Broken Bonds
Prologue: Runaway
Time: 12:00
Date: July 3, 2010
Location: Japan, Outside of the Mugen-Tenshin Village
A lone figure stood atop a large cliff overlooking a ravine. A large waterfall roared to the right. A young girl of Japanese descent, barely in her late-teens, stood in silence as her thoughts danced in her mind. She was dressed from head to toe in a crimson red training gi, with matching red shin and arm guards of a slightly darker shade, her arm guards covering the back of her hands. A black under shirt clung tightly to her slender frame under the gi, but breathed enough to allow her to comfortably perform swift movements. A single sixty centimeter long kodachi (Short Sword) was placed upon her back just above her toned buttocks with two bright red strings tied through a hole in the bottom of the hilt that ended in a taut sphere of yarn on each string. The blade slept within a black scabbard, held snugly in place by a blue cloth wrapped tightly around her waist. Her long brunette hair flowed freely in the wind. Her face exposed to the water that misted off of the roaring falls. A forest surrounded her on all sides with towering trees and mossy rocks of varying sizes, contrasting with her crimson silhouette. A lone bridge hung in the center of the gorge, its ropes covered in moss and its planks were filled with holes at various intervals.
"Hayate." The girl breathed out. Her chestnut brown eyes showed the troubles in her mind. Her thoughts were suddenly disturbed when she heard the sound of slicing wind and turned to face the source. She instantly jumped back and avoided the two; ten centimeter long kunai that were flying towards her.
She back flipped off of the cliff and into the wide gorge in front of her. She was assaulted mid-flip by five more kunai that were thrown in her direction. She found herself caught in a vulnerable position in the air with no visible means to rectify her free floating position. She quickly searched for a way out of her current situation when she eyed a protruding rock jutting out from behind the waterfall. She quickly shifted her weight and moved towards the rock, using all of her concentration and dexterity to land on her left hand and flip off the protrusion and back into the air. She managed to regain some altitude and soared towards the rickety bridge behind her, but the kunai were swiftly closing in on her.
She reared her right hand back, focusing her spiritual energy, her ki, into the palm of her hand, forming a large pink ball of electrical energy. "Okay…" She breathed out as the energy finished gathering. "Rekku Jinpu Satsu (Torn Sky Blast)!" She chanted and thrust her hand forward, discharging the pink bolt of lightning at the kunai that threatened her. The bolt struck the kunai, removing all of their forward momentum, rendering them harmless as they fell towards the roaring waters below. The girl landed on the rickety bridge and placed her hand on the kodachi on her back.
"DISGRACEFUL!" The sound of an older masculine voice blared. An older man in his early forties landed on the rickety bridge along with the girl. His long hair, snow white to reflect the passage of time. His casual white robe had a gray trim down the middle that trailed along his collar with blue trousers held securely by a brown cloth around his waist with black shin and arm guards. In his right hand was a simple katana with a golden guard. "You actually expect to be our leader someday?!" He questioned harshly as he thrust the blade in the young girl's face.
"Otou-san (Father)!" The girl exclaimed taking a step back from the armed man.
"Forget about your brother. Focus!" The man crouched into a defensive stance that had been perfected through years of training and battle in which he held the blade pointed directly at the girl with his right hand drawn back and pushed taut against the guard with his left hand holding the end of the red clothed hilt tightly to keep the blade steady.
'How can I ignore what happened to Hayate when this is the result?' The girl thought to herself as she quickly reached behind her back and gripped the red clothed hilt of her kodachi, bringing it forward in a reverse grip as she assumed her defensive stance.
The man wasted no time in charging his daughter, swinging his blade at her with all his might. The girl blocked and repulsed the attack, taking a staggered step back from the force, but managed to recover her footing. "Good, Kasumi, now follow up. Strike me quickly!" Kasumi lunged towards her father and threw a blindingly quick open palm jab at his chest striking him with all the strength she could muster, earning a grunt from the older man. The man stumbled back only to lunge forward again. Kasumi anticipated another strike from her father's sword and went to block with her kodachi.
