Author's Note: I do not own any of the characters from the Ninja Gaiden series. I only own the created characters that I have placed in this story.

Wasn't really feeling the For Honor story I had posted, and I've been itching to get work done on this Ninja Gaiden work. Hope you all enjoy Chapter 1 :)

April 26th

Location: Somewhere outside Hayabusa Village

Time: 2:08 P.M.

It had been another typical day for Ryu. Woke up in the morning, got his morning fill of food, went out to train for a few hours, and now he was on his way back to rest up and help the younger ninjas in their training. Ever since the incident with the Regent of the Mask, things had been relatively calm over the past several months, which was a bit unusual, but it was certainly rewarding for all the shit he and the others had to put up with in the past. The Dark Dragon Blade Incident with Doku, saving Momiji from Obaba, the Black Spider Clan constantly harassing them with new plans to take over Tokyo, and most recently, having to save the world from a near impending doom at the hands of the Goddess. The toll on his body was massive, but in the months that had passed, it allowed him to recuperate enough to the extent to where he finally felt like himself again before all the madness started. Drawing his sword out, he did a quick flourish of it, spinning it in front of him in an intricate pattern before sheathing it away as he continued to walk back to the village. The air was rather crisp, with a gentle breeze passing through the trees, making the leaves flutter in the wind with the scent of evergreens lingering in the air. However, a disturbance from deep in the woods off to his right suddenly emitted in a low pitch. The noise caused Ryu to tense up at the sounds, drawing his sword out as he faced the direction of the noises that sounded like a mixture of growls and snarls.

"Wolves…" he thought.

The noise soon died down, but Ryu kept his stance at the ready as he kept looking into the wooded area, trying to see if he could pinpoint the source of the growls.

"Must've just been a pack dispute."

Lowering his guard, he kept his sword out as he continued his walk back to the village. It was normal to hear such noises in the woods due to the wildlife that surrounded his brethren, so it wasn't really a surprise for Ryu to hear such animalistic sounds. Suddenly, a figure covered in a blinding light suddenly burst forward from the treeline, dashing across Ryu's path, almost knocking the Dragon Ninja off of his feet. Extending his arm out behind him, Ryu pushed off the ground with his hand, backflipping onto his feet as he looked up at where the figure had crossed him. There was no immediate trace of the person who had sprinted by, but soon enough the figure came bounding back, halting itself about thirty feet away from where Ryu was standing. To Ryu, the figure before him did not like any ordinary human or ninja he had encountered in his journeys. Before him stood a humanoid man with spiked white hair, glowing azure eyes, a half mask covering the bottom portion of their face, ninja robes that were of a pure white color, and in its hand it carried what appeared to be a regular katana, but there was something surrounding it that looked like there was a chilling wind circulating around the blade itself.

"The hell is this? Another fiend?!" he pondered, frustrated with the encounter.

Ryu quickly readied his sword in front of him, now in the position to strike. The being before him emotionlessly looked back at him, with wolf-like growls being used as exhaled breaths. Slowly, it drew itself into a fighting stance, it's focus squarely on Hayabusa with an intent to kill or cause severe injury. Changing the position of his blade, Ryu immediately charged the humanoid at an almost blinding speed and soon enough, he was about ten yards away from his enemy in the other direction, his sword raised high. The humanoid continued to remain still, garnering a confident laugh from the Dragon Ninja, thinking he had won in such easy fashion but was proven wrong as the foe turned around ever so slowly, seemingly unaffected by the attack.

"What?!"

Slightly angered at the result, Ryu readied himself once more, with the White Robed ninja doing the same. Again, Ryu took off from his position, utilizing the Violent Wind technique, soon transitioning it into the Violent Gale as he repeatedly went back forth with his lightning-fast slashes. However, none of the attacks appeared to be doing anything, for the enemy kept deflecting each attack before punching Ryu in the side of the head, sending the Dragon Ninja skidding away about fifteen yards. A deadpanned laugh emitted from the glowing ninja as it watched Ryu stand back up to his feet, shaking off the impact from the blow. Taking advantage of the distance between them, the ninja reached by his belt and swiftly threw out a kunai, bound for Ryu's chest, but Ryu easily cut the projectile out of the air with one graceful stroke of his sword. Picking up the pace, he once more charged the great foe, but this time opted for a simple diagonal slash, which was met by another block, with both ninjas now pushing against the other in order to come out with the upper hand, but both appeared equally match since neither was making any progress in their push for dominance. Sliding its blade downwards, the glowing ninja reached out to Ryu, grabbing a hold of his throat before flinging him overhead. With absolute grace, Ryu flowed with it, flipping continuously until he landed on the ground, taking his stance once more. This time, it was the other ninja's turn to rush, almost appearing to ride the cold wind that circulated its sword, lashing at Ryu with a lateral slash that he easily jumped over but at the same time could feel the biting chill that radiated from the blade. Using the opening, Ryu kicked out at the ninja, striking them in the midsection and pushing him back a few paces before following up with two more kicks straight to the ninja's face, with the second kick sending the foe flying backward, skidding along the dirt. Swiftly following up the Thunderclap Kick, Ryu rushed the downed ninja, leaping high into the air before plunging back down with his sword aimed for the chest. However, a sudden gust of cold air slowed his speed as he fell back down, giving his enemy time to roll to the side, avoiding the potentially fatal stab. Standing back up, the ninja struck once more, but Ryu managed to counter it, parrying the attack away from him before following up with a jumping high kick that crashed against the enemy's skull, sending the man cartwheeling down the pathway. The man continued to bounce off the ground before skidding once more on the dirt, the side of their head now bloodied as they shakingly brought themselves back up to their feet, the light in their eyes dimming a bit, signifying a loss of power within them. Taking the chance, Ryu started moving his arms about in an intricate pattern, starting to channel his inner ki while the enemy ninja was still struggling to keep their balance. The more Ryu progressed with his art, the more flames started to appear around his body as he completed channeling his ki. Spinning in a circle, he crossed his arms over his chest as he inhaled deeply before throwing his fists forward at full extent.

