Chapter 11 – Return of the Red Demon

"Hurry up, boys!" shouted a burly looking man dressed in heavily soiled chef's smocks as he oversaw two teams of about a dozen junior chefs hard at work, "The big boss' birthday bash is gonna be the biggest party we've had yet, and I want everything to be PERFECT! With a capital P!"

"UHS!" the chefs cried out jubilantly as they set to work preparing various dishes and culinary delights for the rather prominent guests they would be hosting within a couple days. All around the spacious kitchen the cooks buzzed about, skinning poultry, frying rice, preparing sushi. Seeing his teams of juniors working so diligently brought a huge grin to the head cook's face. Glancing down to the end, he spotted one brown-haired chef frying a mix of peppers and cucumbers in a sizzling pan. Walking over to him, the larger man put a gentle hand on the chef's shoulder, "I gotta admit gaki, your work's been pretty impressive, especially for someone that's only been working this kitchen for a week!"

"You flatter me too much, sempai," the chef blushed a bit as he continued working on his dish, "I'm just good with making simple stuff. I still haven't thanked you enough for taking me on so late…I know my application was a bit rushed-"

"Nonsense, Urashima-kun!" the head cook waved off the younger man's words, "You had one hell of a demo! You and your friend that you recommended! He is coming later tonight, right? I have some really good news for him!"

Keitaro nodded, "Yes sir! He told me he would be running a little late, but that he would get here for sure."

Nodding in content, the gruff-looking man walked off, "Good! I think he'll really like what I have to say. Anyway, once you're done, you're free to head home. I think we'll be in good hands for the next couple days!"

"Thank you sempai!" Keitaro bowed, before turning back to his dish and finishing the last of his preparations. After dumping it into a plate, he picked it up and handed it off to his section's overseer before heading to the locker area where the chefs kept their belongings during work hours. Sighing in relief, he removed his duffel bag filled with a change of clothes and quickly removed his slightly dirty chef's outfit, replacing it with a pair of baggy black jeans, a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, a sleeveless version of his favorite Shinsengumi haori, and comfortable black sneakers. Brushing through his hair with is hand, the landlord quickly locked up his chef's ware and headed through the front, opting to walk through the cavernous main floor of the club. On the inside, Tensai was obnoxiously huge, with a sizable main dance floor, three bars (two on the sides of the dance floor and one right in the middle), and a balcony level that encircled the first floor several feet above. At the front was a large stage where DJs from around the world came to entertain crowds of hundreds, thousands if they were big enough names.

Passing across the floor, Keitaro took note of a hallway next to the bar on the right. He knew from earlier reconnaissance that the hallway led upstairs to a series of private rooms for the more high profile guests…including his next target.

'I can't believe it took a week to scope this place out, but it was definitely worth the effort,' he thought as he left through the main entrance, making sure the security camera at the front didn't catch his image. Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, the Mononobe heir then dashed into a deserted alley a couple blocks away from the infamous club.

There wasn't much in the alley except for two garbage cans and a small amount of litter on the floor. Making a beeline for one of the garbage cans, Keitaro lifted the lid, revealing a second duffel bag. Wasting no time, he removed the bag and opened it, revealing another set of clothes, his mask and red wig from Kanako, and a strange metallic disk the size of a half-dollar.

It didn't take long for the landlord to switch outfits and place on the mask and wig, now dressed in a faded grey hoodie, black t-shirt, and dark sweats with black sneakers. Reaching down into the now empty bag, Keitaro picked up the metal disk, pressing down on a tiny button before carefully putting it into his mouth as far back as he could without triggering his gag reflex.

"Testing, testing," he spoke softly, his voice now a slightly deeper baritone than before, "Perfect…guess this thing doesn't malfunction like the rest of her inventions."

Soon after hiding his other bag and belongings, the disguised avenger made his way back to the restaurant and easily found the head cook again. Putting on a light-hearted grin, he tapped the larger man on the shoulder, "Sempai! Himura Tenchi reporting for duty!"

The burly man looked over his shoulder and grinned at the sight of the new comer, "Himura-kun! It's about damn time you got here, ya lil bastard! C'mere, we gotta talk real quick!"

Taking the young man by the shoulder, the head cook guided him off to the side, away from the earshot of the others, "So I gave a few samples of your custom dishes to the big boss the other day, and he was blown outta his mind! Lemme tell ya, that's already pretty tough to do, especially when he's in a bad mood."

'Tenchi's' eyes widened in surprise, "You serious?! You don't mean-"

"That's right kid! Ranmaru-sama himself requested that you be put in charge of his food preparation and presentation for his party in three days. Congratulations!"

'Tenchi' could barely believe it, only numbly remembering to bow in thanks, "I-I-I won't let you down, sempai!"

"I know you won't! Now get in there and start preppin up! I can't wait to see Ranmaru-sama's face at the end of the party!"

As the giddy older man walked off, he missed the dark look that came over 'Tenchi's' face as he rose back up, or the slight reddening of his eyes.

'…sorry sempai…but no one's gonna see Ranmaru's face after that party ever again…'

It was close to 11pm when Keitaro finally ascended the steps leading to Hinata-sou. The landlord was exhausted, but to him, it was a small price to pay for all the progress he'd made. As he walked through the doorway and set his shoes off to the side, he could make out the distinctive voices of Naru and Kitsune coming from the lobby.

"Dammit girl! You've been hittin the book since 3 this afternoon! It's almost midnight for Buddha's sake! Go to sleep!"

"I'm FINE Kitsune! Just let me get back to work!"

"Not when all that work has you skippin meals and barely gettin any rest!"

"Why do you care anyway?! It's not like what I'm doing is hurting you!"

"No, but it's hurtin YOU!"

Sighing to himself, the landlord made his way into the main room, where he found his two tenants bickering, a stack of several text books and notes surrounding the younger of the two on the dining room table. Noticing the tell-tale signs of an imminent Naru-Tantrum, he cleared his throat to announce himself.

