Chapter 4
Young gray eyes looked into the sky. His lips curled into a smile and he stood up, shielding his eyes from the sun. His thick, short black hair stuck up messily and he turned around to walk inside a house.
"Hito, honey, your hair!" The boy's mother laughed, and ran her fingers through his hair, straightening it out.
"Ah, mom!" The six-year-old Hito backed away and stroked his hair quickly, messing it up again. "I wanna look tough! All the guys have spiky hair!"
"This isn't spiky, it's just messy. Hito, just let me fix it, will you?" The woman attempted fixing his hair again, and Hito gave in.
"Alright. But you can't do that in public, kay?"
"Okay." She smiled and hugged her boy around the shoulders. "If I can't do anything 'embarrassing' in public, you better let me treat you like a real six-year-old boy at home." Hito scrunched his face and shrugged. "Good. Now get going, play with your friends. It's a nice day out."
"Okay." Hito turned and walked outside. The sun was bright and pleasant, and children were playing all around. "Shia!" He ran to a five-year-old girl and sat next to her. Her face was red and tears ran down her cheeks. "What's wrong Shia?"
"They..." She pointed to a group of 6 11-year-old boys. "They took her..." Hito looked at her with confusion. "They took Nenny."
"Why'd they do that?" Hito knew who Nenny was. Nenny was Shia's beloved doll. She took her everywhere and treated her like her baby.
"They said...they said they wanted her! They're gunna use her in their 'experiment'." Shia sobbed. Hito stood up and walked to the group of boys.
"Hey!" He shouted. The boys looked at him, and some of them laughed.
"What do you want, little boy?" One of them put their hand on Hito's head.
"You've got Nenny!" Hito puffed out his little chest and tried to look tough. "Give her back, she's Shia's!" Shia stood up and ran next to Hito.
"Please?" She saw the doll in the pocket of one of the boys and reached out to it. "Nenny!" She cried out. The boys smiled and laughed. Hito jumped forward and tried to grab Nenny from the boy's pocket, but he caught him by the shirt, swung him around, and threw him back. "Hito!" Shia knelt by Hito. "Are you okay?"
"Give Nenny back!" Hito stood up and tried not to cry. "She's Shia's favorite doll!"
"I didn't know such a little boy could hold such a big voice." The boys laughed. "You want the doll? Go get it!" He took it out of his pocket and threw it up onto a roof. All of them laughed as they walked away.
"Don't worry, Shia. I'll get Nenny back for you." Hito jumped on a small pile of boxes and then looked around. He jumped onto the window of the house, then reached up to the roof. It was too high for his little hand to reach. He struggled to reach higher, but slipped and fell off of the windowsill. Shia started crying. Determined to fetch the doll, Hito got up and tried again. When he made it to the windowsill, he jumped as high as he could, and caught the edge of the roof in his hands. He struggled to pull himself up, but wasn't strong enough.
"What're you doing there, Hito?" A strong male voice asked. Muscular hands grabbed his around the waist and carried him to the ground.
"Nenny's on the roof!" Hito looked at the man and recognized him. "Get her, daddy!" The man looked up at the roof, stood on the boxes, reached up, and retrieved Nenny. He handed her to Hito.
"Have fun playing with Shia, Hito. Come back home soon, okay?" Hito's father left to venture back home.
"Here you go, Shia." Hito gave Nenny to Shia.
"Hito! Thank you!" She wrapped her little arms around Hito and gave him a feeble squeeze. "You're the best!" She ran off with Nenny and sat back down against a wall. "Come on Hito, play with me!"
"Kay!" Hito began walking over to Shia when his mother called out.
"Hito? Supper honey!" She walked out to Hito and put her hand on his back. "Come on home. Oh, hello Shia!"
"Hi Hito's mommy!" Shia hugged Nenny and continued to play with her.
Back at Hito's house, Hito climbed into a chair an awaited his meal. His mother came out and gave him a plate of spaghetti.
