Wolf sat, a steaming bowl of hot udon before him. The inn was empty save for him and the proprietress, who was currently sweeping the floor.
Leaning forward, he used the chopsticks and wooden spoon, slurping up a few of the thick wheat noodles that arose from the steaming broth. It was good food, much better than anything he had cooked back at Dokoni.
He quickly finished, pushing the bowl away and reaching in his pocket to produce his payment.
Wolf paused, staring down at the silver mons in his hand before silently standing up, picking up his hat and climbing off the mat, approaching the proprietress. "Here." Wolf handed her the money, "Thank you for the meal."
She blinked, taking it. "Oh, you aren't staying?"
He simply nodded, turning around and pushing away the door flaps. Without hesitation, he went on his way, leaving the post station as the light behind his back slowly died out.
The road was dark, the moon a waning crescent. Most would have traveled with lantern or torch to illuminate their way, yet Wolf did not need either, his 'Night Eye' providing him a clear view before him. The wind was soft and gentle, the night air pleasant.
But despite the calm atmosphere, Wolf knew he was being followed.
He narrowed his eyes, keeping them forward, hand close to Kusabimaru. The shinobi was unsure when it had started, but knew that a pair of eyes were upon him... watching. He spotted a smaller trail up ahead that lead away from the main road, showing a more open area. Wolf decided to follow the stray path, knowing that there would be less places for his stalker to hide if they wished to pursue further.
Upon reaching the crux of the trail, he paused...
And then in one swift moment, he drew his blade and turned, deflecting a thrown kunai that was aimed at his back. Wolf was now in combat stance, spotting the attacker a few meters away, their kneeling form suggesting that they had landed from somewhere.
It was a woman with an athletic build, her purple dress revealing and tied at the waist with a red sash, showing off a portion of her breast and thighs, both of each sporting unknown tattoos on their respective side. Black ninja-like tabis covered her legs, and studded gauntlets protected her forearms, a katana and kunai held in her right and left hands respectively. Her raven black hair was tied into a ponytail, ears sharp like knives. Her green right eye was concealed by thick strands of her hair, with her mouth covered by a wrapped purple scarf.
Wolf noticed a whip-like tail sticking out from behind her, heart-shaped at the end and tied with a red ribbon. Another monster, and if her appearance meant anything-
"A Kunoichi." Wolf simply thought, like his mentor, Lady Butterfly, or the owner of the finger he had possessed within his prosthetic, Kingfisher.
She stared at him, clearly not expecting him to react to her sneak attack.
Wolf didn't hesitate.
Loading his shuriken wheel, the prosthetic shot out from behind his cape, tossing the sharp star forward. She got over her shock, dodging to the side to avoid the projectile. Yet the throw was merely one aspect of the attack, Wolf quickly rushing forward and performing a chasing slice, swinging Kusabimaru.
"...!" He heard her behind murmur her mask, raising her katana up just in time to block in a shower of sparks. He attempted to press forward in hopes of overwhelming her, yet the Kunoichi had not given him that chance. Instead, her strange tail shot out from behind her, wrapping around a bough and pulling her back as if it were a grappling hook. She tossed three more Kunais in rapid succession, before landing atop a thick branch.
Wolf deflected all of them, the daggers clanging against the steel and falling to the ground before he followed, throwing his own grappling hook forward and propelling himself upward to land on the very same branch. She seemed surprised again, unable to comprehend that a human was able to keep up with her, much less utilize shinobi techniques, but she finally steeled herself, bringing her katana upward and finally swinging. Wolf deflected it, using his free prosthetic hand to grab onto a branch above and launch a kick forward. She blocked it, yet the force had caused her fall off, landing back down on the ground.
He leaped, preparing a loaded axe. Yet before he had struck the brutish tool down, he saw her hands perform a mudra sign. He hit his mark, a shockwave causing the hems of his worn hoari to whip and shake. By the time the leaves and debris cleared, Wolf realized that instead of flesh, his axe had struck a wooden log.
"A substitute-!" Wolf thought, turning around just in time to see her rushing forward, performing another mudra sign.
