A/N: I'd say maybe this one is about two weeks after Assassin's Hunt, some weeks before The Other Side. He was still recovering from the terrible injuries he sustained during the former. I have been trying to uncover more of his life in writing, just because I really enjoy the Hizoku clan, and I like to imagine what life in it was like, as well as get to explore Ron before he became an evil man.

Features mentions of a couple of OCs that are just part of the clan, though they do not appear.

If you aren't familiar with the Hizoku stuff I've been making up due to SNK not having a whole lot on it, I go into some things in AN's here, though the other stories attempt to explain more(as usual, these Hizoku stories come with a laundry list of AN's by the end.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!


Pouring more of the hot water over his body, Duo Lon stood in the large, wooden tub behind the small cabin hideout. Located near a lake, one was able to draw and boil up the necessary water for bathing; it was one of the more comfortable places to stay out in the wilderness. The most comfortable places to stay, of course, were nearby towns in the small hotels, but given he was still shy of eighteen, the young man spent a bit more time over in the villages, of which the closest town was a three or four hour drive away. The main village was relatively modern, though with very few frills; these smaller outposts and hideouts were not. Mostly they were just simple cabins or lookout towers, scattered in secret areas around the vast countryside.

Gritting his teeth as the very hot, steaming water washed clean the horrible wounds he had sustained about two weeks before, he was shocked at just how fast they were healing. A normal man would have easily been killed by the opponent's vicious venom alone; the inch-deep tears he left behind in his skin with his hardened nails left two sets of large, crossed scars on both his chest and back. But his body, having already been trained to past physical peak due to the strange abilities they had, healed much more quickly than normal.

He still managed to defeat the man-who was twice his age-by tearing his throat out with his own hands during a bloody fight. The man had been far more ruined than that; he had smashed his jaw in with an adrenaline-fueled roundhouse right before. The clansmen sent to find his body were almost surprised at the power the teen held, though his father was not. He knew how young Duo Lon was when he performed his first assassination.

What happened after the traitor was killed was not discussed, but it was deemed not Duo Lon's fault…as being driven mad from the man's incredibly potent venom caused the distraction that ended up with him stuck in the death realm temporarily. Which, in turn, caused him to finish giving into madness. He did not remember the corpses left behind, though he subconsciously knew what happened. It chased his dreams soon after, reminding him…though he never let it break him.

At this point, he suspected he would be all but immune to any hostile substances. His body fought off the man's venom in less than three days, which was the turning point. It had been an excruciating couple of days as the black venom oozed from his deep wounds, but he did it.

He would likely be able to spit the toxin very soon. Had his opponent been anyone lesser, the venom may not have even affected him, but this man had trained side by side with Lin before he turned. Not many Hizoku turned traitor at all, but this one had, and training with Lin meant his poison was incredibly strong. A drop of the man's blood would have done for an ordinary person. The scars he received would stay; even if they had been sutured, they'd have been obvious, but they had to let his body expel the venom from them. By the time they did, it was too late-they simply bandaged them up.

His thoughts getting away from him for a moment, he rinsed one more time before stepping out of the tub and throwing on his trousers after briefly drying off. Taking a few moments to gaze out into the dark woods, he let the air dry his wounds before applying some medicinal substance to them, which he had a jar of outside. He would not need much, but they wanted to take care to watch them still, as the deepest ones were still somewhat open.

Turning to walk back inside of the cabin after a few moments of fresh, fairly warm night air-September was not yet too cold at all, and his training allowed him some good temperature tolerance, anyway-he quietly shut the back door behind him and went over to the fire, to see if there was something to drink. He recalled there was some tea in the place that he went to a shelf to procure. After a few moments of searching, his keen ears picked up soft footsteps outside; going on alert, he was still calm. He knew that the chances of this being an unwanted stranger was low.

The door opened slowly, creaking in the silence.

"You're healing well," a soft voice said behind him. Turning, the young assassin saw the black-clad, black-haired braided figure standing at the door, almost gaunt in the moonlight.

"Yes," he replied. His father stood behind him, having arrived back from his business. He wanted to see Duo Lon now that he was up and about, healing well. "Are my brothers here?"

Ron knew he spoke of the youngest ones. "They are back at the village," he said, "But they will be leaving again soon."

