Here I am again. Hi. How are you? Want to know a secret? ^_^ I DON'T OWN ANY SHINOBI CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR MIIJIN, NIICHI, AND RUNAI! Thank you. Now read, dear.
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Become The Ninja
Chapter 3: Crucify My Love
By: Dragon Lady9
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In every generation, there is some kind of radical change. It seemed this generation of Oboro were computer-literate. Despite the fact that Hotsuma had a Playstation2 hidden somewhere in his house, it seemed strange to see ninjas coexist with technology. Why was he letting his mind wander like this? Ageha was waiting for him in the grove. He didn't really care to, but there was no other way to spend his afternoon. After all, he'd already beaten Tenchu and Devil May Cry may times.
She was the perfect picture of a grieving beauty, standing there like that. When he got close enough to her she damn near glomped him. She whispered into his ear, 'Hotsuma…I'm leaving the clan.' He froze. No…Ageha couldn't leave the clan. He still hadn't told her. She squeezed him tighter, until he could feel the racing of her heart against his.
'Ageha, I have to tell you…' he began. He was cut off by her gasp.
'Gomen, Hotsuma, it'll have to wait. Did you feel that?' He did. There was a collection of high-level Ki around the gates of the village. She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked him in the eyes with worry. Anything that felt that large was Attack Group #1's business. Because the entire group consisted of Jyonin, they dealt with all the nasty foes.
Ageha lifted herself off Hotsuma and revealed her twin short-swords, flipping them as she did so. And for the first time in months, Hotsuma unsheathed the hated sword and readied himself for battle. Why did he have to fight with this thing?
Standing inside the gate of Iishi village were at least ten feminine looking creatures. Their hair was of a bluish tint as well as their skin, which sported large, unsightly stitches here and there - especially at the joints. Hotsuma then recognized their wings, which had feathers in clumps. In the bare places, there was sickly greenish skin, and in some areas, visible bones. These were Tsubasa - the demon lord Sougarou's elite officers! He was somehow, thrilled.
It was rare for these hideous things to come out of the darkness and fight head-to-head. After all, he'd heard these things were very touchy when it came to their looks. A 'Whoa! That is one ugly chick!' could very well get you castrated. Known for their cruelty and ugliness, Hotsuma thought.
The large one in the front seemed to be the leader. Gods, it made Hotsuma want to poke his own eyes out. The leader stepped forward. She, or it, had a large, half closed scar across the right eye.
'I am Miijin,' it fairly shrieked. Hotsuma's eye twitched. My, he thought, aren't we excited? The deep voice of the Tsubasa didn't help, either. It was more like a bellow. 'I am leader of the Tsubasa, and serve under my lord Sougarou. Our lordship has a message for the new leader of the Oboro Clan.' Hotsuma sneered.
'I am here, Miijin-san. What do you want?'
'I have been instructed to tell you in private.'
'He had to instruct you? On how to deliver a message? You must not be very intelligent. Besides, What can't you say in front of my clansmen?' Hotsuma gestured behind him. 'So, deliver it, now. You repugnant things are wasting my time.'
It was true that Miijin did not know what 'repugnant' meant, but she was by no means stupid. She knew when she was being insulted. 'Very well, then. My lords message is…' Miijin's lips formed a twisted smile, bearing her teeth.
'DIE!'
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Hotsuma couldn't see how so many feathers could come off these things. No matter how much he slashed, they were still floating in the air. It agitated him. They were fast, but not as fast as a Jyonin. He stealth-dashed from one Tsubasa to another for Tate, and then he brought the cold steel down on Miijin.
In one stroke, he had cut her arm off to the shoulder. Blood spattered on the blade, and Akujiki did not let it go to waste. She screamed in pain and slashed at him with her remaining claws. It seems more lethal missing an arm. But that was still a pathetic assault.
Miijin was still losing. Her left wing, the most damaged one, suddenly bent at an odd angle. She stopped in mid-strike at the sound of her bones cracking. Unable to support her weight on one wing, she sank to the ground on her knees. The assailant was still unseen, but spoke with a clear, female voice.
'Give up, Miijin, you've lost.' Ageha recognized this voice…from her childhood….
'No! I haven't lost! I-I can still win!' The stitches on Miijin's right side split open. Standing beside her was a green-tinted Tsubasa with black hair.
'You should know when to stop. You'll need a lot of work done. Maruto won't enjoy that at all.'
'Sh-shut up.' Miijin turned to her attacker. 'I can take care of myself, Aizou. And since when do you call Our Lord by his first name?'
'Heh, well then, I guess you are not as close as you think. You should leave. If you don't you won't have any limbs left for him to cut off.' She directed her gaze to Hotsuma, then disappeared into the setting sun.
Runai, a very young Jyonin, ran up to him. 'Hotsuma-san, we must slay Miijin while we can.'
'No, let it go. Let Sougarou recognize that we don't want his toys here.' The few surviving of her kind lifted Miijin up. Runai looked up at Hotsuma with his gray, cheerless eyes.
'What is wrong with Ageha-dono? Why is she crying?' That was a phenomenon for her. And she had done it twice in three months.
'She is crying because the green Tsubasa is-or was, her mother.
Long after everyone had gone home, Hotsuma and Ageha stood in the same position. The wind picked up. 'Hotsuma,' she said 'What did you have to tell me earlier today?' He turned away and stared up at the road to his house and the full moon behind it.
'Nothing…it was nothing.'
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Jenele helped me with this…GO GURL
Chapter name: Chapter 1 Anmaku
Anmaku is a song by VK band, Duel Jewel. It means 'Blackout Curtain'. I thought this fit very well because Hotsuma's whole life seemed to be a drama played out on a stage. ~foreshadowing!~ The first chapter was like the 'Blackout Curtain' of his happiness for the next few years (Don't fret, dear, he will be happy soon enough!). When the curtain dropped on his childhood, it rose on his adulthood.
This Chapter's Name: Crucify My Love- A real good song by X Japan, One of my faves. I thought this fit because, Ageha knew that Hotsuma had a crush on her. Moritsune even told her once to straighten things out with him. Because she didn't, she made all his feelings for her stay in one place. Jenele's thoughts- If Ageha had only told him to give it up, maybe he wouldn't be so unresponsive. Good thinking, Bree!