"Tadaima! And what the hell are you two still doing up at this hour?"

Both girls looked over to the door immediately, one with a large grin and the other with a tired, but sincere smile, "Taro-chan!/Hey Keitaro-san."

"Is everything ok? I heard yelling all the way from the entrance," Keitaro asked as he placed his duffel bags on the ground to give his shoulder a break. The resident fox pointed at her best friend with an annoyed look on her face, "As a matter o fact, things are NOT ok! Tell this girl to take a break already! She's runnin herself ragged and it ain't helpin anybody!"

"I keep telling you to butt out, Kitsune!" Naru countered, quickly rising from her seat with her fists clenched at her sides, "What I do and how I spend my day isn't your problem!"

Keitaro quickly interjected himself between the two, "Hey, that's enough! Both of you need to calm down a bit," he gently pushed the two away from each other before continuing, "Oni-Kitsune, why don't you head on up first? Cool off for a bit before you say something you'll regret."

The fox woman raised an eyebrow at the man, but ultimately conceded, "Fine…I know when I'm beat. But what she's doin ain't gonna make the situation any better with her family, least of all her sister. Talk some sense into her please, Taro-chan."

"I'll try," he promised, allowing the older woman to hug him before she headed up to bed. Realizing he was now alone with the brown-haired girl, her turned back to face her, "…so is what she said true? Have you really been burning the midnight candle and barely eating?"

Naru huffed and sat back down at the table, "I keep telling her and the others to butt out, I don't need anyone's help, Mr. Fix-It."

Keitaro shook his head and pulled up a chair next to her, "I'm not even going to pretend I can imagine what you are going through right now. But you do know that harming yourself like this won't help anyone…least of all Mei-"

"I KNOW THAT DAMMIT! BUT WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO TO?!" Naru screamed, the power in her voice nearly throwing Keitaro out of his seat. He paused, his chest beginning to tighten, when he noticed the stream of tears falling from his secret-girlfriend's eyes, "…Naru-chan…"

"Every day…every day I call home to talk to her," she whispered, fighting to keep her sobs in, "She hasn't left her room…she won't go to school…she's so petrified of what's out there…especially after we heard that they just LET THAT FUCKING MONSTER GO!"

The landlord narrowed his eyes at that. Hearing of Ranmaru's release to the public after only a day, as well as the refusal of the Hinata Police to pursue a case against him, had been a devastating blow to Naru and her family. While his mind had been mainly focused on his reconnaissance over the past week, he could still remember the sight of the beautiful girl that night she returned to Hinata-sou, how broken and lost she had seemed after learning that her little sister's assailant was set free due to his connections. He'd had a very hard time explaining the issue to Shinobu and Suu, who were present at Naru's breakdown. The Mononobe heir even had to physically stop Motoko from going out and exacting her own brand of vengeance against the Tachibana scion. He absently took note of the Aoyama heir's extreme reaction upon hearing it was a Tachibana of all people who was responsible for the assault. It was something he would have to discuss with her at a later date.

"Seriously…just because he's from an ancient clan that happens to guard the emperor…he can just get off like that?!" by now, Naru's body was shaking with repressed sobs, the girl shrinking into herself in an effort to contain everything, "What kind of justice is that?! How can people be so…so…"

Wasting no time, Keitaro hugged the girl into his chest, and Naru, feeling the warmth and security of his arms, finally let go of her restraints. She wailed until her voice was hoarse, cried until her tears ran dry. The whole time, Keitaro held her close, softly rubbing her hair and rocking back and forth with her in an effort to console her. Subconsciously, his cursed ki began to rise as his rage at the boy who hurt someone so close to the girl he cared so much for rose like a geyser.

"He'll pay," he whispered, the girl in his arms unaware of her boyfriend's words as she had fallen asleep moments ago, completely spent from her venting, "Mark my words, Naru-chan…he'll pay…"

Unbeknownst to either of the two, a pair of stormy grey eyes observed the scene from the hallway, before turning away after hearing the landlord's vow.

'…I wonder just how you plan on making good on your word, Urashima-san…but for now, I will leave Naru-sempai to you…'

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BUDDHA-FORSAKEN MIND?!"

Ranmaru stared unflinchingly at his father as the larger man glared at him with rage, "Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is, pops. I'll be surrounded by my crew, plus a couple of our own regular guards."

Minato fought the urge to facepalm as he looked at his youngest triplet in disbelief. The two were currently in the dojo of their compound, the elder Tachibana having taken his son for extra training, as well as to try and dissuade him of his 'grand idea': a birthday celebration at his exclusive club Tensai in a couple days.

"You really don't get what you're doing, do you?!" the grizzled man shook his head before pointing at the young Tachibana, "Despite the fact that our men on the police force just BARELY managed to clean up your clusterfuck with that civilian girl a little while ago, news still got out about your little side activity! Not to mention, it's been almost 3 months since Amagai and his family were killed! That assassin is due to strike again and YOU just made yourself a fucking TARGET!"

Ranmaru scoffed, "Amagai-jisan just got caught with his pants down. If he'd known about that asshole, he would've finished him, no problem. Hell, way I see it, we could probably use this chance to flush out the bastard and slice his throat open in public," the boy glared at the ground, his fist clenching by his side, "That'd teach him and anyone else stupid enough to fuck with us."

"What makes you think no one in the clan's tried that before, Ran?"

Both men looked over to see Akisora leaning against the entrance to the room with his arms crossed, the boy garbed in training clothes with a few dirt stains. The younger brother of Kurotora sighed as he continued, "You probably don't know this, but after Ai-obasan and Mamoru-jisan were murdered, Tomoko-obasan tried to set a trap for that slippery bastard."