"Thanks mommy!" Hito smiled and grabbed a handful of spaghetti, ignoring his fork.
"Hito! Use a fork!" His mother fussed. "You'll get all dirty!"
"I got to get out on the streets." Hito's father walked out in his police uniform. "We've got trouble out there again."
"Is it the assassin again?"
"Afraid so. We'll catch him this time, promise." The man leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Be safe, Kenji." She gripped her fork and slowly began to eat.
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"Hito?" Hito's mother asked, tucking Hito into bed. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
"Where's daddy?" Hito asked.
"He'll come home soon. He's out doing work. Goodnight Hito." She left Hito's room and shut the door.
"Goodnight mommy." Hito snuggled under his covers and closed his eyes. Not twenty minutes later, he was awakened by the sound of glass shattering. Hito sat up straight and looked around. He heard footsteps climbing up the stairs and fly past his room. His mother's door was opened and then a horrifying shrill filled the air. "Mommy!" Hito jumped out of bed and ran outside his door. "Mommy!?"
"A kid!" A voice shouted. "Get him!" Two men ran at him and grabbed him.
"Put the boy down!" The voice of Kenji was heard as he ran inside his house, sword drawn. He ran at the man holding Hito, and stabbed him through the neck. Hito gasped and ran to hide behind his door. The other man ran at Kenji and stabbed, but Kenji jumped to the side, swinging his sword at his neck. The man ducked and stabbed upward but Kenji jumped back and swung horizontally. The blade met his shoulder, but the man had jumped aside enough to make it minor. Countering the move quickly, the man swung his sword sideways and it struck Kenji's neck dead center.
"Hito..." Kenji whispered before dying.
"Daddy..." Hito's breathing increased and he went numb. "Daddy!" He shouted with all the force of his lungs. Running out, he grabbed the sword of his fallen father and caught the murderer off guard. He stabbed him right through the stomach. A sickening groan slipped out of his mouth as he went limp in death. Another shrill pierced the air, and Hito recognized it as his mother's. "Mommy! No!" He ran forward, dragging the heavy sword behind him. As he entered the room he saw the shadow of two figures. One was standing up with a sword in hand, the sword reached across and through the chest of the other. The second shadow slipped off the blade and fell back to the floor. "M-mommy...?" Hito felt hot tears weld up in his eyes as he gritted his teeth. His once sweet eyes morphed into a harsh glare. He let out a childish war cry and furiously charged at the man.
"You're that kid!" The man stepped into an area of light. He was one of the eleven-year-old boys! "So...the other two...they're dead? You killed my father and big brother...? You'll pay for that kid, however you did it!" He charged at Hito, but the blade was caught by another sword.
"Don't pick on children." A stern voice echoed. He shifted his blade to maneuver it through the heart of the boy. Blood splattered onto Hito's face, and he backed away.
"You okay kid?" The man asked. Still sobbing, Hito shook his head. "Your parents are dead huh? I guess you're not old enough to live alone either. I'll take you in."
"Take me?" Hito looked up at the face of the man. It was harsh yet parent like. "Who are you?"
"My name is Shihan."
"Shihan?"
"Yes, but you will not call me that. You will address as master from now on." Shihan put his hand on Hito's back and guided him out of the house. "You will live with me. Do you wish to become stronger? Strong enough to defend those like you?" Hito nodded. "I shall train you under the Shousa Kyouhen style. You will become the most powerful man in Japan, next to me of course. Justice will be upheld by the two strongest men alive.
"Hito!" Shia ran to him and gripped his arm in her hands. "Are you leaving, Hito?" He nodded. "Why are you leaving? Stay here!"
"This guy's gunna take care of me, Shia. I'll be okay."
"Hito! I don't want you to go! D-don't leave!" Shia sobbed. Hito was crying as well. "Promise me we'll see each other again, okay?"
"Okay. Promise!"
"Pinky swear?" Shia reached her hand out. Hito smiled and shook pinkies with her.
"Pinky swear." They both smiled as Hito was carried off by Shihan.
