Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All familiar characters belong to Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja.

Happy Reading!

~The Heart Wants What It Wants~

Hayate and Ayane were waiting at the Mugen Tenshin's main gate to welcome their sister Kasumi back home. Seventeen-year-old Ayane, the youngest of the siblings ran ahead when she caught a glimpse of Kasumi and jumped hugged her in excitement. Kasumi stumbled backward a few steps making her suitcase fall out of her hand. She then eagerly hugged her baby sister back.

"Kasumi, you're finally back!"

"I've missed you too, Ayane."

"You have to tell me everything about your trip and do not leave any juicy parts out." Ayane demanded.

"What juicy part?" Kasumi winked and teased.

She lifted her suitcase back from the ground and swung her other arm around Ayane's neck. They walked towards the gate together. Kasumi then gave her big brother a wide smile as she approached closer and gave him a big hug as well.

"Welcome home, Kasumi."

"Thank you. It's so good to see you two again." She had missed them dearly. "Where's mother and father?"

"They're away right now but they will be back later." Hayate explained.

"And they were so happy when they heard that you decided to come back home." Ayane added.

Kasumi was happy to be back together with her family, just like the old days. She walked side by side her siblings towards their home. A smile of joy lit up her face when happy memories emerged brightly in her mind. There is no place like home… it had been two years since she left the village.

Later that evening after dinner, they did a little catching up and then Kasumi said her good night. She was exhausted after a long flight home, but despite how tired she was, Kasumi couldn't sleep for some reason and decided to unpack instead. While putting her clothes away, something accidently fell out and hit the ground by her feet. She bent down to pick it up. A photo that she had brought home. She didn't even know why she had brought it back with her…perhaps she hadn't quite let go yet.

Her eyes then tracked to the scar on her left arm. The scar had almost faded, as it had been pinked a few months ago. She remembered what had caused the scar, and tears began to spill from her helpless eyes and onto the photo in her hand. It brought back many memories, some good but mostly painful memories. Though, Kasumi believed that everything happened for a reason. Now she was starting a new life back home where she belonged. She had missed being a shinobi. She hadn't trained in two years and that was where her focus would be before she would go back to doing missions. A faint smile suddenly appeared on her lips, remembering the days when she would be alongside her siblings and her best friend going out on dangerous missions, sometimes even out of the country depending on the missions.

Sighing at the memories, she put the photo away, walked towards the window and stared outside for a moment. There was a view of the mountains that laid in the distance. The clear night sky covered with shining stars that looked like fireflies. She smiled happily at the scenery while inhaling the cool comfortable night air.

Such a beautiful night, so calm and peaceful...

While staring at the stars, a familiar face suddenly emerged in her mind, a face that she had missed. The memories of their childhood brought a smile to her lips, but the smile slowly faded when the guilt inside her chest washed over her like a wave, the guilt of not keeping in touch. A heavy sigh escaped her lips thinking about everything. Kasumi then yawned her eyes out, as she was finally sleepy enough. She closed the window and shut the curtains to get ready for bed.

Days had passed since Kasumi had been home. She had asked her father if she could soon go back to doing missions and getting started with her duties again. Shiden gladly accepted Kasumi back, but that he would find C-rank missions to begin with as A-ranks could be too much for her since she hadn't trained in a while. Kasumi didn't complain as she understood. The next thing on her to do list was to get started with her ninjutsu training and she would also need new weapons.

The day after she headed to the big city Tokyo to get her weapons made by an expert in making ninja weapons.

The bell that was hanging on top of the door to the shop made a noisy sound after Kasumi had pushed it open. She walked inside but no one was around. Then an old man came out from around the corner.

"Kasumi? How wonderful to see you here..." He greeted, pleasantly surprised.

"Muramasa. It has been awhile, and it is good to see you." Kasumi bowed respectfully to the weapon maker.

"It has indeed my dear, and what brings you here?" He asked.

"Well, I need some of your fine weapons for my next mission."

"I might have the perfect weapons for you, let me go down and get them for you to see. I will be right back." The old man said and went downstairs to his basement. Ninjas live in secrecy, so not many knew of their existence. By day, Muramasa ran an antique shop to avoid suspicions.

"Thank you." Kasumi replied.