Two doppelgangers appeared by her side in a pop of white smoke, all three poised strike him. Illusions no doubt, meant to befuddle both opponent and mind.
So he used his own tool, mist raven feathers clicking within his prosthetic. He brought his own hand against two of the bone like digits, like some mockery of her own hand signal. Just before all three thrust their blade, he swiped the prosthetic hand, the aged feathers fluttering at the end of a string.
He disappeared in a puff of greying feathers, shooting upwards and leaving behind a trail of inky shadow. The three kunoichis looked up, Wolf preparing his axe once more, yet this time, it's edge was coated with a bright blue, lazulite from the fountainhead palace. They attempted to leap back, yet it was too late, Wolf slamming the axe down in an explosion of blessed aqua. The two doppelgangers were dispelled from the sound of the reverberating lapis lazuli, leaving behind the real Kunoichi as she stumbled.
This was his chance.
He rushed forward, grabbing her by her long ponytail. She gasped behind her mask, Wolf ruthlessly tugging her down atop his knee before he brought Kusabimaru up, reading to stab her in the chest.
And then...
A sound.
He whipped his head up before being struck by a bolt of smoke. He was knocked away, hat falling from his head and back slamming into a tree trunk.
"I see-" Wolf slowly felt his consciousness leave him, "-that was the one who was watching me..."
Fumi Emiko couldn't breathe.
The Kunoichi lied on the ground, her green eyes wide as she tore off her purple scarf. Never had she been so near to death before. After countless scoutings and infiltrations in Amanomiya territory, she had become a veteran, which was why they had chosen her to carry out the task.
To 'assassinate' a man who had somehow killed a Crow Tengu.
Her first thought after reading the minuscule dossier was that it was luck. One did not simply throw a farmer's tool and kill one of the fastest types of monster known in Zipangu. To believe that it was some merit of skill that the human had used was impossible. Not only that, but he lacked a left arm, prompting her to believe that it would be an easy mark.
So Fumi had been excited when she accepted. She had been waiting for her whole life to be assigned this mission, to finally claim a man as her own.
But she was humbled.
Not only had he completely anticipated and deflected the sneak attack of her demon silver kunai, he retaliated, showing abilities and skills that would put even the greatest kunoichis in her village to shame. As for his left arm? Possibly the most dangerous aspect about him, the strange prosthetic storing a numerous amount of dangers within it. She knew what she had seen, how the arm seemed to utilize different tools and gadgets to counter her very own ninpo spells.
The Kunoichi managed to turn her head to see the unconscious human sitting against a tree trunk, head slumped. Finally, she turned the other way, noticing her savior descend from the night, her alluring body elevated by wispy black smoke.
A Nurarihyon.
And she wasn't smiling.
"Are you okay?" The temptress asked, smoking pipe dormant on her right hand. Monsters tended to help other monsters regardless of obligation, this was one such case.
"Y-Yes..." Fumi responded, "Thank you."
The Nurarihyon nodded before turning her attention to the unconscious man. "I had an eye on that human ever since he left the post station, and I noticed you were following him." She narrowed her eyes, "But I didn't think he would be so dangerous."
"... Neither did I." Fumi simply said, standing up. "But I-... I came here for a husband, I will not leave empty-handed."
"Are you sure about that, Kunoichi?" The Nurarihyon asked, "I don't know if you can sense it, but there is something odd about this human's mana. It seems so... distant."
Fumi wasn't sure what the temptress meant by that, but she knew one thing. She had come all this way, and now that the fight was over, she could finally fulfill her lifelong purpose. "Then I shall take him back to my village, just in case." She bowed her head, "Once again, I thank you."
The Nurarihyon was quiet, finally puffing a bit of smoke from her long pipe as Fumi came up to the human. She knelt in front of him, finally getting the chance to inspect him. His build was lean, but his skin was pale, clearly unused to being in the light. The man's face was slightly unshaven and even asleep, he appeared crestfallen, as if stripped of something important.
But he was handsome in a mature fashion, youthfulness replaced by masculine vigor.
She had to have him.
