The Stranger

Thank-you for reading and reviewing! I'm so grateful! Truly! I hope that everyone can continue to enjoy this! A big shout out to xq-of-Wu, because she's the one that requested it, and therefore, this story is as much dedicated to her as everyone else on who grace this story with their presence!

Chapter Three: Surpassing the Master

Two years later

"Lu Xun, when sieging a castle, what is the first step you should do?" Lu Meng asked his young pupil, half-heartedly reading over a note that young Sun Quan had delivered from Sun Ce requesting an update on the supplies.

Lu Xun smiled, "I would secure a strong supply line and order siege units," Lu Meng scrunched up his head in thought, and Lu Xun bit his lip. A few moments passed as Lu Meng scribbled an answer on the paper.

"And, what would you do next?" Lu Xun took a brush and mixed some ink. He wet the brush and drew a large castle.

"I've seen this castle in my dreams..." Lu Meng stopped his work and watched his young apprentice with interest. Lu Xun moved in a half trance like state, working the brush back and forth across the paper. "The army moves to attack all four castle gates. The enemy defenses are strong, but we have reinforcements, and a strong supply line. We destroy the enemy defenses with catapults, then send the army in to attack with rams. When the enemy beats us back and gets to our commander, he disappears, and re-appears in the real main camp, the other being just a ploy. Then we would charge in, and destroy the enemy commander." Lu Xun dropped the brush and gazed across the paper. There were slash marks all across it, and marks and arrows that held meaning only to the two in the room.

Lu Meng couldn't help but give a bitter smile, "It's a sad day in Wu when the youngest officer can beat the commander in wits. Well done Lu Xun, It seems that you are well worth being my successor." Lu Xun stood quickly and bowed.

"Lord Lu Meng! I would never dream of taking your place!" Lu Meng sighed.

"That is not your decision to make." Lu Xun almost flinched, and the surly general sighed again. "Sorry Lu Xun, its really up to Sun Ce, and he's still sulking about Zhou Yu's death."

"Lord Lu Meng," Lu Xun chose his words carefully, "Lord Zhou Yu was a great man, and Lord Sun Ce is an exceptional leader. You should not speak so ungraciously about such great men." Lu Meng snorted.

"When you've known those two as long as I have, you wont be saying such things about them. Sun Ce is an idiot, and Zhou Yu was just as unfeeling as Sun Ce is happy-go-lucky. I could swear there was something between them..."

"My lord?" Lu Xun looked confused, which made Lu Meng smirk. Reaching one rough hand over, her picked up Lu Xun's drawing and examined it.

"If Zhou Yu was still alive...perhaps they would have been more than just brothers one day, just to annoy me, I bet."

"If Lord Zhou Yu were still alive, I would like to have learned from him as well." Lu Xun bowed, and excused himself from the room.

Xiao Qiao sighed, laying on the chair with a book resting on her chest and watching Sun Ce and her sister play goh. The look of concentration was one that meant he was thinking too hard. Finally he placed his white stone on the board with a satisfying clack. Da Qiao's poker face was not harmed during Sun Ce's exchange, and she reached out with a black stone and connected with another, successful cutting off Sun Ce's passage of conquest and winning the game.

The young lord frowned and began putting his stones away after heaving a great big sigh. Xiao watched her brother in law for a minute, thoughts of her supposedly dead husband rising like stirred dust. "Sun Ce," The man started, scattering stones all under the table. With a scowl, he dove after them under the table. Xiao Qiao looked out the window, at the sunlight drifting through it, like the rays of hope in her heart. "Do you think that Yu is still alive?"

There was a loud crash as Sun Ce dropped the bowl of Goh stones and smacked his head on the roof of the table, all at once. Sun Ce yelped, and tossed the stones back into the bowl heatedly. When he rose, Xiao Qiao was almost sorry she asked, as his face held the look of ultimate heart break. "No Qiao," he said, setting the stones on the table next to the board. "I don't know if he's still alive or not...we never...we never found his body..." Sun Ce choked.

The book fell to the ground as Xiao sprang up from her seat. She pointed an accusing finger at Sun Ce. "How dare you! How dare you say that Sun Ce!" Da Qiao's head snapped up, startled at the sudden raise in voice. Sun Ce turned on his heal, heading for the door. "Sun Ce! How could you betray him like that! Your own brother!" The door slammed shut behind him.

Sun Ce continued to his room, where he took out the torn sleeve, faded and worn, but still soft and silky. "Yu...why did you leave...I miss you... Xiao misses you...hell, even Lu Meng misses you, even though he'll never admit it, the sour-puss..." Sun Ce clenched his hand tight around the silk. "Wherever you are, whatever your doing, give me the strength to complete my dream."

