Chapter Eight
The Man is Back in Town
>>>Midday - May 2, 1583
"Come on, faster!" Takashi shouted as he ran full tilt down the shadow-laden alleyways of New Komo Town. "We're not gonna lose this ninja!"
The sound of the ronin's heavy equipment clanking across his back nearly masked the sound of slipping roof shingles from the buildings above. As Fuji and Megumi struggled to match Takashi's maddened pace, they caught short glimpses of the third Iga assassin and Yuki chasing each other across the rooftops of the town. Both combatants were extremely fast, but the ronin was determined not to lose them.
"The ninja?" Fuji questioned. "What about Yuki? We're trying to help her, right!"
"Yeah," Megumi chimed in, fighting back the pain of her wounded left hand. "Yuki-chan could get hurt fighting that guy! He's an Iga! "
"Ha!" Takashi laughed. "If your skills are any kind of indication, then I don't think that counts for much."
The former kunoichi's face flared with embarrassment for a moment before responding. "That's not the point! Aren't you worried?"
The ronin's common grin disappeared. "I don't waste time worrying about people I don't know and furthermore don't care about."
Fuji groaned in frustration and redoubled his efforts to keep up with Takashi, who was now making sharp turns as they got closer to the residential area. "Okay, who do you think you're fooling? It's obvious; no, it's been obvious that you know her! How else could she know all that stuff about you?"
Takashi sighed. "Don't ask me, but I know for a fact that whoever she says she is, that thing is not Yuki!"
Fuji cocked an eyebrow as he finally managed to catch up with the ronin. "Oh, now we're getting somewhere. So you do know someone named Yuki, huh?"
Takashi shook his head. "This isn't the time, Fuji. We're about to reach a clearing."
A ceramic roof shingle barely missed the apprentice's head and caused him to fall back slightly. "Oh, this is definitely the time. I'd love to know exactly who it is that we're trying to help out here."
"That doesn't make sense," Megumi commented. "How could she not be Yuki? That's her name, right?"
"Look," Takashi conceded. "How old does this 'Yuki' look to you?"
"Like, twelve, right?." Fuji offered.
The ronin's eyes narrowed. "The Yuki I knew in my childhood was a half-demon. She didn't age any differently from a human being. When I met her, she was the same age as me."
"So what's your point?" Fuji interrupted upon seeing a bright shaft of light shine through ahead.
"The point is this," the ronin responded. "Whoever it is that recently joined us looks exactly like Yuki did eight years ago; not one thing has changed." Noting the silence from his companions, Takashi added, "If that's not enough to convince you, I watched Yuki die eight years ago when my hometown was destroyed. Now, if you've got some way to explain how someone not only comes back from the dead but stops aging at the same time, I'd be more than happy to listen."
>>>
"Kamikaze-ken!"
Kumo barely had time to dodge the green blade that spun through the air directly towards his pursuer. The catgirl deftly caught the sword in her right hand without missing a step on the shingled rooftops.
"Get back here!" she yelled.
The ninja simply looked straight ahead as he ran, deeming a response to the command to be imprudent at the present time. The last thing he had expected to fight today was a raiju demon; how careless of Megumi to leave out that little detail. It was also interesting to consider how his attack had been thwarted. Indeed, Kumo had not aimed for a vital spot; the point of the attack was to provoke the ronin into anger and a subsequent pursuit that would have left him quite vulnerable to any trap the ninja could have devised.
Of course, now that the plan had not only failed but resulted in his own injury, Kumo had to think of a way to shake the cat-demon off of his tail. The ninja continued to ignore the kunai sticking out of his shoulder as his eyes darted about beneath his face mask. There had to be something . . . A residential area? Interesting . . .
Kumo jumped right into a clearing between the buildings, drew a tanto, grabbed the nearest person available, and backed up against a wall while holding the weapon to his hostage's throat. The ninja looked down for a split second. Great, he had apprehended a struggling 10-year-old girl. Oh well, as long as it worked . . .
Yuki hit the ground of the residential area with subtle grace, bringing the greenish blade to bear on the ninja amidst screaming townspeople. "Drop the girl so we can settle this proper." she growled.