While waiting, Kasumi walked around admiring the antiques that crowded the stuffy little shop. So many interesting items from books to vases, dolls and furniture. Her mind spun back to centuries before, it was as if she was peeking into the past. Some of the items had travelled through more time than a person can.

The bell on top of the door suddenly made another noisy sound. Curious, Kasumi turned her attention towards the door, obviously a customer she thought. She peeked around the corner when a tall muscular man with reddish brown long hair tied to the back walked in. Kasumi could not believe her eyes…

"Muramasa?" He called after the old man.

At the same time, Kasumi walked around the corner making the man turned to look.

"Kasumi?" He stared at her a little confused…his expression went from confusion to pleasantly surprised. The surprised expression soon turned into a big smile.

Kasumi smiled back. She ran toward him with her arms wide open. He caught her effortlessly as she slightly jumped, and he eagerly responded the hug.

He was happy to see her, but he was still a little surprised. "Oh, wow Kasumi, how have you been? Are you back visiting? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Um, well I..."

"Here you go, one special made katana and wind shuriken." Muramasa came back and then paused in his tracks.

"Ryu, what a nice timing."

Kasumi looked at the weapons thoroughly, then swung open the wind shuriken and smirked with satisfaction. Both men silently observed.

"Thank you Muramasa, these are perfect."

"I knew you'd like them. Well, my work here is done. It is nice to see you again Kasumi and good luck with your mission." Muramasa gathered his belongings and left the shop for the day. Kasumi was a little confused of why Muramasa had left without closing the shop. Ryu then went around the desk and started to look at some paperwork. Kasumi was still confused. Ryu looked at her and smiled, noticing Kasumi's puzzled expression.

"I work here, I help Muramasa runs the shop whenever I have the time." He explained.

"I see…" She stared at him not sure of what to say or do next. Since he was working, Kasumi thought that it would be best to leave and not disturb him. She grabbed her weapons and was about to say her goodbye when Ryu walked pass her walking towards the door, then he turned the open sign that was hanging on the door to closed. Kasumi was once again puzzled of why Ryu would close the shop when he just got to work.

Ryu turned to face her. "You're not in a hurry, are you?"

"Not really but..."

"Good, you're having tea with me." He gave her a look that he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Not given any choice, Kasumi followed Ryu upstairs into the little kitchen in the shop. He went ahead and grabbed the kettle to get the water ready for boiling while Kasumi leaned on a small round tea table in the kitchen corner. She once again found herself staring at him. He put the kettle on the stove and then leaned himself by the counter next to the stove facing Kasumi.

"How long will you be staying in town for?"

"I'm back for good. I didn't just purchase these weapons for fun you know."

A brief silence fell between the two, then their eyes met as they said in unison.

"I should have kept in touch…"

"I'm really glad that you're back Kasumi…"

They stopped at the same time. Kasumi turned her gaze away and Ryu grabbed the back of his neck feeling a little awkward. She had missed him dearly. Her childhood best friend that she could go to whenever she needed someone, and they would talk almost daily and for hours. They used to train together and go out on missions. They were once partners in crime, but so much had changed ever since she left, and she could only hope the closeness that they once shared wasn't completely gone.

"I've missed you…" Ryu suddenly said in a low voice making Kasumi looked back at him. A slow smile worked its way across her face and into her eyes. Her cinnamon eyes met his emerald eyes, as if they could read each other's mind. An easy silence fell between them once again.

The kettle whistling broke their silence, Ryu then turned to prepare the tea. Kasumi took her seat at the table and soon Ryu joined her with two cups of hot tea. They were making small talk at first, but it didn't take long before the room filled with joyous laughter, reminiscing about old times. They had talked about anything and everything just like the old days. Their little reunion shortly ended when Ryu had to open the shop and Kasumi had to go home. They made a promise to meet up more often.

Kasumi and Ryu kept their promise. Almost every evening of that week after Ryu had closed the shop, Kasumi came by for tea, and then they would go for walks around the city.

Days had passed since they last saw each other. Kasumi had to go on a mission that her father had assigned her, and Ryu was busy being the leader of his clan as well running the antique shop on the side.

Like any other regular night, Ryu closed the antique shop after he was finished with his shift. He turned around to leave when Kasumi stood behind him. He was startled but happy to see her. She did say that she would come to see him by the end of the week when her mission was over. He walked over to her with a soft smile on his lips.

"What should we do today?" Ryu wondered, as they started to walk around the city.

