Chapter 3- The Alliance Grows

Akabane enjoyed her job as the newly appointed village guard. It was relaxing at times in the mornings and afternoons because she can lounge around the gates, smoking and drinking as she pleased. But when evening comes, she gets serious. She hides up in a large pine trees just outside the village at the end of the Tokai Highway waiting to pounce at a moment's notice.

That evening, nothing seemed to be disturbing the peace. The only things Akabane can see on the road while she ate a simple meal of dried meat were a couple village fishermen carting home the catch of the day and a few rabbits sprinting around the path. She just at her post, blowing smoke rings from her pipe and maintaining the blade on her giant weapon. To her surprise, Akabane felt a presence coming from the north, fast.

"Shit, a shinobi, it feels like a woman, judging by the light footsteps," She thought sensing the viberations in the spring breeze. Akabane extinguished the smoke from her pipe and took her position hidden up in the trees, watching the road like a tiger waiting for its pray. It was a hot summer night and Akabane was prepared for the occasion, she wore all her crimson-black armor but instead of her white top she wore white bandages around her chest and waist for swifter attacks and movement.

Meanwhile in the village estate of Kouga Danjou.......

"Someone's coming," said Hyouma in his meditative state, "Gyoubu, Okoi, Saemon; stay on your guard at the village gates with the other shinobi, defend this village with your lives," hundreds of shinobi gathered around at the front of the village, hidden in many different areas; watching and waiting for the inturder to arrive.

"What about you, Hyouma-sama?" Kagerou asked

"I will go and assist Akabane-san with this situation," said Hyouma heading out of the village, although he is blind, it seems like everyone can see he has taken a liking into the 'Demoness of the Tokai Highway'

The inturder turned out to be a young woman about Hotarubi's age but has the same height and build as the guard on watch, looking out from the forest at the village. she has meduim length black hair and intense brown eyes with three dagger-like bangs draping over her left eye.

Akabane smiled showing her teeth she recently filed into fangs and used her legs to snatch the girl off the road like a spider catching a grasshopper in its web, "Going somewhere, little honey?" Akabane whispered into the intruder's ear after capturing her and pulling her up into the canopy.

"Ugh...it's been five years and you still reek of smoke and alchohol, Onee-chan," the girl said sprouting bone blades from her right arm and attacking the village guard with a spiked backfist resembling a mace that went right through her, "but I guess that's what makes you my sister,"

"Heh, heh, heh, almost got me there, Gosunkugi-nee-chan," Akabane licking a small amount of blood from her chin. She lept down from the higher branch and held her little sister in her arms, "I know you don't appriciate my drinking habits, but i must say it's wonderful to see you again,"

"As am I, Onee-chan," Gosunkugi is actually Akabane's cousin-in-clan. However, they are as close as sisters. She has the ability to launch bone spikes out of her hands and arms, each spike is around a foot long, and throw them like kunai at very speeds with great accuracy. she can also mix her abilities with ninjutsu making her very formidable opponent . As she is a member of the Kageyasu, her tattoo of the clan symbol covers her entire right arm and shoulder.

Hyouma arrived on the scene of the family reuniting, "What is going on here, Kageyasu-san?"

"It is nothing, don't be alarmed," Akabane informed him up in the trees with her sister, "it is just a family visit,"

"Oh," Hyouma said looking up into the trees, "then come back to the village, we have nothing to fear on this night,"

"Hai," She said following Hyouma back to Kouga lands. In the main room of the Kouga Danjou estate, the strongest Kouga shinobi gathered around to greet the new arrival, "I am pleased to offer my services to the Kouga Clan of Manjidani, I am Gosunkugi Harinezumi of the Kageyasu Clan," She bowed sitting on her knees. Kagerou, Hyouma, Saemon, Okoi, and Gyoubu all introduced themselves in response. The only two surviving Kageyasu were now in alliance with the Kouga.

"Where is your leader, Gennosuke-sama?" Gosunkugi asked sipping a cup of tea

"He is away on business with the Iga," Kagerou informed her. She looked over at the newcomer with distastful eyes, "humph, look at her, she's just like that hussy Akabane, she looks wild, but every beast can be tamed," the new comer looked at her with concerned eyes,

"Is something wrong, Kagerou?" she asked, "you're sweating are you not feeling well?"

"Uh...uh...no, don't be silly," Kagerou staggered backwards from the newcomer's intense eyes

"You look tired," said Hyouma, "rest and build up your strength for tomorrow," the next day, Akabane and Gosunkugi looked at each other with battle-ready eyes. Akabane, in full-armor, spun her scythe into position with its intimidating chain weight (which weighs about 20 pounds with three evil-looking blades attached to the front and sides of the bell-shaped weight) swayed in the wind like a pendulum that saw to the death of many a worthy opponent.

"You ready?" Akabane asked, "I will not hold back, even if you are my family,"

"I don't expect you too," She replied back cleverly as the long spikes appeared out of her forearms, "because i won't either," Akabane smiled and attacked. She blocked most of the bone spikes, some even glazed her cheek.

"Heh, you're getting rusty Onee-chan," Gosunkugi smirked watching the blood drip from her sister's cheek, "maybe your blade is getting blunt," suddenly, she felt a presence in the forest and fired four long spikes into the foliage in mid-air. She heard two hit some tress and the others penetrate flesh.

"It appears we're being watched," Akabane said with the intention of going after the inturder. she put her large scythe behind her back and nodded to her sister, "nee-chan, let's go,"

"Hold on," Hyouma said stopping them, "bring the intruder back alive,"

"Hai, Hyouma-sama," they said in unison. as they went through the trees on the scent like a pack of hounds looking for the scent of a rabbit. They chased the intruder through the forest and out to a lone mountain cliff on the edge of the Kouga borders.

"Turn around, intruder," Akabane demanded. The intruder did what she was told, the armored mercenary was not surprised about the identity, "Hotarubi...your persistence never ceases to amaze me,"

"You know this little girl?" Gosunkugi asked

Akabane rolled her eyes, "Unfortunately yes, she's one of the Iga clan's best kunoichi," Hotarubi smirked a wicked smile at the crimson-armored warrior with two large wounds in her shoulder from Gosunkugi's spikes.

"Hmm...it seems the Kouga are growing desperate if they are hiring barbarian hussies like you to do the dirty work," Hotarubi sassed back to the frown on Gosunkugi's face.

"Who are you calling barbarians? You Iga scum are no better!" Gosunkugi blasted at Hotarubi with a rage equal to the roar of an angry lion. Akabane restrained her spunky younger sister whose armed spouted her large bone spikes and claws.

"Easy, nee-chan, easy," Akabane said holding back her younger sibling with the staff of her scythe, "please forgive my sister; come with us, Hotarubi-san and you will not be harmed,"

"I'd rather burn in hell!" Hotarubi said defiantly

Hotarubi summoned her butterfilies to make an escape, but no one escapes from the Kageyasu; no one. Akabane jumped into the air and kicked the chain weight in mid-air, aiming for the Iga ninja's forehead, " Suit yourself," she said as her weight hit Hotarubi square on the forehead, knocking her out cold. Akabane lifted her onto her shoulder and drank from her gourd of sake on the top of her scythe, "now then...let us move out,"