Japan, capitol

Zhou Yu walked one step behind Hanako on the crowded market streets, keeping his katana close at hand as they shopped near the castle gates. Hanako was happily bubbling about trade items from China and other places. Zhou Yu was keeping one eye on Hanako and one eye around them when he saw it, a brief shadow on the roof. "Hanako-san, get behind me!" a second later, something whizzed past her face and embed itself into the wood of the stall behind them. Hanako let out a shrill scream, which led the people into a panic.

The adversary came quick, running at him with his sword outstretched. Zhou Yu drew, cutting the soft stomach tissue. He withdrew his sword and the man, innards and all, fell to the ground in a sea of blood. He turned to the young woman, who had fallen to the ground behind him.

"Are you alright?" She nodded, her brown hair bun bobbing. As Zhou Yu helped her too her feet he couldn't help but wonder what made people suddenly come after her and her household. Could it be that Lord Yamato's lands were that highly sought after?

Then he noticed that the streets were suddenly deserted. He knew that everyone, even shop keepers wouldn't leave because of spilt blood. People loved excitement, so what made them...! "Get down!" He shouted, knocking aside an arrow as it whistled towards them. Hanako sunk to the ground, shivering with fright.

The men came from every direction, some carried swords, a few carried spears, and some knives. They surrounded them, each one grim and silent. Zhou Yu suddenly felt the ground cave beneath him, and a sensation of deja vu overwhelmed him. The enemy came suddenly, and Zhou Yu, still half dazed, moved like the wind itself, sword faster than anything the thugs had ever seen before. He dodged a spear, slashed the back of a swords man, moved the sword in a semi circle as he cut away his foes, performing what seemed to be some sort of dance, a deathly dance of death. Something his muscles did on their own, 'muscle memory,' even though he had no memory, his muscles did, and perhaps that is why he moved so gracefully.

It was done as soon as it had begun, with Zhou Yu standing in the middle of the street, with blood and dirt splattered everywhere. Hanako rose slowly, looking around at all the dead bodies in astonishment. "Yu-san, are you hurt?" Zhou Yu shook his head, and Hanako smiled.

"I challenge you, stranger!" Zhou Yu's head snapped up. A man in armor, carrying a sword stood in the middle of the road. His clothes were finely furnished, and from the loss of hair, Zhou Yu could tell the man was beyond his prime.

"I have no desire to fight you, sir." The old man gave a grave smile.

"Then I shall have to kill the lady," Zhou Yu's dark eyes narrowed. "Good, you accept, now, I am Lord Inosuke, the Lord of these lands."

"I am Yu, servant to Lord Yamato, of the north western sea." He held up his blade, and suddenly, with a quick strike, Inosuke was holding his wounded side. "Don't harm Lady Hanako or her family." The man flinched, bringing up his hand and seeing the blood he smiled.

"Amazing, no one has been able to wound me for years." Where do you come from young man? I've never seen swordsman ship like that before."

Zhou Yu bit his lip, sheathing the sword. "I come from the sea."

The man scowled, but bit back a retort, "Well, anyway, Master Yu, would you like to join me as my chief bodyguard?" Zhou Yu shook his head, looking at Hanako.

"I am body guard for lady Hanako." The man smiled, a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Ah, but, don't you know? I bought you earlier! See?" The man took out a paper with Lord Yamato's seal on it. "Which means that I can do what ever I want with you, and when I buy a slave for as much money as you cost, I expect you to pay me back tenfold. The man licked his lips lustfully, causing an unintentional shiver to go up Zhou Yu's spine.

"No! Lord Yamato would never-!" Hanako started, but was cut off by the man slapping her in the face. Zhou Yu started forward, only to fall to the ground a moment later, abdomen bleeding profusely.

"But Lord Yamato did, you silly little girl." Inosuke snorted, turning to two men behind him. "Collar the man, and make sure he cant escape. After we break him, he will be ready to be my bodyguard, my ultimate one, only a fool would pass up such an opportunity." As they clasped an iron collar on Zhou Yu, he turned to Hanako. "Be sure and thank you lord Yamato, I've never felt such a thrill at breaking someone before."

Tears fell to the dirt as she watched them cart Zhou Yu away, she got to her feet, and followed, before tripping over a dead body and falling to the dirt again. "Yu-San!"

TBC...

I know, the part in japan seems a little graphic, but its all part of the plot, please trust me. Anyway, I just want to express my feelings about school: School sucks. Its boring, and makes me tired. I just wish I could light it on fire, so I'd never have to look at another one. In the expressive words of Zhu Rong: "Burn baby, burn!