The specter's pupil

By

Swordsman of Darkness

Disclaimer: see prologue.

Chapter 3: Meeting Father and Mother.

It had three months since leaving the safety of Jax's cabin and forest near the Shaolin Temple, Shinji and his friends had arrived in a small village. Shinji only had one purpose for being in this village. To find someone who knew where the Shirai Ryu clan grounds were located.

Shinji had suggested that the three split up and cover more ground. Yuki took the east end of the village. Shikamura, headed to the west side of the village. Shinji had went to the north. They had questioned every man and woman in the village.

Each one had little to no luck of finding any clues. The three young warriors had met up in the center of the village and shared the story of no clues.

When he was younger, about the age of 14 or 15, Shinji was trained by Jax, to trust his instincts. Shinji had turned around to see an old man wearing an straw hat and rags with long, flowing white hair and electric blue eyes.(Guess who.) The old man told the three that he might know what or who they were looking for.

The old man led the three to his old shack and allowed them entry. After getting comforted and served tea, the old man was ready to answer any questions that the three youths had on their minds. "So what are you three young children looking for?" asked the old man.

Shinji, Yuki and Shikamura looked at each other in question. 'Is it okay to tell this old man what we are looking for?' They thought as they looked at each other. 'let's see what happens.' Shinji thought. "Have you ever heard of the Shirai Ryu?" asked Shinji. The old man had hidden a smirk under his hat. "Yes, I have." The old man said. "I had a friend who in the Shirai Ryu, he was very skilled in martial arts." He added.

This had the trio's attention by surprise. "Do you know where the clan grounds are?" asked Yuki. "Oh, yes." The old man replied. "I used to visit the clan, I was the only person outside of the clan allowed to know the grounds are located and live." The old man added. "Can we be so bold and ask you to point us in the right direction?" asked Shikamura.

The old man smiled, even though the trio wouldn't notice. "Why do you wish to go there?" The old man asked. The trio told the old man the reason for going. The old man understood and gave them some advice.

"The clan grounds are in the area of Mt. Fuji." The old man told the trio. "Thank you for the information, sir." trio said as they bowed in respect. "Wait here for a moment." The old man said before heading into his home.

He came out minutes later with a staff. "Here young ones, this staff will point you in right direction when get far enough into the mountains." The old man said as he gave the trio the staff. "Thank you." the trio said before taking off to the north.

Two days later, The trio had arrived in the mountains. "Mt. Fuji, which way do we go from here, Shinji?" asked Shikamura.

Shinji put the staff that the old man gave them on the ground and let it show them the way. "Looks like we are heading west of here." said Shinji. "Into the valley down there." He added.

Four hours later, the trio came to the entrance of an forest. The forest was dark and bode the chance of getting lost for all time. For Shinji, to find out about his father, he had to take the risk. Unknown to the trio, they were being followed by an number of warriors with a mission to complete.

The trio was a quarter of the way into the forest, when they heard a strange sound. "Stop, it seems that we are not the only ones in the forest." Yuki said.

They heard the sound again. The sound was of an whoosh. Something was flying thru the air. The trio decided to follow the sound and find the source.

They came to an clearing and saw a bonfire. To them they knew someone was here.

Before they could do anything, they were attacked by strange warriors wearing gray and black clothing. "Who are you guys and what do you want with us?" asked Shikamura.

The lead warrior who wore a gray face mask and black hair going down to his middle of his back stepped forward. "It's not you we're after, it's him." The warrior said as he pointed to Shinji. "As for who we are, we are known as the Brotherhood of Shadows." The warrior added.

"Well, if you are after Shinji, you're after us too." said Shikamura as he took up his father's Dragon martial art stance.

"We are friends and allies." Yuki said as she assume her mother's Eagle claw stance. "We fight for each other." She added.

"Why are you after me?" asked Shinji as he stood still. He was wondering who would send someone after him. He never done anything to anyone.

"An order is an order." The warrior said. "Our master wants you dead." He added as he and his allies pulled out some weapons.