The man pivoted on his foot and spun around Kasumi's defenses with quick and fluid movements the young Kunoichi was not prepared for. She kept her calm and shifted with her father's movements, attempting a high kick at his torso. The man canceled his attack, opting to jump back and away from Kasumi's counter. "Keep your focus, Kasumi. A leader must always be perceptive whether on the battle field or with his own thoughts. You cannot afford to make mistakes or your enemy will take that chance to end your life!" He lunged again, quickly closing the distance between the two once more, and began swinging his blade at the young kunoichi, using its reach to his advantage.
Kasumi was on the defensive, barely able to block the strikes of the elder Shinobi and having a difficult time finding an opening in his defense for her to exploit. 'How am I supposed to attack with my Kodachi if I can't get around the reach of his sword?' Kasumi thought to herself as she continued to dodge and parry the wide swing of her father's blade. She suddenly noticed that her father's swings had an odd character to them as she ducked another attack. 'He is not swinging close to the rope! I can use that.'
Kasumi waited for her father to swing again. When he made a horizontal swing at Kasumi, expecting his blade to clang against her Kodachi. When he followed through however, his blade was met with no resistance and a missing Kasumi. He looked down to see that Kasumi had ducked under the swing, crouching low. Kasumi quickly launched off her left foot and brought her blade to the older Shinobi's throat. The Older Shinobi maintained a neutral face, but he was secretly impressed by the Kunoichi's ability to see the subtle openings he left in his attack. 'Very good Kasumi, but simply following up is no simple task.' With that he disappeared into a cloud of maple leaves, leaving Kasumi to swing at air and whirl around from her momentum.
'Where did he go?' She did not have to wait long for her answer when she felt a shadow fall over her. She looked behind her to see that the Older Shinobi was baring down on her. Not wanting to get caught in another onslaught of strikes, she teleported away in a flourish of Sakura petals, briefly leaving a fluorescent pink phantom in her wake.
The Older Shinobi's blade came down and stopped mere centimeters away from the walkway of the bridge. He released a half annoyed sigh as he rose to his feet. "Her teleportation has gotten better, if nothing else."
Kasumi landed on a rock next to the waterfall and waited for her father to assail her again. She felt the leaves whirl around her in a small vortex and sensed that her father was close. She looked up again to see him airborne and descending upon her like a hawk diving for its prey. She readied for another defensive play when she miss calculated her footing as she took a cautious step back. Her foot slipped out from under her and she fell backwards off the cliff into the waters below with a shocked cry. "AH~!" Soon followed by the sound of splashing water.
The man just stood atop the cliff with his sword behind his back, eyeing the spot below, where Kasumi had fallen. Another man, hair of the same white shade, but cut short appeared behind the previous man. He wore a black demon's mask with blood red eyes and a twisted smile. His brown and grey fatigues adding to the dark atmosphere that hung around him. "I'll leave the rest to you..." The previous man said to the masked figure in a calm authoritative tone. "Genra."
"Of course, Lord Shiden." The masked man replied in a neutral tone.
Kasumi sat on a rock at the base of the waterfall, a reed in her hands. "Hayate…" She breathed out again. She noticed movement out of the side of her eye again and brought her kodachi to bare. A light clang resounded off her blade as she deflected a kunai being thrown at her. The kunai flipped over her head and landed in the shallow water, embedding itself in the floor. Kasumi saw the spinning iris flower on the hilt and instantly knew who her assailant was. "No use hiding now. I know you're there, Ayane."
A girl, about the same age as Kasumi, came skulking out of the forest, stalking through the shallow waters with a precision matched only by the serpents prowling the forest floor. She wore a dark purple gi with a large iris blossom embroidered across the back, a lavender colored butterfly embroidered into the left breast, with a black fishnet under suit. Her shin and arm guards were black to match the dark motif of her person. Her short, bob-cut, lavender hued hair had a dark-purple bandana tied around her head and under her bangs, giving them a fuller look. "That was from Genra-sama." She replied smugly with a triumphant smirk on her features, her misty scarlet eyes glaring at the crimson clad girl.
Kasumi simply rolled her eyes and leapt up the cliff face to get back to the bridge she had fought on earlier. Ayane followed suit and threw two more kunai at the crimson clad Kunoichi again. Kasumi deflected the sharp projectiles with little trouble and glared in annoyance at the Lavender Kunoichi. "Cut it out Ayane. I am not in the mood for your antics." Kasumi stated sternly.