"Ninpo Technique: Art of the Inferno!"

At the call of the words, the flames around him surged forward, streaking towards the ninja, who had no time to even take the slightest step to move except raise his arms up in front of him in order to brace for the oncoming impact. The moment the roaring flames made contact, a fiery explosion engulfed the spot the humanoid was standing in, a bright yellow-orange cylinder flying into the air. Inside the firestorm, the ninja was struggling to take the damage from the heat, with pained growls bellowing from the figure as it wretched and writhed in agony as the flames continued to consume them. However, using every ounce of strength it could muster, the ninja spiked their sword into the ground, gripping the hilt with both hands, uttering a phrase.

"Ice...Age."

In a flash, cold wind and ice suddenly swelled up along the cylinder of flames, quickly dousing the inferno that Ryu had launched and eventually, everything was soon encased in ice, almost as if the ninja had frozen themselves as a means of protection. The sight greatly confused Ryu as he kept watching on, with every dancing flame quickly going out until only a few embers danced across the sky before going out in puffs of dark smoke. Out of caution, Ryu didn't dare go near the ice that had now rendered his foe immobile and invulnerable for he had never seen such an art before, therefore the outcome was extremely unpredictable on what he did if he made any attempt to break the ice. Assuming the fight to be over, he lowered his guard while continuing to observe the spectacle that his unknown opponent had created, but, when he took a step forward, the ice suddenly started to crack. Slow at first, the cracks started meandering their way from the sides, growing and expanding as they covered the entire shell of ice with the movements becoming more rapid and soon enough, the case shattered completely. Some of the shards pierced through the air, gunning for Ryu, who managed to get his guard back up but not before some of the shards nicked his forearms, leaving slight cuts that started to stain his attire. Emerging from the carnage, the ninja, now covered in what was surprisingly only first degree burns and soot, withdrew its katana from the ground, bringing it back up to a battle stance. The sight that threw Ryu off was the fact that it appeared as if the ninja had a gained a second wind after being trapped in the ice for only a few minutes. Blood still continued to run down the side of the ninja's face, but they seemed unaffected by it now as they charged Ryu at blinding speed with their sword arm extended to the side. Wanting to end this, the Dragon Ninja rushed out to meet his enemy halfway, sliding into the ground, tripping them up off their feet before launching them up into the air with another kick, sending the ninja into the sky upside down. Kipping-up from his position, Ryu immediately teleported to the ninja's location, turning himself upside as he wrapped his arms around the ninja, facing his target.

"Izuna Drop!"

Before Ryu could start the spinning part of his clan's signature move, the unknown ninja let out a loud snarl, the half mask sliding off his face as he lunged for the Dragon's neck, clamping down with a vicious bite that made him roar out in pain. Releasing his grip on the enemy, Ryu fell back down towards earth, his left hand covering the fresh, bloody wound that had been inflicted on him. Rather than catch himself with a flip, he simply angled himself to where he could flow into a roll, bringing himself up to a knee as his sword clattered to the ground next to him. The enemy ninja simply landed in front of him, the Dragon Ninja looking up at him in frustration and confusion as he struggled to keep himself from bleeding out from the bite. Showing no remorse, the humanoid swung his knee up, striking Ryu in the chin, forcing him to stand up on his feet as he stumbled back. Drawing his katana back, the ninja lunged forward, bringing his blade diagonally downwards.

"Frozen...Cross…"

Cutting from the shoulder, the blade was brought down to the opposite hip, and the same was done to the other side, leaving an X-like wound across Ryu's torso. Weakly, he fell backward into the dirt, heavily breathing as he bled from his wounds while the mysterious ninja stood by his side. He seemed about ready to put the finishing touch as he raised his katana up, but his eyes started to rapidly flash, something that they sensed as wrong. Letting out another growl, the ninja swiftly left Ryu, disappearing into the treeline with a trail of cold air being left behind them as they ran deep into the woods. As for Ryu, he continued to lie in the packed dirt, blood slowly streaming from his wounds and onto the ground, turning it a dark crimson shade of color while his breathing continued to grow heavy the longer he bled. Sometime after his mysterious foe had departed, there were sounds of footsteps that came charging towards him, and he didn't bother thinking about who it possibly could've been as he felt his life slowly slipping. Before him, two figures, one male, the other female, crouched beside him. The female was dressed in a black attire of sorts that looked familiar to Ryu, and had short purple hair, with a black band going across her forehead and around the rest of her head while the male possessed what looked liked metal armor, along with a black ninja headband and short brown hair. He could only deduce the duo as two people he was well familiar with: Ayane and Hayate, both ninjas from the Mugen Tenshin clan.

"Ryu, Ryu! Can you hear me?" Hayate worriedly asked, inspecting the damage.

"H...Hayate…" Ryu uttered, pain coursing through his body.

"Who the hell did this to him?" Ayane questioned, gently resting her fingers on Ryu's arm as a sign of comfort.

"I don't know, but he's gonna die if we don't get that neck wound tended to soon. We're not far from the Hayabusa Village, so if we rush him back now, maybe Momiji can help him out," Hayate noted, carefully lifting Ryu up.

Making haste, the two Mugen Tenshin started darting off in the direction of the Hayabusa village, with Ryu groaning in agony the entire time. For a normal person, a simple stroll would've taken at least a few hours, but when you're one of the best ninjas in the land, that easily turns into a twenty-minute mad dash. Hustling along, the three soon entered the village, with some of the residents surprised by the sudden arrival of the Mugen Tenshin. Ignoring the looks that they were receiving from some of the residents, they kept racing their way up towards the Castle of the Dragon.

