(Writter's note:This story has already been published on aTenchu fansite. Since I only recently discovered this site, I decided topublish it here aswell. Hopefully this will clear up any confusion. Also, since I'm new to this, please inform me of anymistakes. Anyways, enjoy the first chapter.)

A twist of faith...

Chapter 1

It was a nice day in spring in Lord Gohda's estate, when some disturbing news reached his ears…

"Lord Gohda, we have received reports of a series of murders from two villages in our territory!"

After hearing this uncomfortable news, Gohda summoned his loyal shadows Rikimaru and Ayame. He explained the situation to them and ordered them to check it out and come back with a report.

Off they went, each going the opposite way, Rikimaru went to a village in the south while Ayame went to a village in the north.When Rikimaru reached the village, he was immediatly confronted with the problem: From the main entrance hung a body, sliced open and still dripping blood. The man wasn't murdered a long time ago, since the body was still warm. Then, from the other side of the village sounded a loud scream, the kind of scream that makes your hair stand on end. Rikimaru rushed to the other side.

Meanwhile, Ayame was following a blood trail from the village, leading into the forest. It stopped in an clearing within the forest. In the middle of the open space was a disturbing sight: A pile of dead bodies stacked up like pieces of meat. Suddenly she was surrounded by a large group mysterious ninja. They slowly moved in closer.

"I don't suppose we can talk this over?"

The ninja drew their swords.

"Ok, it's your funeral."

said Ayame as she pulled out her two blades. The battle began with the ninja dashing towards Ayame. She flipped over a ninja that was closing in head on. When she was just above him, she slit his throat with one sweeping action. Two ninja appeared above her. In a reflex she threw her blades into the two ninja, cartwheeling after them and pulling her blades back out. Several shuriken where thrown her way yetshe deflected them with her blades.

"You'll have to try harder than that!"

she said as she rushed and cut down another 3 ninja.

Back in the other village, Rikimaru reached the source of the scream. He witnessed how three ninja cut open an innocent women.

"Those bastards will pay!"

thought Rikimaru. He jumped off of the roof and landed on the shoulder of one of the ninja and he pushed his sword through his head, then flipped off his shoulders. The two others turned around. Before they realised what happened to their comrade, one of them was stabbed in the guts. The stunned ninja looked down, only to see Rikimaru slowly removing the blood-stained Izayoi out of his stomach, before dying. The third ninja petrified by his imminent doom threw a smokebomb and fled into the forest. After a couple hundred yards, the ninja stopped and looked back.

"Phew I lost him…"

He turned around and bumped into Rikimaru. Paralised by fear, the ninja was frozen. With an angry, develish look on his face, Rikimaru grabbed the ninja by the throat and slowly pushed Izayoi in his stomach.

"Who sent you guys?"

The ninja refused to answer, eventhough he started to cry from the pain and the fear.

"Useless"

spat Rikimaru as he cut him open. He went back to Gohda estate, where he was yet again confronted with a problem.

When he found lord Gohda, he saw that something was seriously wrong.

"What happened?"

asked Rikimaru. Gohda answered:

"The sacred scrolls of Tenchu were stolen! But we have a lead. The thieves left dirt behind, dirt that can only be found around the ruins of the old coalmine. Rikimaru, you know what to do."

"Yes lord Gohda, I'm on it."

said Rikimaru as he vanished into the shadows.

Ayame was still fighting off enemy ninja. They just kept coming.

"Geez, you guys sure don't know when to quit, do you?"

as she slit another throat.

"This clearly isn't working. You attack, I kill you, then another one pops up, I kill him aswell…Why don't we just call it a day?"

she jested. Kunai and shuriken flew passed Ayame.

"I take that as a no…"

Ayame had to do something. She knew if she kept facing them head on, she'd eventually run out of stamina and would be a sitting duck. Ayame decided to use hit-and-run tactics, so she went into the forest. The ninja followed her. She took them out, one by one, as she made a little detour back to Gohda estate. When finally Ayame reached lord Gohda, he explained the situation to her and let her know that Rikimaru was on it.

"Why don't you take a rest, you look tired"

he said.

"Thank you lord Gohda"

she replied as she left for her room.

In the meantime, Rikimaru had reached the old coalmine. He saw two guards who were on look-out in the trees. He quitly sneaked up on one of them. When he slit his throat, the other guard sensed the danger and was about to alert the others, when Rikimaru threw a shuriken in his neck. The ninja fell out of the tree, making some noise. A third guard on hearing the noise walked outside from the mine to check it out. Rikimaru jumped down on him, pushing his sword into the guard's back. After hiding the bodies, Rikimaru advanced into the cave. It was clearly obvious that the cave has been abandoned for several years. Spiderwebs were everywhere, collapsed bars and collapsed entrances to other parts of the cave were also to be seen. But that also made it quite easy to find the base inside the cave, since most paths where inaccessible. He finally reached the end of the path. The mine led him to a big empty room. And because it was dark, he had little vision. Rikimaru carefully entered the room. Then, suddenly the door behind him closed, and gas grenades went of.

"Long time no see, Rikimaru!"

"That…that voice…it's….."