Ayane landed on the bridge and stood condescendingly with her hand on her hip and her right profile facing towards the brunette kunoichi. "You gonna cry?" She chided again, her condescending tone and smug features blatant. "From where I'm standing, you need to put up with my antics." She mockingly imitated Kasumi's tone on the last word.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kasumi replied, still annoyed with the tone the young kunoichi was taking with her.
"You know what I mean." Ayane shot back. "What was with that farce earlier? Did you honestly think you could take Hayate-sama's place?"
"…" Kasumi just turned her head down and away from the Lavender Kunoichi.
Ayane folded her arms and snapped her head towards Kasumi, giving her a full glare. "I refuse to accept you as our clan's leader. To think, Shiden-sama would entrust the future of our clan to a daydreaming kunoichi like you, makes me ill."
SMACK!
The sound of Kasumi's right palm hitting Ayane's cheek resounded through the gorge. Ayane's head snapped to the side from the force of the impact as she stood stunned for a moment, her misty scarlet eyes held wide in shock, not expecting the usually timid girl to react in such a manner. She slowly turned her head back, her hand on her reddened cheek, and saw that Kasumi's hand was indeed still raised, confirming that the crimson clad kunoichi had certainly struck her. 'I can't believe she hit me…'
"You should be ashamed of yourself, Ayane." The stern look on Kasumi's face told Ayane that the older kunoichi was not about to take insults lying down.
"…" Ayane took a brief moment to recover from the shock of being slapped and returned to her usual cold demeanor. "You really don't know anything." She breathed out calmly and looked away from the future Mugen-Tenshin leader, but kept her hostile edge in her voice.
Kasumi approached Ayane slowly. "What is it, Ayane, what do you know? Otou-san always keeps me in the dark."
Ayane turned and eyed Kasumi up and down briefly before turning back to face into the gorge, her thoughts were wild with conflicting emotions. 'Why should I waste my breath on this airhead? After she hit me!? I should just let her be ignorant to Onii-san's condition.' She thought angrily to herself. 'No. That's too cruel a punishment, even if it is Kasumi. She has a right to know what really happened to Onii-san.' "Hmph, fine. I might as well enlighten you." Ayane finally agreed and saw a faint smile begin to creep onto Kasumi's lips. "It's not like you'll amount to anything." She turned away from the future leader to not let Kasumi see the solemn look on her face. "Hayate-sama… Hayate-sama, he… He was crippled in a fight by a Nukenin." Ayane said, trying to hold back the sorrow in her voice.
"I know that much already, Ayane." Kasumi replied impatiently. "What I don't know is who the Nukenin is, or how he managed to put Onii-san in a coma."
The Lavender ninja thought as much. It would be hard to keep the knowledge of Kasumi's brother's condition from her for long. "It was…Raidou." Ayane replied to the shocked horror of Kasumi.
"What?! That brute?! How?! How could that disgrace ever defeat Onii-san?" Kasumi's disbelief was palpable, Ayane knew first hand since she was there to witness the whole event.
"Raidou used the Rekku Jinpu Satsu on Hayate-sama." Ayane replied.
"Only the clan leader can learn that technique! And Otou-san was selected to be the Shukun (Lord) Over Raidou because Raidou was too power hungry. Despite him being older." Kasumi replied sternly.
"It's because of his accursed ability to copy any technique used on him. He learned the art by watching Hayate-sama use it on him." Kasumi took a step back in horror at the information. "The shockwave threw Hayate into a tree and it snapped his spine."
"This is horrible." Kasumi replied walking away from Ayane slightly. "Hayate is in a coma and that Nukenin Raidou can use the Rekku Jinpu Satsu. No wonder Otou-san has been pushing me to train harder."
"Exactly! But you keep daydreaming and never learn. You can never take Hayate's place or even hope to beat Raidou!" Ayane shouted.
"Ayane!" Kasumi tried to reply sternly.
"I have been training and improving my skills so I can beat Raidou!" Ayane calmed herself to a whisper. "Maybe then Okaa-san won't be ashamed of me."
"Imouto (Younger Sister)…" Kasumi started off calmly.
Ayane shot her a blood thirsty glare and threw another kunai at Kasumi which the older kunoichi dodged. "Don't you ever, call me that again. I'm not your Imouto." She replied menacingly and took off into the forest.
