Taimanin Warriors

Chapter Four: A New Start

For three straight days, Raiden felt restless for the first time since he had been expelled. For three straight days, waiting for Asagi and Sakura to contact him about being recruited. Since he had no way to contact them, he simply went about his life like usual; go to work, go home, rest for the next day.

And for three days, he got no word.

Sighing, Raiden sat up from his bed and got dressed. It was Saturday morning, and he figured that a nice walk around town, leaving his house and walking down the sidewalk, passing by several friendly people as he passed by.

'Usually a peaceful day.' Raiden thought to himself. 'What could possibly ruin this?'

"Heeey, Isamu-kun.~"

Jumping a bit, Raiden turned to see none other than Sakura, the orange haired girl wearing her casual clothes, carrying a picnic basket.

"Yo, Sakura." Raiden greeted with a relieved smile. "So, have you come with-"

"Shh~." Sakura stepped forward and pressed a finger against Raiden's lips. "Save the important stuff for later. Come!"

Stepping away, Sakura gestured him to follow, and Raiden only obeyed, following her to the park, finding a spot in the shade under a tree, Sakura laying out a blanket and lying on her side, patting a spot next to her for Raiden to sit down, the blonde complying and sitting crosslegged.

"I thought I'd visit you today." Sakura declared. "See how you were holding up!"

"I'm doing better now." Raiden admitted. "It's peaceful, and best of all…no Kamoshida!"

"Aren't you glad that I backed you up when I did?" Sakura smirked.

"Well, yeah, although I wasn't expecting you to beat the snot outta him." Raiden pointed out.

"Bastard deserved it." Sakura shrugged. "Now, enough of that; let's eat!"

She pulled out several sandwiches, setting them on a plate, along with a small basket of fruit, and several juice boxes.

"My sister and I would often go out for a picnic on off days." Sakura declared. "It's a good way to relax from the stresses of our Taimanin duties."

"Yeah, no kidding." Raiden agreed. "Nothing wrong with relaxing after a rough day."

The two proceeded to feast on their food, having occasional small talk in between and laughing at one another's jokes, and once they finished their sandwiches and fruit, they simply laid on the blanket and gazed at the clouds.

"It's a nice day out." Raiden remarked.

"It sure is." Sakura agreed. "Look, I just want you to know that even if you don't make it into our group, we can still hang out!"

Raiden seemed to pale a bit, "So are you saying-"

"You passed."

A little surprised, Raiden turned his head to see Asagi and Yukikaze standing before them, both sporting smiles on their faces.

"Raiden Isamu, we've gotten word from the Elders." Asagi declared with a smile. "From today and onward, you will be made one of us."

Before Raiden could process this information, he was tackled by Sakura, the orange-haired girl wrapping her arms around him in a hug and her breasts pressing into his chest.

"Congratulations, Rai-chan~!" She declared happily. "This is awesome!"

"Good on you, big guy!" Yukikaze spoke up. "Oh, I'm Yukikaze Mizuki, by the way. We didn't properly introduce ourselves when we first met."

Raiden looked from one woman to the other, almost unsure of how to react, all three girls looking at him with concerned expressions.

"Isamu-san?" Asagi spoke up. "Are you alright?"

"Maybe it was too much for him?" Yukikaze said with a frown.

After a few seconds, Raiden slowly stood up and started walking away, only saying one sentence.

"I gotta tell my mom about this."

Taro Kamoshida wasn't feeling well.

Despite having been released from the hospital after his wounds had quickly healed so fast, he still felt sick to his stomach, like he was about to throw up at any given moment.

As he rounded a corner down an alley, he bent over and hurled, vomiting into a trash bin.

"What the hell is happening?" He said allowed, still feeling weak. "Why do I constantly feel like shit?"

"My, aren't you a sorry sight~?"

Jumping a bit, Taro spun around to see Oboro, dressed in her combat outfit and sporting a smirk on her face.

"You." Taro seethed through gritted teeth. "What the fuck did you do to me?!"

"I've granted you fast healing." Oboro shrugged before frowning. "But given that the dose I gave you was a prototype, it seems to have some…unsavory side-effects."

"You BITCH!" Taro growled in anger. "I swear, I'm gonna-"

Before he could utter another word, he bent over and heaved again.

"As I already said, the prototype is having some nasty side effects." Oboro said in an uncaring manner, before pulling out another syringe. "Perhaps this will help."

Stepping forward, Oboro injected the needle into the back of Taro's neck, then quickly stepped back as Taro stood up with a strong gasp for air.

"That should do the trick." Oboro said with a smirk. "A week dosage every three days should keep you from turning into a vomiting mess."

Breathing in and out, Taro slid down against the wall and sat on the ground, directing his gaze at the woman, "Who the hell are you?"

