Chapter 1
The Ninja Standing on a Skyscraper
Night blanketed a city as a young woman dressed in a yellow vest over a white shirt and green tie, with a matching green plaid skirt, black thigh high socks with brown loafers, a pair of arm guards with bandages on her arms, and a pair of straps that held her dual blades. The only thing that carried over was a short red scarf around her neck. As Sora walked quietly down the darkened streets, he looked up at the building, then heard the swooshing of swords being drawn from their scabbards, followed by the familiar ringing of their blades. Summoning his Keyblade, he raced up the building, cutting his way through any Heartless that stood in his way, whilst in his double form, then jumped up and landed beside the girl, as several more people dressed in dark clothing landed near them.
"Here we go," he said to the girl.
The first of their opponents sent several weapons towards her, but Sora deflected them with his Keyblade, as if he were anticipating their movements, much like Naruto's friend and rival, Sasuke Uchiha. The girl jumped towards a metal vent, and ran across it, as Sora fought off her assailants. Thinking fast, she took hold of a railing, spun about, and jumped away. To Sora, it almost looked like she was flying like a graceful swan, but he saw one of the other ninjas rushing after her, as she landed on a fire escape,and hung by her legs. Chasing after her, after assuming his Shinobi Soul Drive form, which made his clothes resemble his friend Naruto's, Sora catapulted after the girl's pursuer, tried his best to stop his new adversary from hurting her, until…
"Crap! The scroll!" gasped the girl.
The other ninja swung back, thinking that she'd gotten her hands on the item she mentioned, only to see that it was just the top most part of her outfit.
"Fooled ya," the girl chuckled, as she swooped down, and kicked her away.
She landed beside Sora who was amazed by her tenacity, as he unleashed Firaga on the other ninjas forcing them to scatter about. The girl was surprised by how Sora used that strangely shaped key like a sword, but she knew that there was something more important than just admiring his techniques. She jumped away, and threw several dagger shaped weapons at them, which she pulled out from her bikini top.
"Not this time, guys," Sora said to them, and with a mighty leap, he whooshed past them and joined the girl's side.
"You're asking for it!" the girl said to her pursuers, and threw a bomb at them.
"Now, Firaga Burst!" cried Sora.
A massive explosion erupted between them, as Sora and the girl clambered to safety, and were safely out of sight, but not before Sora made sure that no one else would pursue them, as he unleashed Judgment Bolt on his enemies, thanks to his mastery of the element of thunder, which he learned more about from Sailor Jupiter, Makoto Kino herself. The girl turned and looked at Sora, with a strong glint of determination in his eyes, then slowly stood up.
"Man, you were so awesome!" she said excitedly to him.
"Thanks, you were also pretty good," replied Sora.
Suddenly, the girl saw the chopper taking off, and she quickly clambered aboard, as it buzzed away. She turned and gave Sora one brief glance, until she disappeared into the moonlit night sky. At the same time, Sora knew that this girl, despite her appearance, not only looked pretty, but was also pretty cute, even after what he witnessed. He turned away slowly, and continued his trek to the school that Hanzo mentioned to him. This mission that Yen Sid had given him would be strange, but as he said before, he was ready for anything, no matter what the darkness would throw at him.
(It's time for an epic anime like introduction for this adventure, so play the theme of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT)
It starts with Asuka walking forward as she looks out to the horizon, where she sees the dreaded Hebijo Academy. On the other side, Homura stands with her seven blades on her back, as she too looks out at Hanzo Academy, her eyes burning with fierce determination like Yang's.
"Lux! Umbra!
Vita! Mors!
Lux! Umbra
Vita! Mors!
Lux! Umbra!
Vita! Mors!
Lux! Umbra!
Vita! Mors!"
As we hear the chanting, Sora joins Asuka and her friends, and charges forth to meet the Hebijo Girls in battle, each one using their own weapons and fighting styles against each other, while Sora battles his way through the many Heartless and Replicas under Haruka's control, in a fierce battle of truths and wills, while also helping Ikaruga, Katsuragi, Hibari, and Yagyuu fight Yomi, MIrai, Hikage, and Haruka of his own volition. From far away, the dreaded Sephiroth stands beside the cruel Dogen, who has a cruel smile on his face, as he also feels his power growing, just as Rin temporarily helps our young hero fight against an even more malevolent darkness.
As the battle drags on, the Hanzo girls change into the shinobi uniforms with the will of their spirits, as well as become even more powerful, as the spirits of Sora's friends give him the strength to continue the fight against the darkness, until a massive explosion erupts in the distance, as everyone continues the battle of wills and trusts.
