I own nothing!

Chizu stopped and lowered her blade while staring over Usagi's shoulder. Usagi felt his heart stop as he lowered his blade in response. No. Not again. Please not again!

He slowly turned his own head to look over his shoulder as well. Kurokaze stood before the entrance to the cave under the tree, hands folded before him, bottoms of his wings touching. They, along with the blades covering their edges, crossed in front of his chest and stomach guarding them.

Chizu sniffed raising her sword slightly again as she stared at him. "It means nothing to me. A prize is a prize alive or dead as long as it is recognizable."

Kurokaze answered as Usagi felt his heart being shredded within his chest, "We both know the client will be most upset the prize is not alive to play with, when he is delivered to him."

Chizu continued to stare and speak coldly back to her rival. "Something is better than nothing at all, coward."

"I am no coward, but you yourself must decide soon how courageous or foolish you are."

Chizu lowered both her eyelids and her voice. "What is the meaning of 'those' words you speak to me, Kurokaze?"

The old ninja raised a hand and placed it before his mouth. "Listen, Chizu. Listen."

The clearing fell even more silent. Usagi could almost feel the pain in the absence of sound roiling through the clearing from the Samurai and the small cave itself. Then, as he flicked his ears about, he could hear it as well. The metallic hiss of razor-edged wings was on the wind, what sounded like hundreds of them. Usagi's eyes widened as Kurokaze's voice rose again. "You could not imagine, Chizu, my people would take well to me not arriving on time with our reward for delivering the prize."

The wings still sounded some distance away. Chizu took the opportunity. She reached into her robe. Throwing stars of steel came from her fingertips and flew at the ninja master. "Give me the prize!"

With surprising speed, Kurokaze raised his wings and angled them to block each projectile. He smirked at her from his blades after all the shuriken were deflected. "Decide, Chizu."

Her eyes flashed. She turned to look into Usagi's own cold glare. A hiss seemed to come from her. Then she turned. In almost a blink, each and every necko in white disappeared into their snow-covered surroundings. Usagi slowly spun his head in several directions trying to catch a glimpse of disappearing feet.

Then he stood tall. He shifted his legs to better plant himself for an attack from above. Then he stared into the sky. Dark shapes with flashes of metal descended in an inverted cone. For a time that terrifying hurricane nearly blocked out his view of the sky. Then they were all hanging from the trees including the great tree under which Noriyuki must lie. Noriyuki's samurai had also shifted their weight, replanting their feet and raising their swords. They were outnumbered nearly ten to one now. Silence fell again as the ninja hanging upside down stood staring at the samurai and their standing Kashira.

And that silence stayed. For many, many moments it stayed. Usagi's once hot muscles began to cool and stiffen. His breathing deepened, evened, and then grew shallower as he no longer needed so much breath while moving so little. While the rest of the Samurai's bodies were still, their eyes flicked over potential foes and to the leader of their enemies also standing still. Gennesuke puffed out a breath of his own and shifted his stance in frustration.

A moment later, Usagi finally turned, though he kept his sword raised, and stared at Kurokaze. And still the Kashira only stared back. For another long moment, they did this. Then, Kurokaze stepped back and to his left for three, smooth steps, revealing the opening of the den behind him to Usagi. He held out a wingtip to point to its entrance. Usagi walked by him staring at the Kashira and still holding his sword out toward him, before smoothly moving inside the small cave.

In the light pouring in through the hole, he saw Tomoe Ame's strained face staring behind him out it. Noriyuki's head was resting in her lap, face turned into the folds of her robe. One, black-furred hand was twisted up in the fine fabric of her kimono gripping it with almost palpable strength. Usagi caught his breath. His eyes widened at the sight.

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes