Chapter Six: Conspiracy Theory

Hi everybody! Alright, first off, I am really sorry that I haven't updated yet. I've had way too much to do. I swear, my teachers are trying to kill me!

Second, this chapter has a lot of political crap in it. That doesn't mean that there isn't any action though. This chap is going to be very long, because there will be some insight on Ameko's genjutsu, and I plan on giving a LOT of detail.

Enjoy. Thanks for your patience.

BTW: Update on the monks --

Kimiko is studying kunoichi medicine and about five different languages/cultures at the same time. The boys are studying tactics, morals, and ethics. All four are taking the usual classes for junior high students.

In a forge just outside Hinotsuki High School, a young man with spiky black hair brought his hammer down on a broken kunai. His blue-black eyes glittered as the two heated pieces came together in their former shape.

"Hey! Metsuke! You busy?" It was Ameko. And she sounded worried.

"No!" he called back.

Metsuke put down the hammer, picked up the kunai with a pair of tongs and put it in water.

Ameko's hair was out of sorts for once; there were flyaways everywhere. She had dirt on her cheeks, kneepads, and hips.

Metsuke whistled. "What happened to you? Did you get into it with Sayoshin again?"

(Author's note: Sayoshin is Orochijin's oldest son.

Ameko forced out a sigh. "I wish. We have a serious problem," she said, pulling back one of her bangs.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, first off --" Ameko hopped onto a pile of sand bags in the corner. "Orochijin replaced me with his future daughter-in-law."

"Bakani the Baka? Figures. I wonder what the snake's up to now."

"Second, we've been invaded for the first time in six hundred years by a psychopathic Chinaman named Chase Young."

Water sprayed from Metsuke's mouth. "Are you shitting me?!! Chase Young is here? How the hell did he --?!"

"I saw him with my own eyes. I don't know how he got in here, but whatever's going on, it can't be good." Ameko started pacing. "I wonder if Orochijin's the one who let him in. There's no way Chase Young could've gotten in on his own."

"Is that how you got so messed up? Duking it out with the 'psychopath'?"

Ameko took a drink from her own canteen. "No, I was out sparring with one of the Korean students. For future reference, it's a bad idea to take on a stick-thin boy and expect an easy win."

The two friends laughed together for a moment.

"So, on a lighter note, have you asked Kaoru out yet?"

Metsuke stammered. "U-uh, no idea what you're --"

"Uh-uh-uh! Don't even try to tell me that you don't know what I'm talking about." Ameko grinned mischievously. "You've liked her for four years now, and you haven't made a move all that time! What the hell is wrong with you, man?!"

Metsuke laughed. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't think that her dad would, you know, approve."

"Oh, come on. Kaoru likes you. You'll never hear her say it, but she likes you. And I like you. The Hikage trusts my judgement." But not when it comes to snakes in the grass like Orochijin. When I try to talk to him about it, all Uncle does is wave me off, she thought angrily. Outwardly, Ameko grew more solemn. "Besides, it's not like she's gonna stay a maiden forever."

"That's right. Your coming-of-age ceremony's coming up soon, isn't it? Kaoru's was a month ago."

Ameko grinned with pride. "Yup. Two days from now, on May 30th."

Metsuke pulled out a necklace bearing his own totem, the bear of trust. "It's kinda confusing, following your totem, but you get it after a while." He raised one of his thick brows. "Are you gonna throw a big party? I can be the DJ."

"Maybe. But you will not DJ," Ameko smirked. "You'd think that with all the weapons you hang around, you wouldn't want to listen to anything with the word 'metal' in it, but NO. Your ego won't let you."

"Ah, shut up and go find your 'Chinaman' boyfriend." Metsuke flinched as he felt Ameko send him a monstrous glare. "U-u-uh, I meant that as a joke...!"

"Good boy. See ya Metsuke." Ameko went out the black curtains for a minute, then came back in. "Oh, and if you even think of avoiding Kaoru at my 18th birthday party, then so help me, I will play a slow song just for you two, and I won't hold the cheese!"

Ameko dodged a pair of welding gloves, laughing.

"LEAVE ALREADY!"

The next day:

Clang!

Ameko ducked and rolled left as Chase sent a roll of punches her way. She had never had a challenge like this before, even though she no longer had to hold back. Every move he made forced her to use all her skill.

A kick broke her from thought and sent her into a tree, which she now stood on like a spider: her right leg below her and stretched out, the left above and folded.

"Not bad." Chase Young called. "You said your name was Ronotaro Ameko? Are you related to the Hikage, Yashiro Ronotaro?"

