Whoops, I forgot to put in an AN at the start of this chapter. Therefore, if you guys are reading this, it means I've edited and added this part back in. Sorry for the first readers who missed it! Let them know, if you would, guys.

Ahem... So here's the omake! I think I'll make it a regular feature after how much fun I've had in writing HV-S02: QGF's omakes, mainly to include and flesh out minor characters I don't get the chance to in the main story. Can you guess from which fandom these following characters are from? Also, following feedback from some readers, I've edited some of the characters in this one since even I got them mixed up. Thank you, Nanayakiri.

Here's the mailbag portion! Not many revelations, but merely answering questions with questions to drive your cogs further into speculation territory. Enjoy discussing!
Luxurious Mini Danga: Well, you'll see in future chapters! Do research on your own if you're just that curious and can't wait for my next update, though, because it's canon.
Jojo famk & Guest (1): Honestly, Jojo, that's a meme I don't care much about from a fandom I don't care much about. Thank you for answering for me, anonymous guest.
Guest (2): Glad you liked it! Can you guess who Hisui is? I can assure you she's not a Tsukihime character.
N: Of course I've thought of it. However, if what you're really asking is whether a Naruto crossover is coming soon, I have to disappoint you. There's just so many backlog of projects I want to publish first before I even get to drafting that particular story. I can assure you it's a good suggestion, and one I fully intend on reaching eventually if chance permits.

Since ancient times, twins had always been seen as a significant omen, either a positive or negative one. This opinion varied greatly even from family member to member, as showcased by the many broken families littering Nihon just from this simple belief alone.

After all, Ancient Numerology had permeated society far too deeply to simply be ignored, no matter how well-understood or dissected this divine concept was.

One. Two. Three.

These three numbers formed the basis of most mythologies and religions, with latter numbers – all their components or derivatives – would fill in the required blanks to create a cultural and societal whole. Far before whole or prime numbers were codified, civilizations had used them as cornerstones of their entire economic prowess.

Among them, 'two' was most likely the most contested. Representing [Duality], obviously, it then birthed domains such as [Opposition]… in which conflict was always present. It never assumed a responsibility of unity and camaraderie which humans could imitate, and instead became the everlasting symbol of [Chaos], even though they're initially unrelated. Over time, even [Chaos] and [Order] fell under the concept of the number 'two', regardless of which came first in human cognition.

Nihon was primarily governed by 'three' – Susanoo, Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi – but preceded by 'two' – Izanagi and Izanami – who were no more than the latest of 'seven' – the Kamiyonanayo – but everything came from 'five' – the Kotoamatsukami. This complex structure was a departure from Nanban culture, which emphasized a strict pyramidal structure in which a chief deity forcibly enforced after toppling their predecessor. In reality, said being was more often than not the last of the previous generation; this fact would either be emphasized or erased from short-term memory to enhance a particular attribute they liked.

Mai repeatedly winced and forcibly blinked her eyes' bleariness away, placing down the thick book she's been reading. It's quite the expensive imported product, available to her solely because she's Clan Head's daughter. Her father never explicitly prohibited the lower-ranked members from possessing books, but it's the harsh reality their clan was never rich enough to provide consistent and meaningful education for every single member, despite the blatant advantage shown by those who managed to do so, like the Fūma, Iga, and Kōga.

Therefore, she had to pick up the slack for others' sake, so she could teach this knowledge to future generations.

The tree she's reading under offered good protection from the sun, cooling her sufficiently with gentle wind, yet she found her hand habitually going up to fix and partially wipe the bangs across her forehead. Finding them predictably dry, she chuckled to and berated herself internally.

Usually, she could hold back her thoughts and opinions to the point she accidentally wiped them from her memory, as she deemed them wholly unnecessary on missions. She was honed as a tool – nothing more. Trying to achieve precisely the latter would simply be an insult to those who put in the effort of training and raising her along her contemporaries. Her master and uncle, for example.

Shinobis with emotions might be more powerful temporarily, yes, but in their impulsiveness, had they ever thought of the long-term consequences of each knee-jerk decisions, orders-bending, and twisted betrayals? More often than not, they were moved simply by the smallest applications of tears, smiles, money, and women – no better than the 'villains' they're supposed to get rid of in order to serve justice to the world around them.

Much like her twin sister, who always went around trying to get along with everyone.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

'Speak of the Devil…'

Mai withheld her fingers from forming a cross over her forehead and chest, having gotten so used to doing so when operating alone in the face of great atrocities. It's a habit she hated herself for making her nothing more than a hypocritical bitch – believing in and worshipping a foreign deity for comfort while she criticized those who clung onto myths and hearsays for salvation. It's the reason why she's been manoeuvring her clan to forge a formal contract with Owari, as she found Oda Nobunaga's dreams and ambitions to be very agreeable with her own.

"Mai! Mai! Mai! Mai! Mai! Look what I found!"

The girl whose looks mirrored exactly her own, bar the childish, annoyingly innocent grin plastered across her face, rushed over. Mai held her breath while silently cursing. 'You do know that's a human being and not a dog, right?'

Still, she smiled pleasantly – one trained under long hours of tea ceremonies with old men who liked her young figure – and played along, querying, "Ah, good afternoon, Ai. Who is that?"

