Tenchu: Sins of Shadows

Chapter 5: A Man and a Woman

As it was, the sun was coming up just as the two exhausted ninjas returned home. Briefly they reported to Lord Gohda, then went their separate ways to take baths and get themselves clean. They were still drenched in blood.

Rikimaru nearly fell asleep in the hot water. More than once he caught himself fantasizing about Ayame to the point where he was dreaming. Finally he let himself drift too far, and awoke in a tub of lukewarm water.

"Well that's one hour of sleep I don't have to catch up on," he grumbled. Lifting himself out, he took hold of the clean clothes he had: a white shirt with a pair of black pants. He smiled slightly, noticing that he actually looked like a normal person. He thrust Izayoi into his belt, and a wakizashi he had brought to keep up his appearance. Everyone at the palace knew…or thought they knew…that Rikimaru was a distant relative of Lord Gohda's. And as much pride as Rikimaru took in being a ninja, it was good to be a normal man once in awhile.

Stepping into the hallway, he immediately made his way to Ayame's room. He knocked gently on the door, wondering if she would be asleep.

"Oh hell, I'm coming!" he heard her sigh. He smiled slightly, but was caught totally unprepared for the Ayame that emerged.

She was in a simple white yukata with dark blue flowers on it. It was belted loosely, and was sagging in front. She let out a shriek of anger and humiliation.

"Rikimaru, get out!" she gasped.

Rikimaru quickly looked to the floor, blushing furiously and trying not to grin. "I was just wondering if you'd like to go for a walk…maybe out to the Forest."

"That's halfway across the map."

"I know."

"Sounds good."

Rikimaru heard the door shut almost on his nose. A moment later Ayame emerged with a two-piece yukata on, for it was a warm day. It was blue with very simply patterned white flowers, chrysanthemums. Her hair was loose, and fell a bit past her shoulders. Clearly she wanted to appear normal as well.

"Why are you staring at me?" she chided, slapping him on the arm as she brushed past.
He smiled slightly. "I think you know why. Shall we get going?"

"Please!"

The Forest was their short term for the Bamboo Forest. They had grown up in this area, run rampant here at night when they thought their sensei was sleeping. The ruins of the Quarantine Village were nearby, as were the ruins of other ninja villages that surrounded it. It wasn't odd for one to come across a decaying statue of Buddha where a temple once stood. The tall bamboo stalks shaded them from the hot sun as their feet crunched against the old gravel paths and fallen leaves.

"One of the things I regret is not telling you, especially after you got over Tatsumaru," Rikimaru said quietly. "I guess I hoped you would figure it out."

Ayame smiled caustically. "Yes, I should have known that's why you always were very thick-sculled whenever I came in."

"Oh, thank you," he said, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

"I wish you'd told me, you know!" she huffed. "It would have made my life a lot easier."

"I know."

"Sweet Gods," she gasped.

"What's wrong?" Rikimaru asked in concern.

She stared at him for a moment, mouth open. "How the hell am I going to live with you? We'll kill each other!"

He laughed, taking her hand gently. "We'll manage," he said.

"Big sap," she growled, and he fell silent.

There was a long pause before Ayame spoke. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry," she said, "but I'm always harsh. I always have been, and you know that." He nodded.

"I don't mean half of what I say. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Rikimaru was about to give her a taste of true sarcasm when a thought struck him. No, he decided with a smile, this was a far better idea.

"Why didn't you mean to hurt me? It used to be you'd ridicule me as much as you could," he commented.

Ayame smirked, knowing what game he was playing. But she decided that this time she would play along.

"Because I love you," she said softly.

Rikimaru could have sworn his heart stopped. He hadn't expected her to say that. He couldn't speak. In answer, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Soon they found themselves out of the forest. Their surroundings were a grassy field, the grass just turning golden-brown at the tips. There was a splashing nearby from the river that flowed from the mountains, through the hot springs in the forest, and farther on into the Quarantine Village…or what was left of it. Bits of wheat and grain sprung up here and there. A sad smile crossed Ayame's face as she realized that they were on the fringes of what was once their home. Somehow, though, the grief of it was over. Now there was just silence.

