A.N.- Well glad to get some reveiws. I'm glad to finally be writing again.

TwilightAoi- Thanks it took me a while to come up with the OCs but I'm proud of them. But keep in mind, Midori was made by Forevermore and Tai was made by Wolf so the credit goes to those two. And as far as I know the information I have other than the DOA characters' last names is accurate. I made up Hayate, Ayane, Kasumi, and Hitomi's last names. And what exactly is a C2 anyway?

nissepisse- Thanks, its always nice to hear that my story's brilliant. And again, thanks for complementing my OCs, but credit for Midori and Tai goes to Forevermore and Wolf respectively. And glad you think the story is compelling too, its good to know that this is holding someone's attention. And I took that 3 year break for a bunch of reasons. One being after a while I forgot about all of this, but hopefully that wont happen again.

Unfrogiving Wolf- Well what can I say? It's been a while, but hopefully things will be good again soon.

Chapter 7
By: Spider

"Erikku, I want you to become a samurai," the Shogun's words echoed through the young ninja's head. He couldn't beleive it. He thought he was about to die, and all of a sudden he was given life. But there was a downside, he was asked to become a samurai. If he agreed, he wouldn't be able to go back to the village, no seeing his friends, no... his past life would have been gone just as much as it would have been if he was killed. But what if he refused

"So what if I say no?" questioned Erikku.

Montaro rose, hand on the hilt of his katana, the legendary Kaemon. His smile had disappeared and had been replaced with an angry sneer. He was obviously upset with the possiblility of Erikku not becoming a samurai, "If you say no, then we will imprison you, then we will wipe out your village. Everyone you knew, everyone you loved, they will all be gone. You will know that it was all your fault. Then we will break you. Either way, you will become a samurai!"

Erikku looked down. Images flashed in his head. The poison shop burning, his family legacy gone along with the last Great Spirit Elixer which was invented by his father and perfected by himself. Then Hayate, Hayabusa, Tai, and the rest, fighting in vain until they would be slaughtered along with the helpless. Shinden standing before his falling city. And worst of all, Yuuna not being able to do anything as she watched all of her brothers and sisters being mercilessly slaughtered before being killed herself. All of this as a result of his own selfish choice. He then knew what he had to do and, without looking up, regretfully gave his decision, "Alright, I will become a samurai."

Montaro again smiled and relinquished his hand from the legendary blade before again taking his seat, "Well then you will find that you have made the right choice my son," he then called for a guard who then immediately went off and was soon replaced by three samurai with three different chests.

"Do you, young Erikku Kohichirou accept the ways of the samurai. To live, eat, and train alongside your samurai brothers and to devote your life to this shogunate?" Montaro began the ceremony.

Painfully, Erikku agreed, "I do."

The first samurai, in red, stepped forward and placed his chest of the same color in front of Erikku. He then bowed and backed away. Erikku opened it, revealing a red and gold set of swords consisting of a katana, a wakizashi, and a tanto. The Shogun continued, "Do you agree to follow the conditions and laws set by the Bushido until your death? Whether it be by the enemy's hands or by seppuku?"

Again his answer panged inside his heart, "I do."

The second samurai stepped forward, this one was dressed in black. He set a black and gold chest diagnollaly to Erikku's right. Erikku opened this one and inside was the traditional samurai armor and a tachi. This left the last chest and Montaro began the last step, "Do you renounce your former life and are you, if need be, prepared to face it in order to protect this city and your country?"

With this last one, Erikku had to look down as he held back tears, "Yes, I do."

Montaro's smile grew even wider as the last chest was brought to him. This one, white, contained a white samurai kimono, wooden sandals, and a straw hat. Montaro gestured for Erikku to rise and as he did, the three samurai took their boxes and moved behind the former ninja, waiting for his retreat to his new room. Montaro gave his final words for the ceremony, "Erikku, you are now a samruai. Your past life, though filled with sin is now forgiven and you have a clean slate to abide by the Bushido. This is your home now, and your brothers will be with you through the good and the bad, through the pleasant times and the rough times. All we ask of you in return is that you do the same for us."

Erikku nodded and turned, the samurai parted to let him through, then followed behind him as he was led to his new quarters. The whole walk to the room, he was in a daze. He couldn't beleive what had just happened. When he entered the room, the three samurai put down their boxes near a book case and left.