Young gray eyes looked into the sky. His lips curled into a smile and he stood up, shielding his eyes from the sun. His thick, short black hair stuck up messily and he turned around to walk inside a house.
"Hito, honey, your hair!" The boy's mother laughed, and ran her fingers through his hair, straightening it out.
"Ah, mom!" The six-year-old Hito backed away and stroked his hair quickly, messing it up again. "I wanna look tough! All the guys have spiky hair!"
"This isn't spiky, it's just messy. Hito, just let me fix it, will you?" The woman attempted fixing his hair again, and Hito gave in.
"Alright. But you can't do that in public, kay?"
"Okay." She smiled and hugged her boy around the shoulders. "If I can't do anything 'embarrassing' in public, you better let me treat you like a real six-year-old boy at home." Hito scrunched his face and shrugged. "Good. Now get going, play with your friends. It's a nice day out."
"Okay." Hito turned and walked outside. The sun was bright and pleasant, and children were playing all around. "Shia!" He ran to a five-year-old girl and sat next to her. Her face was red and tears ran down her cheeks. "What's wrong Shia?"
"They..." She pointed to a group of 6 11-year-old boys. "They took her..." Hito looked at her with confusion. "They took Nenny."
"Why'd they do that?" Hito knew who Nenny was. Nenny was Shia's beloved doll. She took her everywhere and treated her like her baby.
"They said...they said they wanted her! They're gunna use her in their 'experiment'." Shia sobbed. Hito stood up and walked to the group of boys.
"Hey!" He shouted. The boys looked at him, and some of them laughed.
"What do you want, little boy?" One of them put their hand on Hito's head.
"You've got Nenny!" Hito puffed out his little chest and tried to look tough. "Give her back, she's Shia's!" Shia stood up and ran next to Hito.
"Please?" She saw the doll in the pocket of one of the boys and reached out to it. "Nenny!" She cried out. The boys smiled and laughed. Hito jumped forward and tried to grab Nenny from the boy's pocket, but he caught him by the shirt, swung him around, and threw him back. "Hito!" Shia knelt by Hito. "Are you okay?"
"Give Nenny back!" Hito stood up and tried not to cry. "She's Shia's favorite doll!"
"I didn't know such a little boy could hold such a big voice." The boys laughed. "You want the doll? Go get it!" He took it out of his pocket and threw it up onto a roof. All of them laughed as they walked away.
"Don't worry, Shia. I'll get Nenny back for you." Hito jumped on a small pile of boxes and then looked around. He jumped onto the window of the house, then reached up to the roof. It was too high for his little hand to reach. He struggled to reach higher, but slipped and fell off of the windowsill. Shia started crying. Determined to fetch the doll, Hito got up and tried again. When he made it to the windowsill, he jumped as high as he could, and caught the edge of the roof in his hands. He struggled to pull himself up, but wasn't strong enough.
"What're you doing there, Hito?" A strong male voice asked. Muscular hands grabbed his around the waist and carried him to the ground.
"Nenny's on the roof!" Hito looked at the man and recognized him. "Get her, daddy!" The man looked up at the roof, stood on the boxes, reached up, and retrieved Nenny. He handed her to Hito.
"Have fun playing with Shia, Hito. Come back home soon, okay?" Hito's father left to venture back home.
"Here you go, Shia." Hito gave Nenny to Shia.
"Hito! Thank you!" She wrapped her little arms around Hito and gave him a feeble squeeze. "You're the best!" She ran off with Nenny and sat back down against a wall. "Come on Hito, play with me!"
"Kay!" Hito began walking over to Shia when his mother called out.
"Hito? Supper honey!" She walked out to Hito and put her hand on his back. "Come on home. Oh, hello Shia!"
"Hi Hito's mommy!" Shia hugged Nenny and continued to play with her.
Back at Hito's house, Hito climbed into a chair an awaited his meal. His mother came out and gave him a plate of spaghetti.
