An Action… A Consequence -

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Shibano now stepped before Nagi, here, placing a hand onto his forehead.

Nagi welcomed his touch, it meant a lot to be seen as better, to be seen as the worthier one.

"I see greatness in you… and as such, Nagi, you have been chosen to lead this group.' Shibano casting his hand to the others at Nagi's side. 'Take charge and guide them well on your first mission."

"As you wish it, Shibano." stated Nagi, now lowering his head to the floor in true honour and respect for this man.

Nagi now listened to his instructions. Shibano had required him and his unit to retrieve a valuable artifact. "You have till midnight to set up a plan, you can talk to as many members as you wish, but the calls must be your own."

Nagi received his mask and thanked his master.

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Once all six had been given their masks by Shibano, the master of the clan marched out of the room.

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Nagi just couldn't believe it. 'Me a leader! Shibano truly thinks highly of me.' were his first initial thoughts, as he left the room.

The others thanked him and gave him respect.

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As Shibano granted, Nagi spoke to other clan members, but the call was his.

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The stroke of midnight soon came; and the second he looked down at his watch, he and his unit were led back out to the same van. He knew now that it was time to go out on their first clan mission.

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They moved quickly through the building; Nagi calling out the orders, each one always fulfilled. However from time to time, Nagi would stutter or hold back, which didn't go well. "Nagi, come on where next."

He would, ultimately, snap out of his slum and get them to the volt; however as they filled their bags with money a member of his unit pointed out the long corridor and whispered. "Looks like we've got company?!"

Nagi did a double take, down the corridor then back at the money. 'This isn't how it should have gone down!' "Quickly now fill your bags then we'll get back to the van through the roof."

They all nodded and stepped into action.

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As they now made their way up to the roof as Nagi ordered, they could hear the footsteps of the approaching security. For Nagi everything was happening too damn fast.

"Keep going." another member of the unit called out, here taking the much needed lead.

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With his mind not fully on the task at hand, Nagi was shot by a security guard as he tried to escape; both bullets went right through him. Nagi dropped his bag, the lot falling over the floor, and fell to the floor.

The security guard ran over to Nagi's side, he pulled off his mask and checked the teen's pulse.

Pacing his two finger's on the teens neck to discover that sadly it was no good Nagi was dead.

Another initiation member of the clan came up from behind and kicked the guard in the side of the head and dragged Nagi out. "Damn it, I can't believe it's ended like this."

"You get the body and I'll get the bag, maybe we can salvage something from this blasted mess." snapped the female member.

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Saki heard a single knock at their front door; hoping that it was Nagi come home, he ran to open it. The young kid staggered back, however, when he came face to face with the dead body of his older brother, which had just been left lying at the bottom of his building's steps.

Saki saw just out of the corner of his eye a black van sped off down the road, behind him in the hallway stood his mother.

He turned to face her and Miyoko broke down in tears, she was distraught, collapsing to the fall the second she had realised what had happened. "My son... my boy!" whaling out in sorrow.

Saki knew there was no consoling her. 'What have you gotten yourself into bro? Were things such a mess… Hell, couldn't we have just talked, found another path.' Saki had been at the top of the stairs, the night Yoshi's father had come to speak with him, and had been worried about Nagi's state of mind ever since. 'I could have been there alongside you… helped you sort this mess out.'

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Both Yoshi and Shen had heard the sad news of Nagi's passing and after long deliberation had decided to attend his funeral to pay their true and heartfelt respects to their lost friend. They stepped out of their car and walked up to the church.

At first sight, Saki came running over to them, shouting the odds. "Okay what the hell do you think you're doing here!"

Yoshi was about to speak.

But he was stopped. "Hell, you have no right! No right at all!" Saki, truly not wanting to have them there. Saki pointed right to the car they had just stepped out of.

Saki's mother, however, stepped in to interject; she knew her son was upset. Miyoko tried her best to stop him, to calm him down, but he wasn't going to allow this and pushed straight past her, getting back into Yoshi's face.

"Look Saki please we are here to pay our respect to your brother, he was a close friend!" stated Shen.

"Don't give me that!"

"Please now Saki. They can stay, Nagi wouldn't want it any other way." his mother stated, as she brushed the hair out of her face, the heartbreak in her voice was clear to hear.

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Yoshi could see the black rings that ran around her eyes. He truly felt sorry for her, as no mother should have to go through the ordeal of burying their son.

He had truly wanted to be there for the family as they were there for him following the passing of his mother and father.