Fumi casted a binding ninpo and touched his chest, giant rolls of cloth streamed from her hand, covering his form in an instant. By the time she was finished, the man was fully bound. Her tail wrapped around the giant pill-shaped object as she cast another ninpo, a giant kite appearing behind her back. She then leaped, wind lifting her form into the night sky, now on her way back home.
The Nurarihyon silently watched, a worried look on her face.
It was morning by the time Fumi had returned, her 'husband' in tow.
Her village laid within a small mountainous valley, unclimbable and unseen from the outside by normal means. Houses could be seen, some even carved from the mountainous terrain surrounding it. A small stream ran through it, watering the rice fields and giving off a peaceful atmosphere as she alighted down. A few villagers came up to meet her, anticipating her arrival.
They were other Kunoichis of course, yet most no longer as they stood beside their husbands. Once a Kunoichi finished their monster style assassination mission, they would normally bring the target back to their village and live peacefully. Silently her sisters stood, faces betraying no emotion, their feelings only reserve for their own men as Fumi folded her kite. They then spread out, allowing the village matriarch to approach, her husband a burly blacksmith.
"Emiko, you have returned. I see your mission was a success?"
Fumi nodded, unbinding the human. "It was. But it did not go as smooth as I hoped."
The matriarch raised an eye.
"This human was incredibly dangerous. I was only able to defeat him because of assistance from a passing Nurarihyon. I don't know how... but he knows many of our ways."
"... Impossible." The matriarch simply responded, "No human outside of our village can replicate our skills."
"It is true. Not only was he skilled-" She then grabbed onto his unconscious form, lifting his arm up to show off the bone-like prosthetic. A few murmurs were heard, astonished gazes unable to be hidden. "While I am unsure how it works, he was able to use this prosthetic as a substitute for our ninpo."
The matriarch looked at the arm before looking down at the human. "The intel we received spoke nothing of this." She then gestured to the man. "Strip him of his weapons... and that arm."
Fumi nodded, kneeling down as the matriarch's husband came up beside her. Delicately, she grabbed both sheathed katanas, the smaller and two-handed one, giving them to the blacksmith. He unsheathed the smaller black blade, "Huh, elegantly design. More fit for a Lord than a man of his looks." He then looked to the bigger blade, holding it in his other arm. "I'll inspect this one later."
Finally, came the arm.
The blacksmith knelt beside her. "Let's see here." He inspected the brace, thick string wrapped around. "Aha!" He unlatched a part of the metal, the prosthetic coming off easily. Fumi watched as he felt the digits, a frown growing on his face. "This material... it feels like bone."
More whispers were murmured, the blacksmith standing back up with the three items in hand.
He then walked to his wife, kissing the matriarch lightly. "I'll be back."
She smiled, nodding as he walked off, her face returning to a dispassionate stare. "Take him to your home Emiko. Once he has become your husband, I'm sure he will be more than eager to share what he knows."
The Kunoichi nodded, excitement bubbling within her.
"Why do you seek this place?" The child asked.
Wolf peered down at her, "I seek the Mortal Blade."
"Do you know of the blade that cannot be drawn?"
"Yes."
"It is so-called, for not one who has drawn it has ever survived. Yet you still wish to attempt this?"
"I do."
She gave him a look of, one of both worry and pity. "I see... Very well." She opened the box before her, gesturing its content within. "If you are prepared, you may gaze upon the blade."
Wolf knelt down, picking the blade from its resting spot. He brought the sheath to face level before grasping onto the handle. Slowly, he unsheathed the large katana, a crimson red curse made manifest across its exposed steel.
The shinobi felt his pulse quicken, his heart beat faster.
And then perished.
Before awakening.
Wolf blinked, realizing that he was lying down atop a futon. He instinctively tried to grasp his weapon, only to realize that he had been stripped of his items. The shinobi lifted his left arm in front of his face, his stump coming short of his vision. His prosthetic taken from him and his clothes replaced with simple cotton garments.
"You're finally awake."
He turned his head to the source, realizing that a woman stood in the corner of the room. Her outfit was familiar, so much so that Wolf instantly recognized it.
The Kunoichi from the woods.
Slowly, he sat up, watching her with wariness as she slowly approached. "... Where am I?" He cautiously asked.
"Where you're meant to be." She knelt down before him, "By my side."