"Somebody get Jô! It's Ryu, he's in critical condition!" Hayate screamed.

The guards further ahead could hear the faint cries of help coming from further down the path as Ayane and Hayate kept rushing forward. Scrambling, they started barking orders at one another in order to prepare for the arrival of the three.

"Somebody alert Master Jô! Open the doors!"

From inside, two attendants pulled the wooden doors open, enough space to allow the three to enter with haste before the double doors were open to their fullest extent. At the far end, Jô was seated at a small table with a tea set in front of him, the white bandage still covering his eyes to signal his blindness from his battle with Genshin. He appeared rather calm despite the grave situation as Hayate was cradling his only heir before him in his arms.

"I knew you two Mugen Tenshin would be arriving sometime today to discuss some matters, but what I wasn't expecting was for you to bring me my son, half-dead," Jô commented, taking a sip of his tea.

"Sir, we found him like this out in the woods. He was already bleeding heavily as is, but we d-"

"Relax boy. I've already sent someone to retrieve Momiji from the Dragon Shrine so she can tend to Ryu immediately," Jô mentioned.

Signaling to one of his nearby attendants, they stepped forward with a large white cloth, folded over their arm as they stood by Jô's side.

"Sir."

"Bring Hayate and Ayane to the back and layout that cloth. We're gonna need to put Ryu somewhere safe for the time being until Momiji gets here."

"Right away, sir."

Following the command, the attendant made way for the back room that was just behind the wall Jô was sitting by, with Hayate and Ayane closely behind as Ryu still let out groans of pain. Inside, the attendant gracefully unfolded the cloth, laying it out on the floor before motioning for Hayate to set Ryu down, both of their attires now stained with blood. The two Mugen Tenshin continued to watch over with concerned faces, but the attendant started ushering them out before much could be said. Back in the main room, Jô patiently waited for them as they slowly came back to him. Motioning towards the seats that were available, the two hurriedly sat as their thoughts raced about on Ryu's condition.

"I do appreciate you two bringing Ryu here as quick as you could, but, rest assured, he'll recover once Momiji's nursed him back to health. The boy's been through worse, perhaps the most extreme time being when he told me how his body stayed together after his loss to Doku. Didn't think the boy had it in him to pull something off like that," Jô remarked, refilling his tea.

The memory of the Dark Dragon Blade Incident made Ayane shudder since she was still relatively young when everything went down. The burning of the village, the cries of help of the residents, and there was nothing she could've really done in order to help. The one thing she did remember though was falling unconscious in Ryu's arms when he found her in the armory, but after that, some things were still a bit fuzzy on trying to remember what else happened throughout the whole ordeal. Jô blew on the hot tea before continuing to address the duo.

"So, aside from thanking you both for bringing Ryu back, what is it that needs to be brought to my attention?" Jô inquired.

"Well...there's a ninja clan up north that has decided to make itself known after living a life of seclusion for the past several years," Hayate stated, folding his arms over his body so most of the blood was covered up.

"It isn't more Spiders is it?" Jô half-jokingly remarked.

"No, sir. I'm pretty sure the Black Spiders are quite the opposite now since they've been thwarted so many times, but with that aside, the clan that's appeared is known to most as the Silent Wolf clan, also known as the Okami Clan, which is what most have been referring to them as," Hayate mentioned.

Jô slowly nodded along with the news.

"I see...and what exactly was your purpose of coming here to tell me this?" Jô inquired.

"We wanted to see if we could get Ryu to come along with us to help establish a friendly connection with the clan. However, given his current condition, I doubt he'll be able to make it with us," Hayate sighed.

"Hmm…."

The leader of the Hayabusa Clan placed his cup back down on the table, now resting his chin on his fist as he tried to think of a plan to help the Mugen Tenshin duo. Eventually, an idea struck as he let out a hearty chuckle.

"Perhaps there is someone after all who could be my representative," Jô cheerily laughed.

"Sir, you're not thinking of going yourself are you?" Ayane inquired, her worry increasing.

"Heavens no, child. If I'm being honest, the one person who could be Ryu's replacement would have to be...Momiji," Jô stated, nodding to himself.

Momiji came as a surprise to the duo. The woman certainly had gained a lot of experience in becoming a kunoichi under Ryu, but she still had her duty to fulfill at the Dragon Shrine.

"Sir, we certainly appreciate the recommendation, but what about Momiji's work at the Shrine? I mean, Ayane and I are willing to wait for Ryu to fully recover if need be," Hayate stammered, unsure of the decision.

"The village has enough maidens undergoing training to take care of the Shrine if Momiji's gone. She's trained them well enough to the point that they're able to care for themselves and perform everything else in a routine manner as a team...and please, call me Jô, Hayate. We've known each other long enough these days. The same goes for you Ayane," Jô remarked, a smile lighting up his face.

The two Mugen Tenshin looked at one another in disbelief, for neither knew how to really react to the decision that Jô had just made for them. Before either could formulate a response, the front entrance suddenly opened up, diverting the three's attention away from their current thoughts. Entering the residence, dressed in a loose white long sleeve top and a long red skirt, was Momiji, her hair up in the usual long ponytail she kept it in. With care she approached the trio, a slight smile popping up onto Jô's face as the other two remained silent.

"Momiji, glad to see you here," Jô noted.

The woman bowed in response.

"Where is Master Ryu?" Momiji inquired.

"He's in the back room. One of my attendants can guide you there, and before I forget, there is something I wish to discuss with you once you're done tending to him," Jô added, taking another sip from his cup.

"I understand," Momiji replied, before being led away by the attendant.

Once again, it was just the three to themselves as Momiji went to tend to Ryu. The silence was abundant in the air mixed with concern, for the only thing that was mostly on their minds was seeing that Ryu would be able to recover, and someday take vengeance on the being that nearly slew him in the forest.