Finally, the Hebijo Girls team up with Sora and the Hanzo Girls, and charge forth to fight against Dogen and Sephiroth in a no holds barred winner take all contest, in which the fate of the world now hangs in the balance. In the end, we see Sora and Asuka standing as they look into each other's eyes, and share a passionate kiss with each other which freezes at that moment.
(I think that's somewhat of a good introduction sequence for this adventure, now, on to the story)
Sometime after the ordeal, Sora was now on a water taxi with the same girl, but noticed that she was wearing a different set of clothes, reminiscent of a school uniform. She was looking out to the horizon beyond, almost as if she had succeeded in her performance, and taken the next step to becoming something more. She looked back on what her grandfather had taught her about using both a sword and shield, as well as being warned about how absolute power can corrupt a person's heart, leading to them succumbing to an even terrible darkness, and the promise she made of making him proud of her, both in life and death. As they passed under the bridge, Sora felt like it was time to approach the girl. As he passed her, just as she still kept true to her word whilst eating what looked like a sushi roll, he turned around and greeted her.
"Hello there," she said to him.
"Hiya," Sora greeted back.
Suddenly, it hit her. The girl saw that she had seen Sora before.
"Wait a minute, you're that guy who helped me fight off those people, and had a strange weapon that looked very much like a key," the girl gasped in surprise.
"Oh, right. Sorry for popping in out of nowhere like that," apologized Sora.
"Oh, no, it's not your fault. Actually, I'm happy to meet someone who has the fighting spirit of a ninja since ancient times. My name's Asuka," assured the girl.
"Oh, uh… my name's Sora," replied Sora.
Asuka was amazed, until she noticed some tall buildings nearby.
"This is Asakusa, my hometown. Oh, the city's even prettier after I left. This is like the best view ever," Asuka said excitedly.
"Mine's not bad either," another girl said to her in agreement.
Sora noticed that she wore her hair in a ponytail like Asuka, but noticed that her skin was tanned, and wore a dark colored school uniform, but it's design showed her midriff.
"So, you're from Asakusa? You did say you're finally home, right?" she asked.
"Oh, was I that loud?" questioned Asuka.
"Well, I don't think the whole boat heard you, but I did," replied the other girl, catching Asuka by surprise.
Then she noticed Sora.
"By the way, is this guy your new boyfriend or something?" she asked.
"Actually, no. We just met each other for a short while, and now we're here again on the water taxi, but it was before I returned home to my hometown, and now he and I are just starting to become friends now," explained Asuka.
"You're too cute," chuckled the tanned girl, as she turned away.
"I am?" Asuka asked when she looked at Sora.
"Um, well… I guess you are cute, as well as really pretty, Asuka," replied Sora.
This made Asuka feel a whole lot better.
"Thank you, Sora," she said happily.
"See ya," called the other girl as she walked away.
"I wonder where she goes to school too," wondered Asuka.
"Got me," her new friend said.
After arriving at the port, Sora and Asuka soon stepped off the water taxi, and they set off down the road to the very school that Lord Hanzo mentioned: National Hanzo Academy.
"Wow!" Sora said with a strong hint of anticipation and excitement in his eyes.
"Yep, this is National Hanzo Academy, established in the year 1919, which was a long time ago before my grandfather met my grandmother Sayuri, and they had my father who met my mother, who had me sometime afterwards. Currently, this school has about a thousand students that are attending it. Just like any high school, there are a lot of guys who sometimes start crushing on girls like me, but from the way you're acting, you seem different, almost like you're more respectful and reserved around women," explained Asuka.
"Well, that was thanks to my meeting with Tifa Lockhart. Sure she may be strong and powerful on the outside, but on the inside she has a kind and gentle heart, just like Makoto Kino, who's Sailor Guardian Identity represents the world, Jupiter. Some of the rumors about her being rough and tough may be sad but true, but she's finally found someone who acknowledges her, not for her strength, but her kind and gentle nature," replied Sora.
"Well, anyway, we're almost there, Sora. I hope you meet my friends, because I'm sure they'd like to meet you," she said.
Soon, they entered a room that had several items for different styles of etiquette and respect. Asuka quietly led Sora through a hidden doorway, and soon entered a room where a girl wearing the same uniform as her sat drinking tea, but her hair was a darker color that flowed down past her waist, and hung near her thighs, with flat cut bangs resting on her forehead. Her eyes were dark blue and a bit more slanted, but she sometimes was more reserved about being focused on the task at hand.
"Welcome back, Asuka," she said to her.
"Thanks, Ikaruga. I'm pumped and ready to get back to training," Asuka replied quickly.