Duo Lon knew how it worked all too well. When you became of an age-usually around ten to twelve-you were sent off to other places to train in various things, often depending on the aptitude one showed while training, though other things came into play, as well. Up until then, one got their training in the main village proper. One would barely see their childhood friends-it was a bit of a lonely existence. Usually, only during special days when the clan would gather for the new year or some such thing would people see again to catch up. Upon reaching adulthood, they could return to the village, or strike out on their own, coming back now and again when called; either way, they lived the life of the assassin, it was just up to them at that point. It was their way for over a thousand years and through several dynasties, and they looked to continue. They would always keep their secrets-their training methods and edicts, especially-guarded, however…even killing those who discovered them.

Turning back to the fire, he finished preparing the kettle. Part of a hare remained which he had hunted earlier.

"I don't think we have too much here, unless you want some slightly burned hare," he said, chuckling. "I will probably have to hunt again to get my breakfast by the look." He had no issues with this-any clan member was trained to live for extended periods in the wilderness out of necessity-either to track a target or to hide out afterward after slaying someone more high-profile. It was one of the earliest things they learned besides martial arts and poisons, before they were even blooded-which was, to be specific, when they performed their first assassination. The age of that varied, but Duo Lon had barely turned fourteen-which was considered young. Most did it closer to their sixteenth year, but his status-as well as how he took to the training-had them test the young man earlier.

Having to fend for himself was of no issue; vegetation was plentiful, and small game was easy to find-hare, fowl, and sometimes fish when near a river were fairly easy for a stealthy one like himself to procure.

"It's fine. I did not expect to be done early, and decided to see how you were doing."

"I have been well. I have not had any nightmares for a week." He found the tin of tea, its leaves thin and long.

"You recover quickly. Despite not having the power mastered yet, you have come back twice from the madness. There are more experienced warriors who never return, even the first time."

The young man chafed at that last remark; the first time he had slipped into madness had been his own fault, when he had just turned sixteen-still a foolish boy, in his own mind, thinking he knew better than his teacher. Ron noticed his discomfort.

"You mustn't forget," he said. "So you never make the mistake again."

"I know." He removed two cups from the shelf, setting them on the table. "I will be out here for a few more days. I'll stop back at the village soon after."

"When are you due for your next trip to Shanghai?" he asked.

"Next month," he said. "We are to find a set target."

"Yes. I have heard." Ron walked softly over to the table to pull out a chair to sit. He was almost three inches shorter than Duo Lon, who was the tallest of all of his grown children so far. He was of a medium, fairly healthy build, having trained in some forms of kung fu for much of his thirty-three years, but as he grew older he relied more on his necromantic abilities, so he lacked Duo Lon's sinewy, hard, almost serpent-like physique. His son only used his more necromantic abilities when necessary, relying mostly on his devastating blows to end people.

Folding his slim, pale hands under his chin, he looked around, spotting the board with the black and white stones on it. After getting the water ready, Duo Lon went back over to sit, the very heavy weight at the end of his braid-which he wore constantly-swaying almost hypnotically on the other side of the chair. He took his pipe off of the table and filled it with his favorite tobacco. The Hizoku were no strangers to this, even when younger, as they often had to smoke herbal mixtures while preparing their minds for their first trip into the death realm. Not all smoked; Duo Lon did not do this often, but he would take a pipe every so often.

As he did this, he noticed his father eyed the game board.

"Want to play?" he asked.

"I'd like to see how you're doing." The man smiled softly. Ron did not speak loudly nor smile often, but he would when he was around his family.

"Let's see." He stood to get the board, taking the white side. His father noticed immediately.

"Letting me start first, then."

"I like to plan."

Ron set the stone in its starting point, and the two kept answering each other as the water boiled. He set another stone as he stood.

"I will get the tea," he said. As he did so, Duo Lon studied the board, planning a few moves ahead already. He may have been younger, though was skilled nonetheless at such strategies. The trainers had ensured that.

Coming back over and handing his son one of the cups, he nodded in approval as Duo Lon made his next move. The young assassin smiled softly at him.

"I have been practicing."

"You always had. Even when they first started to teach games of strategy." He placed another stone down, making a capture…though Duo Lon noticed his sacrifice early, and managed his own.

Sipping his tea after taking another draw of his pipe and then setting it in the pipe holder on the table, he looked up at his father. "Do you have any other messages for me?"

Ron looked at him, smiling softly as he would. The man was always respected around the clan as a kind, yet strict, teacher, and they considered Duo Lon a 'prince', likely taking over the clan whenever his father passed on, though Lin was also rumored to be up for that spot. "This time, I just wanted to visit you. As a father, instead of a mentor."

