Okay first off, I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to Capcom so don't think I made any of these characters up. Now on to the story.

Chapter eight: The Raid.

It was nighttime. Not much can be seen except the few trees and boulders that the Moonlight reflected off of. The Base was divided into three sections. They were stacked one on top of the other. We saw the enemy base surrounded by a few guards in the front middle section. Although, with instinct I knew there were at least ten of them hidden out on watch. "Any good ninja knew that", Master Murakamo would say. Ibuki quietly sat we me on top of a tall tree branch. There were about 50 ninja with us and like 30 ninja plus Master Murakamo back at base incase they decide to surprise us or counterattack. We're definitely prepared. Although I wasn't the best, I still manage to find out a way. I realized that the base was in the tree tops. We would be able to hide in the trees just like they would. As we were nearly able to initiate the attack, I starting think of when I will understand who I was. I didn't know if that day would come… but I couldn't think of that at this time. I had to concentrate. I had to be direct. Not knowing of what was to come, I looked over to Ibuki for some comfort. But even she had taken this mission into consideration. I was able to tell since I saw her face was very serious. Even she was ready.

Ibuki: "We should use a proper misleading distraction. What do you suggest?"

Although I felt this was an important decision, I didn't have a good answer so I did the obvious. I winged it.

"Hmm… what if you took five ninja with you and take out the outside guards with Kunai and your Swords?"

Ibuki: "Possibly, but remember there can be hidden ninja anywhere."

"You're right… wait a minute."

Ibuki: "What is it?"

"Precisely how far are we from the base?"

Ibuki: "Umm about a mile and a half I'd say."

"That's not that far from the base. We clearly see them walk around. But if we can see them then that means… … NO."

As I realized to myself that we were set up. Already three of our ninja were taken down and some disappeared. Me and Ibuki took the rest of the ninja and began the assault. We went straight forward jumping from tree to tree. Some of ours where taken down by Kunai and Shurikens along the way. We had no choice to but to go forward. We plunged in and attacked anything in our way. We poured in and spread out. Our Formation techniques proved us well since the training allowed us to do it by instinct. I began to speak loud.

"You have disturbed the Murakamo Dojo for too long! You will all be punished for your crimes! Let us plague this place so deep that even the insects shall turn away!"

And just that, we terrorized the place. Fighting and destroying mostly everything.

"…."

Something did not feel right. Although we penetrated and fought through the multiple ninja in the whole tree top base and invaded all three levels. Something felt amiss. It was strange. I felt like something was wrong or perhaps out of place. I looked around and saw many Shintao ninja falling and dying but it felt irrelevant. Then it hit me.

"The leader… THE LEADER!"

Many Ninja looked toward me.

"Where is your leader?!"

Shintao Ninja: "Hehe wouldn't you like to know?!"

Then Ibuki ran over and cut his throat.

Fellow Ninja: "You fool! Why did you kill him. He could have talked!"

Ibuki: "I'm… I'm sorry."

"No matter! I know where he went. It was so obvious…"

Ibuki: "What do you mean?"

"He knew we'd counterattack and raid his place. That's why he set up that trap out there and left this place before we even came. These ninja… it was… they were…"

Ibuki: "Huh?"

"SHIT!"

I opened my eyes wide. I realized that this whole base was a misleading distraction. The ninja we fought were too easy. They were just rookies. Just a decoy. It was no wonder that we only fought so many since the rookies usually always outnumbered the experienced.

Ibuki: "What's going on? What are you saying?"

"The Shintao leader took his best 30-40 men with him…"

Ibuki: "Where?

"… Take a guess."

Meanwhile….

Back at the Murakamo Dojo, Master Murakamo and 30 ninja were on the look out. Master Murakamo was inside meditating. He did not want to be disturbed for he was trying to clear his mind to bring forth his inner Ki. He heard a light scurrying noise outside. He was one to not assume that it was merely the trees.

Meanwhile back to us….

"We must hurry back before it is too late!"

Ibuki: "I'm sure that Sensei can take care of himself!"

"Not likely…."

Ibuki: "Why do you say that?!"

"I don't know it's a feeling."

We quickly jumped from tree to tree back to the dojo where we knew that it was in danger. I knew something was going to happen there. Whether it was good or bad I felt that something was going to change. For perhaps this even might change history and I knew I couldn't let history be changed… or perhaps this was history in the making. Unknowingly I brought the remainder of the group along with me. We didn't know what we we're in for.

"H… huh?"

I then felt like I or we forgot something back at the enemy base. It was kinda strange but some apart of me felt like it was left back there. I decided to ignore it for now and concentrate on the current situation at hand.

Ibuki: "I… I see them!"

"Where?!"

Ibuki: "Over there in the next group of trees ahead of us. They must have been the slow ones"

"No. They are the distraction."

They were smart. But even I saw through it.

"Everyone ignore them! If they happen to cross paths with us then strike them down!"

Everyone: "Yes Sir!"

We quickly went from branch to branch trying to evade the ninja up ahead. They moved from side to side swiping across very fast. It was almost too fast to counterattack so we just tried to avoid them. Some started throwing Shurikens and Kunai at us. We did the best we could to dodge them but some of the lower rookies behind us go caught. I couldn't look back now. I had to move forward.

Ibuki: "We should help them! They seem hurt!"

"Ignore them! We'll go back for them later. First we must protect Master Murakamo from danger."

Ibuki: "Master Murakamo can take care of himself, you know that. We should help the others."

"I said NO! Push forward!"

Ibuki: "…Okay."

Meanwhile at the Dojo…

Master Murakamo stepped outside. Already he knew that he was being watched. Every step and every movement made, he knew he was heard. There were about three ninja right next to the entrance of where Master Murakamo came out from. They hid there in case something was to happen and to help protect their sensei. Then suddenly a scurrying noise came about from the bushes in front of him. He looked carefully. Then a noise from the bushes left of him. Then from the right. He knew that there had to be more than 20 men around.

