Gara lightly grinned as he picked the pictures, "This is going to get much more impressive Tsukikage. It's too bad that you failed to kill Hinako and cursed your kind and all the other's outside of Earth by the same occasion, but we move on to the next target anyway."

Tsukikage silently stood against the wall and waited for his orders without showing any emotions. His katana was cleaned of the blood of his victims and sharp as ever.

"You're next target are them," he showed the ninja the pictures.

Tsukikage showed no reaction when he saw them and that made Gara chuckled.

"Good. You aren't affected by it. My control over you is perfect. You can go now. Tenchi wants you to have a clean dead over them," he ordered.

Tsukikage disappeared from the lab. He dashed on the roof of a tall building and started to jump toward his destination. Suddenly, a sip felt from his eyes. It was tears that stopped after the sip. Those he was about to murder, it was those he hold dear, Akatsuki and Zanya. Deep down, the little part of the ninja that remained, wished that Zanya hated him enough to stop his murder spree.

Meanwhile, Drum finished eating his pudding and smiled, "It never gets old."

He watched Hanako and Halberd continuing learning more about the cards and the spell she could use. He understood that with the current situation and Tsukikage action, everything could happen and hoped that it won't come to them, Is Tsukikage really evil? I never thought he would, he asked himself. Everytime he saw those two training together or preparing for the inevitable, he always thought back about Tsukikage, a rival turned into a friend.

He turned toward Gao, about to ask his thought when he saw the boy watching the picture of his brother with a manga in his hand. He was surprised to see his buddy feeling a little lost and wondered what was in his mind.

Gao thought about what The Reaper said about fighting the criminal, he's right. If he didn't come, they would have won, he watched the picture and whispered, "Big bro. Looks like I'm far from being the Sun Fighter yet. I read the manga you made again and... Is there something I'm missing?"

He got no answer.

"Gao. What's wrong?" Drum asked.

Gao turned toward his buddy and replied, "Oh! It's nothing. Nothing really," he stood up and walked toward his chamber.

The red dragon sighed, "Was it about yesterday? Since you gave the report... You're that way."

Chapter 99: The Ninjas Battle

Akatsuki was sitting alone in his chamber with his arms crossed. He had another argument with his older brother about Tsukikage with him believing that something was up and his older brother hunting him up. He was lightly frustrated and grumbled a little, "Big brother doesn't get it," he then turned toward the window of his chamber and watched the moon starting to shine in the sky, I'm sure Tsukikage wouldn't really do it. I know, he obstinately thought.

He thought back when Tsukikage saved him, he was in his real form and he was in his arms. The ninja said no words, but his scroll asked if he was alright. He remembered Zanya coming and pointing his wooden katana at him and asking him to release him. After this, they trusted the ninja from Katana World pretty fast since he told his older brother that he saved his life.

His thought came back to the present when he heard the door leading to his chamber knocking.

"Akatsuki. Can I enter?" Zanya asked at the other side of the door with some apological undertone in his voice.

The boy wondered how he should reply and said nothing. His brother asked him again if he should come and he replied, "No."

His older brother sighed at the other side of the door, "Fine."

Akatsuki heard the window of his chamber breaking and when he turned around, he saw Tsukikage with his hand coming to him. He grabbed the boy by his throat and dragged him outside, while Zanya opened the door and gasped when he saw his ex-buddy dragging his brother outside.

"Tsukikage!" he yelled as he turned a card into his katana.

He saw the ninja ready to kill his younger brother. Zanya immediately drew a card and just before his brother was killed, he used his card, "Art of body replacement!"

Tsukikage slashed a piece of wood while Akatsuki was in his brother arm.

Zanya grunted and yelled, "You will pay for that Tsukikage! I'll kill you!"

He charged toward his ex-buddy while the other one did the same. Tsukikage had the advantage over the boy with his strength and speed while the boy had his spellcards and good reflex with his katana. The boy was focusing on dodging the blade of his ex-buddy and blocked what he couldn't dodge. The boy jumped backward and tried picking his spellcard, but Tsukikage took a shuriken and threw it. The boy blocked it with his katana.

"Wait big bro! I'm sure Tsukikage isn't doing something evil on purpose. I know he wouldn't!" Akatsuki yelled.

Zanya yelled back, "How's trying to murder you isn't doing something evil?" before charging back at the ninja.

The battle continued as the boy couldn't hit his ex-buddy. Zanya fury was preventing him from thinking of a strategy to defeat Tsukikage as he opted to continue fighting.

Akatsuki wasn't sure what he should say or do as they continued fighting. He was watching them as he stood against the wall of his house, I should say something. I should, but... If I say something... I think... he didn't dare to say those words in his mind.

Zanya grunted when he blocked the blade before lightly gasping when he wasn't pushed back by the larger and stronger being that Tsukikage was. As he blocked the blade and attacked the black ninja, things were slowly and slowly deranging the blue haired boy. He started to notice that something was wrong in the battle. He knew he wasn't that much stronger than before, even with his training and that his buddy didn't lose some of his power. He was suddenly kicked on his chest and almost lost his balance. He coughed a few times and used his spellcard to create a body-replacement and stood behind his ex-buddy.