"Tomoko-obasan? Seriously?" Ranmaru chuckled grimly, "That actually does sound like something she'd do…"

"Tomoko-chan was the cleverest out of all of us…and I mean ALL of us," Minato reminisced, a hurt expression coming over his face as he was bombarded with memories of his beloved cousin, "She set the mother of all traps for the fucker. Got all the right people, set up the perfect scenario…hell, if it had been meant for any of us, we would've been killed for sure."

Ranmaru looked back to his father, "Well, obviously it didn't work…she still got herself and her family killed anyway."

Akisora shot a pointed glare at the young boy, "That's right…she WAS still killed. Tomoko-obasan's death was the most gruesome, vile, and horrendous assassination of them all…but what made her murder stick out the most was because of one, incomprehensible fact."

"That assassin…he somehow got wind of the whole thing and flipped her own trap on her," Minato's voice was almost a whisper as he recalled every detail of that terrible day, "He somehow managed to con all of the mercenaries she'd hired, sabotage all the traps…and then he got to her in her own panic room…and then he…he…"

The room went silent as Minato shook with barely restrained fury. Seeing his uncle unable to continue, Akisora picked up where he left off, "Suffice to say, if Tomoko-obasan of all people, could be murdered in such a way after setting that kind of trap, then your chances of success are rather non-existent. I think it would be best if you called this whole thing off, Ran."

The obstinate boy growled, "Fuck that shit! I've been planning this party for months, and I'll be damned if I let some 'ghost assassin' mess that up for me!"

Before either Minato or Akisora could get another word in, Ranmaru stormed from the dojo, retreating back to his room. As he slammed the door, he heard a familiar voice from off to the side, "So I guess father was unable to persuade you to cancel your plans for our birthday?"

"Lemme guess…you're the one that told him about it, Rikimaru?" the younger triplet accused, only narrowing his eyes when he saw his older brother nod once, "You fucking traitor."

"This whole party idea stinks and you know it, Ran," the taciturn triplet continued, "We all know that assassin is gearing up to strike any day now, biding his time, and probably selecting a new target…if he hasn't found one already because you decided to think with your balls again."

The younger boy angrily punched the wall of his room, "How many fucking times do I have to say I'm sorry for that bullshit?! Damn it, it was just ONE civvie chick! No one would've even heard about it if it wasn't for that brown-haired bastard!"

"Right…the brown haired bastard that beat you effortlessly!" Rikimaru emphasized, earning another glare, "The fact that some unknown was able to come out of nowhere and defeat you so soundly, without taking ANY damage himself, says a lot. For all we know, he could be the assassin and probably used that whole incident to put a bullseye on your head!"

"Tch, now you're just being paranoid," Ranmaru dismissed before grabbing a bag from the side of his bed and putting on his jacket, "Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get the rest of this stuff to Tensai. The head cook said that the chef that's gonna service me needs a few high-end supplies, and it's not like mom's gonna use em anytime soon."

"We're not done here, Ranmaru!" Rikimaru reached out to grab his brother's shoulder, but the younger triplet slipped away from his grip and left the room. The older brother rushed to the hallway, but by then, the stubborn Tachibana was long gone.

"DAMMIT, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Rikimaru slammed a fist against the wall of the hallway, scaring some of the servants milling around. Sighing, he rubbed his slightly throbbing hand and headed to the dojo, intent on letting off some steam.

Around the corner of the hall, Ichimaru stood with a frown on his face, having seen the entire altercation between his brothers. Shaking his head, he made his way back to his own room, a hollow feeling of dread welling up in his chest.

'…I got a REALLY bad feeling about this…'

"Sempai, I think I got it!"

Keitaro looked across the dining room table at Shinobu's workbook, his eyes carefully going over the bluenette's work, "Hmmm…definitely looks that way. Good job, Shinobu-chan! And to think you said you wouldn't be able to get it."

The young girl blushed, "W-Well, it was really hard to understand in c-class…I-I guess I just needed to go over it a little more…"

"I keep telling you to have more faith in yourself, Shinobu-chan. You're smarter than you think," the landlord complimented, before taking out something from his pocket and looking over at Suu on the couch, "And Suu, I found this outside of your room. Were you pranking people in school again?"

The hyperactive foreigner looked up and saw a metallic disc-like object in the older man's hand, "Waaa! You found Suu's Voice Modulator 3000! Suu's been looking all over for it!"

Keitaro chuckled and tossed the disc over to the girl, who caught it quickly, "You should be more careful where you leave your toys, Suu. You never know what could happen to them."

"I doubt that someone would even know how to work that strange device if they found it somewhere," Motoko said as she let out a small sigh, "Still, you should heed Urashima-san's warning, Suu."

"Aww…Suu promises to be more careful," the girl looked down at the ground despondently, a small gray cloud forming over her head. It disappeared as quickly as it came when Keitaro rubbed a hand through Suu's blonde hair, "No need to get all depressed. We just want you to be more careful with your stuff."

Motoko glared at the older man, "If you keep coddling her like that instead of being more strict, she will never truly take your words to heart, Urashima-san."

"She's just a kid. Kids make mistakes all the time," Keitaro countered, earning a grin from the dark-skinned girl, "I'm sure you were the same when you were growing up, weren't you, Aoyama-san?"

The kendo girl blushed, although whether it was from embarrassment or rage, no one could say. Before she could refute the older man's words, the bell from the lobby chimed throughout the building, signaling a guest had arrived.

"Huh…I wasn't expecting company today," Keitaro wondered before looking over to Shinobu, "Were you expecting anyone, Shinobu-chan?"

Shinobu shook her head, "N-No Sempai. I was p-planning on just studying and preparing dinner today."

Motoko narrowed her eyes, "I was not made aware that we would be entertaining company today either. I will go answer it."

"Don't scare whoever it is away, Aoyama-san!"

The Aoyama heir growled to herself at the landlord's jibe at her, vowing to make him suffer for his insults and jokes the next time they sparred. Opening the door, the tall girl was met with the sight of a very well dressed older man standing with a strange metal box in his hands.

