After Bankotsu had finished up talking to the rest of the Band of Seven, he came back over to where I was. I looked up at him and smiled and he smiled back. He extended a hand out to me, offering to help me up. I accepted his hand and he pulled me to my feet in one swift move. "We need to talk," he said as he started to walk away. I followed him and began to walk with him down a trail side by side.
"What is it?" I asked. He slightly laughed to himself.
"You know what Nieci, as nice of a girl that you are, some people still do not like you. Its funny actually." I hung my head down feeling bad.
"That's not funny."
"I didn't mean it like that. I mean its funny because the mere fact that some one dislikes you is completely ridiculous. It seems as if my comrades want to get rid of you." I looked back up at him with sad eyes.
"Really?"
"Yes...how does that make you feel inside?"
"Sad, but I can understand why they would feel that way. It was my uncle who caused Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu deaths."
"Okay. How do you feel inside when you think about your uncle?" I looked at him confused. Why was he asking me these things?
"Hurt."
"Why?"
"Because I thought that he should have loved me like a family member instead of a slave. He should have treated me with more kindness."
"Is that the only emotion you feel?"
"I guess I feel anger towards him too."
"Why?"
"Because he beat me and raped me almost every night. Whenever I made the slightest mistake, like waking up too late or speaking without permisson he would hit me for it. And then when he would rape me, he claimed that he did it because he didn't want another man to hurt me, but I knew better. He was hurting me himself." I was getting more and more upset as I relived those horrible nights I had spent with him.
"Do you hate your uncle?" I was silent for a few moments.
"Yes," I growled, "as a matter of fact, yes I do."
"Good. Then that is the first step." I looked at him really confused.
"First step?" He stopped walking and turned to look at me face to face.
"You are Mokoto Kasugi's daughter. Your father was a take no prisoners kind of man. At least he was on the battlefield. I don't think that Kasugi-sama would want his child to be treated like this. I don't think that your dad would want you to let some man walk all over you and treat you like dirt. No, in fact, I would think that he would probably kill the man who even did it to you. Am I right?" I thought about it for a moment. I remembered how my father used to protect me and my mother from bandits and other criminals like that.
"Yeah, you're right," I said, "so what are you getting at?"
"Your father might be dead and gone, but his blood still courses through your veins. You have a reputation to live up to. Basically what I'm saying is that you were born to be an assassin, Nieci." I looked up at him with wide eyes. Me?! An assassin?! He had to be out of his mind!
"Are you crazy? I'm not an assassin!" I cried.
"No you're not, but you can be. I will train you."
"I don't know Bankotsu."
"If I were to hit you right now what would you do?" I gasped. I turned my eyes to the ground. I would probably cry, honestly.
"You really won't hit me will you?" I asked, nervous. Sure enough, Bankotsu slapped me in the face. I fell to the earth from the impact. Just as I had expected, my eyes teared up. I stared back up at him with cloudy eyes. "Bankotsu? How could you?" I sobbed. He stared down at me with cold eyes.
"You didn't even try to stop me. I can see how easy it was for Lord Minamoto to dominate you. Is this what you want Nieci?! To be pushed around like this?! Because that is exactly what will happen if you don't learn how to defend yourself!" His voice was very loud and cold. "Just think about it Nieci. All the times Lord Minamoto hit you. How he stole your innocence. How he would violate you night after night and enjoy doing it. How he had no regards for your well being as he repeatedly beat you. The black eyes, the blood, the scars, the bruises. Think about how he would call you a whore and then made you act like one. You must have wanted him to do all of that, considering how you didn't even try to stop my strike. You truly are a disgrace to the Kasugi legacy!"
"You're wrong!" I yelled back at him, "I never wanted that bastard to do those things to me! I didn't know anyway out! If I would have fought back he would have killed me! And who the hell are you to talk about how I'm disgracing my father's legacy. You didn't even know him like I did." I got back to my feet, now very angry. Bankotsu looked at me and smirked.
