A voice was calling unto me that fateful night… breaking apart the silence of my slumber.
"Chizuko! Wake up, Chizuko!" shouted the voice, urgently shaking both of my shoulders. "We need to get out of here before they see us."
"Ma… Mother." I said as I recognized the voice. I rose up and rubbed my eyes but she tugged my left arm and forced me to run. As I took a glance at her face, what I saw was a serious expression… an expression laden with panic… and hate.
"W-what's happening? Why are we running, Mother?" I finally got the courage to ask her.
"I'm sorry, Chizuko, but I don't have time to explain things now. We just need to focus on running or else they'll —" We both stopped running as we saw a group of men from afar, dressed in black coats and wearing masks. Behind them was a pile of corpses, members of my family that they have slain. From the glittering light of the lamp posts, I saw blood scattered everywhere. I gasped at the sight.
"Tsk… they've already seen us." Mother said angrily as she pulled handguns from her office coat. "It seems that I have no choice but to fight them off." The men came running towards us as they unleashed the swords they carry from their scabbards. "Chizuko, stay behind me. I'll handle them."
"B-but… but Mother —"
"Just do what I say! It's for your own good." She pointed her guns at them and, one by one, shot them dead with a single bullet. I was amazed by how skilled my mother was in using guns. She knelt before me and hugged me tightly. "I know you're scared but please endure it, for now." Then she looked at me in the eye and wiped my tears. I never knew I was crying until she did that. "Listen, no matter what, never ever look on your left and on your right. Just focus your eyes forward until we find your father. You completely understand that, right Chizuko?"
I nodded. She then stood up and reloaded her guns. I heard her curse as she realized that she only got two magazines full of bullets remaining, just enough for another reload. She turned her head and urged me to follow her, and then we ran again.
Along the way, we encountered a lot of those cloaked men and my mother fought valiantly against them. The surroundings were filled with the sound of clashing swords… and voices pleading for mercy, asking to be saved. I can't help but stare at my right… and what I saw stunned me at my feet. I witnessed how those men slaughtered my cousins as their mother begged for their lives… and she was killed afterwards.
My mother brought me back to my senses. "That's why I told you not to look anywhere else, remember? Because I don't want you to see… such unsightly things." Her voice was stern, but I clearly remembered it shaking as she said those last three words. "Let's go! We can't waste time anymore."
Finally, we neared the gate of our home… but as we approached it, a crowd of those men cornered us. Mother's guns were down to the last magazine and there were a few bullets left, insufficient enough to defeat all of them.
"Sachi! Chizuko!" A man's voice yelled. He was running towards us and slashed through all those men. Mother helped him defeat them by using the few remaining bullets on her guns.
"Father!" I shouted with glee as I walked towards him.
"You took your time, Kazehiro." Mother said as she looked at him, her face and voice calmed down a bit.
"I apologize for that." He sighed and smiled at us, but it didn't last long… as a new group of those masked men came, rushing at us. "Sachi, protect our daughter and stay right behind me."
Mother nodded. She held her guns close to her heart and prepared for battle. As she turned around to grab me, I felt that someone carried me from behind and locked his arms around my neck.
"Chizuko!" She cried as she pulled the trigger of her guns. She killed the man who was strangling me… but at the same time, someone sneaked at her back and thrust a sword through her body. She managed to shot the man as he pulled out his sword, then she fell to the ground catching her breath.
"MOTHER!" I tripped as I ran towards her. Crawling, I reached her and held her in my arms. Tears began to fall from my eyes as I saw her pain-stricken face, blood gushing out of her mouth when she coughed. I heard my father calling out to us, but my mind is already blank as emotions stirred up inside me.
"Chizuko..." Mother whispered. She touched my face with her right hand, now covered with her blood. I wrapped her hand tightly within my hands as I listened to her words. "Sorry… I wasn't able to protect you from seeing such things… T-the reason why I was against you practicing kendo at first is because I don't want you to experience the cruel side that comes with it, but I never thought… that it would end up like this." She coughed heavily and I could feel her pulse rate decreasing.
"Wh… What are you talking abo — "
"W-we just want you to live a normal life. But for you to take on that path… I guess it was really just inevitable." She smiled faintly. "Live… I want you to live, Chizuko… live a life staying true to yourself and never… regret anything…" Then, she caught her last breath.
Her hand slipped from my grasp but I tried to catch it. "No… It… it can't be! Mother!" My tears were pouring out heavily, a massive downpour of sentiments were released. I hugged her as I cried… It just… wouldn't stop falling.
Minutes later, father approached me and obliged me to stand up. His expression changed as he looked at my face… at my eyes, which were full of hatred and pain. He was shocked for a moment but later on regained his calm. I released myself from his hold and walked towards the place where the sword that killed my mother was. With both hands, I grabbed it and with a firm voice, I declared, "Father, let me fight, too."
"C-chizuko… you really don't have to —"
"Yes! There isn't any need to dirty your hands anymore... Suzu-chan!" A guy wearing a white cloak proclaimed, an amused smile written on his face that was hidden within the shadows. He's holding a sword with his right hand. I stared at him with disgust.
"So you really did come back, after all." Father said, glaring at him. "And I assume that all these masked people are your men."
