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Chapter 12 – Mind Control

Mishu walked outside and looked at the night air. It was peaceful as he gazed at the stars and for once the trio had left him alone. He was going to settle in his room for the night, since Ryu had already departed into the forest for meditation; still strangely leaving him alone with Ayane and Aileen. Was it a sign of trust? Either that or Ryu was secretly watching him from the branches in the forest. Maybe Ryu believed that AyaneSo instead of settling, he decided to take his own stroll.

Not too much further into his walk, he found a woman sitting on hill, dressed in a kimono, looking up at the stars. He could tell it wasn't Ayane, she didn't have the same lavender hair as the kinoichi. He smiled as he walked to the figure.

"Aileen?" He said.

The woman looked back and smiled. "Hey, Mishu."

"Do you mind?" He asked referring to sit next to her.

"Sure."

Mishu took his place sitting next to her joining in the stargazing.

"Isn't it a beautiful night?" She asked.

"Yes it is."

She looked at him. "May I ask what are you still doing awake?"

"It's lonely inside that cottage. I haven't been alone and to myself as long as I could remember."

"The Black Spider Clan?"

He nodded with a smile. "They always kept a watchful eye on me as well as themselves." He said. "They don't trust anyone."

"Can't blame them. They are a ruthless bunch."

He chuckled. "That's true." He then said. "But they are respectful."

It was a sudden change of subject Aileen wasn't expecting. "Respectful?"

Mishu explained. "Sure they kill and have evil intent. That I do not doubt. But since I started this mission, they cared for me, they raised me. Even though I am working for this agency, the Black Spider Clan has always treated me like family."

"So you condone their actions?"

"By all means, no. But I can't sway away from the fact that because of them I am still alive today." He said, looked back up to the stars and gave a sigh. "They are a ruthless bunch, but at the same time they are loyal." He looked at her. "Look at the number of people that have been with them through generations. I could count on my fingers the number of Clan members that are runaway shinobis or traitors to the Black Spider clan. I guess you just have to see the good out of bad things."

Aileen only shrugged not wanting to get into any arguments with the ex-clan member. "They're still a bunch of murderers."

Mishu only let her speak those words and stayed quiet as he looked at the stars. After some time of silence, he looked at her. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why is it that you of all the three that trust me?"

"Who ever said I trust you?"

"No one. But I can see it in your eyes. You don't take the same force as Ryu and Ayane do."

"Maybe it's because I just don't have their abilities." She said with a smirk on her face.

Mishu then grew quiet now knowing the fact that no one trusted him within the trio, Ryu, Ayane, nor Aileen.

The woman saw the discomfort in his face and decided teasing was no longer necessary. "I guess it's because I'm like you." Mishu arched his eyebrow at her comment. "I just see the good out of a bad thing."

Mishu smiled as they sat in their silence again.

This time it was Aileen to break. "So, " She spoke out. "How long have you had a crush on Ayane?"

Mishu's face immediately began to heat from Aileen's sudden accusation. "What?"

"I see the way you look at her. I can see the emotions."

"I don't know what you mean." Mishu turned his focus back to the stars.

"I may not be a ninja, but a woman's instincts can see things a ninja can't."

"What of your woman's instincts drive you to believe such a thing?"

She shook her head. "As I told you. I can see these things." She said. "Did you know she took your advice and is soaking in the Jacuzzi?"

Mishu then had a grin he couldn't remove with eyes of pure amazement. "She did?"

She smiled. "Yeah, last I saw her she was asleep, so I decided to let her get her rest."

Mishu didn't respond which only confirmed Aileen's theory.

Then she confirmed. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

Mishu only looked at her, then gave her a small smile.

Just then Aileen saw a figure coming out of the darkness and chuckled at the sight as the body emerged. "Well, speak of the devil." Aileen said as she recognized the figure as Ayane.

Mishu smiled as he knew who Aileen referred to, and as he turned to view her, he said, "And I see she took my advice after…" His statement was stopped with his mouth still open from the shock his eyes viewed.

It was definitely Ayane, Mishu confirmed that much; but her eyes glowed the illuminating color of green, which easily told Mishu she was possessed by Maindokontorooru, the Black Spider Clan hierarch. To make matters even more twisted, Ayane stood naked, still dripping from the water of the Jacuzzi.

"Ayane, are you okay?" Aileen asked noting her bare body and the green eyes.

"Aileen," Mishu stood and continued. "Go get Ryu."

Aileen looked up at him. "What's wrong, Mishu?"

"We don't have time. Just go get Ryu, now." He practically demanded.

"Is everything okay?" She stood now practically shaking.

Mishu snapped his head towards Aileen's direction and gave a stare full of anger as he yelled. "Just go!"

Aileen gave no objections or hesitation as she darted into the woods to find her lover.

When she was out of sight, Mishu and Maindokontorooru shared a deep and cold stare towards each other.

"I see you haven't learned that no means no."

A smile came upon her face as when Ayane spoke the voice of Maindokontorooru roared. "She wanted it as much as I did."

"I bet." Mishu kept his cold stare. "Did you kill her?"

Maindokontorooru smiled as then Ayane's true voice was heard. "HELP ME, MISHU! HELP ME, PLEASE!" Then he spoke in his own voice through the body of the kinoichi. "Not yet."

"What is it that you want?"

"Gamja requested for your head. I have come to retrieve and deliver."

Mishu grabbed his fists, cracking and loosening the muscles within his hand. "Do you think you're that strong enough already?"

"Yes, because you know as well as I do, that you do not want to kill this female." Maindokontorooru said. "This shall be an easy fight for me."

"You know what surprises me Dokon?"

"What is it?"

"How is it that you underestimate me every time we fight?" He rhetorically asked. "When will you come to realize you cannot beat me?"

"This time I shall, Kaki. This time you shall fall victim to me."

Dokon readied himself into his fighting stance as did Mishu.

Before the first blow was thrown, Ryu appeared from behind. "What's going on?" He asked the question before he took a good look at Ayane's current bare presence along with her demonic eyes he could then only ask, "What happened to her?"

Mishu answered keeping his cold eyes staring at his former ally. "She's being possessed by a Black Spider Clan hierarch, Maindokontorooru."

Dokon then spoke. "Stay out of this ninja. This does not concern you."

Ryu now shared the cold stare as Mishu towards Dokon. "That's where you are wrong." He said pulling his sword from its sheath. "This concerns me very much so."

Mishu then stopped him. "Put the sword away, Ryu." Ryu snapped his head towards Mishu with a confused daze. "You stab him, you will hurt him, but Ayane too will suffer the pain." Mishu continued. "The same effect applies if you kill him."

Ryu was awed. "So how are we supposed to stop him?"

Mishu stood hesitant, turning his head back to Dokon's demonic eyes trapped inside the naked body of the lavender hair kinoichi, as he tried to find the answer to Ryu's question. "I don't know."