Rikimaru passed out. Slowely Rikimaru regained contiousness. He soon noticed he was tied down on some kind of workshop table.

"…been doin experiments for 2 days now and still no result. I'm starting to think the situation is…huh? Oh, finally awake are we? HAHAHAHAHA!"

Rikimaru was now fully contious.

"Kimaira! But if you're alive…TENRAI, SHOW YOURSELF!"

Tenrai stepped out of the shadows.

"Ah Rikimaru, as clever as ever, hahaha!"

"Why have you brought me here, and why haven't you killed me yet?"

"Why should I wanna kill you already? Where's the fun in that? Kimaira, do as you must, I'll be in my quarters."

"HAHAHAHAHA, it will be my pleasure, nighty night, Rikimaru, HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

He drugged Rikimaru.

"Now, there has to be a way to get that dohjutsu out of his freaking eye!"

"Huh! So..they're..after my…doh..jut..su…"

Rikimaru passed out again.

In Gohda estate, Ayame and Lord Gohda where very anxious and worried about Rikimaru.

"It's been two days since he left, he should've been here by now!"

"I know what you mean Ayame. It's time to take action. You shall go to the mine and search for Rikimaru. If you need any help, just send a note using one of the ninja-birds, and I'll send troops as soon and as fast as possible."

"Understood."

Before Ayame went to the mine, she visited the armoury.

"If an enemy is able to take out Rikimaru, I need all the help I can get."

She put on her armour, took all the explosives, shurikens, kunai's and blowdarts that she could carry, and also equipped her poisonous blades. Armed to her teeth, Ayame was on her way. She soon reached the mine. Then she noticed dried blood on a tree. It was blood from one of the guards that Rikimaru killed. It didn't take long for Ayame to reach the big empty room. There was light shining into the room from outside. She followed the light and reached the surface. Appearantly it led her to a castle on top of a mountain. It was almost invisible, due to the camouflage created by the mountain and surroundings. Ayame climbed the mountain. She entered the castle via a small whole in the wall. Just in case Ayame wrote a note with the location of the castle and whistled for a ninja-bird. She continued into the castle, searching every room, disposing an enemy every now and then, that was unfortunate enough to cross her path. Through a window, Ayame saw a tower in the middle of the courtyard. She decided to check it out. Using her hook, she quickly reached the roof of the tower. To her surprise she saw Tenrai through a crack in the roof. She was so shocked that she made a sound. Tenrai heard that and called the guard standing infront of his room.

"Sound the alarm, we have an intruder, search the whole castle. Let every guard be on the look-out and inform the 'clean-up crew', understood!"

"Yes Lord Tenrai!"

replied a henchman. Ayame realised she had to hurry, and so she rushed to the basement, the only place she hadn't looked. She found a hidden passage behind a bunch of barrels and spotted Rikimaru in the next room, with Kimaira. Without thinking, Ayame pulled out a blowdart and killed Kimaira. She ran towards Rikimaru, but suddenly…BANG! A huge stick, almost the size of a small tree hit Ayame and she flew across the room.

"Not so fast little girl!"

Ayame jumped up. It was Ganda that hit her.

"DON'T CALL ME A LITTLE GIRL!"

She launched three exploding arrows that all hit Ganda.

"Serves you right, you big ape!…huh!"

Ganda stood up, he looked even bigger than before. And he was, beacause by his side stood Kagura, who put some more magic seals on him. Kagura used a spell, wich prevented Ayame from moving. Then came Ganda, who swinged his giant staff and made Ayame fly through the room once again. Ayame quickly pulled out some smokebombs and threw them. Covered in smoke, she threw everything she had, shurikens, kunai's and exploding arrows. But all these explosions around her also did her some damage. When the smoke cleared, Ayame was barely able to stand. But Kagura and Ganda on the other hand, didn't even have a scratch, thanks to Kagura's magic. Again Kagura stunned Ayama with a spell. And again Ganda moved in, this time for the kill. Suddenly they heard several explosions coming from the surface. Tenrai spoke to them using his telepathic skills:

"Kagura, Ganda, we're under attack, go to the main gate immediatly!"

"Yes, Lord Tenrai! We'll deal with you later!"

After a minute or two Ayame was finaly able to move again. It was clear that the battle was still raging on the surface, she could still hear the explosions.

"RIKIMARU!"

She ran towards him, he was still uncontious. After she freed Rikimaru, she put him on her back and escaped. Outside, on a nearby hill, Lord Gohda saw Ayame with Rikimaru escaping.

"Good! General, order the men to retreat, we've accomplished our mission."

"Yes, my Lord. Sound the retreat!"

Gohda's army retreated safely.

Back in Gohda estate

"I'm sorry lord Gohda. I failed to retreave the scrolls…"

"Don't worry about that Ayame. We'll get them back. The Azuma is more important to me than those scrolls. Go and see how Rikimaru is doing"

"I will, lord Gohda."

After a week, Rikimaru was fully recovered. He even had already recovered the Tenchu scrolls. But peace hadn't returned just yet. Because out there, lurking in the darkness, there still was the evil Tenrai, ploting and planning his next step.