Broken
Chapter 10: Crumpled
It was late at night, the moon shone its full splendor upon the trees, and yet not small glimmer of light reached the ground. A lone figure stood in between a sea of trees, waiting.
"You called, Shinomori-sensei?"
It was Genma, a much younger version of him, who approached he who was his master back then. However back then he was known as No Face
"Yes." Said Aoshi, almost inaudible.
Even though his face was down he wore a worried expression, almost sad.
"Are you okay?"
Then out of the blue, Aoshi drew one of his kodachi and struck No Face. He dodged the attack, but was cut on his shoulder anyway. Surprised and clutching his wound; a very superficial one for that matter; he growled at Aoshi.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Thought I'd never find out?"
Then he struck again, but No Face managed to dodge it successfully.
"There's been someone leaking information out of the Oniwabanshu, and suddenly when we are getting close to his tracks you want to quit? You disappoint me No Face."
"I don't know what you're talking about! Let's sort this out!"
"I'm done talking."
He drew his other blade and approached No Face with murderous intent.
"You're making a mistake!"
But he wouldn't listen. Blinded by disappointment and hate, the "soon to be" Okashira kept attacking No Face mercilessly. He avoided most of the attacks, but his current master's moves were too hard to read, resulting in countless minor wounds.
"I don't want to fight you!"
But words didn't seem to go through to him. Left with no other choice, he delivered a swift knee on Aoshi's chin which knocked him off of his feet.
"Listen to me!"
For a moment it seemed like the battle was over, but only until Aoshi started moving toward him again. Even worse, he recognized that movement pattern a little too well. He'd seen it countless times before and none had lived to talk about it. Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren.
Time seemed to stop for a moment. Silence engulfed the forest except for the blowing winds atop the world. But there was something wrong with the present picture. A steady sound, like a drum pounding repeatedly at decreasing speed. No, not a drum. A heartbeat. His heartbeat. No Face was alive.
"But how?"
He turned around and spotted Aoshi just as stunned as he was. Both blades went right through him and yet he remained unscathed. How? That's when he remembered, vaguely what happened.
It all was so fast even he himself almost missed it, no surprise that Aoshi did. His grandfather, the man who originally began his training as a swordsman, used to say that a man's true potential was only reached when staring down death's throat. However once you experience it the first time you may be able to master it…in time. Maybe, just maybe, he actually dodged Aoshi's ultimate technique.
"Granpa was right?"
But his thought was broken by somebody screaming. Aoshi, screaming in frustration dashed toward him yet again.
"It's over sensei."
For Aoshi, he became a blur, but only for the split second that it took him to reach his master and drive a fist deep into his gut. Then he moved so fast that it looked like another No Face appeared from behind and kicked him in the chin and yet another one leaped and punched him hard on Aoshi's forehead, knocking him back and making him roll for a few yards until he crashed against a tree and came to a stop. He got up desperately, hoping for a chance to retaliate, but No Face was no where to be seen. Vanished into thin air, as if he had never been there to begin with.
Author's Note: I know it's short, but I kinda liked it. Peace and Love people!!! Peace and love…