Tenchu 2: Red Crimson
By: Tenchu Girl 16
Disclaimer: I do not own Tenchu
Chapter One: Calling for Ayame
Ayame swam out in the Azuma Lake just outside of the Azuma Ninja village. Surrounding the lake to the right was a path leading to the entrance of the bamboo forest. The bamboo forest was recently cleared for the Azuma Ninja's to complete there weapons training. Ayame dove under the lake trying to perfect her swimming; just for missions that required swimming underwater for long amounts of time. A few minutes later Ayame swam back up towards the surface gasping for air. As she opens her eyes and looked towards the grass; she sees a pair of green-bluish eyes looking directly at her.
'Oh it's Rikimaru, what does he want and why is he staring at me? For a minute I thought it was Tatsumaru, he can stare at me all night if he must.'
Rikimaru who looked to be in his late teens looked at Ayame with interest. His hair was short and was a weird but beautiful color of platinum gray. He wore a green ninja suit equipped with a sword on his back and armored shoes.
"Well Rikimaru, what do you want. Don't you see I was training? You know getting ready for 'Master Shunsai's Test' so I can be an official Azuma ninja."
"I see fully, Ayame. I'm here to tell you that Master Shunsai wants to see you its urgent." Rikimaru says with a tad bit of seriousness in his voice.
"Is it about the test?"
"Yes and I will walk you over to meet with him."
"What if I can walk there, myself?" Ayame responded with a snappy tone to her voice.
"What if I walk you where he is, Ayame?" Rikimaru responded back with an icy tone quite annoyed at this point. He just wished that Ayame would just do as he asked. Ayame sighed a sigh of annoyance as she swam up towards the end of the lake and clamed out of the pond and walked up towards Rikimaru. Rikimaru looked down at Ayame and noticed that her spiky brown ponytail was lying down from the soaking water. Ayame wore a pink short dress that went above her knee with black armored flip flops and armored elbow pads. Indeed she was soaking wet from the lake water but even that did not take away from her beauty. Many guys were in the village took interest in Ayame but Tatsumaru was the one who caught her eye. Tatsumaru was the oldest of the three and was already an Azuma ninja.
"Ayame, your soaking wet"
"Well maru, you're serenely pointing out the obvious."
"Well you can't go before Master Shunsai like this. Come on I am going to walk you over to our Dojo. There you can change into something dry; I will wait for you outside." Rikimaru responds as he and Ayame began walking towards the village. The Azuma village was a very small but clean village complete with little small huts, little grocery shops, clothing shops and etc. In the middle of the village was a huge one story Japanese styled house. The large house was known as the Azuma-Shyobi Ninja Dojo. Rikimaru and Ayame quickly walked though the crowed village streets filled with women and children to the Ninja Dojo. Ayame stepped on the front steps of the dojo as Rikimaru stood by the steps.
"Are you coming in, Rikimaru are what?"
"No, you need to change. I will be fine out here."
"Suit your self" Ayame simply responded as she pushed the golden folding door open and walked into the front entrance of the dojo. Once Inside the dojo Ayame was in the main walkway. The main hallway was not very long but long enough and it was decent in width. The colors of the walls were a tan color decorated with red colored calligraphy. Ayame walked further down the hallway until she reached the sixth door on the right. She then opens the door and walks into her room. Ayame's room was a bright pink colored and small. Her room wasn't at all fancy it was complete with an ordinary mat with pink sheets in the center of the room with two lanterns placed near each side of the mat. A few feet on the right of her mat was a white dresser with two doors that opens in to it. Ayame walked towards the dresser and opens it. Inside the dresser were all of her ninja outfits and her everyday clothes. She picks a short black dress from the ninja outfit side and closed the dresser. She then quickly changed into the black dress and put her wet clothes in a corner by her dresser. Kana Master Shunasi's maid would come by later to pick them up. Ayame then walks out of her room and walked down the hallway to meet up with Rikimaru outside. As she walks down the hallway she thought about Rikimaru and why did he insist on walking her to Master Shunsai's house.