Location: Silent Wolf Village

Time: 3:47 P.M.

The village was relatively quiet at this time of day, for all ninjas had taken part in their mid-afternoon training and were now resting up for the night's nighttime training when it arrived. The one thing that was noticeable about the village, was the large, two-story building that was somewhat positioned in the center of the village, albeit placed in a more northerly direction than actually being situated square in the middle. Above the entrance, in big bold writing, was a sign that read "Clan Leader Residence" across the wooden board it was placed on. At the entryway, a young, yet a rather mature looking man who looked to be no older than thirty approached the doors, hitting the door with three rapid knocks. On his back, there was what appeared to be a younger ninja: his black hair spiked up, and his silver robes in tatters, with different areas of his skin burned and the entirety of his body covered in soot and ash. Shortly after knocking, the doors swiftly swung open, allowing the man to enter. Inside, three other ninjas, each dressed in a different set of colored robes: one clad in a wine red color, another dressed in what looked like a royal purple, and the last was dressed in an azure blue. The trio was rather surprised to see what the ninja was bringing with him as he walked down the wide corridor.

"Master Keita, this is a surprise to see you with Master Daisuke's son on your back," the Purple Ninja addressed.

"Indeed it is. What did the young man do this time?" the Azure Ninja inquired.

"I found him in the woods when I was out hunting. He was unconscious, covered in burns, and look at him now: his robes are just covered in soot," Keita responded, starting to make his way up a set of wooden stairs.

"And what exactly caused the damage?" the Red Ninja questioned.

"How should I know? I just found him in his current state. It isn't my job to also know who did what to him. Now off with you three, go," Keita commanded, irritation ringing in his voice.

Continuing his way up to the second floor, Keita made his way down another stretched corridor, venturing further into the innards of what was essentially the "palace" of the village. Soon, he came across a part where the corridor split off in a T-intersection, going down the right corridor before eventually sliding open the screen that led him into Daisuke's quarters. The village leader, Daisuke, a middle-aged ninja himself with short hair that went down to his shoulders, and a beard that encompassed only a small amount of face around his mouth, was in the middle of overlooking some items that appeared to heirlooms to either his family or the village itself, but his attention was soon diverted away the moment he heard the screen open, his eyes coming to meet Keita's stare as the younger ninja held his son on his back. Looking from Keita to his son, Daisuke let out a heavy sigh as he motioned for Keita to put him down on the futon that was by the table that lay in the middle of the room.

"I take it his powers activated on him again?" Daisuke asked, pulling open a drawer that contained herbs.

"That's really the only answer I have for you Daisuke. There's no way he could've gotten himself hurt like this unless it was something in association with his powers," Keita replied, placing the young man down.

Pulling out a small bowl and pestle, Daisuke threw some of the herbs into the bowl before crushing them up, kneeling down next to his son. Keita quietly observed the entire process as he stood over the two, but he was mostly examining the burns inflicted on the young one.

"It does pose the question though as to who had the ability to cause such damage to Hiromu. There aren't a whole lot of other ninjas out in the world that could possess such abilities to control fire," Keita noted.

"There is one such thing known as Ninpo, Keita. However, not just anyone can go out and wield Ninpo like some play toy. For if someone tried doing such a thing, it could result in death if they have little to no experience of handling such techniques. Mastery of Ninpo often requires one to possess the ability to master channeling their own ki first since that is what allows a person to wield such powerful arts," Daisuke pointed out, putting the pestle down.

Shifting his hold on the bowl, Daisuke raised the bowl up to Hiromu's nose, letting the aroma of the herbs waft into his nostrils. At first, his nose began to twitch as the smell entered his body, but soon enough he started coughing up a fit, sitting himself up with a hand over his own chest.

"Easy Hiromu, you're safe at home now," Daisuke assured, putting his hand on Hiromu's shoulder.

Rubbing at his eyes, he blinked a few times to ensure that he wasn't dreaming as he looked up at Keita before turning to his father. Everything around him seemed normal and felt normal too, but he quickly clutched at his head, waves of pain surging inside him. Outside, he could also feel the pain that some of the burns had inflicted on him as he fell back on the futon.

"Twenty-one years old and he's still struggling to master his own power," Keita scoffed.

"Keita, you know he's had this power before he was even a teenager. Leave him be," Daisuke retorted, still tending to Hiromu.

"Damn….what the hell happened?" Hiromu asked, still in a daze.

"Your powers activated on you again," Keita sighed.

Hiromu raised his arm up to inspect it: some of the fabric in his attire had been burned through, and his arm underneath was red from first degree burns, and the same thing was said for his legs since there were holes in the pants, with equal burns exposed to the air.

"Where's my sword?" Hiromu inquired, looking around.

"I have it on me. I think it's best you stay out of action for the next few days to recover while I keep security over your weapon. The last thing we need is for you to go into that uncontrollable state again and wreak havoc on the village," Keita sternly stated.

"But I-"

"I'm gonna have to agree with Keita on this, Hiromu. Not to mention, we've made our existence known to Japan now, so I'm expecting some diplomatic matters to come to us in the coming days from neighboring clans, some even far and wide," Daisuke added.

"What about my training?" Hiromu whined.

"It can wait. When you're in better condition, we'll resume on helping you control your powers," Keita assured, taking his turn to leave.

Hiromu watched as his teacher walked out of the room, hearing his footsteps fade away as he walked down the corridor that took him back to the main hall by the front entrance. Moving the bowl to the side, Daisuke helped his son sit up, albeit gingerly, with Hiromu wincing most of the way as the pain continued to radiate throughout his body.

"It's best you rest now Hiromu. Judging from the damage, it looks like you'll heal fine, but I'll still bring in one of the shrine maidens to help you recover. Also, I know I brought up the thing about the diplomatic matters earlier, and I want you to take part in it as well," Daisuke noted, putting away his objects.

