Hey! Just you're friendly neighborhood fanfic nut, Jessi. ^_^ This is where I really start the story. I was a bit miffed though and wasn't going to do it at first (points at review box…) But I couldn't let a dumb thing like that stop me. So here we go…chapter 1

The sun had begun to fall on the temples in Tao, radiating fluorescent red and orange over the mountaintops. Hayate hand made finally made it up the steps of the mountain and jumped over the temple gates, scanning the area cautiously. Besides his shadow the sunset had exposed one more behind the temple for the Shinobi leader to see. He sighed, as he slowly walked to the shadow and the person behind it. "Why…did you call me out here, Kasumi?"

The runaway walked from behind the temple, staring at her brother with a semi-smile. "I wanted to see you again. For months Kasumi had reluctantly became his enemy and the enemy of the whole Mugen-Tenshin clan. Every time they went looking for her, Hayate would come back with fewer men each time. She was a trained killer, her gentle persona didn't match this, but it was true.

"Kasumi…you do know what I must do. Just…leave and pretend we didn't see each other."

"I can't…" she said confidently, adjusting the gauntlets on her wrists. Hayate grimly faced his sister. "Headstrong as always…" They both knew this was going to lead into a fight, but what would Hayate do if he won? Could he really kill his own flesh and blood? His family? But had to move on, to defeat Omega. What if he didn't win? Would it be easier if he threw this fight and went home? How could he face his clan then?

"You leave me no choice…I will not go easy on you Kasumi!" Hayate yelled in a serious tone, dashing headfirst at the runaway kunoichi. Kasumi made a playful smirk on her face, as she became prepared. "Neither will I!"

" That's the runaway." a voice murmured not too far from the temple now battleground, Just a few more flats above it. "And there's Hayate-Sensai, just like Ayane-Sama said." He continued. Behind the unknown person speaking were several others dressed like him, black ninja garments with the mouths covered. "We commence the ambush then, in fourteen minutes we ambush and eliminate the target under their orders." The other ninjas silently nodded to agreement, patiently waiting for their chance to attack.

The battle down below was becoming intense. Kasumi and Hayate were somewhat equal at the start, but Kasumi's unmatched speed had put Hayate on the defensive a lot easier then he would expect. The leader blocked strikes and kicks one by one, without any room for him to counter attack. "Yaaah!" The kunoichi threw a wicked roundhouse, giving Hayate the chance he needed to duck and sidestep under. The Shinobi leader went for a shin kick, which he knew his sister was going to easily dodge. Only baiting her into…

"Aaaah!" He yelled out and flew upward with a right-handed uppercut, catching the other ninja off her guard and into the air. "Eeek!" Hayate heard her scream as he waited for her to land. But now Kasumi would catch her brother off guard, as she landed on both hands instead of her back, and flipped forward and into the air again, coiled at the legs. "YAAAAAAH-- !" With that the once gentle now ferocious kunoichi exploded and thrusted her feet into the surprised Hayate's chest, blasting him into the temple wall forcefully. On impact Kasumi was propelled forward, rolling back onto her feet as She saw Hayate beginning to slump down the wall. Hayate was coughing harshly after the strike, and now he felt his left arm being grabbed. "What the?" With his swear being cut off, Kasumi threw the taller ninja into the pavement face first, the tiles cracking upon his impact.

Back at the taller flat the other ninja warriors couldn't help but flinch in awe, as their leader was being taken care of rather easily bye the runaway. Some couldn't' blame him, having his own sister being the target, but they knew he was more capable then he is now.

"On my signal…" Toya, the squad captain whispered, the other assailants nodding again.

"Brother…" Kasumi's attitude had drastically changed as she played with the yellow ribbon in her hair. She felt somewhat, cheated. Hayate was on one knee breathing sharply, his head had been pouring blood after his face met the floor. "Kasumi…" An awkward silence passed between them both, Kasumi turned walking towards the gate. "I…must go now brother, Good-AAH!!"

"Kasumi!?" Hayate gasped, a blaze of light had streaked down from nowhere, slicing Kasumi in her left arm. When the light hit the ground, it showed itself as a ninja star!

"Hayate-Sensai!!" the squad yelled, jumping from the higher flat of the Tao temples and down to where the other two where. The five of them had surrounded the wounded but standing kunoichi, glaring emotionless at her. Kasumi gritted her teeth tightly, clasping her right hand onto her ninjato.

