A Past That Haunts
Chapter 1:
Hired Assailants
Chima: Looking for a proofreader . . . just email (use the one that's on the profile) if you want the "job!" Please? I really need a proofreader! Actually, two would be better . . . you know, so if one doesn't catch a problem, the other will . . . Well, I'll stop talking now so you can read (and not listen to me anymore . . .)!-
"Shimizu Clan, to the left," a man in an unruly red suit called strictly. "Except for the little redhead," the man smiled, revealing discolored, crooked teeth.
"M-me?" the frightened redhead asked in a squeak, pointing to herself in shock. The rest of the clan glared as they moved, though it was probable that they were very frightened of this man. Just as frightened as the little redhead.
The man glared daggers, frowning. His frown turned into a smile so quickly, the little girl thought she was just hallucinating. "No, the monkey," he said sarcastically, again frowning. "Yes, I mean you! Girl, what's your name?"
She was so scared, she couldn't even pronounce it, let alone open her mouth. Her mother said it for her, "It is Michiyo, sir. May I be as bold as to inquire why, Master Taiki?"
Hatori Taiki set his face into his most-used facial expression—a frown. "No, you may not. But, seeing as though you already have," insert evil grin here, "you may know that your daughter is being shipped off this island. She's going to work for the Wave Country. Are you happy now, Shimizu Kumi? And you too, Shimizu Akiko?"
The girl in question looked up, her tearstained face, with her rebellious eyes, drilling holed into the man's head.
"Be careful what you ask for," the vulgar man taunted, melting away into the shadows.
"Wolf," the voice repeated. "Wolf, what's with you today?"
"Huh?" Wolf asked, her medium sized auburn hair flowing around her wolf mask. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean anything by it, Endoh."
The teen pulled her over towards him, others passing their figures with confused murmurs to each other, so he could look into her mask's eyes. "Dude. No. It's not Endoh, or even Kuroda Endoh. You should know that, Wolf. We're not called by our names when we're on a mission, remember? You call me Bird, remember?" the teen frowned underneath his mask, referring to the bird mask covering his face. Only after the girl nodded slowly did he pull it up to the top of his head. This action startled Wolf, as they were not allowed to do this on a mission, but she understood his action. The teen's face was tanned, showing off his deep blue eyes and short, dark brown hair. What also showed was his worry and sincerity.
Wolf finally followed his action, but her face was pale, her green eyes watering, and her hair now looking dull in the light. Bird's eyes softened as he saw the apparent pain and suffering she was going through. Silently, they both put on their masks and started their trek once again, following the rest of their large group.
"Where are the traitors, again?"
"They're going to the Land of Waves, sir," the assistant answered, edging away from his master slowly.
"Why is my vessel also moving amongst them, Taku?" the man inquired of the assistant dangerously.
"B-because I accidentally let—"
"You. That's right, Taku. So, why do I let you live, again?" the man glared from under his black mask.
Taku gulped. "B-because you are, Kage-sama, very generous and forgiving, my Lord!" he managed to squeak out after a few stutters.
Kage sat back in his black chair, seeming pleased with himself as he folded his hands behind his head, closed his eyes, and propped his legs on his deep mahogany desk. He waved the pathetic creature away as he said lazily,
"Go fetch."
The camp was made and many cloaked figures were all crowded around many huge bonfires, talking very animatedly to each other while some told stories as others listened. They were close, very close, to their destination, so why shouldn't they be proud and loud? This had been, after all, the hardest mission yet, and they were lucky to be alive.
(Author's Note: Accidental poetry shouldn't count against me—!)
Wolf and Bird, now with seven others of various masks and cloaks, were staring into their bonfire, worried, but still listening to a masked man's tale of rage and humor pointed towards their old master. They laughed occasionally, being polite, as others laughed from pure joy.
Just as the man was coming to his tale's climax, another man in a blood red cloak with the kanji for ataenushi stood up on a log, clinking two sake cups together.
Succeeding in getting their attention, the man cleared his throat before he spoke. "Friends," he said, addressing the rather large group before him, "I'm going to be honest with you. I never actually thought we'd be able to pull this off. But, as you can plainly see, we have. Now what? We escape to where he cannot touch us . . . where he cannot hurt us. We go to the Land of Waves!"
The cheers from the leader's group, if measured in water, would have covered the entire planet four times over. The leader, Akahoshi Daisuke, looked over the masked crowd and smiled, his mask sitting atop his head. He was known as Dragon on missions, but when everyone was informal, he was known as Aka, not Daisuke. He seriously disliked his name for a reason he nor his sister were not willing to tell. Everyone just assumed it was because it wasn't what he personally liked.
Apparently, he was finished, so he walked away to his tent. His younger sister, Ryoko, who was wearing a soft pink cloak with the kanji for usagi with yellow lines along the hems, ran after him.
The crowd, used to his behavior, turned back to their conversations with renewed vigor, talking more about food than anything else. There were approximately two hundred members of their organization, all of which knew the motto of the organization, "zenkokourou," though none spoke it aloud since the death of their previous leader eleven years ago.
Their previous leader, Arashi, was known only by his first name. Despite this, he was married to an unknown and took on the surname of Uzumaki. He had many kids, but only three (known) were in the organization their father had started. The organization's name came from the design that was imprinted on the back of his white cloak, red flames on the hem. His kid's names were Uzumaki Kouten, Uzumaki Kagetsu, and Uzumaki Misora.