Ameko jumped off the tree and did a series of hand motions. "Maybe. Does it matter?"

"It does to me. " About a dozen Amekos surrounded him now. Chase smirked. He had seen this jutsu before and knew how to beat it. All you had to do was focus in on the person's aura and you'd find them easily. The smirk went away as he realized he couldn't tell which was the true Ameko.

"Here I come!" All of them said.

Two charged first with kunai, which he sent backwards into puffs of smoke. Then one came down from above, and he dodged that one. Then the other eight ganged up on him and Chase used his Chi to make them fly backward. Chase looked around for signs of his new sparring partner. Then, a twig snapped, and he pounced in its direction.

Ameko was right across from him on a tree branch. She smiled and let herself fall off the branch. Her limbs twisted like a cat in midair and she landed on her feet. She stared up at him expectantly and smiled again.

"I'll admit, you're really good."

"Even though I'm your 'enemy' now?"

Ameko was surprised that she shared his laughter. "Even so, yes."

Chase Young jumped and pinned her down. "I want to learn about you. Your family, where you come from -- you have a bit of a Kansai dialect going on -- everything."

Ameko siezed up beneath him. She was not only embarrassed from the position she was in, but now she felt threatened. It wasn't normal for an enemy to be so... dare she say it? Affectionate, and with an unhealthy interest in her to boot.

"I can't tell you that much," she said aloud in a warning tone. "You're still my enemy, don't forget."

Chase leaned in closer to her face. "I don't have to be."

"I'm not joining you," she said forcefully even though he was right there. "No matter what you say to try and charm me into it. Period."

Her eyes glowed faint ocean green and Chase found himself blown back by Ameko's aura, which through his sorceror's sight appeared violet. Chase landed lightly on his feet.

"That's fine," Chase smiled smugly. "I could always fight you for your loyalty."

"I know how you work," Ameko said with her trademark fierce glare. "As if I would ever agree to those terms in a fight."

Chase met the challenge in her eyes. "Are you sure? Everyone has a weakness."

"You're part of everyone. That means that you do too."

"I take it that 'no' is your final answer?" He asked, vexated now.

"Do you even have to ask?"

She has her attitude back. And just when this conversation was getting interesting, Chase thought. "Shall we continue then? You are still holding back," he said aloud.

"What are you talking about? I'm not holding back."

Ameko spoke with the false honesty she had used with Kaoru.

"I was speaking of your genjutsu. Why haven't you used it?"

Ameko cocked her head to the side. "You want me to use it? Are you sure?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Chase said, mimicking her attitude. "Give me all you've got!"

Bad idea, Chase, Ameko thought. Very bad idea.

Ameko's eyes glowed ocean blue again, and soon the area around Chase and Ameko frosted over with ice.

She's an ice elemental? I wonder what she's planning with all this cold.

"Last chance to back out!" Ameko called.

"You know that won't happen."

Ameko grinned. "Fine by me! It's your ass that'll get burned!"

Chase was initially surprised that she swore. Didn't think she had that much of a mouth. What does she mean by ... 'my ass will get burned' ?

"First move's yours, if you dare!" Ameko shouted.

Chase Young teleported behind her and made to give her a roundhouse kick. Ameko turned and caught the leg.

Ooh, I finally struck a nerve with this guy! He's got a stronger will than the other people I've fought, that's for sure, Ameko thought.

"Baka," Chase said with a grin. He flexed his leg and catapulted Ameko into the air. However, at the last moment, Ameko managed to stand up on his leg and was sent skyward like a missile. Once she was up in the air, she turned so that her chest faced the ground. (She held out her hands like Goku does with the Kamehameha attack.)

"Ice prism-jutsu!!" Ameko roared.

Chase was completely frozen in the ice crystal that formed around him. After twenty seconds, it shattered. By the time he realized that Ameko was right in front of him, it was too late. Ameko's right leg was literally covered in blue fire, which she used to launch a kick right above his belt. The force and heat of the kick sent him backwards into one of the wooden pillars of a nearby torii gate.

Chase tried to clutch his stomach, but it was nearly white hot from the kick, and focused on enduring the pain without curling up. That was... devastating. Chase looked down at his chest. There was a depression where she had kicked him, and the metal around it was dripping. Chase Young smiled. Once again, it was a good decision to wear armor.

"Who's the baka now?" Ameko asked.