"Doesn't look like we can talk this over, huh?" asked Shinji as he assumed his mother's, Sonya's, Kenpo stance. "So be it." he added.

The three friends had split up. At first, the Brotherhood of Shadows would have left Shikamura and Yuki alone, but to them, they stuck their noses where they didn't belong. The group of nine warriors split up to take care the kids.

--

Shinji.

Shinji had stopped two miles north of the bonfire. Three male warriors including the lead warrior had shown up and surrounded him. 'This going to be difficult.' Shinji thought as he pulled out his ninja sword.

"Before we begin kid, I have one thing to ask." said the lead warrior. What he had in mind, Shinji could only wonder.

"What is it?" asked Shinji as he got ready to fight for life.

"Being the son of Scorpion, can you make this fight fun for us?" The warrior asked. "It was boring work, tracking you down." He added.

"I'll try." Shinji replied. 'Scorpion??, Is that my father?' He thought.

Two warriors tried to run Shinji through the back. He used his sword to block the blow and disarm the warriors before kicking the two into the trees behind them.

Shinji turned his attention to the leader in time to get a cut on his face below his right eye. "You're good, no one has ever survived that attack." He said. "I just might enjoy myself in this fight." He added as he pulled out an broadsword.

The two warriors engaged in a sword fight. any move made was either blocked or dodged. This showed that the two warriors were equal to each other. Unknown to Shinji, the other two had woken up and started to charge him.

Shinji dodge to the left as one warrior was sliced in half. The lead warrior swung his sword hoping to take Shinji's head. It was a shame that Shinji had ducked, making the warrior take off his ally's head. Using his sword, Shinji performed an uppercut, knocking his opponent's weapon out of his hands. Shinji saw the thirst of blood in his opponent's eyes.

Shinji held his sword at his opponent's neck. "You lose." Shinji said. The warrior jumped back and picked up his sword. "You're good." He said hinting that he enjoy the fight. "My name is Saitoshi, stay alive, I want a rematch one day." He said before running off. Shinji began to run back to bonfire, hoping that his friends were okay. Unknown to Shinji, he was being watched.

--

Yuki

Yuki had led three female warriors three miles southeast of the bonfire. She wanted to know why someone would want Shinji dead. She was intent on getting that info. She came to a stop in small clearing.

"So the little mouse stopped running, what's wrong?" The lead female warrior asked. "Out of gas?" She added as she and her allies began laughing.

"Why are you chasing Shinji?" Yuki asked. "He has done nothing to you." She added. "Leave him alone!" Yuki commanded.

Once again, the three women laughed at her. "Sorry, hon, It doesn't work like that." The lead female said. "My boss wants him dead, and I don't argue with him." She said. "Besides, it's fun." She added with sick smile.

Yuki was outraged, her opponents took sick pleasure in killing whoever they were suppose to. She was planning on ending them. "Get ready." Yuki commanded. The female assassins smiled. This young girl was getting serious.

"Get her!" The female leader ordered. The two other women pulled out a pair of sais and daggers. Yuki had chosen to honor her mother, Queen Kitana, by pulling out a pair of razor sharp fans. The two warriors were no match for the edenian princess, as she toyed with the two attackers, parrying and dodging blows.

When Yuki saw a chance to get rid of the two attackers, she took it. Dodged out of the way as the two warriors stabbed each other in the heart, killing them right then and there.

"Wow, that was cool." The lead female said. She charged Yuki with a spear with razor sharp blade. Yuki simply sidestepped the attack. The fight was a back and forth match. The match ended in Yuki's favor as she was launched into the air.

When she landed, Yuki caught her opponent by and knocked her weapon out of her hands and backed her into a tree with her fans to neck. "I'm impressed." She said. "Name's Shikara, I will return for another match." The woman said dissappear in smoke. After knowing that her opponent was gone, Yuki headed back to the bonfire, without knowing that someone was near-by spying on her.

--

Shikamura

Hoping to lead the trio of warriors away from Shinji, Shikamura lured away from the others. He soon came to stop five miles southwest of the bonfire.