Meanwhile, other thoughts struck Rikimaru. The first of these was that he was alone with Ayame, here in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing around, nobody, no one. This land stopped belonging to Lord Gohda once the village was destroyed. How could a Lord rule over a land with no people? Here, it struck Rikimaru, he was no longer a ninja. He wasn't Rikimaru Azuma. He was just a man, and he could be whatever he wanted, whoever he wanted. Ayame, too.

"I always thought about coming back here," Rikimaru said. "After I retire, I'd like to live here in the quiet."

Ayame smirked. "To be a hermit?"

He chuckled softly. "I hope to have a wife."

Their eyes met for a moment, and Ayame was the first to look away. But this was only to rest her head on Rikimaru's chest, leaning her slight weight against him. She felt his strong arms encircle her, holding her protectively. Never before had she felt so safe. The golden light of the sun beamed down on them, warming the earth. And in both their minds, the sky had never been so blue, or the grass so green, or the world so utterly perfect.

"I'm exhausted," Ayame commented.

"I fell asleep earlier," he said with a small smile, combing his fingers through her hair. Placing one foot behind her, he used a very gentle throw to set her on the ground. She simply smirked as he lay next to her.

"I should have expected that," she said with a grin.

"Well it's not like I dropped you," he said, grinning also. It was true; the only time he let her go was when she was resting safely on the ground.

"We could be killed if we get caught," Ayame commented.

Rikimaru just looked at her for a moment. Then slowly, sweetly, he began to kiss her. One hand tangled in her hair and the other slid around her slender middle. Rikimaru fought to keep his feelings under some form of control. Being this close to her…his body was beginning to act of its own accord, and she wasn't helping either. Her hand went around his back to rest on his side, and her other hand moved up and down his back gently, lovingly. This same hand came down, running along his chest and resting over his heart. Finally feeling it was safe, he deepened the kiss, making it full of tender passion, and she responded the same. Finally, he pulled away slowly, reluctantly. His heart was pounding.

"Ayame, I don't care," he whispered. "Nobody is going to find us here, except maybe a lost traveler, and who would know we're ninjas? We're just people here, Ayame: two human beings, just a man and a woman. And I love you. I have always loved you. I will never stop loving you. And if Lord Gohda thinks he's going to get in the way of that, he had damn better think again!"

Ayame smiled, curling close to him. "I know. And I don't care about Lord Gohda either. I love you."

Rikimaru lay on his back Ayame resting her head on his chest. "Do you really?"

"Yes," she said with a visible grin, "but if you want it to stay that way, you had better shut up and let me sleep."

Rikimaru laughed gently, leaning forward and kissing the top of her head. "Alright," he said softly. "Sleep. I love you."

"I love you too," she said without hesitation. She then closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

For a few more moments Rikimaru just stared at the sky, and at Ayame, silently admiring her beauty. She was a little she-devil when she was awake, but asleep she looked like an angel. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face at his luck. Finally, as he fell asleep too, his last thought was the knowledge that he was the happiest man on earth.

"Disgusting."

Gaida gazed at the image in the water-filled bowl, of the two idiotic Azuma cuddled in the field.

"Gaida, don't be silly," Kagura said briskly. She was draped over a couch watching them, the back collar of her kimono falling back, exposing the nape of her neck. Her cherry lips curved into a smile as she watched.

Gaida's jade-colored eyes moved away from the image, to Kagura. It unnerved him how she had been acting. He had returned home wounded by Rikimaru, and she had hardly cared. He did everything to attract her attention, yet all she cared about was spying on Rikimaru. With each passing day Gaida became more and more attracted to her and liked Rikimaru less and less. He knelt beside her, his hand gently tracing along her side, across the soft curves of her body. Yet she made no move to touch him.

"What do you want, Gaida?" she sighed.

Gaida laid a kiss on the side of her head, another on her neck, and then moved to whisper into her ear, nipping it gently, "I want what you want, my love."

Kagura smiled and rolled onto her back, bringing her face close to his. Her lips brushed his as he spoke. "I want Rikimaru."

He nodded. "Yes milady."

"Bring him to me, Gaida."

"Yes milady," he whispered, moving forward to kiss her, but she was out of his reach.

"You will challenge him to a duel," she said sweetly. "But bring him here to let it take place. Now, go."

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Author's Note:

Hope you like it so far…don't forget to review :)