"Thanks mommy!" Hito smiled and grabbed a handful of spaghetti, ignoring his fork.
"Hito! Use a fork!" His mother fussed. "You'll get all dirty!"
"I got to get out on the streets." Hito's father walked out in his police uniform. "We've got trouble out there again."
"Is it the assassin again?"
"Afraid so. We'll catch him this time, promise." The man leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Be safe, Kenji." She gripped her fork and slowly began to eat.
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"Hito?" Hito's mother asked, tucking Hito into bed. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
"Where's daddy?" Hito asked.
"He'll come home soon. He's out doing work. Goodnight Hito." She left Hito's room and shut the door.
"Goodnight mommy." Hito snuggled under his covers and closed his eyes. Not twenty minutes later, he was awakened by the sound of glass shattering. Hito sat up straight and looked around. He heard footsteps climbing up the stairs and fly past his room. His mother's door was opened and then a horrifying shrill filled the air. "Mommy!" Hito jumped out of bed and ran outside his door. "Mommy!?"
"A kid!" A voice shouted. "Get him!" Two men ran at him and grabbed him.
"Put the boy down!" The voice of Kenji was heard as he ran inside his house, sword drawn. He ran at the man holding Hito, and stabbed him through the neck. Hito gasped and ran to hide behind his door. The other man ran at Kenji and stabbed, but Kenji jumped to the side, swinging his sword at his neck. The man ducked and stabbed upward but Kenji jumped back and swung horizontally. The blade met his shoulder, but the man had jumped aside enough to make it minor. Countering the move quickly, the man swung his sword sideways and it struck Kenji's neck dead center.
"Hito..." Kenji whispered before dying.
"Daddy..." Hito's breathing increased and he went numb. "Daddy!" He shouted with all the force of his lungs. Running out, he grabbed the sword of his fallen father and caught the murderer off guard. He stabbed him right through the stomach. A sickening groan slipped out of his mouth as he went limp in death. Another shrill pierced the air, and Hito recognized it as his mother's. "Mommy! No!" He ran forward, dragging the heavy sword behind him. As he entered the room he saw the shadow of two figures. One was standing up with a sword in hand, the sword reached across and through the chest of the other. The second shadow slipped off the blade and fell back to the floor. "M-mommy...?" Hito felt hot tears weld up in his eyes as he gritted his teeth. His once sweet eyes morphed into a harsh glare. He let out a childish war cry and furiously charged at the man.
"You're that kid!" The man stepped into an area of light. He was one of the eleven-year-old boys! "So...the other two...they're dead? You killed my father and big brother...? You'll pay for that kid, however you did it!" He charged at Hito, but the blade was caught by another sword.
"Don't pick on children." A stern voice echoed. He shifted his blade to maneuver it through the heart of the boy. Blood splattered onto Hito's face, and he backed away.
"You okay kid?" The man asked. Still sobbing, Hito shook his head. "Your parents are dead huh? I guess you're not old enough to live alone either. I'll take you in."
"Take me?" Hito looked up at the face of the man. It was harsh yet parent like. "Who are you?"
"My name is Shihan."
"Shihan?"
"Yes, but you will not call me that. You will address as master from now on." Shihan put his hand on Hito's back and guided him out of the house. "You will live with me. Do you wish to become stronger? Strong enough to defend those like you?" Hito nodded. "I shall train you under the Shousa Kyouhen style. You will become the most powerful man in Japan, next to me of course. Justice will be upheld by the two strongest men alive.
"Hito!" Shia ran to him and gripped his arm in her hands. "Are you leaving, Hito?" He nodded. "Why are you leaving? Stay here!"
"This guy's gunna take care of me, Shia. I'll be okay."
"Hito! I don't want you to go! D-don't leave!" Shia sobbed. Hito was crying as well. "Promise me we'll see each other again, okay?"
"Okay. Promise!"
"Pinky swear?" Shia reached her hand out. Hito smiled and shook pinkies with her.
"Pinky swear." They both smiled as Hito was carried off by Shihan.