Kumo noted the sudden entrance of Takashi and his two companions before giving a reply. "Allow me to depart, and you can have the girl."
Takashi quickly drew The Greatness. "You're a bit outnumbered here, ninja! There's no way I'm letting you go!"
Kumo pressed the tanto blade dangerously close to the girl's throat. "One more word out of you, ronin, and you'll have this child's blood on your hands. Would you like that?"
"Nii-san!" the child in the ninja's arms cried. "Nii-san! Tasukete!"
The tanto blade nicked even closer, drawing a drop of blood from the girl who abruptly became completely silent.
"No deal, ninja." Yuki stated flatly. "You're going to die today; that much is certain. Your only choice is whether to leave this world with or without honor."
Kumo quickly sized up the demon and the ronin. Which one was faster?
"Hey, are you listening!" Yuki shouted. "Drop the girl and I'll do my best to make it painless, you stinking vermin!"
The ninja withdrew his blade and threw the girl at the cat-demon in the same movement. "Catch."
Yuki made a grab for the shocked child as Takashi dashed forward.
"Your ass is mine!" the ronin shouted.
Kumo smiled underneath his mask; this boy was much slower than he looked. "Not today."
The ninja turned to run just in time for a fist with the size and constitution of a brick to plow right into his face. Kumo quickly recoiled, but not fast enough. The tall, burly man who had attacked him pulled the kunai blade from the ninja's right shoulder and made a motion as if decapitate the assassin.
"You touched my sister with your foul hands, ninja!" Nobumitsu growled. "Now you die!"
Kumo barely dodged the blade and leaped away toward an alley on the other side of the clearing. He had nearly rounded the corner when a katana materialized out of the darkness just a few inches from his face. A woman in a straw hat and cloak appeared along with the weapon, forcing the injured ninja back towards her comrades.
"Where do you think you're going?" Noriko questioned sarcastically.
With the town guardian and the ronin almost upon him, Kumo quickly detonated a smoke bomb. Noriko stabbed forward with her katana in retaliation only to realize her mistake when Kumo grabbed hold of her blade hand and reversed the direction of the swordswoman's attack. The smoke from the bomb quickly dissipated to show the ninja holding Noriko with her own sword to her throat.
"How many times do I have to do this!" Kumo shouted, still feeling the pain from the kunai and fist that had connected with him. "Since you won't let me go, I'll just have to take this woman as a parting gift!"
"Everyone, cover your eyes!"
Kumo looked in the direction of the voice just in time to see the boy named Fuji aim an innocent-looking paper fan at his face. It was the last thing he would see for quite some time. A bright flash of light exploded out of the Fan of Uzume, causing the ninja to release Noriko in shock and grab at his eyes. Demons? Town guardians? Magic weapons? This was just not his day.
Noriko struck directly behind her as soon as she felt the intense light fade away from her eyelids, but a cloud of dissipating smoke was all that remained of the ninja who had taken her hostage. Takashi and Fuji simultaneously arrived at her side.
"You alright, Noriko?" Takashi asked just before he felt The Greatness leave his hand. The ronin didn't even have time to protest before he felt his own blade pressed against his throat. He looked along its length to see Nobumitsu grasping the handle.
"Okay, people." the guardian stated calmly. "I don't take kindly to folks who come to this town and cause trouble. My name's Nobumitsu, and I'd like to ask you all to calmly explain what's going on here. If there's any funny business, I'm more than capable of stopping you." The man's eyebrows furrowed deeply. "All of you."
"Brother!"
The girl who had been Kumo's first hostage latched onto Nobumitsu's midsection and hugged him fiercely despite the fact that the man absolutely dwarfed her.
"Don't hurt them, brother; they saved me." the girl pleaded.
Noriko rose quickly and straightened her kimono and cloak. "I'd like to thank you for helping us out, sir." she responded, taking care to keep a level tone of voice and bowing low. "My name is Itagaki Noriko, and you might consider these people to be my entourage. We are traveling in search of a murderer who may have passed through your area. The one who held your sister hostage was an Iga ninja. We don't know why, but they've been on our tail for quite some time."
