chapter 3: the ORIGIN of TSUBAKI

'Tsubaki Nakatsukasa was born on her clan's massive estate in rural Japan. While it was typical for her family to pass down their techniques to the firstborn child, Tsubaki far surprassed her brother and as such, was awarded with the invaluable skills that a master thief or assassin would need. Masamune, her brother, grew to resent his position, and struck a bargain with a rival assassin clan; the Star clan.

The heir to the Nakatsukasa style made her first acquaintance with death at the age of 9. It was at that age she witnessed the death of her parents at the hands of Japan's most ruthless assassins - the Star clan.'

Tsubaki hid in the closet like her father had told her to. She could see through the crack in the door; she watched as two young men approached her father. Her mother was being held by a man with white hair, who seemed to be their leader. She had her hands fixed over her mouth, to keep from making any accidental noises.

The first boy, his hair black and his eyes red, charged at her father. He fluidly dodged the attack and brought a stiff hand down on his back. The boy cried out before scurrying away and pulling out a blade. Her father's eyes narrowed as the boy jabbed the tip of the blade at him - he had absolutely no structure to his form.

His blade grazed her father's cheek, and the boy seemed rather surprised. He looked to the man in white for approval - and this was his mistake. Her father took hold of the blade and yanked it from the kid's hands. He held the handle firmly before lifting the sword and bringing it down on him; it cut through the meat of his shoulder, easily cutting the flesh and muscles. With added force, he cracked the boy's collar bone and he screamed.

"Red Star!" The other boy cried out; rage filled his face as he descended upon her father. His moves were precise and caused pain - but he was still very young, and could barely keep up with her father's expertise. She thought that things might turn out in their favor -

Red Star had fallen to the ground, dead; the other boy pushed her father back and he tripped over the body. He took his chance and snatched the sword, driving it through his neck and severing his head. It landed at the foot of the closet, and she stared down in horror as his blood began to stain the carpet beneath her feet. Tsubaki desperately tried not to cry, but the tears were flowing and mixing with the red liquid; she only hoped they would spare her mother. She turned her reluctant eyes back to the open crack in the closet, only to be met with wide green eyes. She almost screamed, but the boy who had just killed her father simply bent down and picked up his head before heading back towards his leader.

"Good job, Black*Star." A hand rested atop the boy's head, and she burned his name into her memory. She would kill Black*Star for this one day.

"What are we gonna do with her?" Black*Star nodded towards Tsubaki's mother, who was composing herself - aside from the tears streaming her face, she hadn't made a single noise the entire time. The man in white looked her up and down before grabbing her by her hair. He drug her through her husband's blood before tossing her at the closet doors. Tsubaki pressed her back against the wall, unwilling to take her eyes off of the situation. She couldn't believe what was happening.

She was praying that they would let her mother live. If the boy didn't mention her hiding spot, surely they were merciful enough to spare a woman who had little to do with the clan affairs. But she underestimated their cruelty. Two swords pierced the door at the same time, falling just to Tsubaki's left, and the stain on the floor slowly began to expand. Her eyes grew wide and her hands fell to her sides.

"Momma?" She whispered incredulously. Blood was running down the sleek steel, dripping onto her exposed skin and staining her nightgown. The blades jiggled a bit before they were removed and blood spilled through the cracks in the door, confirming her worst fears. Everything in her turned wintry - even the vile rage that was taking root in her soul. She would never forgive the man in white, or Black*Star. She would hunt them down.

All of these thoughts swirled in her head and when she came from her reverie, she began to notice an acrid smell; like something burning.

Her home. Her home would be gone now, too. She waited a few moments longer before forcing herself to move. She opened the closet doors and her mother's corpse fell into the space she had been occupying not even a moment before. He had stabbed her through the mouth and through the stomach. Tsubaki knelt beside her and wailed loudly, feeling her grief consume her. Her hands were shaking hard as she desperately wanted to try and stop the blood from flowing - but it was already too late. The flames grew and she closed her eyes hard and ran out of the room without sparing another glance at her parent's bodies.

She managed to stumble through the halls as they caught fire behind her, and she soon stood at the entrence of her compound. She watched the great blaze grow, eyes swirling with hatred.

'She swore revenge.

While the Star clan continued to evade her wrath, her brother Masamune was easy to find - and was a wealth of information regarding her next victim.'

The door slowly opened and a long, elegant blade pierced the air where her flesh had once been. Tsubaki threw her body into the door and pushed the other swordsman back as she threw her kusarigama into the swirling darkness. It didn't connect, and so she proceeded into the darkened home, closing the door behind her and locking it.

He wasn't going to get away from her now.

Visibility was low, though the streetlights cast shadows that played tricks on both of their minds. Masamune was waiting for her at the top of the stairs, though the shadows played to his favor and concealed him from her vengeful gaze. His sister continued to cautiously step forward, trying to gain her bearings in such a strange place.

"Do you know why I'm here, big brother?" He wouldn't rise to her bait, and he was keeping his breaths quiet. Assassin's rule number one: silence. Dissolve in the darkness and erase your breath. Wait for an opening to attack your target.