"Hmm…" Kasumi was thinking for ideas.

"Are you hungry?" He then asked.

"I am actually."

"Let's go grab something to eat then." Ryu suggested.

At a restaurant nearby, as usual a friendly conversation started between them. They were talking about settling down and how Ryu's father had nagged him to find a wife.

"You're THE super ninja and as handsome and smart as you are, I wouldn't blame the every unmarried girl in the village that is out to get your ring on their finger." Kasumi giggled.

Her admiring tone made him feel about ten feet tall.

"When you put it like that, I do sound pretty charming." Ryu burst into a soft laughter. He looked down to his food with a frown, then he leaned close to her and lowered his voice. "The truth is, I do want to get married but not until I can find the right woman who wants what I want out of life."

"Understandable." Kasumi replied while sipping from her drink.

He stared at her with his pure green eyes, as if he wanted to tell her a secret. "There was someone…" He began and it made Kasumi curious. "But please keep this to yourself."

"Your secret is safe with me." She assured.

"Well, about a year ago I was on my biggest mission yet. I had to go to America for this one."

"That far huh."

Ryu lightly nodded his head. "The mission was only going to take about two weeks, but I stayed there for six months because of this girl that I met..."

Kasumi listened curiously.

"Her name was Irene. I was crazy for her Kasumi and I had never been crazy for anyone before."

"Crazy. That's a dangerous word Ryu."

"Tell me about it…" He quickly replied.

"Did it end…badly?"

"A real mess, she had mood swings, serious ones. She was addicted to prescription painkillers, but while we were together, she would never get help and she just became too much for me to handle."

Kasumi felt a little bad for him.

"I lied to my father of where I was, and I even considered moving to New York just so I could be with her. I was starting to forget who I was, and I almost abandoned my clan and my responsibilities for a broken relationship. I also found out that she had been cheating on me, I finally broke it off with her. I was still crazy for her when I told her that it was over, it hurt like hell you know...to end it." He shook his head as the painful memories came rushing back in his mind.

"Oh Ryu, I'm sorry to hear that."

"I was a wreck for months after that, depression hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't have anyone to talk to, so I felt very alone for a while but I'm okay now."

The statement hit Kasumi like a knife through her chest, she wasn't there for him. She was supposed to be the one he could go to and talk about these things. She let out a light sigh trying not to show Ryu that his words had slightly bothered her.

"What happened to her?"

"She went into treatment finally, but I lost touch with her after that."

"Do you still…?"

"Love her?" Ryu finished her thought.

"When I think back on it all I feel is sorry for her. She was such a mess and I was such a fool…" Ryu shook his head, "And that's what bothers me, you know? that I would fall for someone as troubled as she was when I know better."

"I understand completely." Kasumi's lips held a faint comforting smile.

"I can tell you this much, never again." He took another sipped from his drink.

Silence fell between them. He studied her from across the table. Funny, how he had always been comfortable with Kasumi. Since way back when they were kids when he was ten and she was eight, now he was twenty-five and she was twenty-three. He still felt the same closeness that they shared in their earlier days. He hadn't had a lot of friends as a kid. Back then he was a loner and shy. He was often by himself and he didn't have any siblings either which made his life at home lonely… his parents never got along either. Ryu's father was often away and when he was home, he was too busy fighting and shouting with his mother. One day she just left without looking back. Ryu would keep himself busy with his hobbies and training. He was a lonely kid until Kasumi and her siblings came into the picture. He met them when he visited Kasumi's village with his father. They were the only ones who wanted to be friends with him, while the other kids thought he was a little strange. Nobody had pure green eyes like his where he was from and for that, he was often bullied for his looks, they would call him a cursed child and that was the reason why his mother didn't want him and left. Growing up he believed them, and it ruined his self-esteem for a long time. However, Kasumi had told him that his eyes looked cool and that she liked them. She would often tag along on Ryu's fishing trips and they spent a lot of time together. She was an important person in his life, the only true friend he ever had.

She noticed his glare, "What?"

"Just thinking how some things stays the same, no matter how many years go by." He coolly said making her smile. Her charming smile warmed his eyes.

His eyebrows drew closer together and his eyes slightly narrowed. There was something that he noticed about Kasumi that had made him a little curious. Her eyes, he thought, looked kind of sad. He took a sip of his coffee and made a soft sound in his throat. He also noticed the scar on her left arm.

