The sun rose red above the sky and an eerie calm settled over the village. No one dared venture out of their houses. The commotion of battle had stopped somewhere in the night but that didn't mean it was safe. Kagura's father still hadn't returned and with each passing hour, she grew more and more worried. Somehow, the two of them managed to fall into an uneasy sleep in their futons. When Hayabusa woke up, Kagura was already sitting up in hers, cradling her family's heirloom in her arms. Her hair was messy which was a rare sight and her skin was paler than usual.
"Good morning." Kagura managed a smile. "How was your sleep?"
Hayabusa strained his ears. "They've stopped."
She nodded but the worried look did not recede from her face.
The servants came in to serve them breakfast. Kagura's mother came in a moment later.
"Where's father?" Kagura asked.
Her mother combed her daughters hair with her fingers. Her eyes were bagged and red, and she looked really tired. "He has not come home yet," she whispered, her lips quivering.
Kagura let out a soft whimper and engulfed herself in her mother's embrace. Hayabusa stood awkwardly to the side, staring at the divider that led outside. He should leave them alone for a while. He pushed back the lock and forcefully pushed back the divider. He was met with a cool, fresh air and he relished in it. It was impossible to believe blood was shed that night. However, there were a few things that was out of the ordinary other than the silence of the villagers; there were no birdsong, no wind, and even though Kagura's household was just behind him, the atmosphere of the place felt lonely and malevolent. Two guards stood between the gates inside the compound and several others around the perimeter of the place. When one of them spotted Hayabusa, he gave him a nod.
"What are you doing out here?" A voice spoke from beside him.
Hayabusa startled and spun around to see an older version of Kagura. Her sister? "I was just going back in -"
"You're not welcome here," she said without letting him finish. "Father is out all night protecting his home, his family. Not a stranger like you." She stood over him, her posture filled with arrogance. Her arms were crossed and her face, very much unlike Kagura's, was stern and long. Her facial features were much sharper and her face was caked with so much make up it was impossible to cover up her horse-like features.
Hayabusa had no idea how Kagura can put up with an older sibling like her. Even in this dire situation, she could find an excuse to act so selfishly. He got up and dusted his pants. "I'll go."
He could've swore she snorted like a horse with a satisfied look on her face. Kagura's sister watched as he crossed the courtyard to the gate.
One of the guards stopped him. "It's dangerous out there," he said, holding out an arm over Hayabusa's chest to stop him. "You better remain inside."
The boy looked over his shoulder at the slender figure of the lady who shooed him away. She stood still at the platform, unsatiated until he was out of her sight. Hayabusa gritted his teeth in frustration. "I have to go," he insisted. "My parents will be worried about me."
The guard uneasily lowered his hand and allowed him to exit the gate. He squeezed through the small opening and once outside, he ducked into the shadows of the high walls where about a dozen other guards stood to protect Kagura's family grounds. A few of them glanced at Hayabusa but none stopped him. His footsteps sounded ominous in the deafening silence and he didn't realise how empty the village was until he was in it. No life stirred and no sound came from inside the houses. It was a ghost town. The rain from the night before had left the sky clear and sunny. Finally, he reached the town area by keeping to the shadows of the alleyways. A few carts were toppled over and some crates were broken into splinters. Shields and swords littered the ground and an undeniable scent of blood lingered in the air. Hayabusa looked at the ground between his feet where a dark patch of dried blood had spilled. He suddenly found it hard to catch his breath. The attacker was nowhere in sight, so were the defenders. He staggered and caught himself on the wall, beads of sweat formed on his head and his breath was coming out a lot harder.
Hanzo was here. His vision blurred again.
He was the best ninja in Iga. His tournament was overdue. His legs began to shake.
He murdered a Scarlet. He felt like he was about to throw up.
He wanted to kill the Grandmasters, and Kagura's father.
All hope that Hanzo was just defending himself and hid in shame vanished. He wanted more to become Grandmaster. But what was it that he desire so much he was willing to risk and sacrifice everything?
A hand touched his arm and his body was immediately fueled by fear and adrenaline. He swiped the hand off and turned around in a defend stance. Hanabi stepped out of the shadows. Relief flooded over Hayabusa and his energy seeped away.
When Hayabusa woke, he was in a house. Not as grand and expensive as Kagura's but adequate and cozy. The divider that led outside was locked and he was all alone. He felt like a prisoner.
He sat up and his head spun. He groaned softly and pressed his palm against his head. He coudln't forget what he had seen in the town and what he had concluded from Hanzo's attacks. What had he wanted? The more he thought about it, the more he seemed to sink into the darkness.
The divider that led to the inside of the house slid open and Hanabi peeked her head inside. She smiled mischievously. "I'm not the only one who's curious about the night's activities." She entered the room and in her hands was a cup. "You suddenly blacked out so I had to bring you here all on my own. Even though you're smaller than me, you're not very light, you know. And it was hard enough to bring you all the way here without having to sneak you into the house." She placed the cup beside him. "Green tea," she explained.
"Wait, you brought me here without permission?"