Kasumi sat in her house in her brother's room, the only entrance leading to a walkway around the outside of the home. Hayate's eyes were closed and he was shirtless under his futon, sweat covering his body from his ailment. Kasumi wore an elaborate blue kimono with sakura trees embroidered into the design. Her hair was in a high top ponytail and tied with a long yellow ribbon that hung to the base of her neck, a remnant of her childhood.
She took a cloth out of a bowl of water and dabbed it on Hayate's chest and face to keep his temperature down. 'Raidou did this to you.' She thought to herself as she watched him lay unconscious. 'All so he could learn our most hidden art.' The wooded screen door to the room gently slid open to reveal a woman in her late thirties-early forties in a white robe with a brown bag held in her hand, her long brunette hair and chestnut eyes looking sorrowfully at the two in the room.
"Konnichiwa, Okaa-san." Kasumi replied with a bow and went back to dabbing Hayate with the cloth.
"How is he?" The woman asked as she sat next to her children.
"He hasn't woken up yet. Other than that, he just has a fever." Kasumi replied.
"Lady Ayame…" An older man called from the entrance. "Is the young Shukun fairing well?"
"He is still asleep." Ayame sorrowfully replied.
"I see." The man looked at Kasumi. "Do your best for him, Lady Kasumi. You will have to be our leader until he gets better… If he gets better." The man walked off down the hall.
"He'll get better. I'm sure of it." Kasumi replied placing the cloth back into the bowl of water.
"I'm sure he will, but for now, you need to focus on your training if you are to wear this." Ayame opened and reached into the bag and pulled out a folded blue dress. "The Brilliant Lapis. Only the leader of the clan may wear this color." Kasumi took the clothes from her mother and unfolded it, noticing her name written in Kanji, translated as Mist when spelled that way. "Calm and unpredictable. Hard to see through and difficult to find your way. This is how the leader of the Mugen-Tenshin must act to keep the village safe and hidden."
Kasumi lowered the dress into her lap and eyed Hayate. "My actions concealed and unpredictable." She breathed out. "That is how a leader must conduct themselves."
"Exactly, Kasumi." Ayame rose to her feet and made for a kodachi in the back of the room. Kasumi's personal blade that she had placed there on her way to visit her brother. "Together with the Shrouded Moon, you will act swiftly and mysteriously. Let this inspire you to improve yourself and do what is best for the village."
"The only thing that is best for the village is to end Raidou." Kasumi replied absentmindedly.
"Kasumi!" Ayame whipped around in shock at what Kasumi had said. "How do you know about that?"
"Ayane-chan told me." Ayame grimaced at the name. "What else…did she tell you?"
"That Raidou now knows the Rekku Jinpu Satsu." Kasumi looked at her mother. "I wish Ayane-chan would've asked me to be friends again, but it can't be helped now."
"She is a stubborn one. An unfortunate trait of both your fathers." Ayame replied.
"Considering what Raidou did to conceive her." Kasumi said bitterly. "And now he has hurt Onii-san. He has gone way too far."
"You mustn't chase after him Kasumi." Ayame warned, trying to keep her voice calm and even. "I want you to focus on becoming our leader and trying to get along with your sister."
"How can you say that?!" Kasumi exclaimed. "After what he has done, you expect me to just sit back and do nothing while he defiles the name of the Mugen-Tenshin? As long as he lives, Ayane will continue to be ostracized by the rest of the village."
Ayame took a shocked step back at Kasumi's outburst. The girl was known to be reserved and never one to lash out, especially towards her elders. "I know how the village treats Ayane. I wish there was more I could've done for her." Ayame's voice went solemn at the mention of her youngest child. She looked back to her daughter with an uncharacteristically serious look that would put Ayane to shame, keeping voice unnaturally calm with a raging edge reinforcing it. "But I don't need that man harming any more of my children. Two is too much as is." Kasumi flinched slightly, feeling scared of her mother at that very moment. Ayame softened her features instantly upon seeing her daughter's reaction and moved to sit next to Kasumi. "I do not mean to get angry Kasumi. I just want you to be safe. At least until we can get the council to authorize the hunt for Raidou. Right now, we need you to stay and lead us, okay?" She wrapped an arm around her daughter. Kasumi looked at Hayate in silence, unsure as to how to answer her mother. "Just think carefully about what you want to do. And remember that our family bonds are stronger than any code." Ayame placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead and rose to leave the room.