Once they were gone, Erikku walked over to the red and black boxes and retreived the katana and tachi from them. He examined the two swords, they were both very well crafted. Still the new set of blades couldn't make up for the pain he felt over this choice he had to make. His family honor was gone. How would he avenge his parent's death if he was now what killed them

The new samurai then walked over to the desk on the opposite side of the room and picked up a pen so that he could write a letter to Yuuna, he needed to hear from her. But before he could begin Erikku laid his head down on the desk and did something he hadn't since his parents died. Tears began to form in his eyes, and he began to drift off to sleep as he thought of those he left behind.

Tai Shikadachi stepped out of the dojo after training for hours in order to prepare for his next sparring match with Hayate. The cold morning air mixed with his sweat caused him to shiver. He looked up while rubbing his hands together, it was cloudy, it might rain or snow he thought. He began to walk to his home on the other side of the village, but as he turned a corner, was greeted by Midori, "Hey want another shot at taking the easy way to the top?"

The slightly older ninja looked down at his former accomplice and gave a look of mixed anger and panic, "I thought I told you I was going to do this the honest way."

Midori laughed, "Psh you wont make it then. The only way to the top nowadays is the easy, underhanded way Tai. If you really want to be the best, you'd realzie that. But I guess you really aren't the best. If you were, you'd realize that I'm on my own way to the top and that when I offer you a ride, you should take it."

"I don't care Midori, I don't want to get caught and be banished. I don't want to end up farther back from my goal than when I started," he stated firmly. He began to realize that dealing with Midori was a big mistake in the first place, he knew she would never let him forget it. She would make it haunt him for the rest of his life. He casually lowered his hands to his waist where a tanto was firmly sheathed.

This however didn't go unnoticed by the younger girl. She laughed again, and before Tai knew it, her own tanto was placed in his side, she smiled condecendingly "Now now, silly boy. Don't you know you can't go trying things like that?. We're both in this too deep Tai. I thought you weren't going to take the easy way out?"

Tai sucked in heavily at the pain in his side, the tanto in his left hand fell to the ground as vulpine Midori twisted the blade. What a mistake he made when he went to her to kill Hayate, "Just do it Midori, get it over with. I'd rather die that help you again."

"Oh but thats where youre wrong, I dont want to kill you. In fact you're going to help me again, very soon," Midori whispered in his ear. Tai cringed as she told him how, "Hayate, Kasumi, and Ryu are going to another clan. This other clan found out how to use this ancient magic they call Ninpo. They're going unarmed in order to show that they come in peace to this other clan. If we can get the two seperated, it should be an easy kill."

"What makes you think I will help you?" Tai began to ignore the pain, his mind reeling with ideas on how she was going to make him. Torture? Blackmail"

"Oh well for one, Erikku's gone now, so that leaves just Hayate. Two, he is unarmed and unexpecting, which means it is your best chance. And third, I can always report to my father that it was you who sabatoged the last mission. He will tell Shinden, and then you will be banished because he will think that because of you he lost one of his best fighters."

"Well you have this all thought out don't you?" Tai forced a weak laugh, "All I have to do is tell Shinden the truth, and its bye-bye Midori."

Midori was somewhat shocked at his sudden boldness, but kept her threatening demur, "I will kill you before you are able to do so. I promise you that much."

With that she twisted the tanto again, this time adding an up-and-down jerking motion that made Tai cry out in pain. He breathed heavily, and she asked again, "So are you going to take my offer or not."

Tai thought to himself again. He did want to get to the top, and saying he would could get this tanto out of his body. And he wouldn't necessarily have to kill Hayate, just wear him out. He knew that if he didn't kill Hayate himself, Midori would take the final blow. Hayate was his friend though... or was he really? Would he even consider doing this if he really thought that Hayate was his friend? Finally he decided, "Yeah... fine, I'll do it."

A mischevious smile was brought to Midori's lips, and she pulled the blade out of his side. She handed him white cloth to use as a bandage, "Good, now I'll be watching you, so don't try anything stupid. I'll be seeing you later." With that Midori left, leaving Tai in an alleyway with his own mind now torturing him instead of her tanto.