"I see you've brought a boy with you, but I sense that his aura is different from those perverts," Ikaruga continued, her tone strict like Yen Sid's, but had a tiny sliver of respect within it.
She stood up slowly, and turned to face him. Sora stood tense for a few moments, as Ikaruga studied him carefully.
"Oh, right. Ikaruga, this is my new friend. His name is Sora," explained Asuka.
Then Asuka turned to Sora.
"Sora, this is my friend, Ikaruga," she said.
"Nice to meet you," Sora said as respectfully as he could.
"And you as well, even though Asuka can be a bit of a headache at times. She should know better than to bring a stranger here," Ikaruga said sternly to him.
"Listen, I know that I might be a strange face in this place, but I've also been assigned here by someone called Hanzo," Sora explained to Ikaruga.
"Wait, you met my grandfather, Hanzo?" Asuka asked in surprise.
"Yep. He's a good man, and I'd gladly trust him with my life. Both he and Master Yen Sid sent me here to this school to study with you guys, and to improve one of my Soul Drive Forms," replied Sora.
"Since you're a new student at this school, you must swear absolute secrecy. So all I ask is, don't blow our cover," Ikaruga stated firmly.
This made Sora snapped to attention like a new recruit under a strict drill sergeant in the military academy.
"We'll do our best, Ikaruga," he and Asuka said in return.
"At ease, you two," another voice said from behind them.
Sora and Asuka soon relaxed a bit, then turned to face the girl who spoke to them, as if she were a second in command. She too wore the same uniform as she and Ikaruga did, but her shirt was unbuttoned from the top two most buttons. Her hair was long, soft blonde, worn with a blue head band that had a ribbon on either side of her head. She had bright blue eyes that were like Sora's, but while her expressions were mostly perverted, she started to get a bit of a flirty look on her face, when she noticed Sora standing beside Asuka.
"Oh wow, I see Asuka brought a cute boy here. I'm Katsuragi, but my friends sometimes call me Katsu, or Kat for short. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said to him.
"I'm Sora. Nice to meet you," replied Sora, as he extended her hand to her.
Katsuragi was surprised, but she saw that Sora was just as respectful as Ikaruga, yet she also sensed that his aura was very similar to Asuka's.
"Anyway, I mostly like playing with my friends' 'merchandise,' but I should probably hold off for now and try to learn a bit more about you," she said.
"Please, don't flirt with him, Katsu," sighed Asuka, until…
Crash!
This made Sora turn and look at another girl whose hair was light pink, and tied in two small pigtails by two black ribbons, while the third was on the center of her head. She too wore the same uniform as the others, but she was more innocent looking, but her light blue eyes had a pair of pink cross-shaped pupils. Sora slowly walked up to her, and gently extended his hand to her.
"Need some help?" he asked.
"Oh, thank you so much. My name is Hibari. It's nice to meet a new student in our class. I hope you'll forgive me for arriving just a bit late, after my little hiccup," she replied, as she took his hand, and was gently pulled up.
"This is Sora. He's a new friend of mine I met on my way back here," explained Asuka.
"Once again, it's nice to meet you, Sora. But how did you do on your examination, Asuka?" Hibari asked her friend.
"Well, you have to wait and see," Sora answered in Asuka's stead.
"Oh I hope she passed the exam with flying colors," squeaked the pinkette.
"Hibari don't you think you should be studying for your own examination, rather than celebrating someone else's victory?" another girl asked from nearby.
She had long white hair tied into two twin-tails held by two shuriken on either side. She had an eye patch over one of her eyes, making Sora think she was in an accident, but noticed that the other eye was red in color.
"If Asuka can pass, then I can too. Just wait, you'll see," assured Hibari.
"Who's she?" Sora asked the others.
"This is Yagyuu, she's my friend, but she sometimes treats me like a little sister. You may not know this, but she's actually what you call a prodigy. In other words, someone who's studied really hard, and even trained very intensely," explained Hibari.
"She's also one of our many under classmates, and out ranks myself, Katsu, Hibari, Ikaruga, and you as well, Sora," added Asuka.
Sora nodded, then walked up to Yagyuu.
"It's nice to meet you, Yagyuu," he said.
"Likewise, Sora. Also, I'm actually happy that you helped Hbari up to her feet," replied Yagyuu, as they shook hands.
Suddenly, there came a powerful bang, and a huge cloud of smoke appeared around them. There standing before the six of them, was a smartly dressed gentleman in a black suit, had gray wavy hair, and auburn colored eyes.
"It's time for class to begin, ladies," he said to them.
The five girls stood at attention, and greeted him, addressing him as Kiriya Sensei. Kiriya turned to Asuka.
"I hear you passed your test," Kiriya said to her.
