Heir Apparent

Chapter Ten:

Kasumi bit her lip in concentration as she weaved the twine together to create a basket. She was sitting on the porch of her home — for that was what she had taken to recognizing it as. It was well past the original few month stay that she'd agreed to. Winter had long since passed and the summer solstice approached. And here she was, basket weaving and enjoying the cool breeze on a day that would soon bring refreshing rains to the region.

"What are you doing?" Hayabusa asked. He joined her on the porch and sat next to her. He set his sword on his lap and began to sharpen the blade with a small tool.

"Basket weaving," Kasumi said. "I wanted a new one so that I could gather the herbs and berries in something a bit more attractive."

Ryu laughed softly, a sound scarcely witnessed and yet becoming more plentiful all the time. "I had wondered about your basket weaving comment the other day. I suppose with the house being complete, having read all Muramasa's books two or three times each, your daily training session complete, and a plethora of food in storage you had nothing better to do."

"I thought about fishing all day, but where would I put the fish?" Kasumi asked with a grin as she looked over at the man to her side.

"Where's your sword? I want to take care of it after I finish mine," Hayabusa said.

"In my room," Kasumi said. She returned her attention to the basket. She wanted to ask Ryu what had happened when he spoke to her brother and sister. It had been two weeks since she saw them at the Dead or Alive tournament. Ryu said he had a plan to end their ceaseless hunt for her, but for that he needed her journal. She'd not written in it since she'd arrived in the mountains and had no problem giving it to him. It wasn't written for her anyway. She didn't want to read and remember all her fear and terror of life on the run.

Time passed and the storm clouds began to drift closer and the temperature cooled dramatically. Kasumi was almost finished with her basket and Ryu had put his sword away and was working on her blade.

"Aren't you curious what I did with your short sword and your journal?" Ryu asked.

"I thought you would tell me if you wanted to," Kasumi answered. It wasn't her place to question Hayabusa. He'd done so much for her that she thought she at least owed him her unquestioning faith. "I would think you gave them to Hayate to show my father that my death was real. The tanto blade I received for my sixteenth birthday was precious to me and not something I would easily part with and the journal was so that Hayate and Ayane might have closure." She thought about her soft-hearted mother. Ayame would never find closure.

"Close," Hayabusa agreed. "Your siblings killed a clone of you on the rooftop of the facility. They thought it was you and they showed no mercy."

Kasumi's eye grew wide and she turned to face Hayabusa directly. She set the near-finished basket aside. She focused her attention on his bright green eyes and watched as they flashed with rage.

"Your clone died in my arms," Hayabusa said. "They didn't even look back." He reached over and with his knuckle brushed her cheek. "I saw the light go out of your eyes forever. I never want to see that again."

"How did you know it wasn't me?" Kasumi asked. She hardly noticed that Ryu's hand hadn't moved from her face.

"Wrong outfit, less muscle tone, more naive, no sword, no scars," Hayabusa said listing off his evidence. He snatched away his hand as if realizing he was still touching her. "I had already sent for you, but didn't think you'd have been able to arrive. Still, that fear remained. I had the tanto blade, white sash, and book in my backpack. When I saw the clone I used a kunai and cut off her long hair. I wrapped the items in the silk belt so that Hayate could show them to your father as proof of your death. The hair made it more authentic."

"I see," Kasumi said. That would explain the look of shock on both Ayane and Hayate's faces from when she joined them in the weapons lab.

"I was upset enough seeing a life so needlessly taken. She might have been a clone wearing your face, but she was still a life. It is unacceptable that Donovan toys with such matters so heartlessly," Hayabusa growled. He ran the sharpener briskly along the sword's blade.

Kasumi watched the emotions of rage and frustration dance across Ryu's face. "We should go inside. It's going to rain soon." She gathered her basket and the materials for it.

"I will need to return to the Hayabusa Village in the morning. My father will want to see me and I need to see if there are any new missions," Ryu said. "Donovan is a problem for another day."

Kasumi nodded, but said nothing. He'd be gone again and she and Muramasa would make do as they always did during his absence. She would train, learn, and become a better ninja, but never go anywhere. She very badly wanted to join Ryu in one of his missions as an ally and not a liability. He'd helped her so much. She wanted to help him. The thrill of working alongside him and her siblings against the Alpha clones had been the happiest day of her life!

