Chapter 61
"I don't think you're going to fit through" said Kaorin as Tomo groaned as water splashed across her backside and legs.
"Ew cold" she said. Behind Kaorin Fuka was busy tying up the pirates, as Kaorin had gone to the next room to ask for help. "I'm sure I can get through" added Tomo.
"Not without breaking down the wall" replied Fuka.
"Would that be a problem?" asked Tomo.
"Do you have money to pay for the repairs?" asked Fuka.
Silence.
"How did you get here anyway?" asked Kaorin.
"I climbed out of another window and climbed across to here" said Tomo.
"Why don't you just climb up onto the deck, walk down the stairs and come through the door?" asked Fuka pointing to the open door behind her. In the distance they could hear crashing sounds as the pirates interrupted the evening meal.
"Could you give me a couple of minutes?" asked Tomo before vanishing from view. Fuka looked upwards as she heard a loud pattering across the ceiling, and then loud footsteps down the stairway.
"Hi" said Tomo, appearing in the doorway out of breath. "Have you seen Sakaki anywhere?"
"Nope" said Fuka, Kaorin shaking her head.
"She was going out for a walk and I haven't seen her since" replied Kaorin.
"I know I ran into her when I was leaving" stated Tomo. "But I haven't seen her around after that."
"Maybe some of the pirates found her?" suggested Kaorin, pointing to the groaning captives. "They better not have hurt her! If they have!" she said angrily, surprising both Tomo and Fuka.
"Maybe we should help the others, get rid of the pirates" said Tomo backing away from the angry Kaorin.
"That sounds like a good idea" ushered the return of sweet Kaorin. Already the anger and lingering threat of violence had vanished from the air.
"S-sure" said Fuka as she wondered just who she had got involved with.
"Now are ye sure you don't have anymore gold upon your persons?" asked the pirate captain.
"I am most certainly certain" replied the rich looking man with a sign of disgust. "One doesn't just carry his assets around like that. Investment and banking. Puh."
"Then how about money, or jewellery of some kind?" asked the Captain.
"Yeah, like pretty stones" replied the pirate closest to the Captain.
"What did I be saying about keeping quiet?" asked the Captain sharply as he turned to his man. "You aren't talking English like I does."
The rich man let out a faint snort and was promptly knocked unconscious by a punch to the face. The Captain smirked and then moved along to the next person. Chidori stood looking unimpressed, eating a muffin while the Captain ogled her.
"Now then, I don't suppose ye have anything of worth upon yerself?" asked the man.
"Well I have a tasty muffin" replied Chidori. "It's very good."
"Aye I see."
Chidori gave a faint acknowledgement before returning to her snack. The man grumbled under his breath and took one step forward. Chidori finished eating and licked the crumbs from her fingers. The Captain stood watching this eagerly.
"Yer see, I am accepting other means of payment."
"I see" replied Chidori. "Well how about this- you don't look at me like that again and I won't break your arm."
"Why you- why I…no one talks ta me like that!" he said angrily. "Especially not some woman like you."
He marched to Chidori, only to be surprised as Kasumi stepped in front of her boss. Chidori seemed slightly bemused, while Kasumi looked up at the man. Her voice wavered slightly while she found herself unable to look directly in the man's eyes.
"Miss Chidori may be curt but she does not wish you any ill health" said Kasumi, trying to avoid any commotion. "And she is not just some woman" she added.
"Oh damn it" groaned the Captain. "I just can't do it…I just can't hit someone like her."
"I can boss" replied one of the lackies, stepping in before the captain could respond. He went for Kasumi and Chidori reached out, grabbing his arm and bringing it around to his back with a cracking sound. He yelled out and fell to his knees as Chidori held him coldly.
"Do you want me to break it off?" she asked. "Do you want me to show you true pain?"
"No! No thanks!" replied the man.
"Maybe I want to keep a memento of a big man like you" said Chidori.
"No I'm not a man! Not a man!" he replied, before landing face first into the ground. Kasumi stuck her tongue out at him, but then turned to Chidori.
"I think we may have a problem Miss Chidori."
"What do you mean?" asked Chidori.
"The twenty or so angry pirates still in this room" replied the assistant, pointing around the dining hall.
"Oh that" replied Chidori. "If I win you have to do whatever I say tonight Kasumi."
"Oh you promised you…" said Kasumi blushing wildly.
"Anything I want" replied Chidori lustfully. She turned to find herself face to face with the leader of the pirates once more. "What?"
"Carry on. Please."
"Yeah, we'll surrender if we can watch!" called out some of the pirates.
"Well that is tempting" replied Chidori.
"Oh Miss Chidori!" said Kasumi somehow blushing even more.
"Ta da!" came an interruption from the entrance hall. Tomo stood in front of the now open doors, two guards unconscious on the floor. "I think I opened the door too hard!"
"What the heck?" asked the Captain.
"Gurk!" yelled out one of the men as a rope tightened around his chest, tying him to another man. They tried to coordinate but merely walked into a wall.