"So he's sending all of his kids except for me..." Ayane watched as her brother and Ryu pack for their mission to the Shinzaburo clan. They were to go and retreive three scrolls which held the directions to use three different types of ninpo. Ayane knew why she wasn't picked to go also, and didn't expect to be either. But still, she complained.

"We'll I'm going too, Ayane," started Ryu, "It's not... it's not that. He just needed to send Hayate because he needs to send his heir, and I'm going because he feel's I will be able to master Ninpo rather quickly."

"Then why is Kasumi going?" Ayane challenged, "She's not going to lead the clan someday.

Ryu sighed and looked at Hayate who was trying to ignore the situation. He guessed that it was for the same reason that he wanted to, they didn't know what to say that wouldn't hurt her. Finally Ryu looked at her, "Kasumi is second, if something happens to Hayate."

"And I'm not third..." she replied. Ryu tried to protest, but he knew that what she had said was true. Shinden basically didn't have any purpose for her. Ayane continued, "Can I at least go with you two anyway? No one that would talk to me would be around here while you all are gone. I don't want to be stuck around with Midori."

Hayate finally spoke up, "I'll talk to Kasumi about it, and see if she can keep quiet about it. You can meet us in Nako on our way to the Shinzaburo village. Just don't tell anyone about it, and when we get to the village you can't go in with us. That's the best I can do, so how does that sound?"

"At least I won't be here," she smiled. Even though she would still be left out of the important part of the mission, at least she would be there with the people that cared about her. Besides, it's not like she wanted to go to be part of the mission, just so that she wouldn't be alone for a few days.

Hayate stood up and left to go talk to Kasumi about Ayane going with them, leaving Ryu and Ayane alone. Ryu stopped packing and sat down next to her, "Are you sure you want to go?"

"Yeah of course, I hate it around here."

"But Kasumi's going too, I know you two don't get along too well."

"We share the same room every night," Ayane frowned, things weren't horrible with her sister. They just weren't... they weren't how things should be between sisters. They never spoke to eachother unless it was to have a breif arguement. "She doesn't say anything about me, she doesn't say anything at all."

"Yeah.. I know. I'm sorry Ayane," as he said this Ayane laid back into his lap and he looked down at her, "I know that this is going to bother you, but I know it's on your mind all the time anyway. See, Kasumi doesn't hate you, she just feels uneasy about you. She is sad about what happened to her mother, because she's never been the same since. Kasumi was just a baby when your mother was raped, she never got the love and care from her that most children should get."

"And it's all my fault."

"No it's not," Ryu sighed again, and began to run his fingers through Ayane's short purple hair, "It's Radiou's fault. You had nothing to do with how your mother is now. Ayame loves you just as much, if not more, as she loves Hayate and Kasumi, that's why she named you after herself. She just doesn't know how to show love anymore."

"What about Hayate, why doesn't he feel upset about all this?" she wondered.

"He is upset, he just is too caught up with mirroring his father. To become a great clan leader. So since Shinden doesn't talk about it, Hayate avoids it too. He doesn't take it out on you because he still sees you as his sister," as he said this tears started to form in Ayane's eyes, Ryu wiped one away with his thumb as it began to run down her face, "Don't worry Ayane, when Hayate takes over things will change."

As he finished this he leaned down and kissed her forehead and she smiled up at him, "On our way back, maybe we can delay things a little and spend a little more time away from home. Now, regretfully, I have to finish packing. It shouldn't be much longer."

Ayane remorsefully got up, and sat across from him. Then Ryu stood and walked over to his desk and he went into a drawer to retreive something from inside, "Here's some money, maybe you should go down the mountain to Nako tonight and get a room at the inn. That way you don't have to wake up really early to get there before we do tomorrow morning."

"Okay sounds good to me," she stood up to leave but stopped and got a mischevious smile on her face, "Want to come with me and keep me company tonight?"

Ryu chuckled and shook his head, "No, sorry. I'd love to, but I have to go to breifing before we leave tomorrow. Shinden might get mad if I don't show up. Maybe some other time?"

Ayane smiled at him, "Alright that works for me," she gave him a hug and left the room. She felt releived that the next few days she would be able to relax and spend time with people who cared about her. Maybe even mend things with Kasumi. She began to head out of town on the road to Nako as the sun began to set.