"Good evening," she began, remembering to use manners with the significantly older gentleman, "Welcome to Hinata-sou. How may I help you?"

"Ah, good evening, and I apologize for the late visit," the man began in a rich voice, his eyes containing a bit of surprise, "I was wondering if Urashima Keitaro-san was in? I was told he was the acting landlord at this dormitory."

'Urashima-san said he wasn't expecting guests,' the girl recalled, 'but I don't sense any ill intent from this man…'

"Urashima-san is in the lobby. Please, come in," Motoko gestured for the man to enter, which he did after slightly bowing in thanks. The two made their way to the living room, where Keitaro nearly jumped out of his seat at the sight of the older man.

"Kishimoto-jiji!? What are you doing here?" the landlord asked as he tried his hardest not to look caught off guard.

The elderly man laughed as he made his way over to the gob-smacked young man, "Good to see you too, Keitaro-san! You look well!"

Keitaro immediately bowed in deference, a slight blush on his cheeks, "O-Of course, it's an honor to have you in my home, Kishimoto-jisan! P-Please, follow me."

Kishimoto chuckled as he followed the younger man upstairs. Motoko's eyes narrowed as she observed the exchange, sensing that something was slightly off with the landlord's behavior.

'…that was rather odd. He seemed stranger than normal,' she thought before her musings turned to the older gentleman, 'and that man…why do I feel as though I know him from somewhere?'

Meanwhile, the two men reached Keitaro's room, the landlord checking the hallways after entering before shutting his door. After sending out an additional pulse of ki, he turned to face his guest, "That was kind of risky, Kishimoto-jiji. She could have recognized you easily."

"Nonsense, my boy," the older man waved off, "I haven't seen or spoken to a single member of the Aoyama house in almost three years now. Ever since the one year anniversary of the massacre, they've cut contact with a lot of us at Nagareboshi for unknown reasons. This is the first time Motoko-chan has set eyes on me since she was a preteen, and I doubt her memory is that good."

"Nevertheless, try to be a bit more careful," Keitaro chided lightly with a resigned smile, "If Haru or Hina-obaasama ever saw you calling at this late hour, they would get suspicious."

The Nagareboshi CEO nodded before lifting a suitcase to the avenger, "I've brought the new toy you commissioned Arata-san to make. I am pretty sure he broke several accords of the Geneva Convention to craft this thing."

"It's only breaking the law if you get caught," Keitaro countered as he respectfully received the suitcase. Placing it on the table in the middle of his room, he unclicked the clasps and slowly raised the lid. Inside, sitting atop a black cushion, was a gunmetal gray sphere that looked to be made of many segments pieced together like a puzzle. It was the size of a large softball, with a small circular dial marked with white numbers like a timer. The lines marking where the different pieces of the sphere met glowed an ominous orange, pulsing every few seconds as though the device were breathing.

"It's…beautiful…" Keitaro complimented breathlessly, gently removing the sphere from the suitcase and idly noting how it weighed a bit less than he thought it would, "I don't think I've ever seen Arata-san make something like this-"

"Well doesn't that look positively dangerous…"

"…Hey Kimiko," Keitaro greeted with a dull tone as Kishimoto whirled around in surprise, his senses not having picked up the infamous Tachibana assassin. Kimiko giggled before waving to the older gentleman, "Long time no see, Kishimoto-san. Have you been well?"

Kishimoto placed a hand over his heart as he playfully glared at the woman, "I was just fine until you decided to take even more years off what little life I have left with that entrance. I'd appreciate a little more warning next time."

Kimiko laughed airily before playfully patting Kishimoto on the cheek, "No promises. I am an assassin after all," she then turned her attention to the malicious-looking sphere, "So…new toy, boya?"

"You could say that," the avenger replied before, to Kimiko's unseen surprise, handing the sphere to the assassin, "Go ahead, I'm sure you wanted to hold it as soon as you saw it."

Smirking at the younger man, Kimiko carefully lifted the device from Keitaro's hands, staring at the slightly heavy sphere in her hands, although her mind was distracted by the show of kindness from her "partner". Ever since his return from Okinawa, the avenger had been a bit less hostile towards the Tachibana assassin, and she had yet to discover the reason for his lessened aggression towards her.

She knew he would still attempt to kill her someday though. That would probably never change.

"So this is what you plan to use to silence that disgusting brat once and for all?" she asked with a bit of wonder, "It seems a little underwhelming besides the interesting light show. What does it do?"

Keitaro chuckled darkly, "Well…that would be telling. You'll just have to find out when everyone else does."

"I will say this though," Kishimoto interjected, "It won't be a pretty death…or a quick one for that monstrous young man, if what Arata-san told me was true. Fortunately, the device itself won't survive the aftermath, so it can never be traced back to us."

"That'll piss off old man Heihachi for sure," Kimiko smirked with a dark look in her eye before rounding on the young avenger, "Are you certain he'll suffer from this? That his death will be absolutely agonizing and drawn out?"

The landlord nodded, mirroring Kimiko's grim facial expression, "I'll make sure he pays for his sins…for what he did to Naru-san's sister…and for what he did to Riika-san."

"I appreciate it, boya," Kimiko replied, before taking a huge risk and hugging the young avenger. Her action caught him by surprise, and his ingrained instincts almost had him shove her off of him. However, Keitaro could feel her pain through his ki-sensing abilities, could feel her anger and hatred as it burned in her soul, so he ignored his impulses this once as he returned the embrace, shocking Kimiko yet again.

"…don't think this changes anything," the boy whispered in her ear before letting go with a smirk, the sexy redhead nodding with a small smirk of her own. Kishimoto chuckled at the scene before adjusting his coat, "Well, I think my work here is done. I should head back home before my wife starts to worry. It was good to see you again, Kimiko-chan, Keitaro-san."