"I did. And I even brought a new friend of mine. His name is Sora," replied Asuka.
"Well, Sora, welcome to National Hanzo Academy, named in honor of Lord Hanzo," he said in his best formal tone.
"Hey there," Sora greeted back.
"Uh, Sora, try to show a little more respect," hissed Hbari.
"It's all right, Hibari. I acknowledge Sora's tenacity, as well as his drive to be a great and powerful shinobi like you and everyone else," assured her teacher.
He soon began searching through his notes about Asuka's performance on the test, which made poor Asuka feel embarrassed, as Sora rested his hand on her shoulder.
"Well, this is impressive," Kiriya said, causing the poor girl to jump back in shock.
"You earned the lowest possible score on your test. I'd never seen anything like it. Seriously, I never noticed why," he continued.
"Let's focus on the good. At least I passed, right?" asked Asuka.
"True, I never said that you had to ace it, but I hope you'll shoot for a higher grade next time," answered Kiriya.
"And we'll help you out too, Asuka. That's a promise, from all of us to you," agreed Sora, as he extended his pinky to her.
Asuka did the same, and she gripped his pinky with her own.
"Thank you, Sora," she said happily.
"Today, you'll be practicing your hand to hand skills. Now get changed and meet me in the training hall," he said to them.
Then he vanished in a cloud of smoke, which made the girls sputter and cough, while Sora slowed his breathing down so that he wouldn't inhale the smoke that was left behind.
"I think Kiriya Sensei awesome and all, but I wish he'd lay off the smoke bombs," Katsuragi said, as she and the others changed into their gym clothes.
"His methods may be old fashioned, but he's a great teacher," agreed Ikaruga.
"Every shinobi's got their own thing. Guess his is smoke bombs," replied Asuka.
"Anyway, Asuka, call it curiosity, but what's the deal with Sora, even though he's a boy?" Katsuragi asked her friend.
"That's not your concern, but I also want to know what he's like as well," Ikaruga said in her strict tone.
"Yes ma'am," the two girls replied.
"Do we have to go?" Hibari asked nervously.
"What's the matter?" inquired Yagyuu.
"I'm just scared. That's all. I'm not good at hand to hand combat, Yagyuu," she replied.
But Yagyuu turned around, and assured her that she would always do her best. After everyone stepped out of the training room, Sora arrived in his Shinobi Soul Drive form.
"Holy wow, Sora! What the heck is that?" Asuka asked in surprise.
"This is my Shinobi Soul Drive Form. It allows me to take on the appearance of my friend, Naruto Uzumaki. Well, my clothes transformed into his jumpsuit, even though he was still a Genin," explained Sora.
"While I'm impressed with your form, and if everyone's ready, I suggest we hurry up before we get in deep trouble with Sesnei for being late," replied Ikaruga.
"Yeah, I guess," sighed Sora.
He could see that she was very strict like Weiss Schnee was, until she slowly softened around him and the rest of Team RWBYS.
"Ladies first," he said.
"Thank you, Sora," replied Ikaruga, who gave a bit of a light chuckle.
They soon jumped through the shoot, and landed on the ground. Luckily Hibari landed in Sora's arms, and was gently set down on the ground. Yagyuu could see that he was different from the other boys she met, and gave him a bit of a respectfully friendly smile, as Kiriya announced that Ikaruga and Katsuragi would start sparring first.
"Hey, Katsu, Ikaruga, do your best," he said to them.
"With pleasure," replied Katsuragi, and both she and Ikaruga soon engaged each other in battle.
The others were impressed, as Sora stood with his arms over his chest, and a stoic look in his eyes. Then Asuka and Yagyuu were called to the center ring, as Katsuragi gave Sora a bit of a flirty smile, while Ikaruga nodded in his direction. They too sparred as well, as Sora soon realized that no matter what time it was, there was no margin for error as the training he'd endure would make him become stronger, faster, and a bit more ultra instinctive. Finally, Sora and Hibari stepped up. Although she tried her best to fight, Sora knew that deep down there was a strong sense of unease in her heart.
"Hibari, it's okay. Don't be held back by fear. That's the greatest enemy of almost every man, woman, and child, no matter which world they're from," he said to her.
"Okay, I'll do my best," replied Hibari.
But although she tripped, Sora caught her in his arms, and very carefully steadied her, so that she wouldn't fall onto the ground. They sparred with each other for a bit, until Kiriya called the match.
"Like Sora said, Hibari. Fear is and will always be your greatest enemy. Never forget that," he assured her.