"Umm." The man nodded his reply, smiling. "You really are strong, Kaze-san, considering that you defeated almost all of my men but… it's too bad since you'll be joining your dead family soon."
Father smirked as he intently gazed at him. "That is… if I would let you." Then he attacked him, and a fierce sword battle began.
I watched in bewilderment as they clashed swords. This was the first time I saw my father fought vigorously, as hinted on his movements. It was so fast I can barely see them. Then I was even more surprised when he used an incredible stance, something of which I haven't seen before, and he managed to injure the white man.
The man laughed and he crazily attacked Father. My father defended from his hits but some still passed through him, wounding him in the process. When the white man saw an opening, he slashed through Father and his blood splashed everywhere, including me. I was stunned as I felt his blood on my face, on my clothes... fear has finally eaten me up.
"Ch… Chizuko, run! Don't let him get you." Father shouted as he writhed in pain. I tried to move my feet, but it was so numb I couldn't even feel it.
"Ehh… Why run, Suzu-chan? I just want to play with you." The enemy asserted, smirking as he moved to my direction.
"D-don't… don't come near me!" I cried in panic. I held my sword closely to my body, tightly gripping at the hilt.
The white man sighed. "I really don't intend to kill you, Suzu-chan but... I just can't leave survivors here, can I?"
He ran towards me. My heart was beating faster and blood was forming in my head as I hold on to my sword. When he was just a meter away from me, I caught a glimpse of his face. What I saw wasn't even describable… and it wasn't even human at all! Then, my voice echoed through everything…
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
I woke up and rose hastily. My breathing was ragged and tears were still flowing from my eyes as I grabbed the sheets firmly. "A… a dream." I whispered. My body was shaking with fear. I then covered my face with both of my hands and cried heavily, trying to calm myself… trying to forget that miserable memory.
Chizuko woke up in the middle of the night, sobbing as she recalled a painful past. A true-to-life nightmare. She wiped her tears away then she remembered something important.
"My… my twin bokuto!" she cried in haste as she searched the room for her swords. She found it resting beside her luggage, looking the way it was when she sheathed it yesterday. She released a sigh, rose from the bed and organized it. Then she walked towards the window. Chizuko moved the curtains aside for her to get a glimpse outside. The sky was still dim but there is already a hint of brightness reflected by the clouds.
"I guess it's almost 4 in the morning." She said to herself while removing her ponytail to tie it back properly. Chizuko then dusted off her clothes, carried her twin bokuto and dragged her luggage as she opened the sliding door.
She moved cautiously, trying not to make a sound that might wake anyone up. When she reached the front door and was about to open it, she heard a voice a few feet away from her.
"Where do you think you're going this early in the morning… without even saying anything before you leave?" Tsuyoshi remarked frowning, his arms crossed.
"O… ojisan… sorry. I really have to go."
"Are you going back to the Kagayama Household?"
The girl shook her head and with a strained voice said, "I don't have any place… where I can go back to."
"W-what do you mean by that?" the old man asked with disbelief, eyebrows curled. "Haven't you come back to the Household within these 7 years?"
"Yes. Me and Hiroyuki-ojisama returned to the compound more than a year ago because I asked him to. But we haven't been able to enter since every wall outside of the house… were covered with talismans made out of paper and they seem to say that we are not welcome anymore."
"Talismans… you mean Ofudas!"
Chizuko nodded her head. "I tried to tear them away but Ojisama stopped me before I do and told me that what I'm going to do is not a good idea. I was also scared then to see what's inside so I heed to his command. And after that, we never came back."
"But why was the Household covered with talismans?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "I… I don't know either and Ojisama never told me the reason why, no matter how much I pleaded."
Tsuyoshi sighed, "Setting that aside, I guess you must stay here with us. This house is sturdy and wide after all, and you even said that you don't have a place to go."
"B-but… I might become a hindra —"
"No, you're not!" the old man grinned. "You're free and welcome to stay here for as long as you want. This is what your late father asked me to do for him… and I consider you as my daughter, too."
Chizuko blushed. Daughter! She thought. "B-but Ojisan, I still can't —… W-wait! Where are you taking my luggage?" she exclaimed as the old man pulled her bag back inside.
"You're going to live here for a while, Chizuko, and I insist on that." Then he chuckled. "I'd be worried sick if I let you go like that and surely, Kazehiro will really scold me in the afterlife for not taking care of you in his behalf."
She was dumbfounded for a moment, and then afterwards giggled at him. When she regained her composure, she said smiling, "I understand. I guess you really don't give me much of a choice if you say it like that, Ojisan."
Tsuyoshi smiled back, "Ahaha! Now you finally get it. Welcome to the family, Chizuko!"
"But I have one condition." She remarked shyly. The man looked at her, confused. "I won't live here for free. You have a Sushi restaurant, right? Let me work there to repay you from letting me stay here. It is one of the clan's customs that I must abide as well."
She really seems determined, judging from her eyes. I guess I just have to let her, he thought. "Ahh… suit yourself, then." He said, scratching his head.
"Thank you, Ojisan!" she bowed her head.
"No worries. Come now, it's almost time to prepare breakfast."
"Umm." Chizuko nodded in agreement. Then both of them headed to the kitchen as a new dawn rises for the young girl.
Original Story (c) windwalker035
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Characters (c) Akira Amano