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Sadly, though, the emotions were still too high, and Sako was only willing to see anger. And in his rage, Saki snapped. "Yeah right let them stay mother; you've got to be joking right, after what happened between them... What they did to my brother behind his back. Ah, they called themselves his best friend! Sorry I don't think so somehow, it's time for them to leave. Get the hall out of here you two truly have no damn right to be here!"

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Shen turned to Yoshi and pulled him away; whispered in close. "Look, maybe for now we keep our distance. Let the family grieve together!"

He nodded in reply and stepped aside.

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Saki saw this and grinned through the tears, as the couple walked away. "Yeah, that's it, just walk and never stop. I don't want you here...' anger and nastiness in his voice. 'Leave our family alone and keep your bloody distance. I never want to see you two again!"

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Yoshi turned back for a second wanting to say something, but he saw the look again on Nagi's mother's face and continued on walking back with Shen to their car.

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Yoshi had not seen the figure of Shibano.

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As the couple drove home, truly saddened by what had just occurred, a van sharply pulled out in front of them blocking their path. "What's going on?" questioned Shen from the passenger seat.

Yoshi shrugged his shoulders, but then he looked on, saw Saki along with a couple of guys, and jumped out from the back of the van.

Yoshi opened his driver's door. He signalled for Shen to stay inside. "Let us by will you. We don't want any trouble, Saki, not today.' stated Yoshi calmly. 'Please now, just let us pass!"

"Please Saki, go back to your family, you need time to grieve!" were the words of Shen, as she leaned out of the car window.

Saki however wasn't having any of it, he had been foiled up. "Ah, don't dare speak for me again! I know my own mind, Yoshi, and to tell you the truth you've brought this down upon yourself, damn you, you are nothing more than a rat!" cried out Saki in driven rage.

Shen screamed in fear as one of the guys took a staff and smashed it across the car window.

Yoshi tried to protect her. He attempted to take the staff out of the man's hands, but was then suddenly hit from behind, there were just too many of them and they set on Yoshi.

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Saki stood there giving out the orders. "Get them damn it; make them feel my pain, let them feel my sorrow!"

The people around him saw that his arm was stretched out, pointing right at the lady.

Them instantly moved forward, acting Yoshi saw without question or query.

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Yoshi ducked one sharp swing of a fist in his direction.

Shen, here, was heard by Yoshi letting out a scream of fear.

The second Yoshi ducked that move there then came another and another. Yoshi was unable to take a stance nor able to land a move of his own.

Then suddenly one larger member that followed Saki was able to come up from behind and take hold of Yoshi, and as he held the man's arms behind his back the others attacked him.

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Saki stood near welcoming this beating, one he strongly thought Yoshi deserved. "My brother cared and trusted you both, more than anyone else in this world! And this is how you go about repaying him!' snapped Saki, casting a hand here in Shen's direction. 'You freely and openly went behind his back… Either of you, ever cared for him, as if you did, this would have happened!"

"We were friends, the best of friends!" snapped Shen.

"Then where were you when he needed you, damn it… If he truly was your friend, then he'd still be here today!' replied Saki, he now turned his attention back to Yoshi. He spat at the man's feet. 'But you, Yoshi, always thought about yourself!"

"No!" called out Shen in protest, when she saw the wide grin across Saki's face.

"Please, Saki, it was ever like that!"

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Shen had managed to open the passenger door, and had now rushed in to try to stop the attack.

She forced her way in between the attacks and Yoshi for a second. However, she soon realised it was no use, there were just too many and with little disregard, they pushed her down to the floor.

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The men seemed only driven by Saki's orders, rather than a common scene of right and wrong.

"NO!' Shen screamed again, looking now directly into the eyes of Saki. 'Come on, Saki, just let us go! It doesn't have to be like this!"

"Shush... I've heard enough from you! This is between him and me… he brought this on himself, and hell, deep down he knows it!' Saki snapped pointing down to Yoshi. 'You're cries damn you, Shen, will only lead to more pain!"

Shen still couldn't allow this to continue, she hoped above all else that she could get through to the young lad. "Stop this Saki, please… See sense. We too are sad over the death of Nagi…. This isn't the way! This isn't the way."

However, all she could see was anger, that her words were in fact making things worse for Yoshi.

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Shen was too stunned to speak, as she heard Saki order them to hit Yoshi more. 'How dare he!' she thought. 'He's a mad man! He's gone too far, he's utterly snapped. There's no stopping him, only the police can stop him now... Yoshi needs help.' and she ran off to call for help.

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Saki looked over the beaten Yoshi, the man barely having enough energy, he was only being held up due to the strength of the man behind him. "Don't you worry, Yoshi! I see to it, that you'll recover from this beating here today.' There was a laugh at this. 'After all, when you're back on your feet, I can restart your pain over again!"