Wolf was confused by that statement as she crawled forward, now atop the futon. She put a hand on the side of her mask, taking it off to expose her mouth. Her eyes were half-lidded, a small smile growing on her face. "I have waited long for this."
She then pressed forward and kissed him.
And to that, Wolf thought one thing.
"Buddha, give me strength."
He blinked, his gaze steady as he felt her lips on his, tongue brushing against his teeth. Wolf was unmoving, with no clue on how to even react to the woman's advance. She placed an arm against his chest, trying to push him down. The touch felt...
The shinobi felt his pulse quicken, his heart beat faster.
Wolf's eyes widened.
And on reaction, he defended himself, biting her tongue.
She flinched, muffling a yelp as she pulled away. Holding a hand over her mouth, her face was filled with shock... and slight betrayal. "You-"
Wolf swiftly elbowed her in the face, her body falling backward atop the futon, unconscious. He then quickly stood up, clambering to the side of the room. Wolf took a moment to catch his breath, singular hand over his chest.
He didn't know this feeling, all he knew was that he had been in danger... surely?
Wolf looked at the girl, her eyes closed as he was quickly reminded of his situation. Coming up to her, he knelt down, patting her body with his singular arm in hopes of finding a weapon. He was quickly disappointed, Wolf standing back upon his bare feet. He turned around, sliding open the paper door and silently leaving. Looking around, he found his signature haori and scarf sprawled atop a stand, his wool kimono and medicinal gourd hanging from the side. He put them all on his person before blinking, realizing his clothes had been cleaned.
"What is the meaning of this? Why did she-" He shook his head, dismissing the confusing thoughts. Wolf looked around a bit more, finding nothing else that was his.
Upon reaching the open entrance, he was met with daylight, Wolf realizing that it was already the afternoon. He gazed outside the frame, realizing that he could see an entire village.
"This must be one of those hidden shinobi villages Furukabu spoke of... Why did she bring me here?"
He heard voices approach, Wolf pulling away into and hiding behind a paper wall. Two kunoichis crept in, quiet in their steps, their tone almost unhearable to the natural ear. "-o you think that Fumi's already finished with the new human?"
"She was the best in our training. I would not be surprised." She paused, "But it would not hurt to check..."
They walked past Wolf, the shinobi realizing his chance. He stepped out from behind the doorframe.
Only to realize that a third had been following, her eyes widening.
"H-!"
Within a second, Wolf punched her before throwing his shoulder forward. She was bashed backward onto the ground, Wolf rushing over her form as he heard shouting behind him. He rounded a building before doubling back, ducking into a nearby bush. He witnessed the Kunochi's rush past, the last one limping from the hard-hits he had delivered, readying their blades in a pointless chase.
After waiting a few seconds, he crawled out, sneaking behind a building and cautiously peering. The Kunoichi's that had given chase now speaking to a growing crowd to alert of his escape.
He needed to find his weapons and his prosthetic... quickly.
Looking up, he began to climb the building he was hiding behind with a bit of effort, reaching the rooftop. He crouched low, getting a layout of the village before him. The terrain around the area was mountainous, but there were areas he could easily hide. Rice fields dotted the landscape, and he spotted a large house next to the river, a water wheel churning beside it and smoke protruding from a chimney, indicating that it was a smithy.
He leaped from the rooftop, quietly landing in some tall grass, just as a few Kunoichi's passed. Wolf had to be cautious, knowing the village was now looking for him. Crouching, he went forth, reaching a small clearing amongst the grass. A small ditch was before him, possibly to regulate the water for the rice farms. Stepping into the clearing, he paused, two Kunoichi's rising from the ditch before him.
"Found him. Alert the village." The first one spoke.
Before Wolf could even react, the second produced a bow and shot a whistling arrow into the air, a loud high pitch sounding off.
They were converging on his position, meaning that he had to act.