Hayabusa followed her inside with their swords just as the first streak of lightning flashed across the sky. The sound of Muramasa's snores from his afternoon nap rivaled that of the thunder. Kasumi sat with her back pressed against the wall. There were a few pieces of furniture inside of the house, but it was still sparse and she preferred the floor. Hayabusa surprised her by sitting beside her.

"Have you decided what you want to do next? If my plan worked the death order will have been deemed fulfilled and your clan should stop hunting you," Hayabusa said.

"I don't know. I realize I have over-stayed my welcome here and imposed on your generosity long enough. I was supposed to leave in March," Kasumi said.

"You don't have to leave," Hayabusa said quietly.

Kasumi laughed bitterly. "I train constantly, but for what? I am a ninja that stays hidden away in the mountains basket weaving."

"Would you like to accompany me on future missions?" Hayabusa asked.

Kasumi turned to him with wide eyes hardly believing her ears. Did he even need her to answer? Of course she'd love to help him on a mission!

He seemed to mis-interpret her wide-eyes. "I must warn you. I do not normally face regular humans on my missions. I am not entirely human myself."

"Ryu, what are you talking about?" Kasumi asked.

"My blood is descended from dragon's blood. I am part fiend and most of the enemies of my clan are fiends," Hayabusa explained. His jaw tightened and he averted his eyes to his hands.

Kasumi remembered the tarot card reading she did for him so many months ago. She'd seen something about dragons in his future. "Ryu, I would be honored to join you on any mission. And I am capable of killing — do not think you must do all the work if you had me fighting at your side. I killed Raidou."

"I have no doubt that you are a capable kunoichi or else I would not have made this offer. You are healthy and well-trained. You are self-reliant. And I trust you without hesitation," Hayabusa said. "And should you chose not to accompany me you are still welcome to live in our home."

"It is not the long periods of time that you are away that worry me," Kasumi admitted. "It is knowing that you are endangering your life while I play house. I wish to join you and fight at your side." She reached for his hands and squeezed them tight. "You have spent years protecting me, Ryu. Let me protect you."

"Okay, I leave at first light to report in with my father and see what my next mission might be. I want you to come with me, but stay hidden. It will save us time if I do not have to double back here," Hayabusa said.

"I will be sure to pack supplies. I have jerky and dried fruits in storage that would be ideal sustenance," Kasumi said, releasing Hayabusa's hands. She hadn't realized that she still held them and was even more surprised that he hadn't taken them out of her grasp. "Why don't you rest now? I need to finish this basket anyway."

Hayabusa nodded and within moments he was sound asleep with his eyes closed and his head resting against the wall behind them.

OoO

Ryu was glad that he'd had Kasumi stay hidden in the shadows masking her chi. As he approached his father Joe's home, he could sense the familiar chi of his best friend.

"Ryu!" Joe said when he entered the house. "We have a guest. The eighteenth Master of the Mugen Tenshin has decided to grace us with his presence. He would like to request an audience with you."

"Hayate," Hayabusa said with a nod of his head in acknowledgement for the man. He directed his attention for his father. "I'm reporting for my next mission."

"Of course you are, but where have you been? Off in the mountains again?" Joe asked shaking his head. "It hardly matters. It seems Hayate here wants to do a joint mission with you. I happen to have a challenging mission that needs attention, perhaps you could team-up for it. I'll let you two catch up," Joe said leaving his own home and leaving the two friends alone.

Ryu leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his chest and waited for his friend to explode. Hayate had not visited him at the Hayabusa Village in many years. He knew this was a possible outcome after their teaming up at the fifth Dead or Alive tournament. He usually didn't need anyone's help — he was a super ninja after all. However, he had needed her help. When he saw her clone die at the hands of Hayate and Ayane he knew he needed her. And by that time it was too late to stop her because he'd sent her the messenger bird and she was no doubt close by, so he had sent the second messenger bird once Ayane had petitioned him for aid.