"This is Tokimaru! I've decided to make him my new disciple!"

Mai's gaze flickered back-and-forth between her twin sister, puffing out her meagre chest proudly, and the confused shabby young boy who was clearly dragged over here in full sprint, judging from how torn his footwear was and the beginning of rashes bleeding over from his soles.

Sensing a chance to take another possession away from her sister, she knelt over, ignored Ai's shocked cry, and gently coaxed, "Tokimaru-san… is it? May I see your legs?"

"H-Huh…? A-Ah…!" The boy, barely older than the twin girls, finally realized the state he's in and hissed loudly in pain once Mai gingerly peeled off the straw away from the now-sticky wounded soles. "M-Mai-sama…"

Without even looking up from her first aid, she knew the boy was cutely blushing at the contact, as she deliberately played up the confusing sensation of pain and admiration to ensnare the boy's heart – the most basic kunoichi technique. Ai, predictably, had no interest nor knowledge for this side of their 'job', and was noisily praising Mai for her kindness and attentiveness.

"Pay attention, Tokimaru! This is my beloved sister, Mai! Isn't she nice?"

To be honest, it sounded more like a suck-up, but she knew Ai was literally incapable of doing such a thing. She instead focused on dressing up the wound by tearing apart her sleeves into a makeshift bandage, enchanted by a healing ninjutsu, and tenderly wrapping it around Tokimaru's wounded feet. Ai was afinally moved to do something, having only just now realized her folly.

"G-Geez! Tokimaru, tell me when you're injured!" The excitable twin exclaimed, kneeling beside her sister and contributed some magic energy into the healing process. "Don't just follow me along quietly!"

"Indeed. In fact, Tokimaru-san, no one should follow Ai thoughtlessly, so I'll rely on you to look out for others, alright?" Mai cheekily remarked, eliciting a fierce blush, stutter, and defeated puffed cheeks from her sister. "Don't look at me like that – can you refute it?"

"Mou…! You're saying that precisely because I can't…!" Ai whined, but her trained focus never left Tokimaru's condition as she did so. Despite her young age, Mai had no doubt Ai was certainly qualified to teach ninjutsu to an amateur village boy like Tokimaru… though whether that meant she could truly mentor someone to not just be a competent fighter, but also a good human being was very suspect. "Tokimaru! First lesson: Don't listen to Mai!"

"Isn't that contradictory, Ai-sama?" The boy cluelessly tilted his head and asked, his body language visibly relaxing after the stinging pain receded.

"Just follow what I said! Don't waver!"

"On the contrary, do question her at every step."

The poor boy looked hopelessly back-and-forth between the two identical faces. One had her hair sportily tied in a ponytail, while the other was a calming and traditional straight cut past her shoulders. One was accustomed to sharp, wide motions, semi-permanently pulling a cheerful smile to her cheeks, while the other was much softer and serene, all calm and collected demeanour. One dressed herself as minimal as possible, allowing only her torso and hips cladded in traditional uniform to maximize ease of movement, while the other was still in her expensive, sleepwear-like kimono, despite still being outdoors.

Tokimaru was nothing more than a typical villager, who somehow caught the attention of one of the kunoichis who were said going to inherit the clan in the future. As someone whose place of birth was formed solely to provide and accompany this burgeoning ninja clan, since none of these mercenary-like groups were self-sufficient, he was always taught to hold them in high regard – perhaps even placing them side-by-side with the gods they worshipped.

Still, despite this symbiosis, the shinobis always made it a point to keep the villagers from witnessing and experiencing the hardships they did. That's the reason why the latter willingly serve them with minimally-acceptable pay: the shinobis protected and maintained security for them, while the villagers did everything else to sustain their lives. Whether it's cooking, farming, housework, construction; it didn't matter – if the shinobis requested it, they'd do it.

This was the childhood Tokimaru grew up in.

Her parents were ecstatic when Ai came to them and declared she'd take him in, assuming this was a chance for him to move up in life. After all, most of the money circulating around the village came from the shinobis and their service fees for 'outsiders'. Going closer to that source of income must be better for an unknown kid to live better, right?

…well, he didn't know yet, because before he had his first proper induction into the clan, Ai dragged him off here to boast about him to her equally-beautiful sister.

To be frank, it was love at first sight for him. He just didn't know how to properly digest and convey this feeling, not to mention the sense of inferiority which constantly reminded him he's not her match at all. Besides, Ai was the type of girl who gave no one a chance to breathe or enjoy her presence, as that in itself more often than not swept others like a hurricane.

A girl shining as bright as the sun, who mercilessly bathed everything in her immediate surroundings.

Then, right as his mind had just begun to fathom what's going to happen to him, the moon appeared in front of him.

Pale, bright face framed by the deepest black, whose smile was equally as beautiful as Ai's but also her opposite. He simply couldn't imagine the kindness it took for someone to immediately spot a wound he didn't even know and tore apart her dainty clothing to placate the pain he hadn't even felt. In fact, these scraps of fabric now binding his soles were probably more expensive than his parents' entire possession – house and land included.

