DISCLAIMER:
I don't own any characters from Dead or Alive games, they are owned by Tecmo, Ltd. and Team Ninja. Though, I create an OC.
To Cody Smith: Yes, thank you Cody-san! I will make my story better! Hopefully, you will enjoy my story till the end!
Note:
I guess this chapter indicates that this story is a bit in AU. So, please don't ask me whether there is really a village in the ninja's secret home. I honestly don't know. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter!
--START OF CHAPTER 1--
"Aw…Aw…Aw… Please be careful, Reiko"
Reiko was putting a medicine around Rei's collar. It was so unlucky for him that the last direct hit he received from Hayabusa hit his collar. Now, not only his collar was bleeding, he received a long-time pain.
"Don't worry, Rei-san."
He saw her wrapping the bandage to cover my wound. He didn't mind getting hurt if she was the one who would cure him. He was so captivated in her innocent beauty.
"Hei, Reiko. You asked me to call you just Reiko right?"
"Yes, I did. What about it?"
"I just simply want you to return the favor by calling me just Rei too."
She finally cut the rest of the bandage and stood.
"If you wish it, I will call you Rei from now on."
She walked away and when she was about to vanish from my sight, she stopped and turned her head.
"Rei, Hayate-sama asked me to tell you that this day's training has finished. He asked for your presence in his room tomorrow morning."
Then, she opened the door nearby and entered it.
He sighed. He lied down in the grass field and saw the stars blinking brightly.
They are so bright. I wonder if she is one of those stars?
He sighed again. If he slept later, he would have to meet her again.
--
"Wow, I thought you will lose, Ryu."
Hayate was sitting with his friend, Ryu Hayabusa, in the edge of the pond he created to keep his fishes.
"Don't underestimate me, Hayate. I wasn't serious yet."
"Hah, so you are the one who underestimated him," he carelessly threw fish food into the pond. The fishes competed with each other to eat it. "So, what do you think about him, Ryu?"
He didn't answer it quickly. He sat staring into the fishes.
"Hello? Anyone there?" Hayate turned his head to see his friend who lost in deep thought.
Ryu still didn't answer it. After a while, he finally answered.
"I couldn't measure his power. He also wasn't serious, just like me."
Hayate sighed and pondered whether his friend got insane or not. How that fast paced extremely sharp battle could be done if both of them weren't serious. They must be insane. Finally, he concluded that Rei was nearly as strong as Ryu in martial arts.
"Anyway, how is she, Ryu?" Hayate asked. He grabbed another fish food and threw it into the pond.
"Did you mean your sister? She was doing just fine. She was a strong kunoichi after all."
"Yes, she is…"
Hayate couldn't help himself but to worry about her sister. Even though as the clan leader he ordered the clan to exterminate her, as her brother he still worried about her. Deep in his heart, he didn't want her to die. That's why he never participated in killing Kasumi.
Unlike Ayane.
He tightened his hand, destroying the fish food he just grabbed. He sighed, took another fish food, and threw it into the pond for the last time.
--
Rei yawned and rose from his slumber. He was so lucky not to dream about that usual nightmare. Finally after a long time, he could sleep peacefully. He stretched for a while and realized that someone had entered his room while he was sleeping. He found a set of ninja gear placed above the desk.
Finally, he was accepted as a shinobi.
He took it and tried to wear it. It was very fit. Not to mention it was surprisingly lighter than his usual battle garb.
No wonder shinobi can move fast.
He checked the glass hour. It was still a long morning. He put it back above the desk and then walked out of the room to face Hayate-sensei.
--
"Do you like your suit?"
Hayate poured tea inside his cup.
"Yes, I like it very much, Hayate-sensei. Thank you."
"I hoped it's also fit you Rei?"
"It is, Hayate-sensei."
"Good. From now on, you need to wear it everyday. That way, everyone here will respect you," Hayate drank his tea and invited Rei to drink his tea too.
Rei drank his tea and began to wonder the last part of Hayate's words. Maybe outsiders weren't wanted in this village.
Now I understand why they gave me suspicious look before.
He finished his tea and either did Hayate.
"So, Hayate-sensei, what kind of training will I do today?"
"Training? Let's see… After I saw you fighting Ryu yesterday, you seem to have mastered the basic training. I want you to learn the advanced way of ninja but unfortunately you can't do it right now."
"Why can't I, Hayate-sensei."
"Well, I can teach you actually but I have an important business in another village…"
"How about the other instructors, Hayate-sensei?"
Hayate suddenly gave a sad look.
"They are… out for a moment. They have an urgent task to take care of…"
The silence ensued. Hayate broke the silence first.
"I think you need to familiarize yourself with this village."
"Familiarize?" Rei asked questioningly.
"Yes, I think you should interact with the villagers here… How about if you help farmers, Rei? Do you mind?"
"Well, not at all."
"Then, it's settled. Let me guide you to the rice field, Rei."
Thus, it's already decided that he will help farming. He followed Hayate-sensei walking out of the mansion through the back door to enter the village.
"The rice field is in the end of this village, Rei."
As we walked to the rice field, I observed the villager's activity. Although, this was a shinobi village, the activity of the villagers was just the same with the other villages. It was so peaceful and refreshing.
I thought that it was… well, more unearthly?
Some children were playing shiratori. When we were about to pass them, one of them suddenly ran toward Hayate-sensei.
"Hayate-sama, Hayate-sama!" That boy grabbed Hayate's cloth.
"What is it, Tora?" Hayate squatted to talk with that boy.
"Riki-oniisan was cheating! Please punish him!"
"Hey, Tora-chan! I'm not cheating! It's just you are too weak!" Another boy approached them.
Hayate-sensei smiled and talked to them nicely. After he was done, both of those children nodded and then ran back to their friends.
"Haha, I am sorry for the interruption. "
"It's okay, Hayate-sensei. Instead, it was nice to see kids."
Just like any normal villages Rei added in his thought.
"Okay, then. Shall we continue?"
He continued to follow Hayate to the rice field.
I guess… even shinobi have their own normal life, huh?
--END OF CHAPTER 5--