Kimiko bowed respectfully, "It was good to see you too, Kishimoto-san."

"I can walk you out," Keitaro offered, but Kishimoto dismissed him with a wave of his hand, "There's no need to bother yourself, Keitaro-san. Good luck…and be careful."

The landlord nodded as he watched the older man leave before turning to Kimiko, "I'll notify you as soon as I get out of there. Things are going to get busy again, so you know what to do."

"Of course I do," Kimiko scoffed before hopping to the window, smirking one last time as she shot Keitaro a coy look, "you forget who taught you, after all?"

She then leapt into the forest surrounding Hinata-sou before Keitaro could growl a response. Glaring slightly at the spot where she disappeared, he grumbled before closing the window and going about his business.

"Tch…don't remind me…"

Motoko heard the footsteps coming down the stairs, glancing over to see Kishimoto gathering himself and heading to the lobby, "Here, let me escort you, Kishimoto-san."

The older man grinned, "Why thank you, young lady. Forgive me, I don't think I caught your name…?"

"Motoko Aoyama," The kendo girl introduced with a small bow, "I hope your visit went well."

"Oh yes, me and Keitaro-san were just catching up a bit since I was in the area," Kishimoto replied calmly, "Me and his grandmother have known each other since we were children, and I have watched over that boy since he was a toddler."

Motoko nodded, filing away that information for a later date, "I see…"

The two soon reached the door, where Kishimoto placed his dress shoes back on and nodded towards the resident kendo girl, "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Aoyama-san. I leave Keitaro-san in your care."

The girl blushed madly, sputtering out a nonsensical response, "Wh-Wh-What do you m-m-m-mean?! I-I-I am in HIS care! Wait! That did not come out right either! Wh-What I meant to say was…!"

Kishimoto let out an uncharacteristically boisterous bark of laughter before taking his leave with one final wave. After a few moments, Motoko finally gathered her wits and simply growled discontentedly before heading back to the main room. Once she reached the lobby, she glanced down at the coffee table, seeing a mess of magazines jumbled all over it. Sighing again in frustration, she set about clearing them up.

"I really need to speak with Kitsune about her messy habits," Motoko vowed before something on the cover of one of the magazines caught her eye. It was an engineering magazine that Suu read from time to time, for inspiration if anything. On the cover was the title, "Nagareboshi's Global Conquest!" However, it wasn't the ostentatious headline that caught the kendo girl's attention.

Under the headline was a picture of an elderly gentleman with long gray hair in a ponytail and dressed in a very expensive looking black suit, holding his hand out with the Earth shrunken to the size of a basketball and placed in the palm of his hand. The Aoyama heiress' eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at the caption beneath his hand.

Nagareboshi CEO – Genji Kishimoto

'Wait a minute…it can't be!' she thought as she recognized the same old man that she had not only minutes ago said her goodbyes to on the cover of a globally syndicated magazine. That same man that was the highest ranking member of the board of directors that led the company that belonged to the Mononobe.

The company that was supposed to go to her sempai.

'I KNEW I recognized him from somewhere!' Motoko harshly chided herself, 'He was a close ally of the Mononobe clan for years! But…why was he visiting Urashima-san?!'

Her suspicions burned in her mind, the mental wildfire growing with every second, 'The way those two acted…it was like they have known each other for quite some time…but how?!'

More questions began to pop into the confused young girl's head, all of them aimed towards the one thing she sought to figure out more than anything.

'Urashima-san,' she glared up the stairs, her hands clenched into tight fists at her side, 'Just who in the world are you!?'

A sigh of pleasure echoed throughout the darkened living room in the private residence of one Kimiko Tachibana, the owner splayed out on a luxurious sofa, garbed only in a thin black yukata that ended above mid-thigh and barely covered her naked form underneath. The beautiful woman's hair was slightly matted down with sweat, the perspiration also causing the yukata to stick to her in ways that would cause any normal man to have the mother of all nosebleeds. Despite her panting and disheveled appearance, the assassin had never felt more energized. That night was going to be a special one.

The fact that she and her companion would have as close to a front row seat to the carnage as she could get made Kimiko a very happy woman.

"Ara, ara," she called out into the darkness of her condo, "you really know how to treat a girl when she tells you someone you hate is about to die soon. I didn't think we'd break in Amagai's old sofa this soon."

"Well, tonight IS a night to celebrate," a deep, masculine voice rang out from the direction of the kitchen, "It's a certain someone's birthday after all. Since we can't be there to wish him well in person, next best thing is to celebrate in spirit, right?"

Kimiko sat up on the sofa as she watched her male companion walking back from the kitchen, two glasses of wine in his hands. He was dressed only in a pair of boxers, and also covered in sweat. Like Kimiko, however, he was far from exhausted.

The red-headed woman smirked, "Sometimes I really wonder about that sadistic streak you and boya seem to share…although I would say he's far more violent. You…you just like tying me up and making me your own personal little kunoichi."

The man blushed heavily, sitting down next to her and placing the wine glasses on the coffee table in front of them, before planting a kiss on her lips, "Hush woman, unless you want me to slip the kid a video e-mail showing him your little spanking fetish?"

"Oh fine, fine," Kimiko surrendered, "Although if anything, it would probably give him nightmares…or ideas for what to do with a lucky girl someday…"

"And people say I'm shameless," the man quipped before taking the remote on the coffee table in front of them and switching on the large flat-screen TV, the image displaying what looked to be an extravagant private suite somewhere, "Anyway, looks like the bug worked. We have complete access to all the camera feed coming from that bastard's club. Idiot should've known better than to leave so many back doors into his network. I swear, kids and their need to record everything these days."

