Chapter 4: A Night Full Of Surprises.
The fellas were separated into three rooms, Kyouichi in Room 23, Kisaragi across the hall in Room 26 and Takeshi was in Ami's room which was on the first floor.
Before lights out, it was dinner time. All the tenants would come down to the kitchen and eat in the dining room. Kyouichi was the first one in the kitchen and dining room not caring what he ate, Kisaragi chose his food carefully so he could sleep well and wake up rested, Takeshi didn't have much of an appetite.
"Dude!" Kyouichi said with his mouth full of food. "Why didn't you guys get more to eat!" He swallowed. "There's a whole bunch of food in there."
"Because we're not greedy like you." Kisaragi replied slowly eating his food.
"Hey! Just becuase I eat a lot doesn't mean you go and make fun of me. At least I've got eat on my bones. You're just a twig ready to snap." Kyouichi said continuing his food.
Kisaragi ignored the comment and kept eating. Then he looked over to Takeshi, who didn't seem to be eating his food at all. "Takeshi? What's wrong you're not eating?"
"Oh...nothing." Takeshi replied and began eating.
"You sure? I mean if there's something wrong..."
Takeshi shook his head. "No trust me. I'm fine."
Kyouichi then raised his voice and held his plate in the air and said, "Second please!" Kisaragi then sighed.
Time passed and everyone was in their rooms. Kyouichi passed out in his room due to him over eating, Kisaragi was awake reading worried about Takeshi.
I hope Takeshi is alright, Kisarfagi thought, he's seemed down. You know what I'm going to go check on him before I go to bed. Just as he was opening the door, Ami was at the door worried.
"Have you seen Takeshi?"
"No...is he around here?"
"No I looked everywhere. He's gone."
"Gone? DId he say anything to you before he left?"
"Yeah. He said 'I'll be right back.' he took his swords and left."
"He took his swords?"
Meanwhile, Takeshi was running towards a large abandoned building.
"This has got be their hideout." Takeshi said as he looked up at the building. "And to think they would use the old Monnojo High School. Fuckin' cockholes." Takeshi said angrily. "They don't care who they're around." He then, cautiously and silently, entered the building.
Kisaragi put some clothes on getting ready to go look for Takeshi. He then went downstairs...
"Ok I'm going to go look..." he paused as he saw Ami waiting there for him...in a dark bluish acrobatic costume, her hair long and out, with daggers on her back and left side, and a small metal mask across her mouth.
"Wha...what the? Ami?" Kisaragi said shocked.
"Yes?" She replied back with her mouth slightly muffled.
"Why are you..."
"Don't worry. My father taught me most of his ways of the Shinobi art. I know how to defend myself and others when i need to."
"And...Who is your father?"
Ami sighed. "Nanake Umisato...druglord and current leader of the Masako Empire."
Kisaragi gasped, "THE Nanake Umisato? I 've heard of him through the news and articles. He does all types of tricks to leave his presence known but the authorites can never follow his tracks."
She nodded, "Takeshi usually does his night sweeps to stop my father's progression around town. But what he doesn't know is...that my father is the leader of the gang he's trying to stop."
Kisaragi thought to himself, Nanake might kill him in order to stop Takeshi. "Ami. We have to get Takeshi now!"
"I know...let's stop talking and go." She held the door opened for Kisaragi.
"Okay. Where is your father's based located?"
"He has three bases, scattered all through Beijing. The closest one is the Monnojo High School, so i guess that's where Takeshi is headed. So follow me." She jumped onto a roof and started running with Kisaragi behind her.
Takeshi was on the 2nd floor of the building, still with no sign of anyone. They've got be here somewhere, he thought. Then he heard laughter down the hall and saw a light turn on. There! He thought. He slowly moved down he hall and crouched next to the door listening on the conversation. He peeked through a little and and saw three shadows. So there's only three...easy.
One man laughed, "Hahaha! With the Fuuga Temple under our control, their would be no one able to stop us!" He had a deep voice, like a big buff brute.
Another man replied, "Yeah." His voice was chill and smooth. "The Masako Empire would own all of Beijing and then...China."
The Fuuga Temple? ! Takeshi thought worried. They're going to invade the Temple to use it as a base or something! I have to stop them!
"That's enough you two!" A third man yelled. His voice cracking as he coughed. "You keep forgetting about the troubles we've been through. Someone has been stopping our movement. Almost pushing us backwards. I need him out of the way so we can finish the operation. That's where most of my men disappear from...the Fuuga Temple. So I need everyone to be as careful as possible and if you see a man trying to stop you bring him to me. I want to chat with him...personally."