Master Murakamo (Thinking): "Come on… come out already."

Unknown Person: "Heeyaahhh!!!!!"

The mysterious ninja lounged at the Ninjitsu master but was simply parried and pushed aside. Master Murakamo was not a man to be simply struck without absolute precision.

Master Murakamo: "I presume that you're the Shintao Clan, yes?

Fuu-Jin: "That's right. I am Fuu-Jin, leader of the Shintao. I was aware that you were going to attack my base so a mere counterattack seemed in place."

Master Murakamo: "Very well done. You've successfully misled my students and distracted them long enough to arrive here untouched and unnoticed."

Fuu-Jin: "Well I don't expect you to give out compliments all day so why don't we make this quick eh?"

Master Murakamo: "You know there's something funny about the situation you're in…"

Fuu-Jin: "I'm in? Oh I believe you're mistaken. You see, you're the one who's in trouble here for all my men have currently neutralized over half of your men and have many hostages at this moment. So you see, you're the one who is in a situation. A situation that you can't get out of I'm afraid. Hehe."

Master Murakamo: "Oh really?"

Fuu-Jin: "Huh? What are you babbling about?"

Master Murakamo: "I knew the layout of your base, I knew that you'd come here to counterattack which is why there are still thirty-some men here, and I knew that you'd be outside waiting for me. Why in the world do you think that I would send my best men to your base and leave a group of rookies here behind?"

Fuu-Jin: "What?! What are you saying?!"

Master Murakamo: "You say you're flawless and have the upper hand. You say that you have entrapped me. But you have none of those things for it is you who is entrapped…"

Shintao Ninja in Pain: "Ahhhh!!!"

Fuu-Jin: "What?! What's going on here?!"

Fuu-Jin began seeing more and more of his men all around him being struck down and pelted at with Kunai and Shurikens. He even saw some dragged away in an instant. For it was Ibuki and us who were doing it all.

Fuu-Jin: "You… you tricked me!"

Master Murakamo: "With your own trick… funny isn't it?"

Fuu-Jin: "But… how?!"

Master Murakamo: "Simple, I had an agent."

Fuu-Jin: "An Agent?"

Master Murakamo: "That's right an agent. Someone who knew what was going on the whole time and help direct this whole theatrical play of deceit. Why don't you step on out my friend…?"

Ibuki and the others looked around to see who was to step out. But of course, I knew who it was… It was me.

"You fell for the trick rather well. Fuu-Jin. I thought you'd be smarter than that."

Fuu-Jin looking around seeing all of us surrounding him got a bit tense. Ibuki looked toward me in a bit of shock.

Fuu-Jin: "But you said it yourself that you were surprised when you found out that I wasn't there at my own base!"

Ibuki: "It is true you did say that. You even reacted surprised. How did you know?"

Master Murakamo: "I already told him of what Fuu-Jin would do ahead of time so he didn't need to expect anything new to happen."

"Yes it's true I knew everything. But in order to fool you, I had to fool my own men and everyone else around me." (That includes you the reader… SCARY HUH?!)

Master Murakamo: "You're finished. You've lost Fuu-Jin. You and the Shintao are done and will pay for your crimes. With all my students of this event dead and injured, I deem it only fair that you join them as well."

Master Murakamo looked at me and nodded.

Master Murakamo: "Finish him! Strike him down so that he and his follies shall never do wrong again!"

I looked at Master Murakamo with a sense if insecurity. I shook my head.

Master Murakamo: "What are you doing?! I said strike him!"

"I don't want to. Please, let someone else. I've had enough…"

Master Murakamo: "You have got to be kidding me! After coming this far, you're not gonna bail out on me or the rest of us are you?!"

My eye opened wide and I saw a flash of light right before my eyes. I went into a trance. I began receiving a somewhat lost but familiar memory flashback….

FLASHBACK

Takaru breathing heavily: "What… was that all about?"

Unknown Person: "…stand it no more.

Takaru: "What?"

Unknown Person: "I was supposed to be in Mongolia living peacefully and I'm back here. Fighting for the sake of the world. Yet again…"

Takaru looks at the unknown fighter and then grabs him and throws him against the wall.

Takaru: "You better be fucking kidding me! You're not going to bail out on me and the rest of us!"

Unknown Person: "I never said that!"

Takaru: "Then why! Why are you saying this crap for?! You know this whole nation… this whole planet is in our hands and you start bitching now about your needs and expectations in life?!"

Unknown Person: "I'm not even supposes to be here! I'm not! But no one cares! Not you! Not Kain! No one! I'm not supposed to be forced to constantly fight! This is not a life! It's torment! I just… I just…."

Takaru looks toward the floor.

Takaru: "I know…. It wasn't supposed to be this way. But that's why we're going to change things for the better."

Unknown Person: "But why me…."

Takaru: "You're one of the few and not to mention the youngest Super A-Class Strider."

Unknown Person: "…"

Takaru: "Come on… we need you Hiryu."

Strider Hiryu: "Well in that case, I'll make sure I'll find the target. Then kill him."

FLASHBACK ENDS

I stood there awake and aware. My eyes sharp. I looked around and saw everyone waiting for me to kill the helpless fiend. I took up my sword and ran toward Fuu-Jin. I stopped right in front of him and then just stopped everything that I was doing. I then walked up to Master Murakamo and looked him straight in the eyes for one last time…

Then I killed him.

To be continued…

WOAH BUDDY THIS TOOK ME LIKE A YEAR. I think like two to three months I think. Definitely more to come. Keep reading. …. I like pudding.