She weaved into the kitchen, trying to stay hidden - he could see her as she slowly approached, her head turning to each side as she hesitantly took another step.

"I'm here because you're going to tell me where I can find the Star clan." She was close enough to the bottom of the stairs. He let out a chuckle and watched as fear filled her face, realizing his position too late as he lept down the stairs, his sword poised to strike her shoulder-

Assassin's rule number two: transpositional thinking. Analyze the target in order to predict his thoughts and movements.

But instead was met with an illusion that burst into smoke. She had been able to see him the entire time, and had just been mapping out the house while she thought of her plan. He decided to try and use her own tactic against her.

"The Star clan was destroyed a year ago. Someone very high up wasn't pleased with them." He didn't hear her footsteps, but he could feel her anger suffocating him, along with the smoke. He was poised for an attack, but unbeknownst to him, she was now where he had originally been waiting for her; on the top of the stairs, watching the billowing smoke consume her brother's form. She could barely make his figure out in the darkness, but she kept a close eye on him as she stayed silent.

"Though, I did hear that one of them was left alive... One of the kids." Her nose crinkled in disgust and anger; had someone else taken her vengeance? Was she doomed to wander in an aimless existence, devoid of any family?

"I heard it was someone named Black*Star." He heard her furious exhale, and he lunged, taking three steps at a time and by the time she noticed him, his sword was already headed for her torso. Assassin's rule number three: speed. Take out the target before he notices your presence.

His sword was stopped by the meat of her arm as she stuck her ninja sword through his ribs, piercing his heart as she glared up at him defiantly. "Make sure you tell White Star that I'll come for him one day, too." His eyes grew wide as he stared into hers, frozen as death overtook him; he slumped against her and dropped his katana - a keepsake of their family. She pulled it from her arm, unconcerned about the wound as she let his body fall to the floor. Tsubaki had work to do.

"Hello, is this your first time staying with our hotel?"

"Hm? Uh, no. Here, that should cover it." He regarded her absently while handing over two-hundred cash. She looked at it in amazement before looking back at him, her words coming out in stutters.

"We don't have a room that costs that much, sir! Our most expensive room is the presidential, and that's only $125 for the night..." He pushed the money back to her and winked.

"The extra's for you, since I'm such a big guy. Also, if anyone asks for me, I'm not in." His smile was dangerous, and she didn't want to question him anymore. It might tip him off. She gave him a fake smile and accepted the cash before handing him the room key. He nodded at her before heading off, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

Her heart was pounding. Her grip on the desk loosened and she felt the painful creak of her knuckles. She was so close, she could have killed him right then and there. But she had planned so carefully - it had been 6 years, but she had refined her trade and tracked him down to this shitty motel. She had been working here, waiting for him to drift through, for two months.

Her entire life was spent working up to this moment.

Her shift ended at 10 that night, and she knew the hit he was working wasn't going to arrive until tomorrow. He had already scouted the area his target would be staying, and he had no need to leave for the night. She would be able to take her time with him. To remind him what it's like to take someone's life.

The hours flew by for her as she continued to plan. She had stolen the copy of his keycard and it was slipped neatly in her stocking. As soon as the clock struck 10, she was out of her seat. The "No Staff Available" sign was put up and she hurried down the hallway to the employee room. Jennifer was there and greeted her solemnly as she typically did, and Tsubaki was clocked out and going up the stairs before 10:03.

He was on the third floor, at the end of the first hall. Her heart was pounding away in her chest and her stomach was in knots. She had never been so nervous before - she was a professional, and she was very good at what she did. But her palms were sweating, and she almost felt nauseated. But still, she knocked on the door lightly as she held a ninja sword behind her back. There was no answer, and she pulled up her skirt and pulled out the card. She slid it into the lock and it clicked open. Tsubaki slithered through the dark room, noticing the sound of running water and feeling the steam. He was showering. This was her best chance.

She stood beside the door, waiting for him to come out. After thirty minutes, she had waited long enough. Turning the door handle slowly, she was surprised to find it unlocked. She stepped into the bathroom and looked around carefully. The water was still running, and he was standing under the stream. His Star clan tattoo caught her attention - as well as the scar her father gave him. He was covered in other scars and burns, but he turned off the water and froze when he finally saw her.

Tsubaki straightened herself out and reached behind her to close the door to the other room. Doing this exposed her weapon, which he fixed his eyes on.

"I guess I don't need to ask if you're here for an autograph, right? Okay, alright, I'll fight you. Let me get some clothes on-"

"No! You think I'm going to give you some dignified death? No, Black*Star. I'm going to butcher you like swine." His nostrils flared and he struck a pose - exposing his naked form further. She ignored his antics, her eyes boring holes in his. Her hatred was all-encompassing.

"I gave your father a dignified death - and I'm a much bigger guy than he was! Can't a guy put on some pants?" She sucked in a breath and charged at him, swiping at him and jabbing; her fist connected with his solid bicep and he grabbed the blade of her sword in his hands. She tried to get away from him but he grabbed her arm. She headbutted him, but it only drew a bit of blood.

