1
Dead or Alive
Chapter 11: The Runaway Shinobi
The villagers often said it was a spectacle to behold Shiden and Genra engaged in combat. Indeed anyone who gazed up the nearby mountain that night would have seen the blazing streaks of white and purple across the mountain's peak. Even through the thickness of the pouring rain and the bright light of the full moon the intense energy from atop the mountain could be seen for miles.
It was a well known fact throughout the Mugen Tenshin that the only person capable of taking Shiden head on in combat was Genra. Often they would head to the mountains in the dead of night to train. They would push one another until neither of the two men could stand. In the morning they would descend to the village exhausted from the training.This was also known to Raidou who had made it his purpose to dispose of his brother. His plan to enter the village at night, take it along with Ayame, and wait for the weakened men to descend before slaughtering them was almost too perfect. He smiled from the branch of a tall tree overlooking the village. It was time.
Raidou made no attempt to conceal himself. Over 15 years or intense training around the world had prepared him. He had learned the arts of every martial art from around the world, the secret disciplines of legendary masters, and learned a great deal of powerful magic thought mostly lost to the world. He walked straight into the village.
It was two village guards that spotted him first. The first approached Raidou with his palm outstretched. "I'm sorry but you cannot pass beyond this point." He was obviously too young to know who Raidou was. Raidou smiled, reached out and grasped the man by the neck, and hoisted him into the air. His muscles bulging he crushed the man's windpipe and tossed the limp body to the side. The second guard raised the alarm while drawing his sword. His yells echoed through the village as torches began to flicker in the distance.
He charged Raidou. The sword made a violent arc toward Raidou's head. It came to an immediate halt, caught between Raidou's palms. A swift kick to the guard's shins made him relinquish his grip on the sword. Raidou dropped the sword and grappled the guard by the shoulders. He flung the guard over his shoulder and into ground with such force bones could be heard snapping. Raidou's deep laughter echoed across the village.
-------- ------------- ---------- -------------- -------------
Hayate lay with his hands under his head, staring from the roof of the dojo to the mountain top. Ayane lay beside him watching the flashes of light from the mountain's peak. A makeshift canopy was keeping them from getting soaked.
"Who do you think will win this time?" Hayate asked.
"My father." said Ayane.
"You always say that."
"You always think Shiden is going to win." Ayane giggled. She rolled over and put her head on Hayate's chest. "Thank you for letting me stay with you again while they're off."
"You know you're always welcome here."
"I believe your father hates me. I know Kasumi does. It's ok because the feeling is mutual." Ayane clutched up some of Hayate's shirt into her fist. "I hate her you know."
"I wish you two could get along. You're both so nice."
"She's an evil bitch." Ayane scowled. "Thinks she's so high and mighty because she's the princess. I should be..."
"What?" Hayate asked.
"It's nothing. Forget it." she sighed. "What do you think your mother and Kasumi are making?"
"Probably stew again. We picked fresh vegetables today."
The screams from the entrance of the village rang across the village. Hayate sat up immediately looking down off the roof-top. "What do you think is going on?"
"I don't know." Ayane put her hand on Hayate's shoulder.
"Let's go." Hayate leapt from the rooftop. He ran with blinding speed through the village, Ayane following close behind. He came to a halt at the village center where his brethren were engaged in combat with a large muscular man. A lifeless body rolled along the ground into Hayate's feet. The large man turned in Hayate's direction. Their eyes locked. Hayate could never forget that face. "Raidou..."
Ayame and Kasumi pushed through the crowd to where Hayate and Ayane stood. Ayame shrieked in horror as Kasumi clutched Hayate. "Brother what's wrong?"
Hayate held out his hand to hold both Kasumi and Ayane behind him. "Kasumi. Go to the mountain and return with father and master Genra. Hurry." Kasumi began to protest but Hayate pushed her away. Tears in her eyes she bolted in the direction of the mountain. Ayane stared at the rain soaked form of her father for the first time in her life.
"I have come for your father and his Torn Sky Blast boy." Raidou pointed directly at Hayate. The villagers had formed a giant circle by this time as they looked onward in horror. The bodies of at least a dozen of the Mugen Tenshin lie about the circle. The remaining ninjas were afraid to advance. Hayate stepped forward into the circle.
"Everyone stay back! Raidou. Your fight is with me now!"
"Then so be it boy! Come I want to see successor to the title of Shinobi of the Wind!"
