Here he is...the sixth hero!

Nothing much to say here but...get ready for the NEXT battle!

MAD MAD props to DigitalCount for coming up with the outfit.

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Kyoto is one of Japan's leading large cities, founded upon the Heian Capital, which was built in 794 AD. Its population of near one-and-a-half million citizens lives in harmony with a natural and cultural environment which has developed over time immemorial. Kyoto City is a place where one can truly savor first-hand a rich depth of culture and art steeped in tradition, and set against the changing backdrop of the four seasons, with each one possessing its own charm.

Kyoto is the only large Japanese city that still has an abundance of prewar buildings, such as machiya, or traditional townhouses. However, modernization is continually breaking down the traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, and many groups try to stop this in order to preserve their history.

The city used to be known as Japan's Hollywood with Toei Uzumasa Eigamura. The Eigamura, also known as Toei Movie Land, is also called the "Hollywood of Japan" and was the filming location for many samurai films. Eigamura is a film set and theme park in one, featuring traditional Japanese building replicas which are used as the setting for pre-war period movies and TV dramas: including a replica of the old Nihonbashi Bridge, a traditional court house, a Meiji Period police box and part of the former Yoshiwara red light district. Actual film shooting takes place occasionally, and park visitors are welcome to observe the action.

For any tourist, either from overseas in even within the country, Kyoto was a haven.

For one Asuka Kazama, however, she opted to make her first stop in this tourism trap of a city a simple graveyard.

Bah, I can't believe I'm here in this creepy graveyard while the others are off doing whatever the hell they want, Asuka mumbled to herself as she tried to navigate through the labrynith of tombstones. Well, whatever…it's something I have to do: Masamune-sempai told me to bring flowers to her husband's grave, and I never say no to a fellow Kamen Rider fan!

Miki Masamune was the head sensei of a rival dojo in Asuka's hometown of Osaka and also the mother of Asuka's childhood rival Kenichi Masamune. A little over two months prior, her husband Takeshi was killed (some would say "executed") by a government agent by the name of Raven, for reasons involving a large weapons trafficking ring headed by the Yakuza. However, Kenichi felt no resentment towards the ninja after learning of the reasons behind his father's death. Upon confronting Raven during the previous King of Iron Fist tournament, he discovered the true object of his hatred: Kazuya Mishima, a man whose personal guard once included his father Takeshi, and the main reason why he was part of the Yakuza in the first place.

Until Kenichi could find it in his heart to forgive his father's sins as well as Kazuya's, it was up to Asuka to carry out his mother's wishes.

Speaking of whom, I should really track down Yoshimitsu sometime soon and see how he's doing, Asuka thought while she stopped walking to take a look at her map. I never thought I'd say this, but I really do miss him…

Finally identifying where in the graveyard she was situated and where her target grave was, Asuka put away her map and once again contined walking. She had big plans after she had finished doing her little errand. There were so many things to do in Kyoto: buying kimonos, visiting the Toei Movie land, or even checking out the bustling city life. Asuka intended to do all of them in her brief trip to the old capital.

As she reached the location where Takeshi's grave was located however, she saw that someone was already there…and it was a face that she had seen before.

The Japanese man was around six feet in height, dressed in a purple tuxedo with the coattails flowing elegantly in the wind, with his dark gray hair sticking up on end until it created a pointed tip in a manner to what Asuka could only describe as "a duck bill." His eyes were covered with a pair of sunglasses, but Asuka didn't need to see all of his face to know who that man was. There was no doubt about it: this was the very same man who had she seen at the King of Iron Fist tournament.

"Kazuya Mishima," Asuka shouted out as she ran over to the man, "What the hell are you doing here?" Asuka knew full well about the evil that Kazuya usually brought with him, as well as his connection to Kenichi's father. How dare he show his face here, at the grave of the man whose death he was partially responsible for?

"…what a rude little girl you are," Kazuya muttered quietly without breaking his gaze with the tombstone he was staring at. "We have never been formally introduced, and yet you speak to me thus?"

"I only show respect to people who deserve it, scumbag," Asuka's tone of voice gave way to her aggravation as she stomped over to where Kazuya was standing. "Now answer my question: what are doing here? Trying to stir up trouble?"