"Yeah, my mom's going to be furious when she finds out that I have a Shadow boy hiding in my room. I couldn't ask for help on how to treat you so I just placed a wet towel over your head." She pointed at a rolled out towel on his lap which might have dropped when he sat up. "How are you feeling?"
Hayabusa drank the green tea and the warm feeling never felt so good. He needed something comforting now. Anything. "Thank you, Hanabi." His dizziness had receded and he felt decent enough to stand up. "But I'm afraid I can't stay here. I don't want you to get into trouble."
Hanabi pursed her lips together. "Hey, you're my rival. So, if you're not feeling any better then I would not have anyone equally good enough to duel with," she said.
Hayabusa was surprised how she can bring up about their rivalry right now. "I'm fine now. Thank you." Was he mistaken or was there a look of disappointment in her eyes?
Hanabi played with her fingers a little bit. "What do you think will happen?" she said, barely above a whisper. "Now that Hanzo's here and..."
The boy pushed back the bedspreads and stood up. "To be honest, I don't know. I'm sorry, but I have to go now."
Hanabi watched as he walked shakily out of the room. Then stood up to guide him to the front of the house. "You know, he's still out there," she said softly so as to not let alert her mother of their presence. They shuffled quietly across the seemingly empty house. "We could search for him on our own."
The stupid idea seemed to enlighten Hayabusa. The only place he could return to was the dorm and after that, all he could do was wait and hope cluelessly. "Really?" he looked at Hanabi for confirmation. Her face was dead serious and her eyes were filled with determination. He nodded. "Okay then. Let's go."
Once they were outside, they immediately made their way to the centre of Iga (because Hanabi guessed that's the best chance where they would find the aftermath of the battle) by staying in what little shade was provided by the houses. Hayabusa guessed that he hadn't passed out for that long because it was only near noon. Hanabi took the lead as she sprinted across the open space into the shade of some overgrowth. Hayabusa followed more slowly, his energy seeping in with every step, his body slowly fueled with adrenaline.
Suddenly, their path was cut short by a wide dirt path leading over the edge of the village into the fields below. Hanabi and Hayabusa peeked around the corner and his eyes widened in shock. Where there should be acres of plantation was now a wasteland of burned soil. The village grew most of their crops here, and just below the hill there should be the Orchid Garden where trees bore every fruit you can imagine, in its place were stumps of burned wood. Hayabusa heard Hanabi inhaled sharply. She had no doubt thought what he had been thinking. With their main food supply gone, the village would plunge into a famine for months.
Hayabusa nudged Hanabi to break her trance and she shook her head slightly. She looked at him and nodded. They had to know what was happening, or what has happened. The curiousity was biting the both of them at being kept in the dark for so long. They dashed across the open path, careful not to let anyone see them and kept in the shade again, drawing nearer and nearer to the village centre. Beads of sweat were forming on Hayabusa's forehead and just when he thought he would collapse from exhaustion before reaching their destination, he bumped into Hanabi who had stopped at the edge of a long row of closed shops. Hayabusa looked around him and was surprised that he hadn't noticed that the closer they were to the centre, the more havoc that was wrecked. Faces of buildings had been burnt and wooden pillars were broken into splinters; spears and arrows littered the ground and droplets of blood can be seen on the stone path. A feeling of dread settled at the pit of his stomach.
Just then, he heard noises. Sounds of metal clanking together and heavy footsteps. Three or so foot soldiers marched passed and the two of them shrank into the shadows. "Should we follow them?" asked Hayabusa once they had marched out of earshot.
Hanabi peered around the wall and whispered back, "I think so."
They ducked out of the shadows and, keeping a safe distance from the soldiers, they followed them, ducking behind pillars and walls from time to time when they thought they were in dan ger. Finally, from the remains of the first vendor, Hayabusa knew they had reached the centre where a huge marketplace should be. He pulled Hanabi behind a brush and put his fingers to his lips. Men's voices sounded to his ears and he recognised one of them to be Kagura's father. He was flooded with relief, knowing that he was still alive. He could break the news to Kagura and ease her worries. Unless her sister stops me from entering their home, he thought bitterly remembering her horse-like face.
"How many have we lost?" asked Kagura's father.
"Too many," a soft voice said. Hayabusa had trouble discerning whether the person whom the voice belonged to was male or female. He had to strain his ears to hear what words were muttered out of his or her mouth. "Even with the help of the most powerful forces of Iga, Hanzo cannot be banished. In fact, the Grandmasters have said that he had gotten so much stronger than they had even thought possible."
"Does any of them know where he had flee?" Kagura's father asked.
Another soldier joined in their conversation. "Flee is a massive understatement, my lord. Hanzo had only laughed at the fallen bodies of the soldiers and disappeared into shadows."
"Did he leave any traces? Any clues as to where we might find him?"
Silence followed Kagura's father question, meaning there were none. Hayabusa and Hanabi were almost holding their breath and they listened to their conversation. He could feel Hanabi shaking as she pressed herself against him. He gripped her shoulders, trying to comfort her, but how could he when he couldn't even comfort himself?