However, other than their faces, their figures were nothing alike. Mai looked exceedingly gentle and frail, with nary a trained muscle visible through her conservative clothing. Neither did her movement earlier when she seamlessly knelt down and healed his injuries – very much unlike Ai whose visible limbs and other parts of skin were the epitome of kunoichi: firm, taut, lean, and shapely.

Absolutely efficient and effective.

Still, at that time, he didn't know how far their abilities were apart, either.

The Sōga Clan's origin was nothing but a long-lost mystery, like most up-and-coming ninja clan. In fact, most of the 'legends' surrounding the founding fathers and mothers of most shinobis were nothing more than embellishments, used to beautify an ugly past… or, gods forbid, an uninspiring one. While the current Clan Head still possessed unfiltered knowledge of the clan's past, owing to its young history, he feared their future would be an equally-short one, owing to the unrest around them.

Then, they would just be yet another forgotten footnote in history, extinct not due to a lack of power, but because of an otherworldly powerful outside interference.

The very same [Chaos] permeating the lands past which gave birth to opportunities the Clan Head's close ancestor took, ironically, could potentially be the thing which ended their legacy.

Right now, it wasn't the time to be picky or stuck-up with traditions. Survive. That's all that mattered – and then write a new history as a glorified excuse. Withholding honour without reward was the epitome of foolishness, and a poison which consistently plagued the nobilities of old.

The Minamoto Clan saw through this philosophy's end when they exterminated the Taira and made themselves regent.

He thought of his nieces, the latest heirs to the Tennōji family. A small shinobi village like his had no room for insisting on pure-blooded hereditary leadership – instead, the most capable ones were scouted, evaluated, then voted upon to be his successor. He's already grateful both twin girls had grown up to be more powerful and talented than him, so he had no worries leaving this position to either one of them.

Which one, though, was the problem.

Mai, the younger twin, was the easy choice if he pragmatically went about it. She was much more talented than her already-strong sister, finished missions with 100% completion and satisfaction rate, and was well-liked by both the shinobis and villagers. However, he knew the reason for this – her consistent showcase of unrelenting kindness to not just humans, but also creatures as insignificant as insects – sourced from Mai's growing deep-seated hatred and disillusion towards shinobi life, constantly trying to find a way to subvert what a kunoichi was supposed to be. As a result, she had precisely zero ambition to succeed the clan – in fact, she might be more inclined to personally destroy it and live elsewhere.

Ai, the older twin, was clearly inferior, though still more than capable for the position. Ordinarily, after listening to several of Mai's disinterested snippets, he would've relented and choose Ai instead so the younger sister could be free without causing too much trouble. However, the elders and jōnins strongly pushed for hastening Mai's rise to the position, boldly claiming they'd take their services elsewhere if a second-rate candidate was chosen in betrayal of the custom they'd had for a long time. In contrast to her sister, Ai was studious and hard-working – perhaps at times too much – earning her own small number of supporters along the way. Still, neither her overtraining nor earnest personality were enough to sway the majority. She troubled him constantly with her ambition.

To put it simply, one would flip out if he chose her, and the other would do the same if he didn't.

Unlike most twins he knew, they weren't particularly close to each other, either – sticking to their own routines and cliques whenever possible. Well, in Mai's case, said 'clique' was usually the wild animals who naturally gathered around her and slept on every inch of her body as she calmly drank tea and slacked off, earning Ai's ire and causing her to yell loud enough to embarrassingly echo across the entire village.

He still had time to choose.

Ai had recently found herself a 'disciple', or so he heard – a boy from Sanga Village which was the Sōga Clan's affiliated settlement. Perhaps he could be the unknown tipping point in this cold war between the sisters?

His gaze travelled to the two swords enshrined within this very room – Sōga Clan's main banquet hall – Jun, the [Pure] and Kyo, the [Hollow], as if searching for answers.

Or, perhaps more accurately, hoping for one to show up on its own from these two Muramasa blades.

Mai is a gentle girl.

She loves nature, and in turn, nature loves her… as if she's one with them.

Those're often my first thought whenever I catch Mai sitting on one of the numerous boulders scattered across the surrounding forest, bathed in sunlight and welcoming yet another beautiful bird into her palm.

"The two blades of Sōga… I wonder how sharp they are," I remark, thoughtlessly flinging pancake-shaped rocks across our favourite river.

As is getting more often lately, Mai doesn't join me. I can feel her gaze wandering off to the distance somewhere – perhaps attracted to a particularly unique bird or something. "I'm not interested in them… Blades are dangerous…"

I withhold the click from my tongue. "There you go again… That's not something a shinobi should say, you know?" I try my best to convince her once again, pushing, "Aren't you interested in what those blades have to say?"

What I'm referring to is the 'state of nonself', a martial arts state where one unites with their weapon. One heart, one mind, one body, one soul. A shinobi's training is ideal to achieving this, our master and uncle explained, though because of our need to master many different weapons alongside the katana, it's often difficult to learn when compared to samurais who dedicated their lives – and sometimes future generations – to perfect just this one blade.

"Rather than the heart of a blade… I want to hear the sounds from the hearts of bugs… and the birds… That's all I want," she speaks lackadaisically, as if the frustration and torment in my mind are nothing to her. "To live in peace and harmony…"

Her face shifts to one of daydream – another thing I've become accustomed to seeing. I can never tell what's going across in her mind, and decided she's no longer fit to become a shinobi if she keeps this up. Annoyed, I shoot out, "Whatever! Your heart's too frail, anyway. If you're going to stay like that, you won't be able to protect anything! You'll just be a coward!"

