7/7

TheDarkestShinobi: I hope you are all pleasantly surprised to see this appear on your story alerts or at the top of the DOA section and the fact that it is not an author's note. It is in fact chapter 10!

Read, review, or just yell at me for leaving the story on hold for so long. I however do have a goal for writing this, which also happened to be the novel I am going to produce (with lots of editing and a bunch of changes) before April which is a lot because it will be 27 chapters.

As for the names I chose Miko from Dragemenian Jew for Ayane so the oneshot of your choice will soon be up on Scene It. In other news I have another Ein/hitomi oneshot up and am starting two new stories, I am back tho, so don't expect them to stay un-updated for a long time.

One thing is bad though. I am novelizing this story, therefore I will not be posting it all here. Otherwise what would be the point in trying to publish it? Not only that but I do change certain factors so at some point some interactions won't make sense knowing the original characters and they became different characters, mine, not Dead or Alive's if that makes any sense. I will find some way to end this story nicely and tie up loose ends but it will not be my original masterpiece. (hehe, I really don't think that highly of it lol)

I doubt it, but if you are interested in the book or anything similar feel free to message me. You could even request a wacky ending to this since I am looking for ways to end it.

I must thank you for reading this much (of both the story and the AN) so enjoy this chapter.

TDS

Kasumi stood at the opening of a cave cautiously. The cold midnight wind rustled the leaves behind her and she carefully listened out for the sounds of him returning, but she heard nothing. She glanced towards the forest before darting into the cave. She instantly felt a chill crawl down her spine inside the cave. She could easily tell that it was used by someone recently. Kneeling slightly she touched the warm blacker spot in the cave. It was warm. Fire. Whoever was here had made a campfire. She stood turning towards the outside and rubbed the soot between her fingers. He had set fire a couple of hours ago, meaning for food for dinner.

She exited the cave knowing whoever was in the cave was long gone and leaving evidence like that meant he either wanted to be found, or he wasn't coming back. Unless he made a mistake, but how likely was that? Perhaps, she thought, he wanted her to trail him. Maybe this was just a trap he had set for her. If so, then she was falling into it perfectly and he would soon be here. She jerked her head up and looked around the area and hid in a shadow as she heard approaching footsteps. She drew a small throwing knife and held if offensively while looking in the direction of the sound.

She lowered the very sound of her breathing and set herself into her offensive stance. Someone was coming closer. Someone was about to die. She watched the spot which she knew the person would be coming out of ready to strike, ready to kill.

It wasn't a person and she watched in awe as a deer galloped through the forest with a few others. It was rare that she seen the creatures so close. They largest one stopped and looked towards her before letting out a small grunt causing them all to run as fast as they could away from her. Kasumi looked down. There once was a time when people and animals did not fear each other this much but she didn't think that it could ever go back. It was instinctual now. Everything was instinctual and learned for her. Like the fact that she now held her kunai like that in front of her instead of seeing who or what is was that was coming closer. She was trained like that, to be a killer, a ninja.

It was useless to think like that though. It didn't matter how she felt, she couldn't change anything. She then looked up with sharp eyes. It was night and she was taught to welcome the night and the cover it gave her. She stood and leaned against the rock wall of the cave knowing she was out of sight to whoever could be in the area. If someone came back tonight she would see them first, she would strike first, and she would win.

TDS

Sereo grabbed his sword and stepped back as a figure appeared in front of him. Before Sereo struck the figure he took a second look noticing who he was. Instead his eyes narrowed as he sheathed his sword. Why would Kalona come here and risk being seen?

"Where is she?" Kalona suddenly asked not bothering with formalities.

"Looking for you," Sereo said lowly. "I'm surprised she hasn't already found you."

"She might have." Kalona then said with a small smiling knowing she probably was outside of the cave waiting for him. In that case, he knew, it wouldn't be wise to head back tonight because she would be there and waiting. He crossed his arms and looked over his shoulders towards the direction his camp was in. He would stay away until morning where he would have an advantage against her as a result of the loss of her cover.

Kasumi would be waiting for him. He then smirked and turned back towards Sereo. Sereo looked back towards the ninja's camp and Kalona nodded to himself, it was the girl who was injured that was plaguing his mind. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a small white cloth bag that was tied together with a string and handed it to the other ninja.

