A singsong voice was heard from the shadows. Rikimaru strained his eyes to see where it was coming from.
"So, you're up." The female voice laughed. Rikimaru was silent. "Pray tell Rikimaru, do you love her?" Rikimaru remained silent. He surveyed the scene from behind the bars, searching for a way out.
"Love who?" He said coldly. He looked at the lady, who was sitting in a chair across from his cell, throwing a dagger around in her hands. She looked up at him.
"The one you took the dart for." She went back to throwing the dagger.
"She is my partner."
"So you do." She threw the dagger at the table, and then pulled it out again, starting her game over. Rikimaru remained silent. "I have been watching you two for some time now, quite touching, really."
"So you're the unfamiliar ki."
"You fools. I've been right under your nose this whole time. They say you are the most fearsome clan in all of Japan. More like the most stupid." She looked up to see Rikimaru's stoic face. "Oh come now, Rikimaru, lighten up once and awhile. You might get her attention if you laughed now and then." Rikimaru lunged at the bars. "That's more like it."
"You wont get away with this. Evil never prevails." He yelled from his prison.
"Denial is the first step."
"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?" He sat back down.
She stared up at him and smiled a sadistic smile. "I like to get to know my prey before I go in for the kill. I like to find their weaknesses. I like to take everything away from them, until they beg to be killed. And then I let them live. I'm a sadist fuck, I know."
"I am a shadow. I have nothing." He closed his eyes.
"Ha." She spat. "Half of you is worried that she'll come, and the other half is scared that she wont, that you're expendable to her and therefore mean nothing."
"It is against ninja code that..." He was cut off.
"The code has been broken before. What makes you think that it wont be broken again?"
Rikimaru closed his eyes. He felt her familiar ki nearby. iAyame, no. Don't you know you're in danger? Oh dear Ayame, don't kill yourself at my expense./i
II
Ayame slid down the hall silently and peeked around the corner. An armed guard came dangerously close, but didn't see her. Ayame had too much on stake, she couldn't afford to be hasty, so she observed his pattern. As soon as she knew it was safe, she snuck up and stuck her blades in his back. She then silently went back to the corner as the nearby guard became alerted.
"Show yourself!" He shouted meekly. "Ah forget it!" As soon as his back was turned, she slit his throat. Promptly, she grappled up to the opening in the next room. There was an enemy ki somewhere about. Ayame went down the next few corners slowly, until she approached the female ninja. The ninja had her sword at the ready, willing to strike at any moment. Ayame threw a smoke bomb and killed the ninja in the midst of her coughing. There were no more ki's around. She closed her eyes, focusing on Rikimaru's ki. It was faint, but she knew she was drawing nearer to it. She went into the next room and shot a poison dart at the fool of a guard. At that moment, something mentally hit her. She had the sudden urge to go back and forget it. Snap out of it, Ayame. iHe's not expendable. I need him. Without him I'm a one man team, and I cant keep Godha's realm safe by myself. Besides I-/i Her thoughts were cut off my the sound of a guard shuffling around. She grappled up to a watch tower and surveyed the room across from it. There was a doorway, which she double jumped in to, and hugged the corner. A guard came shuffling down the hall wearily. iWhat a shame you have to die./i When he turned around, she took off his head. Rikimaru's ki was becoming more and more vivid, until she was practically on top of him.
III.
"In fact, she's on her way. I have strategically placed my guards so that the poor fools will lead her right to me. Because unlike you, they are expendable."
"Why don't you let me out and fight me like a man?"
"Because I will be forced to kill you like a man. And what's the fun in that?"
"You're scared." iI need time. I need anything. /iHe felt Ayame's ki coming closer. iI promised her that I'd be careful. I need time./i "You know that if we battled face to face, you'd lose."
"This is not how cat and mouse goes!" She threw the dagger, missing his head by millimeters.
"Missed me."
"Meant to." She watched as Rikimaru grabbed the dagger. "You wont throw that."