Perhaps my words are too harsh, but I'm too preoccupied in storming off and portraying an angry body language to her, just to make a point.

- Fuu! Haa! Fuu! Haa! Fuu! Haa!

Later that day, I'm letting my well-trained instincts to mindlessly guide my shurikens towards a random tree I've chosen as a practice target. I notice I'm exhaling sharper and unnecessarily more than usual, but attributed it to the remaining irritation I still feel if I carelessly remember Mai's face – one identical to my own, yet so diametrically opposite at the same time.

- Chink!

An odd sound brings me out of my muse, and I notice my last shuriken has landed slightly off-canter. "Tsk! Hmm… Just a little bit more and I can do it!"

'I'm not going to be a lazy coward like that Mai!'

"I AM THE TRUE SHINOBI!"

- Fwooosh!

The next shuriken flies out uncontrollably, followed by a loud shriek from the forest. "GYAAAH!"

My heart skips a beat, worried I may have struck a person. Rushing over to the source, it's fortunately not that case, but the sight of a gravely-injured heron flapping painfully on the ground moves my heart all the same. I can't see that particular shuriken, but finding it is the last thing in my mind right now as I rush forward to cradle the poor creature in my arms.

Oddly, Mai is the first thing who does.

I can't remember the trip back to the river we're just playing at much. Thinking back on it, it's quite lucky Mai is still there and haven't stormed somewhere else to imitate me.

Mai starts crying. She cries for the pain of a strange and dirty heron… At the time, I don't understand why… but I feel a strange feeling of envy. That's all I can recall.

Together, we take care of the bird, our previous argument forgotten for its sake. Several days after that, as the bird recovers enough to fly again, Mai's usual gentleness returns to her face…

From that moment on, her kindness elevates to a ridiculous level, and we fight again. Well, I fight, while she simply takes everything on with her usual disinterested behaviour. People may not notice when faced with her slight smile, but I, as her sister, can see through that façade and notice the condescending emotions roiling behind those eyes…!

"Hey! You shouldn't bully the bugs like that! Stop poking it with a branch!" One day, I see Mai scolding two village kids who were clearly bullying a large caterpillar with a stick. "Even a worm will defend itself when attacked. This tiny bug has a soul, too, the same as you and I."

I don't know why, but the buckets of water I've been sprinting around the village with suddenly feels dozens of times heavier.

"All souls are equally beautiful… You should remember that."

- Bam!

"Oh, ho! So the great Mai-sama is skipping training to go preaching again, hm?" The two kids jump when my two buckets hit the ground. "You must be so confident of yourself!"

Instead of looking embarrassed, she has the gall to lecture me! "Ai… I've finished my share of work… Don't you think you've also done more than enough training?"

"More than enough? You talk as if it doesn't concern you!" I start yelling, pushing our faces closer together. "Don't you want to become a proper shinobi?!"

"Ai, you don't need to worry about me." As usual, she brushes me off so easily. "I do not need to become a shinobi to be happy."

Something inside me snap that day.

I don't particularly remember what hurtful things I say in response, only the fact I rush forth to tackle her to the ground and give Mai a good punch in the face.

…or, at least, that's the plan.

My vision immediately rotates and stops when I'm looking at the sky and the underside of Mai's face. My collar and arm are locked in place in a classical kansetsu-waza, performed faster than I've ever seen anyone do or experienced myself.

I think Mai immediately backs off and apologizes, but it doesn't reach my ears as I throw her off to the side and rushes off, biting my lower lip as I do so.

Mai always has much more talent than me. That realization has been hammered home to my body time and time again, and not just right now as I submerge everything but the top half of my face into the hot tub. I can only surpass her with hard work and training… Five – no, ten times as hard! If I want to reach her level…

Why do I have to be born first…? Why do I have to be miserable…?

…maybe instead of trying to compete with her, I should focus on how to contribute to the village…? After all, I love Sōga Village, and I want to be a full-fledged shinobi…

- Bla… bla… bla…

'Someone is talking?'

My well-trained body instantly presses to the nearest door-slash-wall, leaning into an eavesdropping posture. Intelligence gathering training, go!

The first voice arriving to my ears clearly is my uncle's. "Are you serious, Mai?"

My body tenses.

"I have thought long and hard about this…" The second voice, one identical in dialect and shape as my own, but opposite in tone, speaks. "…while living in this tiny village…"

"The Clan Head position suits you, Mai. Those jōnins can't beat you anymore… No, not even I'm confident I'm stronger than you."

I can feel my sister easily shaking her head, as if what my uncle is saying is worthless.

"Times have changed. The unification of the empire is near… and the shinobis will soon be no longer needed," Mai argues softly yet confidently.

- Srrt.

I'm not sure that noise is from my uncle shuffling forward, or me.

"I believe it's time for this village to disappear."

'Well, this was troubling.'

He'd long realized Ai had been eavesdropping nearby, but unsure whether Mai picked up on it or not. What he's sure of was the ensuing confrontation which should be happening right now, likely near the pond at the back garden, owing to the sisters' different beliefs and goals.