"What's this Kalona sama?" He asked as he turned it over in his hand and inspecting it.

"She's not going to last the night without it." He said as he turned away and started walking towards his second camp. Sereo knew well enough that if he followed he would just disappear so he simply opened the bag and looked inside. He tied it back up and put it in his vest pocket before turning away from Kalona to once again scan the empty forest around them in search of the enemy. When he looked back in the direction that Kalona was in his eyes passed over another empty line of forest.

TDS

Her eyes were so heavy and her body felt only pain. Breathing hurt as she agitated her wound and she just wanted to go back to that blissfully numb feeling of sleep, but she knew better. Going to sleep was inviting the cold hand of death to come up and take her. She shifted slightly and groaned in pain. It hurt so much, it all burned so much. She had never been in so much pain before, but then again she thought, she had never been so careless before. She opened her eyes but seen only blackness.

After blinking a few times she finally was able to make out the night sky and the stars glistening lightly above them. She let out another breath feeling the pain as her wounds were agitated, but that was a good thing she supposed, the pain meant she was somehow still alive. She blinked and turned her neck slightly to see Yuki sleeping on the ground next to her and Ayane wondered how she managed to save her life. She then closed her eyes and looked back up to the sky.

She really thought she was dead. She had felt it all at once, the pain of her skin as it was broken and the feeling of her insides being ripped open, she had felt the air escape her lungs and the burn as no air rushed back in. Her vision had hazed almost immediately and her target had vanished from in front of her. She could smell the strong metallic scent of blood and hear her heart beat in her head.

As soon as it started it ended as he yanked the sword back out. She felt somehow emptier and everything went black. She knew it wasn't over though and that she couldn't be dead, she was just knocked out. She would wake up. That's what she had thought, but in the blackness she heard a thud as she hit the floor and she had realized that maybe, just maybe, it could be the end.

Sereo watched her out of the corner of his eyes as he put the cloth bag back into his vest pouch. He was skeptical at first but after using it Ayane had actually woken up. He doubted she would ever be the same but at least she was alive. He didn't really care for her himself but he knew that Kasumi did and therefore wanted to help her. He was Kasumi's sister, and therefore his own. He was worried on how Kasumi would take the death of her half-sister and was thankful she wouldn't have to, and Kalona was the one to thank for that. Sereo watched Ayane turn her head and heard her groan and he lowered his gaze to the ground before feeling a shadow over him.

"Ryu?" Sereo asked even though he already knew who the voice belonged to.

"What did you just do to her?" he asked and Sereo looked up to him. There was no trace of sleep in his eyes and Sereo was saved by answering him when another cry was drawn from Ayane as she stirred. Ryu was at her side in the instant and Yuki turned over towards her with wide eyes.

Yuki didn't want to admit it, but she had honestly expected the other kunoichi to perish during the night. She propped herself on her elbow before sitting up looking over the other girl. She pulled the flap of her shirt to the side exposing her and the wound. She then watched as Ryu looked away out of respect. Sereo, Yuki noticed, watched impassively and Hayate stood a few meters away watching with wide eyes. Yuki frowned; he must care for her then, despite the way that he acted towards her. She ran her fingers over the burned flesh and noticed how ugly it looked against her otherwise flawless skin. It seemed fine; Yuki knew however the major part of the injury was on the inside and that she would not be able to tell.

Ayane felt cool hands touching her body and she almost sighed at the relief it gave her but moved her hand to swat it away. She would not admit that she was in pain. She looked up at Yuki and swallowed the saliva in her mouth. She wanted to say something but what could she say. I'm sorry? But that would be admitting that she did something wrong. Thank you? But healing her was Yuki's job, being a medical expert was the only reason she was brought in the first place. She decided to stay silent Yuki pulled the flap back and adjusted the strap. Hayate took another step forward and Ryu turned back towards her.

"Ayane… how are you feeling?" He asked gently as she looked towards him.

"I'm alive." Was her short response as she tried to sit up only to wince in pain and have two hands push her down.

"Barely," Yuki commented as she retracted her hand from the other's shoulder.

"I won't make this mistake again." Ayane finally said after a minute of silence.

"Of course not," Hayate responded as he walked up to her and kneeled besides her. "Because you will not fight again in this battle."

