Chapter 2
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to KOEI TECMO, TECMO and Team NINJA. I am not Yosuke Hayashi.
A/N: BOO!
Surprise! I am here!:D
So, before anyone of you guys do anything, I need a bit of guidance.
I've been thinking of changing my name!0.0 (Sounds a bit like the craziest thing ever, right?) I've been going under the name PaiChan33 for so long now. I am absolutely in love with Pai, but I don't know. Should I?
Maybe I should call myself the FemaleDragonNinja;) but I'm pretty sure this name is taken.
Any suggestions?
Any reasons why I should keep my name?
Don't forget to R&R!:)
In the depth of the Aokigahara forest, under the unforgiving summer sun, under a tree sat a lone man. His long, dark brown hair simply cascaded down his back, flowing at the occasional strong wind. He was shirtless, eyes closed as he controlled his breathing. Footsteps, seemingly loud in his silence, interrupted the flow of the meditation, his eyes opening, only to reveal two beautiful emerald pupils. They flickered to his left, sharp and focused to the origin of the sound. There, instead of an expected enemy, stood a young girl in traditional red and white robes. On her back was an enormous blade, matching the length of her jet black hair. She stood there for a few moments, simply staring at him with her hazel eyes before she bowed.
"Master Ryu." She greeted, "your father needs you." She said, taking a few steps forward. The man named Ryu raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"Father needs me?" He asked, preparing to stand, "for what purpose? Has something happened?" His questions flowed quickly, his body prepared to react to any danger. However, the girl in front of him shook her head.
"No, Master. There is no menace. He just needs to speak to you urgently." She replied calmly. Ryu's tense shoulders relaxed. He lifted the bottom half of the black suit he wore and placed it back on his upper body. As he started to tie his hair with a certain ribbon, he paused, turning to the girl again.
"Do you perhaps know what he needs, Momiji? Father is not one to summon me at times of peace if it is not to want to humiliate me at Shogi." He stated solemnly, placing a black mask over his head. The girl called Momiji chuckled.
"No, I am certain it is only to converse with you." She said, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. Ryu looked at her for a short amount of time and started walking before her. Momiji was quick to follow next, walking behind him as he ventured through the forest, to a sacred shrine where the leader of the village, and his father, Jo Hayabusa awaited.
Jo Hayabusa was a fearsome man; although his vision was taken from him during combat, his ninja skills and his strength did not falter. No one but his own son could ever dare to equal in strength with him, and those that tried were not spared.
And so, there he sat. His once vibrant brown hair was slowly becoming grey in colour. He held a stern face as he sensed two individuals walking towards him. He was cross legged, his own blade behind him, sitting on a sword hanger, ready to be grabbed any moment when getting attacked by anyone or anything. As Momiji waited outside the shrine, Ryu entered the place, pushing the curtains out of the way to see his father.
"You've summoned me, father." Ryu bowed slightly. Jo made a disgruntled sound.
"Are you a demon to be summoned?" He asked in annoyance, "I simply called you here." He said. Ryu looked up at him in slight confusion. Jo sighed, seemingly aggravated by his son's behaviour. "Never mind. Tell me, Ryu..." Jo paused, clearing his throat, "how old are you?"
Ryu suddenly felt weary at the conversation, "I am twenty-two, father."
"Ah, twenty-two..." The old man chuckled, shaking his head, "do you know when I became your father, Ryu?" He asked, tilting his head slightly up. Ryu frowned.
"No."
"I was twenty-eight. Your mother was twenty-four exactly." He said, a nostalgic smile gracing his lips. Ryu, however, couldn't help but feel suspicious at his father's sudden points made. He sat on the floor, took off his mask and gave a pointed look to Jo.
"Father, tell me the reason why I am here." He politely demanded. "You do not just want to speak of the past with me, do you?"
"No." Jo's smile vanished, the stern expression returning on his face, "no. I do not wish to speak of the past, but rather...I'd like to speak of the future with you, my son." He said, hitting his thighs with the palms of his hands. Ryu stared at him.
"Father-"
"From generation to generation, the Dragon Sword has been passed on to every Dragon Ninja that existed. Every single one of your forefathers have accomplished everything that you have done. Perhaps, they have even accomplished much more than you! They knew their primary duty was to carry out their destinies as Dragon Ninjas, Hayabusas. Their secondary duty was to hold high the Hayabusa name. And finally, their tertiary-" Jo coughed slightly, "their tertiary duty was to carry on their bloodline."
"Their bloodline?" Ryu's blood suddenly went cold, "you mean to tell me that I-"
"You need an heir, Ryu. You hold within you the blood of the Dragon, of the Hayabusas. And soon enough, I will pass on, and you will be the one to protect this village in my place. Soon enough, you will need a son or a daughter to replace you, and to become the new Dragon Ninja." The old man stated solemnly. Ryu stood up, green eyes flashing with fire.
"I refuse. I have merely begun my quest as the Dragon Ninja." He said coldly. His father's face shifted up. Although he could not see his eyes, Ryu could tell his father was glaring at him.