Saki saw the strikes across Yoshi's chest. He spoke on, in a calm, but still forcefull tone, one that left no room for doubt "So if I were you, I wouldn't struggle… because if you do, it'll only make this beating worse for you!"

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The police were called out; their car sirens could now be heard echoing out from the city around them.

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Saki looked over his shoulder; frowning as he heard the nose of the sirens. Saki then looked across to Shen.

Who nodded in return, as to say -yes… yes it was me who called them. -

"No matter, our beating is don't!" he stated.

His gaze now looked down on Yoshi, the man had let go now.

Yoshi had slumped to the floor.

Saki walked over to Yoshi, who was lying there on the road before him unable to move, black and blue now from the beating and then kneels before him, he grabs hold of his hair and raises it up. "You should have rethought your actions, Yoshi, as every action has a consequence!"

Through his bruised eye, Yoshi saw Saki here raise his hand and clinched it into a fist. Yoshi was out cold, lifeless. And punched him right in the face. "We have caused our damage. Yoshi, I hope you hurt forever!"

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As the police siren's filled the street; Saki realising the extent of trouble he was in. He, without hesitation, was about to jump back into their van; when a black limo pulled up in front of a shaken Saki.

The tinted back window was lowered.

Saki could see Shibano's face there before him. "You all better leave immediately, damn it!"

Saki was ready to leave; he noticed that Shibano was pointing directly towards him.

"No you will come with me, Saki, as there is a lot to discuss.. Now I'll meet you five at the mansion later."

The other thugs nodded and took their leave, the van stretching away and soon into the shadows of the city.

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Saki realised there and then, where his future and loyalties should lay and so without hesitation he agreed and stepped into the limo.

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Yoshi crawled over to Shen, he turned his head, he saw the approaching police and saw now that the black limo was also gone.

Yoshi blacked out as the door to the limo was slammed shut and it sped down the road.

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Saki looked over at Shibano. "Do you know who I am, boy?"

"No sir, I don't!"

"In that case, Saki, it is clear we need to talk! As I am the man who can deliver you a bright future." stated the clan leader. 'He will truly be a better leader than that foolish brother of his! Saki is younger and driven, looking for glory. He could be easily moulded, after all he is braver than Nagi ever was, it seems.'

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- An End, An Equal Beginning -

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From this point on, Shibano pushed and drove young Saki; in mind, body and soul. Shibano was able to use and manipulate Saki and the anger he still held over his brother's death, to mold him into their fiercest warrior.

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Saki had cut himself off from the past he knew; the boy had given his mind, body and soul to the ways of Shibano's teachings. Shibano was now his master, keeper, provider and in the same light the clan around him was now becoming his life, shelter and family.

And in time, Saki through his extensive training had surpassed all other members in the Shibano Ni Clan.

Saki soon rose through the rankings, even taking over other longer-serving members of the clan. Proving in earnest that he was the perfect person who could step up out of the shadows and be the leader of this new wave of the clan.

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All this pleased Shibano.

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Soon the leader, Shibano, came to Saki personally, and asked him. "I need you to be brave, Saki and to step forward."

"I am ready, my master!"

"That you are… that you are. Now step forward and take the greatest of prizes. Saki, I require you to step up to be my protege and one day, to be at my side as my equal?"

To which, in the heat of the moment, the younger Saki agreed too. "That I am ready for." Saki here bowed to his master in honour and respect.

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A few months had passed; Yoshi once he had head was in the right mindset, he wanted above all else to marry Shen. Yoshi, with his grandfather at his side, had purchased a lovely ring for her.

Yoshi had picked the right time and place to surprise Shen; and as they stood before the light of a full moon, Shen had no idea what was about to happen.

Yoshi slowly goes down on one knee, he pulls out a small box and opens it up, now showing Shen the engagement ring. "Shen, you have been my everything, I can't see my life without you in it. Please say, my love, that you will marry me?"

She smiled down at Yoshi, overjoyed she answered. "Yes... Yes my dear, Yoshi, I'll marry you."

Yoshi stood up and placed the ring on his finger. And then the two embraced, lips locked hands around each other. It was as if this moment could last forever.

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Later that week, he also went to speak with Shen's mother and father to gain their blessing; Yoshi had brought them a gift offering to show his worth and love for their daughter.

To which that night, Shen's parents happily stated their blessing to this marriage.

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Word of their engagement had soon reached the ear's of Saki, he was enraged, banging his fist against the wall.