"He's right. Fear, anger, hatred, jealousy and vengeance give way to darkness. And that in turn draws out a dangerous force of dark creatures called Heartless. They prey on the darkness in the hearts of different people, so that they can capture them and create new and more deadly forms of Emblem Heartless. The Pureblood Heartless may sometimes harvest hearts as well, but they don't release hearts after you defeat them. It's also worth noting, that no matter how many Heartless you take down, there's likely to be several more that take the place of the one that's been defeated," explained Sora.
Then he turned away and faced the others.
"That's why I carry this," he said to them, and extended his hand towards them.
Instantly, they saw the weapon that Asuka saw from before.
"This is called a Keyblade. A weapon like this is used by people who have exceptionally strong hearts. My strength comes from the people I cherish. They are my family, and they're what make me stronger than anyone could believe. And you've also become my friends, which in turn means that your strength is my strength. My connection to all of you is what makes me truly strong. That's why having a strong bond with your friends is what can help you overcome the darkness," he finished.
Everyone was surprised to hear that, but they were also amazed by Sora's weapon. Kiriya knew that from long ago, ancient Keyblade Wielders came to their world to stop a great and terrible evil that plagued the land with darkness. After training, everyone was now talking about their sparring matches, but sometimes Katsuragi would often brag about her apparent victory over Ikaruga, leading to Sora giving her the death glare. Normally, Ikaruga would be angry at her friend for her arrogant and cocky behavior, but she grew uneasy about the look in Sora's eyes.
"Sora… you're scaring me," shivered Katsuragi.
"Katsu's right, Sora. I get that you don't like it when she brags, but that's no reason for you to give her the death glare," agreed Hibari.
The other girls nodded in agreement with Hibari's judgment, until the bell rang.
"Man, I'm getting hungry. What do you guys want to do for lunch today?" the blonde asked as she stretched.
"I don't know," replied Sora.
"Don't worry, you guys, I brought you back a little something from my trip," assured Asuka, opening up her package.
"Asuka, you rock!" grinned the Keyblade Master.
The others had to agree, and they soon began digging into the futomaki rolls.
"These are delicious. Where did you get them, Asuka?" asked Ikaruga.
"I stayed with my folks last night, and they wouldn't let me leave without taking some," replied Asuka.
"Hmm… sounds fair. I guess there are times when you're with your family. I know that it's not my place, but I'm sure they'd always be proud of you, no matter which road you take," agreed Sora.
"My sentiments exactly, Sora," smirked Katsuragi.
At that instant, Kiriya appeared in a burst of smoke, and asked to have a futomaki roll.
"So, tell me, Asuka. How's Hanzo holding up these days?" he asked.
"Grandpa? OH, he's doing great. He wanted these rolls to be perfect, so he woke up at the crack of dawn to make them," answered the pony-tailed brunette.
"You don't say. It's good to say he hasn't changed after all this time," said her teacher.
"I hear you, Kiriya Sensei. Even before I met Asuka and the others, I was asked to attend this school by one of his oldest friends, Master Yen Sid, a former Keyblade Master, now a watcher of the stars, and overseer of the balance between light and darkness," Sora replied.
"I see. But enough of the small talk. It's time to take your Shinobi training to the next level. I'm giving you your first mission outside the school," Kiriya stated firmly.
"Okay, then what's the mission you'll be assigning to us?" Sora asked as he snapped to attention.
"Ah, straight to business and ready for anything like Katsuragi and Ikaruga are. I can see that you'll be a truly powerful warrior of your own making, thanks to the strong bonds of friendship you've forged with the people you meet, Sora. I'm sending you to the shopping district to deal with some ruffians, who are causing financial problems for the merchants in the city," observed Kiriya.
This made Sora gain a dark cold expression. He knew that delinquents were nothing but trouble, but at the same time, he remembered the time when Fiore shoved Usagi to the ground right in front of him and his friends.
"We'll see what we can do, sir. And on a personal note, I don't like it when rough and tough characters cause nothing but trouble for the people in this city, for three important reasons. 1: They don't give a crap about who lives and who dies, just because they like causing trouble, unless their morality is pitch black, making them just like the Heartless. 2: It's wrong of them to run amok in a shopping district in any city, just so they can rob those shopkeepers blind, and make off with the money they have. And 3: I really apologize for making Hibari nervous, but I don't want them to bear witness to my dark side, Vanitas breaking free so that he can hurt my new friends," explained Sora.
He sighed quietly, which made Asuka look sympathetically at him.
"I wouldn't forgive myself if you guys got hurt by him. But, with your permission, I'd be honored to patrol the city, no matter what mission you assign me," he added.
Hibari and Ikaruga nodded their understanding towards him. Even Yagyuu had to agree with his decision.
