first proof of sixth chapter
Road of two shadows

-Ashes-
Rikimaru was climbing to a hill.

First he had travelled small paths and later he had moved more dense environment hiding himself in shadows. Several villages that Rikimaru had passed were empty, people were still in run. He had been travelling for two days now. Two of the nights he had sleep an hour and then kept moving. Couple of times he had sensed someone near him, but they were just retreating troops of the army that had lost the war. Rikimaru didn't want to waist any time on them so he just passed them whit out letting them notice him. Air was moist and could. It was hard to find a spot to rest in.

Rikimaru thought the moment he had left in the village. Kiku seemed so vulnerable. Like she had all ways been. He couldn't bring himself to think about what would happen to her if this mission would turn out to be total ciaos. He and Ayame were the only people that she really could trust and in away part of her family. It was hard to be inheritor of a Lord that had much power over large territories that he owned. Never knowing who you could trust, seeing your loved ones fade away by wars, assassins, envy or betrayal… He thought Kiku's behaviour and sight for the thought that his sprees had gone to deaf ears. Or maybe he was starting to be too old. Girls' age of Kiku saw him like a person, whom whit would be perfectly honourable to be alone in middle of a forest. But how could Rikimaru blame the girl? They known each other well past the formalities. They had casual friendship. He hoped that any maid's hadn't seen him leaving, the farmer was bad enough. If any gossip would start to float princesses immaculately would be in question.

Finally he reached to the top of the hill and horrifying sight laid ahead on him. This village was under Lord Tetsuya's governance, but it had been taken over and the enemy had kept it as its own hide out. Rikimaru remembered the place behind passing years. There were use to be busy town were now nothing but ashes.

He stardet coming down to the valley. All he could see was burnet body's everywhere and hundreds brick pipes cross the dark sky. Stone fences had been saved, but those were covered by black ash.

Ruins were still burning, but no-one cried out for help. Smoke had filled the air. No-one wasn't alive. Rikimaru felt so strength less as he watched the bodies wondering could one of them be Ayame's. It was no use looking, there were so many. He walked true burned village until he came to its border. Mist was starting to gather around. Rikimaru raised his head up to the mountains that vanished high above the clouds. You could see some hope in him as he noticed the perfect escape place.

That would be the place were Ayame would have gone to lose his nasty companions.

As Rikimaru had walked several hours, stretching his senses to limit, he found a camp of three men. Couple hours ago he had found first bodies of army man, which were stab to death. Light had run out and it slowed him down. It was the early hour of morning as Rikimaru kept watch over the croup.

Two of them were still in sleep and between them was campfire that had gone out. In the ground, next to others was one empty sleeping back. Man was probably looking for some breakfast.

Rikimaru walked slowly to the camp. Men were still in deep sleep. He look true their stuff's and found daggers, bombs, rotten food and some sort of poison bottle. He throw away the daggers as well as their swords next to them. Bomb's and poison bottle he took whit him.

Before he left he but mines to his path so they would not fallow his trail. Third man was somewhere in the woods up a head. Rikimaru didn't have to lurk too long as he saw a man dressed in dark blue ninja clothes walking towards him. He was carrying a white rabbit which fur was on red blood. The man whistled carelessly as he walked towards the camp were his mates were still sleeping.

Rikimaru stepped out of the shadows in the ninja's path. They still had some distance between them, Rikimaru let himself to be noticed.

Man carrying the dead rabbit had stopped whistling, but wasn't sure was the man in front of him his friend or his enemy. As Rikimaru reviled Izayoi taking few slow steps closing the distance ninja in blue realised what was going to happen. He was maybe few years younger than Rikimaru, but he had a look that showed lot of confidence.

His eyes were twisted and all most as darkish blue as his clothes. He had childlike face but cruelty glowed in his expression. He throw the rabbit away and took his sword to his hands. Rikimaru tested the mans talents whit three fast hits from Izayoi and the ninja blocked them all. They had switched sides as the man said:

"Don't know who you are, and don't think that you are going to tell me, but I tell you one thing…"

Man showed now fear. That really disappointed Rikimaru he throw question back to the blue eyed man: "Where is she?"

The man looked for a while like he didn't have a clue what was Rikimaru talking about, but he was only bluffing, looking for a weak spot to attack. In the same time they heard two explodes from the camp. Men that were sleeping had probably woken up and run to see what was going on, unlucky for them they had run in to two of those mines that Rikimaru had left behind. Blue male ninja had no sympathy for his dead companions as he said by a wild look.

"Grazy ninja! You die now!"

Rikimaru dodged the sharp blade and hit back. Still they kept going round in circles.

The man moved bit of nervously. His attacks didn't seem to matter at all. They changed looks and Rikimaru saw that he wasn't gona get his answer by frightening it out of his mouth.

"Come on, show me what's you got, ha?" Ninja in blue said whispering it out, giving a little dignity to the man opposite him.

Swords shattered for few seconds and Rikimaru put an end to it. He graphed the man to his shoulders to bounce him down to the ground. Man whit twisted eyes didn't get up, he squirmed in ground as Rikimaru stand couple feet's away from him.

"Please…" Suddenly man's unconcerned ness had changed to bleeding for his live.

Rikimaru stepped closer and repeated the question: "Where?"

"I haven't seen her…" Ninja panted continuing

"Somewhere near the waterfalls, other men had, Seen, her…"

"Why are you all chasing her?"

"She is carrying something… Valuable…"

"What?" "I'm just a ninja, like the others. No-one knows… Can I go now… please?"

Man was on his knees bowing his head down and watching deceitfully under his eyebrows.

Rikimaru watched him back. In his eye's. Twisted look came back to him, but maybe, there wouldn't be any reason to kill this man.

Rikimaru put Izayoi away and turned his back to the ninja.

The same moment Rikimaru had turned his back and started walking away, the look in ninjas face had changed again. To thank full to malicious. No-one would to this to him, he thought as he grabbed his sword from grassy ground. He moved fast and quiet moving his sword to other ninja's neck. Rage in him made him concentrate to perform smooth, silent moves.

In five seconds would the blue eyed man been the winner. Now he gasped for air like fish in dry land. Sword had been pushed to his stomach so that the other end came true between his shoulders.

As the blade slide away by its owners will the dead body fell to the ground staining the crass garish-red.

Rikimaru was still standing his back to the man. He had no time to worry for the man's wasted live.

He stardet running to the river.