That night, he left the clan's camp and headed back to the old neighbourhood. Saki was ready to end Yoshi's life. 'Quite strange... Quite strange indeed.' He thought as he walked past his old home, the lights were switched on and he could see his younger brother Kazuo comforting his mother. 'Didn't think I'd be back here, funny what you drive the Oroku's brother to do!'

Saki knew that he had, at this stage in his life, no place inside his home, so he just continued on, walking now until he stood outside Yoshi's building.

Hiding in the shadows, Saki saw the couple leave the building holding hands; with no true care in the world. It wasn't hard for Saki to see their engagement rings on their ring finger. "Go and live your life for now... I will be waiting for your return, the first cut is after all the deepest."

He clearly found this all this too hard to handle, after all he still blamed the pair for the end of his brother's life. He rushed up to the door, seeing their name's on the panel and ran his hand down ringing every bell of the building. 'Someone will foolishly let him in, no doubt.'

When he heard the release of the door, Saki pushed it quickly open, entering the building and ran up the stairs, hoping not to be seen.

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Saki saw the front door to Yohsi's flat and without stopping lifted his foot, kicking in the door. The lock popped and the door swung open.

Saki stepped inside; he looked around the small apartment, which Yoshi and Shen shared together; the young pair had made it their first nest egg and deep down Saki wanted to snatch away this feeling. 'Oh what a home you've made, Yoshi... but soon it'll be broken… snatched away from you… like you've taken all from me… willing to throw me a bad life… Well I'll be damned if I'm going to lie down and do nothing… I will be clan leader…. I will have people doing my bidding!'

He continued to walk through their apartment, not taking anything in. His eyes caught a glimpse of a kendo stick. He brushed a hand up it, before picking the weapon up in his hand. A smile grew on his face, Saki had a wide evil grin on his face and with that started to mash up the place; swinging left then back right knocking things over and smashing things on the floor causing great amounts of damage.

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Saki then suddenly stopped, letting the kendo stick drop to the floor, when he saw a box of matches on the table top, by the side of a candle, which had only just been blown out maybe five or six minutes earlier.

He leaned over and picked up the box, without a word, pulled out a match and struck it. The small match caught alight, his eyes fixated on the colours within the flame; red, orange, yellow, blue and purple, all coming together as one true power. He walked over to the bin in the kitchen and dropped the box of matches in first and then dropped the lit match in the bin. "Ah, your life is done… will go up in flames!"

'Oh what it would be like if you two were here… To see your faces, to see your sorrow.' thought Saki, as he stood back from the bin, watching it as it caught on fire. The fire grew; the bin burning before him and within a couple of seconds the fire was out of control.

Saki, at this point, backed out of the kitchen and then ran out of the flat in the stairwell and as he ran down the staircase to get out of the building his conscience must have overridden his emotions.

'I am not their deliverer…' He then started to warn people in the building about the fire. 'Only you two must live with pain and loss, as I did, not them!' And here Saki started shouting out, knocking on doors and pressing door bells' in the hopes of saving the people who innocently lived alongside the pair.

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Saki left the apartment block and stood across the road. From there, he looked up as he caught his breath.

Smoke had now started to billow out of their apartment window. He smiled, actually pleased with himself at the damage he'd caused.

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Residents, now, were slowly making their way out of the building. Some residents came running out with thick blankets over their heads to protect them from the thick black smoke; others had rushed out and as they entered into the fresh air they started to cough as smoke had filled their chests and as they entered into the fresh air they started to cough.

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Back inside Yoshi's flat, his pet brown rat, Shiro, had started to feel the heat of the fire and started to panic running around his cage and then he began to chew and bite on the bars in hope of getting out, but what he didn't know was that he was trapped.

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The fire department was on the scene ready to tackle the fire, a fire unit ran inside and entered the apartment; water sprayed out dousing the flames.

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Saki saw Yoshi and Shen running back up the street, as they had returned from their evening out, to see fire engines and police in front of their building, the light of the flames catching their faces in the shadows.

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A police officer held her back, as Shen ran forwards. "We're sorry ma'am, you must stand back. I can't allow you to go any further."

"PLEASE, IT'S OUR HOME!' she cried out to the officer, as he stood firm blocking her path for her own safety. 'Please it's our home." she cried again, breaking down in tears.

Shen's eyes were all misty and tear drops rolled down her cheeks.

Noticing the teardrops rolling down the cheeks of his lover, Yoshi pulled her in close, stroking the girl's hair gently and gave her a tight hug. "It's going to be okay Shen. Please now, my dear, don't cry." in comfort.

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This sight made Saki laugh.

"That is called revenge, my young one!" said a voice behind him.

Saki turned away from the fire and looked up; it was Shibano.

