Chapter 1: We are what?!
Kanika slowed her pace as she and her sister entered the temple, her eyes going wide. All of the priests were bowing to them as they walked by, none of them making eye contact. Why are they bowing to us, Kanika thought, tightening her grip on her younger sister's hand. Slowly but surely, a small feeling was sinking itself to the bottom of her stomach, her gut telling her something was extremely wrong. What happened though, she pondered as they walked further into the temple.
Mei however was busy looking at each of the priests, looking for someone in particular. Where is he, she thought as her eyes continued searching. Moments later, her eyes landed on one of the priests; the only one with hair. His short brown hair was held back with a small string out of his face, but his eyes remained closed and he didn't look up as she passed by. Kohan, she thought sadly as she continued walking with Kanika. She wanted to run to him and asked what was wrong, but she knew that doing that right now wouldn't be wise.
Kanika stopped and turned to ask Hanzo a question but she found the man on his knees as well, bowing to the two girls. "H-Hey," she stuttered, "Stand up you; there's no reason for you to bow." Kanika turned to the other priests, yelling, "Same goes for the rest of you; stand up, please!" Even though she knew her cry was heard, no one moved an inch.
Hanzo stood, giving the girls a reassuring smile, "Please don't concern yourselves with them; they are doing this of their own free will." Mei made a noise of surprise and looked at all the priests, wondering the reason for this action. Kanika shook her head, "These people are our family, we are all equal here; there is no reason to bow to any human." She sounds like her father, Hanzo thought, a small smile forming on his lips. "I know this may seem all strange to you; you want answers. The answers you seek await inside." Hanzo answered, gesturing to the temple.
Even though it went against Kanika's better judgement, Mei squeezed her hand softly, nodding. Kanika looked at her sister for a moment before sighing. "Very well." She said, walking to the temple, clutching Mei's hand tightly.
...
As the girls entered, they were unaware of the two men hidden in the tree's, watching them silently. "So that's them huh?" A red-head man asked his companion. He watched them carefully as they walked, memorizing every detail he could. The oldest one was a couple of inches taller than the other one, who he assumed the other was the younger one. With her shoulders set, her eyes straight ahead, the older one held a a fearless look in her eyes. However, from how tightly she was clutching her younger sister's hand, she was just as nervous as the other.
The younger one, however, made no effort in hiding how much she was nervous. She was frightened for herself and her sister. He noticed her staring at the monks to her right, probably the one in the back with hair. They probably like eachother, he thought to himself, making a mental note for future reference.
What confused him though was why the younger one was wearing men's clothing? From the message Hanzo had sent, they were both female, and that they would be arriving shortly. So why was one dressed like a man?
His companion, an orange-haired man, swung upside down off a branch from the tree he was sitting on and landed on the branch below him. "I think they are cute; especially the one with long hair!" He exclaimed. The red-head huffed, "I'll admit she's cute, but I like the other one with short hair."
"I thought you liked girl's with long hair?"
The red-head shook his head, "My most recent experiences prove that long hair in bed just gets in the way."
The orange-haired one made a noise of disgust, "We are here to protect them, not seduce them into our beds." The red-head smirked, "Who said we can't do both?"
...
"Please have a seat." Hanzo offered. Even though it went against their better judgement, the girls sat on the stiff cushions before them, still holding eachothers hands.
"If you excuse me, I will return momentarily with my father." Said Hanzo, who bowed and moved to leave. "Um please forgive my rudeness, but who exactly are you?" Kanika asked. Even though he had answered about his name, that didn't explain who this man was, and that concerned Kanika greatly. Though he seemed honest enough, looks could always be deceiving. Hanzo stopped at the door and nodded, "Excuse me, my name is as I told you; I am a ninja, a ninja of Iga, and my father is the village elder. He wishes to speak to you." As Kanika was still in the process of understanding everything he just said, Mei was the first one with an actual expression. The elder of Iga wanted to speak with them?!
Hanzo smiled softly, seeing how surprised both girls were, "As I have said before, you need not fear me, for I mean you no harm; the same is for my father as well." Hanzo bowed once more befroe leaving the room, closing the paper door behind him. Mei instantly turned to Kanika, speaking in a low voice, "Sister, what are they doing here? We don't know these people." Kanika shook her head in response, "Your guess is as good as mine. Believe I'm confused as well, but...I think we should wait and hear what they have to say; I have a feeling its extremely important."
Though she couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, she was being completely honest. She had a feeling, an overwhelming feeling, that she needed to hear what they had to say; she and Mei both. Mei nodded and sat patiently with Kanika. Though she was curious to hear what they had to say as well, she would feel more comfortable if she wasn't afraid of them. Ninja were suppose to be absolutely horrible; liars and traitors beyond compare. She knew Kanika felt the same way, but she obvious saw something Mei did not, and she trusted Kanika more than anyone.