Kimiko giggled before shifting herself onto the man's lap, the man's blush intensifying when he felt the heat from her uncovered mound on top of his thinly covered manhood, "Well aren't you a little cyber-ninja in the making…although with all this trouble you've been stirring with the Tachibana, you'll either need to find a powerful ally or I'll have to teach you to defend yourself from their assassins. You can't stay hidden like this forever, after all…"

The man grunted, "I know, I know. I didn't plan on it. Matter of fact, I figured once the three stooges were gone, I'd pay the kid a visit myself."

"Is that right?" Kimiko asked before reaching over and grabbing the wine glasses, making sure her yukata slipped a bit and showed her lover a tantalizing view of her luscious breasts, "Now there's something to toast to."

Taking one wine glass from his paramour, the man leaned back with the woman in his lap and settled in as the time grew closer to the beginning of their entertainment. Feeling unusually giddy, the hacker began to whisper a song under his breath.

"Happy Birthday to you…"

"Himura-kun! Good to see you came on time for once!" came the booming voice of Tensai's head chef as he spotted the bashful redhead walking towards him, "Are you all set?!"

Keitaro, once again disguised as Tenchi, lifted up his large duffel bag with a wide grin, "Got everything I need in here, Sempai. I just wanted to get a head start since some of these dishes take quite a while to prepare."

Nodding, the burly man clapped the younger chef on the shoulder before guiding him into the club. Once they made their way downstairs, Keitaro's ears were immediately assailed by the booming bass and electric synths coming from the many speakers surrounding the dance floor. As the kitchen was on the other side, the two chefs meandered through the already sizeable crowd. The disguised avenger barely noticed the lack of space, expertly weaving around the party-goers as if he were a ghost.

Right as the two made it to the door leading to the kitchens, a roar erupted from the crowd. Turning his head to the front of the room, the Mononobe heir spotted the source of everyone's excitement pretty quickly.

"WHAT'S UP PARTY PEOPLE!" Ranmaru, dressed in white slacks and matching blazer with an unbuttoned red shirt greeted the crowd from the balcony above the dance floor, "On behalf of my brothers who can't be here tonight cuz they're lame, thanks for coming out to celebrate the grand occasion that is our birthday! KANPAI!"

The obnoxious youth ended by taking two bottles of champagne and shaking them vigorously until the corks popped off, the golden liquid inside shooting out like geysers and raining down onto the lively crowd below.

"Looks like he's all fired up for tonight!" the head chef chuckled before opening the door to the kitchen and heading inside, "It's gonna be one hell of a time!"

"Happy Birthday to you..."

'Indeed it will...' Keitaro thought with a small grin as he watched his target retreat from the balcony back to his private lounge. He followed his sempai into the kitchen and placed his bag down at the work station. For the next two hours, the disguised chef meticulously prepared his dishes for the Tachibana and his private party, checking the level of spices and herbs to ensure the best flavors. By the time he had finished, it was half past eleven, giving him thirty minutes exactly until it was officially Ranmaru's birthday.

'Alright, just in time,' he noted as he placed the last of the dishes on the cart. Moving the tarp that covered the bottom tray of the cart, he spied Ginokami hiding between a few more dishes, as well as the device he'd received from Kishimoto the previous day. Right when he put the tarp back into place, the head chef burst back into the kitchen and pointed at him, "Heads up, gaki! Ranmaru-sama just made the call! It's show time!"

The excited older man turned away with a grin, missing the hateful grin that slowly formed on the faux-redhead's face.

'Yea…show time…'

"Ranmaru-sama~, where's dinner? We're so famished~"

The boy with the bonfire-looking hair laughed in his seat as he pulled a rather voluptuous brunette by her waist closer and planted several kisses on her neck, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her full red lips, "Don't worry babe, I just made the call. He should be up here any minute."

Ranmaru looked around the spacious private suite and grinned. His brothers had opted out of coming, not wanting to draw a bigger target on their heads by being so vulnerable out in the open. The youngest triplet mentally scoffed at their concerns, eyeing the thirty body guards he had littered throughout the private suite. So confident in the security in the club and the room, some of them had even decided to indulge themselves in the celebration, mingling with the many beautiful girls and slamming down shots of expensive liquor.

'Tch…Riki-nii and Ichi-nii are fucking cowards,' he smirked as he ran his hand along his "date's" soft, slender leg, slowly inching it up her skimpy looking skirt and teasing her special place, 'This whole club is my fortress. I'd love to see some up-start assassin try anything here.'

"Ah! R-R-Ranmaru-sama~…n-not t-there…w-we're in public…!"

"What's the matter?" he asked his blushing companion, the woman's breathing starting to pick up as he continued his 'game', "You look you're burning up."

Her moans continued, stroking the young man's ego even more. Before he could take things up a notch, however, one of the guards came up to his seat and kneeled in front of him, "Tachibana-sama, the chef has arrived with dinner. Should we let him in?"

Ranmaru ceased his ministrations on the girl and rose from his seat excitedly, "Are you kidding me? Open the door and let him in! We're fucking starving over here!"

Nodding in assent, the bodyguard motioned to the two by the door to open it. Seconds later, a large cart filled with exotic looking dishes and additional drinks was wheeled in by a chef wearing a slightly bulky chef's smock and, oddly enough, a white hakama and sandals. His wild red hair was covered by a white scarf while a similarly colored mask obscured his face, leaving only his steel grey eyes visible. A small red stain on the shoulder stood out, but Ranmaru thought nothing of it, assuming it was from the kitchen.

"Apologies for the delay," the chef began in a low baritone voice, "It took me a while to figure out how to fit the cart in the elevator."

"No worries man, I've been meaning to get that elevator replaced with a bigger one soon anyway," Ranmaru waved the man off before sitting back down on his throne-like chair, "You can take the food and set it on the table on the side. Boys! Help him out!"