Ayane looked up in shock. He wasn't going to allow her to fight anymore? How was she supposed to make up for her mistake? Would he really just make her sit on the sidelines as everyone else fought for their village? She couldn't do that. She narrowed her eyes, she'd rather die fighting than return to the village a coward who sat on the sidelines.

"Why?" Ayane asked in a whisper and Hayate put his hand on her shoulder gently as she looked up towards him.

"The sword cut through your heart and lung." He said sadly "and harsh movement could potentially tear it and cause you to bleed to death."

So dying was still a strong possibility.

"I see." She said dejectedly. If she turned too fast she could bleed to death, how in the world could she pull off her art? She couldn't. She had to sit and watch. She had to be worthless. She closed her eyes letting out a breath but opened them when Hayate released her shoulder and pulled back.

"Be careful Ayane. Stay hidden and do not fight."

Ayane nodded feeling her insides heat up. He had actually still cared for her, which meant everything from before was just an act. She felt that warmness instantly disappear when she realized what he meant. She would have to stay away. She would have to sit on the sidelines and hope they were okay without her.

TDS

Kasumi frowned as she seen the sun peeking over the horizon. He hadn't come back yet which meant he had wanted her to find this. If it was a trap, she guessed, he would rather fight her in the light. She could already tell her cover was being illuminated by the rising sun and her black outfit was a giveaway in the daytime. It was simple. She had just lost her advantage and he had just gained his. She knew that if he had been waiting for this he would be on his way here now. She had to leave before he got here. She had to leave now.

She sprinted towards the river as she heard the birds start to sing their morning song to whoever would listen. She would follow the river down and get to… she paused in her thoughts. Where would she go? What did she have to do now? Kasumi stopped as she saw a small clear pond. She decided to stop here for a few minutes and clear her mind while figuring out what she would do next.

The pond was so clear that she could see all the way to the bottom. It smelt so refreshing and looked beautiful with the vegetation gently dipping into the top causing it to ripple when a breeze rolled by. Kasumi sighed in content as she took her bandana off revealing her long light brown hair and letting it fall over her shoulders. She then shrugged out of her clothes and slipped into the water. She could see the fish that shared the water with her and wadded to the other side since it was protected from others view as they ran by and she didn't want to be attacked by friend or foe. She frowned at the thought, even her friends are her foes now.

What would she do now? Sereo had told her she needed to find this man, and she knew she did, especially if there is even the slightest possibility that he could harm her comrades. There was a problem though. How would she find him? He had already outsmarted her once and she didn't want to risk running into him in a situation where he had the upper hand. She couldn't wait for him to come to her though because that would also be in his favor and she needed the upper hand. It was a tough situation for her. Either way she was at a disadvantage to him, whoever he was.

She slid into the water so that only her head peeked out from above the water. Kasumi knew she had to stay away from both the Morimusa and the Yamason because she was supposed to be dead. If either of them saw them then there would be serious repercussions. Was this other person a spy from the Yamason to see if the Morimusa was going to keep the five vs. five agreement? If so why did he not confront her before?

If he wasn't from the Yamason where was he from? She had never seen him in the Morimusa before, but she had to admit that she hadn't really gotten a good look at him. If he was from the Morimusa then Hayate would surely know of her existence in this world by now, and so would Ryu. They would also know Sereo lied. Would she suddenly become a top priority now or would he continue to focus on the Yamason. She sighed knowing he should stay focused on his current task and hoping he would. This other person was in no way good news for her and she needed to figure out who he was and what he stood for before she proceeded in Sereo's mission for her otherwise he could just end up hindering it.

She leaned her head back and wondered when this would all be over. Would they still want her dead after all of this was said and done? She shook her head dispelling the thoughts. She was going to make sure she was allowed back, it's what she had been fighting for for so long. She wasn't one who would give up either. She stood letting the water drip down her naked flesh and looked towards her clothes. It was time to start her day.

It was time to start getting her life back.

TDS

"If I'm correct they should be camped along this river" Ishibashi Kenji said to his team. They all looked at each other and nodded not finding a flaw in his logic before looking back to him. He had scorching burns on his torso and lower chin where Yuki had scarred him in their last battle but aside from that remained unharmed, it still burned and stung but he would never tell the others that. The pinkish red burns stood out against his otherwise beautifully tanned skin. He ran a hand through his dirty blond hair and looked towards Haruka waiting for her assessment.