Rather than say anything, Oboro stood before him, towering over his seated form, looking down at him with the creepiest look on her face, Taro only staring back with worry.

"You can call me Oboro." The violet-eyed woman said in a disturbingly calm tone. "I serve as executive of Nomad and a loyal servant to Edwin Black. Also, I've never married."

Taro only listened with confusion.

"I don't like smoking, but do enjoy the occasional drink." Oboro went on. "I'm always in bed by eleven P.M. and I make it a point to get no less than eight hours of sleep each night."

Taro's confusion intensified.

"Before bed, I drink a warm glass of milk." Oboro continued. "This is always coupled with twenty minutes of stretching to decompress from the long work days; sweet dreams are the usual result of this."

Taro had a freaked-out look on his face now.

"I then awake refreshed and recharged like a newborn child, ready to take on the day's challenges." Oboro went on. "After my last checkup, I was given a clean bill of health."

"Hey, what's the big idea, lady?" Taro demanded. "Why're you telling me this?!"

"For as long as I can remember, I've done my absolute best to ensure that my master's ambitions are realized." Oboro declared. "This may be a foreign concept, but I try my best to ensure that my master isn't bothered with winning or losing, life's troubles, or enemies that bring sleepless nights." She raised her hand, looking at her nails. "This is how I cope with my new existence among these worthless primitive humans." She then grinned wickedly. "Of course, if I were to ever engage myself in combat, I would win the battle without question."

Taro watched fearfully, as the violet-haired woman stared at him with that same wicked grin, a dark aura surrounding her.

"Basically, Taro Kamoshida, I'm offering you a chance." She went on. "A chance to gain true power and live like a king. All you must do is swear yourself to my master, and wealth and power will be yours."

Taro took his time thinking it over; the offer of such things sounded very appealing. Ever since he got Raiden expelled, he's never found anyone who took him seriously or respected him after what he did, frowned upon by others for his ego and aggressive attitude. To be granted such quirks by swearing himself to someone who can grant exactly what he wanted? That was all the more interesting.

Standing up, Taro looked at Oboro with a twisted grin, "I'm in; but on one condition."

"Name it." Oboro said.

"There's this punk that's been a thorn in my side." Taro snarled. "Raiden Isamu. Got me humiliated and put me in a hospital. I want him to suffer."

"Why stop there?" Oboro chuckled. "We can go even further, and make him wish he was never born."

Satisfied, Taro let out a burst of maniacal laughter, looking forward to claiming his revenge.

While Oboro was recruiting Taro; the three Taimanin went with Raiden back to his home to speak with his mother at the blonde's request to let her know that he was going to attend a new academy to continue his education, while excluding the reality of him being trained as a Taimanin.

A few hours of explaining and signing some paperwork, Raiden had his things packed, with help from Sakura, and stuffed his bags into the car provided by another Taimanin; Yatsu Murasaki was tall, a head taller than Asagi, had long blue hair put up in a bun with long bangs on the sides of her head and red eyes and dressed in a button-up shirt with a short skirt and leggings.

"Are you sure this is wise, Asagi?" The taller woman whispered to her superior. "He seems like a ruffian and there's still much we don't know about him."

"We're better off with him as an ally than an enemy." Asagi retorted. "Trust me; he may seem like a trouble maker, but he seems genuine."

"I wish I shared your confidence, ma'am." Murasaki sighed.

"C'mon, lighten up!" Sakura declared, jumping and throwing an arm around the taller woman's shoulder. "We get a new friend AND member of the team!"

"Only if he passes the entrance exam." Asagi reminded her sister.

They were then approached by Raiden's mother, Ailana Isamu. The mother was about as tall as Yatsu, having a large pair of breasts under a red sweater, wearing a pair of blue jeans and having a pair of green eyes and blonde hair, where Raiden obviously got his hair and eyes from.

"Thank you so much for this." Ailana said with a smile. "Raiden seems happy about this."

"Not a problem, ma'am." Asagi declared. "Your son helped us greatly, so we thought we'd repay him by picking up his education where he left off."

"I'm so glad that Raiden can finally get to continue his education." Ailana said. "And it's nice to know that's made some friends as well."

"Your son must not have that many friends back then." Sakura frowned.

"Not really, no." Ailana sighed. "He's always spent his time by his lonesome, and the few friends he had rarely ever spoke to him, due to him not having a father."

"He told us about that." Asagi spoke up. "He said that you wouldn't tell him about his father; only gave vague answers."

"That's because I never truly knew him." Ailana said with a sad frown. "He was a handsome, remarkable man. His charisma, his charm, he was amazing!" She then sighed sadly. "Then he disappeared the next morning, leaving me with Raiden."