Kasumi sat next to Hayate in silence, the Brilliant Lapis gently laying in her lap. The sun had long since set over the horizon and the shroud of night had covered the village in its soothing veil. She looked towards the Shrouded Moon on the opposite side of the room. 'Gomen Nasai (I'm sorry), Okaa-san. I cannot afford to let Raidou get away with all that he has done.'
Kasumi rose to her feet and retrieved the Shrouded Moon from its perch and returned to her room where she changed into the Brilliant Lapis. The Brilliant Lapis' sides were tied at Kasumi's hips and draped at the waist, exposing the sides of her legs and had a phoenix embroidered in white on the front and back drapes. The white trimmed dress had short puffy sleeves and matching shin and open palmed arm guards. She put on high white stockings and placed the Shrouded Moon on her back. She snuck her way towards Hayate's room and stole one last glance at the sleeping shinobi. "Sayonara (Goodbye), Onii-san. Please forgive me for what I am about to do." She placed a kiss upon his forehead and left out of the room, moving quickly through the village to the gate.
Two men, dressed in brown, were making their way through the house and towards Hayate's room. "Is Lady Kasumi still tending to Lord Hayate?" One man asked.
"I believe so. She cares much for her brother." The other man replied.
"Too much care can be misconstrued as weakness. You remember what happened to Lady Ayame."
"How can I forget when that bastard child walks among us?" The first man replied venomously.
"You should not mistreat a child for the sins of the parent."
The first man stopped and glared at the second man. "That child is nothing but a plague. She should have been left out in the forest to be eaten by the wolves. Genra was a fool to take her in."
"Genra is a kind soul. Unlike the rest of the Tenjin-mon." The second man continued to the room.
"Nothing good can come from making that parasite a member of the Hajin-mon." The first man replied. "If Itachi were still here-"
"Do not mention that traitor's name." The second man hurriedly stopped the first man as if fearing an ancient curse. "After what happened with the Astrali, you would dare make mention of that."
The first man shivered at the recollection. "They just disappeared as suddenly as they arrived when the war concluded."
"A lot of things today are like the war. Maybe they will return." The second man replied as he reached the sliding door.
"I hope not. I still have nightmares about what Vagabond did to Itachi and his conspirators."
The second man slid open the door and saw that the room was empty, save for an unconscious Hayate. "Maybe she went back to her room?"
"Impossible. We just checked her room and it was empty." The first man replied and examined the room closely to see if Kasumi was somewhere within the room.
"You don't think Lady Kasumi went after Raidou?"
"I don't know. Let's search for her." They took off through the home and alerted the help. Together they shouted for Kasumi as they ran with torches in hand.
"Lady Kasumi!"
"Lady Kasumi!"
Shiden threw his door opened in annoyance at the commotion. "What is the meaning of all this racket?!" He exclaimed in annoyance.
One of the help stopped and answered him with a bow. "Lady Kasumi is missing, my Lord."
"What?!" Shiden exclaimed.
Ayame had been sat on the floor, listening to the conversation. Her expression turned to one of dread when she heard her daughter had disappeared. "Kasumi, what have you done?"
Kasumi stood at the village gate in her blue gi. 'If I go now, I will most likely be slated for capture. I will be an outcast, a nukenin, just like Raidou.' She looked back at the village and saw that the lights of the council hall had been lit. 'If the council is involved, then they will most likely have the Hajin-mon sent after me. Which means that Ayane will be on my trail in no time. I have to hurry if I am going to find and kill Raidou. After that… Who knows?' She left through the gate and headed towards the forest, disappearing behind the dense foliage.
Shiden and Ayame were gathered in the council chamber. Of the five council members, three had already gathered in the hall. One in his late fifties, one in his mid-thirties, and another in her early forties. All of which in their white night robes.
"Your family has caused us nothing but trouble, Shiden!" One council man blared.
"Watch your tone, Yamada! I am still the Shukun of the Mugen-Tenshin, and I will see that Kasumi is brought back." Shiden shot back.
"No!" Another council member interrupted. "You will not." The female replied.
"What is that supposed to mean, Ritsuko?" Shiden replied.
