Heat of the Rising Sun

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tenchu characters, they belong to someone else. I own my original characters.

Author's Note: Thank you for all who reviewed the first chapter. Also the characters Tatsukichi and Chikara are Tatsumaru and Rikimaru's original childhood names before they became ninjas. Thank you all for waiting patiently for this chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

The sky turned a burning red color by the time they reached the back of the village. A cliff loomed a few feet overhead and connected to the mountain terrain which encircled the back of the village. Omon looked up and saw a house much larger than the others; the man pointed up to it as she was about to do the same.

"That's it over there," he said, lowering his arm. Omon giggled slightly as she nudged his shoulder. "You copied me."

"Not really, but if you insist…" he said smiling.

They began to scale the small hill and the house became more visible. Omon piped in to break the brief silence. "Is this where you live?"

"Yes, it is my home, you will be staying here."

"Why is it bigger than the rest? Are you special or something?"

"I'm the leader of this village, didn't you know?"

She glanced away for a minute before she realized what he said. "Leader?"

"Yes, now follow me to the house." he said putting her down on the ground, walking away.

Something moving to the left caught her attention; a small cat drinking from a small pound-like bathing pool. It's front and back paws were wet, making the orange and white fur appear darker there. She couldn't help but think that was cute. The man clearing his throat caught her focus and she ran up to him.

"Sorry," she said as she walked ahead of him and looked back.

"… um… that lady called you 'Shi-Shiuntai'…"

"… Shuinsai… my name is Azuma Shuinsai."

"Oh… okay."

Still looking back at him, she continued to walk ahead. Not seeing where she was going, she ran into something with great force and fell onto the ground hard. Opening her eyes, she saw a knife imbedded in the ground close to her wrist. A hand reached down and grabbed the knife. She looked up to see an older boy glaring down at her. His long brown bangs hung down over his eyes, but when he looked away she could just make out his sharp gaze. '… I think I made him angry…'

"… Master… who is she?" the boy said in a clam yet firm tone.

"I found her on a deserted battlefield a few miles back. No sign of parents or family-or survivors for that matter… She is going to stay here."

The boy looked down at her with stoic eyes, but for a brief second his expression seemed genuine and soft as if to maybe accept her.

". . . . ." He looked at his master and turned to leave, glancing over his shoulder at her as he left.

Omon stumbled to her feet wondering who that boy was and why she didn't hear him coming.

' . . . I'm so…. Stupid! …' she brushed herself off and looked over at the 'master' with a guilty look on her face.

"I think I made him angry, I didn't mean t--"

"Don't worry about him, now come inside and we'll get you cleaned up" he interrupted, placing his hand on her head before leading her to the house.

'….We? ….'

She followed him into the house. It looked pretty normal, with little furniture. The first room was small and ended with a sliding door that separated the room from the hall that led to the rest of the house. After he opened the door in the back, he led her down the hall a short ways to another door which he opened. This room was also small and empty, only a table and a few other things were in it.

"This is your room from now on; I hope it is to your liking."

"Yes it is, thank you sir" she paused for a moment then continued. "Um… what do I call you besides 'sir'?"

"Well, I suppose you could call me 'master', like the others. I guess."

She looked somewhat puzzled, thinking about it. "Master? But that doesn't quite fit… and I don't think I should call you 'Shuinsai'."

He saw the worried look across her face and smiled. "Don't worry yourself over something so small like this. You can call me whatever you like."

"Okay" she answered.

He nodded at her and began to walk down the hall. Omon didn't know whether she should follow him or not, so she followed part way and watched.

Shuinsai stopped at the end of the hall and knocked on the last door before he opened it. The room was pitch-black and no one was inside it. Suddenly the door on the opposite side that led to the porch slid open, light pouring into the dark room. A young boy with grayish-white short hair stepped in and greeted Shuinsai.

"Sorry master, I just got back from training. I know I'm late…" he paused breathing heavily, beads of sweat glistened as it dripped off his chin. "…and she is who?" he asked calmly motioning over at Omon, now standing at the door, wiping the excess sweat off his face.

'… This boy seems nicer than the other in a way… only just a little. Hopefully they might lighten up after a while…' she thought, looking at him.

"I'll explain everything to you when you get back, right now though I need you to get Ms. Kyoko and tell her I need her assistance at the house."

"Yes sir," he said as he bowed to his master.