"So now what will you do, little girl? Are you going to cry and run home? I'm sure Lord Minamoto would LOVE to have you back so he can rape you again. Oh wait I forgot, you like those kinds of things don't you...whore?" I narrowed my eyes at him. He was acting just like my uncle. He claims to care about me, yet he says such cruel things. By that time, I had done had it with all of these men thinking that they can just push me around. And with that thought, I lashed out and hit Bankotsu back. He staggered backward a little from the force of my strike. He covered his face in his hand. I was breathing very heavily as I stared daggers at him. When Bankotsu removed his hand, his face now wore its original soft expression. "You're ready he said. You can now become an assassin. You just needed to get that anger out. So do you want your revenge against your uncle." My temperature was rising and I was still breathing heavily. I was remembering everything that Hari had done to me. The beatings, the rapings, the way he would sometimes keep me from eating dinner. Hari had to get a taste of his own medicine.
"Yesss," I hissed out. As soon as I said my answer, Bankotsu ran back over to me and gave me a big hug. I gasped for I was startled by his action. He instantly began to rub my cheek where he had hit me.
"I'm sooooo sorry Nieci," he said, remorsefully, "you don't know how hard it was for me to act like that, but I had to do it. I am so damn sorry. I really am. I didn't even mean to hit you that hard. I am SORRY! Please forgive me!" He then began to kiss that same cheek as he hugged me tighter. I smiled for I could tell that he meant it and was sincere.
"Of course I forgive you," I said, smiling at him. He smiled back, with a look of relief on his face. He then brought his lips to mine and gave me another wonderful kiss.
The next day, I began to train with Bankotsu. The art of assassinism (Me:lol) was pretty hard. I had to do a lot of strength building and had to work on my speed and agility. After I had gotten that taken care of, Bankotsu began to teach me some martial arts so I could become a better fighter. It was tiresome and very weary on my body, but the fear of being dominated again kept me going. I was determined to not let anyone treat me like the way Hari had done.
After about a month and a half, my martial arts skills were pretty formidable. It was now time to choose my weapon. Bankotsu took me to a local shop that sold all kinds of weapons. "Choose which ever one feels right. If an assassin can't feel their weapon, then they can't use it," Bankotsu told me. I nodded my head as I began to look at the many, many weapons on the walls. And then it caught my eye.
"Right there. The meteor hammer," I said as I pointed to the weapon, high on the wall. Bankotsu's eyebrows raised as he followed my finger to the weapon.
"Interesting. Not a sword kind of girl, eh?" he said. I slightly grinned as I shook my head no. "Damn, I'm impressed," he said as he stood in a chair and got the weapon down for me. As soon as my fingers touched the ball and chain I knew it was the right weapon for me. I turned to Bankotsu and smirked and he did too. After we paid for the weapon and also the armor that I needed, we began to walk back home to the hideout.
"So I guess that you have officially become the first lady of the Band of Seven," Bankotsu said to me as I sat on his bed. He entered the room with a bowl of ink. I smiled at him.
"Yeah I guess I am."
"Then I guess that we should dawn you with an official Band of Seven name. I mean, Nieci isn't quite intimidating enough." I laughed.
"Oh, so I guess 'Kawaiikotsu' is?" He laughed too, remembering that day when he told me that he would name me that.
"No no. Kawaiikotsu won't do either. How about...Fukushuukotsu?" I thought about it for a moment.
"Fukushuu means 'revenge' right?" He nodded his head. I smirked. "That's the perfect name for me then." He smiled back as he sat on the bed with me. He put his fingers in the red ink and dawned me with a marking that meant revenge on my forehead. He blowed on the ink, trying to make it dry faster. I giggled at the feeling. He then moved back to look me in my eyes.
"Make your father proud," he said before kissing me. I put my arms around him, deepening the kiss. After a few minutes of that, we finally separated lips. He put the red ink away and we both got in bed for the night.
"Goodnight Nieci," he said lightly kissing me again.
"Goodnight," I replied. He leaned over and blew the candle out. I laid back down on my pillow smirking to myself in the darkness. After three long years of abuse, I was finally going to give my uncle the payback that he deserved. Personally. Ha Ha! Oh Hari, that ass is mine!