- "Were you serious? About making the village disappear…?"

Certainly, what Mai said wasn't wrong. The Warring States Era was rapidly coming to an end. When numerous factions had reduced in number, and the remaining ones increased in size, it's always an indication a fateful battle was close by.

"But that's exactly why we need your strength, Mai – now more than ever," he recalled himself saying, knowing every word coming out next from his mouth would just hurt Ai's pride. "There are people who shared your sentiment, yes, but if the village disappears, are you prepared to sacrifice Sanga Village along the way?"

He saw the breath catching in her throat, and for once, she couldn't argue back. The dissolution of a shinobi village always resulted in innocent casualties, as the incoming destructive force rarely had eyes or hearts, and the ones who suffered first were the untrained affiliated settlement purely because they're slower to run away when compared to well-trained shinobis.

- "Ai… You were listening to our talk."
- "But why? Why are you denying the shinobi? It's because of us shinobis the world is kept in balance…!"

Then, there's going to be people like Mai who couldn't leave sacrifices behind, and would futilely rely on her hated shinobi techniques to defend them to the death. Ai definitely wouldn't allow that, and stubbornly competed with her sister on who could save more. In the end, just to protect a few people, all was lost, and their princesses would die in vain.

Regardless of how extreme Ai got, her inexperienced and youthful words would never breach her sister's resolution.

- "Ai… do you know…? So many lives, people and animals alike, are destroyed just like that. And yet, we claim to be the world's saviour, when there's still so much of the outside world we don't know about…"
- "Are you saying… just because of that, we shinobi shouldn't exist?!"

…so, it fell upon him to make the hard choices for them.

After all, wasn't that the adults' duty, so the children could live freely and without worry?

He'd ask for forgiveness later, when the twins confronted his soul in the afterlife.

…wait, no, why was he certain they'd end up in the same place?

- "As the times change, people do as well…"

Over the coming days, Tokimaru finally realized his role in this new environment.

It seemed Ai didn't pick him up on a whim, after all.

Well, no, that's not quite right as well – one could also certainly claim that was true. The choice of Tokimaru was indeed a whim, but the idea and decision to adopt a disciple was premeditated… simply in order to one-up Mai, who was still frolicking about with children and animals while drinking tea.

Honesty, he both pitied and admired his new 'teacher', for pushing herself despite the already-established fact. Even when Mai took a break, Ai never stopped training both herself and Tokimaru, exhausting herself days and nights to the point of breaking. Yet still, as if the gods were laughing at her attempt, Mai continued to defeat her again and again in their various sparring sessions leading up to their graduation day.

The twins weren't ranked traditionally in a way Tokimaru knew, which he assumed was due to their status. After all, there's little sense in framing a sure-fire Kage in a rigid promotional system when the current situation demanded otherwise. Owari had won battle after battle, directly and indirectly birthing and destroying shinobi villages faster than history could keep up – outright massacre, political pressure, economic instability, environmental change, and so on.

It wasn't his place to judge who deserved their due cause, and neither it's his right to do so because of his inexperience and youth. Perhaps Mai would know if he asked, but then he'd have to deal with a sulking Ai for the entire day-and-a-half during training, so he'd rather not.

Then, a rumour blew through the village so hard even a genin like him knew about it.

The Clan Head's position was up for grabs. The other was a big job was coming, and there'd be a gathering of elite team to undertake it. Whether these two had any connection with each other was unknown, also how they'd affect each other if unrelated.

Just one or the other would've brought great honour and fortune to said individual, not to mention the boon both villages – Sōga and Sanga – would receive. It's ironic, really – the more famous a shinobi was, the more jobs they'd receive… but the essence of being one was to not be known, operating in the shadows and shaping history without being recorded in it.

Still, it didn't seem Ai cared about the latter point.

'Oh, a bear?'

Now that's unusual. He was personally taught bears weren't animals humans could live side-by-side with, and his utmost priority when seeing one was run. Yet, here was one, snuggling to Mai like she's its close relative. It was almost comical, in a sense – the bear, though already not a cub, was far from an adult and easily thrice the width of the slender Mai. Seeing the two playfight was more akin to the bear playing with a hug pillow than an opponent, and it was even intelligent enough to deliberately avoid using its claws and fangs.

Once again, Mai defied the established notion, but Ai now was too focused in her training to care or criticize. Having finished his basic training and induction into the clan, Tokimaru could sense several more eyes trained on their vicinities, whom he thought were the elders doing their final evaluation regarding those aforementioned rumours.

'I wish they'll just get along…'

Unfortunately, that was purely the unrealistic dream of a lovestruck boy.

Lately, the chances of Mai and Ai kneeling side-by-side without arguing – the former softly, the latter loudly – was rare, but this occasion forced them to whether they liked it or not.

In front of them was their master, serious and strict as always, but with a hint of pride and nostalgia today.

There was no doubt regarding what he was going to talk about, but the two remained silent, respectful for the person who'd practically raised them all these years in lieu of their always-busy parents.