Moments later, footsteps could be heard coming down the hall, then suddenly the door was open, revealing a familiar face. "Grandpa priest!" The girls exclaimed, rushing over to him. He held his arms open wide as the girls crushed themselves against him. He smiled as he wrapped his arms around them, "My dears, you look as frightened as kittens."
Mei looked up to his face and replied, "Grandpa who are these people that are visiting? Why are ninja here? I want them to leave!" Though she knew it was a request that was childish, but she was only being honest. She was frightened out of her mind.
The priest suddenly grew quiet and sighed sadly. Kanika also looked at the priest and saw his expression was one of discomfort and saddness. He knew something they did not, she could tell. If he truly didn't know anything, he would have said something by now, but his expression was not one that made Kanika feel secure. Slowly, she backed away from him, staring. Mei looked back at Kanika with a confused expression, "Sister?"
"You won't say anything Grandpa," She stated, hardening her gaze, "Why not?"
Her grandfather looked at her with eyes filled with saddness. "My dears, " he began, "These ninja are our guests...I know them." Mei released her grandfather instantly and backed up next to Kanika. "What do you mean Grandpa?" Mei asked. When he didn't answer right away, Kanika grew warey. She placed an arm out slightly in front of Mei protectively and asked, "Explain this to us Grandpa, you owe us that much."
The mention of oweing deeply hurt the priest, and Kanika could tell, but she was right.
He sighed and sat on one of the unoccupied cushions and gestured for them to sit as well. Mei looked at their grandfather carefully, trying to see is there was any hint of deception or any sign that he would harm them, but he held the same look as always; a look of love for the two girls before him. Kanika hesitated, but Mei gently squeezed her hand in a reassuring way and pulled her down to their previous cushions. Just as they sat, two men opened the screen and entered. The first one was the ninja, Hanzo, and the other was one who looked like an older, more serious version of Hanzo. Both girls could instantly see the father-son resemblance.
Both men sat before them while their grandfather sat to the side. Mei looked at Hanzo momentarily before moving her gaze to the man next to him; the one who she was assuming was his father. When he made eye contact with her, his serious expression made her instantly move behind Kanika's shoulder. Even though she knew the gesture was childish, she couldn't help herself; the man frightened her. Being in a room with two ninja was nerve racking enough. Noticing this, the man's expression softened into a gentle smile, "Its a pleasure to meet you officially; both of you." His voice was husky and firm, a voice made for authority.
Well, he doesn't seem all that bad, she convinced herself. Feeling less frightened, Mei straightened up and replied with a small smile, "It's also a pleasure to meet you, umm..." She pondered on what to call the man. "Please, most people just refer to me as Elder." He informed her. Mei nodded, "It's a pleasure to meet you Elder. My name is Mei Takashima." The Elder nodded, "I hear that these days you go by the name of Shiro." Mei blushed lightly and looked down, nodding slightly.
He cleared his throat, "Just to clarify, you are female, correct?" Mei turned completely red and nodded. Kanika laughed sheepishly, "Forgive me Elder, that was my doing." Before she could explain further, the Elder held up his hand to stop her. "No need to explain, " he said, "As long as both of you are here safe and sound, thats all that matters."
Kanika nodded. So they were here to meet with them? Not their grandfather? Why was that? The first thing that popped into Kanika's head was they had a debt they needed to repay but Kanika knew she didn't owe anyone and Mei never mentioned anything on the topic. What were they here for then?
Hanzo straightened himself and addressed them, "Lady Mei and Lady..." Mei elbowed Kanika lightly in the side and she jumped slightly, "Oh! Please excuse my rudeness, I am Kanika Takashima." Hanzo nodded and continued, "Lady Mei and Lady Kanika. My full name is Hanzo Hattori. My father and I are of the Iga clan. With how things stand in the war, our enemy is a man known as Nobunaga Oda."
Mei nodded, "Nobunaga Oda is the warlord who is currently seeking to rule over the country correct?" Hanzo nodded in approval, clearly impressed. The girls were more knowledgable than he would have thought. This was good. "As we speak, he seeks to wipe out all who oppose him, and the ninja are at the top of this list. He intends to murder all with ninja blood and knowing his reputation on the battlefield, we fear that means women and children."
Kanika gripped the skirt of her kimono, biting her lip and doing her best to hide her expression of shock. Mei put a hand over her mouth to hold in her sound of terror. She did her best not to imagine what the battefields were like now, covered with lifeless bodies.
Hanzo smiled weakly, "Do not think us weak Lady Mei," he said, "The fact that he wants us dead proves that he fears our power."
"Elder, you still haven't answered the main question. Why are you here?" Even though she knew she wasn't trying to be rude, Mei wished her sister would change her tone before someone got offended. Their grandfather cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "My dears," He began, "You were told that when you were little, your parents died in an accident shortly after Mei was born. " Kanika nodded and replied, "You have taken care of us ever since I can remember."