"Simple, Shiden. Under your rule, we have had the rape and conception of a filthy bastard child through your wife, the instatement of said child in our proud Hajin-mon, and the desertion of a member of the ruling house by the same man responsible for bringing that wretch into being." Yamada replied bitterly.
"Don't you dare speak ill of my child!" Ayame replied angrily at the man.
"Oh?" Ritsuko breathed out with blatant bemusement. "I don't remember that care when she was berated and abandoned by the village." Ritsuko replied.
"You wouldn't listen, no matter what I tried." Ayame growled.
"Whatever. Now your pathetic son is in a coma and our only remaining leader has now fled the village." Ritsuko replied.
"And we will not have that bastard child rule in Kasumi's stead." Yamada replied coldly.
"That is not your decision to make." Shiden replied angrily.
"It is according to the doctrine of our clan!" Yamada shot back.
"If we perceive the current rule as incompetent, then the council may make two, irreversible rulings to put the current heads in their place." Ritsuko added.
"And we have elected to use that authority." Yamada added with a malicious glare.
"You can't do that!" Shiden shouted.
"Our first order has been to label Kasumi as nukenin." Yamada said sternly.
"No!" Ayame covered her mouth.
"Our second is currently in route to Genra-san." Ritsuko said with a vulpine smile.
"Do I even want to know?" Shiden sarcastically asked as he place a hand on his forehead.
Ritsuko's vulpine smile turned into a smug and triumphant grin as she spoke her next verdict with conniving glee. "The death mark on Kasumi's head."
At that, Ayame broke into tears and ran out of the chamber a broken mess.
Shiden stood there in silence and absolute shock. In less than ten minutes, his authority had been rendered meaningless. 'First my son and now my daughter?' He turned and left the room in defeat. He exited to find his wife leaned against the wall crying. He drew her into a tight embrace as she continued to sob into his robe.
"Why is this happening?" Ayame asked desperately, hoping for some kind of reason to show itself.
"I don't know, Ayame. I just don't know." Shiden helplessly replied.
"If only Canaan and Isaiah-san were here. They would know what to do." Ayame helplessly sobbed as she tightened her grip on Shiden's robe.
'Isaiah-san…' Shiden looked to the moonlit sky. 'What would you do at a time like this?'
Genra sat in his chamber, two torch stands on either side of him. He read the letter to himself, his black demon mask still on his face. 'So the young Josei (Lady) has decided to leave the village and the council has elected to have her killed on grounds of treason. Your luck could not get any worse Shiden.'
"You called for me Genra-sama?" Ayane said as she crouched to a knee.
'Maybe I can make things better… As long as Kasumi can handle her hot headed imouto.' "Ayane. I have a letter from the council. I'm sure that you have heard the commotion by now." Genra questioned calmly, keeping his hands on his folded knees.
"Hai. Kasumi has abandoned the village." Ayane replied.
"That is correct. I have an order from the council for her execution. She has been declared nukenin. I trust you to carry this mission out at your discretion." Genra replied calmly.
"Hai, Genra-sama." Ayane replied, a small smile forming on her hidden face as excitement welled within her. 'Finally! I can prove to the rest of the village that I am better than that airhead.'
Kasumi had been travelling through the forest for an hour, far from the exit of the Mugen-Tenshin territory. 'How much further? I need to escape before they catch me.' She frantically thought to herself as she moved silently through the forest.
"You seem to be in a hurry." Kasumi whirled around at the sound of a dark, calm, echoing masculine voice.
Kasumi drew her kodachi and readied for a fight. 'I can't believe they caught up to me so quickly.' She heard the rustling of bushes behind her. "Show yourself!" She demanded.
"You keep shouting like that, and they will find you." A boy soon came skulking out of the forest next to her. He wore a long-sleeved obsidian black cloak with platinum colored trim along the opening, sleeves, and hood that held a lightning pattern. All Kasumi could see was a faceplate that held an angry glare, the platinum lens slanted inwards, the plated cheeks etched with a flowered pattern, much like Damascus steel. Yet the helmet had an artistic design with the majority being black. With the cheeks transitioning from black to grey to platinum in a pattern consistent with tribal interpretations of fur, coupled with the long black coloring down the center resembling that of a nose, the helmet design reminded Kasumi of a wolf. "Don't mind me, I'm not here to fight." The boy replied calmly and as nonchalantly as he could possibly manage while taking a short look around. "As a matter of fact, I don't know where I am."
