Hopefully I'm getting the names right. xD I'm so tired right now and shouldn't be typing stuff up...

Chapter Four - Second Thoughts

Tatsuhiko held his breath as he watched Goemon and the ninja battle. He could see that Goemon was using all his strength, while the ninja was holding back. 'He's toying with him,' he thought in anger.

Goemon cried out as the ninja blade made contact with his skin, swiping across his upper arm. With pain consuming him, he dropped his guard to favor his wound.

The ninja stepped back and smirked. "Run back to your master. Tell him to send someone more skilled."

Angered by the remark, Goemon stood up straight, gripping his sword tightly as he returned to a fighting stance.

"Looks like he'd rather die," the other ninja said, anticipating watching the samurai die.

"Then I'll grant him his wish." The ninja ran forward, the two swords clashing once more.

Goemon matched the ninja strike for strike, not once giving in to the more skilled opponent.

Frustrated by the samurai's persistence, the ninja decided it was time to show his full strength, jumping back before dashing forward, darting all around Goemon, who found it hard to keep up.

Susceptible to all attacks, Goemon was sliced by the blade he never saw and pierced by the shuriken thrown by someone he couldn't see.

The ninja smirked as he darted forward, ready to deal the final blow, bringing his sword over his head and slicing down, surprised when his blade his metal and not flesh.

The ninja looked up into Tatsuhiko's dark, angry eyes, their piercing gaze being the last thing he saw as he was sliced in half by the samurai's curved blade.

The other ninja jumped into battle, twirling his kamas as he ran forward, the new opponent too fast and cutting him down before he had a chance to strike.

Tatsuhiko stood, blood dripping from his blade as he stared into the dark entrance before him. Prepared for a long fight, he walked inside.

The battle lasted almost an hour, Tatsuhiko killing everyone in the cave before he walked outside, his body showing only minimal wounds, the blood that covered him being not his own, but those cut down by his dark bladed katana.

"This was more than a test," he said as he flung the blood from the blade before sheathing it. "These were more than rogue ninja and somebody had to have known."

Tatsuhiko stepped towards Goemon, staring down at the limp and bloodied body. "Someone deceived us," he said as he picked Goemon up carefully, turning and walking back to the village.

'Would Master Hiroshi really send you to your death?' he thought, glancing down at Goemon, the idea making him tense with anger.