Chapter Ten

Kasumi pondered in her mind. She really thought she had told Hitomi the name of her brother. It may have slipped her mind. She was not used to telling everyone her life's story. She had no one to tell, the only person she could tell already knew everything about her.

"Ssssssoooo, are you going to tell me?" asked Hitomi.

"Huh," Kasumi replied, "oh, sorry about that. Yes…um…His name is Haya-"

A knock on the door interrupted them. Ryu, who was on the other side, asked permission to enter. Hitomi gave him the okay and he did so. Kasumi could feel her face flush. Hitomi giggled to herself at Kasumi's flushed expression. Ryu was puzzled by the girls' actions.

"Are you two alright?" He asked scratching the back of his head.

"We're fine," the girls said in unison.

Ryu could only focus his attention on Kasumi. The auburn hair kunoichi had her hands to her back, her gaze to the ground looking at her feet to avoid eye contact with him. Her cheeks held a slight blush of pink. Ryu couldn't really tell if it was make-up or something else. Make-up doesn't suit her. She had a natural beauty. She had no need for it. The clothes she was wearing wasn't suiting her either.

"Kasumi, we need to get you some new set of clothes." Ryu stated.

Kasumi looked down at her clothes. She had a questionable look on her face. However, she knew where he was headed with it. She couldn't keep asking Hitomi to let her borrow some of her clothes.

"But I don't have any money to buy any-"

"It's alright. I will lend you some." Ryu then turn to Hitomi," I'll lend you some as well."

"I'm fine with the clothes I have...but since you are willing to give me some cash I will accept your offer. Can I get some new fighting gloves instead?" Hitomi grinned.

Ryu and Hitomi were suddenly startled by an erupted laughter. They face to the culprit who was none other than Kasumi. She couldn't help herself. Hitomi joined the laughter as she stood next to Kasumi. Ryu didn't notice the small smile that had appeared on his lips. It was due to the sight of seeing Kasumi laughing after such a long time. She was slowly recovering.

~.~.~.~.~

"Ayane, what are you doing here?"

Hayate was half way towards his village when Ayane had spotted him. Ayane remained silent as her brother demanded for an answer. Something was bothering Hayate, but she couldn't tell what.

"Ayane, I asked you a question. What are you doing here?" He asked her.

"You were taking so long. I thought something happened to you. So I came looking for you." Ayane remarked.

"I gave you orders to-"

"And I have done what you said. I just thought I could be of more use if I come and help you," she declared.

Ayane bowed respectfully. Hayate shook his head. Not to her, but to himself.

The Mugen Tenshin Master had finally reached his limit. He could not figure out what he was to do. Hayate thought about everything on his way back. While he may have had one of the most skilled clans in all Japan, Kasumi and Ryu were easily out doing them and now had a dear friend on their side, Hitomi.

The friendly brunette did care for him a lot. And she always tried to protect others. He was beginning to lose all hope of ever having to speak to her the longer she stayed with Ryu and Kasumi. It was hurting him for when he finally thought of what to do at that very moment.

"You want to be useful, Ayane?" He asked, "Than kill Kasumi and whoever, Ryu...anyone with her…I don't care how you do it. Just make sure it is done. "

He lied. Of course he cared. He just ordered the execution of an innocent girl, his best friend, and his sister.

Ayane grinned and bowed. "Understood."

'What the hell did I just do?'

~.~.~.~.~

Ryu was starting to regret ever tagging along with the two girls. He felt the need to protect them after finding out Hayate had been stalking them. Ryu also did not want to leave Kasumi alone again. He never knew when the Mugen Tenshin were going to strike. However, he felt he would pick fighting them over shopping with two teenage girls.

He didn't like that they would take forever at one store, deciding on a single pair of pants while gossiping. He was being annoyed. He had the same experience when he took his apprentice shopping not that long ago.

The thing that annoyed Ryu the most other than being stuck caring all the merchandise the girls bought was that he was being surrounded by so many unwanted people. It was more like being swoon by love struck women. Ryu would now and then get hit on by a girl who would stare at him before approaching him. They would fond over of how handsome he was, what a gentleman he is for accompanying two girls shopping, or giving him their phone numbers. He would ignore them and just focus his attention on the two girls he came there with.

Both Kasumi and Hitomi, without him knowing, would look back every time a girl approached him. Hitomi would laugh as Kasumi seemed to show a bit of jealousy. Kasumi would just end blushing in embarrassment after Hitomi would point it out. Hitomi would eventually try to give her friend comfort after she state that Ryu would blow them off, but added out loud, to her amusement, that it was because he liked her causing people to look at them. It would just make Kasumi sink into more embarrassment. Hitomi would just keep on laughing.