The younger man nodded, pushing another white stone into a spot, setting his father up for a rather elaborate trap, which made him raise an eyebrow. His own braid swayed in the wind; his son's was finally as long as it, even at his age. Duo Lon's may have even been a bit longer at this point-past his rear, though not at its ultimate length quite yet.

After a sip of tea and a few moments of thought, he plotted out a few more moves and began to grow another 'base' with his stone.

Glancing up at his father, he took a drink of the hot beverage himself; it was a pleasant, aromatic green tea that almost had a relaxing scent.

"I feel like I should ask how you have been," he said quietly.

It did not take Ron long to know what he meant.

"I have been well enough," he said after a few moments, staring at the board. "It has been almost a year and a half, but I suppose it is this time of year that is the hardest."

"She passed in the spring, though." He remembered it was not long after his fifteenth birthday…perhaps a month or so.

"We met for the first time around now," he replied.

"Really?"

He nodded. "I had snuck back to the village during training," he said, chuckling.

He knew his parents had married fairly young-they were the same age. "I never knew you were one to sneak off, as strict as you are," he said, rolling the smooth stone in his hand.

"I can assure you, even the strictest of the clan elders had gotten into things when we were in our late teens," he replied. He gave his son a sly smile. "Many of the older ones will deny this, of course."

This caused Duo Lon to chuckle, finding a good spot to put his stone. "I imagine they need to save face."

"Master Shi was caught gambling in his youth, the first time they went to the big city," he chuckled.

This caused Duo Lon to blink: Shi was now around fifty, and handled much of his training when he was younger. He was notorious for being one of the stricter teachers there, though was not completely unkind. Any slips in routine, however, would result in extra duties, and it was he who sent him and some others to thrust their hands into the buckets of sand and gravel for extra time after they snuck off during an early trip to Shanghai. He could not picture the stone-faced instructor with the still-black braid-only a couple of wisps of gray mottled through it-sneaking off to gamble, of all things.

He laughed. "I suppose that explains his punishment when we had snuck off that time some years ago."

Ron nodded, picking up another stone in his slim fingers. "So…yes, most of the elders, in their own way, have not been completely compliant in their youth." He shook his head. "And some get elevated in their sects. We know how much Sai gambles, after all."

Somehow, the young assassin felt slightly better learning this. He had been a compliant and serious young man, but like anyone, he had slipped a few times. His most serious transgression was something he was still coming to grips with, but the other things were far more minor; things like sneaking off with the other kids to go get junk food in Shanghai, or as teens, poking their heads in stores that they really shouldn't have been poking their heads into.

Watching his father place another stone, he began to plan a few steps ahead again; it was one of the only ways to stay on top.

"How are Feng and Liu?" he asked. They were his two youngest brothers, having turned five and six. He liked all of his family-even his half-sister, whom many of his siblings were not fond of due to the circumstances of her birth-but he actually had gotten to see his two youngest brothers the most when they were very young, so there was a fondness there.

"Good," he said. "They ask about you. Feng can't wait to begin training on something more difficult than sand."

Duo Lon smiled at that, but it was a touch melancholy. He knew what they all were and what they all went through…and what they did. At their age, they did not know the darker side yet. When they had just about reached their teen years-right before this-they learned. He was not bothered by it, but seeing his younger brothers sometimes reminded him how short of a time one knew innocence in the clan.

"He was always one of the bolder ones, even at his age."

Rolling the smooth stone in his hand, Ron selected another spot to put his piece. Looking over the board, he stroked his chin. "He was bragging about some of your more impressive feats to his young friends."

Duo Lon had to chuckle at that. He mostly got along with all of his brothers, though the youngest seemed to take to him the most. The second eldest he was probably the most distant to for a variety of reasons, and Duo Lon felt there was likely some tension there about the clan leadership, as well, but they were at least mostly cordial.

There was also more tension there thanks to Xiao Lon. Duo Lon was always kind to his younger sister, but after everyone had separated from her-Ron more out of necessity to make up for his transgression-before he left, he was really the only one who was kind to her from his brothers. Bai and Yuze were old enough to understand she made their mother upset at the time, and there wasn't much Duo Lon could do to placate them. Zhang, one of his middle brothers, did not seem to mind her as much, though rarely had any contact with her.

Looking at the board again, he was surprised that he was able to keep up with his father at the game. Fortifying another 'base', as it were, Ron nodded in approval.

"You have gotten better at this. I may have to leave before we get to finish our game. In the past, I had often won by now."

"We can leave the board if we don't finish."

He nodded. "I have seen games go on for days."