"No matter what happens, Sora. No matter where you go, always remember that you'll never be alone, because we'll always be in your heart," assured Hibari.
"I agree with Hibari, Sora. If this Vanitas guy does appear and start causing trouble for us, we'll do our best to make sure that you stay true to the light," Yagyuu said, and she gave him a sympathetic smile.
This made Sora cheer up immensely, as he looked at all the kunoichi around him.
"Thank you. You girls are the best," he replied quietly.
"It's us who should be thanking you, Sora, for talking about something that makes you afraid. But sometimes that same fear can be your greatest ally, just as it's our greatest enemy. Like Hibari and Yagyuu said, we'll always be with you, and help you stay true to the light," Ikaruga said.
Moments later they soon set off for the shopping district, until Sora knew that Katsuragi would often complain about missions, such as escorting someone who was of another group, or collecting intelligence from an embassy, but Ikaruga was unsure about why she and her friends would be assigned to deal with the ruffians. Asuka on the other hand, had to agree. She knew that if their secret was discovered, there would be a huge mess of consequences, despite the raven haired kunoichi's belief in training.
"Are we just gonna wander around till we find them? Or should we come up with a plan?" chimed Hibari.
Everyone stopped as Sora turned to face them.
"I agree with Hibari on this one, girls. Thanks to my experience in helping Mystery Inc. capture criminals with Team SKYYLAR, I think we should split up and cover more ground," said Sora.
"That actually sounds like a good idea, Sora. If you see the punks we're looking for, be sure to give us a signal," agreed Ikaruga.
"Roger that, Ikaruga. Oh, and if Asuka and I are distracted by something, just be careful if you see any Heartless prowling through the city," he warned them.
"You have our word, Sora," replied Yagyuu.
Soon they began searching through different parts of the city, but Sora decided to tag along with Asuka as they approached what appeared to be a huge temple.
"What's your assessment, Asuka?" he asked.
"As far as I can tell, the temple is punk free," she replied.
"Excuse me," a familiar voice said to them.
It was the same girl that Asuka and Sora met on the water bus on the way to Asakusa.
"You're stalking me, aren't you?" she asked.
The girl explained that she was on a field trip with her school.
"Cool, how do you like Asakusa?" Asuka asked her.
"It's beautiful, but I'd like it even more if I could find my friends. I got separated from them, and my stupid school doesn't accept cell phones," replied the tanned girl.
"I don't suppose you remember where you last saw 'em," she said.
"I think it was near one of the main streets," the other girl murmured.
They began their search for the girl's friends. Asuka had to point out that Asakusa had a lot of streets, which did make it difficult for them to find their new companion's friends.
"I really appreciate your help, but I'm sure you've got better things to do," she said to them.
"Don't worry, helping people out is both a privilege and an honor," assured Sora.
"Yeah, he's right. I'm just glad we could help out," agreed Asuka.
"Are you sure? 'Cause you looked busy when I ran into you," replied the girl.
"Oh, no, I was just wrapping up a class assignment, that's all," Asuka said quickly.
"You go to school here, right? I don't want to get you in trouble or anything," the other girl said matter of factly.
"Don't you worry, that's not gonna happen. I've got family ties to my school. I try not to abuse it, but it sure is handy," assured Asuka.
"Really? Well aren't you a lucky girl," she smirked.
She glanced at Sora.
"How about you, new guy?" she asked.
Sora did his best to explain everything about his friends, even though he and Asuka had barely known each other. At the same time, Hibari and Yagyuu conversed with each other about how they were always together, despite her idea of splitting up and covering more ground. The white haired kunoichi said that someone had to stay by the pinkett's side so that she would be kept safe from harm, but Hibari tried to assure her friend that she could handle the punks on her own.
"You say that, but what if they sneak up on you?" she asked, frightening the girl.
"Why would they want to do that? I know they're mean and all, but do they have to fight dirty?" questioned Hibari.
Before Yagyuu could respond, they were soon set upon by the very delinquents they had been searching for, and were completely surrounded on all sides. Yagyuu stood her ground, a glint of defiance in her eye, while Hibari stood behind her, despite the extortion they had to deal with.
"You must be the punk's we've been looking for," she smirked.
She quickly motioned for Hibari to give out the signal, which in turn got the attention of Ikaruga and Katsuragi, who quickly rushed to their aid. As they did so, Sora, Asuka, and the tanned girl still continued their search for the people she mentioned, but she apologized for the trouble.
"Oh no, I'm sorry for not being able to find you classmates," Asuka assured her.