"Come back with me Saki; we wouldn't want the police asking questions to a member of the Shibano Ni Clan now would we."

Saki feared that his master would, no doubt, be ready to punish him for his actions, but knew that he had to speak, had to defend what he had done. So he cleared his throat and looked directly into his master's eyes. "I acted out of anger and not for the better of the clan, but know this Master Shibano, they deserved all they got. Will I be punished for my actions?"

"No you will not, Saki, as you said they deserved it… they have harmed you and your brother before it.' answered Shibano. 'You acted to protect yourself from being harmed by them again, you acted like any clam member would, and for that, know I commend you!"

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Saki was a little surprised and greatly relieved to hear that Shibano had no intention of punishing him for his actions; and truly saw the positives in the route he took.

"But, my boy, there is something I need you to do."

"Anything, my master!"

"I have seen you turn into a masterful leader, by my side!"

"Thank you master, your training has served me well, I will do as you ask of me." stated Saki, sounding humble.

"But to be a true leader you need to stand up, raise up and to snatch the options ahead of you."

Saki nodded at every word.

Shibano however needed to take Saki far away from Yoshi and the Japanese authorities, and had come up with a proposal. "In fact, I have a place for someone like you in a far off country; there is scope for a new path for the Shibano Ni Clan in America."

Saki's jaw fell open. 'What an opportunity, truly what an honour. I'll be an utter fool if I turn my master down.' "You have bestowed on to me a great honour, Shibano… and I am going to take it… There is no doubt in my heart…"

This was true, there truly was no doubt in Saki's mind, because as far as he;s concerned, whatever his master had planned for him across the ocean in America would lead him to better and greater things.

Shibano nodded. "You have done the right thing, boy, the right thing." and together they left the scene of the crime, walking side by side, down a dark alleyway, but Yoshi had just caught sight of them.

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Shen turned to Yoshi, just as her fiancée was about to dash off after them, she then grabbed his arm holding him in place. "Look, my love, look!" she called out in excitement.

Which took Yoshi by some surprise.

Shen was pointing to one of the fire officers who had the cage of Shiro in his hands.

Yoshi, the second he saw this, rushed over to the officers, who had just pulled off his breathing mask and was walking toward the couple.

He looked up at the man's face. "I take it, this little cap is you?"

"Oh yes, yes he is…" stated Yoshi in great relief.

"You've totally got one lucky rat there, kid." he stated handing over the cage to Yoshi, who too his own amazement, saw Shiro a bit shaken gazing back at him through the scorched hay.

"Thank you... Thank you very much." replied Shen as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Yoshi walked away, from out of earshot of the police and fire services and whispered to Shen. "It was Saki! He's the one who caused all this carnage! Damn it, Shen, that kid has just gone too far and has truly got a lot to answer for now."

"How can you be so sure, Yoshi?" she asked, with a drop of doubt about this.

"Oh yes Shen there is no doubt in my mind, he's the one behind this, all right. I saw the man walk away with that Shibano by his side, just before the officer brought us out, Shiro. I've done all I could to try and protect his brother from the Shibano Ni Clan, but to no avail.' Yoshi shook his head. 'And even though I shouldn't, in a way I feel as if I let Nagi down!"

Shen stepped forward, a hand on comfort on his elbow.

"I must try and do something to get some sense into young Saki and hopefully stop him before he's too far gone or there's no doubt in my mind, Shen, that someone's going to get seriously hurt by his misguided actions."

"But Yoshi you are just one man, you need to talk to the police, they must be able to do something that could help stop the clan, it's their job, after all!" advised Shen.

Yoshi shook his head, even though he didn't know it for sure he felt that some of the police in the area were in the pocket of Shibano Sama. "Oh there's, no doubt, that they know all too well the clan exists, and have done nothing to bring them down.

"Are you sure you can help?"

"I know that I must try something, I'll have a talk with Gohgi again. I've got to discover all that grandfather knew, see if he knows of people who can help.' replied Yoshi sounding determined now more than ever. 'I must gain a shot to get close to Saki and try to talk with him alone."

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Shibano had one last task for Saki to complete, before he would leave on his journey to America. It was away in which Saki could prove himself to Shibano once and for all, as well as the other dominance in the clan that he had successfully surpassed his brother. Saki was given the same instructions as his fallen brother had all those months ago. "I ask of you to work together, use each other's skills well, but ultimately, Saki will be your team's leader, show them what you need and tell them your plan."

"I will Master Shibano, I will not let you down."

"I am pleased to hear that, Saki, and I trust that you will.' stated Shibano. 'You have an hour then go and come back in the glory of a clam master."

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