That has to be the leader he thought. I'll take out his goons and then chat with him.
A group of men yelled simultaneously "Sir! Yes sir!"
What? There's more? Takeshi thought. He saw only three...he peeked in again and glanced up and saw half the ceiling filled with men in black cloaks, ninjas, crouching. Takeshi surprised whispered, "What the hell?"
One man on the ceiling looked at the door way and saw Takeshi. "Intruder!" He screamed. The other men looked back and saw Takeshi.
"Shit!" Takeshi said as he stood up and ran away.
"Don't just stand there! Bring him to me before he escapes! NOW!"
The ninjas sprang down and went after Takeshi.
Sprinting, Takeshi went everywhere but could no find a place to hide. The ninjas were on his tail. He ran up some stairs and some ninjas appeared in front of him. He turned around and found more...Surrounded. He looked around and found no escpaping them. He took a deep breath and raised his hands in surrender, but was knocked unconcious from behind.
About ten minutes later, Kisaragi and Ami reach the school.
"So this is the place?" Kisaragi asked.
"Yeah." she responded. "Let's hurry before things get out of hand."
Kisaragi nodded and entered the building with Ami next to him.
Upstairs, Takeshi awoke as he heard a voice.
"Ahh you're awake now. Now i can have my fun with you." The man coughed as he was the man from earlier.
"You'll...pay for this." Takeshi said breathing heavily.
"Oh am I?" He punched Takeshi in the stomach, causing Takeshi to hunch over in pain. "Who are you to tell me...The Great Nanake...what I'm going to do? Hm?" He then lifted Takeshi's head and punched him the face with a fierce right hook.
Takeshi had to take the beating, for he was tied up. Hands and feet, to a metal chair that could prevent from falling.
Kisaragi and Ami headed to the 2nd floor, where they heard talking and grunts.
"Over there." Kisaragi whispered pointing to the lit room down the hall.
Ami nodded as they continued slowly walking down the hall.
Nanake then grabbed Takeshi's swords. "These...are some nice blades young man." He unsheathed Yin and read the forgery. "Yin huh?" Nanake then swung the sword. "Nicely made. This had to be made by the finest of blacksmiths."
Takeshi, bruised up, a bloody lip and nose, scratches on his face, had said slowly, "Put...my sword...down..."
"Or what?" He then stabbed him in his right shoulder causing Takeshi to scream.
"Gaaaah!" Takeshi let out as Nanake pushed deeper into his arm.
The two heard the scream and moved faster to the door and stopped.
"That's Takeshi!" Ami whispered to Kisaragi. Kisaragi nodded and tried to peek in.
He saw the ninjas surround something. Inside that circle has to be Takeshi, Kisaragi thought. He then looked around and saw a vent. He signaled to Ami showing her the vent. Ami nodded and went silently opened the vent and went inside.
"Go inside and see what's happening." Kisaragi whispered to her. "Then silently take out as many ninjas as you can without being seen."
Ami nodded, "Gotcha." And procceded inside the vent. As she moved on she saw Takeshi and her father. Takeshi tied up and bleeding, with Nanake holding a sword. Takeshi! Ami thoguth to herself. I have to save him, but i've got to get rid some of the ninjas first.
Kisaragi thinking quick and fast, I need to cause a distraction, to at least have some of the ninjas leave the room. He reached in his pocket and found nothing of use but his kunais. He looked around and found a coupel of rocks. Perfect. He grabbed three of them and aimed one at the window across the room. He threw it , breaking the window.
Irritated, Nanake ordered, "Damn kids. Some of you go outside and stand guard. If you see any kids, tell them to leave the premises."
Six ninjas nodded and left the room, not spotting Kisaragi. Now they were only six left.
"Now back to you..." Nanake said punching Takeshi in the face. "Are you the one that's been stopping my movement?"
Takeshi said nothing, he breathed hard and spit out blood. He then smiled at him with a bloody mouth.
"Insolent brat!" He stabbed him again in the other shoulder.
"AAAAHHHHH!"
Ami was growing furious as she watched Takeshi get tortured. Dad stop this! she couldn't take it. She opened the vent slowly and silently grabbed a ninja with her legs and choked him unconcious. After doing so, she quickly went back into the vent. The unconcious ninja hit the ground hard making a thud causing the room to see him hit the floor.
