Chapter 2- Like Butterflies
"Shh!" Hissed Ari as Cinni tried to fit her head over Ari's to see what was going on.
"If you would just move over!" Cinni harshly whispered back, "OW! You just elbowed my chin! See what we get for sneaking!? This was all your idea!"
"Not true!" Ari bickered.
Cinni started, "Hmph! I thought denial was in Egypt!!!"
Ari giggled, "Anyway, we're not sneaking, we're snooping."
Truthfully, Cinni didn't think it was all that right, "I'm so tired. All that training today, and now it's one o' clock in the morning! Let's just go to bed!"
"Calm down, we won't get caught. You do wanna know what's going on, don't you?" Ari heard whispers from the far end of the hallway and froze, "Come on. Lord Gohda's voice is coming from the other room."
Ari and Cinni crept down the silent halls of their resting dojo that very night. The well built dojo was crafted by Lord Gohda's hired craftsmen. The dojo held all Azuma Ninjas, and was stationed past the woods also owned by Lord Ghoda, and in his fields. Lord Gohda spent more time at the dojo then at his castle.
The the hallway walls were decorated with a Japanese art of flowers. Both ninjas' footsteps were silenced by the torches' faint fire that were sealed in lanterns all along the walls.
Ari followed closely behind as Cinni peeked around the corner, suddenly interested in what Gohda had to say. Ari then peeked nosily and caught her breath, waiting patiently.
Lord Gohda paused in his conversation with Sekiya. That's when Cinni asked, "Why'd we bring our weapons?"
Ari was dressed in her pink silk pajamas, and her long silky black hair was tied high into two high pigtails with matching pink bows. She looked like a little Japanese princess, and was as nosy as one, too. Ari answered quietly as she held four shuriken, or plate-shaped saucers, between her fingers, "Oh... You never know."
"Hmm," Cinni agreed, waiting to hear what Lord Gohda and Sekiya had to say. Cinni was wearing sky blue silk pajamas, similar to Ari's, with her feet bare on the chilly wooden floorboards. Ari wore matching pink sandals. Cinni's hair was split into two parts: She had ponytail at the top of her head, with the rest of her silky black hair in the back down, resting on her shoulders. Cinni's bow in her hair was blue, also matching her p.j.'s. On each of her hips was a short sword. Ari carried a pair of twin- headed swords. One on each hip, also. Ari's twin-head swords were held by a handle that was in the middle of her sword, with a blade sticking out on each side. These twins were often twirled like batons as an attack on an opponent. Ari's twin-head swords never missed, with their razor sharp edge, which Ari often sharpened.
"Did you hear that?" Cinni's eyes widened as she whispered, "It sounded like a..." Cinni's voice trailed off as the floor creaked again. The sound wasn't coming from Lord Gohda... It was from behind.
Ari's quick and silent attack barely made it as she threw a shuriken at whatever was making the sounds.
Ressaiyu emerged form the shadows, "Calm down!!!!"
"What are you doing?!" Cinni whispered, "Ari was this close to taking your eye out!" Cinni played with her fingers to measure the exact distance that this close stood for.
"Well...um...let's see. I'm in a hallway...hmm...Lord Gohda's in the other room talking secretive stuff... What is it?... Oh yeah... I could be doing the same thing you're doing!...DUH! You snoopers!" Ressaiyu got too smart sometimes.
Both Ari and Cinni stood looking at Ressaiyu, with their hands on their hips. Ashamed.
"Naughty, naughty," Ressaiyu obviously didn't realize that he was snooping, too. He looked up at them with huge, big brown anime eyes. His black hair was everywhere, like he just got out of bed. And that could be expected, for it was one o' clock in the morning. His skin was tanned, and he wore a basic yellow robe with white pants. Little Ressai also carried a staff.
"And what're you gonna do with that thing?...Beat someone with it?" Cinni teased, pointing at the huge staff, "Look, it's bigger than you! Like you can even use it, hah." Cinni mumbled under her breath and smirked.
"I'm sorry, Ressai, forgive me. I had no idea it was you." Ari favored Ressaiyu like she was his older sister, although Cinni was. Ari thought he was the cutest little thing, but Cinni couldn't understand why, exactly.
"Ah, no prob. One lost eye doesn't make you blind...unless your other eye was disfunctional or something. But that's another story... Hush, I think I hear Lord Gohda talking." Ressai moved in closer to the other two Azumas, and listened.
"No! No! I thought Rikimaru did away with Tenrai!" Sekiya's voice echoed in that fire-lit room. Lord Gohda was sitting on a small, wooden table pushed up against the wall. Sekiya sat on a tatami, or a little mat placed on the floor for you to sit on.
"Rikimaru?!" Ressaiyu's eyes widened and his heart stopped. Rikimaru was Ressai's idol, other than Toya. Rikimaru was the top assassin in his day... unless still in his day...-Rikimaru just about made up the Azuma Ninja Clan! Is he still alive? Ressai thought.
