Chapter 2- The Tournament

13 years later

"It's been 13 years, hasn't Ryu?" Zack walks up to him as he stood by the blooming Apple Blossom Tree's. Ryu looks "Yeah, I think we're ready to save her." Zack smiles "Yeah. We've been training so hard with Shiden and Joe. Can you still remember Ayame's daughter's name?" Ryu looked at him stupidly "Yeah." Zack grins "Then what's her name?" Ryu looked down for a minute "Uh… "Zack begins to laugh "its Kasumi dude." Ryu punches him "I knew that!" Zack looks up "Sure you did." Ryu looks up and closes his eyes. Zack looked at him and walked away to leave him alone for a while before they leave to the tournament.

"I still remember her mother's scream and Kasumi's sweet voice." He opened his eyes to a Cherry blossom tree swaying in the wind "Kasumi's Tree has bloomed so well." "Excuse me Hayabusa?" Ryu turned and saw Ayame walking towards him. "Yes, Ma'am?" Ayame smiled softly "Good luck on your mission. Shiden and I are really glad that you organized this." Ryu nodded "Your welcome. It's the least I could do after I let him take her." Ayame shook her head "It's not your fault Ryu. Just be safe and careful." Hayate yells from the jet "Hayabusa! Let's go!" Ryu bowed at Ayame and ran to the jet and jumped in. "Let's go, guys." The doors shut and the jet took off into the air.

The whole way to the Island, Ryu didn't talk. He was too focused on the mission and nothing else. Nobody knew what he was thinking about but they were guessing that he was thinking about what she would look like and if he needed to expect a fight from her. Whatever it was that he was thinking about it was important and nobody said anything to him. Ayane sat next to him and smiled "We're there, Hayabusa" He looked at her and nodded. "Alright, thank you." The plane landed and they all piled off the plane and met with Raido, Donovan, and Helena. Ryu stood next to Zack, Hayate, and Ayane.

Raido smiled "Welcome to DOA Island. I expect all of you are in tip top shape for the first day of fighting?" They all nodded. Raido suddenly whistled and they looked around in a fighting ready pose but to their surprise a girl with bright auburn hair and in a red and black ninja outfit lands in front of them. Raido laughs "This is my daughter. Lady Kasumi." Ryu quickly stands straight up and looks. Kasumi smiles "Hello fighters. Please go easy on this is my first tournament because it will be my birthday soon." Raido looks at the fighters and notices Hayate and Ayane then looks to the right and Ryu's eyes are locked on Kasumi. "Well Kasumi, show them to their quarters." Kasumi nods "Yes, Father." She walked away leading the boys to their rooms first. "Zack and Elliot your room is on the left. Hayate and Ryu your room is on the left. Bass and Jannlee your room is straight ahead. Ayane, Hitomi, Leifang, and Christie are rooms are down the hall and to the right." She bowed and walked down another hall away.

Ryu and Hayate followed quickly behind her and pinned her against the wall. Kasumi screamed "FATHER!" Ryu pressed his hand over her mouth "Kasumi, hush! Its Hayate and Ryu." She stopped wailing and looked at them "What are you two doing?" Hayate smiles "Taking you back home." She scoffed "This is my home!" Hayate yells in her face "No it's not! Raido kidnapped you 13 years ago from the Shonbi Clan! He ripped you out of your mother's arms!" Kasumi yells back "Stop lying! I have no mother! She died long ago!" Hayate slaps her across the face. Kasumi shoved Ryu off her and runs down the hallway crying. Ryu looks at Hayate with a mad expression "What the hell was that?" Hayate scoffs and walks into their room followed by Ryu and slams the door.

The fighters woke up the next morning and turned their bracelets on. Ryu pushed pass Hayate and runs out the door. "I need to find Kasumi." He runs outside and falls into Kasumi. "Oh, Good morning Kasumi" He smiles nervously. She looks away from him "Can you please get off me?" He blushes and gets off her then helps her up "Look at me Kasumi. Please?" Kasumi looks at him "What?" Ryu takes her hand "Kasumi, I'm sorry about yesterday. Can we start over?" She smiles at him "Yes, we can." All of a sudden Ryu jumps and he looks at his bracelet "Oh no." Kasumi looks at it "Leon is your first fight." Ryu shakes his head "No its not." Kasumi laughs "Yes it is, dummy." Ryu laughs nervously "Sure…" Leon comes up behind Ryu and swings his arms. Ryu ducks while grabbing Kasumi and runs like a nut case on drugs. Kasumi, who is slung over on his shoulder speaks "Uhm, Ryu… You're supposed to be fighting him?"

