Author walks up "Umm... hello, it's been awhile, hasn't it? Sorry, but with finals and the holidays and my nice little trip to the place with padded walls... well... it's been hard to write. I hope none of you are to mad at me. It was probably a nice break no having to read... right? Anyway, back to what I do, shout outs. Here's one for Pimp Troyce, one for hammhams and a new one silverprincess0001 (welcome to the insane world of my twisted writing). Oh and just so you know, when Lian did the introduction last chapter, she lied. I was sitting in the corner in the fetus position, but I was singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot, not I'm a Little Tea Pot. Just wanted to clarify that. Anyway, I'll leave you all alone with your little Kakashi dolls and my story, enjoy. Oh, one more thing, not a very exciting chapter, just a warning.
Chapter Eleven
The air was so fresh and clean as our group walked down the beaten dirt path. Luckily, the rain had stopped for the past few days. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were walking ahead of me and Kakashi. It had been really quiet for the last few days, no new attackers and no news on who might be behind the attacks. My shoulder was pretty much healed, but my other injury was still causing minor pain.
"Hey Lian, why are we going to Toca... Toki... umm... whatever it's called," Naruto asked.
"The village is called Tomicata; it's a village that's famous for its sword smiths. My katana needs to be sharpened and I want to see if I can get another." I'm going to need two to handle whatever is coming.
"But the mountains are in the opposite direction, isn't there somewhere else closer," Sasuke sounded annoyed.
"Now, now Sasuke. Lian knows her swords and if she says that this village is the place to go..." I slapped my hand over his mouth, I think.
"Stop being a suck up," I slowly brought down my hand and walked in front of him.
With little minute steps, she lightly walked forward.
She glanced back, "not that I don't like it, I just don't think you need to go into detail."
She giggled and continued to walk on, then stopped. "Kakashi, do you know what lies in Tomicata and if you do, have you told your team?"
Kakashi stopped, "yeah I know about the town and no, I figured you would tell them."
Lian sighed, "You're such a wonderful Sensei," she turned around, looking down at his group. "I'm going to be completely honest with you guys; the village we're going is not ninja friendly. It's practically full of ronins and swordsmen, they would rather kill you than let you in the village. That's why I want you guys to stay in the woods while I find what I need," she said sternly.
"No way! We promised that we would protect you, ronins or not, believe it!" Naruto yelled enthusiastically.
"Do you even know what a ronin is," Sasuke asked somewhat annoyed.
Naruto scratched his head, "umm... no."
Lian sighed, "They are disgraced samurai without a lord or a clan. They have very little or no honor. They are very dangerous considering they will not fight like I do." She turned her back to the group, "besides, I've made up my mind; you guys are going to stay in the woods. Your Sensei can't protect you and I can't protect him."
Throwing her hands on her hips, Lian turned her head back to the group of ninjas.
She's being very serious, "I think Lian is right guys, if we go with her, we'll just cause unnecessary trouble," Kakashi said nonchalantly.
He's agreeing with me... he must be planning something, I thought suspiciously.
"But Kakashi Sensei, what happens if more of those evil samurai show up and she's out numbered?" Naruto yelled in frustration.
Kakashi just shook his head, "do you really think that those guys could be a match for her, especially if she has her second sword?"
He looked up at me, no emotion reflected in his eye, it was just dull and glazed over.
He doesn't want me to see what he is thinking, for now anyway, my thoughts were troubled, but I had to concentrate on other things.
"Then it's agreed, we shall stay in the woods outside the village and wait for Lian," he began to meander off towards the woods.
"That was easy," I thought out loud in confusion.
I glanced at the young ninjas, Naruto looked like he was about to explode, Sasuke seemed not to care and Sakura just looked very worried.
"Don't worry guys I'll be alright, I'll just go in, grab my sword and leave," I tried to smile as big as I could.
"But..." Naruto started.
I shook my head, "listen to your Sensei, no matter how perverted he is."
He hung his head and began to other the others into the woods.
I just hope they have enough patience, I thought as I continued down the road to the village on the horizon.
The smell of steel and sweat hung heavily in the air as I entered the village. I had to hold my sleeve up to my mouth to prevent myself from gagging.
I think it smells worse then two years ago, I thought as I pushed through the groups of men.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the men were looking me up and down as I passed.
Pigs, I thought in disgust.
The village was pretty run down; all the buildings were covered in layers of soot and grim from the multiple smiths in town. There were no trees or flowers or any type of green that grew, just brown and black. This town really made me appreciate my village of so long ago. With a little jump for joy, I spotted the shop of my old friend.
I hope old Ryu still has my uchigatana or he'll get a good thrashing, I thought as I pushed the cloth door to the shop away.
"Just like I remember it... dirty and falling apart," I thought out load.
Beams of light came through the holy roof as a rooster and his harem of hens pecked at the floor, random pieces of metal and half finished swords hung on the walls or rested on ground.
"Hello? Should I even ask if anyone is still alive?" I called out cautiously.
The sound stumbling footsteps came from the back of the shop, "hello? Do I actually have a costumer or are my ears deceiving my again?"
An old, scruffy man appeared from a side room; he held a bottle of sake in one hand and a hammer in the other.
"Drunk as usually I see," I giggled.
