Wow. The reaction I got from Ayane's sudden appearance was stunning, I honestly thought people saw it coming XD well any way I''m taking on more hours at work ( to buy ninja gaiden and ninja gaiden black) but I will do my best to provide at least one chapter a day. Here is chapter 8

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She was frozen. Ayane's entrance took her off guard completely.

"Why didn't you jsut move along I wonder" Ayane said. Kasumi was sure not to take her eyes off her for one second. Doing that could easily result in her death.

"I don't care what you do to me, but leave Ryu out of this. I didn't force him to help me."

"Of I think you did. Otherwise you would have been long gone by now. Though of all people to bother, you chose master Ryu."

Kasumi had no idea what to say in response. It may have been true that she was relying on Ryu too much, but she knew that she was convinced that she was no bother, for the most part.

" Don't forget that he is more of an ally to the mugen tenshin. Our enemy, is by fate, his enemy."

Kasumi finally let the pressure valve break. She couldn't help but raise her voice in retaliation.

"You can't say that for him! Hayabusa has helped me greatly on more then one occasion! Just because he's Hayate's friend doesn't mean he'll betray my trust!"

"I can't say that there is any trust left in you. Or in him for that matter."

Once again, Ayane had Kasumi paused.

"Don't you remember, he had orders to kill you during the second Dead or Alive tournament. You can't possibly think that Hayate's lifted those from him."

Kasumi clenched her fist.

"Are just here to step on me again? You've taken everything from me. My brother, my family. What more do you want?" She said looking down at the ground.

"I won't be satisfied till your on your knees begging our father for forgiveness, before he cuts you down."

In the blink of an eye , Ayane lunged at Kasumi bearing a closed fist, and a dagger in the other. Quickly looking back up, Kasumi dodged the sudden attack, and quickl took her defenseive stance.

"I'm not going to give in. I will find my own happiness, even if the Mugen tenshin clan is out to silence me."

"Heh, you broke our code of honor, do you honestly believe that your allowed happiness?"

"I don't doubt it at all."

"Well, I can assure you , Master Ryu isn't part of your little dream"

Kicking up leaves as she stepped, Kasumi lashed one hand out like a sword as Ayane came at her again.

Strands of Ayane's lavender hair blew away in a breeze created by the strike."Dammit. She's fast" She cursed.

Kasumi quickly turned around again, not willing to leave an opening to her enemy.

"I guess I have no choice but to fight you." Kasumi said. Ayane clenched her teeth and this time came at Kasumi even faster. Having to block her fast kicks didn't give Kasumi an opening until she was truck to the ground. Quickly she drug her foot along until it caused Ayane to fall.

"I honestly don't want to fight you. Then Hayate would be upset with me."

Ayane drew three kunai and quickly sent them at Kasumi. Seeing as her wounded arm was aching she had no choice but to dodge them which wasted her energy and also gave Ayane an opening.

Just as she was about to strike, a sharp whistle caught her attention. Ayane stood up strait and looked at the mountains n the distantce.

"You lucked out today. If Hayate didn't want to, I would kill you myself."

In a cloud of smoke, Ayane vanished. "I never said...Ryu made me happy..."

When Ryu got home from working at his shop, he was surprised to see that Kasumi was sleeping at the table. "She probably got bored." He thought to himself.

A note lay on the table, written in sloppy Japanese on pink stationary.

Hayabusa,

We stopped by but Kasumi was really shaken up. Jan Lee and I will be back later.

Bye Bye,

Lei Fang.

"Shaken up? Did someone come here while I was gone?"

He carefully examined Kasumi's arm. It looked like it had been put under a tremendous amount of stress. The area around was stitches themselves was red with irritation. and it even looked a little bruised."Blocking maybe...so she was attacked." He thought. As he stepped outside, he couldn't help but feel anger fester inside of him. The more he thought about it, the more cruel he depicted the Mugen Tenshin to be. Even his friend Hayate,"She left the village to help you didn't she? To see why you lost your memory...and yet this life is what she gets in return...how unjust"

When he turned back inside, he put a blanket over Kasumi's shoulders, and sat down across from her. He simply stared at her. Hoping she was happy in her dreams, if no where else.

--

Man I work at eleven this morning and I had to close last night. I'm beat --

anyway, I'll have the next one up as soon as possible, but for now...hmmm breakfastdrools

loves as always,

LoMXD