With that the boy ran out the house and was gone. Omon ran to where he just left from and looked out at the village below. She was amazed to see that he had already reached the house on the far right side. A woman answered and in a few moments she was following the boy back to the house. Shiunsai led Omon to the main room to greet the two when they arrived.

"Is that Kyoko?" Omon asked tugging on Shiunsai's sleeve.

"Yes she is Omon."

"She is a very pretty woman."

Indeed she was very pretty, dressed in an elegant red silk floral kimono. She wore her long black hair pinned up in a bun with the rest in a loose ponytail; her bangs covered one of her amber-red eyes. Kyoko bowed to master Shiunsai before they both sat down across form one another. Shiunsai looked at Omon and motioned for her to sit down next to him. The boy closed the door and sat down against the wall in the far back of the room and kept quiet.

"Good evening Shiunsai, may I ask what the occasion is for this..." she stopped when she noticed Omon sitting next to Shiunsai. "Ah, I see you've found another student..."

"About that, the girl is not a student. I found her earlier in the fields; she was watching corpses float down river…"

"Oh how awful. Poor girl…"

"The reason I called you hear is because you owe me a favor. I want you to take care of her, give her a bath and new clothes, mind you it's just for tonight. She has gone through a lot and I'm sure she'd like a mother to be around."

Kyoko stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of her kimono. "Me? A mother-type? Shiunsai I do declare you are an awful man, making a woman like me do all this work," she said teasingly, "but I would be happy to." She finished warmly as she picked up Omon and then carried her out of the room through a door in the back.

The boy watched quietly as Kyoko carried the girl out of the room. His master Shiunsai rose to his feet and walked over to him and opened the screen.

"Chikara, how long has it been since you started training?"

The boy raised his head to look up at him. "Five years master."

"I see… yes, and Tatsukichi has been training for seven." Shiunsai said gazing out at the village. Tatsukichi would be on guard at this time.

"Why do you ask, master?" Chikara asked looking down at his raw hands, wincing a little when he touched his hand, sore and blistered from his intense training.

"…Soon… you will be ready…not this season, but with time..."

"I understand. Tatsukichi will be ready before me, won't he?"

"….Yes he will…"

"…Then… are you going to train her too? Master?"

"…I am not sure yet…" Shuinsai said quietly to himself, hesitating on the decision.

Silent footsteps approached the house slowly from the side. Soft pats sounding each time feet touched the wooden floor boards until they stopped just outside the main room. Shuinsai heard them before they had reached the room, but he was not alarmed or worried a bit. Shiunsai turned his gaze toward the front door and acknowledged the silhouette of a man kneeling down in front of him. The bright evening rays of the red sun cast a perfect contour of him.

"What is it Suzumu?" Shuinsai questioned the man.

The kneeling man spoke slowly with a calm and collective tone as he answered Shuinsai's question.

"The forest surrounding the vicinity is clear, only the sounds of the birds and cicadas resound – there are no enemies present. 10 miles east of here, the fighting still continues. Their forces are diminishing greatly with each passing day, and yet they still fight on even in death…" he paused, taking a breath before continuing "We are hoping that the fight will cease in a months time… it's unlikely, but not impossible that we might have intruders before it's over… Please, rest easy in your nights, but be on guard."

"… I see… thank you. If something comes up, you be sure to inform us on the matter."

"Yes sir… I am going out again tonight, I'll keep an eye out… well then, goodnight." He bowed as he finished speaking and then was gone in an instant.

"Master… do you think they're planning something?" Chikara implored, concerned about the current situation and the uneasiness he felt in his chest. He looked at Shuinsai with a hesitant expression in his eyes. Shuinsai returned an assuring gaze and told him not to fret, that is matter need not concern him and to relax.

The door in the back slightly slid open and Kyoko poked her head in. She smiled mischievously, sticking her tongue out childishly at Shuinsai. "May I come in or are you going to scold me for interrupting?"

"Sometimes I just can't understand how someone of your class can be so juvenile" Shuinsai said sarcastically, feeling somewhat annoyed with her carefree behavior.

She normally never acts like this, so why now of all times. Shuinsai thought inwardly.

"I'm not waiting forever for you permission, I'm coming in" she said as she fully opened the door and stepped in.

Kyoko walked in casually with a smile – the bottom of her silk kimono was drenched and her hair was soaked, but she didn't seem to mind – she still smiled none the less. She appeared to be carrying something, but it was out of view. Shuinsai didn't notice what she was holding until he saw a little hand poking out from the cloth. He moved closer to see even though he already knew who it was. He looked down at Omon's unconscious form and smiled sincerely.

