Love Hina - Kyoshiro no Tenchuu

by cipherknight

Before he was a Tokyo U aspirant, he was the Japanese Imperial Tournament champion. Before he became a landlord, he was the orphaned heir to a brutally massacred clan. Before he was Keitaro Urashima, he was Kyoshiro Mononobe. For his family's murder, he has sworn the worst vengeance...Tenchuu. First fanfic. Rated M for explicit content, Pairings TBD

2. Birth of Tenchuu

Disclaimer - I don't own Love Hina. That's all Ken Akamatsu.

Chapter I – The Birth of Tenchū

It was a beautiful, crisp fall day in the nation of Japan, with clear blue skies as far as the eye could see, and a gentle heat coming from the midday sun. The leaves had begun to change colors, sporting luscious reds, yellows, and oranges in an elegant, breathtaking portrait of nature's own creation. In the streets of Tokyo, the people hustled and bustled towards their destination for the day. As it was a Saturday, most were heading to begin their weekend plans, chatting with friends at cafes, shopping at malls, and so on. In the air was a tranquil buzz that would uplift anyone's spirits, and just make the day that much more peaceful and enjoyable.

It was the quintessential perfect day…

"HAJIME!"

…the perfect day for the Decennial Imperial Tournament, held in the vast courtyard of the Chowaden Reception Hall within the confines of the Imperial Palace. Vibrant banners and streamers waved fiercely in the wind, as the crowd of dignitaries and heads of ancient noble clans roared and cheered at the matches currently underway. From behind the bulletproof glass of the veranda, the imperial family sat and watched the festivities. The emperor, resplendent in a crisp white suit, displaying the perfect example of royal poise and dignity as he sat straight, his wife and empress next to him, dressed in an elegant red-silk kimono tied closed with a purple obi, her hair done up in an elaborate bun and only slight traces of makeup on her face, emphasizing her natural beauty. Their children, the crown prince and the princess, were also dressed in their best kimonos, however rather than the stoic, serene image their parents assumed, the bubbly and cheerful youngsters were bouncing in their seats, nearly toppling out of them in excitement as they cheered on their favorite swordsmen competing before them.

Placed in the middle of the courtyard was an upraised circular ring, only a couple of feet high and several meters in diameter. Preserved from ancient times, this ring was the ceremonial battleground used by the competing swordsman to wage honorable one-on-one combat. Although worn by age and exposure to the elements, the combat ring still fulfilled its purpose faithfully to this day. To the left of the ring, the Mononobe clan stood by in their camp, eyes glued to either the ring during combat, or the emperor and judges as they declared the winners. The clan's flags dotted their side of the field, showcasing the dark blue and white colors of their house. On the opposite side of the ring, the Tachibana clan also stood at attention amongst the black and yellow flags of their house, eyes fixed to the ring or emperor's booth, but every now and then, a few shot fierce glares and dirty looks towards the Mononobe side, looks that went unnoticed or ignored by their rivals.

The battles had waged fiercely and without pause for the majority of the day, but now, as the emperor rose from his throne and motioned towards his two judges to come towards him, the air above the courtyard seemed to still in anticipation, and time itself appeared to hold its breath as it waited for the emperor to speak.

"My warriors! My countrymen! Today, you have graced these eyes of us all with your displays of ability, skill, tenacity, and grit," began the emperor, his powerful voice echoing across the yard, "your battles have been exemplary, your representatives honorable, and your desire to win…inspirational."

He looked out across the field, his warm hazel eyes taking in every face, before lingering on two families in particular, "Now…the contest to determine which clan will claim the title of honored Imperial Guardians for the next decade is nearly at an end. It is time for the final battle of the tournament to begin!"

A raucous cheer rose from the assembled crowds, as fellow clansmen clapped each other on the back and roared in excitement at the ring before them. In the Mononobe camp, many of the clan members hugged and shook hands with one of their own, a young man no older than 14, as he made his way through the crowd and stepped up to where a group of three people awaited him. His long, spiky black hair tied in a simple ponytail waved gently from side to side as he walked on, his sharp brown eyes focused and determined. Dressed in a flowing white gi with metal shoulder pauldrons, a dark blue hakama, and simple wooden sandals and socks, he was the spitting image of an honorable apprentice samurai as he finally reached the individuals standing near the edge of the ring.

"Father, Mother," the boy began in a soft voice, falling to one knee before them and bowing his head to show deference.

His father, a tall, lean structured man with short, spiky black hair who shared the same sharp brown eyes as his son, walked forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Rise Kyoshiro, there's no need to stand on ceremony with me. Save it for the emperor, ok?" he laughed as he helped his son to rise.

Once he got back to his feet, Kyoshiro was surprised with a hug from the smallest member of the group, a girl of about 10 years of age with long, straight black hair that went down to her waist, vivid light brown eyes, and dressed in a white kimono with cherry blossom petals sewn in an elaborate design.

"Kyo-nii!"

The young warrior grinned wide as he embraced his little sister, "Saya-chan! What'd I tell ya about glomping me in front of the others!" he tried to sound stern, but he couldn't keep the mirth out of his voice. It was hard to be mad at the adorable young girl.

"Now, now Saya-chan, you have to act more dignified in front of the Imperial family," the soft voice of the children's mother interrupted as she walked towards her offspring. She was a tall, demure woman who stood only about a few inches short of her husband, with a heart-shaped face and short dark brown cut in a pixie style, along with vibrant blue eyes. She was also elegantly dressed in a formal blue kimono with white rose petal designs sewn into the fabric. When she reached her son and daughter, she embraced them both, a gesture returned by Kyoshiro.

"Awww! I just wanted to wish Kyo-nii good luck and tell'im to kick the other guy's butt in the match!" Saya whined as she pulled back from her mother and latched herself onto her brother's arm, clearly not ready to send him off just yet.

"I know you did sis, and thanks," Kyoshiro gently rubbed his hand in Saya's hair, messing it up slightly. The rambunctious little girl didn't seem to mind in the slightest, only holding her brother's arm closer to her.

"Kyoshiro, we have to go present ourselves to the emperor and the judges for the match," his father called. Waving one last time to his mother and sister, the apprentice samurai walked with his father to the front of the veranda. From their position, they noticed a small group of women standing outside in front of the glass windows of the veranda.

One was a short, wizened looking elderly woman, with silver hair tied in a bun, slightly tanned skin with few wrinkles, and squinted eyes full of warmth and mischief. She wore a nondescript red kimono under a large orange haori and geta sandals. Standing next to her was a taller woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, with short brown hair and long bangs that framed her pale face, and aloof, but friendly brown eyes. She wore black slacks and a tight black turtleneck shirt, covered by a long beige trench coat, and black dress shoes. A half-finished cigarette hung lazily from her full lips.

The last two women appeared to be sisters, as they dressed in the same white gi and crimson hakama and sandals. Both had flowing raven-black hair that reached to their backsides, pale skin that shined in the afternoon sun, and dark grey eyes, although the older sister's eyes held power within them, along with a hint of playfulness, while the younger sister's held more caution and a hint of shyness. They could have been twins if not for the fact that the older woman reached Kyoshiro's father's height, while her sibling was a head shorter than Kyoshiro.

"Father, you didn't tell me THEY'D be here," Kyoshiro said as he gestured to the group of women gathered at the veranda. His father laughed and patted his son on the back, "Of course I didn't, I wanted it to be a surprise. You've trained with them for quite a while, so it's only natural they'd come and watch your debut bout."

Catching a few words of the exchange, the older of the raven haired sisters gave the young swordsman a playful look, "Aww, you sound like you didn't want us to be here, Kyoshiro-kun! And after we came all this way to see your big fight," she placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head dramatically, earning a tick-mark on Kyoshiro's head and a sigh from her younger sister.

"Tsuruko-neesama, stop picking on Kyoshiro-sempai."

"Oh, don't be like that Motoko-han," Tsuruko chided as she patted her sister on the head, "I'm just greeting our young crash dummy-kun!"

Kyoshiro took a breath to calm himself before addressing the women before him, "It's good to see you, Urashima-sama, Haruka-san, Tsuruko-sempai," he turned and gave the youngest of the group a big smile, "and especially you Motoko-chan! Hope sempai hasn't been giving you too much trouble at the dojo!"

Motoko's face glowed red before she answered back, "N-no Sempai, she hasn't been giving me trouble at all. I've gotten much better under her tutelage, and soon I'll be able to begin learning ki-techniques!" she said proudly.

While the children were speaking, Kyoshiro's father exchanged greetings with the other two women in the group, "Hina-sama, it's been quite a while. And Haruka-chan, you're looking well!"

The old woman laughed as she walked and gently embraced the taller man, "You and Sakuya are looking pretty good yourselves, Kazuya-kun! I'm surprised you haven't started springing up silver hairs from dealing with those lovely little rascals of yours!"

"Layoff him, granny Hina," Haruka sighed but stepped forward to hug Kazuya after Hina pulled away, "It's good to see you too, Kazuya-san."

"Hina has a point though, those students can be a handful," Kazuya laughed boisterously before his gaze lingered on his son, still lightly chatting with Tsuruko and Motoko, "but they're certainly worth the effort. Kyoshiro especially has worked extremely hard. He's a quicker learner than I was at that age!"

"So I've seen from his sparring," Haruka smiled gently in nostalgia, remembering her few, but fierce matches with the young heir. Each time, he seemed to improve in leaps and bounds.

"Oooh, I'm so excited! I can't wait to see what little Kyoshiro has in store for us today!" Hina beamed as she bounced on her feet, hardly able to wait for the match any longer.

"Don't expect too much from him…it will be my son who takes the victory here."

The three turned to face the deep voice that had interrupted their conversation. A short distance away, a tall, muscular man with untidy dark brown hair and intimidating yellow eyes walked towards the veranda, accompanied by a young boy with blood-red hair and yellow eyes that were almost feline in nature. Both wore black gi, burnt yellow hakama, sandals, and red scarves around their necks. They also had cocky smirks on their faces that irritated Kazuya and earned annoyed glances from Hina and Haruka.

"You took your sweet time to get here, Heihachi…Kurotora," one could not miss the venom in Kazuya's voice as he glared at the newcomers. Heihachi's eyes turned cold as he stared at his hated rival.

"Your clan has held victory over mine for long enough, Mononobe," the Tachibana clan head spat as he gripped his son's shoulder, "the pride of the Tachibana will see an end to your winning streak."

Kyoshiro, finally taking notice of the newly arrived Tachibana, walked over and stood before his father, taking up his look of cold apathy as he took in his opponent. Kurotora met his stare with a look of cocky indifference, as if Kyoshiro were beneath his notice.

"I hope you didn't come here thinking you'd win, little Kyo," Kurotora taunted, smirking when Kyoshiro's face tightened, "you should run home to your fellow mongrels and save yourself the embarrassment."

Kyoshiro turned his head up to look at his father, "Hey Dad, did you hear something? It sounded like a small, whiny voice in the wind."

Picking up on his son's game, Kazuya decided to play along, "I think I may have heard something similar Kyo, but it could just be the wind playing tricks on you."

"That's what I thought," Kyoshiro smiled and turned back to face Kurotora, his smile turning into a full-blown grin at the look of fury on his rival's face. Kazuya also grinned viciously at Heihachi's seething expression.

Before the banter could continue, the sound of someone clearing his throat brought everyone's attention to the emperor, who looked down at the feuding pairs with mirth. "I believe you should save that energy for the tournament, young ones."

Having the decency to look ashamed, the boys knelt before the emperor and bowed their heads, "My apologies for my abhorrent behavior, my lord. My intent wasn't to be shameful in your presence," they said simultaneously.

The emperor waved off their apologies, "It's quite alright. I remember what it was like to be young and full of energy…I'm not THAT old yet," he chuckled before continuing, "Anyway, may I present the two judges who will be presiding over your match."

He gestured to Hina and Tsuruko, and both stepped forward to face the assembled combatants, "First, Hina Urashima, my most trusted advisor and head of the Urashima clan."

"I want a fair, fierce fight between the two of you young lads, understand?" Hina asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Remember that you both bear the honor of your clans as representative fighters, so don't do anything to dishonor your people."

The boys nodded their affirmation before bowing to the elderly Urashima. The emperor then motioned towards Tsuruko, "Your second judge will be Tsuruko Aoyama, head of the Aoyama clan and current master of the Shinmei-ryu."

"I too wish to see a well fought, clean match between you two," Tsuruko addressed the two serenely, "You are both the pride of your clans, heads of the next generation. Do well to remember that as you engage in combat."

As with the Urashima clan head, Kyoshiro and Kurotora both nodded and bowed to their second judge, before turning to face the emperor.

"The judges have been introduced, and their final words of wisdom spoken. Now, Kyoshiro Mononobe, and Kurotora Tachibana, take your place in the ring!"

A loud cheer rose from the assembled clans as Kazuya and Heihachi escorted their sons to the ring. While Kurotora basked in the praise and walked with an arrogant hitch in his step, Kyoshiro tuned it out, focusing only on the ring and his father's hand on his shoulder as he led him to the steps beside the ring.

"Just remember all that I've taught you Kyo," he whispered as they came closer to the ring, "You know all you need to achieve victory and bring the Mononobe the title again."

"I won't let you and the others down Father," Kyoshiro pledged as he took a breath to steel himself for the match, "I know what's at stake here. I won't let that Tachibana bastard take what's ours!"

Kazuya gripped his son's shoulder tightly, causing the young boy to look up at him confusedly, "Don't make this battle about the feud between our clans Kyoshiro. The past will only weigh you down and diminish your ability. Once you're in that ring, it's just you and your opponent. Nothing else. Any distractions could cost you the match," he gave his son the most reassuring smile he could as he finished, "clear your mind, calm your heart, and battle as best you can. No matter the outcome, I'll be proud of you if you fight your hardest."

Kyoshiro took in his father's words, before gracing him with a small smile, "I understand, Dad. I'll do my best!"

On the opposite side of the ring, Heihachi was having a similar conversation with Kurotora, "This is the moment we've all been training you for, Kurotora. We've been under the heel of those wretched Mononobe for five decades! You will be the one to put an end to that legacy of shame in our clan!"

Kurotora gave his father a vicious grin, "Don't worry Father, by the time I'm done, those pathetic warriors'll be so traumatized by the beatdown I hand to little Kyo that they'll never rise against their betters again! I'll show em what a TRUE elite samurai can do!"

Heihachi grinned evilly to his son, "That's what I want to hear. Now back your words with action, and utterly DESTROY Kyoshiro Mononobe! Failure will NOT be tolerated!"

Kurotora gave one last nod to his father before he ascended the steps to the ring. Upon reaching the top, he was met by one of two refs. Both were dressed in traditional white gi, black hakama, and sandals, and armed with two live katana, in the event a duel got out of hand. Each one held out a long case to Kurotora and Kyoshiro, after the latter had also reached the top of the ring. The two opponents opened their box, revealing a brand new iaito, or practice katana with a dulled blade. Lifting the iaitos from the box, both Kyoshiro and Kurotora drew them from their sheaths, and inspected the blades for any signs of failure. Pleased by what they saw, the two re-sheathed their blades and secured them to their waists on their belts. The refs then placed the boxes on the outer rim of the ring and walked toward the middle.

"Both combatants have received and inspected their weapons. No complaints have been raised," the judges spoke simultaneously, their synchronized voices gripped the waiting crowd, "The rules of this bout are as follows: competitors will do battle until one of them is either disarmed, or rendered incapable of continuing. All shots to the head are declared illegal, and will result in immediate disqualification. Combatants, draw your blades."

The two boys complied and faced one another from opposite sides of the ring, slowly drawing their blades before them and pointing the edge at their opponent. The roar of the crowd picked up and the ceremonial drummers began to beat their instruments faster upon seeing the young heirs preparing for battle.

"By your leave, emperor," the refs then looked to the veranda, where the emperor stood and raised a single hand in the air. The drums and crowd went quiet, and even the wind paused as everyone's attention was on the imperial ruler. Looking towards the ring, the emperor met eyes with Kyoshiro, then Kurotora, before swiftly bringing his arm down and facing his palm towards the ring, "HAJIME!"

