Disclaimer: If you read the others, then I have no reason to say it.

Chap.9

"Kenji. What have they done to you?"

Save you breath, Alice. The boys have blood in their eyes." Gado looked further. This is not the same brainwashing as before. This is going to be ugly.

The three boys stood next to each other, each wearing a ninja garb with alternating colors. And each of them had the same blank glare in their now red eyes.

"Now you will witness the full might of the Bakuryu." With that the three of them started glowing in unison.

"We're in trouble."

The three of them transformed. Kenji turned into his mole form, claws extended and set in fighting pose. Shin went into his eagle form, and stood in cat stance, ready to strike with his talon foot. Gamma transformed and everyone was surprised at the creature he became. Gamma was bright yellow and covered with scales. His eyes were beady like Shin's but showed a certain bloodthirsty glare. A long serpentine tail showed itself and his teeth were long and evilly fanged.

"He's...an eel? A moray eel?"

Shina snorted, "No wonder we could never lay a hand on him. Slippery little punk."

Kohryu called out from the shadows, "Kill them."

The three ninjas charged forward at them.

"We have to try and restrain them. Get ready."

Gado, Alice, and Shina transformed into bestial form.

Meanwhile...

Long and Shenlong were battling the newly transformed Zeta. But despite their best efforts, the beast avoided them with a speed that belittled its size. Plus any hits that did make contact did no damage whatsoever. Shenlong growled angrily

I'm getting tired of this!"

With that he charged again and flew through the air with a high-speed kick. But Zeta simply clotheslines him out of the air and stomped on him. Zeta was about to crush him when Long came to Shenlong's aid, using his Hawk combo ring attacks. But Zeta merely dodged all the attacks, grabbed Long's head and tossed him into the recovering Shenlong causing both to fall back to the ground. Both men slowly arose.

"It's obvious that fighting like this is getting nowhere. We have to time and combine our attacks."

"That's one idea. Here's another."

Shenlong transformed into his tiger form. He roared loudly and tore apart his shirt. With another roar, he charged again. Zeta blocked the first blow, but it was merely a feint for Shenlong to hop in the air and kick her repeatedly. Zeta backed off a bit before grabbing Shenlong's arm and hurling him to the ground. Still holding the arm, Zeta lifted him and bashed him into the ground again and again. Zeta was about ram him down again when another roar diverted her attention. Before her stood Long, he too in his tiger form. Using the distraction, Shenlong kicked her in the face. Zeta reeled back, hurt for the first time. Then simultaneously, Long and Shenlong battered her with their combinations, Long using the Tiger form and Shenlong using the Snake form of their art. This angered Zeta and she suddenly flashed with energy, knocking the two tigers away. She then disappeared and reappeared above them. Looking at Long, she swooped down and kicked him high into the sky. She then repeated the action with Shenlong and now both Long and Shenlong were in the air. She then flew up again, grabbed both of them and spun upside down, crashing into the ground with a massive explosion. When it cleared, both Long and Shenlong were hurt badly. Zeta moved toward the two and grabbed their necks, slowly squeezing the life out of them. Suddenly, Zeta lurched forward and dropped the tigers. Turning around, she saw what had happened. Facing her, with eyes glaring and fangs bearing was Yugo, in his werewolf state. But he seemed different as an aura now surrounded him.

"Time for round two. Only this time, you're the one going down."

With a howl, Yugo lunged at Zeta and dropkicked her. Zeta flew back, stunned by the new power Yugo possessed. Yugo began his assault and Zeta was getting mauled.

"Hmm. Interesting. His power has increased. Could he be...?"

Yugo continued his attacks with unrelenting fury. Zeta in rage, summoned an energy field, which blasted Yugo back, but not by no means cooled his rage. Zeta then took to the air and opened her mouth. Energy began to be sucked in and form a ball. Yugo saw this, but could do nothing as the beast fired a massive ball of energy. The area Yugo was in completely exploded as Zeta landed on the ground.

______________________

"We're close. They must be this way."

Then let's get going already." yelled Uriko.

Jenny shook her head, "No, you two go on. I have one more item of business to take care of. Alan will need it later on. But you two better go now." With that, Jenny quickly disappeared down the hall.

Mitsuko watched her go, "Mysterious young woman. But she's right. The others need us."