"So be it." Hayate planted his back foot. "Prepare yourself Raidou! Nin!" Ayane reached out a hand to stop him but it was too late. He was off like lightning cartwheeling through the air. Raidou dodged to the side narrowly missing Hayate's extended legs. Hayate hit the ground hard sweeping his leg with his gained momentum. Raidou flipped backward over it landing softly on the earth.
Hayate lunged forward striking his hand out. Raidou blocked the furious onslaught of blows with his forearm, laughing at the young man's attempts at landing a solid blow. "Your form is weak boy much like your fathers!"
"You shall not dishonor him by speaking his name coward!" Hayate reared back, then thrust forward with all his strength, his palms impacting against Raidou's arms. Raidou stumbled back from the forceful blow. Hayate pounced forward ready to strike his stunned opponent.
Raidou dug his foot into the ground regaining his balance. He caught the rushing Hayate by surprise, flinging him over his massive shoulders. Hayate groaned as he hit the ground. Raidou mounted his downed opponent, unleashing a flurry of punches across Hayate's face. Rolling forward off of his nephew Raidou flung him against the side of a nearby house. Ayame shrieked.
Ayane could not stand idly by anymore. She knew it would be unwise to disregard direct order's from the future leader of the clan but she couldn't stand watching Hayate being destroyed in front of her eyes. She dashed forward toward her father. "Raidou!" Raidou turned to her.
"The poisoned child. I know who you are..."
"As I know who you are! I will kill you!" She unleashed her foster father's technique against the larger man. Spinning wildly a volley of elbows slowly pushed the guarding Raidou backward. "I hate you!" A high-roundhouse ended Ayane's spin. Raidou caught it by his face.
"Just like your little Genra!" Raidou lifted his daughter from the ground. "You are worthless girl, no daughter of mine could be this weak. I will put you from your misery you little bitch." Raidou flung the helpless Ayane across the village center. She hit the building hard and slunk down unconscious next to Hayate.
Hayate by this time had managed to slink to his knees. He felt Ayane's pulse. "Ayane..." he whispered. "You'll be alright. I'm here." Hayate stood wiping blood from his eyes. He spotted his mother in the circle of scared onlookers, her face glazed over in horror.
"Up again boy?" Raidou smirked. "At least you will die an honorable death."
"It is you who die tonight Raidou." Hayate placed his palms inches apart in front of his chest. The rain began to swirl and shoot about the air as if driven by some invisible force. Indeed it was as Hayate's palms began to glow. "I call to the wind to bring the storm!" A howling wind exploded with a thunderous bang around him as every blade of grass, piece of clothing, and strand of hair was forced against the nearest service.
"Yes! That's it boy! Show me the power of your Torn Sky Blast! Show me your inherited power!" Raidou shouted with glee. The howling wind raged so loudly it was impossible to hear anything. The shining ball of wind was now three feet in diameter vibrating as if to explode.
Hayate reared back. With a howling scream he launched the howling globe of energy toward Raidou. It tore through the village square toward its target leaving the air quivering in the wake. Hayate fell to a knee nearly collapsing from the explosion of energy. The blast hit Raidou dead on.
Raidou's outstretched hands pushed against the Torn Sky Blast. The intense force pushed Raidou back inch by inch as he struggled against it. The stone walkway crumbled beneath his feet and bits of rubble flew through the air like bullets. Sweat poured down every inch of Raidou's body. "Yes," he grunted, "This is what I've waited for! The Torn Sky Blast is mine! See how your Mugen Tenshin fall before my strength!" With a fearsome grunt Raidou ejected the Torn Sky Blast from his hands back at the weakened Hayate.
Ayame screamed at the top of her lungs pushing through the crowd. Hayate's eyes went wide as he took a direct blow from the miniature hurricane. He was blown back through the wall of the nearby building. Ayane's unconscious body was flung aside landing in a pile of mud. The wooden wall shattered like glass as Hayate's body flew through it. Beams splintered and cracked sending dust and debris everywhere. When the young mans body erupted from the other end of a house it smashed into a large protruding branch from a great oak tree. Hayate's scream as his spine snapped could be heard for miles. The limp body fell mangled to the rain soaked ground silent and unmoving.
Ayame fell to her knees in sobs back in the square crying her son's name. Members of the crowd ran to pull Ayane from the mud and check on the status of their prince. Raidou stepped forward to gaze down upon the shrunken body of what he now considered his woman. "A boy as weak as that is better off dead. Now lick the mud from my foot woman!" He grabbed the back of Ayame's head and forced it to the ground.