The young ninja rolled his eyes at the request as he drew his legs up, resting his arms on his knees.

"You're sure you want me for that?" Hiromu questioned, earning a laugh from his old man.

"It'll certainly help. Plus, and by chance, you might even meet a pretty lady along the way. You know how important it is to ensure that your future will see you producing an heir to take over once you pass," Daisuke teased, sitting at the table.

Hiromu groaned at the remark from his father. Standing up from his spot, he started to make way for the exit, but only to pause himself before he set foot outside of the room.

"Whether I meet someone right for me or not should be the last of your concerns, dad. The number one priority is seeing you not screw up on establishing connections. Worry about my future later," Hiromu huffed as he walked out, slamming the slider shut.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Hiromu made his way further down the corridor where his room was, opening the slider to let himself in, then closing it behind him as he shook his head. He raised his hands up to his temples, cradling his head as he walked over to his bed.

"Fuckin' hell….I don't even remember doing anything in that state of mind. How did I get burned? Who did I fight? Did I accidentally kill someone?" Hiromu wondered aloud, seating himself.

He knew himself the side effect that came along with his power: Zero recollection of what transpired when his power was activated. The Wolf Blood, as it was called by his teacher Keita, was something that had been part of his village for decades for as long as the elders could remember. There was no exact documentation of when it first sprung up, but most tended to assume that it came about when the clan was first formed, and for the generations that followed, the Wolf Blood was passed onto to certain children of the next generation, and while his own father wasn't someone who received the Wolf Blood, Hiromu became one of the people to be blessed, or cursed with it. Keita was one of the other ninjas that also possessed the Wolf Blood, and was thus working as Hiromu's teacher in order to help him control and harness the powers correctly, but unfortunately, they weren't having the best luck despite having been practicing it for the past two years. Occasionally, Hiromu would have outbursts of his power, sending him into an uncontrollable frenzy that sent him running off. Normally, he'd be found in the woods, soundly sleeping after his power had settled, or he was all scratched up from a fight he had gotten himself into. In the end, he had to reflect on what occurred throughout the day, ranging from his recent outburst to now having to prep for when neighboring clans would arrive and ensure that he and his father didn't screw anything up in the process.

Location: Hayabusa Village

Time: 5:24 P.M.

"There, that should be able to stop the bleeding for now," Momiji breathed, carefully wrapping the last bandage around Ryu's torso.

The Dragon Ninja was still in a great deal of pain from his earlier encounter, and even just trying to lie down hurt enough. The stinging pain coursing through him didn't make anything better, and with him just lying on the ground didn't appear to relax the amount pain he was going through for the time being. Grunting, he let his eyes close on him as he stared up at the ceiling, with Momiji giving him a reassuring pat on the forearm before leaving the room. Returning back to the main hall, Momiji was greeted by Jô, who was now by himself with no trace of Hayate or Ayane located.

"Where did the other two run off to?" Momiji questioned.

"I told them to take a walk around the village in order to help clear their heads. The silence in here was painful as is, but sensing their anxiety and constant fidgeting, it's best that they take the time to walk and relax," Jô replied, adjusting his robes.

"I see...aside from them, you said there was something you wanted to talk to me about," Momiji addressed, seating herself across from Jô.

"Indeed. It was brought to my attention earlier by Hayate and Ayane that a ninja clan has made its presence known in Japan," Jô started.

"It isn't the Black Spiders again is it?" Momiji inquired, fearful of another long-lasting conflict.

Jô shook his head at the question.

"No. Not this time in this case, but the motives of this clan are still unclear. They're mostly known as the Okami Clan, but their official title is the Silent Wolf Clan, and according to what Hayate told me, they're located somewhere up north in the woodlands," Jô finished, scratching his head.

"And what does this have to do with me then?"

"Well….the two of them were originally going to ask Ryu to accompany them on their travel in seeing the clan so they can establish a means of friendly connections. However, as you've seen yourself, Ryu most definitely isn't in any condition to travel anytime soon."

Momiji solemnly nodded at the statement.

"But, since it is vital that we do establish a connection with this clan, I figured that it would be in the clan's best interest if you went in Ryu's place to go meet the Silent Wolves with Hayate and Ayane."

The request came as a shock to Momiji, rendering her speechless. Inside, she was happily willing to accept, but at the same time, she was conflicted since she had to decide on whether or not she wanted to leave the Shrine in the care of those who weren't fully trained yet in being shrine maidens.

"Sir...I do appreciate the offer….but the shrine…."

"No need to worry about the shrine my dear. I know you've done a fine job in training the women who have been willing to take the duty of caring for the shrine. I'm sure they'll take good care of it while you're gone for a few days," Jô chuckled.

Once again Momiji went quiet at the response, but, satisfied with Jô's assurance, she nodded along in agreement.

"Alright...I'll go with them," Momiji affirmed, standing up.

A smile crossed Jô's lips as he heard the words ring in his head.

"Thank you, Momiji. Once again, you have my word that the Dragon Shrine will be well looked after. I promise you that my dear," Jô assured, nodding his head.

Bowing in response, Momiji turned and soon exited the Castle. It was certainly a lot to digest in such a short span of time as she wound her way down the hillside. Having to leave the Shrine was a rare occurrence for her these days, but she figured she was bound to venture out again at some point. Reaching the foot of the hill, she was greeted by both Hayate and Ayane.

"So...what's your decision on it? We won't force you if you say no," Hayate stated.

"...I've decided to go. It's clear you need someone from here, and at Master Jô's discretion, I'm willing to travel to the Okami Village with you two," Momiji responded.

The response came as a bit of a shock to Hayate, but he understood nonetheless since there wasn't anyone on the same level as her...at least in this village.

