Chapter One
"You must never stop moving," Ryu Hayabusa reminded, dodging a kick the kunoichi aimed at his head. Kasumi didn't say anything to confirm that she had heard him. Instead, she aimed another kick at Ryu, this one grazing his cheek as he leaned away from it a little too slowly. Ryu tried to take advantage of the lack of defense Kasumi had to her midsection and threw a punch. Kasumi hid a small smile.
He fell for it, she thought. While her foot was still coming around from the kick that failed to hit Ryu, Kasumi kicked off from the ground with her other foot and twisted her body an inch from Ryu's fist. Kasumi thrust her feet forward and kicked Ryu square in the chest, using him as a spring board and sending him hurtling backwards. Kasumi flipped through the air and landed softly on the ground just as Ryu smashed noiselessly into a wooden kendo-dummy.
Kasumi looked over her shoulder to make sure she had not done any serious harm to her friend. She was not at all surprised to see that Ryu had already recovered from his fall and was charging towards her. Kasumi turned on her heel again, this time teleporting in an explosion of pink cherry blossom petals. Ryu stopped mid charge to see where she would appear next. Movement caught his eyes just as Kasumi materialized in the corner of the dojo. She hardly had time to set both feet on the ground before Ryu slipped a hand into his belt and threw a shruikan at her.
Kasumi bent backwards and watched as the deadly weapon sailed above her face to bury itself in the wall behind her. Kasumi straightened up to find Ryu no longer there.
"….Ryu-san…" Kasumi whispered into the air. Ryu materialized behind her, sending chills up the auburn-haired girl's spin. Before she could move, Ryu wrapped an arm around her waist and one around her neck before launching them both into the air. Kasumi cringed as Ryu bellowed his battle cry. Ryu leaned backward and prepared to dive back down towards the mats. Kasumi cursed the fact that Ryu was only able to do this because of the high ceiled dojo. Ryu rocketed downwards.
Kasumi felt the wind rush past her and she threw her head back, smashing the back of her skull into the unprotected jaw of her friend. Kasumi felt Ryu's arm loosen a bit she quickly wriggled a hand under his arms and applied all her strength to push his arms wide. She pushed off and grabbed the rafters and looked down to see Ryu rushing to the ground alone. She watched as Ryu landed on his hands and pushed off so that he flipped to his feet. Kasumi blushed.
She must look ridiculous hanging from the rafters with no pants on.
Ryu didn't give any notion of being at all bothered by it and rocketed up towards her. Kasumi flipped onto the rafter and back dove off it just as Ryu passed through the space she previously occupied. Kasumi landed on her hands on the adjacent rafter and nimbly straightened up so that she was on her feet again. Ryu, looking like some version of Batman, was clinging to a higher rafter, looking down at her. Kasumi readied herself and stared back. Ryu jumped down to the rafter below him so that they were at the same height. Kasumi wasn't falling for it. She impatiently flicked a strand of hair out of her face and watched Ryu. He was just standing there with his arms crossed.
"You're in shape," Ryu said simply. Kasumi blushed. She knew better to take the compliment in a romantic way but…a girl could hope, right? Any hope was obliterated by what the Super Ninja said next.
"But you could be a faster. Did you notice how easy it was for you to break out of my hold?" Ryu asked. Kasumi said nothing.
"I let you out. You have to be faster, stronger….better. The assassins aren't going to go any easier." Ryu continued. Kasumi kept silent.
"Never let your guard down!" Ryu snapped. His arms snapped out and threw out a series of shruikan, three in each hand. Kasumi, having left her tanto on the mats below, was unarmed. Kasumi gasped. She spun on her heel again, ready to teleport. She wasn't fast enough; three shruikan cut her. Two got her arm and one nicked the top of her breast. Kasumi lost her footing and fell. She watched as the mats came rushing towards her. She flipped in midair and landed on her feet.