"Tend the injured," a familiar voice boomed with authority. "We bury the dead tonight. Send word to all the villagers that none shall leave their shelter until we are sure that the danger has passed, and none shall venture outside alone."
"Kenji sensei," Hayabusa breathed. Did he participate in the battle last night? Was he okay? He tried to restrain himself from peeking over the brush. From the sound of it, he seemed unharmed but he knew that the teacher was elderly. Even though he had been strict with Hayabusa over the past years, he couldn't help being fond of him.
He felt Hanabi tugging on his sleeves and he looked down at her and she mouthed, "Let's go." But Hayabusa didn't want to go, he wanted to stay and help, stay and fight if he must. Hanabi was tugging on his shirt more urgently now when Kenji sensei spoke again, this time his voice was much closer. "I went to check on my students last night and one of them have gone missing. I'm afraid what has become of him. Any chance you have heard of Hayabusa, Lord Nakahara?"
"Hayabusa was granted shelter in my land," Kagura's father said reassuringly. "Though I must say, such disobedient students who doesn't inform their teachers of their whereabouts must be punished, especially ones in your school, Kenji."
"Ah, Hayabusa was never a boy looking for mischief," Kenji sensei said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "If I may, I think the boy has grown rather fond of your daughter."
"Such careless talk is most unheard of in the aftermath of battle!" the second indistinguishable voice retorted. "How disrespectful!"
"Please, Ueda, I am merely concerned of my missing pupil. Such talent shouldn't go unnoticed. His father would be proud of what he has and will become."
Such little memories Hayabusa had of his father, he wanted to confront Kenji sensei right there and then to ask for more. He looked between Hanabi in bewilderment and the brush in between them and the voices. Hanabi saw the look on his face and she stopped tugging, her expression changing to sympathy.
A sharp pain jabbed him in the side of his ribs and he doubled up in pain, groaning. "Hayabusa!" he heard Hanabi yell. Tears lined his eyes and he gritted his teeth. He looked up to see the faces of Kagura's father, Kenji sensei and Ueda (definitely male, with long silver whiskers), looking down at him, their expressions unreadable from the tears in his eyes, except Ueda who had a look of astonishment.
"I expect you heard all of that?" said Kenji sensei, he was carrying a long stick of wood which he had used to jab at Hayabusa through the bushes. "And I do think that is a fair enough punishment for someone who was dropping eaves on our conversation, and outside in the midst of chaos, nonetheless!" He looked at Kagura's father who nodded, a grim expression on his face.
Hayabusa muttered an apology once the pain eased. "I was just wanting to find out what was going on," he said.
"And if Hanzo was still around, the both of you would be in serious danger," Kenji sensei continued, now eyeing Hanabi who was standing with her head down in shame. "I'll ask a guard to escort you back to your house, after informing Chiyo. And you, Hayabusa, will return to the -"
"He can take refuge in my residence, as he did the night before," Kagura's father cut in. "If I may have your permission, Master Kenji?"
Kenji sensei looked at Kagura's father with a mild look of disbelief, then he recovered himself quickly and cleared his throat. "As you wish, my lord."
Hanabi and Hayabusa separated, exchanging sorry looks. He followed Kagura's father to the shelter of a vendor that was still quite intact and he muttered his apology again.
"That was very irresponsible of you to venture out like that," he scolded Hayabusa as if he was his own son. "Where is Kagura?"
"I didn't bring her with me, sir. Honest," Hayabusa said. "I left alone and came across Hanabi. We wanted to know what was going on so we went off without second thoughts."
Kagura's father heaved a great sigh. He bent down until he reached Hayabusa's eye level and said, "Your father would be most disappointed if he knew what his son had done today."
Hayabusa looked up in surprise. "You knew my father?"
Kagura's father nodded slowly, his eyes were shining. "Alas, this is not the time for stories. Return to the gates, I will have one of my guards to escort you."
"Won't you come home too?"
"I am very busy. I expect my family are worried sick?" Hayabusa nodded. Kagura's father's face softened. "I'll be back on the fifth day once we tried to settle all this down as best as we can. Assuming Hanzo won't be coming back any time soon, tell Kagura not to worry about me." Upon seeing the look of dissatisfaction on the boy's face, he added, more softly, "And I'll tell you all I know about your father." He summoned a guard and ordered him to take Hayabusa back.
While they were crossing the marketplace, Hayabusa couldn't help noticing that a dark pool of blood had spilled on the ground in some place more than others, accompanied by frenzied slashes across stone and wood.
Happy New Year!
I'm so glad if you enjoyed my fanfiction! Reading your comments made me so happy and I hope I get the time to write more often for you guys. I started this prior to Hanzo's released and since now that he has entered the battlefied, it would be much easier to write about him than to guess what his powers would be. I just looked back at my previous chapters and realised that Chapter 4 is missing and so there was a huge plothole in between Chapter 3 and 5! I'm so sorry! I will fix it immediately! Please look forward to more chapters!