They were in the main banquet room, and from their position, just the tips and hilts of the Sōga Clan's prized Muramasa swords were visible either side of his figure. Despite Mai's misgivings about inheriting and living this culture, she couldn't help her eyes from being drawn to them, mirroring Ai's motions and expressions almost identically.

"I assume both of you know what I'm going to say."

The two didn't dare nod, frightful it might betray an advantage to either twin. Instead, they looked on resolutely, trying their best to fake a resolute, neutral expression, conveying they're prepared and welcoming for any kind of decision.

Of course, such petty tricks wouldn't be able to get past the person who'd taught them everything they knew, even though they'd surpassed him physically. He smiled, teasing them, "But it won't be anything like the rumours you believe. They are, after all, rumours. Should a shinobi believe one, or seek the absolute truth?"

They blushed simultaneously, reddening the cheeks already flushed with the increased blood flow of youth and adrenaline.

Both of them were beautiful girls of ripe marriageable age, who'd had no problem finding good husbands to live stable lives out there without the need of risking their lives and taking others' over the next few decades. Reality had truly committed a crime in forcing this situation to these two, when they'd thrive all the same in a better living environment.

"Allow me to begin formally, as was proper," the middle-aged bespectacled man sombrely said. "The two of you… have given so much to the village. Your training is complete, and we have nothing more to teach you – body, heart, magic. It's time for the two of you to fly."

Ai was practically trembling with energetic expectation, however small her chance was. Mai, as usual, portrayed such calmness one might mistake it as disinterest.

"Let me address the first issue… or, well, it's just news, really. I'm retiring." His words earned him mildly surprised looks, to which he smirked. "And I'm serious. Perhaps I'll still consult, but I don't think I'll take to the field or take executive decisions again. If I may be honest, I'm worn out. To take on the challenge of the future, I'll leave that to my successor." He waved his arm nonchalantly. "Call me running away or such, but that's my decision. It's up to the others to respect or decry it."

He watched the two, observing who'd take the bait first. However, they seemed to be more well-behaved today, so he chose to move things on as quickly as possible.

"Ai, you'll be the Clan Head."

- …

It took a few seconds for the older twin to react, and when she did, the master nearly fell out of his seating position laughing. Ai's face was stuck stiff, partially grinning ear-to-ear, partially forcing herself to copy Mai's absolute serenity – resulting in her pretty face twisted in a way similar to stroke victims. Her earlier tremble intensified into a full-blown body-shaking, loudly reverberating against the wooden floor in a mini-earthquake.

"…and your response is?" Unable to take it anymore, the man queried, finally breaking Ai out of her funny frozen state.

Having regained her senses, Ai bowed deeply, but couldn't keep the excitement away from her voice. "Thank you very much! This little one won't disappoint you! I shall gratefully and honourably fulfil this duty!"

Overwhelmed by emotions, she didn't notice Mai's unusually-overt sigh of relief.

"Mai, extend your hands."

Ai was still busy dogeza-ing in happiness to notice the strange request made to her sister. No – Mai herself stared up straight to her master's eyes, now with clear confusion and doubt instead of the half-baked feelings she came here with in the first place.

Those new emotions were supplanted by horror once she saw him rising up and turning around, taking both Jun and Kyo in his hands… and plopped them both onto hers.

- Kchak!

Much like Ai and Mai, the two blades were inherently the same, but dressed up near-oppositely. Designed more like older, straighter katanas unlike the curved modern ones honed and modified for personal duels, Jun was clad in nothing but plain white ceremonial wood – both sheathe and handle, while Kyo was mainly lacquered black with brass-copper accents, its angular decorative lines bringing into mind the newer Nanban naval forces' influence.

They rang together when Mai nervously grabbed them both, bringing Ai out of her happy stupor.

Then, the older sister's gaze turned murderously cold. "Master, what is the meaning of this?"

"Meaning about what?" He feigned ignorance, relaxedly sitting back down.

"I should be the one wielding those blades!" Ai shrieked, now finding enough rage within her to dispense with the politeness and actually stand up. "Or, at the very least, one of them! Why do you give both of them to Mai?!"

"Eh? How did you get that idea?"

"…huh?" At the unexpected fire-back, Ai stuttered in her response, quickly turning contemplatively silent. "Isn't that obvious?! I'm the Clan Head!"

"And? What does being a Clan Head have anything to do with the blades?"

Ai's eye twitched unevenly. "They're our clan's treasures! Surely, only the best – which is me, of course! – can wield them!"

"Gufu…! Pfft…!" The middle-aged man sniggered, clasping one palm across his mouth to avoid any more unbecoming sounds coming out. "Puha! Ahem… no, actually – they're unrelated, Ai. Besides, are you so greedy to bereft your own sister of weapons before her final mission for the clan?"

"I DON'T CARE!" She shouted. "I should be the one making that decision – not you!"

"Well, everything's already formalized, signed, and paid for, actually. So there's nothing even I can do to change it." He shrugged. "Do you want me to fetch you the paperwork? Geez, what a way to give your first order to your own uncle… making him a chore boy…"

"T-That-! That's not what I'm saying!" Ai stomped, her eyes consistently shifting back-and-forth from her master to the two blades to Mai's confused own. "Mai! Give me those!"

"You can shut up now, Ai."