He had held Kasumi's clone as she breathed her last breath. He had felt what it would be like if Kasumi had died in his arms. He reminded himself that it wasn't real, but even having Kasumi fighting at his side hours later, did little to ease his discomfort. Though, the Kasumi he knew now was a superior fighter to the Kasumi of the past that the clone was based upon.

"Tell me, Hayabusa," Hayate said pacing in front of him. "How long is it that you have had Kasumi closeted away?" He stopped his pacing and glared with his amber eyes full of intensity into Ryu's eyes.

"It will be a year come September," Ryu answered. "She was tired of all the running from the Mugen Tenshin assassins you kept sending. And since she refused to kill any of them they just kept coming back. She could recognize each and every one that you sent and she knew that each of them had a family back home. She didn't want to rob anyone of their family. Eventually, her softness when it came to death would end in her own demise. When I found her, she was close to bleeding out."

"You have kept Kasumi in a secluded place for almost a year? What, like a mistress?" Hayate asked, his cheeks reddened in his anger.

"You are my friend, Hayate. And I have watched Kasumi grow from an annoying toddler that used to follow us around as children into a fine kunoichi. I may have originally been her guardian because of a promise I made to you, but when you were the one to issue the order for her death my obligation was canceled. And yet, I continued to be her ally. Did you never wonder why?" Ryu asked.

"Why?" Hayate asked. "Kasumi knew the rules and she chose to break them."

"Because, I respect her. And she's my friend. I care for Kasumi. We are ninjas and our line of work is a bloody business and yet somehow she's been able to remain untarnished by the necessary darkness we face on a day to day basis. She is my hope," Ryu said. He was only aware of her having killed one opponent — her uncle Raidou. And while she didn't realize it, Ryu had been there in the shadows making it possible for her to face the man responsible for her family's torment. "And you know good and well, that she broke the rules out of her love for you. It was her love for you that kept getting her into trouble. She's unreasonable when it comes to you being in danger."

"You can't keep her as a pet," Hayate said.

"I'm not about to let you kill her," Ryu growled. "Again."

"I won't. As far as the clan is concerned Ayane and I already killed Kasumi. Can you deny that Kasumi fell at our hands at the last tournament? You were there as she lay dying," Hayate said. "We told our clan of this truth and so Kasumi's spirit may finally be at peace. The Mugen Tenshin clan is no longer out for her blood. The evidence you presented us, as well as our confession, were enough to settle the matter once and for all."

That was a clever half-truth. Ryu appreciated the ingenuity of it all. By killing Kasumi's clone, Hayate and Ayane fulfilled Kasumi's punishment for being a runaway shinobi. "Then her current location is of no concern to you. It sounds like you have washed your hands of her," Ryu reasoned. He had no intention of teaming up with Hayate on a mission if he could avoid it. Kasumi was waiting for her chance to prove her worth at his ally in the field and he saw no reason to deny her that chance.

"You should hear the way the people speak of her. They still wish that she was their clan leader and not me. They know that she was fully capable of killing every ninja I sent after her and yet they returned to their loved ones unsuccessful, but alive. The shinobi that she defeated in battle loath their losses to her, but their families revere her as the heroine that she is for allowing the sons, husbands, and fathers to return home with nothing harmed, but their pride. They cry over her grave. Our parents made a shrine for her in their home where they pray to her through that tanto blade daily. My mother won't even look at me or Ayane anymore."

"Kasumi is a compassionate warrior," Ryu agreed. He glanced out the window and tried to gage the time of day by the sun's position. He wanted to be gone on his next mission within the hour.

"Aren't you married?" Hayate asked exacerbated. He ran his hands through his copper locks in frustration. "Married to some American woman? I'm your best friend and I've never even met her."

"Irene Lew, yes, I married her when I was in my early twenties. Before the Dead or Alive tournaments, and before you were found broken in mind and body, and before I had seen Kasumi as an adult — I had already married the C.I.A. agent," Ryu said.

"Then maybe you shouldn't be keeping my sister locked up like some mistress you keep hidden in the deep forests of the Japanese wilderness," Hayate said. His hands clenched into tight fists at his side and without warning he swung a right hook for Hayabusa's face.

Ryu evaded the punch easily and the fist hit the wall behind him tearing into the sheetrock. "Keep your calm, Hayate. I have done nothing wrong." It had been close to four years now since he'd even seen his estranged wife, aside from the run-in he had with her at the Ice Festival and the brief meeting in Kyoto where she signed the divorce papers.