Nobumitsu considered this for a moment before withdrawing The Greatness from Takashi's throat and offering it back to the ronin handle-first. He noted the boy's cocky glare before giving his answer. The similarity was striking, but not enough for the guardian to deny reality.
"A person who brings trouble here, for whatever reason, is still a troublemaker and thus a danger to the entire town. I would normally give you the boot this very instant, but," Nobumitsu looked down toward the hopeful eyes of his sister, Tomoe. "Seeing as you've disposed of the ninja and spared my sister's life, I will allow you to conduct your investigations until noon tomorrow."
Noriko smiled with uncharacteristic warmth. "Thank you very much, kind sir."
Nobumitsu waited until the group had gathered before him before continuing. "So, tell me more about this murderer." Now that he had the chance to look into the eyes of these people, they looked somewhat more trustworthy than they had earlier that morning.
Noriko's smile gave way to a stern frown upon describing the person in question. "He is a tall, lanky man wearing a black kimono. The only prominent feature that we've been able to establish is a string necklace that he wears with a bright blue triangular jewel attached to the end."
"Hmm," Nobumitsu mused. "I don't believe I've seen anybody of that description, but the gatekeepers might have seen something. A murderer in town is certainly something worth investigating. I shall report my findings to you at the end of the day. Which inn are you planning on staying at?"
Noriko turned to Fuji. "So, where did you guys get a room?"
Fuji cocked an eyebrow. "Takashi might have more to say about that."
Noriko suddenly noticed her money pouch affixed to the ronin's belt. She quickly repossessed the item and shook it in Takashi's face.
"What is the meaning of this!" she shouted with great annoyance.
The ronin simply smiled and made a victory sign with his right hand. "Your words hold no meaning! Sake is worth any sacrifice!"
Until that day, Nobumitsu had never seen anyone, much less a woman, punch harder than he could.
>>>Night - May 2, 1583
Nighttime descended softly on the rooftops of Komo Town, the last red rays of the sunset fading gently past the horizon. The great masses of pine trees that surrounded the town swayed in the breeze while Mt. Gozaisho loomed overhead to the south. The sounds of the townspeople slowly faded and gave way to the faint chorus of crickets that, at least for a moment, made Fuji feel at home.
The apprentice gazed into the starry skies above from the inn's balcony as Noriko, Jeffy, and Nobumitsu conversed inside. Megumi had fallen asleep shortly after Fuji finished bandaging her pierced hand, and Yuki, after a few vain attempts to converse with Takashi, had joined the former kunoichi in slumber. Takashi himself rested his eyes while leaning back in the wooden chair next to Fuji's, probably awaiting the news from what was being discussed inside the rented room.
After a few moments of silence, the apprentice turned to his companion with a question. "If Yuki isn't who she says she is, then why would she be traveling with us?"
Takashi groaned. "It's not like it makes any sense to me either, kid."
Fuji waited for the ronin to continue, but there was no response. "Well, if you're so sure about her identity, why not confront her? Why not tell Noriko-san? In fact, why not ask Jeffy-sensei about it? He took care of her just a few years ago, right?"
Takashi focused on the sky above. "It's just way too strange to accept or even talk about. Everything about her fits into place except for two things: her age, and the fact that she died eight years ago." The ronin turned to the apprentice. "Why do you think I'm so creeped out about it? People don't just rise from the grave and keep on living. I did ask Jeffy-sensei about it, and he just said that he trusts her. So, the way I see it, she's someone I don't know who happens to look a lot like someone I did know and loves to ask questions about me." Takashi gave a dry cackle. "Still sounds pretty messed up, doesn't it?"
Fuji couldn't help but smile. "So she's either a zombie or a stalker? Yeah, that about fits the definition of 'messed up'."
The apprentice noticed the departure of Nobumitsu from the lower floor just as Noriko and Jeffy emerged onto the balcony.
"So," Takashi began. "What's the plan?"
Noriko grinned. "First, I'm never lending my money pouch to anyone ever again."
"Second," Jeffy stated. "We split up in the morning."
"Why is that?" Fuji questioned.
Noriko sighed and leaned back in a third chair. "According to the gatekeepers of the town, a man fitting the description of the guy I'm looking for headed out of town to the southwest." The swordswoman's eyes narrowed. "However, he was seen along with two other men."
