Disclaimer: Tecmo and Team Ninja own the DOA series.

A.N.- I really though that the last chapter was cheesy.  I really jumped into Ayane and Hayabusa's relationship.  If you ask me, it was way too quick.  Also, the thing with the cell phones; I don't know how they knew when their matches were and how they got to them, so I took the first idea that came to my head: cell-phones, and any form of transportation. 

Forevermore- Thanks!

Writer Chickie- I haven't played the first either (or the second for that matter) so I would have more problems.  But I'm at the DOA3 forum at tecmoinc.com and some others have, so I get some info from them and they say the storyline has always been weak.  But thanks for the reviews anyways.

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Chapter 8

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Ein looked around the forest his opponent was supposed to arrive in a few minutes, but she was no where around yet.  The wind picked up, cherry blossoms stated swirling around.  A wall of the blossoms appeared a few feet in front of him, when the wall collapsed Ein's opponent appeared.

"Hayate!" Kasumi looked very surprised.

"You know me?" asked Ein.  His last opponent called him Hayate also.  So far two people thought he was Hayate.  He thought that that must be his true identity. 

"Aren't you my brother………?" asked Kasumi.  All of her hopes seemed to disappear.

Ein was puzzled.  If he was Hayate, he would be Kasumi's brother.  Most likely he would also be a ninja.  Hayabusa probably thought that he was Hayate also.  Helena seemed to know a lot about what had happened to him, she probably was behind it also.  The way she acted……… Ein couldn't explain it, but it made him furious.  She acted like she was happy about all Ein went through; the pain, suffering, and the memory loss.  He pushed all of the thoughts out of his head; he needed to concentrate on the upcoming match.

Ein waited for Kasumi's attack.  She started off with Rengo-Kyaku.  The combo forced Ein back a few feet.  Ein attacked using Hyosai, Kasumi fell to the ground.  Kasumi used Renko-Rishu-Zan which Ein countered with Namioi. 

Kasumi quickly got up and used a combo throw called Hien-Saka-Otoshi.  Ein recovered from the attack and used a Musho combo. 

Kasumi got up, and used a Mugen-To attack which caused Ein to all to the ground.  Ein waited for Kasumi to get over to him, when she did he grabbed her leg and threw her to the ground beside him as he got up.  Kasumi was knocked out by a blow to the head from a rock.

A few minutes later Ein held Kasumi in his arms, "My sister," he thought, "If what she said was true, he is a ninja.  Ein suddenly got a severe headache and also blacked out.

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"Hayate, Kasumi has disappeared," a ninja dressed in a white outfit ran up to Hayate.

Hayate looked down at the ground and released a heavy sigh, "Assemble a search party.  Get her back."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked.

"Father would do the same thing," replied Hayate.

"………" the ninja just stood there.

"Yes?" asked Hayate.

"She's you sister, are you sure this is what you should do?" he replied.

"Yes, bring her back it doesn't matter how," replied Hayate.

As the ninja walked off to assemble a team Hayate's friend, Hayabusa, walked towards him.  As he approached, Hayate began, "Protect her."

Hayabusa didn't respond; he just ran off to find Kasumi.  Hayabusa wouldn't go back on his word to Hayate.

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Ein woke up; he checked the voicemail on his cell phone, the match with the champion was supposed to take place a week after his match with Kasumi ended.  He looked at his watch, three days late.

He didn't know who had beaten the champion, Tengu, even though he had seen it in one of his dreams.

The past three days, while he was asleep, Ein had flashbacks.  Past times with Kasumi, his sister; meeting his step-mother and step-sister; becoming friends with Hayabusa; meeting Hitomi.

His most frequent dreams were of Hitomi, things that had happened with her, fantasies about her, everything.  He couldn't wait to see her again.  But he couldn't, his true life wouldn't allow it.

"Now I understand.  I am Hayate.  'Shinobi of the Wind'!  I am a free soul."

Ein, now Hayate, felt a new door had opened in his life.  He now knew what his past was, who he was.  But as usual, as one door opened, another closed.

As much as he hated to admit it, he would probably never see Hitomi again.  If he did, it wouldn't work out.  Kasumi hated their father, step-mother, and Ayane for ruining their family's reputation; marrying outside of the Shinobi tribe was considered dishonorable and never had happened before.  His father had loved his step-mother so much though, that he was willing to throw his whole life away for her.  Hayate felt the same way for Hitomi, he wasn't sure if she felt the same way though. 

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Hitomi was in her room.  Her face was tear-stained.  According to the stats sheet on the DOATEC website Ein was gone.  It said that he just disappeared; he never showed up for the final match and never checked in when DOATEC called him.  She assumed the worst, that Ein was dead.  She never got to tell him how she felt about him. 

When Ein came into her life a few months ago, she had been attracted to him right away.  Of course it started as physical attraction, but it grew as the two of them spent more and more time together.  He was the first person she ever had romantic feelings for, she though that he was the one, the one that she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.  How many times does someone come up to your door, half dead? 

Now she knew why her father didn't let her enter the Tournament.  It was dangerous; she could be killed, just as Ein was.

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Ayane sat down in her apartment, it was only three days after the tournament and she already had another assignment: an ambassador from France.  She slammed a fist down on the desk; he job never gave her any free time.  The assignment offered a large sum, but she turned it down.  She needed a break to find Hayabusa.

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            A.N.- Umm……… please review………. I need reviews.