"The Morimusa is not completely stupid." She finally said "They will be near a river, and I also believe they would be along this river, but inward at maybe 100 meters." She paused thinking of their next course of action. A surprise attack would be the best course of action at this point. The Morimusa was not to be underestimated and both teams were missing a member regardless if the girl had somehow managed to survive Kenji's strike. There was no way she would be able to fight again in this battle.

Catching the other off guard was their best bet. Hayate had killed Kippei; that much they all knew when he did not return to them at nightfall, they had been angered but they also had known it was going to happen. They all knew that they very well faced death here, but that didn't mean they would rush to meet their fate.

"May I suggest we run along the river, with each person stationed at 20 meters?" Everyone else looked at Yaten as she said this. It seemed like a good course of action and so Haruka nodded once. After a short pause Yaten continued.

"Furthermore, Ryu needs to be kept out of the way and Yuki needs to be taken care of first. She is a poison master and I would not be surprised is Kenji soon dropped dead from her strike."

Kenji nodded subconsciously as he fell into his thoughts. He wondered if that was true, the wounds still burned but he didn't feel how he was taught he would if he was poisoned. He hadn't expected it to be honest. He was relishing in the feeling that one of the best Morimusa ninja had fallen to him that he didn't even see her until it was too late to stop her. He knew if he died it was his own fault and not because of her skill.

He looked up and watched the birds flying overhead. The sky was now a clear crisp blue and he viewed it as a good sign. Haruka suddenly stood and Gobei followed swiftly after. She turned so that her back was facing her team and her head was towards the river.

"Spread out, one person every 20 meters as Yaten said." She said turning her head and looking back at them. She smiled. "We'll see if we can't catch them off guard."

The other three nodded at once and started jogging through the forest at a light speed. They kept pace with each other easily and scanned the area for any and all tracks of the Morimusa. They were on the hunt and the Morimusa was their prey. All four of the Yamason ninjas then drew a kunai and held it in the right hand waiting. All they had to do was find their prey, then they would avenge Kippei and win this war like they did before, after all they were clearly the stronger of the two villages.

They just had to prove it one more time.

TDS

Ryu was so relieved she was alive. She was not well, but she was alive, and that was more than he could have asked for. It was his fault she was like that, he let that other ninja get away from him and within striking distance of her. He had thought she had died and could do nothing but rush to her side and try to help her.

Ultimately he was useless to her.

Yuki had been the one that was able to heal her in the first place but even then it seemed like she might pull through, she only had a chance, and by the way Yuki had looked at her Ryu had figured it was a slim one. Then he had watched as Sereo walked up to Ayane and pulled out a cloth bag of something, he had sprinkled it over her and it looked like tiny specs of shining silver, he had then brought it up to her face so that she would breathe it in. Nothing had seemed to happen until he had moved away from her. Ayane's eyes had fluttered open.

Ryu was glad he was not there when Kasumi died, and he was glad he did not know how she did. He would like to imagine that she was caught off guard and killed by a senbon or a strike to the neck but he knew it was untrue. She would never be caught off guard and she would never let herself be killed. In all reality when she died he knew it would be in a fight and that she would be bloody and battered. In reality she would have broken her bones and cut up her perfect skin in the fight for her life. She was always to strong willed to run away from a fight if it meant not being able to come home.

What would he have done if Kasumi had been killed in front of him? He honestly couldn't come up with an answer. He would rush to her side. He would kill the bastard who did it. He would… he reached up and put his hand over his heart. It hurt. He knew the feeling; he had felt it when his parents died so long ago. It was a terrible feeling and he wanted it to fade away into nothing and leave him alone as it did before.

He still felt as if she was still alive though. He was used to not seeing her for a long period of time and that was what it felt like, the only difference is that he would never see her again. But isn't that what he always wanted? He wanted her to flee to another country where she would be free even if it meant never seeing her again because she would be safe. She wasn't dead, he told himself, she had just heeded his advice.

It was an alternative he desperately wanted to believe.

But he knew that in the end…

In the end he was useless to Kasumi too