Mother and daughter followed the loud sounds as it lead them to a room, surrounded by a large group of soldiers.

"Looks like they're guarding the room from intruders."

Uriko smiled, "Well let's see how well they do it."

With a cry, both of them charged out from hiding and took the guards by surprise. Uriko speed combined with Mitsuko sheer strength took down the guards in no time at all.

"Yaaayyy!!!!! We beat them!"

"Shhh. Quiet.", Mistuko scolded. She put her ear to the door and heard a familiar sound.

The roar of a lion.

"They're in here." She looked around for a switch, but all she found was broken circuitry.

Uriko sighed, "It looks like there's no way in."

Now it was Mitsuko turn to smile, "Then we'll make one."

Mitsuko glowed and transformed into her beast state; a wild boar. She then began to ram the door, creating huge dents in the door until she burst through, knocking the door down. They then looked in shock at the events.

The ninja were fighting the others and beating them. Shin had Shina cornered against the wall with Shina injured in several places. Gamma is grappling with Gado and they were evenly matched. Worse of all, Kenji had Alice down and was ready to strike when he saw the others come in.

Uriko was horrified, "Kenji, what are you doing?" Kenji looked blankly at her and it was then that Uriko saw the blood-red eyes. "What have they done to you?"

Kenji continued to stare and a voice called from the shadows, "Intruders. Beta, get rid of them."

"Yes."

Kenji suddenly disappeared and reappeared before Mitsuko. With his palm glowing with electricity, he shot it out and caught Mitsuko in the stomach. With the energy causing his hand to vibrate, Mitsuko was knocked backward. Uriko ran over to her fallen mother before looking back at Kenji.

"Kenji, please. Don't you remember me? Kenji!"

Kenji didn't respond and Mitsuko got back up. Kenji hit the ground, causing a shock of energy to hit the ground. The wave hit Mitsuko and she was stunned. Then with lightning speed, Kenji kicked her upward, grabbed her, and smashed her into the ground, all in the same minute. Kenji stood over her, ready to stab her with his long claws when Uriko stood before him.

"Kenji, please try to remember who you are. Who I am. Please, I don't want to fight you."

Kenji continued to look at Uriko with blank eyes. His claws rose up to prepare to stab, but Uriko remained where she was.

"Come on, Kenji. Remember when we first met. You said 'as summer bugs fly into the fire' and I said that you were too handsome to be saying corny stuff like that. Or how about the first time you let me ride with you on your bike. Please, try to remember. Your name is Kenji. Right?"

Kenji remained motionless and for a brief moment, Uriko expected him to stab him with those wicked claws of his. Then the red eyes began to fade.

"Kenji? I am Baku...I am...I....Kenji? I...Uriko?"

In the shadows, Kohryu noticed the change, "Delta, attack Beta."

Shin left Shina and attacked Kenji from the back. Kenji was pushed forward and his clawed hand stabbed into Uriko.

"Ggguuhhhhhh!!!!!"

Kenji looked at the clawed hand and instantly took it out. His eyes returned to normal, but now the blank stare was replaced with one of shock.

"Wha...what have I...done?"

_________

The smoke began to clear as Zeta waited to she what was left of Yugo. Zeta growled in disbelief as Yugo stood there, unharmed. Suddenly, Zeta was engulfed in a force of light. As she looked, she saw two signing lights shaped in the form of...tigers. The two Kempo masters had initiated their Ferocious Tiger Laceration Beast Drives, expelling their energies to keep Zeta hammered in one point.

"Now Yugo!"

Yugo flashed brightly and reverted to his human form, his fist blazing with fire and he launched a devastating fury of punches, hammering Zeta with immense power and ending it with a powerful uppercut, sending Zeta off the ring and into the molten metal. Yugo bent down exhausted as the ring retracted back to its normal state. Long looked up and saw that both figures disappeared.

Shenlong growled, "Oh, no. Those two owe me for the bumps and bruises I got, and their debt will be paid."

Yugo agreed, "Yeah. We can't let them escape."

Long looked at them, "You two go ahead. I'm going to check on the others."

Shenlong smiled, "Others? Don't you mean your girlfriend?"

Long didn't answer as he left them to find the others.

"Heh. He's got it bad."

"He does, but we'll talk about that later. Right now, a full moon is out and I'm going to take it out on someone hide."

