Chapter One
Familiar Faces and Chance Encounters.
It is a cold fall night in New York. I pull my jacket together a bit more as I walk along the roof tops. Tonight is one of the nights the foot clan didn't need me in anything so I went out for a walk in normal cloths. The ninja uniforms are scratchy and I hate the stupid thing. I shove my hands into my pockets and look up at the full moon in the sky.
I wonder what my parents look like. Did they give me a name? I wish I knew cause even though the name Kei is cool it would be nice to know what my real name is. I get a urge to start drawing so I sit down and take out the sketch book I made for myself and a pencil and start to doodle. I draw images I see in my mind of little kids and adults.
I think they are early memories from when I was little. The one I draw the most is a little girl that looks around one. I stop drawing and stare at the girl in the sketch. I wonder who she is? A sister? A friend? I get a little frustrated and put my sketch book away. I need to clear my head a bit.
I look down into an alley and I see a girl that has a turtle like appearance similar to mine only I have a shell. Her hair is a medium brown shade and her bangs are died a bright blue shade. She looks around fourteen. Even so her body is well developed. I try to get a better look at her face from where I am at but it is difficult.
I notice that some guys come out of a side alley and try to talk to her. She is ignoring them and tries to walk a bit faster hoping they will leave her alone. Smart. It would be smarter to run though. One of them grabs her arm and I get angry for some reason. Before I know what I am doing I am down there and I hit him in the face knocking him out cold. His friends stare at him for a minute then run off. W-why did I do that?
"W-who are you?" I hear her ask me. Her voice sounds soft and sweet. I turn around and look at her. I almost stumble backwards. S-she looks like the little girl. Granted she is older but…. I swallow nervously and rub the back of my neck blushing slightly.
"Kei.. my name is Kei." I look at my feet and kick a small rock. What are the chances I meet someone that looks like somebody I drew. Slim chance to none.
"Kei.. Do you have a last name?" She asks again. I shake my head no. I look back at her. Her eyes match the color of her bangs. She's really beautiful. Almost like a angel or something.
She smiles at me," Well, my name is Mitsuko Hamato. Thank you for helping me." She is a... HAMATO~!? The Hamato's are the enemy of the foot clan. I take a step back.
"Um, it was nothing... I gotta get home... Maybe I'll catch you later?" I say to be polite. She smiles and nods. "I'd like that. I hope it is when I don't need being saved." She kisses my cheek. "Bye" She says and walks off towards her home.
"Bye" I say barely above a whisper as I touch my cheek with my finger tips blushing. Her lips feel like a velvety soft kiss against my cheek. I smile dreamily. I realize the way I am acting and shake this feeling I have off. What am I thinking?
She is a child of the Hamato family. I was raised in the foot clan. It would never work out. I head back to the foot clan building and go to my room. I sink into my hammock and stare at the ceiling. I can't get her out of my mind. Why does she look like the girl in my sketch book? Did I meet her before when I was little?
And why did I get angry when those pricks were messing with her? I grunt as I turn onto my side and glare at the wall. I should get some sleep. Yeah. And meditate in the morning after practice. I clear my thoughts and feel myself drift towards the realm of dreams. Maybe I will meet her again tomorrow.
Nobody has to know and if they find out I'll just say I am spying on the Hamato family for the clan's benefit and will use her after she trusts me more as leverage. I don't really want to do that to her but it would be like a little white lie to the clan. I picture her smiling at me and her gentle voice and I finally go to sleep.