But she soon saw the alert that Hibari sent out. This made the girl skeptical, but Sora knew that a signal meant retreat, or there was trouble. This made the tanned girl look at her in confusion, but Asuka dismissed it, and suggested they head to the Benten-Sama shrine. As they left, Sora turned towards the flare, his face looking grim.
"Ikaruga, Katsuragi, Hibari, Yagyuu, I hope you'll be okay," he murmured quietly.
"What's up?" the girl asked.
"Oh, nothing. We'd better keep looking," replied Sora, and he followed after Asuka.
But the girl turned around and clicked her fingers, signaling another girl with brown hair that was curled at the ends, and wore a large pink bow on the top of her head. She too wore the same uniform as the tanned girl. The ruffians demanded to know why Yagyuu and Hibari were here, just as Katsuragi and Ikaruga arrived. This was the signal for the two kunoichi to jump to the rooftops, as their friends stepped forth to take care of their assailants.
"Where are Sora and Asuka? Have you seen them?" the raven haired kunoichi asked.
"We could really use their help right now," agreed Katsuragi.
This only made Ikaruga disappointed, as Yagyuu asked HIbari to make sure the people wouldn't get caught up in their scuffle. As the battle was about to begin, Sora, Asuka, and the tanned girl were now walking near a canal, but the two of them were concerned about their friends.
"We've looked all over the city and there's no sign of them. They must've left already," sighed the tanned girl.
"You'd really think they'd leave without you?" asked Asuka, unaware that her new friend was drawing a small blade from behind her.
Sora began to think that something was amiss, but as he turned and prepared to summon his Keyblade, a small flock of ducks flew past Asuka, causing her to stumble and tumble into the water. At the same time, Hibari told the people of the city that there was construction going on, but she too began to worry, as her friends had now managed to take care of the thugs with barely a sweat. Ikaruga was surprised that their remaining friends hadn't arrived either, until Katsuragi noticed that their enemies were standing up, as if they wanted more of a beat down. This frightened them a bit, just as Hibari tried to let them know that something was amiss about the troublemakers. Above, the girl looked down at her prey, as if she were some kind of vulture.
"She may not be the brightest, but her senses are sharp," she said to the masked man in black armor.
"I agree, Haruka. I suggest we find a way to subvert this girl's heart with darkness so that she can become a far greater asset to Master Kurai's plan," grinned the dark warrior.
Haruka nodded, then clicked her fingers. Instantly a strange phenomenon emerged around the four Hanzo students and the estranged punks. Ikaruga realized too late that it was a Shinobi Kekkai, which transcended time and space, and also made it impossible for the people to see or hear any commotion that was going on. Realizing that they had no choice, Ikaruga motioned for her companions to prepare for the second round.
"Shinobi Transformation!" she cried.
The others nodded and they too chanted the same words as she did. Instantly they were soon engulfed in a brilliant light, until they were in new and different outfits that seemed to suit them. Ikaruga's outfit consisted of a white gold-trimmed jacket with six buttons and a few golden tassels strewn across, an armband on her left arm symbolizing her status as the class representative, white gloves, a short gold trimmed white skirt and boots that were the same color as her jacket, and a pair of black tights around her legs. She carried a sword on her person, which she called the Hien. Katsuragi's was the Hanzo uniform, with the shirt unbuttoned, a blue plaid skirt, long socks, and a pair of black and gold metal boots adorned with small blue tassels on either side, so that she could perform complex martial arts with her own two feet. Yagyuu's outfit consisted of a pale brown jacket over a white school shirt, a red plaid skirt, brown loafers, and calf-high black stockings. She had a black mantle that was triangle shaped at the trim with two extending tails. Her weapon was an umbrella that hid a small short sword. Hibari's outfit consisted of a light pink track jacket with the Hanzo emblem on the left part of her chest, dark blue biker shorts, black and white socks, and a pair of red and white sneakers. Back at the canal, Asuka was now soaked from head to foot, as Sora turned respectfully away from her.
"Are you alright?" the tanned girl asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay," replied Asuka, until she gave a light sneeze.
"Thanks again for helping me," she said to them.
"It's no big deal," assured Sora.
"By the way, we don't know your name. Mine's Asuka," added the ponytailed brunette.
"My name's Homura," replied the tanned girl.
"Cool name. I'm Sora," said Sora.
"My thoughts exactly," agreed Asuka.
"To be honest, you two are very much alike in terms of personality," smiled Homura.
"Yeah, well, I guess that's a trait we have in common," replied Sora.
Asuka nodded, and she raced off after bidding Homura farewell, who began suspecting that her estranged friend hadn't sensed her intention to strike, but saw that Sora somehow reacted to her presence as if he sensed something off about her.
"Don't worry. I'm sure your friends will turn up sooner or later. Bye-bye," called Asuka.