Several of the bodyguards moved to the cart and began taking the dishes off, inspecting under the plates for any potential foul play. Meanwhile, Keitaro inconspicuously examined the room. The private suite was actually on the top floor of the building, with a large one-sided window that allowed the occupants to view the outside. It wasn't much of a view since Tensai was only three floors, but he cared little for that. The suite itself was pretty big, maybe three times the size of the living room at Hinata-sou. Currently, his target had thirty bodyguards littered around the room; all of them heavily armed with an assortment of weapons, from assault rifles to concealed pistols. He even spotted a few with wakizashis strapped to their waists. However, Ranmaru himself wasn't armed, the boy having placed all of his confidence in his security force to protect him and his 'harem'.

'…son of a bitch is gonna make this way too easy,' Keitaro thought as he helped one of the guards move a particularly large dish from the cart to the table, 'I should assume some of the girls in the harem are armed as well…just in case.'

When the last dish was placed, Keitaro looked up at the digital clock in the room, the display reading 'March 31, 11:58:29.'

"Hey chef-kun!" the avenger was torn from his mental preparations by his target, the boy flashing a cocky grin his way, "I'm looking forward to this spread! Your demo dishes were kick ass!"

"I am honored by your praise, Tachibana-sama," the disguised chef bowed humbly, while mentally restraining his disgust at having to appeal to the younger man, "I can only hope tonight's dishes leave a good impression on you."

Ranmaru chuckled, "If they're anything like the ones you made before, I just might steal ya from here and put you to work at the compound. The rest of the clan would be eating out of the palm of your hands."

Suddenly, a chime rang throughout the suite, causing everyone to glance up at the clock. Smiles came to the assembled group's faces as they read the time.

April 1, 00:00:02

"TANJOUBI OMEDETOU, RANMARU-SAMA!" the collective shout came like a tsunami, everyone clapping and heaping cheers and praises upon the boy, who drank it all in as if he were some deity. No one noticed Keitaro slowly moving towards the door and locking it, or how he positioned himself right in front of the cart. As the noise died down, the disguised chef nodded towards the birthday boy, grabbing his attention.

"Tanjoubi Omedetou, Tachibana-sama," he said before kneeling down and reaching into the cart. Ranmaru, thinking he was about to receive an additional gift from the chef, beamed at him. As he took his seat and prepared to be amazed by whatever it is the chef was pulling out, he heard the white-garbed cook mumble something, "What was that, chef-kun? You say something?"

He never saw the triumphant smirk that slid onto the avenger's face.

"Happy Birthday dear Ranmaru…"

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud. By the way-"

Before he finished, Keitaro quickly whirled back around and flung something at Ranmaru. The Tachibana barely had time to blink before an excruciating and sharp pain tore from his legs. His screams of agony rose a pitch when he looked down and saw two kunai buried into his kneecaps. Smiles turned to screams of horror before everyone turned back in shock to face the perpetrator. Keitaro's reply was a cold grin that froze the room.

"…Surprise."

The avenger reached into his smock shirt and threw several black pellets that released a thick cloud of white gas, instantly filling the suite. Within seconds, everyone in the room except Ranmaru were overcome.

"What the hell is this smoke?!"

"Shit! It's some kinda knockout gas! Don't…breathe…"

"I…can't…move…Ranmaru-sama…help…us…"

Ranmaru could only sit paralyzed in his seat as the voices began to die down, until finally the room was deathly silent. The sound of a vent turning on averted the wounded boy's attention as he watched the strange gas get filtered into the ceiling, revealing his entire contingent of guards and his 'harem' lying on the ground motionless.

"There…now we can continue without any interruptions," the disguised Keitaro quipped as he walked back to his immobile target, taking care not to step on any of the unconscious bodies on the ground. Seeing this, the panicking Tachibana tried to lift himself from the chair he'd fallen into when the kunai struck his knees, only to realize he couldn't lift a finger.

"What the fuck!? I-I can't move! What the hell did you do to me, you f-fucking psycho?!"

The avenger removed his facemask and smirked, "Oh…you mean the paralysis? Those kunai were coated with a special toxin that suppresses the muscular system without hampering your nerves. Meaning that while you can't move anything below the neck, you can still feel."

Keitaro gripped one of the kunai in Ranmaru's knees and harshly pulled it out, the boy screaming in agony, before using it to slice his target's suit down the middle and exposing him to the elements. Reaching into his gi, the avenger pulled out the metallic sphere he'd received from Kishimoto, "Don't worry, the kunai were just to keep you from going anywhere. This is your real present."

Ranmaru watched on, his body shivering in fear, "W-W-What the hell is that thing?!"

Keitaro pulled on three nubs on the sphere's surface, making a set of tripod legs, and carefully stood it above the boy's crotch, "It's a special device I had crafted just for this occasion. See…I've done quite a bit of research into you…and into the company you keep. I know the things you've done, and the crimes you've gotten away with."

The faux-red haired assassin glared into Ranmaru's eyes, the immeasurable hatred in them almost causing the boy to wet his pants, "The main reason I'm killing all of you Tachibana asswipes is because of what one of yours did to my clan…to my family. But you…you're a bit of a special case."

Keitaro turned a knob on the side of the sphere, turning the pulsing orange light into a steady red, "I know what you did to Riika Tachibana and her mother…and I know of what you tried to do to Mei Narusegawa. That one was the last straw…see, initially I was planning to kill you quickly, but after hearing about that last victim of yours...well now I can't just let you die without suffering for your sins."

The avenger rose to his full height and stepped back a bit, with Ranmaru's alarmed gaze following his every move, "That sphere standing over you…is a two-stage bomb. The first stage will expel a weaponized chemical powder throughout the room…starting with you at the center. Tell me…are you familiar with the name 'Willie Pete'?"

Ranmaru slowly shook his head, "N-N-No…never heard that stupid name before! T-The fuck does that have to do with anything?!"

"…how about 'White Phosphorus'?"

THAT got the trapped boy's heart pounding, as evidenced by the quick widening of his eyes and his breathing becoming more erratic, "W-W-What the fuck?! That shit's illegal!"

