Chapter 4
Ryu and Hayate have been training all morning. They decided to stop and rest for the time being. This gave Ryu the perfect time to talk things over with Hayate. They started talking as they walked along the bridge above the waterfall.
"Hayate, you know I didn't just come here to spar with you..I-I need some advice." Ryu explained as Hayate was admiring the view below. "The dragon ninja asking for advice," he chuckled "this must be serious." Hayate said.
"Yeah," Ryu laughed in embarrassment "it's about that little girl I'm watching over until Mizuki gets back from her world-wide mission..,Canna she-she wants me to be her father." He explained to Hayate scratching the back of his neck.
"Didn't she ask you that before?" Hayate said remembering when Ryu told him about his recent mission. "She wants me, Hayate. The other day she was crying and thinking about her actual father, Theodore. I hated the fact when I kill him right in front of her.." Ryu said with a frustrated tone of voice then turned to leave. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and turn to look at Hayate.
"Ryu, I can't help you with this situation. This is all up to you..If I say my opinion, it could only make matters worse. You need to make a decision." Hayate replied and disappeared leaving a gust of wind. Ryu sighed in frustration about what Hayate just told him.
While he was getting his thoughts together, he didn't realize that someone was behind him.
"So are you going to decide on being a father?" A familiar woman voice said from behind. Ryu turned around and his emerald eyes widen in shock. She had long brown hair pulled back in a long ponytail along with wearing a pink headband. She had on green ninja attire with two swords strapped on the back of her. The woman also had on a black mask covering her mouth and nose only revealing her baby blue eyes.
"Hitomi?" Ryu questioned recognizing the woman. "Long time since I saw you Hayabusa." Hitomi replied walking over to him. "I can say the same to you." He told her. They were silent for a couple of minutes, both staring at the waterfall.
"I overheard you and Hayate's conversation about Canna. I say you should become a father,..in my opinion." Hitomi said breaking the silence. "I didn't need your opinion. Thanks but sorry." He said in a frustrated tone of voice. "You know, I would feel the same if I were Canna. You never care about other people's feelings..All you care about is yourself." She said getting annoyed with Hayabusa's tone of voice. Hitomi then turned to leave, but then he teleported to be face to face with her.
"Listen Hitomi, I actually need to make a decision right now so I can tell her what I really want." He told her. Hitomi was shocked by how close she was to him. She slightly gasped and moved a few inches back. "So are you going for my opinion or not. I see that you are a lone ninja and you work alone, but do you ever think about having a family?" She asked him. Ryu took off his face mask revealing his long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.
He then jumped down the bridge landing on the grass below. Hitomi joined him and landed on the edge of the ground near the stream.
"I don't know..probably. My father wants to continue our clan in each new generation. I never imagined myself as a father with children." Ryu admitted scoping a handful of water and splashing it on his face. "What do you really want, Hayabusa?" She asked as she walked over to a boulder and sat on it, looking over at him.
"I want to be Canna's father." Ryu said turning around to take a glance at her. Hitomi got up from the boulder and kneeled down beside him. She then pulled down her black mask and looked at him. "I knew you would understand Hayabusa." She said with a smile on her face. "Call me Ryu.." He told her as he turned to face her. "Okay, I'll see you later Ryu." Hitomi said and gave him a hug. She then walked over back to the woods leaving him by the stream.
After about several minutes, everything around him began to grow silent. Ryu noticed and stood up to check his surroundings. He got out one of his kunai that was strapped on his thigh and threw it into the far right area. Ryu then heard the kunai hit the target and someone groaning in agony. He walked over to what looked like a black spider ninja. His emerald eyes widen in horror. He snatched the kunai from the ninja's shoulder and blood started to spill onto the grass.
Rapidly, he then unshielded his sword to clean the blood off the kunai that was thrown into the ninja's shoulder. Then he strapped his sword back in its place and walked over to the stream and stared at his reflection. 'Oh Canna.' Ryu thought sighing.
"They have Canna!" A voice behind him yelled. He turned to see Hayate running over to him. "The Black Spider clan, they captured her and Hikaru." He explained as he approached Ryu. He then glanced back down at his reflection then back at Hayate. "Let's go." He replied looking up at him. Hayate nodded and disappeared into a gust of wind followed by green leaves.
Hikaru had to give up running after they started throwing weapons towards her and especially Canna. The ninjas then took them to their territory and placed Hikaru in a room, without Canna.
"Let her go!" Hikaru yelled from behind the bars. The other ninja was holding Canna's small hand, watching her scream from behind the bars. "Hikaru!" Canna sobbed as she tried to let go of the ninja's grasp.
"No, no dear. Don't hurt yourself. Now let's go see your older friend, shall we?" The ninja told Canna as he scooped her up in his evil arms carrying Canna away from Hikaru. All Canna could do was cry as they walked further away from Hikaru.
"Canna!" Hikaru yelled trying to get herself free. Just then, she realized that Canna dropped her doll right in front of the cell. Tears began to run down her cheeks when she slid against the wall. 'I promised that I would protect her. She's going to die because of me.' She told herself as she buried her head in between her knees, sobbing. Gas began to leak through her cell as she was crying.
"C-Canna...!" Hikaru scramed right before she passed out in her cell.