The two combatants looked to each other, eyes narrowed and grips tightened on their blades. Kurotora chose then to speak, "You should've taken the generous offer I gave you to run and saved yourself. Now you'll bleed!"

Kyoshiro refused to rise to his rival's taunt, choosing to calm his breathing and focus on his opponent's stance. The Tachibana heir took his opponent's silence for fear, and grinned like a wild beast about to pounce on its prey, "Well, if you're just gonna stand there and take your beating, suits me just fine. I'll make it quick!" he yelled before dashing towards Kyoshiro with blinding speed.

The Mononobe heir counted a few seconds in his head before also running towards his incoming rival, iaito poised to strike. Time slowed to a crawl as the two rushed forward, tuning everything around them and bringing their blades to the fore to meet in the middle of the ring in a powerful clash.

Kyoshiro pushed hard against Kurotora's blade, trying to best him with pure strength, but Kurotora used his force against him and slid back and off to the side, forcing Kyoshiro forward and leaving him open. However, Kyoshiro was ready and quickly brought his iaito to guard against Kurotora's strike. Undeterred, Kurotora pushed with his assault, blitzing Kyoshiro with a flurry of slashes and stabs, all of which were parried or blocked.

"So defensive! What's the matter coward, afraid to fight back?!" Kurotora taunted as he launched a particularly strong strike to Kyoshiro's ribs. Although he was able to block the stroke, sheer force of it threw the Mononobe heir back towards the edge of the ring. While his clan looked on worriedly, the Tachibana cheered for their chosen representative and jeered at their hated rival clan.

Kyoshiro took a moment to gather himself up as he glared across at his opponent, 'His form is near-perfect…and he adds a lot of power to his strikes despite being so swift. Talk about troublesome' he thought as he assessed what he'd seen of Kurotora's ability so far. Deciding to test his defenses, Kyoshiro brought his blade up and rushed forward to engage Kurotora again. Seeing his opponent's dash, the Tachibana heir raised his blade and prepared to counter. Kyoshiro began with a mild flurry of strikes that were easily blocked, however when Kurotora let his guard down, Kyoshiro went in with a feint to the left before quickly curving his strike upward, shattering Kurotora's guard. The shocked look on the Tachibana's face amused Kyoshiro to no end.

"Y-you bastard!" Kurotora shouted before backpedaling to escape and regroup, but Kyoshiro refused to give him the time to recuperate and was immediately on him using more vicious strikes. The Mononobe clan's side erupted in cheers as they urged the young heir on, while the Tachibana began to panic. Heihachi especially was not pleased with the turnabout.

"Kurotora! What are you doing?! You were dominating him a mere moment ago! Stop running and END HIM!"

Hearing his father's words, Kurotora immediately tried to counter, but Kyoshiro's strikes were too fluid, too precise, and left little to no room for an opening. He could feel the Mononobe's blade pass by his face as he awkwardly deflected it to the side, the wind ruffling his crimson locks.

'Damn him! If this keeps up, I'll be the one eating the floor! Gotta make an opening…there!'

Slipping past one of Kyoshiro's strikes, Kurotora stepped off to the side and reeled his arm back, before jabbing the base of his iaito hilt into the back of Kyoshiro's head. The illegal strike sent other swordsman tumbling to the floor.

"HALT! Illegal maneuver performed by Kurotora Tachibana!" The ref immediately interfered, eliciting boos and nasty remarks from the Tachibana clan. One ref ran over to Kyoshiro, who was picking himself up gingerly from the ground. He had a bleeding cut on his forehead from hitting the ground, and when he put his hand to the spot on his head that was struck, he felt a familiar wetness.

"Are you still fit to fight, Kyoshiro-sama?" asked the ref as he looked over the downed lad. Fighting against the dizziness he felt, the Mononobe heir nodded, "Yea…I'll be fine. Don't stop the match and don't take any points off please."

The ref looked troubled, "He used an illegal strike against you…by all means, he should be disqualified."

"There's no such thing as an illegal strike on the battlefield!" Heihachi jeered loudly at the ref, "All is fair in fighting in a war! That's how the assassins handled things! If the boy is too weak to go on, he deserves to lose!"

The ref was about to respond, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him, "as much as I hate agreeing with Tachibana-teme over there, he's right. All is fair on the field of battle. I'll be fine, continue the match."

Seeing the determination in Kyoshiro's slightly dulled eyes, the ref felt his respect for the boy increase, "Very well, you may continue," he backed away towards the center of the ring as the boys faced off again, "this match shall now resume!"

The crowd erupted and resumed rooting for their favorites, though the Tachibana could smell blood in the water, and urged their heir to destroy Kyoshiro. Taking it all in, Kurotora's grin turned cocky as he looked at his weary opponent, "You should've taken that down and left, little Kyo. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because your wounded…it actually just makes me wanna see you bleed more!" he said with a crazed look in his feline-like yellow eyes.

Kyoshiro narrowed his own gaze as he took stock of his situation, 'Damn…I didn't expect that last strike…guess Dad was right when he said the Tachibana will do anything to win…'

Looking back towards his clan, he could see his father and mother watching on with worry, while Saya cheered and urged him on with all her heart.

"Don't let that bully stop you, Kyo-nii! Wipe the floor with him!"

Smiling at his sister's invigorating encouragement, he took a quick glance at the judges's booth, where both Hina and Tsuruko looked on with rapt attention. Both had been ready to stop the match after Kurotora's blatant foul, but after seeing Kyoshiro's insistence on continuing, decided to let the boy handle the match his way.

Looking back to his rival, Kyoshiro was just in time to see Kurotora's blind rush towards him, and brought his iaito up to block. For the next few moments, the Mononobe heir was on the defensive, as he was still feeling the dizzying effects of the illegal blow to the head. Kurotora became even fiercer as he saw Kyoshiro's guard begin to crumble under his merciless assault, his victory so close that he could taste it.

"I can see you weakening, little Kyo!" he cried out as one strike slipped past Kyoshiro's guard and tore part of his gi, "You're getting slower, sloppier! At least make this a challenge for me before I take your fucking head off!"

Kyoshiro gritted his teeth as his guard continued to falter, 'Dammit! I'm screwed at this rate! If I could just…wait a minute…'

Behind his failing attempts to protect himself, Kyoshiro began to notice large gaps opening in Kurotora's form. While the strikes were fast, and powerful, they were becoming more crazed and less fluid, leaving more holes in the Tachibana's defense.

'…he really should know better than to get that overconfident…but this is a Tachibana I'm dealing with here…time to remind him of the basics' Kyoshiro thought and with a smirk began planning his counterassault.

Completely in the dark to the incoming retaliation, Kurotora kept slashing away at his opponent's guard, fueled by the cheers of his clan and the hatred inherited from their historic feud, "You bastards must've felt sooo comfy, seated beside the emperor and his family for the past five fucking decades!" He emphasized his words with powerful strikes that shook Kyoshiro to the core, but the Mononobe remained steadfast while Kurotora continued, "Making fun of the Tachibana as if YOU were the greatest! Well it's time for a damn wake up call to you Mononobe bastards, starting with YOU!"

With a powerful downward strike, Kyoshiro's guard shattered, leaving him wide open. Kazuya and the rest of his family watched on in horror, tears running down Saya's eyes as she witnessed what she believed to be the end of her brother.

"Kyo-nii…KYO-NII WATCH OUT!"

Kurotora raised his blade in victory, the exultation of his father and the rest of the Tachibana clan behind him, "BURN IN HELL, YOU BASTARD!"

Kyoshiro's eyes widened, before a small smirk came to his face. As Kurotora struck, the Mononobe heir moved with speed beyond what he'd initially shown, and moved to the side just as his opponent's blade slashed through his original position. Bringing his blade up in a savage upward strike, Kyoshiro nailed Kurotora's wrists, shattering one of them. The Tachibana's blade flew out of the wring, and Kurotora crumpled to his knees, screaming in agony as he clutched his broken wrist to his chest. Kyoshiro merely pointed the tip at his rival's head, "…my win…Kuro-teme."

"The match has been decided!" the refs shouted out, and as one of them went to check on Kurotora, the other quickly received the final observations of the judges. "By unanimous decision of the judges, the victor in this final bout is," he paused for dramatic affect before lifting Kyoshiro's blade hand into the air, "the Mononobe heir, Kyoshiro Mononobe!"

There was a lull after the announcement, before the Mononobe clan erupted in the loudest cheers anyone had heard all day. Balloons and doves were let loose as clansmen hugged their kin, some crying in happiness.

Kazuya was beside himself, shouting praise into the air as he beheld his son, who was jumping up and down in excitement at his victory.

On the other side, the Tachibana were shell-shocked by their prince's defeat. Heihachi was furiously denying the legitimacy of the victory, and had to be held back from the ring.

"THIS IS BLASPHEMY! KUROTORA HAD THE VICTORY IN HAND! THAT BASTARD MONONOBE MUST HAVE CHEATED SOMEHOW!"

Back in the ring, the ref that had went over to see to Kurotora's injury knelt beside the now quiet teen, "Let me take a look at that wrist."

Kurotora looked over slowly at the ref, eyes bloodshot from the pain, but still with a crazed glint in them. The defeated heir then looked over to where the other ref was looking over and congratulating the winner.

'…no…that…ronin wannabe Mononobe beat me?! Beat ME?!'

Kurotora then eyed the katana sheathed at the judge's waist, and within his mind, something snapped.

It happened too fast for anyone to stop it, one moment the wounded Tachibana was on the ground, the next, he'd grabbed the hilt of the ref's katana and pulled the blade out with his good hand, "NOOOOOO! THIS IS BULLSHIT! I'LL KILL YOU KYOSHIRO!"

Kyoshiro looked behind him to see his defeated rival, armed with a live katana and poised to strike. Pushing the other ref out of the way, he brought up his iaito, "Kuro-teme…calm the fuck down. You lost already, don't bring even more shame to your clan by trying to attack me-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kurotora was beyond rational thought at this point, insanity blazing in his eyes, "YOU MONONOBE THINK YOU'RE SO FUCKING HOT, WELL ONCE I WIPE YOU ALL OUT, YOU WON'T EVEN BE A FUCKING FOOTNOTE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS!"

With that, Kurotora rushed towards his rival, intent on ending his life, "DIE YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

"KYOSHIRO, GET OUT OF THERE!" Kazuya yelled as he was about to jump onto the ring and save his son. Heihachi, seeing this, also prepared to intervene and stop his mad son from committing murder before the emperor.

"KUROTORA, YOU BLOODY FOOL! STOP THIS BEFORE YOU DISHONOR US ANY FURTHER!"

The boy was no longer thinking with reason…or thinking at all for that matter, and continued his blind rush towards Kyoshiro. Hearing the cries for help and the wails of his loved ones, Kyoshiro focused solely on Kurotora, and just as his rival reached him and swung down, the Mononobe heir parried the strike with his iaito, deflecting it to the side before countering with a strike to the point where Kurotora's neck met his shoulder. The Tachibana heir was out cold before he even hit the ground.

Immediately, the refs, Kazuya, Heihachi, and even Tsuruko, who had jumped from her place at the judges table and had been reading a ki technique, flooded the ring to check on the boys. Kazuya ran up to his son, Sakuya following soon after.

"Kyoshiro, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Sakuya asked as she fussed over his blood-smeared face and roughed up clothes like a mother hen. Kazuya also kept looking over his son, thanking the gods that he'd survived the sneak attack.

"I'm alright Mom, Dad. I was able to deflect his strike and knock him out before he did any more damage. Don't worry about me," Kyoshiro reassured them with a sigh as he felt the adrenaline leave his system, causing him to feel every bit as drained as he probably looked.

"That boy crossed the damn line," Kazuya gave a harsh look towards the Tachibana heir, who was now being carried over Heihachi's broad shoulder, "Heihachi! You better learn to control that wild animal of yours before he starts anymore trouble!"

Heihachi stopped and turned to look at Kazuya and his family, a sneer on his face, "Don't you try and tell me how to raise my own kin, fool. You've obtained your victory today, but mark my words, the Tachibana WILL make you pay for this insult!" he then looked to Kyoshiro, and the boy could swear he was trying to murder him with his eyes, "and as for you boy, you got REAL lucky. Kurotora became arrogant, and that was the ONLY reason you prevailed. Next time, it'll be YOU on the ground out cold!"

"When your son stops acting like a bitch and can win without resorting to dirty bullshit tricks, tell him I'm ready for a rematch whenever," Kyoshiro glared back at the Tachibana clan head, refusing to back down from the more experienced swordsman.

Giving the main Mononobe clan family one last dirty look, Heihachi leapt off the ring towards his clan, Kurotora still unconscious over his shoulder, and as one, the Tachibana clan walked off the courtyard and out of the palace grounds without even staying to hear the final results or give a final respectful salute to the emperor. The crown prince and princess blew raspberries at the Tachibana's retreating backs, and even the empress appeared displeased at the blatant show of disrespect.

The emperor merely sighed, "I was afraid that would be their reaction should they fail to achieve victory again. They have lost the past five tournaments…sometimes I wonder if we should put a victory cap to prevent this kind of situation."

The empress looked to her husband, "I don't think you would be able to settle this so easily with such a measure," she spoke in a soft, silk-like voice that eased the emperor a bit, "they would still consider it an insult and a dishonor to their pride if you just gave them the position because they couldn't earn it for themselves."

"…You're right…as always," the emperor chuckled, earning a giggle from his wife, "It matters not now. We've more important things to worry about."

Standing from his seat and, in a bold move, walking from the veranda towards the ring, surrounded by his honor guard, the emperor went up the steps and walked towards a now seated Kyoshiro, who was being bandaged up by the ref while Kazuya and Sakuya watched on with relief in their eyes. Saya had latched onto Kyoshiro's uninjured side and refused to let go.

"C'mon Saya-chan, I told you I'm fine-"

"Nuh-uh! Baka-nii's still bleedin! You made me think you were gonna die!"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"….Kyo-nii's still a baka-nii…"

"Now, now young lady, I'm sure he didn't mean to make you worry," interrupted the deep, warm voice of the emperor. Kyoshiro scrambled to his feet to stand at attention, bringing his still clinging sister up with him, "My emperor!"

The emperor laughed, "At ease Kyoshiro, I don't want you to go injuring yourself even further."

"See?! Even the emperor knows you're hurt Kyo-nii!" Saya squealed as she held her brother tighter, her hair masking her eyes in shadow and tears falling again from her cheeks.

"Now, let's have no more of that," the emperor knelt down to the sobbing Saya and used his hand to wipe away her tears, "a pretty little girl like you shouldn't be crying after her brother fought so hard, right?"

Sniffing a bit more, Saya looked back to the emperor, a gentle smile on his face, before giving him a small pout, "…I'm not little…I'm 10…"

"Oh, forgive me," the imperial ruler apologized and rubbed his hand on top of the young girl's head, making her laugh before he stood back up and faced Kyoshiro, who was still standing at attention. "I thought I said at ease, young man."

"…sorry my lord…force of habit…blame dad," the wounded young swordsman relaxed a bit as his father and mother came to stand behind him.

"Don't blame me…blame your mother. She taught you etiquette," Kazuya laughed as Sakuya playfully hit him in the chest at his shifting blame.

The emperor laughed, seeing the heartwarming interaction of the family of four, "It truly does my heart proud to see such a close knit family. It appears your clan has won again, Kazuya-kun."

"We are honored to serve at your side, My Emperor," Kazuya said as he bowed gracefully, the rest of his family and clan bowing soon after him.

"I know that we normally have the award ceremony immediately, however considering what's happened, and Kyoshiro's current state, I think we can put it off until tomorrow," the emperor gave Kyoshiro one final pat on the shoulder before turning and walking back to his family, honor guard in tow.

Kyoshiro breathed out a sigh of relief and looked up at his parents, "I don't know about you, but I think I'm gonna crash the minute we get back home…I'm beat."

Kazuya gently squeezed his son's shoulders affectionately, "Take all the time you need son. You earned it."