"You don't know anything about my family - and you killed them all." Her voice was dangerous, and the glare she was giving him spoke volumes. It reminded him of the quiet, scared little girl he had worked so hard to save all those years ago. He let her go and she pushed him away, a crazed look on her face.

"I'm going to end you here and now."

"Is this really the way you wanna do it? Or are you doing it like this because it's convenient? You got a lot of potential, but if you're gonna waste it by chasing after me, then I might as well kill you here. So, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, what'll it be? Will you lay down and die, or are you gonna fight me for it?" She slipped into her family stance and he had his answer. A smirk crossed his face as he also fell into a stance - it was similar to Hun Gar, but she couldn't quite place it. Something bled into his eyes, a bloodlust that she had only remembered being in White Star's eyes.

He attacked her viciously and he didn't let up. Each blow was fatal, his limbs moving with almost a will and power of their own. She managed to dodge and parry, but was doing little other than defending. She couldn't find a gap in his style, could find no rhyme or rhythm. His left hook got her cheek and she was propelled across the room. She was thankful she didn't bite her tongue or cheek, but she looked around wildly to find his position. Black*Star was approaching her and in a moment of fight-or-flight, she stood up and slashed him in the chest. It was shallow, and ran across his pecks, but it stopped him. She was watching him with bated breath before he backed off and gave her a thumbs up.

"That's what I thought. So, you wanna kill me? You ain't got the stuff, but you're willing to try. So, here's the deal - my bro and I are making this group of associates who are proficient in a... specific skill set. If you join us, we'll train you so you can kill me later. What do you say?"

He held out his hand and she actually dropped her weapon. She was confused and irritated that he wanted her to be on his side - but he was actually offering to train her? To make her even more deadly than she already was? She eyed his hand warily and bit her lip. The offer was tempting.

"Let me meet your partner. I'll give you my answer then."

"Sorry, sweetcheeks, but you gotta go through me." She blushed, indignant and embarrassed by him trying to devalue her strength with cute names, but grabbed his hand and shook it anyway. She would let him tease her for now - but when the time came, she would take all of her anger and pour it into the knife that slits his throat.

'By 20, she was one of the top female assassins in the world.'

Tsubaki crept around the corner of the tenement, not a creaky board to betray her light movements. The chains of her kusarigama didn't jingle or groan, and it seemed as though she clung to all the right shadows. She had to eliminate the kingpin who had set up shop here.

The problem was that he had tons of mercenaries guarding him - that's why no one had been successful yet. Black*Star told her it would be the perfect mission for her to flex her stealth skills. She had fluidly dodged each and every patrolling merc that came her way, hiding in the rafters and in dilapidated rooms.

He was near the top, but she wasn't sure which room. The third and fifth floors were the highest in security. Tsubaki encountered trouble when she hit the sixth floor. There were four guards standing outside of two doors. There was no one else in sight. She crouched low to the ground and began to approach them from the shadows, like a lioness on the prowl.

One of them spotted her. She had been surprised by their ability to sense her - but this told her that they weren't ordinary guards. One of them pulled out a shotgun, but she swung one of her sickles in their direction. It was sliced in half, and she used the momentum to make quick work of the group that had begun to move in on her. She knelt down in the center as they all converged, and she cleanly slit their throats. The chains still made no sound.

She opened the door and spotted the man waiting for her. He was unaware it was someone other than his men.

"Hey, dude, we should order some pizza." She crept up behind him and wrapped the chain around his throat. As he began to panic and struggle she tightened her hold and she slowly choked him to death. His body began to convulse before he finally ceased movement. She waited another minute to be sure he was dead before she allowed his body to drop carelessly to the floor. She heard the sound of sirens fast approaching and took her leave through a broken window. Mission accomplished.

'At 25, she did her part in the killing of nine innocent people, including my unborn daughter, in a small wedding chapel in El Paso, Texas. But on that day, four years ago, she made one big mistake.

She should have killed ten.

However, before satisfaction would be mine... First thing's first.'

"Wiggle your big toe." She whispered vehemently, for the five-hundreth time. She thought she was hallucinating for a second, before she realized that her toe was actually wiggling. She had gotten a response. She grinned in victory and cheered quietly under the tarp before taking a deep breath. A determined gleam entered her eyes.

"Hard part's over. Now, let's get these other piggies wiggling."

13 hours later

She lifted the tarp and neatly folded it in her lap before pushing herself out of the sidecar. Her feet hit the cold, smooth pavement as she walked around the bike in a circle before swinging her leg over it confidently. She started the bike with a loud roar and she laughed maniacally before peeling out of the garage.

She strode confidently towards the ticket window and pushed a credit card and her passport towards the man on the other side. He took it and looked at her, questioning and irritable.

"Okinawa. One way." She smiled, sickly sweet, and he rolled his eyes slightly before stamping her passport and running her card. A ticket printed out and he tore it off carelessly before handing it to her and pointing to his left, indicating that her terminal was on that side of the airport. She quickly pulled her luggage behind her and got it checked before proceeding onto the plane that was boarding. She found her seat and row, settling in for the 20 hour flight ahead of her.