"You've taken my baby sister as your mistress! There's plenty wrong with that!" Hayate said swinging with his left fist.

"I have done no such thing. Her innocence is intact — for now," Ryu said catching Hayate's fist and cringing at the force behind his friend's blow. "I would not dishonor her."

"Then give her back to me! Tell me where she is!" Hayate raged. He shoved his knee toward Ryu's gut and Ryu twirled away and ended up with his back pressed to Hayate's back. "I won't hurt her. She's safe from our clan now," Hayate panted.

"She's not part of your clan anymore," Ryu said quietly. "She's part of mine. Or at least she will be."

Hayate pushed against Ryu's back and moved further away from him. "But, you're married."

"My first duty is to my clan, much like yours. Irene cannot have children. Our marriage contract has been canceled for many months now. And I am the successor to the Hayabusa Clan."

"You love her, right?" Hayate asked. "Irene?"

"It is not that simple," Ryu said, shaking his head.

"Sure it is, she's your wife. You can just adopt. There's plenty of orphans in a ninja clan," Hayate said.

"The Dragon's Blood flows through me. I am not entirely human and that which makes me not human is that which must be passed down to the future rulers of my clan. I must have a child sired by my own blood. I told Irene before we married that I must have children for the sake of my position in the clan. She said she understood. I told her that I must live in Japan to run the clan. She said she understood," Ryu said. He could feel his temper rising as he remembered being a young, foolish man believing every word that came out of Irene's mouth.

"But, didn't you open an antique shop with her in America?" Hayate asked. "I remember, because we had lost track of each other for a little while."

"You remember correctly. If it hadn't been for the Dead or Alive tournaments and my promise to protect Kasumi, I might have forgotten my duties as a ninja. Irene was good about making me forget about my duties. With her I was just a regular guy. The fate of my village didn't rest on my shoulders when I was living with her in our little studio apartment above the antique shop." Ryu took a deep breath. "But she lied to me. I ignored my duties to my clan and because I was absent many of my clan died. And she cannot have children — she never could. It's physically impossible for her."

"Well, I'm sure with modern science they could do that in vitro fertilization," Hayate said. His eyes, identical to Kasumi's eyes, were wide in concern.

"No, she was injured. It happened before I met her. There was a knife wound that penetrated her uterus. They did an emergency hysterectomy on her in the hospital," Ryu said. He pressed his right fist against his left palm and cracked his knuckles trying to calm his anger. The woman had lied to him from the start. If she had truly loved him, she'd have told him the truth in the beginning, but she was selfish and content in hiding her inability to give him the children he needed.

"You could have a surrogate," Hayate suggested.

"She lied to me. She kept me distracted. My clan suffered because of my selfish infatuation with her. Do you know how many times she's been kidnapped? I need the mother of my children to be strong and capable. DOATEC had evil goals, but they weren't wrong when they tried to create the perfect weapon. Kasumi is the perfect kunoichi, but it's not just her genetics that make her that way. It's her heart, intelligence, and compassion. She's nurturing and loving." And talented and brave he added silently.

"You're planning on Kasumi being the mother of your children?" Hayate asked, bewildered, throwing his hands into the air. "But, you're married! Did you forget that small detail."

Ryu shrugged. "That is a mere technicality. The marriage was never approved by my father. The divorce papers are already signed."

"How does Kasumi feel about this?" Hayate asked. His hands dropped to his sides and he began to pace. "I feel like I hardly know my sister any more."

"Considering that you have spent the better part of four years trying to have her murdered, I would say that you don't know her anymore. You remember a stubborn teenager. You don't know the woman that Kasumi has become," Ryu said.

Hayate held up a hand. "Will you give her a letter from me? I'd like to communicate with her in one way or another."

The front door to Joe's house opened and Ayane stepped inside. "I'm sorry, Master Hayate and Master Hayabusa, but I wish to speak with you as well."

"Be my guest," Hayate said. He shut the door behind her. "You don't mind if I listen in, do you? I mean, Ayane is my sister too."