He rushed forward, the first Kunoichi producing a katana and meeting him head-on, slashing her weapon. Yet Wolf was prepared, enacting a Temple Art he had learned from the Senpou Esoteric Text. Sweeping his leg, he threw himself upward, almost as if guided by his foot as he barely avoided the swipe. The Kunoichi barely had time to react before he brought his leg back down upon her. She was slammed into the ground, weapon flying from her grasp as Wolf grabbed the blade as his own. The archer Kunoichi notched another arrow, now pointing it at him, and let loose. Wolf was ready, swinging the blade downward deflecting the projectile with ease as he kept his pace, the archer lowering her bow in shock.
He readied the katana upward and slashed down upon her.
The blade had drawn no blood.
Instead, the Kunoichi seemed to twitch, bow dropping from her hand as she knelt to the floor, releasing a muffled groan behind her mask. Wolf stared at the incapacitated Kunoichi before briefly looking at the blade, noticing the metal glint an unnatural shade. Not pondering for too long, he ran off to leave behind the quivering Kunoichi, strange katana held in his right hand. He stepped into the rice field, feet now wet with water and mud as he crouched into the growing rice stalks. Wolf's instinct had been correct as he witnessed numerous assailants respond to the call of the whistling arrow, appearing from seemingly nowhere amongst the tall grass.
Turning around, he quickly traversed the rice stalks, spotting some farmers along the way. Unlike the Kunoichis, they were men, wide-brimmed hats turned towards the source of commotion he had left behind.
Wolf eavesdropped on them.
"-at's going on? Some sort of attack?"
"Here? No way. It's gotta be something to do with that strange man our wives brought in."
"Who?" The first male farmer asked.
"You weren't there? One of the Kunoichis returned with her mark this morning." The farmer took off his hat, wiping his forehead. "You wouldn't believe it, he had a fake arm and was armed to the teeth. Good thing they took all that stuff to the blacksmith."
Wolf recalled the house with the water wheel and chimney, realizing that must have been the blacksmith. He turned away, crawling toward the river before quietly diving into the water, swimming underneath as he approached the water wheel.
Grabbing onto a wooden blade with his singular arm, he lifted up from the water, allowing him to sneak into the building from the top of the wheel. He then jumped down, realizing that the inside was surprisingly ornate and tidy despite the nature of the building.
"The furnace is in a separate room." Wolf noted, noticing the double futon before spotting a familiar device.
His prosthetic was left on a table, put there for study. Wolf came up and put it back on, now reunited with the vital piece of equipment as he flexed the bone like digits before turning around.
He then paused, viewing an ornate set of lacquered armor, the braces and greaves a pitch black.
Wolf inspected his newly and questionably acquired braces and greaves, comfy black tabi sandals over his feet. Satisfied, he explored more of the smithy's house, cautiously creeping around corners and corridors. It wasn't until he reached another part of the building that he began to hear the crackle of a fire, leading to a more outdoor section. Wolf came to a stop, peering into the smithy.
Sure enough, a singular man stood there, attention turned to a table. He then turned around, Wolf realizing what he held.
Kusabimaru was in his hands.
The smith seemed to inspect it before delicately placing the katana on a rack. He then turned back around, Wolf slowly climbing from his hiding spot. The smith appeared innocent, but the man had what was Wolf's, so the shinobi peered down at the strange katana he had acquired, realizing the boon it provided in this situation. He snuck forward, ready to strike at the man with non-lethal intent.
And then the smith turned around again, Wolf's eyes widening in realization, this time the Mortal Blade in the smith's hands as he unsheathed it. The man froze up as his eyes peering at the unnatural red the blade emitted.
The smith sucked in his last breath.
He collapsed, Wolf catching him and lowering him to the floor. The shinobi paused, realizing what had just happened.
A life had been wastefully snuffed right before his very eyes.
Wolf froze for a few moments, thoughts conflicted. What could he even do in this situation?
"Forgive me..." Wolf softly murmured, closing the man's eyes and prying the cursed blade from the man's dead fingers. He then turned around, grabbing Kusabimaru as well. Wolf knew he couldn't stay here any longer.
The shinobi had to leave.
"Fumi." A voice called to her, the Kunoichi slowly opening her eyes to see her brethren staring down at her.
"Mmph... Sisters?" She groaned, stirring atop the futon as she felt the side of her bruised head.
"Are you alright?" The first Kunoichi asked, Fumi nodding.