"I hope they show up as well, Homura," agreed Sora, and he soon raced after Asuka.
"Oh, I'm happy to hear that. But I know exactly where they are," Homura said, when she was alone.
"The time has come, my precious little puppets. Let's show these girls what you can do," smirked Haruka.
Inside the dimension, Asuka and Sora's friends fought against the punks once more, even as they dodged and weaved past their blades. It took all their combined efforts to defeat the thugs, even as Yagyuu fought to protect Hibari from harm. However, a single strike from her blade caused the larger thug to stumble back, revealing what resembled a replica. The other kunoichi saw it too as they defeated their assailants. This made Ikaruga confused, as the strange energy faded away. They still pondered about it later, as dusk settled in, as the raven-haired swordswoman was still unsure about what Katsuragi asked her. The only thing that was engraved in her mind was that they were targeted by someone who wanted them out of the way.
"Who would attack us? We don't have any enemies," Yagyuu said firmly.
"It's kind of hard to explain, but I only sensed a single presence from the dolls. It's as if one person was controlling all four of them," added HIbari, until she slipped on a soda can, and fell safely onto someone's hands.
"Are you alright, dear?" she asked in a motherly tone.
"I think so," replied the pinkette.
"That's good. It'd be upsetting if someone like you got hurt in a terrible way. I'd suggest being more careful in the future," the man in formal attire said to her.
Hibari thanked them, as they turned away and bade them farewell. This made her think that they were kind and considerate about her safety, despite Yagyuu's suspicions about them. At last they heard both Asuka and Sora's voices when they arrived.
"What happened to you?" asked Ikaruga.
"Yeah, why is your uniform soaked?" Katsuragi asked as well.
"Listen, we're really sorry we didn't arrive in time to help you guys, but to make a long story short, we met a girl named Homura who was searching for her friends. We helped out as best we could, but we didn't find them. As for why Asuka and I didn't show up when we saw the signal, I have only two reasons for that. 1: We like helping people out with something they're having a difficult time with. It's something that we're capable of doing, regardless of what we choose to be. And 2: Like I said, Asuka and I are really sorry we didn't get here in time to help you defeat the thugs that were causing the merchants in the shopping district financial troubles. Therefore, we'll respectfully face the music," explained Sora.
But Ikaruga shook her head slowly, and gave him a gentle smile.
"While I'm disappointed in both of you for not showing up in time to help us, I appreciate your honesty, Sora," she said.
"Those punks we were after turned out to be dolls," added Katsuragi.
"Dolls?" wondered Sora.
Then it hit him like a gigantic water bomb on the head.
"Replicas. Someone might be using replicas to try and get rid of these girls," he murmured to himself.
"Is something wrong, Sora?" Asuka asked.
"No, it's nothing, Asuka," replied the spiky brunette.
He turned to Ikaruga.
"We'd better alert Kiriya about this, then you can decide how we can handle the consequences," Sora said to her.
"Fair enough, Sora. You and Asuka can begin patrolling the city for any more of these replicas you mentioned, after we update our sensei on the situation," agreed Ikaruga.
"Understood, Ikaruga," replied Sora.
"They were quite lovely. In fact, I'd like all of them to be my pretty little puppets," chuckled Haruka, who stood on a rooftop from far away.
"Yes, and it's all thanks to my discovery of Vexen's replica program, before he was killed by Axel in Castle Oblivion, thanks to some nifty information from Hyena R. Droid, after he gave us Vexen's records on the Replica Program," agreed Akechi.
"I'd like to hear your thoughts, Homura. Tell us about the Legendary Shinobi's granddaughter," the blonde in a maid outfit said to the tanned kunoichi.
"Let's just say, I was expecting a formidable warrior, and I left disappointed. However, that boy she was with detected something off about me, as if he were ultra instinctive," replied Homura.
"If they're so weak, why are we waiting? Let's go to Hanzo Academy and take care of business," a girl with green hair said in earnesty.
"That won't be necessary, Hikage. However, Yomi, due to how you fight with a sword that's reminiscent of Cloud's own sword, I can tell you this. That boy is known as Sora, and he is a Keyblade Master," Sephiroth interjected when he appeared from the dark corridor.
"It's obvious that patience isn't your forte. I say we should let them stay blissfully ignorant, just a little while longer, that way we can go in for the attack when they least expect it," remarked a dark haired girl who was wearing a cat themed gothic lolita outfit.
"Yes, we'll be sure to plan an ambush by using the replicas and Heartless to cause a perfect distraction. And then, we'll defeat them, and raise them up as warriors of darkness," smirked the former detective prince, turned warrior of darkness.