Ryu narrowed his eyes at Hayate, annoyed at the insinuation. Just because he thought Kasumi was perfect mother material, didn't mean that he was going to start a harem with Hayate's sisters. "What did you wish to say?"

"Is she well?" Ayane asked. There was no need to say Kasumi's name. It was obvious to whom she was referring.

"A bit lonely, but she's safe and content," Ryu answered.

"I — I want her to have this," Ayane said. She reached into the inner folds of her cloak and pulled out a worn rag doll. "It was hers when she was little and she gave it to me. It was my only friend for a long time. Could you give it back to her, so she doesn't feel alone anymore. And let her know that I think of her and that I'm sorry. Sorry for everything. And that I read the journal. And one day I'll take mother to the Ice Festival."

Ryu took the doll. He would inspect it later to ensure that there were no tracking devices. "Okay," he agreed.

"And," Ayane said glancing toward Hayate nervously before continuing. "If maybe I could write her a letter too?"

"Sure, I'll be your carrier service," Ryu said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like I have anything better to do." He wasn't particularly keen on being the errand boy for the two people responsible for Kasumi's anxiety attacks and nightmares. However, he knew that Kasumi would be able to see both of her siblings from her hiding position. She would find comfort in such a thing as a letter.

"The reason I came, Hayabusa," Hayate said. "I wanted to ask you to be my partner on a mission."

"You may write your letters and leave them with my father. I'll see to it that they are given to Kasumi when next I see her." Hayabusa started for the door and held it open for the two Mugen Tenshin ninjas to exit. "Sorry, Hayate, but I already have a partner."

Joe re-entered his home and gave the two upset visiting ninjas a wide berth as they left. He stared at Ryu with his arms folded over his chest expectedly. "You care to explain what that was about?"

"Not particularly. Do you have any missions?" Ryu asked. "You mentioned that you had a challenging one."

"I thought young Master Hayate had a mission for you," Joe said with a raised eyebrow.

"I am not interested in teaming up with Hayate. I have a partner," Ryu said.

"I don't suppose it would happen to be the young lady he and Ayane were asking about, is it?" Joe asked.

"Ninjas prefer their identities to remain a secret for a reason." Ryu was beginning to grow impatient with his father. "Do you have a mission or not?"

"As a matter of fact I do — thought technically it's ancient history. There was an artifact stolen from the British Museum. The curator had no idea that this little talisman was actually the vessel for a powerful demon that is determined to destroy the world and reduce humanity to ash. Are you interested?" Joe asked. He held a scroll in his hand with the mission details.

"Saving the world from a deadly demon — of course I'm interested," Ryu said. He snatched the scroll from his father's hands and quickly skimmed over the details.

"It might not be a bad idea to have a four-man squad for this mission. You might be able to catch up with those two," Joe suggested.

"I will consider your advice, father," Ryu said. He teleported in a whirlwind of oak leaves. He felt a small amount of satisfaction knowing that his father would have to sweep out the leaves.

He reappeared on the branch that Kasumi balanced upon in the forest, not far from the village. He inspected the doll from Ayane, found no tracking devices, and then he held it out towards Kasumi in silence. Her eyes welled up with tears and she clutched the old doll close to her chest. She shook her head and the tears were gone. She tucked the doll into the bag she had strapped across her back.

"I have our mission. We'll be facing some fiends determined to destroy the world and kill all of humanity," Ryu said.

"That will be a nice change of pace," Kasumi said with a snort. "At least it's not humans trying to destroy themselves this time."

"It's been my experience that humans are generally involved with fiends. My father suggested a four-man squad, but I believe the two of us will be able to handle the situation," Ryu said. "Unless, you want me to catch your siblings and ask them to join us. Technically, they are no longer obligated to kill you."

He would leave the decision up to her.

A/N: This is the end of the first arc of this story. Thanks so much for your support: reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! I know this is a bit of a small fandom. I was disappointed to only receive two reviews on the last chapter, though I really appreciated the kind words of Hakazu and Angel91. Everything in the story now is post DOA 5, borrowing some elements from Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge, and my own imagination. I will be taking a brief hiatus as I take some time to play more video games — I mean work on the outline for the second arc of this story. And Legend of Korra starts up in a few days. I love that show! 6/22/14