"This time, I wont miss." He threw it, and she caught it in midair.
"Feisty." She set it down. "Your little girlfriend will be here any second. I can feel it."
Rikimaru knew she was right. He felt her ki practically right on top of his. Any second she'd come busting through, demanding him back. He smiled as he pictured her running up with her weapons out, and the little face she gets when she's about engage in battle. Two seconds later, that image became a reality.
Ayame busted through the doors. She saw the back of the woman sitting in a chair. She glanced at Rikimaru, sitting cross legged in a small cell.
"I've been expecting you, Ayame." The lady said.
"I've come for your head!" Ayame yelled.
"Well, it seems you'll have to do back," The lady rose from her chair and drew her sword, "empty handed."
Rikimaru watched on as the two ladies fought. It was beginning to get hard to tell who was winning anymore. Ayame was being matched blow for blow. One hit sent Ayame flying to the wall. Rikimaru looked down at the floor. iWhat have I done? Oh Ayame, what have I done./i He choked as his lungs flooded with smoke. He felt himself be jerked up, and before he knew it, he was running as fast as he could. No one spoke a word until they were sure they were no longer being followed. "Ayame..." He gasped. "What happened?" He choked between breaths.
"I don't know. We cannot stop here." They ran to a shallow river, and waded through it. "I was losing. She was good Rikimaru. She was too good. I had to do what I came to do, at whatever costs. I threw three smoke bombs and a grenade, and high tailed it out of there."
"You weren't supposed to do that. I did not mean to jeopardize your life by taking that poison dart."
"You didn't jeopardize anything, Rikimaru." Ayame sighed. "It's okay now. She wont come find us tonight." She looked up at him "I told you to be careful." Rikimaru fell silent.
"We should not go home tonight."
"Then where..."
"We will take shifts. It's not the first night you've camped out."
"But it's so cold. We cannot risk a fire. We have nothing, no blankets. On top of that, we're wet from the shins down."
"We've been in worse."
"Rikimaru, I'm scared." He looked down at her, shocked. He had been hearing strange things coming out of her mouth lately.
"Don't be, Ayame. We'll be fine. I'll take first shift." He guided her to a circle of trees, and crouched near the center. "Go to sleep."
"But she was so good..." Ayame mumbled, before laying her head on her arm and letting rest take a hold of her.
IV.
Ayame felt the sun on her eyelids. She slowly opened them, and saw Rikimaru kneeling over a small fire, cooking some fish. "I thought we were taking shifts?" she said in a confused tone.
Rikimaru smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't sleep. I figured I might as well let you sleep, seeing as there would be no point in us both being awake all night." He gestured towards the cooked fish. "Have some."
Ayame stumbled towards him, and held his face in her hands. "Rikimaru..." she stared into his eyes. "How much have you slept since you killed Tenrai?" He avoided her stare.
"Eat, Ayame."
"Look at me! How much have you slept, Rikimaru?"
"I'm guessing about two hours a night, on average," he mumbled, "The night we were supposed to come here was the first time I had gotten a full nights rest since as long as I can remember..." His voice trailed off. Ayame let go of his face and sighed.
"Rikimaru..." She said, a little annoyed. She grabbed a fish and ate it silently. After a few minutes, she decided to break the silence. "How long are we going to stay here?"
"We can head home after breakfast." The silence was unnerving. Ayame started laughing nervously. Rikimaru raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"I don't know. It's just all so crazy. I never thought I'd be sitting with you, eating with you, after what happened before..." her voice trailed off.
Rikimaru shook his head slightly. He placed a hand on Ayame's shoulder, trying in someway to console her.
"It was hard at first, you know... I was so happy there was peace for the first six months. If I had to do something right after I would have snapped. We were..." She stopped, and looked into his eyes.
"I know." He glanced about him. "Let's save this for another day."
"I've heard that one before." She said, acerbically. Surprisingly, Rikimaru laughed. It was the first time Ayame had hear him laugh since he came back. It warmed her heart.