"Sounds like a scoundrel." Murasaki scoffed.

"Regardless, the father may be someone we need to keep an eye out for," Asagi whispered to her tall comrade, before turning her attention to the mother. "Well, not to worry; we'll keep an eye on your son."

"Oh, there's another thing!" Ailana blurted. "As you may or may not have known, Raiden tends to have a bad temper; especially when I'm brought up."

"We almost saw him lash out at someone at the gym." Sakura pouted. "A jerk bag called Taro Kamoshida."

"That's what got him expelled." Ailana explained. "What you need to do is calm him down; hold him close and sing him a lullaby."

"Like a baby?" Yukikaze asked with a raised brow.

"It works though." Ailana declared. "Just hold him close to your chest, gently stroke his head, and sing Sunshine. He loves that song ever since he was a baby."

"Well, if no one wants to handle it~," Sakura said teasingly with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "I'm more than happy to volunteer~!"

"Sakura…" Asagi gave a stern glare.

Before they could continue, Raiden stepped out of the house, carrying what looked like five different suitcases; four of them under his arms and one slung over his shoulder.

"I'm all set and ready to go!" Raiden declared with the biggest grin on his face.

All four girls just stared at him with dropped jaws and wide eyes at the sight of the amount of bags he was carrying.

"Isamu-san, just what exactly did you pack?" Asagi asked.

"Well," Raiden said. "One has my clothes, another has some manga, the next has my video games, the next has some bath stuff, and the last has my most precious stuff!" He leaned in close and whispered so his mother wouldn't hear. "It's my Raider gear."

The girls were silent and slack-jawed for a moment, before Asagi regained her composure and spoke, "Raiden, do you really need all this?"

"Hey, a guy's gotta have a hobby." Raiden defended with a shrug. "Besides, it's not like I'll be holed up in my room all day."

"Good grief." Murasaki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Ooh, you like manga?!" Sakura declared with bright eyes. "What kind?!"

"Action, mystery, some rom-com," Raiden listed off. "A little bit of everything, to be honest."

"Well, I guess we should get going then." Asagi said. "Gosha Academy awaits."

"Wait, before we go," Raiden quickly said before approaching his mother. "I want you to have this."

Digging into his pocket, Raiden pulled out a necklace similar to his own, the only difference being that instead of a skull, it's a heart.

"So that way, we'll match!" Raiden declared with a smile.

"Oh thank you, Raiden!" Ailana declared with a smile and hugging her son. "Now, have fun, sweetie!"

With things wrapped up, Sakura helped Raiden put his bags in the trunk of the car, the girls plus Raiden got in the car and drove off, Ailana standing at the sidewalk and watching, the necklace held close to her chest and wishing the best for her son.

Meanwhile, the stranger walked through the woods surrounding Gosha Village, fallen leaves crunching underneath his hidden footwear, before coming to a stop on a hill that overlooked the entire village.

"Ah, Gosha." The stranger sighed. "It's been so long since I last came here."

Before he could proceed, however, an arrow was shot at his feet, landing just in front of the bottom of the kimono he was wearing. Looking up, he saw what looked like two armed shinobi emerge from the trees and land in front of him, both armed with katanas and bows drawn, arrows aimed at the stranger.

"Not another step, outsider." One of them said sternly.

"Identify yourself. Now!" The other said.

The stranger looked from one shinobi to another, before saying one phrase in Japanese.

"Kurayaminonakade mo kagayakimasu."

The two shinobi seemed taken aback by this, taking a step back in surprise.

"Even in darkness, we shine." One of the shinobi repeated the phrase in English. "But how did you know our secret code?"

The stranger reached up and pulled down his mask and pulled his hood off, revealing his face, having a pair of light blue eyes and long dark blue hair put up in a ponytail.

"By the-" One of the ninjas nearly gasped. "Master Yuki Adolfo!"

"We haven't seen you in years!" The other shinobi declared. "Where is the rest of the clan?!"

"Something terrible happened years ago." Yuki said in a somber tone. "I must meet with Asagi-chan."

"I'm afraid she's not here at the moment." The first ninja said. "And it's going to be a while before she returns."

"I understand, and will wait until she returns." Yuki said with a nod. "Until then, can you guide me to the academy?"

"Of course, young master!" The second ninja declared.

And with that, Yuki followed the two ninjas towards the direction of the academy, the blue-haired man lost in thought.

'I hope to see you soon, Asagi-chan.' He thought to himself. 'I could sincerely use your help.'

And there's the new chapter! Man, I really appreciate the support you guys are showing this story, it really does motivate me to keep going. And I apologize for the wait, like I've said before, I've been working a lot of overtime this week, so I've been so exhausted lately. Don't worry though, I'm still doing the best I can.

Anyways, thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated and motivational!