---

As she watched the Mononobe main family walk off, a frown found its way onto the Urashima clan head's face. Kurotora's display, while extreme, was not the first time a defeated Tachibana at the tournament tried to strike out at their Mononobe opponent. For the past thirty years, tension had been building since the assassin clan's third consecutive loss, and these random moments of acting out were raising red flags with their frequency.

"Haruka," the younger Urashima turned and narrowed her eyes when she saw the serious look on her grandmother's face, "I want you to assign some of our scouts to every Mononobe compound frequented by Kazuya and his family."

"Something bothering you, granny?" Haruka raised an eyebrow at the request. While it wasn't outlandish, it did seem strange. Then again, Hina had always been a little protective over Kazuya.

"Call it an old woman's intuition, child. What happened today may have been a sign of things coming to a head between the Tachibana and the Mononobe. When I was a girl, my father, Keisuke, always believed that those two clans could never co-exist. There's far too much history and blood spilt between them for any peace to be permanent. I had hoped he was being an ignorant fool, but now…"

Seeing that the elderly woman wouldn't expound further on her thoughts, Haruka nodded, "I'll let them know ASAP. It's gonna suck if you're "old woman's intuition" turns out to be right though."

The foreboding in Hina's voice chilled Haruka to the bone, "Pray that I'm wrong, Haruka…by the gods, pray that I'm wrong…"

---

"YOU INSUFFERABLE IDIOT!"

A loud 'SMACK' followed by the sound of something crashing into furniture echoed throughout the room, and heads turned to see Kurotora, now with a brace around his wrist, laid out on top of the now-broken wooden table where he fell after Heihachi had slapped him.

"Your irresponsible actions have cost us DEARLY boy! Have I not taught you better than this?! HAVE I NOT?!"

Silence reined as the Tachibana clan head looked absolutely livid at his son. After the conclusion of the tournament, Heihachi and the rest of his clan had returned to their temporary compound on the outskirts of Tokyo, where he reprimanded his son for his actions. After a few moments on the ground, Kurotora shakily stood up and returned the cold look of his father with a glare of his own, "I tried to do…what we SHOULD'VE done YEARS AGO!"

"…choose your words carefully boy…you've sullied our honor before the emperor enough…I will NOT tolerate your slander against our own kin…" the underlying tone of danger in Heihachi's voice promised brutal retaliation toward whatever his son may have said next.

"No Father…I've been quiet for too damn long…I was quiet when you taught me our history and how those BASTARDS stole what was ours…I was quiet when I saw my first tournament and they CHEATED us out of the victory…" Kurotora paused, trying to rein in the angry tears streaming from his face as he brought up the most painful injustice, "I…was quiet…when they KILLED HER!"

"Kurotora…don't you dare…"

"BUT I'M NOT GONNA BE QUIET ANY MORE! I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE THAT SEES THOSE MONONOBE ASSHATS AS A VIRUS THAT NEEDS TO BE WIPED OUT!"

"That is ENOUGH of your senseless pandering!" Heihachi put a stop to his son's impromptu speech, not noticing that many of the younger clan members, and quite a few of the elders, seemed to resonate in some way with Kurotora's words. Before he could physically discipline his son further, a hand fell on his shoulder.

"Calm yourself, Heihachi-sama. It's clear the boy is simply tired and still frustrated from his loss to Kyoshiro. He's probably not even aware of what he's saying."

Heihachi turned to face the voice over his shoulder, which belonged to his longtime friend and commander of his assassins, Ensui Yamamoto. Ensui was about the same age and height as Heihachi, with long, slightly unkempt dark brown hair, tanned skin, and empty-looking dark-brown eyes. A long diagonal scar running from above his left eye to the bottom of his right cheek marred his handsome face.

"Which makes his words even worse! He's already tainted our image before the emperor and his family…it will take more than pandering and favors to the Imperial Family and the Mononobe to fix this slight…" Heihachi answered as turned to face the other man, before continuing in a whisper, "…plus there is also the matter of Kurotora's aunt to consider…"

The Tachibana clan head shot a discreet look towards one corner of the room, where an alluring redheaded woman of average height stood watching the proceedings, a blank look of indifference on her face, although her midnight-blue eyes were slightly narrowed. Dressed in a casual, short dark-green kimono, she blended in with the darkened room, with her vibrant hair being the only way to identify her amongst the rest of their kin.

"…yea, we wouldn't want that woman to get any ideas," Ensui agreed with a nod of his head, "but I don't believe she'll take his ramblings seriously. He's just a boy throwing a tantrum after all…"

Heihachi sighed before looking back at Kurotora, who still glared at him defiantly, "Head back to your room, Kurotora. I'll deal with you later."

Furious at his dismissal, the enraged boy stomped off to his room, rudely pushing anyone in his way to the side. Heihachi let out another sigh as he observed the boy's behavior, before noticing another person who had entered the room, "Oh, Mikamura-sensei. I wasn't aware you were in Tokyo. What brings you here?"

A ripe-looking older man in a worn kimono with a balding head and long silver beard stepped closer to where the clan head and his second-in-command now sat, "Greetings, Heihachi-sama, Ensui-sama. I apologize for the short notice, and my condolences on the loss…I truly believed Kurotora-sama would bring us our long-overdue victory," he said in a soft, willowy voice laden with age.

"His performance was adequate, but his arrogance once again led to his downfall. Enough about that, though. Why are you here?" Heihachi was quickly growing impatient, the stresses of the day finally catching up with him.

"I had a breakthrough with one of our many ki-enhancement projects recently…we may have discovered the key to harnessing that energy at will…for a temporary period."

Heihachi sighed again, "I already told you before, Sensei, I refuse to consider any potential project on ki-enhancement and control right now. Your last failures already cost us far too much, including several of our clansmen! I don't need the added trouble of coming up with excuses and fabricated accidents to those thrice-damned Urashima envoys as to why our kin are dying from ki-exhaustion!"

"B-but Heihachi-sama, we were able to isolate the problem and eradicate it for the most part-"

"Key words 'for the most part', meaning there's still a major issue, and thus I'm not interested," Heihachi quickly shut down Mikamura's argument and stood to leave the room, "stop this fool's errand of yours and get our doctors back to work on figuring out safer methods of body enhancement…maybe if you came up with something USEFUL, we could finally have an edge on those Mononobe bastards…"

Mikamura looked down in frustration as the Tachibana clan head walked past him and left for his quarters, with the rest of the assembled clansmen, including the mysterious redheaded woman, slowly filing out of the room. The dejected doctor turned to leave, but Ensui stopped him.

"Hold just a moment, Mikamura-sensei," he called out as he slowly made his way to the doctor, "please forgive Heihachi-sama for his gruff rejection. It's been a terrible day for him overall."

The old man sighed, "I could imagine…but we've made so much progress with our newest ki-enhancement formula. To just have it so carelessly disregarded is just…" he couldn't continue, the anger at the dismissal of his life's work too much to bear.

"…maybe we don't need to scrap it afterall."

Mikamura looked up in surprise at Ensui, who was giving him a small smile, "I still find your work rather intriguing, and if what you say is true, then this new formula is something that can't be overlooked. Would you mind sending me any reports on your progress with it, and maybe a sample? Perhaps if I take a look I can put in a good word for it later."

Mikamura's mood made a complete 180 shift as he beamed at the assassin commander, "O-of course, Ensui-sama! I'll have the data and a sample to you immediately!"

"Excellent. I'll be looking forward to it. In the meantime, just keep any word about the project hush-hush around Heihachi-sama for the time being…I'll try to talk him down and discuss the idea with him further."

Quickly nodding, Mikamura bowed and gave his thanks to Ensui before rushing from the main hall to get the reports from his co-workers. The assassin commander waited until the doctor was out of sight before making his way to Kurotora's room.

'That's one step done…now for step two…'

---

"So those bastards took the win again, huh?"

After leaving the main hall in disgrace, Kurotora had returned to his temporary sleeping quarters in the compound, where he found his younger brother, Akisora, sharpening his favorite katana while sitting on his futon. The boy was only two years younger than Kurotora, with the same blood-red hair and luminous yellow eyes, but while Kurotora's eyes were feline in shape, Akisora's were more normal. He stood about a head and shoulders shorter than his older brother, and preferred more modern clothing, currently wearing slightly baggy jeans and an old t-shirt with oil stains from polishing his katana.

"That they did…and instead of taking my side like I KNOW he wanted to, he brushed me aside and humiliated me before everyone in the hall! I only said what everyone was fucking thinking but didn't have the damn balls to say!"

Akisora nodded his head while he used a cloth to remove the excess oil from his blade, "And I think you were right…most of the people in that room probably thought you were right…but you shouldn't have said it in front of Dad."

Kurotora sat down on his futon opposite Akisora and gave him his attention, "What do you mean, otouto?"

"I mean, we both know father hates the Mononobe…I mean we hate them too, but him? He lives that hate. But if there's anything he hates more, it's losing face in front of the emperor…which is the LEAST of what would happen if anyone from our clan did anything to a member of the Mononobe outside of that imperial tournament ring."

Grudgingly, Kurotora had to agree with his brother's words. The tradition of the Decennial Imperial Tournament was more or less an unofficial non-aggression pact between the two clans, as well as an opportunity for one of the clans to rise to prominence for the next decade. There weren't many who would look too kindly on the violation of that pact, even if it was to right a history of wrongs.

Noticing his brother's silence and the look of frustrated defeat on his face, Akisora continued, "Now that one consequence is the only reason for Dad's continued subservience to those Mononobe bastards…well, that and the fact that there probably aren't enough of us who are high enough on the totem pole to agree to wipe those murderers out-"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, kiddo."

Both brothers turned quickly to the doorway of their shared room, where Ensui had just entered, "Forgive the intrusion, Kurotora-sama, Akisora-sama, but you might want to keep the door closed when talking about things like this."

Kurotora gave the man a hostile stare, "We'll remember that next time, so what the hell you want?! Gonna run to Father and rat us out?!"

The Tachibana heir was thrown off when Ensui began to laugh, his eyes squinted shut from his mirth, "Oh Kurotora-kun…if I wanted to do that, I never would've revealed myself to the two of you. No…I just wanted to tell you that there's a lot more of us who believe the same as you than you boys think."

"Really now?" Akisora questioned with interest in Ensui's input written on his face.

"Indeed…maybe if I could have a bit of your time, I could offer some…insight, to your dilemma," Ensui looked at Kurotora, who gave the man a malevolent smirk.

"…I'm listening…"

---

The first thing Kyoshiro noticed upon waking up was the gentle light of the sun in his eye, followed by the low buzzing sound of his alarm. Reaching over to shut it off, he realized with a bit of shock that he couldn't move his left arm due to a weight on it. Lifting his head a bit from his futon, he saw the reason for the weight and sighed.

"…Saya-chan…"

"mmm…too early…five more minutes Kyo-nii…"

"…what have I told you about sneaking into my futon at night? I KNEW letting you stay around Kanako-chan too long was a bad idea," he tried his best not to sound too uncomfortable, but when you had your little sister's head lying on your torso and her body on top of your arm, her DEVELOPING body at that, it tended to make things uncomfortable. Like her mother, Saya had begun to physically mature very early, and the signs of a lithe, feminine form were beginning to show more and more each day.

"…but you're an awesome pillow…just like Kana-chan said…"

Kyoshiro was having none of it, and fixed his sister with a blank stare, "Saya… . ."

Seeing that she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep now that her favorite pillow was awake and complaining, Saya gently rose from her brother's chest and cutely rubbed one eye, one of the shoulders of her nightshirt falling off slightly. Finally free, Kyoshiro rose from the futon and started going through his normal routine: get up, brush teeth, dress, polish his katana, and get ready for school. As he stood brushing his teeth, his mind reflected on the past couple of days. The day after the conclusion of the tournament, he, his family, and several members of their clan had gathered for the award ceremony and the traditional bestowment of the title of "Imperial Guardians." It was a lot of pomp and circumstance, with many highly-ranked dignitaries from all over Japan in attendance. The emperor himself placed the medal of victory around Kyoshiro's neck, as well as presenting his father Kazuya with the ceremonial golden Guardian Nodachi and Tanto. He had only seen it a couple times, but from those occasions, the young swordsman still believed it to be the oddest blade he'd ever seen. It stood about his height and the entire piece was made of the finest gold…including the blade. The fact it was a live blade and had been proven to cut before still baffled him, but didn't lose any sleep over it.

After the ceremony and reception, they had returned to their main compound on the western shore of Okinawa the following day, where his mother and father had told him they were planning a feast to celebrate their sixth consecutive victory over the Tachibana. That was two days ago. The feast would be in another three days, a thought that brought a huge smile to Kyoshiro's face.

'I wonder who's gonna be able to come to this one…maybe Tsuruko-sempai and Motoko-chan? That'd be awesome!'

Thoughts focused on the party to come, the young heir let his body go on autopilot, dressing into his school uniform and walking out of the compound into the front yard, where Kazuya was sitting under a tree in a plain yukata, resting from practicing his katas with a look of calm on his face. Hearing footsteps coming closer, the Mononobe clan head turned and beamed when he recognized his son. "Hey kiddo! Leaving a bit later than normal today, huh?"

"Sorry Dad…got a slow start today. Saya snuck into my room again…" Kyoshiro scratched the back of his head in slight annoyance, "I keep telling her she can't do that anymore, but she doesn't listen…it's annoying as hell…"

"Y'know…if this was olden times, that kinda behavior would've been encouraged, since chances are you'd end up marrying her," Kazuya said with a chuckle. That chuckle became a full on belly laugh after seeing his son pale at the revelation.

"EWWWWW! DAD! REALLY?!" Kyoshiro shook his head vigorously to get the images out of his head, "That's gross! How could they do that?! WHY would they do that?! Ick!"

It took a while, but Kazuya was able to calm down enough to explain, "Well that's how they kept the bloodline pure back then. It was before people learned more about medicine, the human body, and the disadvantage of repeated genomes caused by siring children with someone of your own blood," he wiped a tear of mirth from his eye before leaning back into the tree, "the kids would be placed into arranged marriages with the closest female to them in relation near their age…around the age you and Saya are now if I remember right…"

"…the fact you can even think about that without being disturbed calls your sanity into question, old man," Kyoshiro gave his father a deadpan look and decided to switch to a more pleasant, less disturbing topic, "So who's coming to the feast?"

Kazuya took a moment to remember who he'd received replies to the feast from. Looking up into the leaves above in contemplation, he answered, "Hmm…well unfortunately none of the Aoyama can make it…they've all been called away on some demon-exorcising hunt in Sapporo," that bit of news brought a frown to the boy's face, "The Urashima can't make it either, but they did say they had scouts that may be able to show up. So it's just going to be all of our clan in attendance."

Kyoshiro sighed, "Damn…I was hoping I'd get to see them there…then again, this means Kanako-chan and Saya-chan won't be in the same place together…I swear they're clingy as fu-"

"Language, young man!" the lovely, but stern voice of Sakuya intervened, father and son turning to see her walking towards them, dressed in a simple house kimono and holding a wrapped bento in her hands.

"Sorry mom!" Kyoshiro blushed from getting caught red-handed, but his mother only smiled and waved him off, "It's fine, just be more careful. We can't have the heir of the clan develop a potty mouth."

She handed her son the bento, which he quickly placed into the small backpack slung over his shoulder, before taking a seat next to her husband and hugging herself close to him. Kazuya wrapped an arm around her waist to bring her closer, "Good morning to you too, dear. You just missed the funniest conversation…"

"Oh no, we are NOT going there again! That's creepy!" Sticking his tongue out in disgust, Kyoshiro turned to leave, "I'll see ya when I get back home later!"

The parents waved to their son as he ran off before leaning back further into the tree they sat against. Sakuya placed her head in the crook of Kazuya's neck and sighed happily, "He's growing up so fast, isn't he?"

"Don't remind me," Kazuya laughed as he nuzzled the top of Sakuya's head with his nose, "Just another indication that I'm getting old…to think I have to hand the reigns of the clan to that lil guy in the next couple years…"

Sakuya giggled at the affectionate way Kazuya referred to his son, "You think he'll be ready? It's an awful lot of responsibility."