Kasumi ignored her friend as she would pick out any cute pink shirt to match with the rest of her outfits and would tell Hitomi some of her most cherish memories as a child. She would occasionally get a glance of Ryu out of the corner of her eye. He was keeping a look out on her like always. Kasumi would just smile at the thought of finally having Ryu all to herself and that he will return her feelings.

~.~.~.~.~

Ayane didn't bring anything major that would not help her kill her half-sister. Even some clothes. She had to steal some to blend in with the crowd. The jacket she had on concealed her smaller weapons.

She was more than overjoyed at the fact that Hayate gave her full permission to go after Kasumi herself and in any way she wanted to. All that was left was for her to find her prey and had a pretty good idea where to start.

~.~.~.~.~

'What the hell am I doing?'

Hayate could sense a form of guilt rising inside him. Hitomi didn't deserve to die. If anything, he had a debt that had to be paid. If she didn't find him, he might as well be running around with no memory of who he was or dead.

The villagers and servants he strove right by greeted him. He didn't respond and just made them worry over their master. He felt horrible for what he was becoming. He realized that it was a burden that any leader had to carry.

Hayate made his way to his mother's room once he reached the main house when a servant nearly ran into him. He was surprised at what the young servant was caring in her hands. A bowl of water mixed with blood in it while a rag hung from the side.

"What is this?" He demanded.

"Master Hayate," the girl cowered, "forgive me. I was just attending to Lady Ayame."

"What happened to my mother?" Hayate demanded.

"Earlier today...she nearly passed out after speaking to Ayane. We send her to get some rest but when we came back to check up on her..."

"What happened?" Hayate kept demanding.

"She tried to take her on life by slitting her wrists. I'm so sorry Master Hayate. We should have taken better care of her."

Pushing the girl to the side, Hayate ran into his mother's room. He slid her door open to find her laying in her futon. Her skin was so pale that it made her look older than she actually was. Her wrists were bonded to keep the blood from coming out. There was also another person inside the room with her. His father.

"Hayate," Shiden spoke.

Hayate walked into the bedroom and sat on the opposite side of his father with his mother in between them.

"I should have taken care of her..." Hayate whispered. "None of this should have ever happen. Why didn't Ayane tell me?"

Shiden looked down at his ill wife. "Your mother has reached her peak and could no longer stand living with her own children at war with one another. She has lost the will to live. We are lucky that we have not lost her...yet."

"So this is our fault?" Hayate asked.

His father gave him no answer. Instead, he held Ayame's hand in his own. No matter what he did in the past, he would always love his wife even if he didn't show it.

"What am I supposed to do?" Hayate asked.

"Only you could answer that," Shiden answered.

"I don't know. I don't know whether I should pardon Kasumi or have her killed." Hayate admitted.

He was showing weakness. His doubt was strong. He couldn't feel more of a failure to his own father, the former Mugen Tenshin Master.

"You are the Mugen Tenshin Master now. The bond between you and your sister is strong. Whatever you do, your fate will always intertwine with hers as well as Ayane." Shiden stated, "The path you three have set to be in was not the one you all follow now. They were chosen by you. Hayate, you have the power to end this now if you so desire it or suffer the consequences for it. More people will die. If it is not your mother than it will be someone else you once cared so much for. Can you live with that fate?"

Hayate remained still. His father's words and wisdom have struck a chord. No, he could not live with the fact that he could have been the cause of his mother's death or the fact that he had sent Ayane to kill Hitomi. Yet, he was still uncertain about Kasumi and Ryu. They were two people that he trusted the most. Their fates were still left in the air.

"I must go now," Hayate bowed respectfully towards his father.

"Take care, my son," his father said, "I will watch over the village and your mother in your absence."

Hayate nodded and left the room. Sliding the door behind him, he ran out as fast as his feet could carry him. Shiden took a deep breath. Ayame's hand was still in his. Giving her a pat on it, he knelt down and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"May things go well...for the good of our family." Shiden whispered to his wife.

~.~.~.~.~

The sun has finally set by the time Kasumi's stomach was growling for attention. She had not eaten since Hitomi had fed her that morning. What was even worse was that her feet were aching. The shoes she had borrowed from Hitomi were a size too small and were feeling tight on her feet. Kasumi was pleading for a place to sit down at the busy mall and rest after ten minutes.

"I told you to buy those nice comfortable shoes that we saw at that boutique but nnnnnnooooo. You just wanted to stay with my clothes on." Hitomi joked sarcastically with a giggle.

"I just can't decide what to wear," Kasumi joked back, rubbing her feet.

Hitomi grabbed several bags that Ryu was carrying and gave it to her. "Here! You bought like a million things today. Now put on whatever is in there and we will wait for you so that we can eat. And hurry up because some people are starving."

Kasumi was about to protest about the items inside the bags, but Hitomi pointed a finger to the restroom of the mall for her to change. Kasumi headed out, looking back at her to friends. Making her way pass the crowd, Kasumi just went inside without another word. Unknowing to her, someone was following her.