"I know you think she's cute, right?" Kyoko teased.

"Oh, be quiet"

"I gave her a bath and washed all the blood away. After words I tried to give her some food, but she said she didn't want any. She fell asleep soon after, I was just about to put her down for the night… she's probably exhausted…" she trailed off, her voice becoming just above a whisper.

"Yes… she probably is… Go ahead and let her sleep. We'll see how she feels in the morning…" Shuinsai said nodding to Kyoko as she left the room.

The night did not bring sweet dreams or memories that could mend her wounded spirit. All it brought was dreadful events of her present tragedy and of what really happened outside of her knowledge; what really happened to her lost parents. She could just barely make out their lifeless bodies through the haze that shrouded them as they lay covered in blood just out of her reach, their killers towering above them. When the men that slaughtered her family started to approach her, everything she saw turned an awful shade of red and black as if blood poured in droves from the blacking sky. A piercing, blinding light burst through the black sky, engulfing her and her surroundings; her nightmare fading into nothing.

Faded dreams dispersed from her mind as she sat, hearing the creak of footsteps outside her door. Curious about the sudden movement, Omon arose from her linens with intent to find the culprit who woke her up. She crept quietly as she crossed the floor to the door. Opening it with a creak, she walked into the hall, hugging the wall as she went.

As she roamed down the hall after waking from a dream, Omon passed a room with its door open. She peeked inside the open room. What she saw was a young man with long raven-blue hair dressed in a deep blue yukata draped down off his arms exposing a large scar on his back. She couldn't see his face from this angle, but that was all going to change as she entered the softly-lit room, curious as ever to meet him. As she moved closer to him, she noticed the scent of lavender coming from an incense burner near him, the presence in the room was calming.

She approached him from the side and he turned his head to look at her. His eyes were almost as dark as his hair with a depth to them that was mysterious and somehow comforting. When he opened him mouth to speak, he had a slight Kyoto accent that accompanied his soft voice.

"You're the one who arrived today aren't you?" he said with some strain in his words.

"…Y-Yes, I am," she hesitated.

"There is no need for alarm. I won't hurt you, nor will I judge you… Please sit down if you want to."

Omon walked closer and sat down by his side. "Thank you…"

"Your name is Omon, isn't it?"

"Yes it …" She stopped hearing a scratching at the door to the outside hall.

A moment later it opened slowly and in stepped the calico from earlier. It meowed softly as it strode into the room. It paused between them. Omon leaned forward and stroked its back. The cat purred softly and licked her fingers, and then it looked over at the guy.

"Oh, kitty this is…" Omon stopped; she realized she didn't know his name.

"…Suzumu." he finished. The cat looked at him for a moment, meowed and then walked over to him and stepped onto his leg. Suzumu scratched the cat behind the ear. When the cat placed its paws on his chest to balance itself, Suzumu seemed uncomfortable. Omon noticed the look of strain on his face and called the cat over to her. As the cat walked over to her something on the floor caught her eye; dark red paw prints. Omon looked at Suzumu- his strained face and then back at the floor.

'….Blood?'

"You're bleeding!"

"It's not that bad…"

Omon looked at him frantically, trying to find the location of the wound. There was a dark stain by his belt that she hadn't seen before. She reached out to take hold of the edge of his yukata, but he grabbed her hands before they could touch the fabric and pushed her away.

"Let me see!" she protested loudly, trying to grab for it again.

He moved her hands away again and when Omon was about to complain again he hushed her. Without saying anything, he loosened his robe so that it fell off his arms and onto the floor. His chest was a lot worse than his back. Scars both faded and new were as common as freckles. These wounds painted her a bloody picture, one of destruction and hate. Finding the fresh gash in his abdomen brought tears to her eyes; embedded deep into the skin was a small kunai throwing knife. Every time Suzumu took a breath, the knife would cut deeper into his skin.

"…How...why?" she sobbed, hot tears streaming down her face. He brushed the tears away from under her eyes.

"Please don't cry…"

"…B-but you're hurt!"

"I'm fine really…"

"…but…"

"If you're that set on helping, there are bandages over in the corner closet." He said pointing over at the corner.

Omon immediately got up and ran toward the closet; she was in such a rush that she nearly tripped on her way over. She quickly slid the door to the closet open and looked inside. The bandages she was looking for were in the far back of the closet in a grey box full of other materials. She grabbed the box and hastily ran back to him. Suzumu had his hand tensely placed against his chest. He face was greatly strained with a pale hue to it, his breathing became sharp.