"Let's go." They got up, and headed back to the village.
"So, you're up." The female voice laughed. Rikimaru was silent. "Pray tell Rikimaru, do you love her?" Rikimaru remained silent. He surveyed the scene from behind the bars, searching for a way out.
"Love who?" He said coldly. He looked at the lady, who was sitting in a chair across from his cell, throwing a dagger around in her hands. She looked up at him.
"The one you took the dart for." She went back to throwing the dagger.
"She is my partner."
"So you do." She threw the dagger at the table, and then pulled it out again, starting her game over. Rikimaru remained silent. "I have been watching you two for some time now, quite touching, really."
"So you're the unfamiliar ki."
"You fools. I've been right under your nose this whole time. They say you are the most fearsome clan in all of Japan. More like the most stupid." She looked up to see Rikimaru's stoic face. "Oh come now, Rikimaru, lighten up once and awhile. You might get her attention if you laughed now and then." Rikimaru lunged at the bars. "That's more like it."
"You wont get away with this. Evil never prevails." He yelled from his prison.
"Denial is the first step."
"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?" He sat back down.
She stared up at him and smiled a sadistic smile. "I like to get to know my prey before I go in for the kill. I like to find their weaknesses. I like to take everything away from them, until they beg to be killed. And then I let them live. I'm a sadist fuck, I know."
"I am a shadow. I have nothing." He closed his eyes.
"Ha." She spat. "Half of you is worried that she'll come, and the other half is scared that she wont, that you're expendable to her and therefore mean nothing."
"It is against ninja code that..." He was cut off.
"The code has been broken before. What makes you think that it wont be broken again?"
Rikimaru closed his eyes. He felt her familiar ki nearby. iAyame, no. Don't you know you're in danger? Oh dear Ayame, don't kill yourself at my expense./i
II
Ayame slid down the hall silently and peeked around the corner. An armed guard came dangerously close, but didn't see her. Ayame had too much on stake, she couldn't afford to be hasty, so she observed his pattern. As soon as she knew it was safe, she snuck up and stuck her blades in his back. She then silently went back to the corner as the nearby guard became alerted.
"Show yourself!" He shouted meekly. "Ah forget it!" As soon as his back was turned, she slit his throat. Promptly, she grappled up to the opening in the next room. There was an enemy ki somewhere about. Ayame went down the next few corners slowly, until she approached the female ninja. The ninja had her sword at the ready, willing to strike at any moment. Ayame threw a smoke bomb and killed the ninja in the midst of her coughing. There were no more ki's around. She closed her eyes, focusing on Rikimaru's ki. It was faint, but she knew she was drawing nearer to it. She went into the next room and shot a poison dart at the fool of a guard. At that moment, something mentally hit her. She had the sudden urge to go back and forget it. Snap out of it, Ayame. iHe's not expendable. I need him. Without him I'm a one man team, and I cant keep Godha's realm safe by myself. Besides I-/i Her thoughts were cut off my the sound of a guard shuffling around. She grappled up to a watch tower and surveyed the room across from it. There was a doorway, which she double jumped in to, and hugged the corner. A guard came shuffling down the hall wearily. iWhat a shame you have to die./i When he turned around, she took off his head. Rikimaru's ki was becoming more and more vivid, until she was practically on top of him.
III.
"In fact, she's on her way. I have strategically placed my guards so that the poor fools will lead her right to me. Because unlike you, they are expendable."
"Why don't you let me out and fight me like a man?"
"Because I will be forced to kill you like a man. And what's the fun in that?"
"You're scared." iI need time. I need anything. /iHe felt Ayame's ki coming closer. iI promised her that I'd be careful. I need time./i "You know that if we battled face to face, you'd lose."
"This is not how cat and mouse goes!" She threw the dagger, missing his head by millimeters.
"Missed me."
"Meant to." She watched as Rikimaru grabbed the dagger. "You wont throw that."
"This time, I wont miss." He threw it, and she caught it in midair.