Hitomi followed closely behind her father, nervous to look up at the locals watching them. The sun had already set but most of the town was still awake. Most of them had never seen a westerner before, and gawked at the mountain of a man who was Dietdrich Cristobal. Of course many of them were watching her too, a hybrid, who again was another sight they had never laid eyes on before. Hitomi suddenly found herself wishing she had stayed at her grandparents home.

Dietdrich seemed oblivious to the "stop-and-stare" manner that each resident of Nako had that they passed. He and his father-in-law had gone into the village to do a little buisness, along with a few samurai bodyguards. Hitomi's grandfather was the owner of a restauraunt and inn in the town and since he figured that they would be staying for a while, decided that he wanted to show the two his buisness since they hadn't met since Hitomi was just a baby

They entered the inn and the old man walked over to the front desk and checked the guest list for the night. Satisfied he returned to the two, "Okay Hitomi, I'll get one of my attendants to check you into a room for tonight, it's too dangerous to try to get back home now. Then I'll show your father around my buisnesses here."

Hitomi nodded and was escorted to a room by an attendant followed by one of the samurai. Shortly after arriving to her room, she decided that she wasn't tired and was going to look for her father. As she opened the door to her room and entered the hall, she found her samurai guard asleep. Hitomi then started downstairs and began to search the different areas of the inn for him. She soon found out from the attendant that her grandfather had taken him to the restauraunt that he owned.

She then decided to go to the hotel's cafe, maybe get something to eat. On her way in she bumped into a certain younger purple-haired girl, "Oh sorry."

"It's fine," the girl looked at her, eyes widened. She tried to hide her surprise but Hitomi caught on, "Just watch where you're going next time."

Ayane knew who Hitomi was, chances are it wasn't some other western girl who just happened to stay at an inn owned by the Sorai family. She could kill her right now, suceed where the others had failed before. But she figured it didn't matter anymore. Afterall, Hayate had to save her once already and if the clan was still being paid to kill them, they wouldn't have rescued her so she decided to just let it go. Still, Ayane figured she had nothing better to do so she figured a little small talk wouldn't hurt, "So you're Mr. Sorai's grandaughter, huh."

Hitomi at first was surprised that this stranger knew her name, but then figured it was kind of obvious, "Yeah."

"You know my brother, Hayate, right? He's the one who brought you back to your family," Ayane didn't know that they already knew eachother, she just thought that maybe she'd know what he did for her.

"You're Hayate's sister?" Hitomi became excited, she wanted to see him again but never was able to figure out how to get a reunion arranged, "Can you take me to visit him? Please?"

Ayane was startled by the German girl's straightforwardness, but she guessed it was warranted since her brother had saved her life. Maybe she was looking to repay him or something, and Hayate did deserve a reward or something, "Well he's coming into town tomorrow morning to pick me up. You can see him then."

Joy swept through Hitomi's mind until she realized who this girl standing next to her must be, "You're a ninja... you aren't going to..."

"Well to be honest, I did think about it," Ayane confessed. As soon as she saw the sudden change in mood in Hitomi she continued, "Oh but don't worry, I think that wouldn't matter now anyway. Besides, you do need to see my brother right?"

Hitomi was still somewhat nervous about this girl, but if she was Hayate's sister, she probably wouldn't hurt her, "So what are you guys doing in Nako tomorrow?"

"Just passing through," Ayane knew she couldn't give this girl the truth. Even if she probably wouldn't harm their mission at all, "We're going to be staying in Mito for a week or so to visit our uncle."

"Oh," Hitomi sighed. She probably wouldn't be able to see Hayate again for a while then, "Can you tell him to come and visit me when he gets back? Oh, my name is Hitomi."

"Um yeah, sure," the kunoichi didn't really want Hitomi to get too close to Hayate and that seemed like it was what she wanted. She admitted to herself that it was selfish of herself to prevent the two from becoming friends, but she didn't want Hayate's love for her to be... distributed, "I have to get up early tomorrow if I'm going to be up in time. You should probably go too."

"Alright," Ayane left the German girl and continued on upstairs back to her room. Hitomi, in return continued to roam the hotel, too excited about possibly seeing Hayate the next day to sleep.

A.N.- Well notepad cut me off again so I can't write anymore. I'm gonna download OpenOffice so maybe I can get more in the next chapter.