There had been a rumor that there was a fourth child, younger than the triplets. But, this was just a rumor, and nobody was in a hurry to figure if it was true.
Taku paced the room absentmindedly, wondering what he was to do. The vessel was in the midst of the rebels . . . and the rebels were very powerful. They had to be, since they were able to leave like so many before them had tried. Their name, unspoken. Only a few knew it, and it was considered unlucky or a rebellious act to say it aloud.
"What am I supposed to do? The container is gone . . . in the midst of those rebels! How am I supposed to . . . get her away from . . ." but, as he spoke, he came to the realization that he could send people out to them, search where she was really, and also get information on the Rebel's weaknesses and such.
"The master would enjoy my information so much . . . he might even give me a raise!" Taku's idea proved to be true in his mind, so he quickly followed through with it, walking into a dark, circular room.
A man, cloaked and further away from Taku, spoke first. "Why do you bother us, runt?"
The words cut through Taku's lofty exterior, flowing from the man's position on the table to Taku's pathetic form, as he began to tremble; only muttering incoherently.
"Just realized that we're more powerful than you and your high rank and pay, now, did you?" said a powerful woman's voice, sitting next to the first one to speak. Her voice signified that she was smirking, while the laughter of the others was a clue that they meant business—business that Taku was going to pay for. Now, if only he could just get them to cooperate . . . . .
"You came to us for a reason, did you not?" came a superior voice from the furthest point of the circular table.
Taku was trembling, so he could only nod sheepishly.
"I said," the voice raised, perturbed, "do you have a job, or are you just pestering us for the fun of it? If this is for his work, then tell us!" His voice echoed around the sinister, circular room. "Then," he added, "maybe I will rethink killing you quickly, and resort to slow torture! How do you like the drill technique, minions?"
Those surrounding him laughed, banging their hands on the table to suggest their appreciation for the suggestion. Though no one else spoke, it was clear that the earlier voices' owners were suggesting things the others would all have recommended, had they not already been spoken.
"I see how it is," the powerful man started to stand up, reaching for the toolbox next to the weapon's holder.
"Wait!" Taku finally squeaked out, holding his hand up for emphasis. Immediately he regretted it, for every 'minion' there stood up, their chairs squeaking as they were pushed back hastily.
"Finally found you voice, I see," the leader mocked the helpless man. "It's OK, minions. Let's hear what he has to say before we attack," he said, his voice going unnaturally deep.
Taku squeaked, flinched, and then spoke. "Wait, please! I am not working for him! I am working for Kage-sama! This is, however, on my own accord!"
The others began edging towards him, but stopped when the leader held up his hand, signaling his interest.
"And what would this require of my—our talents?" the man asked, correcting himself with a shake of his head. As an afterthought, he added, "And how much pay?"
Taku sighed, relieved that he was not—currently—being tortured, and answered his question. "I believe that your area of expertise will be needed for following—tracking—a certain girl who is, by now, in the Land of Waves. Plus, I need information about the group she is with." Instantly, everyone there knew what he was talking about and an interested tone came from the group in front of him. "The pay will be anything reasonable."
"Give it to us now and I shall entrust this job with five of my greatest . . . minions," the man said, sitting back down, relaxed.
Taku was about to refuse the immediate pay, but everyone knew refusing him would prove fatal. "F-fine," he stuttered, handing over most of the money one him—a fair price for the job he was giving them.
The leader got it, counted it, and said dejectedly, "Search him for more. Then, you know what to do."
Taku gasped, tried to escape, but failed miserably as he was ambushed by the group, searching his pockets, boots, et cetera for any extra money. He screamed as they dragged him away, leaving the leader with the five chosen minions.
"Why still go through with it, sir?" one was asking, handing over the large amount they had found on him.
"I'm a man of my word," the leader said, pleased with their work.
"But why . . ." another, a female, asked, sounding completely confused.
"He asked for our help, and we gave it to him. What he failed to ask was for his safety, which we obviously didn't grant him," was the leader's mutilated explanation.
"OK, sir," they all said simultaneously, not pushing the subject any further.
"Now, minions, go forth and make our friend proud," the leader dismissed them as they dispersed quickly without a single look backwards. The leader quickly took out a pen and a slip of paper and filled it out. On it read as he filled it out: Ronin
Group Member(s): (5) Yoshida Ayumi, Askikaga Hisa, Sato Kazuma, Takahashi Kuga, Nakamura Akira; two female, three male
Follow Up: Yamashina Ronin
Time Out: indefinite
Time In: yet to be determined
Mission: To the Land of Waves; find 'girl' the man was rambling about dead or alive; retrieve dead or alive
Permission to: Massacre any in the way, especially the group and its rebels
Pay: more than you should know about just yet
—Minase Yutaka
The leader finished writing, a copy of the paper spontaneously appearing in a puff of smoke. He smiled, checking the names and such, before sending one paper after the group headed to the Land of Waves attached to a dove, and the other to the follow up, Ronin, just like the first.
"I have complete confidence in you all," he said to himself as the other minions returned, giddy. "Is the job done?" he asked them.
"Hai," they said together as they returned to their seats.
"Good," he responded, "now what were we talking about? Seven minutes takes to long, I can't even begin to remember."
Ataenushi – giver
Usagi – rabbit
Zenkokourou – (roughly) One calamity followed close on the heels of another; Out of the frying pan and into the fire; (Literally: Keeping at bay a tiger at the front gate, while a wolf appears at the back.)