Ryu was on the ground next to her, still on the attack. He placed both arms on her side and shoved with all his might. Kasumi hurtled sideways into the wall. She crashed into it, hitting her head and seeing stars before she slumped down in a daze. By some miracle, she landed by her tanto. She quickly grabbed it and sheathed it on her back.
Ryu ran over to her and Kasumi shook her head to clear it. She turned to the wall and ran up it in two seconds flat. She flipped off it and landed behind Ryu. She flew into a series of punches at Ryu's back. Ryu turned and blocked each one. He swung his left fist at her which she dodged before he kicked at her ankle. She went down. In sheer desperation, she kicked up, hitting Ryu right between the legs. Ryu paused for a second. Kasumi took full advantage of it and rolled onto her back. She went into a perfect hand stand and grabbed his head between her feet and applied all her legs muscles to pull him towards her. She pushed off from the ground and flipped at the same time. Ryu flipped and landed on the ground and Kasumi landed with her legs on either side of him.
Kasumi unsheathed her tanto and held it an inch above his head. She shook her hair out of her face and looked down at him. He blinked up at her, stunned. Kasumi got to her feet and held her hand out Ryu took it.
"I hope you're not as generous to me as you are your opponents." Ryu said lightly. Kasumi caught the glint in his eyes and read it correctly. Ryu pulled, attempting to ram Kasumi onto his foot so that he could push her back into the air. Kasumi saw it coming and pushed off, adding to Ryu's momentum. She flipped and still held onto Ryu's hand. She landed on her knees behind Ryu who tried to flip to his feet and failed. Kasumi bent Ryu's arm at an odd angle, keeping him on the ground. Ryu used his other hand to swipe at her which Kasumi grabbed and slammed to the mats as well.
Ryu was helpless. Every time he tried to flip to his feet, Kasumi bent his arm at a sharper angle. After several more attempts, Ryu lay still.
"Very good," he complimented. Kasumi waited for the underlying criticism but none came. She let Ryu got and he got to his feet, shaking the feeling back into his arm. He turned to look at her. He nodded to her.
"You're hurt," he observed. Kasumi looked down at her slightly bleeding breast and wiped the blood away.
"I'll survive." She said.
"I don't doubt it," said Ryu. Kasumi ran her hand through her hair and smiled shyly up at him. She couldn't help but notice that Ryu's eyes lingered on her breasts for more than a few seconds before they drifted up back to her face again.
"I appreciate you taking me to this dojo, Ryu-san."
"You're welcome. We should get going. Although this is an abandoned dojo, that won't stop scouts from wandering in." Ryu suggested. Kasumi nodded.
"Will…..will I see you soon?" she asked. Ryu turned his back on her and began to walk away.
"If you really need me, I'll be there," he promised. Kasumi fought the urge n to groan in annoyance. Just as Ryu turned to teleport away, Kasumi walked up behind him and threw her arms around him. The touch froze Ryu.
"I…..thank you, Ryu-san. It's good to know, despite the fact my world has been turned upside down, you're the one thing that keeps me upright," she whispered. Kasumi let him go and Ryu turned to her. He folded his arms.
"I made a promise to your brother." He reminded. Kasumi nodded. Of course, it always went back to that. Kasumi stepped back.
"Kasumi….I made a promise to Hayate," Ryu repeated. Kasumi nodded. Why does he keep saying that? Kasumi thought. She understood that affection she had for him was more than a friend but she also knew that Ryu's loyalty to Hayate crippled any chance of having those affections returned. Ryu's eyes momentarily lost their coldness and Kasumi thought she saw something akin to hope….maybe regret…
"Sayonara, Ryu-san," Kasumi whispered. Ryu took a step towards her and Kasumi prepared herself to fight again. Ryu threw himself over her head and disappeared in a burst of green petals. The petals rained around Kasumi just before disappearing before they hit the ground. Kasumi held her palm out and caught one. Making sure she was alone, she pressed her lips to it before tilting her hand and letting it fall to the ground. It, too, vanished before it hit the ground.