"I'm okay." She shook her head, "He... knocked me out. I don't know how, but he resisted my advances." She then looked up, "Where is he?"
The second Kunoichi shrugged, the third offering her hand to help her up. "We're not sure." The former responded, "The entire village is looking for him."
Fumi was silent as she was back on her feet, "Then I wil-"
Before she could finish, the door to the bedroom was roughly slid open. The village matriarch stepped in, hand tightly clutching a katana. "Fumi." She simply spoke, "Get your gear prepared."
"M-Matriarch?" Fumi asked before she saw an unfamiliar look in the matriarch's eyes, Fumi freezing up.
A look of pure rage and loss.
"Now."
She instantly knew something was wrong, surging forth to get herself prepared. She reached out to grab her demon silver katana, the matriarch stopping her to hand her a collection of sheathed blades.
"No. We will all be using normal steel."
The matriarch turned around, the Kunoichis looking at each other with unsure glances.
"The human will not be leaving this mountain alive."
Wolf's first destination after leaving the blacksmith was the caves.
He had reasoned that scaling the rocky edges of the village would leave him too open. There had to be some other easier way to leave the village.
They were surprisingly cozy, unlike the caves within the Sunken Valley. Evidence that they were lived in was made clear, with some rocky interiors set up like houses. Wolf crept forward, crouched low to not make a sound. Occasionally, he would have to halt his progress, hiding behind a folding door as a few patrolling Kunoichis passed. After minutes of back and forth, he had finally arrived in a more secluded part of the caves, scarcely lit by a singular torch.
It was a dead end.
Wolf paused, staring at the rocky wall. "Something isn't right... This wall-" Silently, he walked up to it, placing a hand against its surface. It felt dry rather than cool, and the surface felt way too smooth for it to be natural. As if on instinct, Wolf placed his back against it before leaning.
The rock turned, revealing it to be a hidden wall and bringing Wolf to the other side.
He supposed it made sense, seeing as it was a 'shinobi' village. Wolf stood up straight, progressing forward before arriving at what appeared to be an exit, daylight barely illuminating the inside of the cave. The only issue was that it was guarded by three Kunoichis, all armed to the teeth. Wolf knew he was at an incredible disadvantage, the tight spaces and singular exit meant that sneaking past was out of the question.
So he utilized his next tool.
Bringing his prosthetic up, the middle finger of the device pulled back, another bone-like finger-popping forth, two holes grooved within it. Bringing it up to his mouth, Wolf took a deep breath before blowing through it.
No sound came out, instead the action left a small circle of churning air. Wolf sat then sat cross-legged atop the ground briefly.
月隠
His form became transparent, much harder to see for the naked eye. He moved away from his original position, hiding at the opposite wall.
And then the echo activated.
*FWWEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAEEEET*
The Kunoichis lifted their heads in alarm, all three of them moving forward. Wolf silently sat, hanging his head low and attempting his best to be as small as possible. Once they had reached the echo, he rushed to the exit, their backs turned to him as Wolf made his escape. His transparency soon wore off, Wolf running as he found himself within the midst of a bamboo forest.
Wolf made it, he had escaped the village.
He finally stopped running, now slowing down to a walk, the bamboos around him gently shivering in the breeze. Wolf took no moment to enjoy the scenery, knowing that he was still an uncomfortable distance from the hidden village.
The shadow of a triangle briefly blotted the sunlight from above.
Wolf turned around, eyes to the air as he spotted a swarm of kites in the distant sky. "Did they see me?" His worry was made real, as the kites tilted, beginning their descent toward him.
He turned back around, now bursting into a full-on sprint, using his grappling hook to propel him through the bamboo stalks. After a few seconds of running and jumping, he found himself in a clearing, surrounded by tall stalks all around him. The first kite landed ahead of him, depositing a Kunoichi, and then another, before another. Wolf looked around, now fully surrounded by the female shinobis, they're passive gazes geared directly toward him.
All except two.
One of them had landed atop the ground, her eyes reddish by the sides to indicate that she had been crying. Yet now her irises were filled with both rage and anger, a look Wolf knew all too well. As for the other? Oddly enough, it was that of worry, Wolf recognizing the Kunoichi who had kissed him.
