A splitting pain had brought me back to consciousness.
"Arghh! My head hurts!" is said as I brought my hand to my head and felt a warm and sticky liquid.
I finally noticed the dead silence, no bombs, no crying, and no footsteps. Dead silence. I realized that I was alone, the last Asu ninja. I walked over what used to be my door and fell to my knees in a fit of sobs. 'Why did this happen to me?' I think to myself. I get to my feet and a wave of dizziness hits me. Then I remembered my head. I look around for a piece of cloth and found none. I look at my sleeve and find it in shreds. I tear it off and wrap it around my head. When I finished I make a choice, I will go to the next village.
"There is nothing here for me. I shall start a new life," I said with bitterness and defeat entwined in my words.
I then walked down the road with empty hands and broken heart. It was about midday when I left and if was about midnight when I reached the village. I had nowhere to sleep for the night and sleep was calling my name. So I resorted to sleeping on the streets. I walked down a dark alley hoping no-one saw me. I sat down and got comfy.
"Ow!" something sharp poked me.
I reached into my kimono and pulled out my dagger. 'Now I know I can defend my-self' I thought. I had dozed off and I woke up to some noise. 4 guys were walking down the alley. I tried to run away but they saw me.
"What's a lovely lady doing here at this time of night?" asked the big one who I presumed to be the leader.
I stayed silent and backed away.
"Hey don't go we just want to talk."
I was grabbed from behind. I started to struggle, and I got slapped. I decided it would be safe to hold my head down. The leader walked over and brushed the hair out of my face.
"You are a lovely girl," he said.
He then reached over and started to take my kimono off…he crossed the line. I broke free and punched the guy that had held me.
"Ahaha! She's a feisty one! We like those." Said the fat one.
"Leave me alone!" I yell.
"What's the fun in that?" said the one with a scar on his face.
I pull out my dagger and charge at the fat one. I was going so fast I left they could see duplicates of me. I grab the fat guy's neck and pull it back.
"Goodnight! Tell me how hell is. Will you?" I whisper into his ear as I slit his throat.
The fat one fell to the ground in a heap of blood and dead flesh. Then I go for the ugly one. I grab his ankle and pull him to the ground making him land on his back. I pin his arms down with my knees and I take my dagger and slit open his stomach from left to right, guts spilling onto the dirt road. I run to the guy who had grabbed me and I charged. I grab his arm and pull it into a painful position behind his back and I force him to his knees.
"Say hello to you fat buddy for me!" I say giving him chills down his spine.
I pull back the dagger and stab it through his heart, bursting it. Blood pours out of his mouth and his chest. I then look at the last one…the leader.
"And then there was one." I say.
He ran toward the end of the alley but I outran him. He reaches the end of the alley and finds me leaning against one of the buildings.
"You're a slow runner." I say.
I run to him and he gets on his knees and starts begging for mercy.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. Mercy! Please don't kill me!" the man was now in tears.
"People like me are taught to never show mercy." I say.
"What are you?"
"Better yet who. I am the last living ninja of the Asu village."
"Mercy!Noo-"he was silenced forever, and his body dropped and his head rolled.
I walk down to where the other bodies were and take their stuff: a katana, some food, a dozen shurikens, and a gun. I was shocked to find a gun because I knew that all guns were banned here.
"What is a gun doing here?" I ask myself.
"Smuggling," Said a voice, "Oh and thanks for killing those fools for me."
I turn around to see a man with long black hair and dressed in ninja clothes. I instinctively go into my defensive stance.
"Your fighting is impressive. Where are you from again, you told that guy? Was it Asu? I thought there were all killed."
"I'm the last one. I was born, raised, and lived in Asu ever since I can remember."
"I'm sorry your village was destroyed. Say, do you have any place to stay for the night?"
"No."
"I have a proposition. If you become a vigilante, you will have a place to stay."
I wanted to say yes right away because I was tired, but suspicion told me not to.
"How many others?"
"About seven."
"Gender?"
"All guys."
"Sure," I said," but and I going to have to stay with a guy?"
"Most likely. How old are you?"
"17."
"Ok, that will be no issue then. You're a skilled ninja for such a young age."
"Yes I started training at a young age."
"Enough of talking, the other will be wondering what is taking me so long."
Me and the man were walking to meet the others and I then realized I didn't know his name.
"What's your name?" I ask.
"Kinsharo, what's yours?" he said.
"Yue."
"Pretty name did you know that it means fighter?"
"No, I didn't."
"Yeah."
"So is everyone I the group a ninja?"
"Not everyone, but most of us."
Kinsharo and I then walked down roads and alleys until we reached a small apartment. We walked up to the door and he stopped me.
"Stay here, I'll send Natsume to get you." He said.
"Ok." I said.
It seemed like hours before Natsume came. He was taller than me but not by much, he had white hair, pale skin, and a frown.
"You can come in." said Natsume in a cold, dull voice.