"He's coming along pretty well with what I've taught him," the Mononobe clan head smiled as he recalled his training sessions with his prodigal son, "He showed that much at the tournament a few days ago. Soon he'll be ready to start with ki-augmentation."

Sakuya lifted her hair and gave her husband a slightly worried look, "Will he be able to handle it? We don't even know if…it has manifested in him."

Kazuya's eyes hardened and he tilted his head down, mind aflutter with grim thoughts at the rather touchy subject, "I'm hoping against all hope that the curse skipped him. It didn't come out when Kurotora tried to kill him, so maybe he was spared," he looked back up to his wife, his eyes calming as they stared into hers, "Don't worry, I've given him the beginner scrolls only. The advanced material is with Hina-sama, and I'll be keeping a close eye on him during his ki training."

Her worries assuaged for the time being, Sakuya beamed at her husband before leaning in and kissing him gently on his lips, "That's all I ask, anata."

Kazuya gave his wife a wide grin, "If that's a reward for training him, I should do it more often! He could still learn a thing or two from his old man!"

Sakuya gave him a saucy look that made his blood burn, "Maybe you could teach me a thing or two before you start his training…" she wrapped her arms around Kazuya's neck and kissed him again, with a lot more passion than the first, while pressing her sizeable chest against his own. Kazuya was all too happy to reciprocate, and the two lost themselves in each other, enjoying a tender moment under the shade of the tree that beautiful fall morning.

---

There was a chilling silence in the halls of the Tachibana's Tokyo compound as the footsteps of two men echoed off the walls. Something in the air just reeked of malicious intent. The past week had been a dangerous and difficult one for the two cloaked individuals. Garnering support for their plan hadn't been all that trying, but keeping their actions out of the limelight had been quite a task in and of its own.

"Are you sure my father's completely in the dark about this?" Kurotora turned his hooded head to Ensui next to him, eyes cold and focused like a predator ready to pounce, "He's been more in my space the last couple days. I thought he might be onto something."

"Your father's just a bit concerned about your mental state after everything that happened, Kurotora-sama," Ensui's low timber voice answered back, "He's been meaning to start teaching you more advanced assassination techniques, but after your…display…he's been hesitant."

The Tachibana heir scowled and resumed looking ahead, "Maybe if he'd taught me sooner, we wouldn't be in this situation…but maybe that was a blessing in disguise."

The grizzled assassin commander gave the younger man a small smile, "Yea…a real blessing alright." The two reached the end of the hall, where Ensui placed a hand on Kurotora's shoulder, "We're here."

"We are? I don't see a door," Kurotora trailed off as he watched Ensui walk up to the wall and, after feeling around it, pressed what appeared to be a switch of some kind. Seconds later, a hidden door phased out from the wall and slid to the side, revealing a dark staircase, "…I really should've seen that coming…"

Ensui chuckled at Kurotora's shock, "This is a room not even known to your father. Technically, every head of the clan should know of it, but he became distracted by…well…you know…"

Kurotora managed to hide a cringe at the mention of his father's distraction, but he could not hide the hardening of his eyes, "…they're gonna regret that day…I'll make damn sure of that!"

Gripping his shoulder lightly to show his support, Ensui guided the young assassin down the stairs to another door. Opening it revealed a medium sized bunker with an assembly area in the middle. Milling around in the room were about fourteen other assassins, all dressed in black bodysuits with red cloaks and hoods, and all armed to the teeth.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…apologies for the delay, we just have one more," Ensui paused as he noticed one last figure dart into the room from the stairway before closing the door and locking it, "heh, never mind. Looks like we're all here."

The commander looked out at the assembled assassins, who now stood at the ready and gave him and Kurotora their attention, "Since this is his grand plan, I'll let our esteemed leader speak. The floor is yours Kurotora-sama."

The Tachibana heir walked forward and stared hard at the assembled group, "Every single one of you has my sincerest thanks for being here. You all share my blood, my loyalty to our clan, and my love for our kin. And also…you share my hatred…the hatred bourne of over 500 years of injustice inflicted upon us by our enemies."

He looked into the eyes of every assassin in the crowd, all of them focused on him, and smiled, "That injustice…is about to be paid back in full. You've heard whispers of what I plan to do, but I'll say it clear right here and now: my mission, OUR mission, will be to wipe out every single member of the Mononobe clan. Down to the last woman and child."

Kurotora observed the crowd closely, looking out for any negative reactions to his statement. All of them were calm, and when he looked closer, he saw the glint of anticipation and eagerness in their eyes. More than satisfied, he continued, "We've been under their heel for the past sixty years…shamed and disgraced as our rightful place was stolen from us, and suffering countless injustices along the way. Well, no fucking more. It's time to correct the order of the food chain, and send those bastards to hell with the rest of their murderer ancestors!"

"UHS!" came the quick cheer from the group before silence descended upon them again. Ensui took that moment to step behind Kurotora and continue where he left off, "While there are only a few of us here, we are among the absolute best this clan has to offer. You are all assassins and warriors of the highest caliber and most reputable merit. The finest I've trained in a long time."

Ensui gave a meaningful look to each of his kin, "We all have a huge stake in this, whether it be for the glory of our clan, or for personal past grievances. All of those crimes will be punished. Thanks to our intelligence, we've discovered that our enemies will be assembled at their compound in Okinawa three nights from now…to celebrate their victory," no one could miss the venom in Ensui's voice as he spoke, "Since they'd never expect an attack from us, this makes the feast the perfect time to strike."

"We'll be outnumbered, obviously," Kurotora stated as he reentered the discussion, "The entire clan will be attending, all of their best warriors. Even with the element of surprise, we may not get them all before they start to fight back. We'll need a force multiplier…something to even the playing field."

"That's where Mikamura-sensei comes in," Ensui motioned with his hand, and the short, gnarled-looking doctor stepped forth, holding a medium sized case in his hands, "a few days ago, he came to Heihachi-sama and I with a radical new medicine created by our doctors, herbalists, and ki-experts. While Heihachi-sama dismissed it, I saw the potential it had. I'll let him explain how it works."

"Thank you, Ensui-sama, for your kind words," Mikamura gave an appreciative bow, before turning to the rest of the assembled assassins, "What I have in this case…will most certainly be declared illegal by the emperor and government of our nation should they discover it."

Mikamura placed a wrinkled hand on the top of the box and lifted the lid away, revealing sixteen black vials, with a dark mist hovering from their sealed caps, "This is our answer to the question of how to manipulate one's inner ki freely, and allow one to tap into ALL of their stores of energy. I give you the key to the perfect warrior: Yoru no Shukufuku (Night's Blessing)."

Dead silence prevailed over the room as the assembled assassins eyed the bottles. Mikamura took their interest as a sign to continue, "This drink will activate the portion of the brain that regulates ki-control, and temporarily enable you to access all of your ki, bringing your bodies to peak condition and beyond. You'll have the strength of fifty men, the speed of a cheetah, the eyes of a hawk, and the cunning of the most dangerous of predators."

The doctor's eyes narrowed, "However, the effects, as I've said are temporary. In all my previous tests, subjects that were exposed to the drug for longer than the advised time limit suffered from overtaxed muscles and rampant ki. The results…were NOT pretty, or painless in the least…"

"In other words, once we consume the Yoru no Shukufuku, we have until it burns out of our system to complete our attack," Ensui said after he bowed in thanks to the doctor, "Maybe even a little before that. We'll be deep in enemy territory and we'll have to retreat quickly should help for them arrive. There are Urashima scouts all over Okinawa, especially since one of their allies, the Otohime, have their main home there as well."

Kurotora took a breath to regain his stern composure before continuing, "As you all know…I haven't told my father and many of the higher ranked clan officials about this plan. While their hatred of those Mononobe bastards burn as strong as mine does, they stand to lose far too much if they even think of retaliation…when we do this…when we begin this attack," he paused for dramatic effect, the assassins in the room glued to his words, "there'll be no turning back. We must NEVER be discovered when this is all through. Should anyone fall in this mission…they will be erased from our records, their remains destroyed down to the last strand of DNA before we set fire to the compound. This MUST look like a freak accident, or else the Tachibana will pay dearly…I can assure you of that…"

"As of this moment, you all must accept that if you die on this mission, you will be wiped from existence, to ensure the safety of our clan," Ensui continued, his voice low and emotionless, "to be linked with this massacre would bring chaos to us all. If you are truly prepared for this undertaking, step forward and take your vial from the case."

One by one, the assassins came forward and took a vial of the ki-enhancement drug from Mikamura, strapping it to their waists. Kurotora and Ensui took the last two vials for themselves.

"You know the plan…what we intend to do…and the consequences of our actions should they ever be discovered. For now, go to your families, your loved ones, and spend what remains of your free time with them. We leave in three days." Ensui dismissed them, and one by one they filed out of the room, until it was just him and Kurotora left.

"I know it's probably pointless to ask you this again," Kurotora hesitantly addressed the commander, "but are you absolutely sure you wanna do this? You've been friends with Father for decades…this is technically betraying him."

"It's the same as you betraying the emperor's unofficial order to right the wrong of hundreds of years, Kurotora-kun," Ensui walked over and placed both hands on the boy's shoulders, "I have my own personal stake in this. As much as I respect and love your father like the brother I never had…I can't let my own ax to grind with the Mononobe clan go."

"Yea…I remember the stories…it was little Kyo's bastard father that gave you that scar in the tournament 20 years ago," Kurotora's eyes glazed over in memory of the time he heard of Ensui's tragedy-strewn past, "and then there was the Hokkaido incident seven years ago…"

Ensui's eyes darkened, his grip on the boy's shoulders gradually tightening as the terrible memories he fought to bury came rushing to the forefront, "They were ordered by the government agents to have our back when we were given the mission to eliminate those Yakuza bastards, but they left us to die…Mari…Suzuka…Hiro…they paid the price for the Mononobe's cowardice," unfiltered agony bled into the commander's voice as he spoke those names.

"They'll be avenged…every last one of them will be avenged," Kurotora said with a revolting smile, malignance present in his eyes, "Anyway, it's getting late. We better go."

"Are you heading back to your room? I can walk you there," Ensui offered, but the Tachibana heir raised a hand.

"Thank you, Ensui-jisan," Ensui smiled a bit at the rarely-used affectionate title, "but I have a stop to make before I turn in."

The commander's eyes grew downcast as he saw the direction Kurotora walked in, and silently he cursed the gods for the pain they had brought down upon the poor boy.

'Another visit to her, huh kid?'

---

Kurotora walked down a dimly lit hall with a single door at the end. Pausing in front of it, he took a breath before slowly opening the door and walking into the room. Inside was absolutely frigid, with pale-blue frost covering the floors and walls. The freezer was barren of any occupants save for two fixtures in the center: an oval-shaped capsule, and a low table with a glass case on top of it.

Within the capsule was the body of a woman with wild, flowing crimson hair and pale skin, perfectly preserved by the glacial temperatures inside the capsule. She was of medium height, with a large bust and shapely legs that were barely hinted at in the long black and red dress kimono wrapped around her body. Her arms were placed so that her hands crossed over and lay on the opposite shoulder. A look of eternal calm was on her face, though Kurotora knew that she had been anything but serene when she was alive.

"…Mother…" he addressed her, voice thick with emotion, "I'm sorry I haven't been around as much this week…things around her have been pretty crazy…but don't worry…what those bastards did to you…to our clan…I'm gonna finally set things right…"

Kurotora paused to wipe the tears now dropping from his eyes. He could never enter the final resting place of his mother and speak to her without crying, even after she'd been dead for half a decade, "…they kept insisting it was a training accident…a sparring match gone wrong…but I know better…we ALL know better…!" He tried to calm himself and not lose to the rage that burned beneath his skin like an inferno, demanding to be released, "They were afraid of your power…afraid of your skill…afraid of YOU…well, they're gonna learn they were right to be…"

The mourning boy walked forward and placed a hand on the capsule encasing his mother, a demented light in his eyes, "In a few days…we're gonna wipe em all out…just like you always wanted back then…but I'm gonna need your help…" he glanced over at the glass case on the table next to the capsule.

Inside the case was an elaborate katana box, the lid raised to reveal one of the finest looking swords ever created. The blade itself was black, but had an indescribably attractive luster to it, a tsuba in the shape of a snowflake, and a red handle with yellow ray skin wrapped around it for grip. The scabbard was black with elegant yellow designs depicting a fierce snowstorm. The plaque on the bottom of the box revealed the name of the sinfully beautiful blade: Juuchi Yosamu (10,000 Cold Nights).

"…yea…I think your blade'll be the perfect partner…"

---

Three days came and went quickly, and although it seemed like an eternity to an impatient Kyoshiro, it was finally the night of the victory celebration. The main hall of the compound was filled with streamers and flags in the clan colors, as members of the Mononobe clan, from famed forgers and arms manufacturers, to renowned soldiers and military leaders congregated together. Everywhere the boy looked, he spotted family members having a blast, either drinking and joking around, taking in the view of the gardens outside, or sneaking off with significant others to enjoy some "alone" time.

"Well…looks like that's one wing of the house I'm gonna have to keep Saya-chan from going to…"

Speaking of the excitable young girl, Saya was playing with some of the younger Mononobe children in the yard, laughing up a storm and dirtying the adorable white and blue kimono she'd worn for the festivities. From what Kyoshiro could tell, they were starting a game of tag, with one of his younger cousins being "it." Laughing to himself, the boy glided among the guests, who greeted him with hugs, handshakes, and congratulations. Making his way to the front, Kyoshiro found his father and mother seated at the head table, laughing and joking with one of the guests. When Kazuya spotted him, he grinned and waved his son over.

"There's the man of the hour! Kyoshiro, over here son!"

Kyoshiro smiled at his father's antics and ran over to his side, where Kazuya stood and embraced him in an unexpected hug. "Dad? What are you doing?"

"What, I need a reason to hug my first born now?" Kazuya said in mock hurt, but the smile on his face gave him away, "I remember when you were smaller…you couldn't get enough hugs from your old man!"

Kyoshiro blushed, but still returned the older man's hug, "….d-did you REALLY have to bring that up?! In front of everyone?" he admonished, but there was no real heat in his voice.

Sakuya watched the bonding moment and giggled, "Oh you know how your father is once he gets a few drinks into his system…"

"Oi! I am NOT drunk! I'm good and sauced right now!" Kazuya looked back at his wife, who was now giving him a deadpanned stare, "…what?"

"Good and sauced? Only you would talk like a teenager two times younger than you," Sakuya shook her head and brushed a crease from her immaculate kimono. She'd chosen a sky blue silk kimono with intricate cloud patterns sewn into the material, along with a pure white obi. She'd worn very little make up as usual, only wearing eye liner and dark red lipstick.

"Hey, I'm still young!" Kazuya whined before leaning down to Sakuya's ear and whispering, "I'm pretty sure I showed you just how 'young' I am the other day after Kyo left for school…"

The buxom housewife blushed a beautiful crimson before reaching over the table and grabbing a glass of wine, Kazuya smirking at her reaction. In his haste to get back at his wife, however, he forgot that he'd still been holding onto Kyoshiro, who'd heard…well…everything.

"…I think I'm gonna be sick…" and the young boy quickly left his father's arms, a slight green tinge to his skin. Kazuya had the decency to look embarrassed, "Whoops! Sorry kiddo, forgot you were still there!"

Sakuya slapped her husband in the back of the head with a foldable fan, her embarrassed blush having become more pronounced, "Pay more attention next time, anata!"

"Awww, don't be like that Sakuya-chan!"

Kyoshiro couldn't help but laugh at his parents antics, and seeing his laughter, both Kazuya and Sakuya broke out into laughs of their own. Taking a moment to calm down, Kazuya turned to his wife, "Dear, could you get the gift for me? I think now's a good time for the main event."

Realizing what her husband was about to do, Sakuya stood up and gave Kyoshiro a hug before heading to hers and her husband's room. Once she was gone, the Mononobe clan head picked up a wine glass and used a spoon to lightly tap its side, "Everyone, may I have your attention for a quick second…well, longer than a second," his joke was met with a few laughs from those assembled, including the kids that had just come inside from their game, "As you know, we've once again come out on top against the Tachibana, and are now Imperial Guardians for the sixth straight time in a row!"