"Trouble? Me?" Kazuya raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly, although Asuka certainly didn't find anything worth smiling about. "I am merely here to pay respects to an old friend. He was one of the few people in my circle who didn't work for me simply for the money involved." Reaching into his pocket, Kazuya pulled out a rose and gently tossed it down in front of the tombstone. Once he did that, he bowed his head slightly before turning around and walking away. "I'm done here: you can do as you wish now."

"Hold it right there, Kazuya!"

Kazuya came to stop as Asuka called out to him. He didn't really care what she thought about him, but he figured that he might as well play her game. "Can I help you, young lady?"

"As a matter of fact, you can!" Asuka's voice continued to maintain its demanding tone as she stomped after Kazuya and then went past him so that she was face-to-face with the Cold-Blooded Prince. "There have been some crazy rumors going on since the previous tournament…and most of them involve either my family and yours!"

"And why should I be concerned about water cooler gossip?" Kazuya replied coldly as his feet went back into motion and began to move him past the young woman. "Besides, any matters involving the Kazamas can be consulted with your father, or even Jin."

"I already spoke to my father, and he told me to talk to Jun…and you want to know what she told me?" Asuka asked rhetorically as she put her hands on her hips. "She told me to talk to you. Now give me some answers!"

"…I have no need to answer any of your questions, Ms. Kazama," Kazuya's voice remained cold and stern as he continued on his way. "Maybe one day, when you are in a more reasonable mood and learn some manners, I will answer your questions. For now, however, I shall take my leave. Seek me out at the next tournament, and maybe by then I'll have forgiven your rudeness."

"What did you say?" Asuka ran up and grabbed Kazuya's shoulder, "forget the tournament: I'll kick your ass right here and-"

Suddenly, Kazuya swung around and hit Asuka in the face with a backhanded punch, then followed up with a second, lower one that swept her off her feet. Spinning around once again before Asuka even hit the ground, Kazuya sent her flying away with a roundhouse kick. Asuka went careening backwards and crashed into the very same tombstone that she went to the graveyard to visit.

Oy…what a crazy coincidence, Asuka rubbed where she had crashed and looked at the tombstone. I wonder if he did that on purpose. Now to teach him a les-huh? Asuka stood back up and looked around in confusion. Kazuya was nowhere to be found. Sheesh…what an asshat, Asuka thought to herself while she dusted herself up and turned around to face the grave of Takeshi Masamune.

Well, as long as I'm here, Asuka reached into her sleeveless jacket and pulled out a rose, I might as well pay my respects…here's looking at you, Masamune-sempai…

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What a nosy woman...she's more like Jun than I ever imagined, Kazuya brushed off his tuxedo and tightened his tie as he ventured throughout the graveyard in search of his vehicle. Well, it matters little: very soon, she'll whining a different tune…

Coming across a paved road that led to the exit, Kazuya located his vehicle and began walking towards it. Even though he claimed he went to Kyoto simply to pay respects, his basic motives were far more sinister. For the past week, Asuka and the Shinkengers had been a thorn at his side in his quest for vengeance against G-Corporation. When he learned that they intended to head to Kyoto in order to investigate the attacks, Kazuya jumped into action and followed the young group. If they dug too deep, the Shinkengers would eventually discover Kazuya's involvement.

That was something he could not allow.

Reaching for the door, Kazuya stopped suddenly. There was someone watching him. Is it Asuka again? Closing his eyes, Kazuya took a deep breath and focused. One of the most basic things any practioner of Mishima-ryu Karate could learn was feel the auras that were around him. By focusing on the energies of everything around him, it was nigh-impossible to sneak up on a Mishima.

The aura of the person spying on Kazuya was nothing like Asuka's: it was dark, and almost as powerful as Kazuya. It certainly didn't belong to anything human. Fortunately, the Cold-Blooded Prince recognized the aura instantly. "A word of advice, my humble ninja," he said with a smirk as he unlocked the door of his limousine and opened it, "do not sneak up upon your master, or you shall die before your mission even begins."

"My lord, forgive me," the figure instantly materialized behind Kazuya in a puff of smoke, kneeling down and holding his head down in respect. "I was merely making sure that you were not in danger."

"I am quite capable of taking care of myself, ninja," Kazuya's smirk turned into a grimace as he heard the dark figure give his excuse. Even though he found his loyalty useful, the thought of him being in danger when he was so powerful was nothing short of ignorance. "Just why would you think I was in danger? Did you finish your reconaissance mission?"