He continues to run quickly and stops by a tree filled with Cherry Blossoms. "Hide in that tree please." Kasumi sighs "Alright" she jumped into the tree as Leon punched Ryu in the face. Kasumi gasped. Ryu grabs his arm, twists it and throws Leon into another tree. "Ha-Ha! Ninja one point, Military mutt zero points!" Ryu dances in a circle until he heard Leon groan "Oh shit." Ryu turns with a bamboo stick and slaps it across Leon's head. Kasumi falls into Ryu's arms and yells "You won!" Ryu looked "I did?" Kasumi looked at him and he smiled "I DID!" Raido yells "Kasumi!" Kasumi jumps out of Ryu's arms and runs " I have to go."

2 months pass...

Raido and Donovan stand on a platform smiling down at the final fighters "It's almost time to kill Kasumi." Raido smiles "Yes. Right in front of her brother and my daughter Ayane." He turned and walked away. "Kasumi, you will be fighting Ayane and Helena at the same time." She looked up at him "Yes father..." She walked down and stood in front of Ayane and Helena "We fight don't we?" Helena nods "We have to." Ayane glared at Kasumi and kicked her into the wall and slams her fists into Kasumi's stomach. Helena yells "Ayane! Stop! You're going to kill her! We have to bring her back alive!"

Ayane wasn't listening, she just kept beating Kasumi. Helena was still yelling at her and begging her to stop but it was no use. Kasumi back hit into rock and her body slammed against the water. Helena tried to grab Ayane but she was smacked away and fell onto the floor. "Ayane please, Stop!" Ayane raised her leg and slammed it down on Kasumi's head several times until she saw blood on her heel. Helena yelled for Hayate and Ryu. They didn't show up. Helena cried and slapped Ayane "What the fuck is your problem! Is it because Ryu and Kasumi love each other! IS IT!" Ayane fell to her knees and sobbed "What have I done...? Did... Did I kill her Helena?"

Helena kneeled down to her "I hope not, Ayane. What happened to you?" Ayane looked at her "I blanked out. A voice was in my head telling me to kill her." Hayate walks up "Ayane, what did you do?" Ayane turns "It wasn't my fault Hayate!" Helena stood up "She was being possessed by someone, Hayate." Ryu jumps by Kasumi and picks her up "Let's leave while we have a chance." Hayate nods. Helena and they run to a jet. Helena yelled "Zack open the door! Hurry!" Zack opened the door and helped Helena, Ayane and Hayate in. "Hurry Ryu!" Ryu jumps in as Zack takes off to the village.

Helena cheers "We did it! We saved Kasumi!" Ryu just stared at Kasumi's emotionless face which was pale as snow and cold as ice. He wiped the blood off her lips which are supposed to be a rose color but are now pale as a fish's belly. Helena watched his face change and started getting worried that they didn't win and Raido did. Hayate looked "Hayabusa is she ok?" He didn't even look up at him and put his ear to Kasumi's heart and heard a soft slow beat "Yeah, I heard a heartbeat. We just need to hurry." Zack laughed and put the jet in full gear and everyone flew back against the wall. Helena laughed "Go Zack!"

Moments later, they landed in the village with the villagers waiting for their arrival. Zack got off first and helped Ayane, Helena, and Helena off the jet and stood aside to see Ayame and Shiden. Ayame walked up "Did you find Kasumi?" Zack waited for Ryu to jump out. Ryu slid out of the jet with Kasumi in his arms and walked pasted Shiden and Ayame. Ayame cried out "Hayabusa is my daughter ok?" He stopped and looked at her "Kasumi is fine. She just needs rest, Lady Ayame." Ayame nodded "Take care of her, Hayabusa-sama" He returned to his house and laid Kasumi in his bed and sat down next to the bed. "Kasumi, I promise to protect you from now on. No one will hurt you. You won't be alone anymore." He kissed her forehead and laid his head on the bed to wait for her to awake.

Days flew by and Ryu still stayed by the sleeping Kasumi. Hayate walked into his house "Come on, Hayabusa. She'll wake up, it'll just take time. You need to sleep and eat." Ryu stood up "I swore I wouldn't leave her side and I stand to what I promise." Hayate clenched his fists tightly "GET OVER IT HAYABUSA! YOU AND KASUMI DON'T BELONG TOGETHER!" with those words Hayate left the house in a rush. Ryu fell to his knees "I've been so weak and I didn't realize why until now. I love Kasumi but…I don't belong with her? I don't understand it. I yearn for her and I need her. God Damn it! I'm in love with Kasumi!" "Hayabusa-sama?" Ryu looked up and tears were silently dripping from his eyes and he looked back. "Are you ok, Hayabusa-sama?"