"Shh!" Ari and Cinni hissed in unison.
Lord Gohda continued, "Yes. I thought the same. Tenrai probably pulled some crazy stunt to survive. Or he could still be dead."
"And Onikage?" The last he'd heard of Onikage was when he fled the scene when Rikimaru and Ayame defeated Tenrai. Then, Onikage tried to re- awaken Mei-Oh when he obtained all the jewels. But Onikage never succeeded, thanks to Tatsumaru. Onikage then disappeared, and no one ever heard of him again... Until the violent wars started to break loose in Japan...
"This doesn't mean Onikage's dead. No one knows for sure." Gohda's voice trailed off. There was brief silence.
"Maybe," Sekiya started, "We should finally test our young trainers' strength?"
"Do you mean to send out Toya to go investigate?" Gohda stared at his robe and coughed.
"No, Lord Gohda. No," Sekiya's wise eyes gleamed with pride, "Azuma ninjas do have feelings. You always neglect all others except for Toya. It's time to see the others' skills. To see our future Ayames' and Rikimarus'.
"Oh!" Cinni cupped her mouth, trying not to scream.
"He's putting us in! Us!" Ari was about to jump up and down until Ressaiyu stopped her.
"But I..." Lord Gohda's eyes widened with deep expression.
"Gohda, you have to let them free. Like they are butterflies. Without their powder, they won't fly. Bring them to life," Sekiya's words sounded beautiful as his huge eyes lead on Gohda to believe in his ninjas.
"I don't feel they're ready yet," Gohda's head sank.
"No! They're ready! I know what's wrong with you! You don't want to lose them like you've lost Ayame and Rikimaru! If you don't let that go, you'll never have as strong a ninjas as Ayame and Rikimaru!" Sekiya was practically yelling now, his voice squeaky, weak and light, sounding as if he was bribing someone.
"You're right. I don't want to lose them," Lord Gohda's eyes narrowed as he stared at Sekiya, "I don't... I loved Rikimaru and Ayame, like I love Toya, Chibi, Cinni, Ari, Ressaiyu... And even little Muffin."
Sekiya smiled kindly, "We all love you, too, Master... All of us. So what are you going to do?"
Lord Gohda bowed his head and gave a benign smile in return to Sekiya, "I'm going to take your advice, as I have taken all my life. I'm opening the top... and letting my colorful butterflies free."
Ari, Cinni and Ressaiyu looked at each other, each with a wide smile on their face. Ear to ear. Their first mission.
"Shh!" Hissed Ari as Cinni tried to fit her head over Ari's to see what was going on.
"If you would just move over!" Cinni harshly whispered back, "OW! You just elbowed my chin! See what we get for sneaking!? This was all your idea!"
"Not true!" Ari bickered.
Cinni started, "Hmph! I thought denial was in Egypt!!!"
Ari giggled, "Anyway, we're not sneaking, we're snooping."
Truthfully, Cinni didn't think it was all that right, "I'm so tired. All that training today, and now it's one o' clock in the morning! Let's just go to bed!"
"Calm down, we won't get caught. You do wanna know what's going on, don't you?" Ari heard whispers from the far end of the hallway and froze, "Come on. Lord Gohda's voice is coming from the other room."
Ari and Cinni crept down the silent halls of their resting dojo that very night. The well built dojo was crafted by Lord Gohda's hired craftsmen. The dojo held all Azuma Ninjas, and was stationed past the woods also owned by Lord Ghoda, and in his fields. Lord Gohda spent more time at the dojo then at his castle.
The the hallway walls were decorated with a Japanese art of flowers. Both ninjas' footsteps were silenced by the torches' faint fire that were sealed in lanterns all along the walls.
Ari followed closely behind as Cinni peeked around the corner, suddenly interested in what Gohda had to say. Ari then peeked nosily and caught her breath, waiting patiently.
Lord Gohda paused in his conversation with Sekiya. That's when Cinni asked, "Why'd we bring our weapons?"
Ari was dressed in her pink silk pajamas, and her long silky black hair was tied high into two high pigtails with matching pink bows. She looked like a little Japanese princess, and was as nosy as one, too. Ari answered quietly as she held four shuriken, or plate-shaped saucers, between her fingers, "Oh... You never know."
"Hmm," Cinni agreed, waiting to hear what Lord Gohda and Sekiya had to say. Cinni was wearing sky blue silk pajamas, similar to Ari's, with her feet bare on the chilly wooden floorboards. Ari wore matching pink sandals. Cinni's hair was split into two parts: She had ponytail at the top of her head, with the rest of her silky black hair in the back down, resting on her shoulders. Cinni's bow in her hair was blue, also matching her p.j.'s. On each of her hips was a short sword. Ari carried a pair of twin- headed swords. One on each hip, also. Ari's twin-head swords were held by a handle that was in the middle of her sword, with a blade sticking out on each side. These twins were often twirled like batons as an attack on an opponent. Ari's twin-head swords never missed, with their razor sharp edge, which Ari often sharpened.