"You should have gone with her," Ryu stated, his gaze never leaving Kasumi. An uneasy feeling overwhelmed him.

Hitomi turned to the concerned Dragon Ninja, "We are in public right? You said they won't attack us in public. Besides she is going to change. Don't get upset that you can't go in after her. Have some sense of control."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked angrily.

"How gullible are you? You obviously like Kasumi...hey…what are you doing?" Hitomi was interrupted when Ryu started to give her multiple bags that belonged to her.

"I don't know what you are taking about, and for the record I am not your personal bagman."

"Wait, Ryu a little help," Hitomi pleaded as she struggled to hold everything.

~.~.~.~.~

Kasumi slipped into a pink blouse and a demi skirt with matching pink boots. The bags Hitomi had given her had also had some make-up inside that she picked out for her along with several undergarments. She went her way towards the sink. The mirror above the sink was perfect for her to see her reflection and apply some make-up. Kasumi set the bags in the ground. She opened the blush she had purchased and put it over her cheeks. It began to cover the slash on her cheek. Satisfied with the result, she smiled. She only wished her clothes and make up could cover up the cut on her forearm.

"I think Ryu will like it...Maybe I should add some of that lipstick Hitomi got me." Kasumi whispered to herself.

Kasumi reached down into the bag to grab the lipstick. When she was unable to find it, she ducked down to dig through the bags until she was able to find it. She rose up again and looked back into the mirror. She was startled to see someone behind her. She shook her head but the person was still there. Kasumi turned around and found that she really wasn't hallucinating.

"Ayane!"

"Master Ryu must be sick if he has any interest in you."

~.~.~.~.~

Hayate ran as fast as his feet could. He had to prevent Hitomi's death by any means necessary. He will never be able to live down the fact that she could be killed by Ayane, or that Ayane tells her that he ordered her execution just because he couldn't handle things properly.

He had been angry at Ayane for not telling him of their mother's condition. What other secrets was Ayane keeping from him?

~.~.~.~.~

Kasumi was taking her time. Ryu also couldn't shake the feeling of something was about to happen. He paced around a bit, looking back at the restroom on the other side of the courtroom every time he turned around.

"I know that you are ninja, but aren't you guys like really good at waiting?" Hitomi asked.

All of her bags were at her feet since she couldn't possibly carry them for too long. She was tapping the tip of her shoes on the floor waiting for Kasumi. Anything to keep her from thinking about food.

"How would you know anything about what we do?" asked Ryu.

"Well, I kind of get it off of movies, you know," she smiled, "also I know that my friend, Ein, is a ninja too. He told me himself when he got his memories back."

Ryu just stared at her. 'Hayate told her he is a shinobi? Why?'

"If he told you that much, then you should know his real name, right?" he asked.

"I did...but I forgot," she admitted shamefully.

Ryu was relief. If she knew that Ein and Hayate are the same person, she might have a heart attack. What will be even worse is that she would find out that he is the one trying to kill Kasumi. It wasn't in his plan to care for Hitomi, but because Kasumi was getting attached to her than he felt he had no other choice.

Wanting to change the subject, Ryu asked her, "Kasumi is taking her time. Why don't you go inside to see what is keeping her?"

Hitomi shrugged. "I don't what is it with you, but I think she is okay. But if makes you feel any better and calms you down, I will go and check on her."

Hitomi made a sour face towards him before smiling back at him. Ryu ignored her and crossed his arms over his chest, looking out for anything suspicious. There was just something out of place. Hitomi just made her way towards the bathroom, if she was able to make it through the crowd. Ryu knew something was wrong. He couldn't shake the feeling any longer. Maybe Hitomi was right, he needs to calm down.

~.~.~.~.~

Kasumi dodged out of the way as Ayane threw a kunai at her direction. The kunai impale itself into the mirror Kasumi was just using, shattering on impact. Kasumi was on her feet ready to take on her sister. Furious, Ayane kicked Kasumi's chest that send her flying into the wall. Kasumi flinched in pain. The blow to her chest was at the center of the wounds Ayane had given to her in their previous battle.

Kasumi slumped down on the floor placing her hand over her chest wound. Blood was oozing through her new clothes, socking them. Ayane smirked as she towered over her sister.

"Did you really think that you and Master Ryu could just live happily ever after? Time to wake up from your little dream world."

A tap was felt on Ayane's shoulder. She turned around only to be greeted by a fist to her face. Ayane stumbled to the ground. Her nose began to bleed while a bruise was forming on her cheek. Ayane looked up her attacker to see Hitomi.

"You?" Ayane stated recognizing her immediately. 'What the hell is she doing here?'

Hitomi was startled. She may had tried to save her friend; only know she was surprised to see who was attacking her.

'Oh my gosh. I know this girl. She knows Ein.'