Before he continued, his expression saddened greatly, "Unfortunately, that was not the truth."
Both girls froze, completely speechless as their eyes widened in shock. The Elder spoke, "I knew your parents before you were born. They were...fellow ninja of ours."
Mei felt as if she lost the ability to breathe, "W-What?"
"Well more like...we served under your parents. Our clan served theirs." The Elder stated.
Mei sputtered, "Our parents were ninja?! Is that what you're saying?"
The Elder nodded, keeping his expression blank.
"I hope you realize that soundes ridiculous!" she shouted, nearly coming ot her feet. Kanika put her hand out to calm her sister, which she consented to by returning to a sitting position.
"I know this may sound hard to believe, but its the truth. I give you my word that I am being completely honest with every word I say." The Elder swore, bowing his head. Mei lowered her head, looking down at her hands in her lap. It isn't true, she thought sadly to herself. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. They had no proof to show them, nothing that would help them prove their statement in any way. But a small part of Mei told her they were speaking the truth.
Mei glanced over at Kanika and found her to be in a worse state than she was. Her eyes, full of emotions, were wide and shaking as they remained staring at the floor. Her mouth was in a firm line and her shoulders slumped forward. She was clasping her own hands so tightly Mei thought her nails might pierce through skin. Poor Kanika, she thought, slipping her own hand between Kanika's. Her expression softened as she grippped Mei's hand.
Mei could tell Kanika wanted to cry due to the news, but the one thing she was much better at than Mei was holding her tears back well enough to wait till this meeting was over. Kanika raised her head and questioned, "If our parents weren't killed in an accident, what happened to them?" The Elder's expression turned grave as he looked away, his eyes shut tight. Hanzo put a hand on his father's shoulder before turning to the girls. "Though its still unclear to this day on how," He spoke, "Your parents were killed...by Nobunaga's father."
Kanika gasped, gripping Mei's hand tightly. Mei, unable to hold it any longer, burried her face into Kanika's shoulder, trying to hold in her cries of sorrow for the parents she never had a chance to meet. Kanika swallowed her sorrow as best she could and wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders, as if she were trying to shield her from the cruel reality. Kanika knew she could handle stuff like this, but Mei was the softer half of the two, so the mention of anyone dying instantly filled her with sorrow.
Hanzo bowed his head, "I understand that this may be hard for you to accept, but I can assure you that you can rest at ease."
Kanika latched her eyes with Hanzo, anger building up within her by the second. This man was reaching the top of her death list. Was he serious? He clearly had problems with understanding the feelings of others. Her anger was off the charts, and she made sure it was showing in her eyes, "How can you tell us that?! How can you sit there and tell us to 'be at ease' when we just found out we have been lied to our whole lives about our parents?!" She didn't even bother watching her tone, she didn't care if someone else was listening, all she wanted at the moment was for this man to understand was the anger and sorrow she and her sister were feeling. This man had a father, who was sitting right next to him, who was alive, so he could never understand how they felt.
They had no parents.
Hanzo felt her words strike at him, leaving him feeling deeply ashamed and regretful for his spoken words.
Mei, who had gotten ahold on her emotions, moved her head slightly to the side and opened an eye, watching Hanzo momentarily. She could see that by the look in his eyes he truly didn't understand what they were feeling, but he was trying a great deal to. He took a deep breath, "I tell you to be at ease because I can assure you that you won't suffer the same fate."
Mei looked up from Kanika's shoulder and asked, "What do you mean Hanzo?"
The Elder, who had been silent, placed a hand on his son's shoulder. He then looked at the two girls, replying, "Lady Mei, Lady Kanika, it is true that your parents were ninja, but that's not the important part. We served your parents because of something else. Your parents carried the main bloodline of the orgin of ninja. Because of their bloodline, they carried special abilities and excelled in the ninja art of Ninjutsu. Becuase of this we served your parents."
Kanika raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What does that mean?" Hanzo replied, "It was that bloodline that made them the leaders of ninja."
Before Kanika could say anything, the Elder added, "And since you are their children, that makes you both the rightful heirs to the legacy of ninja they left behind." With that, Hanzo and the Elder leaned forward, bowing to the girls. "Princess Kanika, Princess Mei, we are yours to command."
Kanika and Mei looked at each other, unsure how to voice their feelings on the matter. They were princesses?!
Well here's the next chapter! I thought this chpater would be longer from how much time I spent writing on this, so it's not as long at I had hoped, but its not that small either so I'm happy for that. I know they mostly just talked in this chapter but I wanted to knock the whole princess thing out so I could get to the good stuff.
You will meet the guys in the next chapter, I am personally excited for the next chapter because when I wrote in on paper, it jus sounded so good and I can't wait to get started on it for you guys! Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! Reviews give me motivation to keep going! Please R&R!