Thunderous applause and cheers roared from the crowd and many lauded praises upon their fellow clansmen who'd fought in the past tournament. Kazuya waited for them to quiet down before continuing, "In fact, it was my own son, the little prodigy in the making, Kyoshiro, who struck down the Tachibana heir in defeat, and even put the little bastard in his place when he tried to ambush him with a live katana!"

This time laughter accompanied the raucous cheers and Kyoshiro blushed a bit in embarrassment at the attention. "It wasn't THAT big a deal…any of you guys probably coulda disarmed him with how wild he was swinging…"

"Haha! He's being modest about it even now! How's that for a champion!" Kazuya wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder in a one-armed hug as the praise continued to flow from the crowd, "and that's exactly why I think it's time I give him something he's been dying for most of his life. These past three days I've seen a ton of progress with his ki training, and that, along with his victory, deserves one hell of a reward."

Kyoshiro looked at his father with a curious expression on his face, "Something I've wanted for a while? What are you talking about, Dad?"

Kazuya's only reply was another large grin.

---

Several blurs moved quickly among the trees surrounding the compound of the Mononobe, their footsteps barely a whisper as they jumped from the branches. Gone were the vibrant red and yellow cloaks of their clan, leaving them all in only the black bodysuits and masks that helped them blend seamlessly into the night.

Kurotora's heart was racing, adrenaline pumping through his veins and heightening his senses. Behind him, Ensui moved at an even pace, keeping a sharp eye out for any scouts in the area. They had run into a couple on their way, and had dealt with them swiftly.

"It looks like they're a bit lax on duty tonight, Kurotora-sama," the grizzled commander observed as they neared their destination, "guess that celebration of theirs really has all their attention."

"…that just makes eliminating them all the easier…" came the cold voice of the Tachibana heir. Just before they had left, Kurotora had stopped to make a quick trip to his mother's resting place to ask for her blessing and borrow the Juuchi Yosamu. His hand whispered over the hilt of the legendary ancient blade at his side for strength.

"Indeed. We should be there in another ten minutes at this pace," Ensui glanced behind him at the rest of their team. All fourteen assassins had managed to keep pace with the energetic heir and their commander, with none showing any signs of fatigue.

"Good. Everyone knows what to do when we get within sight of the compound. Let's hurry…we'll only have two hours after we drink the Yoru no Shukufuku, and I can't wait to see little Kyo's face when he sees my 'gift' for him," a deranged smile came over the Tachibana prince's face and he stepped up his pace even further, pushing him away from the group. Ensui smiled viciously at his surrogate nephew's enthusiasm and increased his speed as well, anxious for the bloodbath to begin.

Unseen by Ensui and the others below, a lone scout bearing the crest of the Urashima on his sleeve quickly tore off his camouflage cover and took out a radio.

"Taichou, Scout 3 reporting in. Unidentified intruders are headed for the Mononobe Compound. Requesting immediate assistance."

---

Shock was written on Kyoshiro's face as he watched his mother walk towards him, a long silver case in her hands. Kazuya had already taken a picture to preserve his reaction, and Saya was bouncing on her heels as she held onto her brother's hand, "Oi! Oi! What's in the box that kaa-san has?! Tell me! Tell me!"

"…no way…no freaking way…" the boy was frozen in place, his mind nearly shutting down from seeing the case. He'd seen it plenty of times before, resting in a glass box in his parents' room. When he was four, he'd asked what was in the box, and his father had told him the story of two famous master swordsmiths, Muramasa and Masamune, and the challenge they'd had between each other to determine the greatest sword maker in the world. That day he learned of two legendary swords of unrivaled craftsmanship. Muramasa's blade: the malevolent katana Juuchi Yosamu, and Masamune's blade: the tranquil katana, Yawarakai-te (Tender Hands).

Yawarakai-te was said to emit an aura of such serenity that it could calm the fiercest of animals, quell the angriest of hearts, and bring peace to the most disorganized mind. A pure white blade with a tsuba in the shape of a cherry blossom and an all-white handle with sky-blue ray skin wrapped around it. The pommel had a sky-blue tassel that hung freely from the edge, and the scabbard was also sky-blue with intricate white patterns depicting the flow of a gentle river. From the way his father described it, Masamune's creation was one of the most elegant, entrancing katana's ever conceived. Of course, with Kyoshiro being so young at the time, Kazuya fashioned a long winded tale explaining how the sword had been lost in the times. It wasn't until Kyoshiro had reached the tender age of 10 and began his advanced training that he learned the truth: that the next head of the clan would receive Yawarakai-te when the current head felt they were ready.

Kazuya could only beam proudly as Sakuya presented the katana case to her bewildered son. He pulled Saya to the side, eliciting a frown from the young girl, but the father of two knew that Kyoshiro would want some peace to go with the moment. With shivering hands, the fourteen year old heir gently raised the lid of the case, and his eyes beheld a sight that would engrave itself in his memory forever.

It was exactly how his father had described it to him all those years ago, if not more beautiful. The sky-blue scabbard was blemish free and still shone as if freshly made, the white patters of a softly flowing river gleaming in the background. The tsuba was still in excellent condition, and the tassel hanging from the end of the pommel gently moved with the small breeze in the room. After some gentle coaxing from his mother, Kyoshiro reached a hand out and gripped the handle as if it was the most fragile thing in the world. The weight of the katana was light in his hand, and reaching with his other hand, he grabbed the scabbard and pulled it away. The room became aglow with intense white light as the blade was finally revealed after being sealed away for decades. Kazuya himself had to look away out of fear of being blinded.

"Sweet Buddha! I don't think it glowed THAT much when I first got it…"

Unafraid of the light, Kyoshiro peered past it to see the luminous white blade, still as sharp as it was the day it was forged, with no imperfections or signs of age despite being over hundreds of years old. "…Dad…it's…it's beautiful…"

"Preeeetyyyyyyy," Saya trailed off as her eyes glued themselves the katana in her brother's hands, "I want a sword like that too!"

"I really don't think you need a katana…let alone one like that," Kazuya commented, earning him a glare from his youngest child. He laughed it off and turned back to face Kyoshiro, "Hey son, I know you like the blade and all, but for the sake of everyone's eyes, please put it awa-"

Kazuya trailed off as several objects crashed through the windows around the main room, screams and shouts of surprise echoing in the air. Kyoshiro was also shocked out of his reverie, and quickly sheathed the blade. "What the hell was that?!"

Before anyone could get their bearings, the objects, which looked like black canisters of some sort, began to spew a foul-looking green gas that quickly enveloped the room. Those who breathed in the fumes by accident began coughing uncontrollably.

"W-what is this?!"

"The gas…I-I can't…m-move my arms for some reason…"

"It's affecting my legs too! What the hell is going on?!"

Kazuya was the first to realize what was happening, "Don't breathe in the gas! It has a mild paralyzing agent in it! Guards, find out where-"

The Mononobe clan was interrupted by a different sound this time, one that chilled his bones: the sound of a blade slicing through skin and blood being sprayed onto the floor. It was accompanied by another scream that was cut short as the source was silenced by a kunai to the throat.

"Who are you-AARRRGH!"

"KAZUYA-SAMA! INTRU-grrrghglgg!"

Kazuya grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and tied it over his mouth before unsheathing the blade at his side, "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK BY ASSASSINS! EVERYONE WHO'S STILL ABLE, DRAW EM OUT AND PUT THEM DOWN!"

The Mononobe clan members still able to fight quickly drew their blades and began to combat the assassins. They still held the numerical advantage, and began to push a few of the assassins back. Kazuya turned to Kyoshiro, who had his blade out and face masked with a scarf he found, "Kyoshiro! Find your mother and Saya, and take them to our wing of the compound! They'll be safer there!"

"What about you?!" the young heir was livid, his body shaking with repressed anger, "I want a piece of these bastards, and I'm not leaving you to fight em alone!"

"Protect your mother and sister first! THEY'RE your priority!" The Mononobe clan head gave his son a meaningful glare, and after a moment of hesitation, Kyoshiro turned and ran off to find his mother and sister. Once the boy was out of eyesight, Kazuya ran into the smoke and tried to find an assassin to engage. It wasn't long before he found one in combat with at least seven Mononobe samurai. The clan head prepared to engage, when he spotted the assassin grab something from his side…a vial of some kind, and drank from it.

What came next happened in an instant: one moment the Mononobe swordsmen were closing in to finish of the assassin, and the next they were blown back by a massive wave of ki erupting from the enemy. The masked assassin screamed and laughed maniacally as he felt the limits of his body give way to an unfathomable power. Reining himself in, he took up his blade and vanished in a burst of speed. Kazuya could only watch in paralyzed shock as the seven clansmen were viciously cut down in seconds.

"What…what kind of madness is this? No one should have that much ki! No one!" The clan head braced himself as the assassin finished off the last swordsman, slicing him into bloody chunks and rendering him barely recognizable as a human. Flinging the blood off his sword, the masked enemy turned to Kazuya and sped towards him. The Mononobe clan head blocked to the best of his ability, but the assassin was far too swift, scoring a long gash on Kazuya's left arm and another on his right leg. A pained hiss left the clan head's mouth, but he pushed the stinging sensation of his wounds away from his senses and focused completely on the assassin. Steeling himself for another assault, Kazuya was shocked when one of his other clansmen tackled the assassin, both of them tumbling out of sight. A hand on his shoulder pulled his attention to a heavily wounded guard next to him.

"M-my lord…y-y-you have…t-to escape…t-these men are…demons…"

The guard's legs failed him, and Kazuya quickly grabbed him to steadily lower him to the ground, "What the hell is going on? Who's attacking us, do we know?"

The guard wheezed before answering, "W-we haven't been a-able…to identify them j-just yet. B-but there's sixteen of t-them…and t-they all d-drank some strange elixir…a-and erupted with a t-t-terrible ki…w-we're being slaughtered…even the women and c-childr…" the man said no more as he succumbed to his wounds.

Tears fell from Kazuya's eyes as he let the now deceased man's head rest on the ground, rage blossoming in his heart like a supernova. All around him he could hear the screams…his clansmen being cut down in droves by demonic enemies…women being slaughtered where they stood. Lifting his head from the ground, he was able to make out two children running in fear before a blade came from the haze and separated their heads from their bodies. The corpses fell to the ground, blood spewing from their necks like a fountain.

"…why…why is this happening…" he asked in a broken voice, watching the carnage unfold as the haze began to lift. He jumped when a deep voice answered him back, "Because you brought this upon yourselves."

The clan head got to his feet and faced the man behind him, an assassin clad in all black with a hood and mask hiding his hair and face. But his eyes were clear as day, burning with hatred and malice.

"Do you…have ANY idea…who the hell you're attacking?!" Kazuya raged as he gripped his blade tightly, the wounds on his arm and leg completely forgotten in the heat of the moment, "I'm gonna tear your fucking heart out…I'll slaughter every last ONE OF YOU!"

"You can sure as hell try," the assassin mocked him as he prepared his own blade, foul black ki beginning to ooze from his body like a miasma, "but the only ones dying tonight are you and your traitorous ilk…Zuzu-teme…"

Kazuya's eyes widened and his jaw clenched in shock. Only one person ever called him by that name, "…Ensui?"

His identity compromised, Ensui pulled the hood and mask from his face, confirming Kazuya's fears about the attack. Upon seeing the deranged smirk and the gleeful eyes of his opponent, the Mononobe's eyes shifted from brown to bloody crimson as he tapped into his own reserves of ki.

"TAAACHIIIBAAAANAAAAAA!"

---

Kyoshiro ran through the haze-filled compound, fear etched into his eyes as he did his best to avoid the assassins fighting…no, decimating his kin all around him. He'd seen one of them drink some strange concoction before unleashing the most repugnant ki he'd ever felt in his life, and proceeded to utterly annihilate his fellow Mononobe clansmen. The petrified heir bolted as soon as he saw one of his own lose his arms in a spray of red, followed by his legs and finally his head.

'This is insane! What…what the HELL are these things?! Demons?!'

He couldn't come up with a better way to describe the beasts that the enemy had become after consuming whatever that liquid was. Regardless of the mess his thoughts had become, the Mononobe heir forced himself to follow his father's last orders. Reaching one of the opposite wings of the compound, Kyoshiro was able to hear the sound of crying coming from one of the rooms. Slamming the door open, he spotted Saya crouched in a corner, her kimono stained with blood that wasn't hers, and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Saya-chan! Are you alright?!" Kyoshiro bounded towards her, a mix of worry and relief evident on his face, "I've been looking all over the damn place for you!"

Saya, realizing it was her brother that had found her, jumped up and tackled his midsection, squeezing his waist tightly as she held onto him for dear life, "Kyo-nii! W-w-what's happening?!"

Kyoshiro knelt down and hugged her close to soothe her, "I have no idea…they came outta nowhere and started attacking, and a lot of our family have been killed."

"But why?! Kyo-nii, why are people attacking us?!" the frantic and fearful tone in her voice nearly broke the young warrior's heart as he held his crying sister to his chest, unable to come up with a good answer.

"I have no idea, sis, but we gotta go find mom. Once we get her, we'll grab dad and escape," Kyoshiro pulled away a bit so he could see his sister's face. Anger rose in his heart when he saw the fear in her eyes and more tears fall down her face, but he pushed it down and did his best to look strong for her, "so don't worry about a thing. We're gonna be just fine. Now let's go find mom."

"k-kay," came the hesitant reply from Saya as Kyoshiro picked her up and ran from the room. Turning down another hallway, he saw his parent's room come into view, "We're almost there, Saya-chan! We just gotta-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU BASTARD!"

Blood freezing in his veins, Kyoshiro recognized the terrified screams coming from his parents' room, and rushed towards it with Saya still in his arms. When he got to the door, he kicked it off its hinges and burst into the room. What he saw would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

Sakuya was kneeling on the floor, her once elegant kimono soaked with blood and torn in several places, her chest nearly exposed with small gashes on the swells of her breasts, her arms and legs bleeding from several different cuts, and her hair matted to her forehead, unkempt from her struggling. In her hands were two small daggers that she'd used to fend off her attacker. Standing above her was a young man, who looked to be Kyoshiro's age judging from his height, dressed in all black with a hood and mask hiding his hair and facial features. In the low light, Kyoshiro couldn't make out the man's eyes, but he could feel the malicious ki rolling off the assassin in waves, even more so than he felt from the other assassins he'd passed. In the assailant's hand was a katana with a black blade, blood dripping from the tip. His mother's blood.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Kyoshiro screamed as he put Saya down outside and drew his practice sword, Yawarakai-te still sheathed on his hip. The masked assassin turned to face him, before Sakuya screamed at her son, "Kyoshiro! Get away from here! Take Saya and run!"

"I'm not gonna leave you here mom! Dad told me to get you!"

"FORGET ABOUT ME! JUST RUN AWAY!"

The mysterious assassin flung the blood from his blade and sheathed it before laughing, earning a baleful glare from Kyoshiro, "I was wondering when I'd run into you…little Kyo."

Kyoshiro froze at the nickname, denial spreading across his face, "No…there's no fucking way…"

"Oh, your eyes aren't playin tricks on ya…here, I'll show you," the assassin slowly removed the hood from his head, revealing his wild, crimson hair. He then pulled down his mask and lifted his head to reveal tan skin, and golden yellow eyes that were shaped almost like a feline's.

Seeing the face of the assassin all but confirmed Kyoshiro's suspicion, and revealed the identity of those attacking his family, "Kurotora…are you FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"

"Kurotora…" Sakuya gasped in shock and rose to her feet unsteadily as she took in the face of the assassin. Before anyone could react to the revelation, Kurotora disappeared in a blur before reappearing behind the wounded mother of two and wrapping his arm around her throat. Sakuya tried to break free, but Kurotora roughly placed one finger from his free hand into a large wound on her arm and began pumping his dark ki into her veins. Soon, all her movement became sluggish, before stopping altogether. "W-w-what foul madness is this?! What've you done to me?!"