Faced with her master's killing intent, though no stronger than the worst she'd faced in her various missions, Ai instinctively froze and did as she was asked.

Ignoring the fact he just technically committed treason by talking back to the clan's new supreme commander, he continued, "Tennōji Mai, receive the imperial mandate."

Those words alone were enough to make her body – or, at least, her head and neck – into a bowed, submissive posture automatically. Not knowing what to do with the blades, she kept them still on her outstretched hands, making for a very awkward figure. Still, her earnestness and shock were palpably emanating.

"You can raise your head now."

When she did, her gaze immediately locked onto the scroll in her uncle's hand – predictably, with the latest iteration of the Imperial Seal which incorporated more elements from the Minamoto Clan's original one.

It's a symbol most would never lay eyes upon in their entire lives, barring those who had the fortune and political might to gaze upon the flags in Central Kyoto.

Also, the binding on it was already broken – as per the usual custom in accepting requests from outsiders when various security officers had to meticulously examine it for traps and fakes. Still, without regard of what's going on in Mai's head, her master instantly summarized while simultaneously unfurling it, "Heika has personally requested you, by name, to join her side as a kunoichi."

This time, it was Mai who spoke and not Ai.

"What."

"From today on, abandon the name 'Tennōji Mai'. Your life is no longer your own, and shall be dedicated to serving your master."

It wasn't a sentence she had never heard before, because most of her seniors who were permanently stationed outside were repeatedly told as such. It's more of a ritual than a formal pact, since those shinobis – including her – were also silently granted independence and free will to defy their masters' orders if it their security or world peace was compromised and/or threatened.

But she never thought she'd be put into the exact same position… and how cruel her cunning master could be.

Certainly, she was terribly confused of the meeting's result, notwithstanding Ai's clear hostilities when they left the place. Mai was lost too deeply in thought to plan for anything else other than what personal items she should and was allowed to carry, as she walked mindlessly back to her room, ignoring the respectful bows the twins were receiving along the way, every shinobi in the village seemingly having been informed of the decision before the two girls.

It's not a situation she liked, at all. Control was something most people desired, but the more trained and powerful a person was, the more they instinctively craved and the lesser they actually needed.

Her room was actually just beside Ai's, as was common when twins were born to a family and were old enough to warrant rooms on their own. However, this thin wall – either one of them could easily punch through it like shoji paper – now felt stronger than the majestic stone-and-mortar Great Wall in Ming she'd read about.

Regardless of how much she looked down upon Ai's efforts and motivations, they were sisters. Mai loved her dearly, and her unspoken reason of why she wanted nothing more than to abolish the shinobi village system was so both of them no longer had to fight and ply their strengths just to put food on not just their tables, but also the villagers in Sanga as well.

"You're right, Ai…" she muttered, regretful she couldn't summon the determination to pull her sister to one side earlier and utter this straight to Ai's face. "I… shouldn't be a shinobi."

Ai was frighteningly studious, to the point she became dull and blinded to the horrors of their occupation, thinking training and fulfilling missions were an admirable goal in life – the outside world be damned. Yet, fate spat on both their wishes by granting Mai otherworldly levels of talent, and no matter how much the younger sister slacked off so her older sister could be stronger and take the mantle away from her, Mai only seemed to naturally get stronger from nothing, while Ai had to crawl and struggle her way to achieve the same level Mai had left a long time ago.

She loved Ai. She might not like her, but their familial bonds were strong enough to overwhelm even the greater dislike Ai had for Mai.

It's odd how people always assumed twins got along so well they could talk heart-to-heart without a telepathic spell. They couldn't be further than the truth.

Everything was strange. At first, she was relieved when her master decreed Ai to be his successor… then bequeathed Mai with these two blades which were more akin to a curse than a career opportunity.

Besides, how did her name travel all the way to the imperial castle?! She didn't even know what Himiko-heika looked like! Yet, they appeared to know her well enough to differentiate her from her twin sister?!

Additionally, these two swords in her possession – she'd leaned them against the wall as she packed her belongings – weren't supposed to be wielded by one person. Yes, her master never specifically said that, but their Origins alone were in opposition to each other. [Pure] meant an uncorrupted single existence, while [Hollow] meant precisely that: nothingness or void. How could one make use of what's, essentially, one and zero at the same time?

…no, she realized – her talent should be able to manage.

That was why her master shipped her off to the capital, never to be seen again, in order to shackle her into this occupation she dearly wanted to abandon and destroy. The weight of these twin swords alone made her unable to simply cast them aside and run, knowing what it'd entail to her similarly-chained sister.

In fact, by declaring Ai the Clan Head, her master indirectly threatened Mai.

- If you destroy the village, then you also destroy Ai.

That was what his silent gaze when handing her these swords told her.

She bit her lower lips to hold back the tears. Really, no matter how much they bickered and disagreed, that was the single line Mai would never cross, even though she deliberately ignored this fact in the last few years in order to live freely.

That 'freedom', too, was a fake stage her master merely allowed her to play on, knowing when the curtains were closed, she'd inevitably protect Sōga Village in time.

A kind, knowledgeable, and understanding old man. That was her image of him… yet, today, he made the one and only move against her for the first time.

'I can kill him.'