"You are in no place to simply refuse, Ryu. You already knew of all of this at your coming of age ceremony; you will eventually need to bring an heir to this world - a new Dragon Ninja. I am not speaking of conceiving that child immediately - or even in the next year, or even the next five years. However, I do want you to marry. I want you to secure a wife worthy enough to carry out the bloodline of our forefathers. She has to be a girl of a powerful clan, as she cannot just be anybody." Jo said in a cold voice. Ryu angrily placed his mask onto his head, ready to turn around and leave. However, his father's voice made him stop in his steps.
"If you do not abide to my rules, Ryu, I will be forced to choose her for you." His father stated. Ryu spun around, shocked.
"You would take away the choice that I have in choosing the person that will stand by me for the rest of my days?" The green eyed man asked quietly, frustration gnawing at his inside.
"I have a long list of young girls that I can choose from. I was not granted this choice that I am giving you, and neither was your grandfather or great grandfather. I was lucky enough to have a wife that was already in love with me, but my father always told me that he and my mother despised each other. Do you want this? Do you want a hateful marriage rather than a slightly more bearable one?" Jo shouted, his voice like thunder in the shrine.
"I'd rather not marry at all!" Ryu yelled back.
"That is not an option, Ryu! Now, listen to me!" Jo stood up and forcefully grabbed his son's shoulder, "I will not repeat myself. Find a woman and promise to marry her. I will give you the period of three months. That is long enough to be friendly with that chosen one. There are plenty of women out there who would definitely marry you, believe me." Jo shoved him back, Ryu's shoulder violently jerking backwards. The old man then proceeded to sit on the floor again, his body facing the sword on the wall, "now, get out. I have nothing to say to you anymore." He stated monotonously. Ryu gave him one last look of pure rage before he left the shrine. Momiji was quietly standing outside of the small house, following Ryu as he stomped away.
"Master Ryu..." Momiji started. She was however only replied to by silence. She wringed her hands together, and decided to not utter a word. The sound of a bird, however made the two stop in their tracks. There, perched on a branch, was a peregrine falcon messenger. Its yellow eyes glowed under the sunrays that shone through the trees. Hayabusa stared at it for a while before he approached it. The falcon cawed once, tilting its small head to the side. Ryu's eyebrows furrowed under his mask.
"A message from Hayate." He stated, staring at the bird expectantly. The bird cawed again, blinking before it spread its wide wings and flew away. Ryu looked to leaf-clad ground, as he shook his head as if to rid himself of the anger he felt towards his father, and turned to Momiji. The shrine-maiden only stared at him with worried hazel eyes. She folded her hands in front of her chest, opening her mouth to speak. However, Ryu beat her to it.
He stated monotonously. Momiji frowned sadly, walking in front of Ryu, her back facing him.
"Master, I...cannot deny that I heard. But..." Momiji trailed off, "but you cannot deny that he is somehow right." Ryu scowled.
"So you agree with him." He said, sighing heavily. Momiji turned around with a painful expression on her soft features.
"Yes, to some degree." She replied hesitantly, "but at the same time, I worry for you. After all, it is not long since your journey has started. And it is not long since Kureha-" Momiji was interrupted by Ryu putting his mask back on his head, seemingly preparing to leave at any instant, "Master Ryu...where are you going?" She asked curiously.
"Forget everything you have heard and seen today, Momiji." Ryu stated coldly, disappearing in a swirl of green leaves. Momiji stared at the place he was standing only seconds ago with sorrowful eyes. Kureha, her older sister, was still a sensitive topic. The relationship between him and Kureha had lasted since their birth on the same day, to the day she lost her life to the black spider clan four years ago. The only one who could truly fix the scar her death had placed on Ryu's heart was someone with the same heart as Kureha; pure, kind and selfless. Momiji cast her eyes down to the sky, her eyes filled with sadness. There was not one person in the village that didn't believe that Kureha was in love with him, and it also was no secret that Ryu had strong feelings for her. It was always expected that they would end up together. And yet, a feeling like a snake's venom was slowly creeping into Momiji's heart, spreading throughout her body as quickly as venom would take to kill a man.
"Sister, forgive me. Forgive this beating heart which causes me so much pain." She whispered, a tear sliding down her face.
...
"Hayate, would you stop pacing?" Shiden scowled as Hayate continued to walk back and forth in his father's quarters. "You are making my head spin." After a long conversation with both of his parents, with absolutely no words or sounds coming out of Kasumi's mouth, Hayate had stormed out in pure rage and still shock. Shiden followed him in order to lecture him on politeness, but as he stared at his son, he could only see shock and outrage on his face, different expressions for seemingly different thoughts.
"How can I not pace when you have been lying to us for so long?!" Hayate exclaimed angrily, spinning around to meet his father's gaze. "You told us that you and mother decided to divorce, you also said that Kasumi had contracted an incurable disease that would harm the village if she stayed! You've lied to us for thirteen- no, fourteen years!"
"I had no other choice, Hayate! Knowing you, you would go and look for them both if you knew the truth. Besides, I could not jeopardise their safety at any cost. You forget that this village is small. News travel fast, and soon, your sister would be in danger if she was taken away again by these selfish men." Shiden replied calmly. Hayate sent him a spiteful look.
