PROLOGUE
Kaoru laughed quietly as she ran swiftly through the city. Her crew followed her happily as they headed for the armory. There were a few guards, but nothing she couldn't handle. She drew her sword as she quickly slayed them. Yup, easy as pie.
She slowly opened the door, freezing when it creaked. She listened carefully to see if anyone woke up in the house, but it was quiet. Motioning to a crew member, she took the vial of oil that they handed her. She always had them carry some in case of situations like these. She quickly but skillfully oiled the hinges, testing them to make sure they didn't squeak. She gave a mental sigh of relief when they didn't.
She opened the door the rest of the way and cautiously entered the room. She held up her hand, motioning for the others to stay until she was sure it was safe. She walked further into the shed, and froze when she heard something growl. She turned to her right, and raised an eyebrow when she saw a dog. 'Scruffy little thing,' she thought as she glared at it. The dog whimpered slightly as he lowered himself to the floor.
Kaoru continued to walk inside until she reached the end of the shed. She glanced up the ladder next to her before starting to climb up. She went slowly up, step by step, until she finally reached the top. She carefully pushed the door up a crack as she peered inside. A few men, some women, probably from the brothel, and lots of empty bottles. Booze, no doubt.
She snickered mentally as she eased the door back down, slowly descending downward. She soon reached the floor, and she paused a moment to look over herself. She wore a normal pirates outfit, clothes ripped and slashed here and there, her lower arms and chest bound by thick cloth. She had a bandanna on her head, but her bangs stuck out anyway. Her long black hair stopped around midback, and her sapphire eyes were sharp and alert.
She scoffed slightly at her delay before returning to her crew. Time for these idiots to learn why they were the best pirates in all of Japan.