Kurotora laughed before turning Sakuya's now unresponsive body towards Kyoshiro, using her as a shield, "Oh, nothing too major…I just used my ki to nullify the muscles in your body except your heart. You can't move a thing except your eyes and mouth, but you can still feel everything."

Kyoshiro felt a cold dread at Kurotora's words, and raised his sword at the Tachibana heir, "You sick, twisted sonuvabitch…get the HELL away from my mom you demented fuck!"

"Now, is that any way to be talking to the guy holding your whore mother hostage?" Kurotora replied in a sinister voice before looking lewdly at Sakuya's exposed flesh, her kimono barely being held up anymore due to its missing obi, "and what a delicious-looking whore too…"

Using his free hand, the deranged Tachibana roughly shoved his hand into the folds of Sakuya's tattered kimono and fondled her naked breast, causing Sakuya to moan in disgust and anger, "G-get your hands offa me you perverted demon! K-Kazuya-kun will have your head f-for this!"

"Woowww…you're a LOT more than a handful…that kimono was hiding all this?" Kurotora looked on in sick pleasure as he continued to palm and grab at the woman's breast before taking his hand out and using it to pull out a kunai, "Let's see what else is under here!"

Kyoshiro rushed forward but was forced to stop when Kurotora placed the kunai in front of Sakuya's neck, the point breaking skin and allowing a small drop of blood to fall down her elegant neck, "I wouldn't move from that spot, little Kyo…just let me have my fun for a while. I'll kill you all in due time…"

With a quick motion of his hand, Kurotora sliced the shoulders of the kimono open, causing it to fall and leave Sakuya completely bare before him. Kyoshiro's rage peaked as he was forced to watch Kurotora shamefully disrobe his mother and resume his perverted exploration, "DAMN YOU! IS THIS HOW YOU GET YOUR FUCKING KICKS, YOU PSYCHOTIC BASTARD?! I'LL FUCKING MURDER YOU, KUROTORA!"

"Damn, you have smooth skin…and these boobs are HUGE!" Kurotora laughed with dark glee as his hand ventured further south, Sakuya crying tears of shame at her powerlessness, "I wonder how down here must feel…you should be honored to be the first woman I've explored so thoroughly Mononobe whore."

"JUST STOP THIS MADNESS KUROTORA, PLEASE!" Sakuya's screams only emboldened the Tachibana heir further and his hand crept further down before stopping just before her entrance.

"…on second thought, you're used goods…especially since you sired that filth over there," Kurotora sneered and removed his hand, before taking notice of the new addition to the room, "Oh, hello there little girl!"

Kyoshiro whirled around and saw Saya standing at the door, frozen in fear as she saw her mother standing naked and helpless in Kurotora's grasp, "K-k-kaa-san? Wh-wha…"

"Saya, get out of here! Don't look!" Kyoshiro screamed, causing Kurotora to break out into malicious laughter.

"Oh, but she'll miss the best part!" Moving quickly, Kurotora unsheathed his dark blade again held it behind Sakuya's back. Kyoshiro's eyes met his for an instant, and widened in fear when he saw the evil intent in the Tachibana's eyes, "Kurotora…please…don't…"

The Mononobe heir's pleas went unanswered, as Kurotora shoved his blade through Sakuya's heart from behind, and the woman whispered with her last breath, "K-Kyo…"

"MOTHEEEEERRRR!" Agony erupted in Kyoshiro's heart as he saw the life drain from Sakuya's eyes. He didn't even notice the shrill scream of terror that came from Saya behind him as he rushed forward, intent on ending Kurotora's life. The Tachibana heir was ready for him, however, and flung Sakuya's corpse from his blade before lunging towards the enraged Kyoshiro, black ki enhancing his strength several fold. Unaware of the power boost, Kyoshiro was unprepared for Kurotora's strike, and when their blades met, the black edge of Juuchi Yosamu sliced through the dull steel of Kyoshiro's iaito like a knife through butter. The force of the blow saved Kyoshiro's life, as he was flung from the room into the hall, crashing against the opposite wall with enough force to leave a large dent. The last thing the Mononobe saw before everything went dark was Saya running over to him, screaming his name.

---

A sharp kick to the stomach brought the unconscious Kyoshiro back into the land of the living. The first thing he took notice of was the smell of something burning, followed by the feeling of an intense heat all around him. Opening his eyes slowly, he found the source of the heat: the compound burning.

"W-what the…"

"So you're awake, little Kyo. Took you long enough."

Kyoshiro quickly rose to his feet and whirled around to see Kurotora giving him a condescending smirk. The wounded Mononobe's rage returned with a vengeance, "Kurotora! You…you…"

"I…I what? Finally showed you how weak you and the rest of you fucking Mononbe are? Speaking of which…have you noticed that it's a bit quiet around here?" The smirk turned into a full-fledged grin, one that filled Kyoshiro with dread. Hesitantly, he looked around the room…and quickly wished he hadn't.

"No…wha…what the…" his face paled and his eyes widened as he beheld the sight before him. Dozens of bodies littered the ground, some with grievous wounds, and others barely even recognizable as people. Men, women, even children lay motionless on the ground as fire raged all around, "What….WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE! KUROTORA!"

"I did what my father and our other ancestors should've done centuries ago," Kurotora replied with pure hatred in his voice, "You Mononobe dogs have sat on your high horse for too damn long…and your sins have gone unpunished for even longer."

Kyoshiro turned to face him, ignoring the pain from his wounds as his rage began to surface, "What SINS are you even going on about, you fucking psychopath!"

"Shaming my clan for one! Leaving Ensui-jisan's friends and wife to die to the Yakuza for another!" Kurotora paused, a tear running down his face before he looked at Kyoshiro with such pure agony and malice that the Mononobe heir recoiled, "but the worst of all…the most fucked up of all…MURDERING MY MOTHER!"

"What the fuck are you on about?! Dad would…Dad would NEVER allow such a breach in the pact!" Kyoshiro rebuked in a broken voice, unable to keep the pain hidden.

"Oh…you mean this Dad, Kyoshiro-kun?"

Turning to face the new comer, Kyoshiro was met with the sight of Ensui walking among the flames towards them. Over his shoulder, he carried a sobbing, unresisting Saya, and held up in his other hand…

"….Dad…? No…no, no, no, no, NO, NOO!" Kyoshiro nearly shut down as he saw Ensui toss the decapitated head of Kazuya Mononobe at his feet. Kurotora broke out into laughter at the sight, "Oh, now that's fucking AWESOME! I hope he didn't give you too much trouble, Ensui-ji."

"He activated the blood curse…took me and three others to take him down," Ensui spat on Kazuya's head before tossing Saya down in front of Kurotora, the Tachibana heir giving her a cold look.

"Well, so much for the great blood curse," Kurotora then picked something up from the ground beside him, "here, let's make it a full set," he said before throwing another object down at Kyoshiro's feet. Tears of rage and soul-rending agony fell from the defeated heir's eyes as he took in the sight of Sakuya's head next to his father's, her last expression one of pain and helplessness.

"…M-mother…" his legs could support him no more, and he fell to his knees, hands shakily reaching out to the remains of his parents. Saya, seeing her brother so thoroughly broken, unsteadily rose to her feet and walked over to him, "K-Kyo-nii…"

Hearing his name, Kyoshiro lifted his head to see Saya walking towards him, the girl uncaring of whether she stepped in fire or not. The Mononobe heir tried to motion to her to escape, desperate to save at least one member of his family, "SAYA RUN! GET OUTTA HERE! PLEASE! JUST RUN AWAY!"

"K-Kyo-nii…they're…t-they're all…" Saya couldn't even finish as she took in the bodies lying on the ground, nearly losing her wits when she spotted the mutilated corpses of her cousins with whom she'd been playing with only hours ago. Kurotora sneered, "That's not true…they're not all dead yet…"

Kyoshiro's eyes widened, and released a heart-wrenching scream of pain as the Tachibana heir quickly ran up to Saya's back and gripped the top of her head, before thrusting the dark Juuchi Yosamu through her heart, just as he did to her mother. The little girl's eyes widened in pain, unable to scream as she choked on her own blood. Ensui smirked at the sight, "Well…that was pretty merciless, huh Kurotora-kun?"

"…not merciless enough for these fuckers," Kurotora quickly pulled the dark katana from Saya's chest before pushing her towards Kyoshiro, where she finally fell into his arms. Kyoshiro could only hold her as she continued to choke, crying in agony, her tears mixing with the blood from her fatal wound.

"S-Saya-chan…I-I told you to r-run…w-why…" he wept bitterly as the dying girl weakly raised her hand to his cheek, rubbing it softly, before uttering her final words.

"…Kyo-nii…aishiteru…"

Kyoshiro let out a bitter scream of loss as Saya closed her eyes forever, while Kurotora sniggered at the sight of the last Mononobe daughter passing on, "Hah! And then there was one."

Walking up to the kneeling Kyoshiro, who was holding Saya's rapidly cooling body close to him, Kurotora slowly brought up his sword, "Finally…I can tell Mother that vengeance has been served…Look at me, little Kyo! I wanna watch your eyes as you die!"

Kyoshiro didn't move at first, but slowly, he lifted his head to face Kurotora, but when the Tachibana heir saw Kyoshiro's eyes, he recoiled, fear spreading throughout his body like a virus as he took in the wounded Mononobe heir's crimson eyes. Wasting no time, Kurotora plunged his blade into Kyoshiro's stomach, but even with such a serious wound, the light in Kyoshiro's eyes didn't dim. Crimson bored into golden-yellow as Kyoshiro seared the image of his clan's murderer into his mind.

Ensui ran up to the two and grabbed Kurotora's shoulder, "We have to go, now! One of our men just got wind of a detachment of Urashima clan members rushing here. If we're caught, then this will all be for nothing!"

Kurotora nodded numbly and pulled his blade from Kyoshiro's stomach, the boy not even letting out a pained grunt as he looked hatefully at his family's killers, watching them quickly escape the burning compound with their cohorts. Heedless of the blood gushing from his wound, or the flames encroaching on him, Kyoshiro still knelt, clutching Saya's still form to him with the heads of his mother and father lying next to his feet, and glared at the spot the Tachibana heir had vacated not long ago.

"…Ku…ro…to…ra…"

---

"…My…God…"

The sight that welcomed the Urashima contingent was a devastating one. The entire Mononobe compound had burned to the ground, blackened support beams and partially standing walls were all that remained of the once mighty super structure.

"What in the world happened here?" one scout asked as he looked around, unable to process the destruction.

"Nevermind that, start looking for survivors! We're under strict orders to help anyone still alive!" yelled the commander as he bottled up his emotions and steeled himself for the task at hand, "Now move it!"

The next few hours saw the Urashima contingent digging through the rubble and scouring the ruins, desperately searching for any signs of life. What they found were the charred skeletal remains of their branch clan members, along with weapons, and a few personal items that escaped the blaze. As the day wore on, any hope of finding survivors diminished, and the search and rescue mission became collecting the remains of the dead to be identified and buried later.

The commander sighed; shaking his head in defeat as one subordinate reported that their search in another wing of the ruins had come up empty. Cringing at the prospect of delivering such disheartening news to Hina, he looked up at his grim-faced officer, "Understood…tell the others to grab as much of the remains as they can. We'll identify them later, and then we'll-"

"SIR! I-I FOUND ONE! A SURVIVOR! HURRY, HE WON'T LAST MUCH LONGER!"

The commander, and several of the rescue party, jumped at the news and rushed over to the remnants of the main hall, where they found one of their scouts along with their discovery.

He was barely breathing, his body knelt on the ground with a ghastly wound to the stomach. Clutched to his chest was the body of a young girl, no older than 10, and to his side were the surprisingly intact heads of a man and woman. The commander looked in shock as he saw that the boy was kneeling at the center of a circle that spread out no further than 3 feet from him, and everything within the circle had survived unmolested by the flames.

"Sweet Buddha…" the commander trailed off before turning to the scout, "Why the hell haven't you moved to help him!? He needs medical assistance NOW!"

"I-I tried to sir," the scout replied shakily, "b-but when I moved to get the body of the girl, he just looked at me and…and…Buddha above…I never wanna see those eyes again!"

Scoffing at the scout, the commander walked slowly towards the boy, who was still breathing harshly. Kneeling in front of him, he said in the softest voice he could, "Hey kiddo…it's alright. You're among allies now. I can't even imagine what you must've gone through, but we want to help you."

Seeing the boy still being unresponsive, he gently reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder lightly, as if the wounded boy would break if he pressed down too hard, "I don't know who she was to you, and I can't even think of comprehending your pain…but you have to let her go, kid. She's already gone."

The boy shivered, before slowly lifting up his head to face the commander. When they locked eyes, the commander felt fear the likes of which he'd never experienced. Hateful crimson eyes held him hostage, even as the light began to dim from them.

The commander didn't move as those eyes examined every detail of him, knowing if the boy felt any threat from him at all, he'd react violently regardless of his wounds. Seconds went by, then minutes, but they felt endless to the commander. Finally, the boy slowly lowered his head, and loosened the hold on the body in his arms. The commander slowly reached out and took Saya's corpse, treating it like fragile glass, before handing it off to one of his subordinates to the side. His burden relieved, the boy closed his eyes and lost consciousness, falling into the commander's arms.

"GET A STRETCHER AND THE MEDICS HERE NOW!"

---

Hina shook her head morosely as she listened to the report delivered to her by her commander, her heart battling denial regarding the tragedy that had transpired the night before. It was early evening when the recovery team returned from the Mononobe compound, with several wagons filled with the remains of deceased clansmen. One wagon had been cordoned off and separated from the rest, at the Urashima clan head's request. Hina had been the first to see its contents as two Urashima clansmen came out holding a stretcher with the covered body of Saya Mononobe, followed by two bags that held all that was left of Kazuya and Sakuya Mononobe. She openly wept as she saw the former clan head's name on one of the bags, her soul ripped in two at the loss of someone who was like a second son to her. Haruka stood next to her, also crying silently as they beheld the fate of their dear branch clan.

"How…how the hell could they just…" Haruka asked no one, watching solemnly as the scouts took the remains to one of the freezers in the compound to preserve them until they could be examined and formally buried.

Hina didn't have an answer for her adopted daughter at the time, but now with the findings of her men, she could paint a bit of a picture. Although it was made to look like an accident, her men had found signs of a large struggle. That, along with the condition of the remains of the main family confirmed that this was the work of enemy assassins. The identity of those responsible, however, was still a mystery.

"Thank you commander, you've done well," she complimented the disheveled looking man, who merely bowed in thanks; "I want you and your men to take the next few days off. I can't imagine the stress you've just gone through."

"No task is too great for us, Hina-sama," the commander said before he frowned at the ground, "…will…will the boy be ok?"

Hina hid a grimace as she answered, "Physically, he will make a full recovery, as the stab wound missed his vitals…but mentally, only time will tell. Kyoshiro-kun has survived an ordeal that no child his age should ever have to go through…I can only pray he can recover from this."

"As do I," the commander shivered as he thought back to when he found the near-dead Mononobe heir, "…it was haunting…the look in his eyes…what a terrible way to manifest the curse…"

"You must let no one know what you saw in his eyes, commander!" Hina ordered as she gave him a stern look, "If anyone outside of your team or our clan asks, Kyoshiro Mononobe died with his family, understood?"

The commander nodded, "Of course, Hina-sama. Will you require anything else?"

"No, you have served the clan well. Go take your rest," she dismissed. After he left, Hina leaned back into her plush chair and sighed, feeling every year of her age as she wiped the beginnings of tears in her eyes. Before she could relax a bit more, a soft knock rapped at the door. "Who is it?"

"It's me granny," came the familiar voice of Haruka, "I just wanted to let you know…the Aoyamas are here."

Hina's mood dropped even further, but taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for what needed to be done, "Very well…tell them I'm on my way now."