"Alright, we'll leave the decision of when to depart to you. Preferably we want to leave no later than tomorrow, but if you want, we can start heading out now," Hayate commented.

"Well, if we want to get this matter taken care of, we can leave soon. Just give me time to change and grab my gear and we can head out to the village," Momiji responded, starting to head back to the shrine.

The two Mugen Tenshin tailed the maiden back to the Shrine while their minds were still evidently on Ryu's condition. The sight of seeing one of their closest friends practically knocking on death's door was a frightful sight, but Jô assured them that his son would recover, but even then they still had some doubts as to whether or not Ryu would return at full strength, and tracking down whoever committed the heinous act wouldn't be a simple task since they had no description of the culprit or any witnesses. Arriving at the shrine, the two Mugen Tenshin waited outside while Momiji entered the building. Inside, two other girls were practicing their recital on rites that had been written down on a scroll before them.

"Girls," Momiji called out.

The two immediately whipped their heads up from their reading, acknowledging their mentor.

"I'll be gone for a few days while I attend a meeting at Master Jô's discretion. Keep the Shrine in good condition while I'm gone, and also check in on Ryu every so often. He's been injured after a recent encounter and I would appreciate it if you two could tend to his wounds while I'm gone," Momiji stated, starting to sort out her gear.

"Yes Momiji," the girls replied in a synchronized manner.

Disappearing into her room, Momiji placed her main gear down before she changed out of her maiden clothes and into her kunoichi clothing. Taking hold of her naginata, she stowed it onto her back before exiting the shrine and linking back up with Hayate and Ayane.

"All set?" Hayate inquired.

"Mhm," Momiji nodded.

"Let's go then."

Taking point, Hayate started to lead the two back to the entrance of the village. The hike towards it was relatively quiet, but the three shared the common thought of concern for Ryu, but Hayate was also focused on meeting the Okami. It was important to make a good first impression, or else they would be starting off in a rough patch, something nobody wanted when it came to important matters such as this. Upon reaching the entrance, the four young kids of Sanji, Sakura, Denroku, and Hanamaru ran up on the four, mainly Momiji.

"Momiji!" Sanji called out.

The trio stopped in their tracks, turning towards the four young children. They all collectively gathered in front of her, looking up at her as if she were their older sister, which was something she was certainly treated as by the orphans.

"Where are you going? And….where's Master Ryu?" Sanji inquired, looking around.

A look of anguish crossed the maiden's face as her mentor's name was spoken aloud. She simply knelt down in front of the children, drawing in a deep breath.

"I'm leaving the village for a few days to help my friends here tend to some business elsewhere. As for Ryu…..he's up in the castle, but it's best that he not be disturbed for some now," Momiji solemnly stated.

"Is he hurt?" Sakura asked, cocking her head to the side.

The black-haired kunoichi solemnly nodded in response.

"What happened to him?!" Sanji blurted out.

Momiji bit her tongue on the response, finding the words stuck in her throat as she attempted to answer the question, but Hayate stepped in for her.

"He was struck down by a blade of sorts. There was a big X right across his chest and blood was everywhere, but what made it odd was how cold he felt given the time of the year it is. It's spring, but he felt as if he had been out during a cold winter night," Hayate added, perplexion spread across his face.

Sanji clenched his hand into a fist, determination flashing in his eyes.

"Then I'll start training harder so I can help get back at the person who hurt Master Ryu!" he proclaimed.

The statement brought a smile to Momiji's face and even ones to the two Mugen Tenshin.

Reaching out, she ruffled the young boy's hair.

"I have no doubt in that Sanji. Just please continue to behave well in the village and visit Master Ryu when he's recovered," Momiji stated.

Sanji nodded in response, along with the other three doing the same before they ran off. Momiji brought herself back up to her feet as she watched the children disappear into the village.

"They really look up to you," Ayane commented.

"Well, ever since the Dark Dragon Blade Incident, I've practically been playing the role of big sister to them due to the unfortunate demise of their families. It's still disheartening to think back on, but I have no doubt that they'll grow up to be strong fighters themselves," Momiji remarked, slightly nodding.

Hayate contently chuckled at the exchange between the kunoichi before starting to make his way out of the entrance.

"Best we get going now. It's gonna take us roughly three to four days to reach the village from what I've heard," Hayate mentioned.

The two women soon followed suit, quickly catching up to the brown haired ninja as they set foot outside the entrance. All three were certainly in for a surprise since this journey meant trying to make new friends and hopefully establish friendly ties to the clan itself. If they were able to pull this off, then the region that all three villages resided in may as well be labeled safeguarded if the Okami Clan proved to be as strong and capable as the other two clans, but only time would be able to tell in the future.

April 29th

Location: Somewhere outside Silent Wolf Village

Time: 10:49 A.M.

Delicate rays of sunlight beamed through the tops of the trees as the trio continued to stroll down a rugged path. They had been journeying towards the Okami for the past three days now, and they were hoping that a fourth day wouldn't be necessary, but Hayate was confident that they were close to its location, even though it felt like they had been dragging on since they had gotten up at sunrise.

"I seriously hope you didn't get us lost Hayate," Ayane commented.

"I haven't. Look, I know we've been on this path for at least the past day now, but I'm positive that village is up ahead somewhere in the area," he responded, constantly scanning the sides up ahead.

Despite his assurance, there were still no clear indications that they were near the village even as they scanned the sides of the path and the treeline for any signs or clues that could point them in the right direction. The trek was starting to become exhausting the more they kept pressing on and they felt like stopping in order to take a breather, but something kept driving them forward, almost as if they were desperate to just even catch a glimpse of the hidden village. Further along the path, rustling in the treetops caught their attention, forcing them to stop in their walk while they took the time to inspect the noises. Again they found nothing, but up ahead, a shadowy figure stepped out from behind a cluster of trees and started sprinting off to the northeast. Hayate quickly signaled to the two kunoichis to follow and the trio was soon in pursuit of the figure as they ascended up into the trees themselves in order to keep an eye on the person from higher ground. Keeping to their stealth tactics, they managed to follow the figure for at least a solid half hour before they lost track of the person as the figure dove past a large set of bushes, much to the dismay of Hayate.