"Did you hear that?" Cinni's eyes widened as she whispered, "It sounded like a..." Cinni's voice trailed off as the floor creaked again. The sound wasn't coming from Lord Gohda... It was from behind.
Ari's quick and silent attack barely made it as she threw a shuriken at whatever was making the sounds.
Ressaiyu emerged form the shadows, "Calm down!!!!"
"What are you doing?!" Cinni whispered, "Ari was this close to taking your eye out!" Cinni played with her fingers to measure the exact distance that this close stood for.
"Well...um...let's see. I'm in a hallway...hmm...Lord Gohda's in the other room talking secretive stuff... What is it?... Oh yeah... I could be doing the same thing you're doing!...DUH! You snoopers!" Ressaiyu got too smart sometimes.
Both Ari and Cinni stood looking at Ressaiyu, with their hands on their hips. Ashamed.
"Naughty, naughty," Ressaiyu obviously didn't realize that he was snooping, too. He looked up at them with huge, big brown anime eyes. His black hair was everywhere, like he just got out of bed. And that could be expected, for it was one o' clock in the morning. His skin was tanned, and he wore a basic yellow robe with white pants. Little Ressai also carried a staff.
"And what're you gonna do with that thing?...Beat someone with it?" Cinni teased, pointing at the huge staff, "Look, it's bigger than you! Like you can even use it, hah." Cinni mumbled under her breath and smirked.
"I'm sorry, Ressai, forgive me. I had no idea it was you." Ari favored Ressaiyu like she was his older sister, although Cinni was. Ari thought he was the cutest little thing, but Cinni couldn't understand why, exactly.
"Ah, no prob. One lost eye doesn't make you blind...unless your other eye was disfunctional or something. But that's another story... Hush, I think I hear Lord Gohda talking." Ressai moved in closer to the other two Azumas, and listened.
"No! No! I thought Rikimaru did away with Tenrai!" Sekiya's voice echoed in that fire-lit room. Lord Gohda was sitting on a small, wooden table pushed up against the wall. Sekiya sat on a tatami, or a little mat placed on the floor for you to sit on.
"Rikimaru?!" Ressaiyu's eyes widened and his heart stopped. Rikimaru was Ressai's idol, other than Toya. Rikimaru was the top assassin in his day... unless still in his day...-Rikimaru just about made up the Azuma Ninja Clan! Is he still alive? Ressai thought.
"Shh!" Ari and Cinni hissed in unison.
Lord Gohda continued, "Yes. I thought the same. Tenrai probably pulled some crazy stunt to survive. Or he could still be dead."
"And Onikage?" The last he'd heard of Onikage was when he fled the scene when Rikimaru and Ayame defeated Tenrai. Then, Onikage tried to re- awaken Mei-Oh when he obtained all the jewels. But Onikage never succeeded, thanks to Tatsumaru. Onikage then disappeared, and no one ever heard of him again... Until the violent wars started to break loose in Japan...
"This doesn't mean Onikage's dead. No one knows for sure." Gohda's voice trailed off. There was brief silence.
"Maybe," Sekiya started, "We should finally test our young trainers' strength?"
"Do you mean to send out Toya to go investigate?" Gohda stared at his robe and coughed.
"No, Lord Gohda. No," Sekiya's wise eyes gleamed with pride, "Azuma ninjas do have feelings. You always neglect all others except for Toya. It's time to see the others' skills. To see our future Ayames' and Rikimarus'.
"Oh!" Cinni cupped her mouth, trying not to scream.
"He's putting us in! Us!" Ari was about to jump up and down until Ressaiyu stopped her.
"But I..." Lord Gohda's eyes widened with deep expression.
"Gohda, you have to let them free. Like they are butterflies. Without their powder, they won't fly. Bring them to life," Sekiya's words sounded beautiful as his huge eyes lead on Gohda to believe in his ninjas.
"I don't feel they're ready yet," Gohda's head sank.
"No! They're ready! I know what's wrong with you! You don't want to lose them like you've lost Ayame and Rikimaru! If you don't let that go, you'll never have as strong a ninjas as Ayame and Rikimaru!" Sekiya was practically yelling now, his voice squeaky, weak and light, sounding as if he was bribing someone.
"You're right. I don't want to lose them," Lord Gohda's eyes narrowed as he stared at Sekiya, "I don't... I loved Rikimaru and Ayame, like I love Toya, Chibi, Cinni, Ari, Ressaiyu... And even little Muffin."
Sekiya smiled kindly, "We all love you, too, Master... All of us. So what are you going to do?"
Lord Gohda bowed his head and gave a benign smile in return to Sekiya, "I'm going to take your advice, as I have taken all my life. I'm opening the top... and letting my colorful butterflies free."
Ari, Cinni and Ressaiyu looked at each other, each with a wide smile on their face. Ear to ear. Their first mission.