"Indeed, my lord. The four are heading to this very graveyard so that they may obtain their fifth comrade to explore the city as a group. They should be here in approximately fifteen minutes." The ninja's head rose a bit as he continued, "My lord, that woman who tried to attack you…is she the fifth one?"

Kazuya nodded his head as he entered the driver's side of his limousine. "Wait until the she meets up with others, then strike them all at once. However, I would like her and the red one brought to me alive. The rest you may do as you wish."

"As you command, Kazuya-sama," the ninja once again bowed his head before vanishing in another puff of smoke. Once Kazuya felt his servant's aura leave his awareness, he closed to door of his limousine and turned the ignition. This time, my son, Kazuya mused to himself as he began driving out the gate of the graveyard, you and your cronies will show me all of your moves and powers…

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"…and just for the record, I think your son is freakin' hot," Asuka said out loud to the gravestone, knowing full well that its owner was not listening to anything she was saying, chiefly because he had passed on. "So if by some freak chance I wind up being part of the family tree Masamune…I'll try to goad my unwitting groom into tossing some flowers this way." Getting off of her knees and dusting herself off, Asuka finished and began walking away. "Wherever you wound up, Masamune-sempai, you be sure to take care of yourself."

And now that I've gotten that settled, Asuka straightened her jacket and put a smile on her face, it's time for me to have some fun out on the town! Maybe I can buy some kimonos, or check out the arcade…maybe even check out the Toei Uzama-

"Hey, Asuka! Did you have fun grave-hunting?"

Asuka turned to her right and spotted the familiar voice. It was Xiaoyu running towards her, with Jin, Hwoarang, and Steve casually trailing. Asuka noticed that Jin was carrying shopping bags, so when Xiaoyu finally got to where she was, she quickly put her hands on her hips with a slightly disappointed face. "Hey, did you guys go shopping without me? What is your malfuction?"

"Sorry, Asuka-chan," Xiaoyu smiled and rubbed the back of her head, "but I just couldn't help myself! There was so much cool stuff!"

"Cool stuff that came out of my wallet," Jin added while he went over to where the two girls were talking and put down the bags he was carrying. "I do hope this means that you get to do the laundry for the next two weeks, Xiao!"

"Tch…yeah right, Kazama. You pamper that kid way too much," Hwoarang scoffed as he heard what his arch-rival said and spoke in a more quiet tone. "And just why the hell are you still beating around the bush with her anyway? She'd go naked for you in an instant…"

"WHAT? What are you talking about?" Jin raised an eyebrow and quickly backed away.

"Good lord, Jin," Steve shook his head and rolled his eyes as he pushed up his nose-pinch glasses, "You really are dense…hard to believe that you've lead us this fa-" the British man stopped in midsentence. Something or someone had just whizzed past him. "Hey guys, did feel a gust of wind all of the sudden?"

Jin looked around for a moment, then shrugged. "Sorry Steve I didn't feel any-" However, after an extra second, Jin felt it: an aura so dark that it almost made him want to jump out of his skin. After another second, the others began to feel it too: someone was definitely watching them. The Japanese youth took a few steps forward so that he was between where Hwoarang and Steve were standing and where Xiaoyu and Asuka stood. Closing his eyes, Jin focused on his surroundings, hoping to feel out where the dark aura was coming from. It's not as powerful as Astaroth, but it's unmistakably evil…where is it coming from?

"GAGH!"

Hwoarang suddenly began to clutch his neck in pain as he shouted out in agony. The other four quickly darted around only to see that no one aside from Hwoarng was standing there. Asuka stomped her foot in frustration. "Stop being an asshole, Hwoarang! That is NOT funny!"

"It…not supposed to be…" Hwoarang continued to gasp for air while he gripped his neck as if someone was strangling him. "Someone…is choking me!" The Korean flailed wildly, trying to shake his unseen adversary off of him. It was no use: the pain would not go away as Hwoarang still had his hands around his neck trying to keep himself from being strangled to death.

As Steve watched him flail, he finally noticed just what was amiss: there was something coming out of Hwoarang's shadow: a dark blue arm that was wrapped around the part of the shadow where Hwoarang's neck would be. "Hold still, old chum: I think I just found the source of your trouble," Steve reassured Hwoarang as he tried to hold him still. "Jin, take a look at his shadow!"