Shikamura got ready to fight. He was bored and looking for some excitement. He was planning on enjoying his fight. The three that followed him had pulled out huge swords and chains. To even the playing field, Shikamura focused his power to create a scythe made of ice.

"Whose first?" asked Shikamura swinging his scythe around getting ready for kombat. "Destroy him!" the leader ordered after the other two took their places on either side of Shikamura. The first warrior charged him from Shikmura's left with a Katana aimed at the ice warrior's head. The second charged from his right with a halberd as his weapon swinging for his torso.

Shikamura jumped up into the air to avoid the blow, too bad the same could not be said for the two attackers as they killed themselves. one ran through the head, the other cut in half at the torso. Shikamura whistled at the sight as he landed.

"You are quite skilled." The warrior stated. "How would you like to join the Brotherhood of Shadow?" He offered. "No thanks, I already have a sweet gig in the Lin Kuel, with my mother and father." Shikamura replied.

"Are you sure?" The warrior asked. "The benefits are to die for." He added. He hoped that Shikamura would change his mind and accept the offer.

"I'm positive." Shikamura said as he prepared for the fight that was coming. He had seen that his opponent had tightened his grip on his weapon.

"So be it!" The warrior said enraged that the warrior in front would turn down the offer of power. He swung his weapon which was an Zanbatou. The blade was too big and slow, which made it easy for Shikamura to dodge.

Enraged that none of his attacks connected, The warrior hurled his weapon at Shikamura, who barely dodged. After that attack, which left Shikamura shirtless and a huge cut across his back. Taking advantage of the fact that opponent had left himself wide open, Shikamura kicked him in the chest and pinned against a tree, with the blade against his neck, ready to kill at any notice.

"Are you going to leave my friend alone?" Shikamura asked. His grip on his weapon, to kill him if he tried anything funny.

The warrior had dissappeared, leaving Shikamura baffled. "No!" He said. "But you are an truly skilled warrior, my name is Saitou." He added. "Remember it!" He ordered.

Shikamura paid the warrior who had just him his name no mind for now. He chose to go back to the bonfire to meet up with his friends. He just hope they are okay.

Just like his friends, Shikamura had no idea that he was being watched.

--

At the bonfire

Shinji was the first one to arrive at the bonfire. He hoped his friends didn't die. "I hoped for all three of us to come back." Shinji said to himself.

"Did you actually think I would die in a fight with someone like that assassin?" said an female voice. Shinji looked up in a tree and saw Yuki standing above him. "It looks like Shikamura wasn't able to win his fights." She added.

"Whose skill are you doubting, Yuki?" An third voice chimed. Shinji and Yuki both looked in the direction the voice came from and saw an shirtless Shikamura.

After Yuki tended to injuries of Shinji and Shikamura, the trio told the others of their fights. As soon as the stories were finished, Shinji looked up to the stars, thinking of his parents. "I wish that my parents could have seen me fight." He said.

What happened next surprised to the trio to the core. "We did see your fight, my son." An male's voice said.

The trio looked in the direction that voice came from and saw a couple standing by a tree. The blonde woman wearing black jeans, white shirt and a black jacket that was open. The man, however, made the trio looked shocked. He was wearing the same thing as Shinji.

"Who are you two?" Yuki asked as she pulled out her fans.

"What do you want with Shinji?" Shikamura asked as he pulled out his scythe.

"Why are dressed like me?" Shinji asked as he pulled out his ninja sword.

"We are Shinji's parents." The woman said.

Upon hearing this, Shinji dropped his sword. Shinji was stunned, the couple looked familiar to him. It came to him, the picture that Jax had shown him before he left. "Mother... Father...?" Shinji said.

Yuki and Shikamura were shocked. 'These two are Shinji's parents?' the duo wondered. To their memory, they never met Shinji's parents.

The man in the ninja outfit step forward followed by the blonde woman. They stopped in front of Shinji and hugged him. "My name is Sonya Blade." The woman said as she introduced herself.

"And my name is Scorpion." The man said.

End chapter.

A/n: I would like to thank all of the readers that gave me positive reviews and advice. So to all the readers who this note include, from the bottom of my heart, Thank you.