"Feisty." She set it down. "Your little girlfriend will be here any second. I can feel it."
Rikimaru knew she was right. He felt her ki practically right on top of his. Any second she'd come busting through, demanding him back. He smiled as he pictured her running up with her weapons out, and the little face she gets when she's about engage in battle. Two seconds later, that image became a reality.
Ayame busted through the doors. She saw the back of the woman sitting in a chair. She glanced at Rikimaru, sitting cross legged in a small cell.
"I've been expecting you, Ayame." The lady said.
"I've come for your head!" Ayame yelled.
"Well, it seems you'll have to do back," The lady rose from her chair and drew her sword, "empty handed."
Rikimaru watched on as the two ladies fought. It was beginning to get hard to tell who was winning anymore. Ayame was being matched blow for blow. One hit sent Ayame flying to the wall. Rikimaru looked down at the floor. iWhat have I done? Oh Ayame, what have I done./i He choked as his lungs flooded with smoke. He felt himself be jerked up, and before he knew it, he was running as fast as he could. No one spoke a word until they were sure they were no longer being followed. "Ayame..." He gasped. "What happened?" He choked between breaths.
"I don't know. We cannot stop here." They ran to a shallow river, and waded through it. "I was losing. She was good Rikimaru. She was too good. I had to do what I came to do, at whatever costs. I threw three smoke bombs and a grenade, and high tailed it out of there."
"You weren't supposed to do that. I did not mean to jeopardize your life by taking that poison dart."
"You didn't jeopardize anything, Rikimaru." Ayame sighed. "It's okay now. She wont come find us tonight." She looked up at him "I told you to be careful." Rikimaru fell silent.
"We should not go home tonight."
"Then where..."
"We will take shifts. It's not the first night you've camped out."
"But it's so cold. We cannot risk a fire. We have nothing, no blankets. On top of that, we're wet from the shins down."
"We've been in worse."
"Rikimaru, I'm scared." He looked down at her, shocked. He had been hearing strange things coming out of her mouth lately.
"Don't be, Ayame. We'll be fine. I'll take first shift." He guided her to a circle of trees, and crouched near the center. "Go to sleep."
"But she was so good..." Ayame mumbled, before laying her head on her arm and letting rest take a hold of her.
IV.
Ayame felt the sun on her eyelids. She slowly opened them, and saw Rikimaru kneeling over a small fire, cooking some fish. "I thought we were taking shifts?" she said in a confused tone.
Rikimaru smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't sleep. I figured I might as well let you sleep, seeing as there would be no point in us both being awake all night." He gestured towards the cooked fish. "Have some."
Ayame stumbled towards him, and held his face in her hands. "Rikimaru..." she stared into his eyes. "How much have you slept since you killed Tenrai?" He avoided her stare.
"Eat, Ayame."
"Look at me! How much have you slept, Rikimaru?"
"I'm guessing about two hours a night, on average," he mumbled, "The night we were supposed to come here was the first time I had gotten a full nights rest since as long as I can remember..." His voice trailed off. Ayame let go of his face and sighed.
"Rikimaru..." She said, a little annoyed. She grabbed a fish and ate it silently. After a few minutes, she decided to break the silence. "How long are we going to stay here?"
"We can head home after breakfast." The silence was unnerving. Ayame started laughing nervously. Rikimaru raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"I don't know. It's just all so crazy. I never thought I'd be sitting with you, eating with you, after what happened before..." her voice trailed off.
Rikimaru shook his head slightly. He placed a hand on Ayame's shoulder, trying in someway to console her.
"It was hard at first, you know... I was so happy there was peace for the first six months. If I had to do something right after I would have snapped. We were..." She stopped, and looked into his eyes.
"I know." He glanced about him. "Let's save this for another day."
"I've heard that one before." She said, acerbically. Surprisingly, Rikimaru laughed. It was the first time Ayame had hear him laugh since he came back. It warmed her heart.
"Let's go." They got up, and headed back to the village.