Jin looked down and raised his eyebrows in shock as he watched something emerge out of Hwaorang's shadow: a silver katana being held by a gloved gray hand slowly going upwards with its blade being pointed towards the ground. Being that the other arm was latched around the shadow's neck and thus strangling his owner, Jin could assume that if the katana stabbed the shadow, it would stab Hwoarang as well. Jumping into action, Jin ran over to the shadow and quickly stomped on the arm that was holding Hwoarang and kicked the sword away from its other arm. The arm quickly shrunk back into the shadow as it released its hold on Hwoarang, thus sparing the Korean from an untimely death…for the moment.

"You were able to see through my jutsu…I am impressed," a whispy voice hissed through the Shinkenger's ears as the figure began to emerge out of the shadow of a large tombstone where the katana had landed. Slowly, the figure's full body rose out from the shadow, picking up his katana from the ground and making his features distinguishable to the group: the face of darkness itself.

He was a dark figure, around six feet in height dressed entirely in dark blue: it was almost as if he was clad with the sky of night. His shoulders and knee-pads were in the shape of human skulls, and his mouth was covered with a grated silver mask. Two glowing crimson orbs acted as his eyes, while his head was covered with a hood. Attached two his back was a large two-pronged shuriken that rotated eerily. "I am Kamikaze, the Forbidden Ninja," the interloper spoke in a wispy, eerie voice while he slowly ran his fingers across his katana as he got into a fighting stance. "My lord has decided that you have become a burden…a burden that I shall relieve him from."

"That's what you think, scumbag!" Hwoarang got into a fighting stance as his comrades ran up to join him. Their morphers began to crackle with raw energy as they began to rush at the ninja. The energy quickly spread across their bodies, making it seem that Kamikaze was charging at a bright rainbow. Once the quintet had come to a stop to prepare against the oncoming assault, their helmets materialized across their faces and thus completing their transformation. "You think you can take on the Shinkengers? Seems to me that you want to be a member of this graveyard earlier than expected!"

"It is you who shall occupy this graveyard, ShinkenBlack," Kamikaze attacked the Korean with a lethal slash to his chest, causing sparks fly off of Hwoarang and sending him to the ground clutching where he had been cut. "I shall send you to the afterlife along with your fellow Shinkengers!" Watching the Korean spring back onto his feet, Kamikaze parried his foe's kick with his blade, but was unable to hold back Hwoarang's second and more powerful kick and went spiraling backwards…

…or so the Shinkengers originally thought. As his body went flying through the air, Kamikaze seemingly morphed into a log with a puff of smoke. "A substitution jutsu?" Steve eyed the log with a hint of surprise before joining his comrades in looking around aimlessly. "Stop living in a samarui film, mate! Come out and face us like a true martial art-ACK!" Steve's challenge was stopped in mid-sentence as he was grabbed from behind by Kamikaze while he popped out of his shadow and sent the two of them rocketing into the air. Oh no, Steve thought grimly as he and Kamikaze went spiraling to the ground while upside-down. Not agaaaaaaaaaain!

Steve landed on his head with a sickening thud while Kamikaze let go of his victim and flipped onto his feet and sank back into the ground. Steve seemed to hang upside-down for a second before his body fell over onto the ground so that he was lying on his back. Asuka and Xiaoyu quickly rushed over to his fallen body. He was wasn't moving at all. Xiaoyu quickly felt for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief: Steve was simply knocked out cold. Quickly undoing the clips of his helmet and removing it, Xiaoyu gave Steve some much needed air as he lay unconscious. "What a bastard," Asuka said out loud as she looked at Steve's still body. Turning her head and assuming a fighting stance, Asuka scanned the graveyard. "Come on, asshole! Stop hiding and fight fair!"

As if in answer to the woman's challenge, a shout pierced the air as the the ninja appeared behind Hwoarang in a puff of smoke and began slashing at his back rapidly with sparks flying in his katana's wake. After the twelfth slash, Hwoarang fell to the ground with his back bleeding: Kamikaze had cut through his suit. "Damn it," he muttered as he drifted into unconsciousness. "I only got one good shot in…that's screwed up…"

"None of the cuts I have given you are fatal, warrior," Kamikaze said coldly as he slowly raised his stained katana as it shone in the sunset sky. "I want you to remember the unique pain that Red Crow inflicts upon its victims…remember it as you die by it!"