Ayame soon found the tight grip on her hair loosen as Raidou screamed in agony. Looking up she could see the back of his gi burning in bright flames. Before she lost consciousness she caught the smallest glimpse of a red-headband and flowing green hair. She hit the ground with a thud.
Raidou tore the burning cloth from his body and turned to find Shiden and Genra staring back at him from across the square. Kasumi stood a few feet behind them her face streaked with tears. "It's not honorable to attack a foe from behind brother! And here I thought you were the honorable one."
"You are not one to talk of honor Raidou!" Shiden screamed at his sibling. His headband was the only thing keeping his crimson hair from being plastered to his face. He tightened it. "There is no more time for words. Genra!" Genra nodded and went to one knee. Speaking loudly in an ancient tongue Genra spun in a circle with his fingertips outstretched. Large purple walls of flame burst to life in front of the crowd encircling the two masters with their opponent. He stood crossing his arms, leaning his back against Shiden. "Now you will be destroyed by the true might of the Mugen Tenshin!"
"You are fools to think I am as weak as to fight when I know I cannot win!" Raidou rubbed his singed body wishing more than anything he had the strength left to fight. He knew he could have easily taken both masters by himself. But redirecting the Torn Sky Blast and being hit directly by Shiden's ninpo had left him too wounded. "I will return for both of you!" As both masters raced to reach him he exploded in black mist and was gone.
"Damn!" Shiden screamed through the night. "Damn you Raidou! Raidou!!!"
----- --------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ----------------
It was three days before Ayame would eat anything and another three before she spoke a word. Even then all she did most days was sob to herself. Hayate had been found comatose but with a, albeit weak, pulse. Kasumi had not left the room in which her brother lay once since the night he had been injured. Between fits of crying and shaking she took it upon herself to wash his body and continuously treat his wounds. They had been feeding him through a small IV someone had retrieved from a nearby city.
She had at first resented her father's unwillingness to track Raidou down. Now she flat out began to hate him. Every night she found herself cuddled against Hayate listening to her father addressing the clan or having a private conversation with Genra.
"Kasumi still wishes for me to send the clan after Raidou. I have explained to her that it is not the clan's responsibility to exact revenge for us upon my brother." said Shiden's muffled voice from the nearby room.
"Why not tell her the real reason?" asked Genra.
"I do not wish it to get out in the clan so I will tell no one. To say that I do not believe any member of our clan could stand against Raidou in combat would be to dishonor my men. Sadly though this is the truth. You and I cannot go for there would be no one to protect the village incase of his return."
"You also do not wish to leave Ayame am I right?"
"You see right through me don't you Genra?" Shiden sighed. "Yes I am worried about her. She has been gradually recovering though so at least I have something. All we can do is tighten the defenses of the village and hope this does not happen again. If it does we will be ready for it."
"Some of the clan have been showing displeasure in your decree that no one is to leave the village."
"I know, I know. But it is for the safety of every man, woman, and child in this village. I simply cannot allow them to leave. Despite their restlessness they will stay for they know the consequences of disobeying my direct order."
"I hope you are right." replied Genra.
"As do I."
Kasumi continued to beg her father on a daily basis to at least send a small band of ninjas to search for him. Every time they fought she would return in a huff to tend to Hayate. The fruitlessness of her labors began to wear on her. She refused to train or eat on most days so that she could simply sit and sulk. It was when the cherry blossoms began to fall a week later that she went quietly to her drawer and extracted a single petal she always kept hidden away.
Clutching it tightly she cried silent tears. She stood slowly and undressed. She then removed a beautiful blue outfit from her drawer that was only given to the female royalty of the clan. Kasumi wrapped it tightly around her bosom, tied it at her waist, and straightened the long strands of cloth down over her legs. She stared down at the small blossom she still had clutched in her hand. Giving a small sigh she tucked it away between her breast and silently made her way to Hayate's room.
Kasumi knelt in from of a small display at the end of the room where two family swords were kept. Taking the small kodachi she slipped it in tightly to the back of her belt strap. She crawled to her brother's unmoving body and caressed his chest with her hand. "I'm going for you brother. I will not allow anyone to do this to my...my precious...my dearest Hayate." She leaned down on top of him and kissed him gently on the lips. She rose and made her way to the open window. She glanced back to take one more look at her brother, before leaping silently from the window and disappearing into the night.