Duo Lon looked off to the side for a moment, rolling a white stone between his fingers deftly. His steel-hard nails-strengthened through various, secret substances-were of no impediment to this. "That village…" he started. "That night-"

Ron shook his head. "We have taken care of it," he said. "We took any responsibility. You performed more admirably than they expected…though I knew that you would be victorious," he said. "I know what you are made of."

"I felt…anger that night," he said. "He turned on us."

"It is understandable."

"Why would he?"

"No one can understand the mind of someone who gives up the clan. Some may not be able to stomach who we are, but they run away…not turn. He wished to fight for someone else."

Duo Lon simply nodded, placing a stone down in such a way that he made a rather clever capture. The small, almost ghost of a smile appeared in the corner of Ron's mouth from this.

"Good," he said. "We will leave off here. I will need to get back soon-I am sure my own students will wonder why I am late, if I am."

"Night training?"

"Yes," he said, standing. He bowed toward Duo Lon, the young man returning it. "Soon-in some weeks-you will be learning translocation. This is dangerous." He did not mince his words.

"I know," he replied. "I will be ready."

"I know you will," Ron said, before bowing his head, sliding his mask on his face, and disappearing out of the door, and into the night.

Carefully placing the board aside-Duo Lon had made quite a mark on it, so far-he went over to the fire to grab the remainder of the hare, considering throwing it into the wok with a few handfuls of wood-ear and green onion that he had procured before sleeping. He knew his day would be early again where he would be training his strength and adrenaline control, which was quite exhausting. He even considered hunting his breakfast tonight after eating, as animals were often out and about now, so he could be ready for this come morning.

Looking out the door as the soft breeze blew inside, he closed it before heading over to the fire in silence.


A/N: As said, laundry list of notes here:

-Ron's betrayal was 'soon before the '00 tournament' in the lore, so I have it that Duo Lon was about twenty when it happened. There's about four years to go; Ron's still chill and well liked at this point, and had no thoughts-let alone plans-to betray anyone...yet. I imagine it all went to hell rather quickly-probably within the span of just a few months.

-I had Ron dip far into necromancy, which twisted him for the reasoning(I have not written that…yet.) It's why he sought more power. He looks normal now(no gray, cracked skin, glowing eyes, etc.), since he hadn't gotten his weird enhancements/given into the death powers.

-Other stories deal with how the 'necromantic' powers work re: 'giving into the madness'(The Wailing Underworld and Assassin's Hunt are referred to in this.) Essentially their powers are weird.

-Hizoku training is *barely hinted at* in the lore, so I had to make up a lot of stuff that sounded cool. We DO know they leave the main village when they're around ten or so for training elsewhere, at least, and we know Lin trained Xiao Lon, but otherwise it's *very* vague.

-Canonically…Ron was sixteen when Duo Lon was born. I just set his parents at around the same age. People mess around at that age, and stuff happens. I trust that people here can be like, mature enough to handle the mention of it.

-Fighting styles! If you watch Duo Lon, he has one slow projectile and his phasing leg. He's otherwise very 'physical'. Ron uses a lot of his 'mystical' powers, with some physical strikes. I feel like this would be reflected in their builds. Duo Lon weighs close to 180, and if you see martial artists who are 6'2'-6'3'' and 180-ish, they are ripped. Middleweight MMA fighters average in the 6'+ foot range and are 170-185. There is NO way Duo Lon looks like his weird, exaggerated XIII model which is why I describe him like I do. (His scars are my own idea; I just think he'd look awesome with them.)

-In the game of Go, black makes the first move. Duo Lon purposefully took the side that goes second.

-The pleasant green tea was *probably* Xinyang Maojian, from Henan Province, just south of Hebei.

-Any names besides Ron, Sai, Xiao Lon and Duo Lon were made up-Duo Lon's brothers, trainers, etc. Not many at all have official names. (Feng, Liu, Yuze and Bai are names I had created for four of the brothers mentioned.)

-Sai is the big dude with the big forehead, along with Chat and Luan. Later on, they each headed one of the sects-it seems that the Poison of the West(Xi Du) was the largest sect(just going by the bits of lore I can find, since more notable characters were Xi Du.) Chat and Luan look younger, so they likely weren't elevated yet. Duo Lon was part of Ron's, and Ron was both the clan leader AND the leader of the sect. Duo Lon would probably be the new Hizoku head, once Ron was sorted out.

*Deep Breath.* Anyway, hope you enjoyed another bit of unexplored backstory! Drop a line if you so feel like it.