"And so now is good time to bring her here?! Do you not understand that she is in even more danger now? She is now older, and therefore a better target for those men!" He shouted.
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me! It is necessary to find her husband whom she would fall in love with, or else she will disappear!" Shiden yelled, a fierce expression on his face. Hayate stared at him in a stunned silence. A few seconds passed by, then, with a shaky voice, Hayate said quietly.
"Disappear?"
"Disappear." Shiden replied solemnly. Hayate scratched his hair, frustrated.
"So if she doesn't find the man she loves..." The younger ninja trailed off, "then she will disappear forever. She will be out of our lives again." He whispered. He deflated, sitting on the floor. Shiden sighed and sat next to him.
"You are overreacting. Kasumi will find a man in no time. Do you not remember her loving personality as a young girl? Surely if she gets to know any man, her beautiful personality will shine." The older man stated confidently.
"Men are greedy, father. She is still a woman, inexperienced in any shinobi technique or any Ninjutsu." Hayate replied, shaking his head then standing up, "she needs a person besides her. She needs someone to protect her." He said, walking out of the room. Suspicious, Shiden followed him out of the room.
"And who would this person be? Surely it is not you." Shiden scoffed. Hayate stopped in the middle of the corridor, turning his head slightly to the side to give a look to his father.
"He should be here by now."
Kasumi strolled out to the gardens of the main house, her blue veil fluttering in the soft wind. A small pond with koi fish surrounded by stones lay there. The fish caused ripples, that spread to the ends of the pond. She sighed quietly. They are exactly like me. She thought sorrowfully, trapped by their own beauty. She closed her eyes and inhaled the air of her homeland. It was vaguely familiar. The sight of her father and brother after so many years startled her. Although familiar, she didn't remember their faces completely. It was the same for her half-sister. However, they were both very beautiful. She was sure that they were both very popular with the opposite sex.
"How further will the gods punish me? Why must I be born...?" Kasumi couldn't help but say out loud. Suddenly, footsteps interrupted her thoughts. She abruptly turned to the sound. Mother warned me to not wander alone. A shiver of fear went down her spine. She in no way trusted anyone except her mother.
What she saw, however, made her heart skip several beats.
A man, simply walking towards her, with piercing emerald green eyes looking to the side. His long, brown hair flowed in the wind, tied with a yellow ribbon in a pony tail. Kasumi couldn't keep her eyes off him. His face was emotionless, his eyes stone cold, however, the aura surrounding him did different things to her. He gave an air of...sadness.
Suddenly, his eyes, which had also been looking to the garden, moved on to her form. His eyes were even darker as they seemed to bore into hers. They were undeniably familiar. His name was at the tip of her tongue as he neared closer and closer. Her voice was caught in her throat and she started to panic. Who was this man?
"Ryu." A voice interrupted the silence they had shared. It was Hayate, who had a smile on his face as he looked at the two. "I see that you two have met already."
"What are you talking about, Hayate?" Ryu asked, frowning, "and who is this..." Ryu turned to look at the veiled woman, "who is this woman?" He asked, curiously peering at her. The veil moved to the right. Hayate approached them, a serious expression on his face.
"I called you here to meet her again since you have not seen her in a long time." Hayate stated with an ambiguous smile. Ryu frowned further, glancing at the woman once more.
"Stop speaking in riddles, Hayate. You are not making sense." He turned back to him, a sudden scowl of annoyance on his face. Hayate merely laughed.
"Right. I will introduce you two, just like I did when we were kids." Hayate cleared his throat. "Ryu, I'm quite sure that you remember my sister, Kasumi." He stated cheerfully. Ryu's eyes widened, his eyes snapped to the veiled woman. He stared at her like she was a ghost.
"Ka...sumi...?" Ryu called out, seemingly to himself. Kasumi looked up at him, her veil fluttering again. Her eyes caught his through the veil.
"And Kasumi..." Hayate called out softly, "meet Ryu Hayabusa. When we were young and until now, he's always been looking after you." He then stared at her expectantly. Until now, he had not heard Kasumi speak once since she had arrived. Surely, some kind of reaction would come to her.
"Ryu...Hayabusa? Hayabusa?" A small, melodic voice escaped Kasumi. Hayate stared at her in surprise. Ryu continued to gaze at her in nostalgia. Unconsciously, he reached for her with his hand. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his hand, retracting it immediately. He stared at her in surprise as Kasumi started to cough uncontrollably. Her body swayed before it fell forward, into Ryu's arms. The last thing she heard before blacking out was the sound of her brother's panicked voice and Ryu calling her name in a alarmed tone.
A/N: I don't like this chapter. It seems that my writing has gotten a little rusty. Maybe I should update more often and then my writing will have more flow to it.
Regardless I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it is going a little fast, however it is intentional. I'm probably gonna have like ten chapters of this story or maximum fifteen?
Anyways, enjoy your day and...
Don't forget to R&R!:P
P.S: University applications are the most stressful things I've ever experienced in my lifetime...
P.P.S: Anyone guess how old I am?;)