"What the hell is going on here!" Nanake said angrily. He then looked at Takeshi and grabbed his neck. "Did you bring anyone else?" he said menacingly.
Takeshi then spit in his face. the spit was blood. "How about that?" Takkeshi said smiling, still in pain.
Nanake then wiped his face. "That was rude. I'm going to have to teach you a lesson in respect!" He then started mercilessly beating Takeshi. "The rest of you! Search the school up and down! Find anyone and kill them on sight!" he said continuing his beating.
The other ninjas then left the room still not noticing Kisargi who had now hid behid the door. Good they left. Now to save Takeshi he thought. He walked in and saw a giant fist hit him across the face. He fell back outside in the hall.
"And what do we have here?" The brute said. "Hey boss! The kid did bring someone else."
Nanake looked and said, "Kill him Bacho. Beat him 'till he's nothing." He then went back to beating Takeshi.
"Gotcha boss." Bacho then grabbed Kisaragi by the shirt. "Hey there pretty boy. Boss told me to beat you. And that' what's I'm gonna do!" He raised his right hand.
Kisaragi said, "We'll see about that!" Kicking Bacho in the crotch making him let go.
"Ow! You son of a bitch! That was my jewels!" Bacho said hunched over.
"Yeah and this is your face!" He roundhoused Bacho with his left foot causing bacho to to roll down the hall.
Ok, Ami thought, now's my chance to get my dad and save Takeshi. She jumped out the vent silently and landed. She slowly walked up but was then kicked in the stomach. she flew to chalkboard.
"What do you think you're doing missy?" The man with the smooth voice said. He had long hair and seemed very flamboyant.
Nanake stopped beating Takeshi because he was getting tired. he coughed and looked.
"Ami? Ami is that you!" he said shocked.
The man said, "Ami? Your daughter?" he looked and took a knee to the stomach. He gasped as he lost his air, he fell to the ground.
"Miyamato!" Nanake said as his best man was down. He looked at his daughter. "Why? Why would you do such a thing to our empire?"
"You mean your empire!" She shot back. "I don't want to be aparrt of this! This is wrong! Killing innocent people just to rule? It's not right!"
"Ami...you could own everything! You would be rich! You could walk around and everyone would be in fear. You could rule with an iron fist!"
"NO! That isn't me!"
Nanake was heartbroken to hear that his daughter would not carry on the legacy. "Well then...now you must face the consequences." He grabbed Takeshi's sword and pointed at Ami. " This must be settled to fight to the death!" He took a stance. "Are you prepared for this Ami?"
Ami didn't take a stance, she only looked at her father. "You would kill me...yourr only daughter...just to keep...'this' going? Your heartless."
"There is no other way...now fight!" he dashed towards Ami but she jumped up and threw a smoke bomb. Nanake dropped Takeshi's sword and fell to the ground coughing, Ami picked up the swords and untied Takeshi. She put him on her back and went out to the hall.
"Kisaragi! We've got to go!" She yelled down the hall.
"Ok." he responded, after knocking Bacho unconcious. "Let's go out the window. The ninjas have this place locked down."
Ami nodded, looked at Takeshi's battered body, and said, "We need to hurry." The two of them then jumped out the window, landing on a nearby roof and began running to the inn.
The smoke cleared and the ninjas came back ino the room wondering what happened. Nanake got up and said, "They won round one. Now we must prepare for round 2." He then looked down, "To think my own daughter would turn against me...Move out men! Go back to the Sanjyou Warehouse and we'll discuss our plans from there. And get Miyamoto and Bacho there as well." The ninjas replied with, "Yes Sir!" and began leaving the building with Miyamato and Bacho with Nanake leaving as well.
While running on the rooftops,, Kisaragi looked at Takeshi. Hopefully...he'll make it, he thought. He then looked at Am, who was just focused straight, she did not stop running or anything. Kisaragi was surprised, but then tears went down her eyes.
Ami sniffed, "He'll be okay Kisaragi." She said with a sad tone. "I'm...I'm just overwhelmed."
"I see. Does Takeshi know about you and your skills?"
Ami shook her head, "No... I planned on telling him soon...but I don't understand...why didn't he tell me?" She sniffed again. More tears came down her face.
"We'll figure that out later." Kisaragi said trying to comfort her. "We'll find out when we get back and when Takeshi is fixed and rested. OK?"
"Ok..." she said softly.
They ran for about twenty minutes before they reached the inn. Now they have to help Takeshi and figure out why he took on the Masako Empire by himself.
Chapter 4: A Night Full of Surpriises.