"I want the death lovers of the world to hear our laughter and grow sad. I want a breath of passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain."

-Oscar Wide (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

"Third Desire"

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

Chapter 7: "Deciding"

Onime no Kyo'seyes jumped from one stranger to the other, trying to determine the biggest threat.

"It doesn't matter that someone's joined him, it only means more fun for us right, Masaki?" pretty boy told the big guy, producing a pair of kamas(1) from under his crimson coat.

"I don't care as long as I get to fight Onime no kyo," big guy Masaki answered, licking his lips.

"Then does that mean I can have him?" pretty boy gazed at Kenji almost longingly.

"Reiji," creepy man spoke, digging his hands into his coat's pockets, "be careful. He seems skilled."

"Akinari, you worry too much," pretty boy Reiji laughed, brushing the worry aside with a wave of his hand.

"Maybe you don't worry enough," creepy man Akinari argued.

"Who the heck are you three clowns suppose to be?" Kyo was getting angry, not only because these pests were wasting his time, but also because out of nowhere the person he wanted to kill the most had just come and 'offered' his help.

Why had bloody Kenji appeared? What was his purpose for doing this? Was he truly interested in helping out or was he just looking for sport? More importantly, what the hell had he done to his servant?

"I am disappointed to learn you haven't heard of us!" Reiji gasped dramatically. "Well then, it seems we are not so popular yet! Maybe we should kill some more people?"

"Suzuki, Reiji. Known as the man who never stops fighting until his opponent is lying dead at his feet. There were rumors about him circulating among the northern villages. It is said that he has a technique which allows his attacks to become stronger and his body more resistant," Kenji informed with a monotone tone, as if this was something he had read and memorized from a book. "However, after gathering more knowledge, one could imply that in fact it is not a technique at all, but a state of mind known as 'berserk' that is attained due to the excitement of battle."

"I am impressed you know so much about me," Reiji licked his lips. "But I wonder… should I be happy?"

"The other two…?" Kyo enquired; not caring at the moment where the information was coming from. He was in a hurry to get somewhere else.

"Yamada, Masaki. He's considered a frightful giant in many villages. They say that once you engage him in battle, the probabilities of escaping from death are reduced to none," Kenji's cerulean eyes moved to big guy. "Some say that he is fanatical when fighting, and that his moves are only controlled by the adrenaline of excitement."

"The hell! Do you want to try your luck, little man?" prompted the offended man.

"Kudo, Akinari," Kenji's voice carried on, the same bored tone staining his every word. "A man who calculates his opponent's every move. They say that his mind works faster than most, making him a deadly strategist. Nonetheless, that is not his only asset, for according to some who had seen him fight; his body has the ability to twist in uncanny ways."

"You seem to know a lot about us and still you want to assist this man," creepy man Akinari pointed his dagger at Kyo. Slowly, he moved it towards Kenji. "Who are you?"

"Someone who dislikes to fight… but above all dislikes unfairness," he replied with a gentle fucking smile.

"That does not tell us much," Reiji was walking towards him; a sharp kama on each hand.

Kenij smiled as his opponent rushed him. He moved to the right to avoid one of the kamas, while using his sword to stop the movement of the other. So Kyo had been right, he was a skilled swordsman. The day Kyo's blade had rested on Kenji's neck had been an illusion constructed by a pretender. Kenji could have easily stopped him, but he hadn't.

Kyo shook his head, filing his findings for future consideration. Right now, he had a job to do and he was excited to get started.

-o0o-

Shinna Yuya was sitting on the grassy hill beside the small, blond child. She leaned back against the trunk of the Sakura tree as her hand kept combing the silky hair of the boy.

"Look," he said, eyes wide with anticipation.

"What is it?" she asked kindly, squeezing the child's hand.

"Look and split," he explained in a playful voice, "and after you had done it and accept it… you will forget it."

She quirked an eyebrow at his riddling words. In answer, the horizon disappeared. It was sucked up by a black dot until she found herself in the middle of a dark canvas with nothing and no one for company.

"I am said to be 'the one who is everywhere on the Tokai road'… Shinna Yuya, the bounty hunter (2)!" Yuya's eyes searched for the source of the voice -her voice.