"Who are you?" Kasumi asked sternly, her kodachi still drawn in front of her in a reverse grip. 'He must be a foreigner. But he has a decent mastery of Japanese. Though his voice sounds vaguely like an Oni.'
The boy just looked at her, his hands still in his long sleeves. "I could ask you the same thing." He took a step around her and Kasumi took a tentative step back, keeping the boy in her vision. The boy peered into the back of forest, in the direction of the Mugen-Tenshin village. "Looks like you pissed off that village back there. They probably sent out a search party for you already." He added and looked back at Kasumi. "What did you do?"
"None of your concern." Kasumi replied firmly, still unsure of the boy's motives.
The boy just eyed her behind his lenses. He raised his hands, retrieving them from his cloak for the first time, his armored hands and forearms, black as night, held a glow with the same platinum hue as those on his eyes.
He released a satisfied hmph. "I'll call you Sarabi (Swahili for Mirage)." The boy suddenly replied and placed his arms in his sleeve.
"What?" Kasumi replied in confusion. Both at the boys apparently savage armament and sudden reply.
"Sarabi. You are a mystery, but you seem nice enough to me." The boy looked off into the distance, deep in thought, before responding again. "If you head in that direction, then you'll find a hidden cave. I slept there for the past few weeks and that village has yet to notice me." The boy replied nodding his head to indicate the cave was behind Kasumi. "You're going to need to sleep soon, and I'm sure they will too." Kasumi just stood there shocked that this boy had been living in the Mugen-Tenshin territory and that no one had discovered his location. "Well, catch ya later, Sarabi." The boy replied with an indifferent tone and turned to leave.
"Wait." Kasumi blurted out. The boy turned around when he heard her. "Can you at least tell me your name?" Kasumi asked.
The boy looked at her briefly, whether out of curiosity or amusement Kasumi couldn't tell. He then looked into the sky, as if unsure of the question. "Since you have not told me your name, I suppose I can give you something to call me by. How about… Spirit? Call me Spirit."
"H-hai…" Kasumi breathed out lowering her guard slightly.
"Ja ne (A casual way to say good bye)." The boy replied and disappeared into the forest.
'What a weird boy.' Kasumi thought and turned to leave, sparing one last glance behind her to see that the boy was gone. "Spirit, huh? I wonder if we'll meet again."
In a grounded helicopter on a large cruise liner off the coast of Japan. A slim, curvaceous woman in a red leather coat and tight black pants and heels with snow white hair and a brown leather choker, was pacing back and forth in front of a large muscled man. He wore an orange vest, a red barret, and grey cargo pants and black combat shoes. A chain with two dog tags hung low around his neck. "What's keeping him?" The woman said, her voice thick with a British accent.
"Relax, Christie." The man replied, his thick Russian accent sounding clear and calm. "The contact will get in touch soon."
"How do you know, Bayman? We've been sitting here for two weeks now, we can't keep the client waiting." Christie replied.
"Are you two there?" An impatient masculine voice called over a radio on the woman's hip.
"We're here. Did everything go as planned?" Christie asked the man on the other end of the radio, her impatient tone evident as she spoke.
"Perfectly." A woman replied, her voice laced with a sultry maturity that could only be attained through a life of experience.
"I even got a new trick out of the deal." A man replied smugly.
"What about the girl?" The woman asked impatiently.
"My niece is currently in the forest. She made contact with a boy in a cloak about the same age as her, maybe a year older."
"A boy in a cloak?" Bayman questioned with interest.
"Did the boy have markings on his hands?" Christie asked.
"If you two are still hunting for the Astrali, then forget it. I killed them all a long time ago." The man chastised calmly. "Just focus on getting the girl. I think my useless daughter is chasing her, so you'd better find her quick before she accidentally kills her. The director will get his test subjects, and I'll get my money."
"Just don't be late, Raidou. We'll be moving out in the morning. Make sure you are on the boat by then or you get left behind. And make sure Shiranui makes it to the helicopter before sun-up." Christie said sharply before cutting the connection.
"Better get some sleep. I don't want to be caught off guard by a bunch of killers." Bayman replied and rolled over on his side to sleep.
"Men. Always quick to sleep." Christie replied and sat down on the opposite end of helicopter. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.