Something is wrong, Zanya thought, Something is definitely wrong. Tsukikage is much stronger than that and he could push me away easily. That's not what's going on. What's happening right now? Tsukikage seems to hold back, he frowned as he blocked another attack that was a little too close for his liking, he's toying with me.

He yelled and passed at the offensive, "Don't underestimate me Tsukikage!" he maintained his offensive and tried to push Tsukikage back, the ninja just blocked the assault without any large trouble. He couldn't do anything and suddenly, he was pushed by the ninja and almost lost his balance. Zanya rolled on the ground out of the blade way at the last second. The boy jumped back on his feet and blocked the next attack and the next one threw him on the side.

Zanya rolled on the ground and painfully grunted as he put his hand on his head. He quickly realised one thing, he dropped his katana and saw it on the ground not too far from him. He tried to grab it, but heard Tsukikage nin shout and rolled on the ground, dodging another possible fatal stab. He stood up and lightly frowned. The black ninja tried stabbing the boy, but the boy kept his distance and dodged the assault he found slower than usual. Zanya thought of a solution to pass behind the ninja and quickly found it. Tsukikage charged and tried to slash the boy, but Zanya used the Art of body replacement and was behind the ninja, picking back his katana.

He pointed his katana at the nanomachine ninja and wondered how he could defeat him, if he decides to go all out, I won't be able to defeat Tsukikage. I'm just lucky for now, Zanya realised.

He used his spellcard and created another body replacement and appeared behind the ninja. He tried slashing the ninja, but he blocked it at the last second. Zanya knew he couldn't keep fighting for much longer on his own as he felt some exhaustion.

Tsukikage continued his assault and the boy kept his distance. Zanya slid under him and used his katana to slash the back of the ninja, but it was blocked once again.

Akatsuki continued watching the fight and knew that his big brother didn't have the upper hand. He knew that something was wrong with Tsukikage, but didn't know what. He wondered if he could help his big brother and searched for something. He didn't have a spellcard compare to his big brother and it was Tsukikage who showed him some trick to become a ninja.

He grabbed a stone and threw it at the black ninja, trying to distract him. It hit the back of Tsukikage and brought his attention to the boy.

Zanya noticed it and said, "I'm still here!" as he attacked his enemy.

Tsukikage dodged him, kicked the deck case of Zanya and turned toward Akatsuki. He pushed the younger brother against the way of the house, raising his katana to end the boy's life.

"Stop!" Zanya yelled as he went to grab his deck case, knowing he won't grab it in time.

Tsukikage swung his katana at the boy. Akatsuki closed his eyes when he saw the blade coming at him, but never felt the pain. The boy wondered what happened and as he slowly opened his eyes, he saw the sharp blade near his throat, stopped by the other hand of Tsukikage. The boy raised his eyes as he looked at the face of Tsukikage, who was fighting to prevent himself from killing the boy.

"N-no! Not that!" Tsukikage suddenly said. Tears felt out of his eyes as he managed to raise his katana away from the boy.

Akatsuki whispered, "I knew you weren't evil," before taking his distance by the side of his brother.

Zanya remained on his guard and when Tsukikage looked at them, he noticed the tears falling from the black ninja's eyes.

"Zanya... Akatsuki," he said as he broke his silence, "Stop me... K-kill me," I never wanted to hurt any of you, his spoke in his mind.

Zanya paled when he heard his demand as he looked at the eyes of Tsukikage. It wasn't the cold killer and traitor he imagined. His hand trembled as he dropped his deck case on the glass and thought, as he slowly realised that there was more to it than he first believed, what happened to you?

Tsukikage saw that Zanya wouldn't do anything. He put his hand on his forehead and took a step back. He suddenly jumped on the roof of their house before running away as fast as he could.

The two siblings watched it and said nothing for a minute.

Zanya dropped his weapon. His hatred toward the ninja slowly disappeared as the realisation came in as he whispered, "Tsukikage."

"Something happen to him big bro. I know he wouldn't do it," Akatsuki declared before he started to cry.

The older brother turned toward him and didn't reply immediately. He slowly processed what happened as he adjusted his glasses and finally answered, "You're- You're right. He fought... fought so he wouldn't kill us," And those tears. That letter was false. Akatsuki was right, a tear came out of his eyes, I didn't believe Akatsuki. I didn't have faith in Tsukikage.

"Big bro?" Akatsuki said.

"Akatsuki. I'm sorry," he started. He cleaned his face and said, "You're right."

"What are we going to do?" Akatsuki asked.

The older brother face turned into his serious and determined one, "One thing. Bring back Tsukikage."

As he said that, he grabbed the phone to call the Buddy Police Force, but refrained from doing it when he thought about the supervisors. He knew he had to do it on his own, with his little brother.

AC: This is the end of chapter 99.

Next Chapter: The Domino Decision.