Both gazes were the first to approach him, the rest of the Kunoichi's watching him warily.
"That is far enough." The wrathful Kunoichi spoke, pointing the tip of her katana toward him. "I wonder if you feel remorse for what you have done."
The other Kunoichi turned her head to her superior, a look of confusion in her eyes. "M-Matriarch...? I'm afraid I do not understand."
"He killed my husband, Fumi."
That news seemed to shock the other Kunoichi, Wolf silently recalling the smith, the only man that had died before him as he quickly connected the dots. The matriarch looked back to him, hand now quivering around the handle of her katana. Finally, she tore off her mask, tears now beginning to stream down her face as she yelled at him, baring her teeth.
"Well!? Aren't you going to say anything, you damn murderer!?"
Wolf paused.
He then looked up, finally speaking the truth.
"I did not kill him."
However, she did not seek an answer, merely a resolution.
The matriarch drew her blade, as did many others around albeit with much less gusto. It was clear that they did not want to have him killed, and none were as reluctant as Fumi. Her eyes seemed to anxiously dart between both Matriarch and him, hands idle.
"Fumi." The matriarch demanded her compliance, "He must die for what he has done."
"This is...-" Fumi paused, "But Matriarch, this isn't our way. We do not kill."
Wolf raised an eye at that as the matriarch opened her mouth, prepared to say something.
And then a sound was heard.
It was low at first, distant but growing ever closer.
Everyone froze up, realizing that a few bamboo stalks nearby stirred and shook, birds fluttering from every disturbance, loud stomps now heard.
Two Kunoichi's close to the source paused, still atop their respective stalks as they turned their heads.
Just for a gigantic grey-furred form to leap up and swipe both of them with razor-sharp claws, leaving behind bloodstains in the wind, their bodies slamming into the forest floor by the colossal smack. Wolf's eyes widened, recognizing those long furred arms.
It climbed up, grasping a bundle of bamboo together as it leaned off, its damaged and malformed face peering at the intruders with pure animalistic hatred. Then, with one great breath, it let out an ear-piercing roar, the sound more akin to a hellish instrument given life.
The Guardian Ape.
"How...?" Wolf simply murmured, his thoughts in complete disarray as the mortal blade on his back grew heavy. If his memory served correctly, he had ended this creature's unnatural life, yet here it was. The ape looked the same, albeit lacking the katana embedded in its neck.
The Kunoichis, on the other hand, did not share the same reaction. Most simply stood there, unable to comprehend both the fact that two of their sisters had just been culled, and the great beast that seemed to come out of a child's nightmare. Fumi stared, wide-eyed alongside her matriarch, "W-What is-?"
It leaped, a few Kunoichis finally reacting in accordance as they forsook their positions. The giant animal collapsed atop the bamboo, dragging the stalks down with it in a flurry of green debris. However, whilst hunched over, it began tearing pieces of bamboo and crumpling the vegetation in its claws, showing off its frightening intellect. The ape then turned around, drawing its arm back and throwing the sharpened bits like a primitive blunderbuss.
An unfortunate Kunoichi was immediately pierced with holes, body falling to the ground as another was stabbed by a stray bamboo stake, screaming out behind her mask as her momentum stopped midair. She was not even given the chance for a rescue, as the ape leaped again, grabbing her and then slamming her into the ground. The ape stood up, letting out another roar, owing to its nature as a shinobi killer.
With all attention obviously turned, Wolf realized that the situation provided a much-needed distraction, the matriarch and Fumi stared at the ape with shock. He quickly ran, abandoning the scene. After reaching the edge of the clearing, he turned around to see the matriarch finally act, desperately calling out to her brethren to regroup as they scattered like mayflies. All the while, Fumi's focus had turned to her now dead sisters, smashed corpses now decorating the bamboo forest red.
Turning back around, Wolf left, disappearing behind the bamboo.
He landed atop a tree branch, finally leaving the bamboo forest behind.
Wolf took a moment to recuperate himself, now absolutely sure that he had escaped the Kunoichis. He sat down, allowing himself some He placed a hand on his forehead, deep in thought before finally giving up, now glad that he was not being chased anymore.