"You say that as if I care about laws," Keitaro replied airily before continuing, "In any case, you seem to know very well what this chemical is, so I'm sure you know what it can do to exposed skin."

Ranmaru began moving his head back rapidly from side to side, in a poor attempt to get his body to fling the sphere off of him, "YOU'RE A FUCKING MONSTER! YOU THINK YOU'LL GET AWAY WITH THIS BULLSHIT?! WAIT TIL MY BROTHERS FIND OUT, THEY'LL HUNT YOU DOWN AND PUT YOUR ASS DOWN LIKE THE FUCKING PEASANT YOU ARE!"

"…that's what I'm counting on, fool..." the Mononobe heir turned to walk away, but gave one final glance over his shoulder, "The second stage of the bomb will ignite the powder in the room, blowing away whatever's left of you and this whole floor. You have five minutes to reflect on your sins."

Keitaro slowly walked towards the door, ignoring the hysterical screams for mercy coming from a boy who had just realized he was about to die a gruesome death. As he put his hand to the knob, the false chef paused and spoke his final piece, "Normally, this is the part where I tell you that if you want to blame someone for your death, then you can blame Kurotora when you see him in hell…"

Ranmaru quieted for a moment, tears streaming down his face, "K-K-Kurotora?"

"…but this time," Keitaro continued, ignoring the red-head, "you both share the blame for this. See you in hell…Tachibana-teme."

The paralyzed Tachibana could only watch on in terror as the assassin calmly left the room, before looking down at the timer, "No-no-no-no-no-no-no-NO-NO-NOOOOO! GET ME OUTTA HERE! SOMEONE! ANYONE! GET ME THE FUCK OUTTA HERE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! PLEASE!"

When the timer hit zero, a small port at the bottom of the sphere opened, releasing a small stream of the deadly white powder right onto Ranmaru's exposed crotch. The boy let out an inhumanly loud wail as the horrific burning sensation set in, the powder slowly destroying what made him a man. Two more ports then opened on the sides of the sphere, rapidly expelling more of the powdered agent and covering the trapped boy from head to toe.

From that moment until his dying breath, Ranmaru Tachibana knew nothing but pain.

Keitaro had just entered the elevator when he heard the howls of pain coming from the suite. He lazily glanced back to the room, ignoring the bodies of the bodyguards he'd killed in the hallway on his way to the room, before pressing the down button. After reaching the ground floor, the assassin immediately pulled on the fire-alarm next to the door and ran out towards the dance floor.

"FIRE! THERE'S A FIRE UPSTAIRS! EVERYONE EVACUATE THE BUILDING, NOW!" he shouted frantically. The blasting music had ceased once the shrill screech of the alarms started echoing throughout the building. With the false chef's warning, the party goers immediately stampeded to the doors in a panic, the guards soon getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.

"Team Two! Evacuate Ranmaru-sama from the suite immediately!" one guard yelled on his earpiece radio, trying in vain to navigate to the stairs through the rushing crowd, "Team Two! Respond!"

Keitaro almost laughed when he overheard the frantic calls of the guards as they attempted to contact their teams, choosing instead to blend with the crowd and allow the surge of people to push him right out the front door. Once outside, he melded with a large group of party goers across the street. Everyone around him was frantic, with some trying to spot any smoke from the 'fire' upstairs.

'Shouldn't be too much longer,' he thought as he checked the clock on his phone. Seconds later, a violent explosion tore the entire top floor of the building apart, the people below screaming as glass and debris rained down from above.

"HOLY SHIT! THE WHOLE TOP FLOOR JUST BLEW UP!"

"THAT WAS THE PRIVATE SUITE! WHERE'S RANMARU-SAMA?!"

"TEAM TWO, COME IN! COME IN DAMN IT!"

All around the assassin, people were breaking down into a panic as sirens blared from incoming fire trucks and emergency personnel. Keitaro ignored all of it, however, as he stared up at his handiwork with a small, bone-chilling smile.

'…One brother down…two to go…' he thought as the police arrived and began cordoning off the area for the firefighters to start attacking the blaze that was trying to consume the rest of the building.

"Everyone back away! It's too dangerous to stay here!" one officer yelled while he and a few others forced the crowd away. Just as Keitaro moved to leave, he was distracted by the sight of two familiar boys running up and trying to bypass the officers.

"RAN! RANMARU! WHERE THE HELL IS MY BROTHER, DAMMIT?!" Rikimaru yelled at the officers as he tried to push his way past them, "THAT EXPLOSION CAME FROM THE PRIVATE SUITE DIDN'T IT?! WHERE THE HELL IS OUR BROTHER?!"

The officer did his best to calm the frantic boy down, "M-M-My apologies, Tachibana-sama! We haven't located him yet!"

"Then look harder," Ichimaru growled, "he's gotta be somewhere in this crowd! Now go find him before we get even more pissed off!"

The officer saluted shakily before motioning to three of his colleagues to search the crowd, "You heard them! All of you start your search in the crowd over there, and don't come back until you've found him!"

The officers nodded and quickly got to work, while Rikimaru and Ichimaru sprinted into the crowd and began a search of their own. In their haste to look for their missing brother, neither of them noticed a red-haired chef inconspicuously walking out of the crowd and down the road, or how he laughed to himself as he glanced back and admired the bright red-orange flames that would burn long into the night.

"...Happy Birthday to you."

Author's Note - It finally happened. One of the triplets has met his end at the hands of Keitaro. The others will be soon to follow

Apologies again for the long delay. It's been a very rough few months and it doesn't look like things will get any easier, but I won't let that stop me from getting my material out for you all. If you're still with me despite taking so long, then you have my unbridled gratitude.

Next chapter will be up after the new year, so happy holidays to you all. Things are about to heat up a bit for the Tachibana clan (no pun intended)

Ciph signin' off