A couple of meters away from her a blond, pink clothed bounty hunter appeared. A gun on her right hand, pose relax and confident. Her lips moved to utter the same phrase again and again.

"That is me," she whispered, unable to understand why there was another Yuya standing in front of her.

It was her; her as the bounty hunter; a person who had found nothing else to do in order to survive, but kill. A woman who'd bought herself another day to live with each bullet spat by her weapon.

"You have seen," the child's voice echoed around her, "and you have split."

"I do not-" she hadn't finished her statement before the proud hunter's figure was trapped inside a glassy cage. As soon as the cage had descended upon her, the voice was lost. Another one quickly replaced it, though.

"To find the guy with the scar on his back… to find him I need money (3)."

A blond woman in a white yukata appeared before her. Her eyes were dark and filled with mixed emotions of pain, suffering, determination and rage.

It was her; her as the girl who had watched her brother being murdered. A sister who lived only for the promise of revenge.

The figure was soon enclosed in another glassy structure, her voice trapped inside its walls. So that even though her lips were moving, there was no way of knowing what she was saying.

A third figure of her appeared beside the last one. It was her in a muddy and torn yukata, her eyes wide and filled with fright.

"These red eyes… Onime no Kyo!"

That was her as a scared human… and she too was caged.

The same thing happened over and over again. A figure of her would appear and then it would be trapped behind a transparent box never to be heard again.

Her with a slashed Yukata, most of her pale skin revealed… it was her as a vulnerable figure. Her with fists clenched and a vein popping out of her forehead… it was her as an irritated woman. Her under the rain, her clothes soaked to her very bones and her eyes showing resolution… it was her trusting Kyo. Her with her cheeks blushing furiously… it was her as a woman who wanted someone to care for her. Her with a confident smile but still a worried look on her face… it was her believing 'he' would come and save her. Her with her hand clapping her mouth and her eyes wide with fear… it was her worried about the Kyo.Her smiling gently… it was her understanding that she was in love.

Her with tearful eyes… it was her realizing that she was nothing more than a servant. Heartbroken and weak, that was the part of her life she hated the most. And it was who she inevitably had become…

Finally, it was over. There were no more figures. There were no more feelings fighting inside her for dominion of her heart. There was nothing left. An empty hole without a floor, so deep that if you where to fall inside you would never stop dropping.

So by the end, displayed before her were all her emotions. They stood behind plain glass bars like items displayed in a store.

"It is time to accept and forget," came the child's voice again. His small hand slipped inside hers to reassure her that she would not lose everything. That she would still gain something… but was it worth it?

-o0o-

Sarutobi Sasuke was not sure how to proceed with the situation. There were many choices he 'could' make, but he wasn't sure which one was the right one.

This ninja was skillful and dangerous. If he'd encountered her at another time and in a different place, he wouldn't have hesitated to get rid of her as soon as possible. He couldn't do so now. Not when Yukimura hadn't given him license to kill. He had instructed him to collect information, only that. So, what to do?

"Would you like some tea while we wait for Kenji-sama?" her voice held that amused tone which made shivers run down his spine.

Sasuke watched as the girl began to take out of the pockets of her sozoko(4) all the weapons she was carrying. Darts, strings, shriukens and a pair of sais. She aligned them neatly on the table between them her.

Having done that, she began to unstrap the extra equipment she'd been wearing. From her feet and hands she removed 'ashikos' (spiked claws worn on the feet), 'shukos' (spiked claws worn on the hands), and ten 'nekotes' that had adorned her fingers (iron fingernails dip with poison) (5).

"What are you planning?" he asked while keeping himself hidden under the veil of darkness.

"You've come to talk to him, have you not?"

"I have come here to find out what his purpose is," Sasuke corrected.

The girl watched him step into the light; his sword clutched tightly.

"Then, wouldn't it make sense for you to ask him this?" She winked before pointing out, "there's no better source than him ne, Sasuke?"

The girl pulled down the mask to reveal her face. Sasuke was careful to conceal his surprise. He'd known she was young but he hadn't expected her to be pretty as well. He pushed his inane thoughts away. That wasn't important. What was important is what she'd said. How had she known his name? Had Kenji been keeping tabs on them as well? If so, then why hadn't he or Saizo noticed?