"Damn it…" he sighed.

Ayane tapped him on the shoulder, garnering his attention. Before any words could be exchanged, the purple haired kunoichi simply pointed at what was ahead. From their current position, they could see the Silent Wolf Village and part of its interior as the three stood in awe at their discovery. The place was already looking busy as people were constantly walking from building to building and the sounds of other ninjas training could be heard in the distance as the mentors shouted every command at their students. The three soon hopped down from their perches and followed the same path that the figure took and waded their way through the bushes before stumbling upon the entrance to the village, and almost immediately all eyes fell on them. Whatever activities the villagers were doing was soon halted as they looked at the outsiders. Low whispers and hushed voices started to converse with one another as they kept their focus on the trio, which they didn't find surprising, but Ayane was slightly annoyed by it.

"Jeez, you'd think the reception would be a bit more welcoming," Ayane remarked, folding her arms under her chest.

"We're unknown faces here Ayane. This reaction was to be expected if I'm being honest," Hayate noted.

Ahead of them, the three different colored ninjas were making their way towards the entrance, something which caught the attention of the villagers as they backed away to the sides in order to give space to the three. The colored trio soon stopped a few yards away from the others, their movements almost perfectly in sync with one another as the Azure Ninja stepped forward.

"State your names and business here outsiders," he ordered.

The direct order sounded a bit harsh, but given the lifestyle that the clan had previously been living, the three didn't find the behavior surprising. Looking at the two women, Hayate stepped forward first to address the three Okami.

"My name is Hayate. I'm the current leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan in Miyama and with me here are my fellow clan member Ayane, and the Shrine Maiden of Hayabusa Village, Momiji. We're here to seek an audience with your clan leader. Is he available?"

The Azure and Purple Ninja turned to the one decorated in Red, to which he gave a nod in response.

"Follow us then," the Azure Ninja requested, starting to lead the way.

The other three complied and soon started to follow behind the colored ninjas, but they could still detect the uneasiness among the villagers as they stared them down from afar, with mothers even hiding their children behind them, something that gave off a rather unwelcoming vibe to the outside group as they continued their walk.

"We do apologize for the behavior of our clan," the Red Ninja gruffly started, "You three are the first outsiders to have sought us out after our Master's decision to make the clan known to the others after living in seclusion for so long."

"Perhaps introductions are in order?" the Purple Ninja suggested as they drew closer to Daisuke's residence.

"I don't see why not," the Red Ninja responded.

"Right, before you two start hassling me on it, I'll do them. I'm Master Raidon, the main voice of the Elites," the Azure Ninja began, "The one clad in purple is Master Takuji, he mainly serves as the advisor within the group, and in red is Master Jiro. He's the rather quiet leader of the group."

Takuji and Jiro both nodded along in confirmation with Raidon's introductions as they reached the residence. Reaching the doors, the Elites stepped off to the side to allow the way for the others as Takuji slightly pushed the main door open.

"Master Daisuke should be straight ahead the moment you enter. I don't think anyone else is with him right, but if they are, it would most likely be Master Keita," Jiro stated, pulling down his half mask.

"Keita? Is he part of your group as well?" Hayate asked.

"No, he is not. He mainly serves as a weapon instructor to the younger ninjas of the village."

"Right, understood. Thank you for your time," Hayate finished, bowing.

The Elites bowed in response before departing themselves, leaving Hayate to open the door the rest of the way. The heavy door slowly creaked as it fully opened, revealing two figures at the end of the corridor who were at a large wooden table, one of which was sat behind it and the other was standing to the side, arms folded over his chest. The sight was a bit unnerving to look at since they were in the leader's household now, and it was the time to ensure that everything they did was smooth and not screwy. Slowly, they strolled their way inside while the two figures appeared to be in the middle of conversing with one another, albeit in a casual manner. As the trio drew closer, the two dropped their conversation as they heard the oncoming footsteps and their attention soon turned to the others, to which a warm smile lit up on the seated figure's face.

"Well, seems we have our first few guests," Keita noted, unfolding his arms.

"Respect them as you would any other ninja, Keita," Daisuke remarked.

Upon approach, all three of them felt slightly intimidated by the stares of the two higher-ups, especially Keita's, but Daisuke's seemed to show a more welcoming side.

"Greetings, young ones. Welcome to Silent Wolf Village," Daisuke addressed, taking his turn to stand and bow to the group, who returned the gesture.

"We appreciate the kind greeting, sir. I'm Hayate, and this is Ayane, and we're both a part of the Mugen Tenshin Clan up in Miyama. Along with us is a friend from the neighboring Hayabusa Clan. This is the Shrine Maiden, Momiji," Hayate pointed out.

"Pleasure to meet you all. I'm Daisuke Miyazaki, leader of the Silent Wolf Clan. This man here with me is my closest advisor and friend, Keita."

Keita respectfully bowed in acknowledgment of the three. In the back of his mind, however, he was wondering where Hiromu was during all of this and thought that the young ninja must either be sleeping in or he was out and about in the village somewhere.

"As you, three know most likely know, Keita and I made the decision together to make ourselves known to the ninja world after being secluded for practically as far back as our ancestors date back. Our reason for coming out of our isolation mainly stems from the recent antics that the Black Spider Clan have been performing recently. I'm sure you know of this?" Daisuke inquired.

"Yes, sir," Ayane responded, taking the spotlight.

"Then I assume you were one of the kunoichis who must've helped in dealing with them. Most of the news we've heard is that a ninja known as Ryu has been the main man dealing with those Black Spiders. Say, isn't he from Hayabusa Village himself?"

