Promises
Kaoru sat atop the branch of the tree, exhausted from her gruelling sparring match against her master's right hand man. She looked down at him, as he replaced his daggers and katanas, and pondered upon his need for wearing a mask. She scoffed as the saddening truth silenced her own questions: She was a woman, and a liability, despite her exceptional capability. Stupid male arrogance.
"Kamiya!" The shout from below intruded upon her thoughts.
"Kamiya! The boss wants to meet you now! He's got a new assignment for you!"
Kaoru leapt to the ground with the agility of a feline, a panther to be exact, with her long, midnight ponytail, reminiscent of a panther's tail. She walked with confidence to her master's room, drawn from bloodshed. She was soon seated on the other side of a paper screen door, with the candlelight flickering, offering to her the shadow of her master. It had always been like this, with the paper door between them. She again questioned the need for such secrecy, but her thoughts were interrupted once again.
"Kamiya."
"Yes, master?"
"I've got a new mission for you. You've trained well and tonight you will strike fear in the Choshu clan's hearts. You shall have the honour of removing their Battousai."
Kaoru's eyes gleamed with the prospect of vengeance, the excitement obvious in the form of a grin. She bowed low to the tatami mats, her heart beating wildly.