"That's odd." Takashi commented. "We've never heard of him having travel buddies before. Any idea who they might be?"
Noriko gazed out at the rooftops. "One wore a hooded cloak, a lot like what we gave Yuki to wear this morning. No one could point out anything special about him, but the other guy carried a massive chain and had bleached his hair stark white."
Fuji heard a faint creaking noise from Takashi's chair. Upon inspection, he realized that the ronin had tightened his grip on the armrest.
"Anything else?" Takashi questioned in a much lower tone of voice.
"Well," Noriko pondered. "The one with the chain didn't wear a shirt, but that was all that Nobumitsu could get the guards to remember. Anyhow, we're splitting up in the morning because the man went in a different direction than Mt. Gozaisho."
Jeffy grinned. "Fuji, you're the only one who needs to accompany me, though Megumi may come as well if she so chooses. I managed to get directions to the shrine, so we'll be heading there in the morning." His grin grew wider. "And this time, I'll be asking you to carry the sword."
Fuji smiled in return. "I don't mind; the thing isn't as heavy as it looks. So Yuki and Takashi will be the ones helping Noriko?" A worried look crossed the apprentice's face. "That means it'll be a three-on-three battle."
Noriko patted the katana at her side. "I'd normally take them all out myself, but I'd rather be prepared for adverse situations and accept some backup. You do want to fulfill that promise of yours, right Takashi?"
The ronin took a moment to respond. "Yeah, but what about after we're done? I'd probably go meet everyone else at the shrine. What do you plan on doing?"
Noriko smiled. "Simple, I'm going home. The rest of you can do what you will."
Fuji looked down at the deck. "So that's it, huh? We just do what we came here to do, and then go home?"
"Hey, don't sound so down about it!" Jeffy laughed. "Purifying that cursed sword is going to be tougher than it sounds, and you wanted to train with me, right? If you wanted, you could journey back to my home and partake of the Jeffy-Yaen style at its birthplace."
Fuji considered it for a moment, and a lot of thoughts crossed his mind in that brief period of time. Purify a sword first, then train in a fighting style? What would happen after that? The apprentice was no closer to figuring out his visions now than when he'd begun just over a week ago. Was this really his appointed task? Considering the scope of the destruction within his dreams, Fuji was forced to say no. One sword couldn't possibly cause the calamity that he had envisioned, and training in a fighting style while staying in the same place didn't sound like the proper way to go about completing his mission, whatever that may be.
"Thanks for the offer, Jeffy-sensei," Fuji answered. "But I don't think I should stay in one place for too long. I may end up departing just like Noriko after I'm done with the cursed sword."
The apprentice rose with a yawn and turned to walk indoors. "I think I'll hit the sack for tonight, guys. See you in the morning."
Jeffy and Noriko bid the apprentice good night, but Takashi remained oddly quiet. Still, who could figure what ran through that guy's mind anyway? Who could figure what ran through any of their minds?
Fuji looked at the sleeping Yuki and Megumi as he walked quietly through the dark room. When this was over, Yuki would go with Takashi wherever he went. Megumi would probably go with Noriko. Jeffy would return home. Noriko would do the same. And Takashi, wherever he ended up going, would at least be guaranteed some sort of company.
Fuji suddenly began to feel very alone. It was apparent, now more than ever, that he was the only one concerned with the Amaterasu's intentions and by far the only one thinking about the future of Japan. Everyone else had something to look forward to at the end of this; everyone else had somewhere to go or something to do. Fuji sighed. He couldn't do anything with his life until he had completed his mission, but he didn't even know how to accomplish it.
The apprentice laid down and pulled a cover up over his prone form, his head resting on a small pillow. Even the thought of sleep didn't comfort Fuji. Where would he go next? What did he have to do to go back home to the life and people he cared for? Maybe I'm not cut out for this journey, Fuji thought as he drifted off into sleep. At least, not if I have to end up alone . . .
(End Chapter Eight)
Japanese Dialogue and Terms (in order of appearance):
nii-san - translates as "older brother", but most often used in an affectionate manner, much like the "-chan" and "-kun" suffixes.
tasukete - basically, a cry for help.