It was funny to her, seeing the big bad invader close to writhing from an attack that she had invented herself. The twenty seconds it took for Chase Young's body to cool down gave her the time she needed to focus her chakra into her right leg and set it ablaze with the power of her fiery, violet aura. Since Chase's body was cold to begin with, the blazing kick was that much more effective.

"That was my 'Solar Flare' attack," she explained.

Chase breathed out slowly. "It's well-named. I'll admit it, I'm impressed."

Ameko started to smile, but stopped. Seeing him there, damaged -- she thought it a shame. A shame that he was like that, and a shame that it was her fault. She'd never felt that way about any other opponent she faced. Just him.

"You may want to seek medical attention." Though she didn't understand why, Ameko was kneeling beside him as she said that. "The metal's probably sticking to your skin right now. My cousin, Kaoru, is an excellent kunoichi. She can help you."

Chase didn't know how to respond.

"If you like, I could take you to her --" Ameko! Quit! Don't get too involved with your enemy!, she could almost hear her uncle screaming in her mind."-- or bring her here, whichever."

Yes, that would be better. It would save me from the moment.

Chase was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Why?"

Ameko was taken aback. "Why am I helping you, do you mean?" A scowl was her answer. She responded more defensively, "Because my people and I believe in mercy and compassion."

Chase turned his head away from her. It was bad enough that he was weakened already, but why did she choose that moment to make him seem weaker by offering 'mercy and compassion' to a person that she didn't even like? He couldn't stand to look at her at all.

"Just leave. I'll go soon."

"But, that armor's melding with your skin!" Ameko was genuinely shocked. "It'll turn into a third degree burn and --"

"I know that!" Chase spoke forcefully. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Yes, actually. Gombatte, Young-sama." Ameko got up and bowed from the waist. "It was good to spar with you."

The nonchalant manners were almost an insult. Then again, he started that one.

"Goodnight then, Ameko."

Ameko turned around. "I would prefer to remain 'Ameko-san' with you."

"Fine."

Finally, she was gone again. Chase Young sighed. A little progress, but not much. Why did she have to reach out like that, at least, at that point in all time?!

"An amazing young woman, isn't she?" said a voice above him. It belonged to Orochijin, who was lounging on top of the torii gate.

"Who are you?" Chase Young asked with slight aggression. There was no telling what might happen now that a stranger was near him.

"My name is Orochijin. We have something in common," he hissed.

"I severely doubt it. How so?"

Orochijin allowed himself a cruel chuckle. "I just thought that I would first tell you that while Ameko used nearly all her physical strength against you today, you only saw a fraction of her magical ability. Frankly, I'm surprised that she showed you her specialty attacks right away."

"On with it!"

"Alright," Orochijin chuckled again. "I'll tell you outright: Ameko will only get stronger as she gets older. You want her power, and I want her gone."

Chase Young snorted. "If you claim to know me so well, you should know that I don't like being a pawn in someone else's plan."

Orochijin sighed. "Ah, yes, the desire to control one's destiny is very strong. I respect that, I really do."

If I weren't weakened right now, I'd take that scrawny little man and pop his scraggly head right off, Chase thought malevolently as he started to lose patience with Orochijin.

"Before you think of more ways to kill me," Orochijin said almost happily, "at least let me tell you how to win Ameko over."

Anyone else might have thought that Orochijin was a mindreader based on that statement, but not Chase Young. He knew that his expression was the clue Orochijin needed to try and pull off such a trick.

"And that is?" Chase's attention was held, whether he liked the man who held it or not.

"Ameko's weakness is astonishingly classic;" Orochijin's voice was dangerously close to mockery. "If you want Ameko to swear her eternal loyalty to you, you must first swear to me that you will never return to this place once you leave with her."

Chase grew suspicious. "Why must I do that?"

"Do you want the information or not?" the Snake-man snapped.

Reluctantly, Chase swore.

"You must target the one closest to her heart: her little brother, Bakuto Ronotaro. Luckily, you have already met him."

The tag-along. "How am I supposed to find her brother in this crowded place?"

"Ameko rarely lets him out of her sight, or the sight of a trusted, powerful friend," Orochijin explained. "The quietest way to get him would be to kidnap him at school, but of course, that's near impossible for you. So, just leave all the details to me."

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This was it for Orochijin. Domination of Hitatsuban, at his fingertips. Orochijin laughed to himself evilly.

Your uncle is a very stupid man for trusting me, Ameko. Soon, he and his family will pay the ultimate price, and there is nothing you can do about it!

Whew! Finally! I apologise for the length, but this chapter is extremely important! Let me know what you think, if I haven't murdered your patience by now. (oog, I hope not!)