"This is none of your business. Stay out of this." Ayane yelled, whipping away the blood from her nose.

Angered, Hitomi fought back, "Anyone who picks a fight with my friends is my business."

"Hitomi, run," Kasumi pleaded.

"Shut up you bitch," Ayane yelled back.

Ayane stared back at Hitomi. She hated her just as much as she hated Kasumi. All because Hayate liked to spend time with them and not her. Ayane didn't care if Hitomi had help Hayate. No one will be taking him away from her again. Not Kasumi. Not Ryu. And especially, not Hitomi.

"Why are you trying to hurt Kasumi?" Hitomi asked.

"Because she is a traitor," Ayane said, "she will die along with you."

Ayane was about to struck her with a kunai when she was clobbered by Kasumi who flung a shopping bag to her head. Ayane collapsed forward leaving Hitomi in awe. Kasumi grabbed Hitomi's wrist and exited the restroom as fast as they could. Ayane was stun but quickly rose to her feet and ran after them. She was not going to fall for that trick again.

Ryu began to gather their things when he spotted the girls making their way towards him. He saw that something was wrong though. Kasumi was bleeding and Hitomi was running right behind her looking back at the restroom as they pushed through the crowd. From a distance, he could see Ayane following them.

"Ryu...we are...being..." Kasumi muttered out of breath.

"I know. Let's go."

Ryu made the girls run ahead him while he trailed behind, exiting the mall leaving some of their belongings behind. Glancing at the furious Ayane pushing her way through the crowd, it gave them enough time to get a head start. Ryu was able to catch up with the girls who were waiting for him inside a cab. Ryu jumped in and commanded the driver to put the cab in gear. Ayane had finally managed to maneuver out of the crowd. However, when she headed to the last spot that she saw Ryu and the girls, they were long gone. Ayane just cursed in anger for letting them escape once again.

~.~.~.~.~

The house was completely dark and no one seemed to be home. More likely it looked like it had been abandoned. Entering through an unlocked window, Hayate made his way through the house looking through every room to see if anyone was there or if any corpse was left. Nobody was there.

Hayate was beginning to think that they were all out and haven't returned yet. He wanted to stay until they came back to clear things up with Hitomi. Hayate spotted her gym bag in one of the rooms. He remembered she would take it everywhere with her. It was old and falling apart. It had her name written on it. She said it was a gift from her mother. He went through it only to find a pile of dirty closed and shoes, and at the bottom of it all, a photograph. He picked it up to see it was a picture of him and her. They were both wearing karate gear in front of her father's dojo. A memento for his first day of learning karate.

Hayate remembered taking the picture. He could not remember any of his memories and his name then. Hitomi insisted on taking a picture together that way he would make new memories. She asked her father to take the picture for them. And he gladly did. She wanted to preserve the memory for him.

They looked happy. He was happy. That time he was Ein were the happiest days of his life before he came back to his reality. He turned the photograph over to find a drawing of heart and in the center two names: Hitomi and Ein.

Hayate's heart sunk. Now, he knew why Hitomi was in Japan. She was looking for him. No, she was looking for Ein.

Hayate placed the photograph inside a hidden pocket of his jacket to keep it safe before he vanished out the window he came in.

~.~.~.~.~

Hitomi had finish patching up Kasumi and sank into one of the large beds of the hotel room. It wasn't a very large room but it was still large enough for all three of them with two beds, a couch near the window and a desk on the far corner. Ryu insisted they do not return to Muramasa's home and hide in a hotel room for the night. He called Muramasa to warn him that Ayane might be on her way over. Muramasa told him not to worry, while he was at his shop, he stated he would make his way to the Hayabusa Village with all of their belongings. Hitomi wanted her gym bag. It had the only picture she took with Ein.

"We should be safe here for tonight. Tomorrow, we will head to my village. We'll be safer there." Ryu assured the two girls

Kasumi nodded as she sat next to Hitomi. Hitomi was just left with more questions than answers. Ayane wanted to kill her. She just didn't know was it for defending Kasumi or something else. Since she was introduced to her by Ein, Ayane was never friendly towards her. She must hate her. It also looked like she hated Kasumi. So why is she trying to kill her too?

"Hitomi are you okay?" Kasumi asked. Kasumi was in a new set of clothes and threw out the blood stained ones.

"Huh. Oh, just thinking about something...Hey, Kasumi, that girl that we fought...I met her before at the tournament...Her name slips my mind but...Why is she trying to kill you?" Hitomi asked.

Ryu was worried. Hitomi would know the truth after all and he didn't know how she will take it. He just hoped she won't do anything rash that would upset Kasumi.

"Ayane...is my sister," Kasumi said, "Her task is to kill me."

Hitomi just stop listening the minute Kasumi said Ayane is her sister. 'Wait...What?'

~.~.~.~.~