"Hi! I'm here too" said Fuka from the balcony overlooking the hall. She grabbed more rope hoping the staff wouldn't mind her using it.
"We're here to stop you!" said Tomo.
"And if you hurt my friend you'll pay!" growled Kaorin appearing on the opposite side of the room. Fuka looked on in despair as it appeared crazy Kaorin had returned. She wondered if that would be useful or not in a fight.
"What now?" asked Kasumi.
"Well with the girlies helping this should be very easy" said Chidori.
"Oh I'm gonna get my ass kicked by a girl" groaned the Captain as he was closed in on from every side by the annoyed looking fairer sex.
"Well that was easy" said Tomo smugly in front of the group of groaning pirates crumpled on the floor.
"You seemed to enjoy that a bit too much" said Fuka, directing her comment at both Kaorin, and the out of earshot Chidori.
"So what now?" asked Kasumi, standing away from the three ninja (in training).
"Well I guess since I got help you get away with it this time" replied Chidori running her hands through Kasumi's hair in a caring manner. She moved slightly closer.
She turned as she heard something. Two people, middle aged were looking at them.
"How disgraceful" muttered the man.
"A woman being interested in another woman. How most unnatural" agreed the woman. "Really they should keep that behaviour in private if they can't change."
"Maybe we should just-" said Kasumi before being interrupted as Chidori kissed her. Fuka and Kaorin stood with their jaws dropped as the kiss seemed to last for an eternity. The two older people moved away, tutting in disapproval.
"Ewww" said Tomo grinning wildly.
Kaorin was silent. Two lovers in an embrace, but just looking at the room…so many seemed unhappy with it. So many disapproved of this type of love. If it was one man and one woman they'd be happy…but two people of the same sex? Kaorin didn't even know if she could face Sakaki, let alone the world. And how did she know Sakaki didn't have the same objection to such things? Kaorin sighed. Things can never be easy can they?
"Hehe they kissed each other" said Tomo. "Is it wrong that I'm slightly aroused?" she asked her voice changing tone.
"Erm" replied Fuka as Tomo grinned at her. It was hard to tell if the girl had just been serious, or was merely trying to get a rise from the girl.
Finally the two finished and Chidori looked across at the group.
"I'll be seeing you again Tomo Takino" said Chidori before they moved away.
"Hey did I tell that person my name?" asked a confused Tomo.
"I'm not sure…did you meet her again before we got here?"
"I can't remember" said Tomo, Fuka groaning.
"So how long until we arrive?" asked Tomo finally breaking the silence.
"A couple of days I think" replied Fuka. "Hopefully the rest of the trip will go smoothly. Hey what are you doing?" she suddenly asked as Kaorin sprinted for the exit.
"I'm going to find Sakaki!"
The footsteps echoed throughout the stony hallway, the blond haired man ambling down cracked stone stairs to meet the newcomers. He smirked as Übel Kline marched along the narrow passageway. Slightly behind Kline walked Shuzo Inoue, who the blond haired man once thought was a bodyguard given the fact he was hardly ever away from Kline's side. Or perhaps a lapdog.
"Ah so one of Lord Saburou's puppets decides to come and speak to me!" said the man loudly.
Shuzo looked up at the man with a fierce look but Kline merely smiled. He said something to Shuzo who stood back as Kline approached the man.
"Botan, it is nice to meet you once more" said Kline. "My Lord apologises for not being able to meet you in person himself."
"Ha! Sometimes I wonder if this Saburou person even exists" said Botan loudly.
"Lord Saburou does exist but is currently preoccupied" replied Kline. "However he sent me to speak with you."
"It should be an honour for you to meet the Lord's most high powered man" said Shuzo from the shadows.
"I don't feel all that honoured" replied Botan. "In fact I feel like I'm wasting my time talking to a couple of lackeys."
"I will not keep you long" replied Kline. "I am merely here to inform you that soon a group of young ninja will be arriving at the town below. Someone from the settlement sent for help and we expect they will arrive tomorrow. I assume you still have the power being used to terrorise the town?" asked Kline.
"Of course."
"Good. Our Lord wants you to test these ninja. Not kill unless you have to. We believe one may have more power then first appears but we are not certain. That one is a girl. Despite her gender she is believed to have great power. We don't really care about the others, only the girl…Tomo. We want her to be tested."
"We we we we we!" said Botan. "What about me?"
"When you are successful you will be welcomed into the higher order if you wish" replied Kline. "I know that so far you've wished to act by yourself. However I must ask if one of our men met you recently."
"The swordsman? Yeah he was here. Sent him out to get some supplies- I don't need him but I might as well make some use of him."
"I see. And for now I must ask that you only attack stray townspeople and not the town itself or the people running it. My Lord has an interest in this town."
"Fine I get it" said Botan. "And I get to fight these ninja people right?"
"Yes, you get to test them Botan."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Very well" replied Kline, before turning and walking away. Botan said no more, walking back to his own personal library. "He is the puppet" said Kline quietly to Shuzo who nodded in agreement.