"Toya!" Hayate still exhausted after the fight was holding onto his ribs. "Don't worry Sensai, Ayane-Sama told us that you planned for this to happen, Now we will carry out the rest!" Toya and the rest nodded, as the inched their way towards Kasumi, closing their circle.

"Ayane?"

"You…set this up Brother?" the Kunoichi's monotone voice was heard. "You fooled me!"

"Kasumi!?"

"Attack!!" The first ninja to the left charged after Kasumi. Kasumi's instincts took over again as she slide forward past the attack, slicing her way through him easily with her ninjato unsheathed. The others growled angrily hearing one of their own falls lifelessly. "Damn you!" Another one yelled throwing a heavy punch at Kasumi. To his surprised the attack had completely missed and Kasumi had ended up behind him!

"Tenchi!" Hayate yelled out desperately, seeing Kasumi easily slice through his neck and his blood spraying over as his body dropped. "two down…" Kasumi kept check in her head, going headfirst into another ninja that was blocking her way to the gate down Tao mountain. If she could get through this she could easily hide out in the forest. The crafty kunoichi blocked and parried the strikes made from the ninja in front of her. "Runaway!" the second attacker had come from the side, kicking the weapon out of Kasumi's hands successfully. With no emotion Kasumi grabbed onto the side attacks arm, throwing her whole leg over onto his neck and crashing him into the floor, making one quick jerk with her knee to snap his neck completely.

Hayate couldn't believe it. Tenchi, Koji, and Tetsuo lay dead on the floor in pools of crimson. Tenchi…a good friend, Koji's girlfriend was having their first son. How could he say that her husband was now dead because of…because of his weakness? Tetsuo had a little brother and sister to take care off. "Kasumi…why…?"

"Get out of my way…" Kasumi had only two more to go before she could make it downstairs. Toya exchanged jabs with her until breaking his pattern with an ax kick. Kasumi sidestepped easily and rammed her knee into his groin, hearing him scream violently. To end her attack Kasumi chopped her hand into his neck to make him double over.

"Kasumi…I cant let you do this to anymore…I must…" Hayate began to slowly stand up, eyeing the blade Kasumi had dropped sticking into the ground. He stumbled over and picked it up, then marched over the fallen heading directly towards his sister. His eyes were jaded, like he wasn't him self anymore as she got nearer and nearer.

Kasumi stood, poised to attack the last one in her way. She could tell he was new, his eyes were shocked from what she has seen him do, and his fighting stance has become awkward. She crouched and sprang after him, but before she got near she could feel her arm taken a hold of. Quickly turning her head the brown haired girl saw…her brother? "Brother!?"

His face was cold and showed no feeling, with a hard shove he forced the ninja girl to the rail off the mountain (where they're nothing but a hard slide down), and holding the ninjato he sliced! Vertically, from top to below.

Toya and the other watched in complete surprise, as a flash of light hit the chest of the runaway kunoichi. Kasumi's brown eyes became glazed over, the grip she had on her brothers clothing began to open slowly, her face had become suddenly pale. "B…brother" she muttered on her last breath…with a tear slowly sliding down her face and onto Hayates hand. And with that the kunoichi went over the side railing, motionless, and trampling down the mountain.

An errie wind blew across that flat, Hayate and the other three were still silent. He had finally done it, he had finally defeated the runaway, but at what cost? Three of his men and the death of a sister, the price that you pay as the leader of a clan, he dropped the sword as he choked holding back a tear.

"H..Hayate Sensai?" Toya had gotten back up, limping towards him slowly. "Should we send out a search?"

"No…let her be." The ninja leader couldn't bear to have anyone find wherever she would end up confirming her death. "Get the others out of here." His cracking voice had slowly turned confident, so he wouldn't show any sign of weakness. The rookie ninja and Toya nod in agreement again, grabbing hold of the deceased and hopping away to leave the leader with his decision."

"Kasumi….damn why did you make it this way?" Being alone Hayate finally let his emotions show, a streak of tears going down his face as he looked down at the bloodied ninjato. With one more deep sigh he turned and jumped to the higher flats. He could only mourn for so long. He only had one more to defeat now…the monster that was Omega. But why did Ayane send Toya's squad to aid him? Did she not believe he could hold his own…?

Somewhere far away from the battle zone, one more had ended as well. Something lay in a heap of flames of carnage, burning slowly in the night. A shadow stood calmly in front of the flames, turning around and walking away from the scene. The monster that was burning…was Omega.

"You are at peace now…Father." The woman said slowly as she fled the scene, also at peace with her self.

To be continued…