'Rikimaru he is acting quite strange, insisting that he would walk me over to Master Shunasi's place. Maybe it's because the master wanted him to. Any why's I wonder where is Tatsumaru, I hope he isn't hiding from me again. Oh I wish he would understand that I love him and it's not sibling love. But maybe he is right; maybe I am way too young to fully understand such emotion.' As soon as Ayame thought her thoughts
Tatsumaru ran into her in the hallway, eating an apple.
"Hey kiddo why are you in such a big hurry?"
"Oh hi Tatsu, Rikimaru is going to walk me over to Master Shuinsai's. He said that Master Shunasi wanted to talk to me about my test. I think he is going to give it to me today, today I am going to become a full blown Azuma ninja."
"That's good I am happy for you Ayame. Tatsumaru said as he hugged Ayame, Ayame embraced him back. They stayed like that for a few seconds before the let each other go. Ayame could have sworn for a minute that she felt her cheeks turn pink. Well I hope you pass your test, Rikimaru had token his yesterday."
"How did he do did he pass?"
"I am going to let him tell you that. Well off you go kiddo I don't want you to keep Master waiting? Catch you later." Tatsumaru replies as Ayame told him bye as he walked deeper into the dojo. Ayame smiles as she walked out of the dojo. Soon as she walked out she sees Rikimaru standing there waiting for her.
"What took you so long Ayame?"
"Oh I have seen Tatsu."
"Oh why must I ask, of course?" Rikimaru says plainly as he and Ayame walked back into the village. Rikimaru also knew of Ayame's 'great love' for Tatsumaru. He still doesn't understand why Ayame is trying so hard to get what she can't have.
'That Ayame, why won't she get it through her head that Tatsumaru will never love her. Besides the girl has bigger things to worry about like passing the ninja test she is about to receive, devoting her life as an assassin for Lord Gohda. Wait a minute why do I care if Ayame doesn't get it? I am thinking about her but why am I; we are just partners that hardly get along. Just hardly right.' Rikimaru thought to himself as they suddenly made a right at the end of the village. They kept straight passed a couple of huts and followed a small path up a high hill. Once on top of the hill a small Japanese house came into view. This house was tan colored with two openings from the front and a small wrap around stoop. Rikimaru lead Ayame towards the second opening and knocked one of the French doors.
"Oh it's you, Rikimaru come in." Master Shunasi said
Rikimaru slowly opened the French door and walked in as Ayame walked in behind him. Rikimaru just walked in a few feet and stopped as Ayame walked up and stood beside him. The room they were in was plan nothing but brown, brown walls, brown ceiling, brown wooden floors and the brown chair that Master Shunasi was sitting in. Master Shunasi was an old man looking to be in his mid eighty's. He wore a white shit, green vest, and a purple pair of karate pants.
"Ayame, come in front of me please, we have important matters to discuss."
"Yes Master" Ayame simply responds as she steps a few feet in front of Master Shunasi.
"Rikimaru, thank you now you may leave."
"Yes Master Shunasi" Rikimaru says as he walked out of the house.
"Are you ready, Ayame?" Master Shunsai asked
"I was born ready for this; this is my test isn't it?"
"Yes it is. This test is that you must find a way out of my underground maze and you must come out alive within the sixty minute timeline. If an hour passes and you are not out then you automatically fail. If you fail this test you can never retake it and you will never be accepted as an Azuma Ninja that is if you make it out after the 60 minute deadline .Understand that No one may look for you, you're just presumed dead on the spot. This code is not written in the handbook of course but its part of the belief of a true Azuma Ninja. For this test I will prove you with these items one healing potion and five shrunkens. Master Shunsai said as he gave Ayame a healing potion and five shrunkens. Ayame puts them in her ninja bag and looks her Master in the eye. I am going to ask you this one more time, Ayame. Are you ready?"
"Like I said, I was born ready."
"Humph we shall see" Master Shunsai simply as he lifted up his arm and pulled what looked like a light switch. All of the sudden the floor gives way and Ayame falls through the hole.
Okay that is the end of this chapter, I hoped you liked it. In the next chapter Ayame tries to get through Master Shunasi's complicating maze filled with enemy guards and traps. Also Master Shunasi gets word that a ban of Mountain Bandits have robbed a near by farm village of their jewels and valuables. Also Rikimaru has a little talk with Tatsumaru. What are they talking about?