"You know. I think you're my kind of partner."

"Let's go."

____________

"U..uriko? No. What have I done?"

Kenji quickly transformed back to his human form and held Uriko's bloodied body. "Uriko. Uriko, wake up. Please wake up."

For a long while, she didn't move. Kenji held her closer and hot tears began to come out of his eyes. "I can't believe this. I killed her. How could I have...?

"K...kenji?"

Kenji looked up to see Uriko's eyes open slowly. A glad smile came up on Kenji's lips

"Don't worry. You'll be alright."

Kohryu looked on the events taking place from the shadows. His mind control has broken off completely now. "Delta, finish Beta. He is no longer one of us."

"Understood."

Shin immediately flew toward Kenji. Kenji didn't hear his approach and Shin's lashed his leg out. But he stopped, just before hitting the killing blow. Kenji immediately snapped out of his trance and moved aside.

I don't understand? Why couldn't I kill him?

Kenji looked at Shin and instantly recognized, "Shin. You're still in there. I know you can fight it. Come on, I know it's hard, but you have to fight."

At first, it didn't seem like Shin heard him. But sudden, he started to grasp his head again, screaming at the top of his lungs.

What? Him too? This method of brainwashing is ineffective. Kohryu dropped down. "Gamma, retreat. We'll fight them another time."

Gamma was still in the death lock with Gado, who was beginning to overpower him. "Grrr. Very well."

The two remaining ninja's disappeared, leaving behind the group of weary fighters. Shin continued to grasp his head in pain as the screams of agony. He ended up falling to the ground and rolling around. Soon the screams stopped and Shin lay still on the ground. Alice, who had just recovered, went to him.

"Shin. Please tell me you're alright."

Shin shook his head and sat up slowly, "Ms. Nonomura? What is going on?"

Shin looked around and his eyes fell on Uriko and Kenji. "What happened to U..." Suddenly, the realization hit him in an instant, "What have I done?"

Shin quickly got up, "How could I have...? No. No! What kind of nightmare is this?"

Hot tears began to stream his face, "What have I done? What kind of monster am I?!"

Kenji looked over at Shin, "Shin, it's okay."

No, it's not. I killed her. I killed Uriko! What does that make of me?" Shin suddenly ran off, grief-stricken and full of guilt. Kenji saw him go, remembering what that was like. When he was brainwashed before, he thought he killed Yugo. He almost decided to kill himself along with the...

It was then that Kenji thought. What if he does the same thing?

Gado approached Kenji, "What are you waiting for? Go after him before he does something rash."

Kenji looked down the hall, then back at Uriko, not wanting to leave her. Alice came up beside him with Mitsuko holding her ribs.

"Don't worry. We'll get Uriko out of here. But you have to go after Shin."

"Al...alright." He looked down at Uriko one more time. "Take care of her." With that, he ran through the hall in pursuit.

Mitsuko then called Gado, "Oh, Jenny was the one that rescued us. She said something about having one more item of business that you needed."

Gado looked at her, "Which way did she go?"

Mitsuko pointed toward one of the adjuring halls, "Down there. But that's all I know."

Gado smiled, "I'll find her. You just get out of here. I have a feeling things are going to get explosive."

Shina stood beside him, "I'm going with you."

"Of course. Let's move."

____________

Yugo and Shenlong managed to reach the skybox, but found no one there. They did find an entrance leading upward into a large office room. There they found the two figures. One was in the shadows, but the other was clearly seen.

"Busuzima!"

"Yep, that's me. Long time, guys."

Shenlong growled, "You lizard. I should have known you were behind this."

"I can assure you that he is not the one behind this, as you say."

The voice came from the one in the shadow and Yugo called to him, "I don't know who you are, but you can't trust him. He's a demented scientist."

Busuzima laughed, "Demented is such a harsh word. I'd like to think of myself as very opened minded."

The mysterious leader called out, "I can trust him. I am his creator, after all."

Hearing this surprised both Yugo and Shenlong. His creator? Yugo called back,

"Who are you?"

The man stepped out of shadows beside Busizima. He wore dark glasses and had short green hair. His expression was unreadable, but he gave off a dark presence. And an eerie one.

"I guess you wouldn't recognize me like I truly am. I am Hajime Busuzima."

__________________________________________________________