The assasin leaned back on the Victorian armchair and took a deep breath. The events that occured within the past few days threatened to overwhelm him...the useless blueprint of the palace security...the lack of information obtained despite all his efforts and time...the mysterious prietess he had met.

Especially the prietess.

Akane. That is her name. From the way the guards behaved when she appeared in front of the temple, Akane must have been a prietess of high ranking. There is something special about her that he could not figure it out.

He did not like the feelings that evolved from their meeting. He had barely know her yet she had invaded his personal space and dreams every night. If he could turn back time, he would had never enter into the alley where the fight had taken place. He intially passed it off as a fancy and he had made a pact to himself to forget her after following her to the temple. But the pact broke apart as her face continued to haunt him through the nights. He questioned himself again for the tenth time.

What is so special about her?

Just as he was about to comtemplate about the unanswered question. the window next to him flew opened and a strong gust of wind extinguish the only candle in his room. He sat up stiffly as he felt the presence of another person in the room and his fingers curled around his weapon, preparing to slice the intruder's throat.

The hooded figure appeared in front of him and bowed low. His cloak hid his face in the shadows and his breathing was soft and even. He slided towards the assasin without causing the wooden floor to creak under its weight and hand him a message attached to the rose. Sensing no hostility from the messenger, the young man accepted the note.

My cold blooded puppet,

My heart has become too weak to greet the morning sun without my beloved. Patience had evade me and my soul mourn for her presence. You will have two months to bring me the princess. Slay whoever you desire but you must bring back the princess at the appointed time.

Do not test my patience, young one.

The young man frowned. Delaying his mission was no longer an option to him. His client was too consumed with his fantasies to wait patiently. He had evensent his fastest messenger to bring the note to the assassin to indicate the urgency of this matter.

Tearing his eyes away from the note, he nodded silently to the messenger before him. The hooded figure bowed low and disappeared soundlessly.

Staring intently at the spot where the messenger had appeared before him, Ranma cursed softly to himself. He had done his research but lack the information needed to carry out his plan. He could not find a flaw in the security system that is serious enough to let an intruder into the palace ground undetected. Moreover, his victim is a princess, not any lord's wife or some stupid servants.

One false move and he would never live to see the day.

The past assignments he received were nothing compared to this one. They were just merely a form of practice for him. An assasin need constant practice to master the skills he needed to commit the perfect murder. Those who did not follow this code would leave obvious clues in the scene of crime. Their roles would change from hunter to the hunted in mere seconds after the clues have been discovered.

As he ran over the little information that he had, a thought struck him. His cilent had given him two piece of information. The victim's name and her status. Tendo Akane, the prietess. Could it be possible that the Akane he had met is the Akane he had sought? It could be a mere coincidence and the princess could be using another name to get around without raising any alarm. But this would be just a minor setback if she is not the one he sought after. She could be his vital source of information with her high ranking status. She might lead him, directly or indirectly, to his final goal. Once he is done with her, he woud just finish her off quickly.

The sick thrill and anticipation he felt when he first accepted his mission coursed through his veins once again. The time have come for his elaborate plan to take shape. His thirst for revenge had plagued him ever since he watched the the blood of his loved ones splashed on his face ten years ago. Ten years...that was the turning point in his life. He had changed from a small innocent child to a ruthless killer in search for vengence. The man who intiated this change - the king - would pay for it.

He picked up the katana from his bed and caress the cold steel with his rough fingers. The reflection on the blade smiled in anticipation.

Let the game begin

As Akane step out from the temple after a long session, a hand snaked around her waist from behind and pulled her close to the owner. She shrieked and tried to release herself but the person was too strong. Before she could deliver a blow to his stomach, he whispered into her ear shyly.

"Miss me?"

Surprised, she turned to face the intruder.

"Ryouga!"

The young man blushed furiously. Normally he would not dare to pull such a shameful act on Akane but he had lost a stupid bet with his friend moments ago. He could almost hear his friend's laughter from behind and resisted the urge to punch him on his face. Fixing his eyes on the floor, he stammered

"H-Hello Miss Akane, It is good to see you again S-sorry if I scare you just now."

Ryouga expected Akane to hit him on his head and he braced himself for the punishment.However Akane was too happy to see him. She jumped and flung her arms over him, giving him a big hug.

"It is so good to see you. Why did you not send me a notice of your arrival? I would rather be the one to welcome you than being suprised by your presence."

He grinned sheepishly at her.

"Well, I was actually planning to surprise you but not in this manner. During my trip, I had a bet with my friend of mine and I lost horribly. As he knew that I had planned to meet you upon my arrival, he challenge me to hug you from behind. I promise you that I would gladly take any punishment that you had in mind for me."

Akane laughed Ryouga was the only decent male she had met during her training as a prietess. They became fast friends and they would set off together to fulfill the missions assigned to her. He took his role as her protector seriously and had never once failed his duty in delivering the prietess safely to her destination. However, he had no idea that she was a princess as Akane's mentors swore to keep her true identity as a secret for many reasons.

" Please don't be so harsh on yourself. I was indeed surprised that you would hug me from behind but I'm sure that it was intented to be a friendly hug. Unlike most of the guys I know." Akane trailed of with a tentative smile.

Trying to dissipate the awkward mood between them, she quickly grabbed his hand and said in a teasing manner,

"Let's go and get something to eat. It is difficult to walk around the town at ease without meeting one or two ruffians. With you by my side, I can enjoy being myself without a care for safety."

Unknown to both of them, a pair of blue eyes were glaring at their held hands. The owner watched them with animosity until they disappeared from his sight. He had waited for her to appear. Not wishing to make his presence known to the two guards, he chose to wait on top of a tree near the temple entrance. He had watched the friendly exchange between them and he did not like what he saw.

The young man's built and movement had revealed a greal deal of himself . A warrior and a good martial artiste. Akane did not treat him in her usual way when he hugged her from behind and this showed that she trusted him. And maybe like him in a romantic sense.

There would certainly be complications in the plan since the asassin did not consider the possibilty of the appearance of a third party. It is a miscalculation in his foresight and no doubt a huge one. The young warrior would make it difficult for him to get close to Akane and this would disrupt the whole plan. Ranma had come to a conclusion.

The warrior is an obstacle.

And obstacles are meant to be killed.

He landed lightly on the ground and make his way to the small inn. The aroma of the beef stew swirled around him but Ranma ignored the temptation. The only thing that held his attention was the occupants that were sitting at the side of the inn enjoying a bowl of stew - Akane and her friend.

A/N I know it has been a long time. I would like to thank you for your support and encouragement. This is the unedited version and I may update it soon. Please keep the reviews coming in.