He squinted his eyes, then opened them wide, "Lian! Lady Lian!" He ran up to me, nearly tripping over the rooster and metal. Bending down on one knee, he took hold of my hand, "oh my Lady," he lightly kissed my hand, "it has been far too long since your last visit. I pray that you can forgive an old man for his appearance and not properly greeting you."
He hung his head in shame, I just shook my head and bent down to his level, "my dear friend, you speak as if I'm still in power and you know well that when I last visited that I had no more and even less power than yourself."
He looked up at me with tearful eyes, "even if I was the emperor of the world I would still bow before you my Lady."
A few minutes later…
"I assume that you came for Big Sister," Ryu said as he poured some oolong tea.
"Yes, her Little cries to fight at her side once again," I answered as I sipped the hot tea.
He nodded his head, "I see," he looked down into his cup.
I sighed, "You still have it, don't you?"
Narrowing his bushy eyebrows, he lifted his head slowly, "of course I still it! How dare you imply that I sold it or lost or something like that," he said angrily.
"I didn't imply," I leaned in, "you did."
Ryu scratched his head as his leathery face turned red, "sorry... it just been so long and I remember how hard it was for you to get up that sword."
I looked down into my tea, yes; it was like leaving my very soul behind.
"Have no worries my dear Lady, I've kept the blade out of sight and close to me," he got up and disappeared into an adjacent room.
I heard him lifting something rather heavy, like a door or something. Barely having time to ponder where he had hidden the sword, he appeared with my uchigatana; it shown and gleamed with the same intensity of the sun himself.
Just like I left her, I wiped a tear from my eye.
This sword represented my clan and its history; it was the true blade style of the Lotus Blade Samurai. It was slightly more curved than my katana and was a little shorter, but it was just as deadly if not more as it.
"Doesn't she shine like as if she just came from the forge," he held out the blade.
"More so," I choked out," I took hold of the hilt.
It was like I had a part of my soul back; it felt like I was almost whole again. I ran my finger up and down the edge of the blade several times, trying to decide if this was a dream.
"You better watch it that blade is sharp. Now how about your katana, the pitiful blade that was suppose to be an uchigatana, but couldn't," Ryu said sarcastically.
He still must be angry with himself that he could reproduce Big Sister, I thought as I carefully unsheathed my katana.
"Well, she's a little dull, but she's got a lot of nicks. What have you been doing, chopping wood?" He gave me a sideway glance.
"No... just chopping off heads..." I trailed off.
"Figures," he scoffed.
Without saying another word, he went straight to work, sharpening and polishing the blade till it shined like new. She was almost as beautiful as her Big Sister; her lotus pattern was more detailed which gave her a more delicate appearance while the uchigatana was decorated with fewer flowers. I took the newly sharpened blade and held the two swords close together; they seem to hum with delight as they touched lightly.
"Big and Little Sister are back together finally," Ryu clapped his hands together with joy.
"Thank you my old friend, if there is anything I can do to repay you..."
He held up his hand, "the only thing I would ask of you is that you live longer than me, because I remember what you said oh so long ago."
I remember as well, but... "I don't know if I can keep that with what I have to do... but I'll see what I can do," I smiled.
Ryu bowed his head, "I think you should go now, my Lady."
I returned his bow and exited through the cloth door. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I pushed my way through the mass of people. I slowly walked down the street, not really looking where I was going; just too many things ran through my head at once.
Bang... I snapped back into reality when I hit what I presumed was a brick wall.
"Oh sorry," I said as I looked to see what I ran into.
A large man turned around, "what ran into me? An insect?" He looked down, his lips curled into a cruel grin, "much better than a fly, a pretty little girl. Are you lost? I'll be happy to escort you to the inn I'm staying at."
He better not be hinting at what I think he is, I could feel my eyebrow begin to twitch. "No thank you I was just on my way out so if you don't mind," I started to walk off.
Being roughly pulled back, I found myself next to the man, "I don't think you understood me," he hissed.
"Oh I understood you and I don't want any," I pulled my arm away from him.
"No one refused Goro!" He pulled out his large, naked katana.
"I think someone is overcompensating for something else," I taunted.
He gritted his teeth, "bitch!"
He ran towards me wildly swinging his sword.
I should really stop pissing off people, I thought as I put my hands on my two blades.
The man was about to reach me when he sudden tripped and landed face first in front of me.
"You have to stop making so many delightful friends," a familiar voice came from my left side.
"And you have to start listening to me," I sarcastically said as I glance to Kakashi.
"Well that wouldn't be fun, besides I just saved you the trouble of fighting his guy," he pointed to the man struggling to get up.
"Amen..." three little voices came from behind us.
"We were the ones that spied on Lian and then tripped up that guy," Naruto yelled.
"Ya, all you did was sit on the roof and read you dirty little book," Sakura piped in.
I arched my eyebrow, "we'll talk later... as for now," I drew out my uchigatana. Placing the tip of the blade under the chin of the irate man, I calmly whispered, "never, ever draw your sword on a woman again, especially if she's carrying a sword or two and never force a woman to go with you, a woman's scorned is worse then what lies in hell... remember that."
I sheathed my sword and began to walk away. Walking past Kakashi, I barely took notice to the stunned and dumbfounded faces of the onlookers. Though most were swordsmen, they wouldn't dare stop me or the ninja now.
I just wanted to get my sword... that's all...