Indeed, that fact was also true. Whenever she wanted, she could do that. No one in the village was stronger than her, regardless if they all went at her at the same time – even Ai. Mai's serious side, which she only faced during self-hypnosis training, should be more than a match for those opponents. Not even her rich fighting experience in the occasional outside missions was ever able to bring that side out.

Only Mai knew how powerful Mai was – ironically, given humans were usually blind to their true selves.

That thought brought her gaze back to the two blades. Perhaps this fact was also known to her master, and he thought she was the only person who could tame their secrets?

'No. Stop thinking of that man as someone nice.'

Before she knew it, the dawn birds stirred from their sleep and began their pre-morning chorus, accompanied by the bats' light squeaks as they retreated back to sleep. She wasn't even sure she slept or not last night, but her consciousness instantly went full alert – just like how she was trained to react during missions. One of the early shinobis' main cause of death was morning grogginess, and their remaining descendants immediately crafted curriculums around this issue.

She didn't bother bathing – various self-hygiene spells were enough – and tied her hair back into a ponytail, mimicking Ai's usual getup. Cladding herself in all-black clothing and outer cloak, she slid her door open towards the rendezvous point.

Her master had arranged for someone related to the royal family to pick her up – likely a branch member of the Minamoto Clan – but withheld any additional information as if it's the last trick he'd play on her. Her already-exhausted exhales blew misty clouds right in front of her face… and she was suddenly struck with a heavy sense of nostalgia.

Turning her head towards the still-closed door to her side – Ai's room – it just dawned on her this might be the last time she'd lay eyes upon this visage. Was it right to part in this term? When the last gazes they exchanged together was one filled with envy and jealousy and hate and pity and guilt and mystery and anger and self-doubt?

- …

Lost for words, she settled on a silent, solemn bow towards said door, praying in her heart, "Thank you for all this time, Ai."

She turned around and sprinted. Once she reached the village's outskirts, where only the barest hints of farmer activity began stirring…

…and it seemed her gratitude was unnecessary.

She felt Ai before she saw her older sister.

In fact, the first thing catching her attention was the well-built carriage and handsome horse waiting for her, a masculine silhouette patiently waiting for her arrival on the coachman's seat. There was a momentary twinge of relief this was finally happening – or that sort of emotion – but everything was thrown out of the window once Ai's killing intent stabbed into her side.

- Sakura Storm!

Ai's favoured opening gambit, which brought forth traces of pink-and-white petal-like magic energy shards in accordance to the various light slashes and thrusts, guaranteed to land at least one poisoned strike on her opponent. While individually weak, just a graze was more often enough to deliver a dose powerful enough to overwhelm even seasoned shinobis' [Poison Resistance], making it an ideal safe first attack.

It was so familiar Mai could simply sidestep and dodge most of them, parrying some with the hilts of her swords whenever necessary. However, despite her success, she was still wary of the incoming strike since she knew Ai wouldn't use such a predictable attack seriously.

She didn't have time to consider Ai' feelings and motivations. This was a fight to the death, full stop.

- Clack. Clack.

Soft echoes from behind her let her know Ai had already performed Shadow Style: Four-Sided Flower Branches, a technique they used to play with when they were children by skipping rocks across a river. Multiple shurikens bounced off the various rocks and trees, all ricocheting towards Mai's position, forcing her to jump to the sky to avoid their flight pattern.

She clicked her tongue after recognizing that, because she moved into a hole in space specifically prepared by Ai to strike when she's unable to use her footwork to move. There was an ancient Sōga technique to figuratively sky-walk, but not even Mai's talent allowed her to decipher and master that after so many jōnins faced the same failure.

Ai's simple tanto already neared her face before she finished thinking.

Mai's fingers instinctively traced one of her blades' hilt – she didn't particularly care which one was it right now – but hesitated, attempting to tilt her head to avoid the thrust. What if the merest unsheathing of this blade pulverized Ai?

'Such a useless thought…' Mai lamented, realizing she was going to die for that split-second of indecision.

- Bam!

…only to see Ai's figure fold in half sideways, blasted into the rice field hard enough to smash an entire section into mud.

"I don't like delays. Get on the carriage, Miss."

When she landed, the person speaking to her was the coachman, calmly retracting his legs after that perfect flying kick. Mai stood there dumbfounded, repeatedly looking back-and-forth between her sister and this man, before sighing and trudged along to the vehicle in waiting. Looking closer, he was clearly well-trained, his taut muscles visible through his deliberately-loose simple clothing – a common tactic.

His facial features, now that she's looking from the back when the two of them began moving away from the village, was nothing special. A touch pale for someone clearly accustomed to the wilderness and life's rougher side, yes, but just… plain, really, for someone powerful enough to knock Ai out in one hit.

Mai wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, gratefully accepting the chance to separate herself from her deranged sister as quickly as possible.

"You're soft, for such a skilled kunoichi."

She bit her lip at his comment, staying silent as her response.

"Well, I somewhat understand. After all, I have to fight my relative quite often," he remarked, lips smirking as if that could pass as a funny joke. "He's the one who made your swords, you know? Shirō's strong – make sure you ask him how to use them later."

While casual, the man's words contained such amount of information Mai merely gazed on with an open mouth for the nth time in the past few days.

"What."