-o0o-

Onime no Kyo inspected the two men left to him. Big guy was smiling, creepy man was glaring. Kyo hoped he would have more fun with them than he'd done with his last fight.

"Are you ready to die?" big guy Masaki's asked, unsheathing his bastard sword and breaking into a run towards him. He held his sword high above his head. Kyo shook his head at the silly stance. He was wide open for an attack.

Almost lazily, Kyo sidestepped to the left before the blade could touch his right shoulder. In a flash, he unsheathed his katana, slashing Masaki's side in the process. It was merely a shallow cut on the ribs. Kyo didn't feel like ending this too fast. He was still hoping for a challenge.

"Leave some for me, Masaki!" Akinari exclaimed.

Kyo felt slight pain on his back, courtesy of a shallow wound. Blood slid down his spine, leaving a red path behind and soaking his clothes. He scanned the terrain, part of his mind trying to find an explanation for what happened. The other part was busy dodging and fending off the attacks of big guy Masaki.

Kyo jumped sideways when he heard a swooping sound coming his way. A large plastic-like hand passed right in front of him. Unfazed, Kyo used his sword to cut the arm right off its owner before it could make its way back.

"Damn it!" Akinari cried out, holding onto the stump that was now his arm.

"Akinari, you idiot!" Masaki yelled angrily, positioning himself between his wounded companion and Kyo. "Stay out of this, Aki! He's mine!"

"I am the 'property' of no one," Kyo's lips parted into a devilish evil. "I have no time to deal with pests as insignificant as you…"

Kudo Akinari brushed at his eyes. The figure of Kyo had just transformed and dispersed into Sakura petals. Masaki stood some ways away, just as confused.

Akinari had never seen this before. Yet, he'd heard about this ability. What was it again? A thing about a 'crow' or something along those lines… but what was it that it did? More importantly, how could he get out?

A fog descended upon them, hiding Masaki. The mist was so thick, that eventually he saw nothing except for the pink petals swirling around him, forming small tornados here and there. His guard was up, but he knew he was not a strong hand-to-hand fighter. He was a strategist -someone who preferred to attack from a good distance. At least, far enough to be out of reach of his opponent's weapons.

Yet now, here he was. In a place where there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run, nothing to see and no one to feel. So, where was he? Where was Reiji? Had something befell Masaki?

No, what their fates had in store for them did not matter. What matter was… Where was Onime no Kyo?

-o0o-

Suzuki Reiji had seen his friends' battle area disappear behind a white smoky screen. He was currently unable to tell what was happening inside or whether they were safe or not. But he had no time to think about them. He had his own fight. His very own opponent.

He switched his focus from Kenji's calm form, to the mess that was his arm. Seconds after their fight had begun, Kenji's sword had bitten deep into his shoulder. Reiji had been too far gone in his excitement to notice the wound until a while ago.

It didn't matter though. Soon the pain would disappear. His tiredness would be replaced by the upheaval of his blade tasting the blood of his opponent. Oh, how had he yearned for Onime no Kyo's blood… and yet, this was neither better nor worst. Kenji was proving just as strong as he'd assumed Kyo was, and that was enough to satisfy his lust.

"Are you planning on attacking anytime soon?" Kenji's voice was still gentle and -in spite of having been moving around much more- his tone was steady and unchanged.

"What kind of monster are you?" Reiji hissed, spitting some blood onto the ground.

"The frightening kind," Kenji admitted, becoming a blur before disappearing completely from his sight.

To be Continued…

Story's Notes:

(1) Kamas: were once harvesting tools which were transformed into deadly weapons. They consisted of a long stick with an 11-12 inches crescent-arc blade sticking out of one of its ends.

(2) This is the line she uses to introduce herself when she first met Kioshiro.

(3) Quoted directly from the manga alongside the lines that followed.

(4) Sozoko: Traditional black ninja outfit, in which all the body is hidden except for eyes and fingers. It has many hidden pockets where small weapons can be stored. It also includes 'tabi' boots. These have a slit between the big toe and the second toe.

(5) All the weapons mention are traditional ninja equipment used in the past.