He inspected the newly acquired 'non-lethal' katana, the unnatural silver glinting in his eyes.
They had not sought to end his life, but to merely kidnap him at first. It was only when their leader had thought he had slain her husband that they sought his death, and even then, the one that had attempted to... court him, had argued against it. Wolf quickly came to realize, that just as Shoukichi had desired him as a husband, the same was possibly true for the Kunoichi, Fumi.
She wanted him to be her husband.
Wolf felt frustrated.
What was it with monsters and their obsession with human men? Shoukichi had told him most monsters wanted to live peacefully with humans, but how could that be possible, when most humans were capable of great violence?
How could one think he could ever be a husband?
It was all so tiresome.
Which oddly enough, filled Wolf with a pang of newfound guilt.
"Was it right to leave them? To leave her?"
While Wolf could not answer why or how the Guardian Ape had ended up here with him, him killing the beast in the past made Wolf feel slightly responsible for its existence in Zipangu, especially with the fact that only he himself had the only means to truly kill it.
Sheathing the silver katana, he reached behind and drew the mortal blade. It had no effect on him, thankfully, as the weapon belonged to him.
Could it be possible that...?
Wolf closed the weapon, realizing what that may have implied.
He had slept lightly after traveling yesterday, setting out in the early morning.
Wolf traversed over a few rocks before finally coming to a stop, noticing something.
Sakura trees.
The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, seeing as it was spring. The petals left behind created a mesmerizing sight, almost as if laying down a road before him. Wolf paused, "Furukabu said it was a mountain populated by sakura trees, could this be...?"
He couldn't be sure yet, but the evidence was so far promising. He followed the path of petals, walking a short distance before coming to another stop.
While most would have seen a rocky cliff face, Wolf's eyes caught something else as the light seemed to unnaturally shift across the surface of the stone.
An illusion.
The shinobi cautiously approached, producing a snapseed from his pocket. He opened the pod, the resounding noise revealing an open gorge that led further past the mountain. Wolf made his way through, noticing the various talismans attached to the rocks. After traversing the opening, he arrived at the other side, noticing a wide-open field of soft grass.
A lone house stood in the middle of the field, its doors closed.
"A field, hidden behind an illusion." Wolf walked forward, "Furukabu must have had much confidence that I would spot the-"
Sakura petals drifted past his vision, wafting within the wind. Wolf blinked before realizing that a sharp blade was being held beneath his neck. His eyes peered to the side, realizing that a short old man was the user, his wrinkled face nonchalant and his bushy brows furrowed.
He then spoke, his voice like a growl as he tightened his grip on the nagamaki.
This must have been Totetsu Amanomiya, former lord of the Amanomiya clan.
"You have five seconds to tell me how you bypassed the illusion, and how you found this place."
"... I was trained to spot such things." Wolf answered, "And your retainer, Sir Furukabu, told me the direction."
The old man narrowed his eyes, "Furukabu? He would never give that information away, not unless...-" He then lowered the blade ever so slightly, "Do you have proof?"
Wolf slowly reached into one of his pockets before producing the golden circlet Furukabu had given him all those nights ago. "Yes. He gave me this, his old kabuto crest."
Totetsu seemed to analyze the ornament before looking back up. "Then another question."
He lowered the blade.
"Who are you?"
Wolf paused for a few moments.
He thought of what he had seen over his journey, and what he had learned of both the world of monsters and of clan Amanomiya.
"I am called Sekiro." He answered, "And I am the last human shinobi in Zipangu."
Happy new year!
Here's a chapter for you guys! Keep in mind, I'm gonna start working on my other stories, so don't expect a chapter too soon. That's not the last we'll see of Fumi, and that Nurarihyon will be back, as will the Guardian Ape. I think you all know what's coming next chapter, KOYOI.
Also please tell me about any spelling errors. I only just realized that I was using bought instead of brought thanks to a reviewer. (Thanks Kabuto S. Inferno)
GrumpyGrue: Leedleedleedleedlee!
Evowizard25: Before she left, expect canon divergence... and some tragedies...