---

"…well Mother…it's over…your murderers finally got what was comin to em…"

Kurotora had returned only hours ago from his grisly task, and the first place he'd gone after destroying any and all evidence of his actions was to his mother's resting place. Word had spread quickly around the Tachibana compound regarding the massacre of the Mononobe clan, and the majority of the clan were beside themselves with glee, though they were wise enough not to show it. The emperor had already temporarily filled the position of Imperial Guardians with several powerful and high ranking Tachibana clansmen until the culprits behind the tragedy were captured. Heihachi was busy with reorganizing the clan's affairs and preparing to head to the palace where he would meet with the emperor and receive command of the Imperial Guardian task force. This left the Tachibana heir a bit of time to pay his respects to his deceased mother.

"Using your sword to end their pathetic lives…hell…I knew it was powerful, but I had no idea that it could resonate with me so well," Kurotora held the blade lovingly, the crazed look in his eyes replaced with a look of genuine fondness, "but it belongs here…with you. I won't tarnish it with the blood of mongrels ever again."

Opening the case where it once resided, Kurotora took care to polish and wipe away any fingerprints or anything that could be traced back to him, before placing Juuchi Yosamu back in the sword box and resealing the case. He knelt for a moment to say a few silent prayers to his mother and to thank her for her blessings, before rising to his feet, "…you can come out now…I'm not the dull kid I used to be…you made sure of that."

"…I suppose I did," the deep baritone voice of Heihachi echoed in the room as the Tachibana clan head, soon to be Imperial Guard Commander, stepped out of the shadows and moved to the front of the capsule that held his beloved wife, "sometimes I wonder if I trained you too well."

"…are you upset at what I did?" the Tachibana heir questioned, knowing that his very life could be forfeit within the next few moments. Heihachi stood staring at the face of his wife for a few moments, not speaking a single word.

"…have I ever told you…what happened after your mother was struck down? How the Imperial Guards knocked me unconscious soon after?"

Kurotora looked at his father in confusion, "…I don't think you ever told me that part. Why did they-"

"Because the minute I put her down after she'd spoken her last words, I drew my sword against the one who killed her…that Mononobe trash," Heihachi's eyes darkened as he remembered that terrible day, his voice trembling with barely-restrained fury, "and I was only feet away from killing her, before Kazuya and his ilk struck me down."

Heihachi paused and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to calm himself, fighting against his rage, "For months afterwards, I plotted, I schemed, and I prayed to every deity to help me find a way to make them all suffer for taking Kikyo away from me…from us…but in the end my rationale and my fear won out," the clan head turned to his son, who was giving him a slightly stunned expression, "I knew if I ever tried to retaliate, it would mean the end of us. While the emperor never made the pact official or writ into law, we've been practicing that decennial tradition for so long, that to break it would bring everlasting shame upon the Tachibana. That was something I could not bring down upon us as clan head…even if it meant allowing Kikyo's murderers to go free."

The clan head walked over to his son and looked down at him, his face set like stone, "Should your deeds ever come into light…should anyone ever discover that it was you who murdered the Mononobe…what would you do?"

Kurotora looked down for a moment to gather his thoughts, before looking his father dead in the eyes, golden yellow to golden yellow, and replied in a strong voice, "If that does happen, I'll tellem it was just me that was behind it. I didn't tell you anything because I swore to myself if I got caught, I'd take the fall," the boy began to shake a bit, fighting the tears that threatened to fall, "Even if it meant sacrificing my place in the clan…if I could send Mother's killers to their fucking graves…then I'd gladly burn in hell! Because…because…"

Heihachi hugged his son as he broke down in his arms, and after a few moments, Kurotora returned the embrace before finishing, "…because if I didn't kill them, how could I face Mother in the afterlife? It's like you always taught me…the clan before everything else…"

"…while a part of me is angry at what you've done…I am prouder beyond words at your bravery," Heihachi answered as he held his first-born, "and should that day come…whatever you decide to do…I will support you from the shadows."

They stayed in that embrace before Kikyo's capsule for a while, before Heihachi released the red-eyed heir and stood, "Imperial agents will most likely come around here to interrogate our clan and determine if any of them had anything to do with the massacre. You have alibis in place, I presume?"

Kurotora sniffled, before nodding, "Yea…their families and neighbors can vouch for the others and I…amazing what a few disguises and ki manipulation can do, huh dad?" he said with a malicious smile, one his father returned.

"Indeed…especially since we never told anyone about those particular tricks of ours. The emperor and his investigators shouldn't be a problem, especially since there'll be no proof," Heihachi turned his head to look at his late wife's favored blade, "…no proof except for that."

"I don't understand, I cleaned it perfectly and everything," Kurotora gave his father another confused look, "It's been restored to the condition it was before I took it from the case…"

"That it has, but the remnants of ki from your last kill are still present in the blade. I can feel it now," Heihachi closed his eyes as he focused on the feeling of foreign ki wafting off the blade, "…you killed someone with the blood curse, didn't you?"

Kurotora looked down, feeling a small twinge of fear at the reminder, "…Yea…little Kyo awakened it after I killed his stupid sister in front of him…I stabbed him in the stomach so he'd bleed out slow while the fire took care of the rest."

Heihachi nodded in understanding, "I see…it's a good thing he perished then. Awakening that foul curse so young…there's no telling how strong he could've been. Kazuya-teme awakened the curse only a couple of years ago on a mission for the emperor. In any case," the Tachibana clan head walked over to the case that held Juuchi Yosamu and removed the sheathed katana. He then dug into his gi and removed a medium sized bottle with green liquid, "it's a very good thing that this blade is not the real Juuchi Yosamu."

This revelation floored the boy, "Whaaaaaaat?! Whadayamean it's 'not the real one'? It looks and feels just like it! Mom used it enough around me back in the day for me to get a damn good read on its ki signature!"

Heihachi didn't explain with words, but simply removed the top of the bottle and poured the liquid over the blade. Kurotora watched on, his eyes widening by the second as the colors of the blade seemed to melt off the blade, a black mist of ki wafting off, until minutes later there was just a plain black ninjato in its place.

"Wh-wh-what the hell?! Dad!? What did you do?!"

"This is an ability of the Juuchi Yosamu that is accessible to highly skilled ki manipulators. By taking a portion of its ki and transmuting it to another blade, that blade can take the form of the Juuchi Yosamu for as long as its original ki is active," explained Heihachi as he replaced the bottle into his gi, "this liquid is a ki remover that we created in case we ever needed the blade to reform to its original state. That black ki you just saw was the remnants of ki from the original Juuchi Yosamu."

Kurotora was still shell-shocked, but understanding began to dawn in his mind, "So…I used a fake Juuchi Yosamu that whole time?"

Heihachi shook his head, "Yes, and no. While this blade still held the ki of the Juuchi Yosamu, it temporarily assumed its form, but as it was a false replica, you could only access a small portion of the original blade's power. However, I believe you're missing the real picture," Heihachi gave his son a knowing look, "Since the investigators from the emperor will be asking to examine Juuchi Yosamu, we will give them Juuchi Yosamu to examine…"

"…but it won't be the Juuchi Yosamu that I used, it'll be the real one…" Kurotora's eyes lit up in comprehension, "and the real one DOESN'T have remnant ki from that punk Mononobe's blood curse!"

Heihachi gave the young boy a malicious grin, "In other words, this blade can be destroyed without issue, and your deeds will be buried in the annals of history as the work of a random group."

Kurotora chuckled for a moment, before it grew to a full on laugh, "Perfect…perfect…I didn't screw up afterall…"

Heihachi placed a hand on his son's head and looked at him proudly, "Quite the contrary, my son…your actions have put the Tachibana right where they belong…"

---

Motoko's wails of despair could be heard throughout the entire Urashima compound, with many sharing in her tears of loss.

A shrine maiden from the Shinmei-ryuu held the young girl as she wept bitterly, her spirit barely holding together in the face of such a profound loss.

"…Sempai…Sempai!…h-how could anyone…?!"

In another room down the hall, a slightly red-eyed Tsuruko sat in front of a kotatsu across from Haruka and Hina, the mug of tea in front of her having gone cold long ago.

"So it's true…the entire clan was wiped out in a single night…" she shook her head as tears threatened to fall again, "Such a horrible tragedy to befall such people."

"It wasn't a just a tragedy, Tsuruko-chan, it was murder," Haruka shivered next to the old woman from the frost in her voice, "And at the moment, we have no clue as to who's responsible for it."

"There was no evidence left at the site of the compound?" Tsuruko asked with mild disbelief. She refused to believe anyone could be careful enough to massacre a whole clan and leave no evidence to their identity.

"Whoever pulled this off knew exactly what to do, where to go, and the best way to hit them when they weren't looking," Haruka explained, lighting up another cigarette and taking a quick drag, much to Hina's disapproval, "While there aren't many pros out there that are that thorough, it doesn't really narrow down our list of suspects."

The elegant Aoyama sighed in defeat, "Well this does make things difficult…but you won't be searching alone. As the head of the Shinmei-ryuu and current heir to the Aoyama, I pledge the support of our family. We will not rest until the Mononobe's killers are brought to justice!"

Hina nodded, "I thank you for the support. We will let you know if we get any leads, and I also suggest that you keep an eye and ear out for any suspicious behavior from any of our rivals that may hint at their involvement."

Tsuruko nodded her agreement, and after one last sip of her tea, excused herself to return to the other room and console her heartbroken sister. When she was out of earshot, Haruka gave Hina a side-glance, "You didn't tell her."

Hina sighed and rubbed her temples, trying her best to stave off a headache, "While I know for a fact the Aoyama were not involved in any way with this tragedy, its best that Kyoshiro-kun's survival remain a secret. The murderers are still out there, after all. They may seek to finish the job."

"Let em try," Haruka growled, one hand clenching so tightly, her nails cut into her skin, "I'll take out anyone that tries to hurt him."

Hina placed a hand on Haruka's bleeding fist and gently opened it, "There will be a time for justice, Haru-chan. But we must not lose ourselves to revenge. To do so would only bring about further chaos to us all."

"…tell that to Kyo-kun when he wakes up," Haruka rose and walked out of the room, leaving Hina to mull over her last words.

"…indeed…that will be a difficult mountain to climb…"

---

Fire…all around him, he could see flames rising from the ground, consuming everything in its path. Turning around frantically, he ran in search of his parents, while trying to shut out the sounds of the dying around him.

"MOM! DAD! SIS! WHERE ARE YOU!" he screamed, nearly choking on the smoke in the air. Turning down one hallway, he found his parent's room and burst into it, the doors flying off their hinges and into the flames within the room.

"MOM! DA-"

His words caught in his throat, eyes widening as tears began to form. On top of a burning futon lay the heads of his mother and father, expressions of pain and anger forever engraved on their faces. The boy fell to his knees and screamed as agony gripped his heart.

"It's not over yet, little Kyo…you're gonna miss the best part…"

Slowly turning around, the boy saw the figure of his hated rival, dressed in all black with his crimson hair flying about wildly, yellow feline-like eyes blazing with malice and hatred. A condescending, victorious smirk was plastered on his face as he held the body of a small girl by the back of her neck.

"KYO-NIII!"

"SAYA-CHAN!"

The boy was too slow to react, as the red-headed man drew his sword, a katana with a black blade, and without hesitation plunged it into the little girl's back and through her chest. Her eyes widened as she cried out in pain, before the light in them dimmed. Her last breath came in a whisper.

"…K-Kyo-nii…"

The boy on his knees could only watch as his enemy removed the blade from his last victim, the girl's body stumbling forward before slowly falling forward into his arms. His anguish giving way to an all-encompasing rage, the boy held the body of his sister tightly to him and shot the murderer his worst glare as he roared in rage.

"KUUUROOOTOOORRRAAAAAAAAA!"

---

Kyoshiro's eyes snapped open as he sprang up from the futon, his dark brown eyes darting around the room. It took a moment for him to calm down, unable to recognize his current environment.

"Easy, Kyoshiro-kun…there's no need to fear, you're safe now."

Turning to face the familiar voice, Kyoshiro found the Urashima clan head sitting at the side of his futon, "…H-Hina-sama…" he said in a raspy voice.

Hina could barely hide the overwhelming sadness she felt at seeing the current state of the Mononobe heir. His hair was disheveled, bandages covered parts of his face, and when he sat up, she could see the bandaged stab wound on his stomach. Seeing the boy struggle to remain upright, she placed her hands on his back and chest to support him.

"Be careful Kyoshiro, you're still recovering from your wounds," she admonished, but her words had no bite to them, "It'll be some time before you're back to one hundred percent."

"…how long was I out…" the former heir asked tentatively, doing his best to calm the maelstrom of emotions he felt, "…where am I?"

"To answer your second question, you're at my clan's compound in Tokyo," Hina answered as she discreetly looked over the wounded boy to check for any unattended injuries, "as for your second question…it's been about two weeks since we recovered you from the remains of the Mononobe compound."

Kyoshiro fell silent at her words, taking in the news as best he could. Two weeks. Two weeks since the fire, since the murder of his family. His family…

"…Kurotora…" he whispered softly enough that Hina wasn't able to hear what he'd said.

"What was that, Kyoshiro-kun?" She asked, before nearly jumping back in fright at the animalistic growl that came from the now enraged boy.

"KUROTORA!" Kyoshiro thrashed around, trying to break free of Hina's grip and set out to rip his clan's killers apart, but the old woman was deceptively strong, and kept a firm hold on him.

"Stop Kyoshiro! You're only going to hurt yourself even further!" she ordered, but try as she might, the boy refused to calm down, "Stubborn boy, I…said…CALM DOWN!"

The power in her voice broke through the anger in Kyoshiro's mind, and he slowly came back to his senses, but his eyes still overflowed with hate and pain. Seeing him regain himself, Hina sighed in relief.

"Good boy," she began, "now then…you just yelled Kurotora's name in your little tantrum…am I to presume you mean Kurotora Tachibana?"

Kyoshiro didn't respond, but the clenching of his fists and the way his eyes darkened gave Hina her answer, "…tell me what you can remember from that night."

It took several moments before Kyoshiro began to speak in a dead voice, "…we were celebrating…everyone was hanging around drinking, joking, and just being…happy. Dad had just given me the best present ever…and then they came…"

Hina listened with rapt attention as Kyoshiro described the events that transpired when the attack began, from the strange enhancements of the enemy assassins, to seeing Kurotora defile and murder his mother, and finally to seeing Saya struck down and having her die in his arms. Through it all, Kyoshiro seemed lost…as thought everything beautiful in his life was gone. When he finished, Hina took a deep breath before fixing Kyoshiro with a stern look.

"Thank you for telling me all this, Kyoshiro. I must ask though, are you absolutely sure it was Kurotora who was responsible for this? It could have been an imposter."

The boy's eyes narrowed, "I'm certain…he was using a katana with a black blade…his mother's sword, Juuchi Yosamu. He stabbed me with it and I stared into his eyes as he pulled it out and left me for dead…" he paused again to take a breath and calm the overwhelming fury of the blood curse within him, "The blade will have remnants of my ki on it…then you'll have your answer."

"I'll send word to the Imperial Court right away about this," Hina's mood became somber, "…we haven't had a formal funeral to lay your family to rest yet…we were waiting for you to wake up. As the last Mononobe, you have full rights to decide what to do with their remains."

The boy looked at his lap, tears slowly beginning to form and drop from his eyes, "…I want them to return to Okinawa…all of them…it was our home…"

The mourning heir could say no more as he succumbed to the grips of anguish, weeping openly before the Urashima clan head. Hina embraced the boy and let him cry on her shoulder, as she struggled to retain her own tears. After several minutes, Kyoshiro leaned back from the embrace, "I'm sorry…Hina-obaasama…I shouldn't have…"

"Weaker men would have lost themselves completely to their sorrow if they had suffered as you have, child," Hina placed a withered hand on the boy's shoulder, "You have NOTHING to be sorry for."

"…thanks…" Kyoshiro replied in a small voice, "…is there anything else you wanna talk to me about?"

"There is, but as you have only just regained consciousness, a few of them can wait until after we lay your clan to rest," reaching behind her, Hina pulled out a black sword bag, "For now, I only wish to return these to you…they were the only weapons we found intact at the ruins."