What is he… is he trying to…? Omon though as she moved closer to him to get a better look at what he was doing. His hand was clasped tightly around something. She gasped in horror when she realized that the item he was holding onto was the knife. She cried out for him to stop, but her efforts were futile. In one swift movement, Suzumu pulled the small kunai out of his skin; the wound began to bleed profusely as the blade was removed from the corded muscle.

Omon's hands began to tremble as she looked at the kunai intently. Her body seemed fixed to the spot as if she were a statue. She subconsciously watched as the blood steadily drips from the knife onto the floor. When the realization of what just happened hit her, she let out a loud scream. A moment later her voice was cut off. Suzumu clasped his index finger and his thumb on either side of Omon's face, his palm stuck tightly to her thin lips, to silence her. With his other hand he pressed his index finger to his mouth motioning her to be quiet while his thumb and middle finger held the kunai by its loop he let it stay there, suspended in the air. Omon studied his blood-soaked fingers tugging at her face; the blood was smearing onto her face and rolling off of his hand. The other hand was drenched in blood, and it spilled onto the floor.

Tears began to form in Omon eyes, threatening to spill over and run down her cheeks. Her emotions got the best of her and she let one stream down her face only to be removed before it fell off her chin. Suzumu wiped her tears away as they began to fall uncontrollably, trying to calm her emotions so that her spirit could be at peace in his actions. Omon began to tremble under his grasp; she felt scared and didn't want to see anymore.

"… I'm sorry, but please… be quiet. Don't scream. I'd hate to wake the others… please…" He said softly as he removed his hand from her mouth. As he did so, he wiped the few drops of blood off her cheek.

"Do you understand?"

She nodded slightly trying to keep her tears in; trying not to scream out.

Later, she realized, as she rested her head on his leg as he spoke that if he hadn't pulled the knife out he would've surely died. It was hard for her to realize that she was wrong, but she was. The screen to the outside was open and the world outside of the room was black and quiet. The air became humid and thick- it smelled like rain. Omon soon began to feel sleepy. Her eyelids became heavy to the point where she couldn't keep them open any longer.

The moonlight sifted through the dark storm clouds of the summer heat as Suzumu looked down at Omon- now fast asleep on his leg. She looked so peaceful sleeping even for somebody who had just lost their parents in the bloody revolution. The flash of lightning outside caught his attention to look out as the rain began to pour heavily. He groaned, knowing that it would make things a lot difficult for him later on. He took one last look at Omon before scooping her up in his arms and rising to his feet. He held against his chest as he walked out to the porch. Opening the door to her room, he stepped in quietly.

He stood to the side of her bed looking down at it – knowing his arms were full; he kicked away the top sheet and moved it aside. Bending down on one knee, he gently placed on the futon, trying not to wake her. Suzumu leaned over to grab the pile of fabric he had tossed to the side, grasping it firmly between his fingers he once again raised to his feet. He took the two ends of the sheet and spread it over her – watching as it molded around her small body.

There was something about this girl that Suzumu just couldn't put out of his mind, it bothered him more than he liked every time he looked at her. This feeling didn't register until just now, but it was there none-the-less and it came in full force. Omon reminded Suzumu of someone he couldn't forget from the past, but this time, when he looked at her, he couldn't see who it was that she reminded him of their face was blurred.

…Why does this bother me so…? I've never met her before…she's too young… Suzumu thought as he turned away and headed back to his room, the thought still lingering in his mind.

When he entered his room he wasted no time in stalling and immediately walked over to the closet and opened the door. Reaching inside - far to the back- he found what he wanted; his work clothes. He began to dress quickly, when everything was secure he wrapped his mask around his mouth, tying it in the back of his head. There was no more time to waste just standing there like a cracked statue; he had to make it back by daylight… with the information. Without anymore uncertainties or hesitations, Suzumu ran to the door ready to head out into the lashing ran but a voice from behind halted him in his tracks.

"You're injured Suzumu, don't be a fool. I won't allow it."

The voice was that of his master Shiunsai who stood behind the door to the inner hall. Suzumu didn't need to see his face, but he could tell that he was concerned –and pretty smart for an old man to see through his façade.

"You will not be going out this evening, not when your wounds are worse than you let off. Go to bed Suzumu and take time to heal."

Suzumu looked down at the floor in frustration, but he understood his masters' words. He reached up and ripped off his mask, watching it slowly fall to the floor.

"…Yes master…"

To Be Continued