"Yes, he is. His father is the clan's current leader," Momiji replied.

Daisuke simply nodded along.

"I thought as much. News of his deeds has spread far and wide then indeed. Well, enough with the small talk, what do you wish to discuss exactly?" he asked, sitting back down.

"There are definitely a few things worth talking about, but I'll start with the simplest matters," Hayate replied, kneeling across from Daisuke.

The two kunoichi stood at his side as the discussion between them started to go into motion. Normally at this point, they wouldn't say much unless they felt they need to speak themselves, and it probably would be that way for a lengthy amount of time as the two leaders discussed that events that were ongoing in the surrounding area. Unknown to all, Hiromu was actually present in the room, standing on the second level and looking out over the wooden railing in one of the darker corners. Personally, he didn't want to get involved with this kind of business, and if he was being honest, he just wanted to watch it all from the sidelines. Not to mention, he was still recovering from whatever encounter he had a few days ago with his skin still somewhat red from the burns that he suffered from whatever fire had been used on him or that he had made contact with. However, he would still admit that it was an interesting sight to see outsiders in his home, let alone his own village, but it was the unknown intentions that they carried made him skeptical, much like everyone else. For the time being, he could only hope that whatever his dad was discussing was going over well with both parties, otherwise, there was the potential of a scuffle and that was instance he was hoping wouldn't come to fruition. Eventually, Hiromu started to feel himself spacing out the more he watched the meeting, but rather than return to his room, he opted to stay around even if he wasn't half-listening.

"Hiromu," Keita boomed, "Stop hiding and get down here."

"Son of a…"

Exhaling a defeated sigh, Hiromu moved from his hiding spot and descended the stairs, much to his father's delight.

"Ah, there he is. This here is my son Hiromu. Hiromu, this is Hayate, Ayane, and Momiji."

The young heir bowed to the group before taking his spot next to his father. Briefly, he shot a daring glare at Keita, who only snickered in response before Hiromu turned his attention back to the meeting at hand. Behind his facade of seriousness, he was flat out bored already by the meeting since there was no exact way of telling when the meeting would be over. Instead, he was thinking over his recent power outburst and what the possible consequences could be if they caught up with him. Absentmindedly, his eyes began to wander, carefully inspecting the three outsiders that sat before him and his father. His initial impression of Hayate was respect, judging by the way he appeared to carry himself and the way he spoke, he certainly seemed to be someone worthy of being a leader in a clan. The purple haired woman next to him gave off a different vibe compared to Hayate. Ayane definitely looked the type who wouldn't hesitate to kill any enemy of her allies or friends, and it wouldn't just be an ordinary kill, it'd be an execution if you were to witness it right before you. The image left Hiromu a bit unsettled the more he thought about it, and immediately he made a note to try and not piss off the kunoichi. Finally, his eyes wandered over to the kunoichi with the long ponytail: a well-smithed naginata laying across her back that made her appear just as lethal as her looks...at least in Hiromu's eyes. Her figure was something worthy of note, and the more he stared, the more he found himself listening less to the talks as his eyes wandered. The curves she had were rather...out there, and definitely drew his attention as there was a good deal of cleavage to look at, nearly making Hiromu's jaw drop, but he raised a fist to his jaw in order to make it look like he was seriously thinking over what was being said between his father and Hayate, all the while he kept sneaking glances at Momiji from time to time. Despite all this, it felt like an eternity was passing the more his mind drifted and his legs were starting to ache from sitting for such a prolonged period of time, but at the same time he didn't want to break etiquette since he was right in front of an important group of people, forcing him to fight through the burning pain. He wondered how Daisuke was able to manage all this, and Keita was lucky since he was standing and not sitting, making Hiromu the one to suffer for the time being. Eventually, the closing matters came to an end as both Hayate and Daisuke shared a laugh as the Okami leader stood up from his spot.

"Well Hayate, I think it's safe to say that this marks the start of a long and peaceful relationship between the clans. It'll still take some time for most of the people to warm up to you and the others, but I'm sure things will work themselves out," Daisuke stated, smoothing down his robes.

"It'll sort itself in due times. We're in no rush, especially since the Black Spiders have gone quiet since the LOA Incident," Hayate noted, dusting off his body armor.

"Can only pray they stay that way," Ayane added, resting her arms under her bust.

The others nodded along in agreement.

"Well, best we start heading back. It's going to be another few days travel before we get back to our homes," Hayate addressed.

"There's still Ryu to tend to," Momiji pointed out, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

Hayate solemnly nodded at the issue before turning back to Daisuke.

"Thank you again for the time to talk," Hayate stated, bowing before the Okami leader.

"Anytime. You kids are welcome to the village whenever you please," Daisuke responded, returning the gesture.

Standing from his spot, Hiromu bowed in response, along with Keita doing the same before the trio departed. After they had exited the building, Hiromu finally allowed his smile to show along with a faint laugh.

"You're suddenly in a good mood," Daisuke noted, turning to his son.

"Yeah...I'm just happy the meeting went well," Hiromu replied, still thinking about Momiji.

"I'm happy about it too, and also amazed. Two of the most powerful clans in the area speaking with us was something else. Just a shame that Ryu couldn't make it, but I'm sure he'll show someday," Daisuke sighed.

"Don't sweat it too much dad. For now, I would just say rest easy since we got what we were hoping for," Hiromu confirmed, giving his dad a pat on the shoulder.

Daisuke nodded along in agreement before Hiromu returned upstairs and back to his room. Normally he would've felt tired after having to be seated for such a long period of time, but this time he felt more upbeat, almost as if he found the energy to keep himself going for the rest of the day. All because of the one Shrine Maiden who managed to come to his village, by the luckiest chance, he could've ever imagined...and he couldn't get her off his mind in the slightest.