"Is it from your trip?" He asked.

"Uh, what?"

"The scar, did you get that from your trip? I haven't seen that scar on you before." He strangely pointed out.

"Well, yeah..."

He noticed he had made her uncomfortable by the question. A long silence surrounded the table, Ryu felt no rush to fill the silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence but a sad silence.

"Ryu…"

"Yes?"

"I have to tell you something. I need to let this out, the truth behind my trip..." She nervously said.

"You can tell me anything, Kasumi."

"I haven't told this to anyone, only one of my friends from my trip knew about this but no one in the village not even my family. Do you promise that it will only be between us?"

"You have my word, I promise." Ryu quickly assured.

She took a deep breath before she began. "You know the story that you just told me, I have experienced something like it and believe it or not it's far worse."

Ryu leaned back on his chair. "That's not possible…"

"Trust me Ryu, after I tell you this you probably don't even want to be friends with me anymore. There's no way you would want to be friends with someone so stupid..."

"Don't talk like that about yourself Kasumi, I would never do such thing nor think of you that way." He got more curious. "Tell me, what happened?"

"Do you remember that mission I got in Canada about three years ago?" Kasumi asked, as she began to tell her story.

"I do, you wanted me to go with you, but I couldn't…"

"Yeah well, I also met someone during that mission..." She shook her head lightly, feeling little embarrassed to continue. "This guy, he had tattoos and muscles, he drove this mean Black Harley. The few people around me at the time had warned me that he was trouble, but as soon as I hear the rumble of that big Harley pulling next to me, my heart just..."

Ryu got the picture. He leaned back on his chair with his arms crossed raising an eyebrow, "A real bad boy huh."

"I was pitiful Ryu..."

Kasumi continued. "His name was Rig Donovan. When I got back home to Japan after the mission was accomplished, all I could think about was him. We kept in touch and he even came to Tokyo to visit me. I didn't tell him who I really was, and I fell, and I mean fell hard for him. But being a shinobi was in the way of me and him being together. So, I chose him…I told my family that I needed a small break to travel and explore the world."

"So, you were in Canada this whole time?"

Kasumi let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Yeah, I eventually moved in with him and things went south very quickly. We started to argue pretty much every day, he would break things and then leave for days sometimes weeks. I told myself every time he left that I deserved better and that I should leave for good, but he would be back begging, and guess what… I believed he could change so I stayed and took him back.

She paused briefly before continued. "Then the arguing got worse, he became more violence towards me…"

"But you're a damn skilled shinobi, why didn't you kick his ass?" Ryu was getting slightly angry with what he just heard.

"I know I could easily take him down, but I was so in love with him and by that point, emotionally I was a wreck." Her eyes were getting teary.

"Why didn't you contact me if it was that bad?"

"I was too ashamed of myself and I was so afraid what you or Hayate would do to him and to me if you two would have found out."

"Damn it, Kasumi…" Ryu have heard enough. He hoped that someday he might run into Rig Donovan for the pleasure of rearranging his face for him because nobody hurt his Kasumi and not suffer the consequences.

"Tell me, tell me that you gave him a good beating or throw him in jail before you left?"

"Well…when I got home from work one day, I found him with a very naked blonde and I snapped. I punched him in the face, and he snapped back. He was mad because I interrupted his naughty afternoon with the blondie. Long story short, knife was involved, and I realized then that I was defending for my life. That was how I got this scar, as something in me woke me up. He was surprised when I fought back and he didn't know how good I was with knives. I was so angry that I wanted to kill him at the spot, but I couldn't…he was not worth it anymore. So here I am…"

He reached across the table. She put her hand in his. He gave her slender fingers a squeeze, "Good you came home." He said in a low voice.

It wasn't easy for her to talk about her pitiful life for the past two years.

"Like you said, never again and I've learned my lesson. It's not worth losing my dignity, family and friends to go nuts over some wild man, from now on I just want a life that's…"

He said the word for her, "Normal."

She met his eyes. "That's exactly it, Normal."

Time passed and it was getting late. "Alright let's get out of here, it's almost midnight." Ryu suggested. Kasumi agreed and Ryu put the money on the table including a giant size tip to cover all the hours they had been sitting there. He then helped Kasumi into her jacket, and they went out into a chilly night to head home.