'James-san are you sure this is the right way?' Tetsuya asked as they walked.
The bounty hunter smirked and said 'This is a shortcut to a camp that I know of. Bunch of traveling warriors. Real nice.'
'And you're certain they are still there?' Tetsuya repiled.
'I hope so.' James muttered as he drew his blade to cut some vines.
'You said you were a bounty hunter yes?'
'That I am Tetsuya-kun. Wanna hear some of my epic tales? Me vs dirty hands Tyson?'
'What is the crime that Edward-san performed?'
'Ah that...It was for treason it looks like. Von blade called him something akin to a backstabber to put it lightly.'
The two warriors proceeded onwards, Saya watched Tetsuya from a nearby tree. 'Now where are they going now?' The cat girl lept quietly from one tree to another. In truth she had no idea why she was following him. Did she view him as a rival?
Someone to protect? or was it for some other reason?
Just then Tetsuya stopped in his tracks. He could swear he heard a twig snap nearby. The young man turned to see nothing.
'What's the matter Tetsuya-kun?'
Tetsuya shook his head. 'Nothing. I thought I heard something but it might just be my headband.'
Saya too heard the noise. 'Is someone trying to kill him? I can't let that happen.'
She creeped into a nearby tree to try and pinpoint the source. Before she could however a person lept high into the air above Tetsuya. He sensed it in time and turned around to block the assassin. His katana clashed with a pair of tantos.
The ninja lept back into the trees. 'What the hell was that?' James said as he readied his weapons.
Tetsuya said nothing, instead he focused on anything that could give the ninja's location away.
'Left!' James yelled as the ninja leaped out from a nearby tree. He dived down, intent on stabbing the young man's eyes.
James dashed forward with his shield to block the attack. As soon as the ninja placed his body on top of the shield James pushed it forward.
It put the ninja off balance and he rolled onto the grass. 'Now come on we can talk about this like gentlemen.' James said with a grin.
The ninja dashed towards James. Tetsuya moved in with his mist stance and grabbed him. Not slowing down he did the korefuji as James lept back.
'Nice move!' James said as he dashed in with a heavy smack of his shield.
With a heavy grunt of pain the ninja rose back up. Tetsuya could notice a flash of red eyes in the head of the ninja.
Just then he felt a searing pain in his own head. Dropping his katana he fell on his knees and grabbed his forehead with both hands. Saya's eyes opened wide at this. 'It's like before.' she thought.
As Tetsuya fell to the ground James rushed towards the ninja. With a quick slice of the neck the ninja was down and so was Tetsuya.
'Shit don't die on me yet!' James yelled as he turned over Tetsuya. As soon as he did he noticed that he was still breathing.
He yelled out for help and Saya slowly went out from behind a tree. 'Well you ain't what I expected. You some lady of the forest?' James said no dobut pointing out Saya's circus outfit.
'Is now the best time for jokes?' Saya asked as she bent down to help James pick up Tetsuya. 'I saw a cave not too far away from here.'
The pair of them placed Tetsuya near the entrance to a cave. The young hero saw only pitch blackness. He felt like he was standing but could see nothing.
Until a person came into view, 'That can't be...He looks just like me!' the other Tetsuya looked exactly like the one we know. But his eyes were as red as that of the ninja. The other Tetsuya said nothing, the only thing he did was stare at him.
As the eyes of Tetsuya opened he saw a stone ceiling. A fire was burning close to him as well. His body felt sluggish and heavy.
'Hey good to see that you're awake pal.' he heard James call out.
Tetsuya slowly turned his body to see James putting wood on a fire. 'What happened? One second you were all fighter the next you dive to the dirt?' James said.
The young hero shook his head 'I can't remember anything.'
Saya watched Tetsuya from afar. She turned and began to leave. 'Please be okay Tetsuya-kun. Becasue I'm gonna kick your ass if you don't.' she muttered.
Morning had risen for the two heroes. James made sure that Tetsuya was okay before they went on. 'You sure you wanna carry on?'
'Yes the more time we waist the higher chance we'll miss James-san.'
As James and Tetsuya continued thier journey Saya watched them again. Eventually the two men got to the remains of a campfire. 'They were here but it looks like they moved on.'
'I see. I'm sorry for what happened.'
'Don't be we had no idea what would happen mate.'
With that they pressed onwards. The time flew as they walked out of the forest to a beaten path.
'Sometimes when I go on paths like this I think of life.'
'What makes you say that James-san?'
'Life can be a narrow line. Or if your in a forest, then it's an unkown wandering. Then I wonder what way I should take. That's most likely due to me being a bounty hunter.'
'I guess. Gomen James-san I am young and have only started my travels.'
'Ah well pay no mind to it.'
Tetsuya sighed and rubbed his headband. In a way he was sheltered most of his life. He never left the childern's care home, well a few times and then he met his Sensei.
Mitsurugi who took him in and trained him. The young man was thankful for him. If Mitsurugi had not taken him in then who knows what would have happened to him. 'Sensei is the closest person I've had to a family.' he thought.
Now he viewed his travels as a coming of age. To become his own person and be as good as his Sensei.
All the while Saya kept following him, a cat had made it's way to her and began to rub it's head on her leg. Saya mewed and picked it up.
The cat meowed but Saya hushed it. She did not want Tetsuya to find her. 'Why am I following him? Is it for a rematch? Or something else?' she thought.
In a way that she did not yet know, she and Tetsuya had some things in common. Her parents died in a fire and the circus took her in. Years up and down the road have taken Saya all over Japan whereas Tetsuya was not. But both were alone untill they were taken in. Perhaps it is that unkown kinship that bonds her to him. Only time will tell.
I'm going to stop there. My reason for a slow update was due to a girl close to me having to leave my home town. I just could not think of what to add for this.
She talked to me over the phone and told me to keep on keeping on. So from here on all my fanfics are for her. And yes my dear I am a blooming handsome. :)