"Ok" I said.
I walked in and was greeted by seven different faces, six of which were smiling.
"Everyone this is Yue, the last living Asu ninja." said Kinsharo," now everyone is going to introduce themselves."
A man with violet colored hair and a purple kimono stood up.
"Hi, I'm Hotaka."
A man with black hair, short on one side and long on the other stood up.
"Hi, I'm Soji."
A man with purple hair and dressed in woman's clothes stood up.
"Hi, I'm Aoi."
A boy with white hair who wore a checkered jacket stoke up.
"I'm Natsume."
A man with orange hair stood up.
"Hi, I'm Sion!" he then pointed to the last man," and that's Wakasa!"
I looked around the room at the faces. I memorized the names and the faces that went with them.
"Ok the reason she is here is because of her ninja skills. I saw her fight off and kill 4 of Tori's men."
"Alone?!" exclaimed Aoi with a shocked look.
"Yep with only a dagger," he turned to me," I also saw that you had done the duplication speed."
"Yes I fight like that a lot," I said," I also can us the elements."
I hold my hand out and a flame appears in the center, and everyone stares in awe at the flame.
"You're and elemental ninja! A ninja with rare powers, it says only the most powerful ninjas can have these powers!" said Soji.
"She's evidently a very powerful ninja! Good job at finding her, Kinsharo!" said Aoi.
"Wow! To think I am a very powerful ninja. I was trained in the temple at my village, nothing really special at all!" I said.
"It is rumored that Tori is looking for ninjas of power and are brainwashing them to be bad. "said Natsume," So you should lay low for a while."
"Good idea, Natsume!" said Kinsharo," We are going to need someone to watch her and take care of her. Who will do it?"
Soji declined because he had to go to work in the South Ward, Aoi couldn't because he styles peoples' hair, Sion was busy working, and Wakasa couldn't because he works at the North Ward with Hotaka. The only one left was Natsume and he has been asking Kinsharo for some help in his shop for a week or two.
"Natsume! Haven't you been asking for some help in you shop for some time now?" said Kinsharo.
"If you're referring to her working in my shop, then NO. I will not take care of her!" said Natsume.
"Then it's decided! Natsume is in charge of Yue."
"What?! I just said NO!" argued Natsume,"ARGHH! Why do I always get stuck with the worst stuff?!"
I felt a pang of sadness for being rejected without thought. 'Am I a burden, am I a hindrance?' I ask myself.
"Come on! Let's go!" said Natsume in a harsh tone.
I then said goodbye to all of the other guys and left with Natsume.
"Come on speed up! We haven't got all night!" yelled Natsume.
We were finally on our way. We walked to Natsume's place in an awkward silence. I finally had time to think about what has happened: I'm one of the most powerful ninjas, my village was destroyed, and my life is a complete mess. I wondered why my life was like this. My thinking was interrupted by a question.
"Do you need anything?" asked Natsume.
"If you can, I would like some paper and brushes with ink, please." I said.
Natsume was shocked, he thought she would ask for clothes or perfume or food, but a brush set and paper? That was odd, but better yet she was odd.
"Do you write?" asked Natsume.
"Yes. Stories, thought, observations." I say.
"Do you read?"
"Reading is my favorite pastime! When I lived in my village I had over 30 books!"
"Then I think you will like my shop."
They kept walking and again there was an awkward silence. They finally reached his place. A store. Natsume unlocked the door and walked in. I followed and I was met by a glorious sight. Books and books galore. Natsume's shop is a bookstore!
"Wow! This is amazing!" I said.
"Yeah." Natsume was smiling, and wait…was he blushing?
I walk over to the bookshelves and read each type. War books, history books, journals, biographies almost every book you can think of.
"You will sleep I the back and I will be working in my office behind the room." said Natsume.
"Can I work here to pay for me staying here?" I ask
"You won't need to pay but if you want to. Sure." He said
Natsume walked over to the desk and got paper and a brush set. He came back and handed it to me.
"Thank you." I said.
Natsume walked away and I could see he was blushing.
"I'm going to my office." He said curtly.
I walked in to the backroom. There was a desk, a lamp, a futon, and a door leading to Natsume's office.
"Umm…Natsume?"
"What?"
"Where will you sleep?"
"Don't worry about me! I'll be writing so don't bother me!" his tone said he was blushing.
I set up my writing station at the desk and begin writing.
October 12, 1676
My village is gone. Everyone I knew is dead. Now I'm in the next village with a ninja group called the 'vigilantes'. I am confused, my life is going by so fast now. I was attacked and I killed all of them.-
I now felt the pain of fit all and a giant wave of sadness hit me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I stopped writing. I got up and laid down on the futon. I started to silently cry. I cried away the loss of my village, I cried away the loss of all I own, and I cried away my confusion and despair. I cried myself to sleep and I didn't dream. I had kept everything in, bottled up, and I had now exploded with sadness.