Shakily reaching out and taking the bag, Kyoshiro untied the string holding it closed peered into it. Inside the bag were two blades: the sky-blue Yawarakai-te he'd inherited, and a longer, slightly heavier blade in a navy blue scabbard. Pulling out the katana from the navy blue scabbard, Kyoshiro noticed the dark silver color of the blade.

"…This is…but how…" he could only examine the blade in shock, unable to grasp how it had survived the hell of that night.

"Kazuya always had a way with forging incredible swords…I think that one was his best work," Hina wiped another tear away from her eyes as she remembered how it was only weeks ago that she'd seen that katana strapped to Kazuya's side as he proudly watched his son do battle in the tournament, "We found it next to what we assume was the remains of his body. While the heads were protected by mysterious circumstances, their bodies unfortunately were lost to the flames. I'm sorry, Kyoshiro-kun."

Kyoshiro didn't respond immediately, only holding his father's sword and the Yawarakai-te gingerly in his hands, both blades feeling heavy with sorrow. Only when Hina called out to him again did the boy turn to face her.

"Sorry, Hina-sama…could you give me a few moments alone…please?" the cresfallen tone of his voice broke Hina's heart, and after hugging him one more time, she rose from her seat and quietly left the room. Moments later, the sounds of bitter sobbing could be heard from the cracks in the door.

---

It was about a week later that Kyoshiro was well enough to get out of bed and walk around, but despite being able to go almost anywhere in the compound, he chose to remain in his room. Most of his time was spent stewing over the massacre, meditating to control his blood curse, and looking after his two new blades. The day after his awakening, Hina had gone to the emperor with news of her findings, however she had fabricated a different story regarding how she came across the information, in order to hide Kyoshiro's survival. The emperor had given her leave to take his best detectives to the Tachibana main compound in Rumoi and interrogate the clan.

'I wonder what they'll do when they discover their treachery…' Kyoshiro thought as he sharpened his father's blade. Kazuya had called it Ginokami (Silver Wolf) when he was still alive, and the boy decided to keep the name, and preserve Kazuya's memory.

'Kurotora WILL die…of that I'm certain…no…' Kyoshiro's thoughts trailed off for a moment, as his blood rage temporarily spiked, his eyes gaining a small tinge of red, 'No…that whole clan's hatred is what made that bastard…they'll ALL pay…' the rage began to bleed more into the boy's eyes, but stopped when a knock came at his door.

"Hey brat, you awake? I brought your breakfast," Haruka's lazy drawl drifted into the room, and Kyoshiro grunted, putting Ginokami onto the table he was sitting at and getting up to open the door. The lovely young woman strode inside with a tray containing steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and an odd addition of scrambled eggs. Setting the food on the kotatsu in the middle of the room, Haruka turned to give her distant cousin a blank stare.

"…You know, you really should get out of this room more…no one's seen you in couple days," she said lazily. Kyoshiro paid her no mind, and sat down in front of his food, taking a pair of chopsticks and placing pieces of the scrambled egg into his rice before mixing them together. Haruka raised an eyebrow at his odd action, "huh…never saw anyone mix those two before…"

"…Saya-chan and Dad did this all the time…" he answered softly, eyes on his food as he ate slowly, "Used to annoy the hell outta mom, but then she got into it too…everyone used to think we were weird…"

Haruka shrugged before continuing, "I guess it would be…and you're trying to change the topic. Seriously, you have a whole compound here to explore. Don't boys normally like to go exploring in places they've never been?"

"…you mean like Noriyasu-san?" came the smart remark from Kyoshiro, causing Haruka to blush slightly.

"…yea, kinda like that idiot I guess."

"…I'll pass. Besides, no one's supposed to know I'm alive, right?" Kyoshiro said bitterly as he picked up his bowl of rice and eggs and moved himself back to the desk to resume his work on Ginokami. Haruka sighed at his stubbornness and ran a hand through her hair.

"The only ones here at this compound are the same people who found you in that search, along with their families. Actually, at this point I think the only ones in the clan that don't know you're alive are my brother and his family, including Kanako," she paused as she remembered the feisty young girl, "…actually we may wanna tell them sooner or later…I know they were scared out of their minds when they heard about what happened, and I don't wanna know what Kanako may try to do…"

Kyoshiro gave a small snicker, the closest he came to laughing in almost three weeks, "Yea…I guess that would be a problem," he stopped his caretaking of his father's blade as he momentarily remembered the last time he'd seen the over-affectionate young girl. Kanako was two years older than Saya, but the two had gotten along swimmingly. There was no doubt in Kyoshiro's mind that Kanako was devastated at learning Saya's fate.

Haruka took a quick drag from her cancer stick, but before she could continue trying (and failing) to get the boy to go outside for once, a small commotion in the hallway grabbed their attention. They only had to wait a few minutes before Hina appeared in the doorway, a grim, defeated look on her face.

"Kyoshiro-kun…we need to talk."

---

From the tone of her voice and the way she stood, the last Mononobe didn't think he'd like what he was about to hear.

He was right.

"WHAT KINDA BULLSHIT IS THAT?!"

Hina rubbed her forehead and leaned back in her office chair as she observed Kyoshiro on the other side of the desk, Haruka standing by her side.

"I know it's difficult to believe, given everything that has happened, but the detectives sent by the emperor are the absolute best, and they found no evidence to support that the Tachibana are in any way connected to the murder of your clan."

"THEY'RE FUCKING LYING! I SAW KUROTORA! I FOUGHT HIM! HE MURDERED MY MOTHER AND SAYA RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" Kyoshiro fumed, barely containing his outrage as it gnawed at his heart, "ENSUI WAS THE ONE THAT THREW MY FATHER'S HEAD AT MY FEET! AND HELD SAYA CAPTIVE UNTIL THAT MURDERING MOTHERFUCKER KILLED HER!"

"I know you told me that was what you saw, but every member of the Tachibana had a strong alibi. Heihachi said that Kurotora had been away with his cousins training near Fuji, a claim supported by everyone in the area, even those not loyal to the Tachibana."

"They can manipulate ki, dammit! They could disguise themselves as almost ANYONE!" the last Mononobe ranted, crimson beginning to bleed into his eyes, "And what about the sword?! What about Juuchi Yosamu?! There's no way they could remove the remnant ki from it!"

"This is true," Hina began, but before Kyoshiro could capitalize, her next words stopped him cold, "but there wasn't any remnant ki on that blade."

"…what?! Whadayamean?!" he asked frantically, confusion and anger battling within him, "He STABBED me with that blade! While I was all raged out!"

"I know…but we checked the blade ourselves…we even had a ki detection expert from the Aoyama examine it. Not only did it not have the remnant ki you speak of, but it hadn't even been used in decades. Almost a century even." Hina hated having come up to a dead end in the search for the Mononobe's killers, but the lack of evidence was plain as day.

Kyoshiro looked lost, unable to comprehend how Kurotora could have destroyed the evidence of his deed so completely. His fury returned with a vengeance and his eyes narrowed as he looked back to Hina and Haruka, "…then I guess that's it. I'll just have to settle this bullshit myself!" he rose from his chair and made to leave the room.

"You will do no such thing, Kyoshiro Mononobe!"

The order from Hina stopped the boy in his tracks, before he whirled on the Urashima clan head, hatred in his nearly-crimson orbs, "AND WHY THE FUCK NOT!?"

"Because for starters, you foolish boy, you haven't even fully recovered!" Hina met his stare unflinchingly, the strength in her glare almost overpowering the raging boy's, "How could you hope to face any of them when you can't even properly lift your blade?! And even if you could, you'd never be able to reach them anyway…"

At his confused stare, Hina elaborated, "Since the Mononobe clan is no more, the title of Imperial Guardians has now been officially granted to the Tachibana clan, and they quickly stationed their own kin all over the ranks. They have been officially recognized as the protectors and guardians of the Imperial Family. To attack them, let alone slay one of them, would be tantamount to treason of the highest order," the clan head allowed the revelation to sink into Kyoshiro's head for a few moments, continuing when his rage seemed to subside somewhat, "in other words, should you pursue this foolish venture, then not only will you be revealed to have lived, but your clan will be shamed, and you executed as a traitor to your country!"

Kyoshiro's head tilted toward the ground, his hair shadowing his eyes. Hina and Haruka watched him closely to see what he would do. They did nothing as he began shaking, although when they felt his ki begin to rise exponentially, they braced themselves for a violent retaliation.

"…I don't care…about the emperor…" began the boy as he fought the bitter tears trying to let loose from his eyes, "…I don't care…about the law…but for now…" his ki began to settle down, Haruka and Hina sighing in relief, "…I'll abide by what you say. You've taken me in, and kept me safe when there was no one else. For that…and that alone, I will heed your words, Urashima-sama."

Hina flinched at the formal title, realizing the boy was infuriated beyond comprehension, and only the honor of his family stopped him from acting out. But she could work with this for now, "Very well. I'm glad to see you're willing to cooperate with us. Rest assured, we will NOT stop until we get down to the bottom of this mystery. Until then however, I must ask a very difficult favor of you…"

Kyoshiro tilted his head back up to give Hina his proper attention, although there was still some red in his eyes, "…I'm listening…"

"As you know, we have claimed that the entire Mononobe clan, including yourself, perished that night. Obviously, this was done for your safety, lest the killers discover your survival and pursue you," the clan head began, pulling out a folder from her desk drawer, "In order to enforce this cover, I've decided to adopt you into the Urashima clan, until such a time comes where you are old enough, and capable enough, to revive your clan."

"I figured as much…and you have my thanks again…" Kyoshiro nodded, but Hina waved a hand, "I'm not finished yet, Kyoshiro-kun. Adopting you was a given, however…in order for this cover to work," the elderly woman took a breath before continuing, praying the boy wouldn't blow a gasket, "I'm afraid we'll have to change several things about you…beginning with your name."

Kyoshiro's thoughts ground to a halt, "…could you run that by me one more time?"

"What granny here didn't tell you yet, was that you're gonna be adopted into my brother's family," Haruka continued where the clan head left off, "In all honesty, you could pass for his son…once you cut and dye your hair. Since he's so removed from clan affairs, living with him is the best option since you'd be out of the limelight."

Hina nodded her thanks to her adopted daughter and picked up where she left off, "It would be easy to pass you off as an orphan who was adopted by my son, since that was how Kanako came under his care, but it will only work if you take the Urashima name as she did."

Kyoshiro's brow furrowed in thought as he retook his seat in front of the desk. On one hand, the idea of losing the name his parents gave to him, even if only temporarily, was a sobering thought. On the other hand, he could understand the need for a cover in order to protect himself, plus as said before, it would only be temporary.

Sighing to himself, feeling drained from the day's events, he nodded, "…alright. I'll take a new name," he answered begrudgingly, "So what am I gonna be called from now on, so I know what to answer to?"

Hina thought to herself for a moment, "Hmm…let's see…what to call my new errant grandson…" the clan head made a show of choosing a name, causing a tic mark to appear on Kyoshiro's head, "let's go with…Keitaro. Keitaro Urashima."

"Has a nice ring to it," Haruka complimented before giving Kyoshiro, now Keitaro, a lazy smirk, "I always wanted a little nephew to bug."

"First off…it sounds like you're combining two names for no reason, but whatever," a spark of the old Kyoshiro returned as he gave Haruka a smirk of his own, "and second off, that means I get to call you Haruka-obasan…nice to see you embracing your age."

Steam flew from Haruka's ears as her face turned red, but whether that was from embarrassment or anger, no one really knew. Regardless, Hina decided to nip that fight in the bud before the two youngsters came to blows in her office.

"Now that that's over, we have just one more final bit of business to take care of," she got out of her chair and walked around the desk to stand before Kyoshiro. Seeing her get up prompted to the boy to rise from his seat as well, and when the old woman reached out and gently grabbed his hands, he knew in his heart what that last bit business was. Nevertheless, her words still reopened the raw wound in his heart.

"…saying goodbye to your family."

---

The funeral of the Mononobe clan took place close to a month after they were killed. Since the majority of them had been burnt, almost no special care was needed to preserve the bodies, and Kyoshiro had decided to have all of their remains cremated per family tradition, and their ashes spread across the plot of land where the compound once stood in Okinawa.

The Aoyamas sent Tsuruko and Motoko as their representatives to pay their respects, and all throughout the ceremony, the younger Aoyama's eyes streamed tears as she watched the ceremonial rites for the dead. She was unaware that her sempai was alive, but in a different part of the compound altogether.

Far from the main funeral ceremony, Kyoshiro, garbed in a sharp black suit, laid the urn with the ashes of his father, mother, and sister into its grave. He had found the untouched circle where he'd knelt and nearly died himself that night: the wood paneling had long been removed, leaving only a perfect circle of dirt. Covering the hole in the center where the urn now lay, Kyoshiro erected a makeshift shrine to house the effects he'd brought with him. Along with Yawarakai-te and Ginokami, the Urashima scouts had managed to recover a few other items: two jeweled combs that would adorn Saya's hair at official functions, two sets of elaborate hair pins worn by Sakuya, and the ceremonial tanto that once belonged to Kazuya, presented to him by the emperor as a reward for his work as an Imperial Guardian.

Of the two sets of his mother and sister's belongings, Kyoshiro had kept one, while the others would rest with their former owners. The tanto, however, was in his hands as he knelt before the temporary shrine he'd made, his head tilted down shadowing his eyes.

"Father…Mother…Saya-chan…forgive me for taking so long to return here, and for taking even longer to put you to rest…a lotta things have happened since that night…"

The mourning heir paused, tears falling slowly down his cheeks as he gathered himself to continue, "the Urashima have been really good to me…they took me in, officially. For now, I'm gonna go by the name Keitaro Urashima, in order to keep me safe…but I promise…I won't EVER forget my real name…the name you gave me…"

He trembled, clenching his hands into tight fists as the rage and sorrow he felt that night came rushing back, and threatened to consume him, "…and I also won't forget the bastards who did this. I told Hina that I would cooperate and not go after them…that was a lie…"

"I know that I'm still not at full strength…it'll be a while before I am…but when I am…I'll start learning the advanced techniques in the family scrolls that Hina-obaasama has…and I'll make the Tachibana answer for this…"

The last Mononobe began stripping his upper garments, until his chest was bare. Unsheathing the tanto, he looked at the golden blade for a moment, before gripping it and carving a kanji into his chest. The process took a few minutes, his hand steady, and resolve firm, refusing to let the pain of the blade slicing his flesh deter him from his task. When he was finished, he eyed the bloody blade before resheathing it and placing it in front of the shrine. Putting one hand to the fresh wound over his heart, he let the blood smear his palm before using one finger to paint the same kanji on the plot of land where the urn was buried before the shrine.

"On this blood, before this grave, I pledge to every God, every deity…" he began, his hair still shadowing his eyes and blowing gently in the wind, "to wipe out the Tachibana clan. I promise you, Mom, Dad, Saya…I'll kill em all…whatever it takes!"

The wind stopped blowing and all of nature went silent in that moment as Kyoshiro finished his pledge. Having said his peace, the Mononobe heir rose from the ground, and bowed his head, "So watch over me from now on…until I join you on the other side…" fighting the urge to weep, the boy said one last goodbye, before picking up his discarded shirt and jacket, and walking to the other side of the island.

Absorbed in his thoughts and his sorrow, Kyoshiro did not notice the figure in the shadows, a woman with fiery red hair and midnight-blue eyes, who had been watching him as he paid his respects and made his blood pledge. When Kyoshiro was out of eyeshot, the woman stepped towards the shrine, and took notice of the kanji on the shrine. From her position, she hadn't been able to see what he'd carved onto his chest. When she read what was written on the grave, however, she gasped, eyes widening as she whispered its meaning:

"T…Tenchū (Divine Retribution)"

---

Author's Note - First, my sincerest apologies for such a HUGE chapter. I wanted to make it shorter, or possibly cut it in two, but I wanted to get the foundation chapter done in one go. Rest assured, the rest of the chapters should be nowhere NEAR this long. If you read through the whole thing, kudos and thanks so much! Please feel free to leave reviews, but what I said about flames in the prologue stands...and trust me, I'm an engineer. I can pull that off a lot easier than you think.

Next chapter should be out in a week or two if i don't get too bogged down.