and set me down. I brushed off and combed through my hair that was twirling around in the wind.
"Kasumi. It's so nice to see you." Ayane stood up, and gracefully walked forward around two metres but still not nearly as close to me as normal people in a normal conversation would be. I admit, it had been a while since we had spoken, but I did have to remind myself that she hated my insides.
"Ayane." I nodded and smiled, and she smiled back in a friendly gesture. Where was this going? I wanted to find out. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude but what are you doing here?" I asked her in the politest tone I could give her. Hayate walked from behind me and faced my front. He started whispering so low that Ayane couldn't hear.
"Something's wrong with her. I know Ryu didn't ask me to do this and I know his correct orders were to lead you out of here and back to our camp. But somethings wrong with Ayane and I think she could have been poisened by someone like Helena. She's the only one I know that would do this." He looked like a concerned brother, and even though he hated me, I was impressed that he trusted me enough to come to me for help.
"Helena? How did you find her like this anyway?" I asked. I had to admit I really wasn't as concerned as he was. But I needed to show the interest in the situation if I wanted to help. Hayate was about to answer when he became still for a few seconds and then his eyes narrowed and I saw him clench his fists. I gasped just in time to see him sprint off, throw himself onto Ayane and standing up leaving her metres from where she was standing before. I was shocked, as he seemed to have pushed her out of the way of something. I looked around myself and finally when I looked to the right it seemed pretty obvious. I saw an arrow sticking out of a tree trunk and I knew someone had tried to shoot Ayane with it. I looked at Hayate again and he was in a defence position, and Ayane was laughing.
"Whats happening?" She laughed to herself and now I knew what Hayate meant about her being sick. No way was Ayane this daft. A woman started speaking then, with a strong powerful voice, and she was giggling to herself evily.
"Poor Ayane. *sigh* Such a pity, isn't it Hayate?" And she came out of the trees, her blonde hair swirled around her face, her eyes narrowed, and a sneaky litle grin appearing on her lips. Hayate turned to face her.
"You monster! She didn't kill your mother! It was Christie! You stupid woman!" Hayate started screaming, and it sounded as if he had put all of his energy into the speech he gave her. "You're so gulllable! Ayane was never the one who did it ! It was Christie, and I thught it was damn obvious in the second tournament that it wasn't her!" Helena just laughed and had no inentions of believing him.
"Fine. Maybe it wasn't Ayane, if her smart half-brother says so. HA! Hayate, you really can be an idiot." Helena gave him a taunting, cheeky smile and he compltely lost his temper. He sprinted up to her and she didn't expect it, but the flying kick he gave her was enough to knock anyone out almost instantly. I gasped again, as I knew it was time for me to join in and help Hayate and I didn't think I had enough energy to do so at this moment. Helena was thrown onto the floor with no suprise and she was grabbing her stomach intensily while Hayate just landed softly beside her on his feet.
"OW!" She glared devilish at Hayate and then almost instantly looked at me. he look she gave me was intense, and definitely taunting. But it didn't scare me, as I knew I was capable of fighting her and possible winning. I was scared though of the illness she gave Ayane. I wouldn't want that.
"NO!" Hayate's expression turned into wory and before I could even think about it Hayate was running towards me with his arm held out in front of him. I stared at him, not knowin whether he was actually going to protect me. It was weird, and never in my eighteen years of living did I think Hayate would ever stand up for me. I was right though, and in a few seconds flat he was standing in front of me with his back towards me and his arms stretch out on his sides.
"I won't let you take Kasumi too! Ayane is enough! I'm not going to let you put a blasted illness on my own sister aswell!" He yelled at the top of his lungs and I felt so protected by my own brother and it felt very unusual. Helena let out a laugh and then ooked at Ayane. But before Hayate could even speak she threw a small object at Ayane and it looked like a sort of ball. It was bright green in colour and it was about palm size. It crashed against Ayane and a bright light filled the clearing. I could hardly see anymore, and my arm covered my eyes. Hayate mirrored my move but the light didn't get any better. After about a minute or so though, the bright light started disappearing and we could vaguely se Ayane huffing and puffing on the floor. Hayate run towards her as fast as he could, it seemed, and he knelt down bside her, brushing her hair out of her face. He had no more energy to yell at Helena anymore and he gave up. His body drooped onto the floor beside Ayane's and I felt I needed to help them desperately.
"Nooooo!" I screamed loudly, and Helena who was staring at Hayate pathetically, turned to look at me.
"I almost forgot about you." She smirked and winked. She then reached into her side pocket and threw another one of those balls at me. I remember feeling nothing after that, and I felt numb. I also remember falling onto the floor and htting my head hard onto the rocky ground.
And the one last thing I remember was a man in dark clothing jumping out of nowhere and kicking Helena in mid-air to probabaly a quiet subconscienceness...