Before the final blow could be struck, Jin leapt into action and tackled Kamikaze. The two tumbled like lovers as they struggled against each other while rolling across the grassy area. Finally, Jin successful got onto top of Kamikaze, and began to pummel his face with a triplet of punches, then getting the ninja into an armlock. Before Jin could snap his arm, however, Kamikaze once again sank down into his own shadow and escaped Jin's grasp.

The ninja would not be hiding for long, as a little bit under a second afterwards he emerged from behind Jin and prepared to strike. Jin felt his presence, and quickly turned around just in time to parry Kamikaze's kick with a well-aimed punch. The ninja's red eyes widened in surprise and gave Jin the oppurtunity he needed to kick the ninja away with a forward kick. Quickly running after his foe before he could use a substitution jutsu, Jin grabbed Kamikaze in mid-air and tossed him in the opposite direction.

Regaining his senses, Kamikaze landed on his hands and flipped onto his feet. When he saw Jin running after him, he resumed backflipping away, not stopping as the karateka was hot on his heels. Then, after the eighth flip, he took to the air and pulled out small crimson throwing stars from his pockets and began tossing them at Jin. Although his ShinkenRed suit protected him from being impaled, the stings that rained down upon his was quite painful and caused him to roar in agony.

"Jin, no!"

Xiaoyu and Asuka stopped tending the wounds of the unconscious Steve and Hwoarang and ran towards where Jin was being bombarded from above. However, as they reached him, they too felt the stings of the small throwing stars and began to scream. Kamikaze landed gracefully as Jin fell to his knees, and finally flat onto his face as he stuggled for breath.

Now the only ones left were ShinkenYellow and ShinkenWhite: Xiaoyu and Asuka.

"Would you like to know why I have saved the two of you for last?" Kamikaze slowly removed his two-pronged shuriken from his back as he spoke. "Red Crow and Rusty Wing's original owner was actually a woman: I have not spilled your blood or killed your comrades…because I think their first kill should be that of a woman as well!" Rearing back, Kamikaze sent his ki into the shuriken, causing it to burst in blue fire. "One of you shall and the other shall live: I shall let Rusty Wing decide who!"

With a mighty throw, Kamikaze flung the shuriken at the two young women just as Jin passed out. There was no time to gather their ki for a Tekkenshu Maelstrom, and it was coming way too fast for them to get out of the way. All they could do was stand there..and watch death come at them…

Have it come at them…and be spared from it.

CLANG!

Suddenly, the shuriken went flying back at Kamikaze as it was swatted away by an unknown object. The ninja's surprise was so great that he barely had time to catch his shuriken. "What in the-? Who dares interfere?" Kamikaze looked around as he tried to find the one who stopped Rusty Wing.

"I dare…"

Kamikaze quickly turned around to the direction where Asuka and Xiaoyu were standing, and joined the two in staring in awe at the mysterious figure that was standing between them in an absolutely dazzling combination of silver, maroon, and gold.

The interloper was a little less than six feet in height, with his torso adorned with shimmering golden body armor with two shoulder pads of the same color attached to it. On the body armor a clear diamond that shone as the young man took deep, concentrated breaths, and underneath the diamond was a maroon crest that covered the lower part of his chest area. The rest of the body was covered with a silver body-suit, with two large white zweihander-like wings sprouting from his back. His hips were covered with maroon pieces of samurai armor, and his lower legs were protected with gray kneepads. Around the waist was a black belt, bond together with a golden buckle bearing the two kanji "Tekken," and two arm guards of the same color were wrapped around his wrists. The stranger's face, as well as his entire head, was masked with a silver helmet that was perfectly round save for a pair of yellow rings that were clung onto the back half of his head, and a golden v-shaped crest that was just above his black visor.

And on the side of his helmet was the number "0"…just as a number appeared on the helmets of the Shinkengers.

"My apologies, humble ninja," the stranger said in a calm and almost soothing voice as he straightened his body and bowed in respect before lifting his head and pulling a red, flame-shaped katana from a sheath that was latched onto his back. "It seems that your opponents are at a serious disadvantage due to their lack of armaments. Please, as a fellow martial artist, allow me to even the odds with my blade…and my fists."

"Insolent boy," Kamikaze hissed, noticing that the stranger's voice sounded quite young: no older than 18, he guessed. "Just who do you think you are?"

"My name is for my friends," the interloper quickly assumed a fighting stance as the ninja ran towards him with murderous intent, "but you may call me…ShinkenSilver!"